Chapter 12: "Shattered Radiance: The Sentinel’s Vigil"

I was the first to charge, unleashing a storm of slashes around him. The snake’s eyes came alive, ready to bite me at any moment.

He read my movements and blocked my attacks without flinching.

He has combat experience, that’s how legends wield their swords.

The light reflecting off his silver armor left me dazed. When I stepped back, Zera took the chance to strike him. Every hit she launched came from different angles, and none of them worked.

"He won’t be an enemy as easy to defeat as the Knight in the Garden of Thorns."

We stepped back to catch our breath and attack again. In response, he ran madly across the place.

What is he doing?

Beams of light appeared from impossible points, bouncing off every object and turning the temple into a luminous maze.

The stained glass on the walls and his sword emitted light. The mirrors around him and his own armor reflected it. The more he moves, the brighter it gets.

"The glare makes it impossible to see him," Zera said. "Besides, he moves too fast."

“Have you got any ideas?"

Zera leapt toward a wall and shattered several stained glass panels and mirrors. I positioned myself beside her, ready to prevent the knight from reaching her.

"Without light bouncing off him, we can track his movements," she explained proudly.

The sentinel appeared near me. He attacked from all sides. I was still blinded, but I defended myself by a miracle, guessing his position.

His strikes are powerful. It’s thanks to the snake’s resilience that I could withstand them. A normal sword would have shattered on the first impact.

He launched a slow slash that I blocked. We wrestled for a few seconds, the tensest of my life. It was terrifying how his helmet reflected my face.

When he stands still, I can see him.

He vanished.

"I hear his steps," Zera said, devoted to her mission. "He’s looking for our weak spot."

He attacked from above, swinging a cut over my head that sank me a few inches into the floor. Then he kicked Zera, sending her flying into a wall. The hall shook with him, trembling with every step he took.

In ten seconds we barely managed to destroy three stained glass panels, and there are almost fifty in the hall!

That attack destroyed my legs: standing up was a huge effort. Zera and I got back up with difficulty.

"Breaking the glass will take too long. We need another plan," I shouted to Zera.

I can see him when he stands still, that’s the opening I need. But… When does he stop moving?

He started running in circles again, not letting us regroup. While doing so, he launched multiple attacks from all directions.

"The light protects him, I can’t see him!" Zera said.

"Neither can I."

We were disabled, limited to defending ourselves. The way his armor interacted with the temple gave him absolute control, leaving us hopeless.

As long as he keeps running or the mirrors remain intact, we won’t stand a chance.

I ran at him. Exposing my own defense, I struck him frantically.

He stops moving when he defends himself; that’s his weak point.

"Zera, now! Break everything you can!"

I began attacking him with ferocity, prioritizing speed over strength. Landing strikes was my only mission.

I have to force him to defend, so he stays still. It’s the only chance I have to see him without the light blinding me.

I struck blow after blow. The sentinel remained stationary, blocking each of my charges with his sword.

"I won’t let you move!" I roared, unleashing desperate thrusts.

Every time I attacked, he stayed still for a few moments.

If I chain my blows, that time will turn into valuable seconds, which Zera needs to break the glass.

However, the sentinel discovered my intentions. He changed tactics. Little by little, he began attacking me insistently.

He is worthy of my respect. Not only did he figure out my tactics, but he also understood how to counter them!

Every time my blade met his, he turned the impact into an offensive deflection that forced me to defend. Then, he took advantage to gain distance and freedom of movement. Finally, the flashes on his armor exploded before my eyes, causing my attacks to falter.

If I defend, he can reposition. If I let him, we’re finished.

The glow of the stained glass grew. Its colors bathed the hall in unreal fire, as if the room pulsed to the rhythm of the battle. The Radiance lived up to its name, appearing through the cracks of the temple.

The floor beneath my feet vibrated intensely. The columns creaked, the ceiling released clouds of dust.

The temple cracked, as if it were one with the sentinel’s spirit.

We both lowered our guard, focusing only on attacking.

"Whoever defends first will lose this encounter," the sentinel said, perfectly describing our situation.

The snake writhed, sinking its fangs into my flesh. The agony pierced me like a hot iron through my entrails. What I did to my rival, she mirrored in me.

Not only that, her thrusts manage to pierce me: I can’t feel my stomach.

He cut my shoulder, I slashed his arm. He struck my waist, I pierced his leg. We forgot to defend ourselves and plunged into a frenzied fight.

I will not give up!

Deep cracks appeared in the ceiling, the floor stones sank, and several columns fell. The temple was dying, but the glow of the stained glass clung to an unbreakable radiance.

I pierced his breastplate, he struck my lung. I opened his abdomen with my sword, his cut through my arm.

The light shattered the stained glass, flooding the hall with absolute brilliance. The ceiling split in two and the floor exploded.

I can’t tell if this pain is caused by the snake… or if the sentinel shattered my body.

We both delivered one final strike. The clash of our swords lacerated my eardrums. The snake tore my organs, the temple collapsed, and the light consumed everything.

When the flash faded, only one of us remained standing.