On the screen...
Pelushra didn't stop.
Even as the system screamed warnings.
Even as the light flickered.
She held on.
Both hands outstretched, divine energy pouring forward, forcing its way through resistance that clearly wasn't meant to be broken.
Michael was on his knees now.
Shaking.
Fighting something no one else could see.
And then...
Something shifted.
Not on the screen.
Behind me.
Leonhart's presence tightened.
Subtly.
But I felt it.
Like pressure building before something snapped.
"…You're interfering," he said quietly.
Not angry.
Not yet.
Just… focused.
His attention.
Not on me.
On him.
On Michael.
On the chains.
"…Yeah," I muttered.
And then...
I moved.
I lunged forward and slammed straight into him from behind.
"...What the?!"
We hit the ground hard.
I didn't even try to make it elegant.
Full body weight.
Pinning him down like I was tackling Keiji during training.
"Stay down for a second!" I snapped, pressing him into the floor.
