Lucian vanished.
Literally vanished.
He reappeared behind Kaelyn.
KICK.
Kaelyn flew across the hall, crashing through two columns.
He spun, parrying Marcus's strike with his forearm.
CLANG.
He grabbed Marcus by the face
and hurled him into Jay.
Riven attempted a stealth strike.
Lucian caught the dagger with his bare hand
and answered with an elbow that broke Riven's nose all over again.
It was humiliation given motion.
Elegant. Cruel. Relentless.
Marcus spat blood while Emanueru healed both him and Kaelyn.
— His armor doesn't break…
— If it doesn't break, none of this matters — Ethan finished, analyzing Lucian's movements.
— He doesn't defend. He never defends.
Kaelyn wiped blood from her mouth and rose slowly.
— He's arrogant. He attacks whoever hits the hardest. He always answers force with force.
Jay pointed his shield, panting.
— Then let's offend him.
Jay ran.
Not to block.
Not to hold.
But to provoke.
— HEY, GLASS CAN!
He activated the spikes and slammed the shield into Lucian's chest.
The armor didn't budge.
But Lucian's face twisted.
Irritation.
He raised the red sword to split Jay in half.
Then—
BOROS LAUNCHED FORWARD.
The golden shield intercepted the blade.
— NOW! — the giant roared.
Kaelyn and Marcus leapt, using Boros's back as a ramp.
The impact of the jump cracked the floor.
Lucian looked up.
Surprised.
For the first time.
Kaelyn came down with a kick that locked Lucian's shoulder, halting the sword's movement.
Marcus activated Sunbreaker Rael's ability.
The blade ignited like a newborn star.
— THIS IS FOR EVERYONE!
He didn't aim for the armor.
He aimed for the gap.
The only vulnerable point.
SHLACK.
The blade went in.
Golden blood sprayed like liquid light.
Lucian froze.
He lifted his hand.
Touched his own neck.
The blood glowed in his palm.
— Blood…?
The shock was as heavy as a fall.
— I… was touched?
Everyone held their breath.
But Lucian did not fall.
The black armor vibrated, as if breathing.
The blood at his neck lit up
and began returning to the wound, as if time were rewinding.
Emanueru's eyes widened.
— He's… healing?!
Kaelyn stepped back, breath ragged.
— No.
— That's not healing.
— That's his Pride refusing to fall.
Lucian slowly lifted his face.
The cut still shimmered.
But he smiled.
A thin smile.
Cold.
Far too elegant for someone who should be dead.
— Admirable… — he murmured, touching his own blood. — You truly believed that a well-placed strike could defeat Pride?
He spread his arms.
The chamber trembled.
The floor shook.
The armor burst into light.
Fragments of obsidian broke free — but did not fall.
They hovered around him, spinning like black petals.
His body now glowed from within, golden lines running through the joints.
Marcus took a step back.
— What is that…?
Lucian opened his eyes.
Now completely golden, like burning coins.
— I admit… — he said. — For the first time in centuries, you have made me consider effort.
He raised the crimson sword.
The blade changed.
Before, it was merely red.
Now it pulsed like lava trapped inside glass.
PHASE 2 — THE AWAKENED KING
Lucian took a single step.
The ground cracked beneath the impact.
Jay lifted his shield by instinct.
— GET READY!
Lucian vanished.
Reappeared behind Boros.
The blade descended.
CLAAAAANG!
The golden shield held — but Boros was launched backward, smashing through two columns and only remaining upright out of pure stubbornness.
— HE'S STRONGER?! — Jay shouted.
Kaelyn clenched her fists.
— He's lighter.
— Faster.
— Sharper.
— This is his true power!
Lucian advanced again.
Now every swing left red gashes in the air, as if the blade were carving space itself.
Marcus shouted, frustration cracking through his voice:
— THERE'S NO OPENING ANYMORE!
Ethan raised his hands.
— THEN WE'LL MAKE ONE!
The fight turned into a desperate choreography.
Sienna summoned four wolves larger than before — shadow creatures with green fire burning in their eyes.
They charged.
Lucian cut three without even touching them.
The fourth managed to bite his leg—
and was kicked so hard it dissipated instantly.
Jay activated the shield's kinetic core.
The nucleus glowed orange.
He charged like an armored bull.
Lucian raised the sword.
When they collided—
The impact shook the entire hall.
Jay was hurled back, but the shield absorbed everything.
Its rim blazed.
Jay grinned.
— My turn.
He released the energy.
SHOOOOOMMM!
The kinetic blast struck Lucian head-on, dragging him several meters and carving a trench across the marble.
Sienna fired two Penetration arrows in rapid succession, striking loose obsidian fragments.
Marcus leapt off Jay's shoulder, bringing Sunbreaker down in a golden spiral.
Kaelyn attacked from the side with a straight punch to Lucian's jaw.
Emanueru launched blades of light to cut off counterattacks.
Ethan conjured jets of blue fire to superheat the armor.
Lucian blocked.
Dodged.
Moved like water.
But for the first time…
He was being pushed.
His movements grew less elegant.
Less perfect.
He was being forced to truly fight.
Lucian roared, pride wounded.
— HOW DARE YOU!
The energy explosion knocked everyone down.
The hall cracked.
Walls buckled.
Shards of marble floated in the air, caught in distorted gravity.
Lucian advanced toward Marcus, who could barely rise.
Then—
Kaelyn stepped in front.
Fists raised.
— HERE… THE HERON… NEVER… RUNS!
Sienna laughed, even exhausted.
Lucian brought the sword down.
Kaelyn caught it with her bare fists.
The blade trembled.
The impact sank the floor.
Marcus leapt, using her shoulder as leverage.
The jump split the air.
His sword flared like a sun.
— GO, SOLDIER! — Kaelyn shouted.
Marcus brought the blade down.
Lucian tried to raise his arm to block—
But the strike fell like a missile, tearing the arm away and driving once more into the gap at his neck.
This time, the obsidian did not hold.
TRRRRRAAAAAAACK!
The armor split like shattered glass.
Lucian dropped to his knees.
The golden glow in his eyes faded.
He touched his own blood — now flowing freely, no longer returning.
The crimson sword slipped from his hand.
Lucian looked at Marcus.
Not with rage.
With respect.
— A strike… worthy…
His body dissolved into dust of light.
The armor vanished.
The hall fell silent.
At the center of the emptiness…
Fragment obtained: 7/7