When the Sword reached me, he lashed out with a desperate lunge aimed at my neck. I raised my left hand casually and caught the blade midair, bringing it to a complete standstill. With a hard yank on the sword I pulled the knight forward, bringing him to a forced crouch in front of me. Disbelief played clearly across his face, but it quickly faded away to fear as he fully realized his mistake. I pulled back my right arm and activated the gauntlet’s enhancement, this time adding my own surge of mana to the effect, and leveled a punch directly into the Sword’s chest.
His armor peeled away like paper beneath the enhanced force of my blow, crumpling inward to impale the flesh underneath. I felt the fleeting sensation of his chest collapsing under my fist, but it disappeared a moment later as he flew backwards like a ragdoll, bouncing violently across the hall until he smashed against the opposite wall with so much force that the stone shuddered and cracked. He fell to the floor where he remained an unmoving, broken mess.
I deactivated the gauntlets’ enhancements and examined the obsidian blade that I still held in my hand, having wrenched it from the Sword’s grip when he made his unceremonious exit. Unlike the other weapons of the Trinity Guard, it seemed to be much heavier than its form otherwise indicated, and I found it uncomfortable to hold in one hand without a small boost from my combat enhancements. I tested the balance with a proper two-handed grip and was surprised to find that the heavy gauntlets had almost no effect on the dexterity of my fingers; the craftsmanship of the tiny articulated plates was beyond anything I was capable of, and the gloves were still comfortable to wear.
While I was tempted to test the capabilities of the greatsword, the sound of fighting from beneath the throne forced me into a sprint towards my last remaining foe. My Detection had kept an unconscious eye on Lia and Val’s fight while I was otherwise occupied, but it became clear that it had been an unnecessary use of energy as I approached the pair; apart from her nearly spent mana reserves, Lia was still in perfect health. The same couldn’t be said for Val, however, as a majority of her shining silver scale armor was painted bright red with fresh blood from half a dozen stab wounds.
They disengaged after a quick exchange of blows, and I arrived at Lia’s side with my new sword held out at the ready. “It’s over, Val,” I called out to her. “I don’t want to kill you. Throw down your shield and let us go, and you’ll never have to see us again.”
It took a moment for her to fully comprehend my appearance, and I saw the realization cross her face when she finally noticed my accoutrements. Our eyes met, and I felt an unbearable sadness flowing off of her. “I cannot do that.”
“Yes you can!” Lia shouted. “You don’t have to listen to his stupid orders!” She waved her sword in King Virram’s direction, which reminded me of his existence for the first time since the fight had started. His councilors had long since abandoned him where he sat on his massive golden throne, hands balled into fists of anger. His expression puzzled me; despite the fact that two of his strongest fighters were dead, he seemed more appalled at the fact that Lia had disrespected him.
Val’s posture straightened as she rolled her shoulders and prepared herself for another round of combat. “It was my greatest pleasure working with you, Lux, Lia.” Her voice cracked as she spoke, confirming the truth of her words.
“Don’t give me that shit, Val!” I growled as the level-headed calm of battle faded back into a cloud of rage. “I said I don’t want to kill you, but I will if you make me.”
“I have my orders,” she replied, her voice once again returned to its usual steely timbre.
“Yes, you do!” Virram shouted down to her. “Stop chatting and kill these two, by order of your King!”
“That’s ENOUGH!” I charged forward as my anger passed the tipping point, spinning past Val’s shield faster than she could react. I leapt up to the raised platform and grabbed Virram roughly by the shoulder, placing the tip of the greatsword at the base of his neck. “The only way he lives is if you throw down your shield and let us go.”
Val whirled around to face me. “Lux, please,” she begged, her voice trembling. “I...I cannot…please...”
“You can’t what?” I yelled, confused. Whatever answer she attempted to give me was interrupted by a commotion at the opposite end of the hall; the throne room doors burst open and let in a steady stream of guards who, upon spotting their King in danger, began a valorous charge across the room. I let out a wordless yell of frustration and scanned my surroundings, running through a multitude of potential scenarios in my head. “Lia, grab our payment and get up here. We’re leaving.”
Lia glowered at the back of Val’s head for a long moment, then sheathed her sword and retrieved the small chest of coins that lay overturned near the base of the throne. Val made no move to stop her as her tear-filled eyes stayed locked unfalteringly with mine. When Lia was safe at my side, I closed my eyes, reached inward to my mana reserves, and channeled a powerful wave of energy along the back wall of the throne room. It raced along the face of the towering window, slowly suffusing through the stained glass until the entirety of the crest was energized.
I found the strain of holding such a large amount of mana in place was greater than originally anticipated, and I opened my eyes and let out a centering breath. “Shatter.” The hall was instantly filled with
