But Kyle was ready. His foci were all active, and none of his attention was diverted to their masking. The spirit lunged, and Kyle released a different spell—a simple, focused dart of power backed by everything he had. It caught the charging ant head-on, penetrating deep in a flash of power. In the same instant, the rear of the ant's form was engulfed in a sickly green substance that pulled it to the ground, stopping its rush and slamming its head down onto the pavement. Kyle stepped back as the creature thrashed, its big head cracked and oozing. He readied another spell, felt Seeks-the-Moon doing the same, and then watched as the ant spirit thrust itself upward in a final act of defiance before suddenly losing cohesion, its form drifting apart and streaming away in an unfelt breeze.