The Herald refocused on Alvian. Its entire body began to unfold, expanding into a massive, jagged lotus of glass and eyes. A grey light began to build in its center, preparing an omni-directional burst that would age everything in the plaza to dust.
Alvian prepared to [Void Step] out of the blast radius, calculating the exact millisecond to jump.
But a massive shadow leaped over him.
"IRON SHELL!"
Magnus the Guardian landed squarely between Alvian and the expanding fractal. The towering Crab-Man slammed his legendary tower shield—a slab of metal that had survived the crushing depths of the Abyss—into the ground. He didn't cast a protective bubble; he used his own massive body and shield as a physical barricade.
The grey burst erupted.
