The creature finished reorienting.
854,800 HP oriented toward both of them.
Learning. More complete. Stronger than at the start because it had all the energy from all three.
And the two of them with HP dropping and corruption at its limit and a creature that regenerated faster than they could deal damage.
"Why didn't you use it before?" said Alex.
Seraph looked at the creature.
"Because if it fails, I have nothing left for the next exchange." Her eyes on the left rear point they had attacked twice. "I needed to know the point was real before betting everything on it."
"And now you know?"
"We attacked it twice. It responds." Seraph. "It's real."
Alex looked at the creature.
Looked at the corruption that F1 returned as a number — 95%, stable for now, but with the margin closing with each exchange where he took damage.
Looked at Seraph.
"What do you need from me?"
