He sighs, looking ahead. “I gave it my all, and it still wasn’t enough.” “It looked pretty close to me,” Addi says. “Not in the end. I think he might have been holding back at first.” It pains Niko to admit this, but he’d rather face his flaws than pretend they don’t exist. “When he gave in fully to his spirits, I stood no chance.” “But you drove him to that point,” Addi says. “I’m familiar with Umadi spirit charms, and what I know is warriors who possess themselves with spirits don’t like to yield to them completely because then it’s the spirits in control. You pushed him so hard he had to
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