Clara's robe of shifting elements flared as she cast another spell, this time weaving fire and water together in a way that shouldn't have been possible. The result was a roaring steam explosion that surged toward me, a boiling mix of scalding vapor and raw force.
I countered quickly, summoning a wall of wind with a three-circle spell to disperse the steam. The barrier held, but barely. The sheer complexity of her attacks was forcing me to think faster and act smarter with each passing moment.
"Not bad," Clara said, her tone carrying the same lazy amusement as before, though her movements were anything but sluggish. She flicked her wrist, and two new spells formed in tandem—one a spiraling vortex of wind, the other a sharp, crackling spear of lightning. They shot toward me in perfect sync.
