The knight struck again. A blur of white steel and crushing force. The ground cracked under his boots. Nathan barely raised his sword in time. The impact knocked him back, boots skidding across the stone. His arms felt like they'd tear out of their sockets.
Too fast. Too strong.
"You have no right to that blade... You don't even understand its weight." the knight said,
Nathan couldn't respond. His lungs burned. His sword, taken from a dead man, shook in his hands. Blood ran from his knuckles where the grip bit into torn skin.
The knight lunged. Nathan dodged by inches. The white sword missed his ribs and carved through a stone pillar behind him like it was made of paper.
He rolled, came up swinging. Their blades met with a harsh clang. Sparks flew. The knight didn't even flinch. His sword gleamed with a brilliant white aura, burning hot and bright. The next swing knocked Nathan to one knee again, pressure slamming down like a hammer.
"You're not even trained,"
"I'm... learning fast."
The knight didn't bother to reply. He raised his sword. The heat coming off it was overwhelming pure, searing. It felt like judgment. Like death.
Nathan braced himself for the end.
But then warmth hit his back.
He turned his head slightly. Lilo stood at the gate, her arms outstretched, eyes glowing gold. Light poured from her hands.
"Go, Nathan!" she shouted.
The light rushed into him. His muscles steadied. His pain dulled. He got back on his feet and threw himself at the knight's next blow.
The impact echoed across the courtyard. Nathan was driven back again, boots scraping, but he didn't fall.
The knight paused, watching him.
"A nymph dares to interfere in a knight's duel?"
"I dare! You fight for pride. He fights because he has to."
The knight didn't answer. He moved again, faster this time. Their swords clashed metal ringing, sparks raining. Nathan ducked, rolled behind him, swung, but the knight spun and slammed his armored elbow into Nathan's ribs. He went flying.
He hit the ground hard. Grit and blood filled his mouth. His limbs wouldn't move right.
The knight walked toward him, slow and calm.
"You should never have come here! You're a shadow in a world of light."
Nathan coughed, tried to rise, failed.
Then ... something deep and low stirred inside him. A sound, or a feeling. It hummed through his bones. Cold. Sharp.
A voice, not his, whispered in his mind:
"Take it."
No name. No reason. Just that. The sword in his hand pulsed. A black aura leaked from its edge, like smoke rolling off a blade left in a forge too long. The light from Lilo faded, but the sword didn't go dark.
It burned with something else.
Not chaos. Not hatred.
Something quiet. Heavy.
Balanced.
The knight stopped.
"That aura…"
Nathan got to his feet. The sword in his hand was the same, but now the sword glowed black, with a faint silver line running its border. It didn't shake anymore.
He looked up at the knight. His voice came out rough.
"Do I have the right to wield this now?"
The knight stared at him. For a long moment, he said nothing.
Then he nodded once.
"Yes."
They moved at the same time.
White light met black edge. Sparks flew. Their blades rang across the courtyard. Nathan didn't overpower him, he outlasted him. He moved smoother, struck lower, wasted nothing. The knight's power was still overwhelming, but Nathan's blade didn't waver.
He found the opening.
One step inside the knight's swing.
One upward slash.
The black edge slid through the white armor.
The knight stumbled. A red line cut across his chest. His sword dropped from his hand, clanging against the stone. He looked at Nathan, surprised, then… calm.
He dropped to one knee, then fell forward.
Still.
Nathan stood over him, breathing hard. The black aura faded slowly from his sword. Behind him, Lilo rushed towards him. The courtyard was quiet.
"Nathan are you okay?!"
"Yes... Let's just enter this dammned palace."
With his goal right imprinted into his mind Nathan didn't hesitate and made his way towards the palace doors ready to uncover everything about this place.