The earth with the stone bull charges me, clearly hoping to overwhelm me with brute strength. I sidestep his initial rush, my blade slicing across his arm. It's not enough to trigger stasis, but it slows him. When he turns for another charge, I don't try to dodge—I step into it, letting him barrel into me just like Brunhild taught me.

Raith senses my intention at the last second, and I feel his sudden alarm and desire to reach me.

But it happens too fast.

The earth charges me, body slamming me as I do everything I can to hold on, hands squeezing as I suck his essence in as hard and fast as I can. Power floods into me, raw and vibrant, filling the emptiness inside. He realizes too late what's happening, tries to pull away, but I've already taken enough.

Using his power, I flick my wrist, raising a chunk of stone from the ground and flinging it for his head at high speeds.

His eyes widen in shock as the stasis triggers, freezing him mid-gasp.

Around me, the battle rages. Beck and Brunhild fight together, their elementals creating a perimeter of raw destruction that keeps attackers at bay. Mireen weaves water into deadly blades that flash in the morning light. Ambrose lingers near the back, seeming to call out targets for Akaron to surprise attack from above.

Raith cuts into the enemies with brutal efficiency. His sword moves like an extension of his body, each strike calculated and precise. Nearly every time he slashes that blade, there's a flash of blue as yet another of Malakai's people is cast into stasis. I feel his absolute focus, his mind working like a commander on a battlefield rather than a student in a competition.

I use my stolen earth essence to raise last-second shields of earth, saving students on our side from being put into stasis.

"They're trying to surround us," I warn Raith through our connection.

He nods, shouting orders that his fires follow with brutal efficiency. They fan out, making it harder for Malakai's people to pinch in around us.

"Nessa!" Beck shouts, his voice tight with warning.

I turn to see Malakai himself bearing down on me, shark elemental launching ahead of him. Its jaws open wide, teeth gleaming in the pale light.

Typhon abandons his serpent disguise in a flash of brilliant blue. Wings sprout from his back and his jaw lengthens, filling with sharp teeth. He grows larger until he's easily twice the size of the next largest elemental. He flaps his powerful wings and explodes through the air, putting himself between me and the shark. They collide with such force the ground beneath us shakes, water magic exploding outward in a concussive wave.

Malakai is coming for me, water blade forming in his hand as his single remaining eye glows with deadly purpose.