Despite the pain, Zellrid didn't lose focus. Adjusting his grip on the blade, he waited for an opening. The knight's next swing was telegraphed in a flash of steel, but Zellrid was ready.
One particularly well-timed leap brought Zellrid hurtling towards a suit of rusted armor decorating the far corner.
With a flying kick, he launched the armor into the knight's path.
The knight cleaved through the metal with a deafening clang, but the momentary distraction was all Zellrid needed.
He landed on the knight's back with a bone-jarring thud. The knight lurched forward, trying to dislodge Zellrid, but Zellrid clung on like a viper.
With a surge of adrenaline, Zellrid drove his black sword down between the knight's shoulder plates. Sparks flew as the blade met enchanted armor, but a deep gouge ripped across the black metal.
The knight bellowed in pain and fury, bucking wildly. Zellrid, hanging on for dear life, used the knight's own momentum against him. He steered the knight towards a massive, ornately carved bookcase.
The knight crashed into the bookcase back-first, sending splinters and leather-bound tomes raining down. The shelf above the knight groaned under the weight of the fallen books, then with a sickening crack, it gave way.
A small avalanche of books and a heavy, marble bust of a long-dead sorcerer crashed down on the knight, burying him under a debris pile that would have crushed any ordinary man.
Zellrid, propelled clear by the knight's flailing limbs, landed in a crouch amidst the carnage.
He coughed, his chest heaving, and surveyed the scene. The knight lay motionless.
Zellrid approached the fallen knight cautiously, his black sword crackling with electricity. As he neared the debris pile, a gauntleted hand suddenly shot out, grabbing Zellrid's ankle. With inhuman strength, the knight yanked, sending Zellrid crashing to the floor.
Before Zellrid could regain his footing, the knight erupted from the rubble, his armor dented but intact. In one fluid motion, the nameless warrior seized Zellrid by the throat, lifting him off his feet.
Zellrid gasped, his free hand clawing at the knight's iron grip while his other desperately clung to his sword.
The knight slammed him against the wall, stone cracking under the impact.
Fighting for breath, Zellrid channeled electricity through his blade into the knight's armor. The sudden surge caused the knight to stumble back, releasing his grip.
Zellrid dropped to the floor, rolling away from a downward strike that shattered the stone where he had been. He sprang to his feet, using a nearby table as a springboard to launch himself at the knight.
Their blades met in a shower of sparks. Zellrid's agility allowed him to dance around the knight's powerful swings, but each parry sent shockwaves through his arms.
The fight carried them through the chamber, leaving destruction in their wake.
Zellrid vaulted over an ornate desk, sending parchments flying as a distraction. The knight cleaved through the desk like butter, relentless in his pursuit.
Backed against the chamber's far wall, Zellrid eyed the thick drapery behind him.
As the knight charged, Zellrid waited until the last second before diving aside. The knight's momentum carried him into the tapestry, which Zellrid quickly wrapped around his opponent's helm, momentarily blinding him.
Taking advantage of the knight's confusion, Zellrid sprinted for the door, leading the fight into the castle proper. They crashed through corridors and chambers, their duel leaving a trail of destruction.
In the grand ballroom, Zellrid used the polished floor to slide under a wild swing, slashing at the knight's legs.
The blade scraped against enchanted armor, but the knight's stance faltered.
Their relentless combat led them up a spiraling staircase. Zellrid, his breath coming in ragged gasps, kicked a suit of armor down the stairs at his pursuer. The knight batted it aside effortlessly, the clanging echo punctuating their ascent.
Finally, they burst onto the castle's roof. Rain lashed at them, the wind howling around the battlements. Lightning illuminated their silhouettes as they faced off, neither willing to yield.
Lightning crackled across the sky, casting stark shadows across the rain-slicked battlements.
Zellrid and the nameless knight circled each other, their silhouettes stark against the tempestuous backdrop. The wind howled, whipping Zellrid's coat into a frenzy as he shifted his grip on his black sword.
The knight, armor gleaming despite its battle scars, raised his massive blade. With deliberate slowness, he traced a cross in the air, the gesture somehow more menacing than any battle cry.
Zellrid's lips curled into a sardonic grin. In one fluid motion, he drew a black dagger with his left hand, crossing it with his sword to form an inverted cross. "Your blessings mean nothing here," he growled, voice barely audible over the storm.
For a heartbeat, they stood motionless. Then, as if signaled by a thunderclap, they exploded into action.
Zellrid lunged forward, his black sword a blur as he unleashed a flurry of strikes. The knight parried each blow, his massive blade moving with impossible speed. Sparks flew as steel met steel, a dazzling display in the gloom.
Spinning away from a powerful counter-strike, Zellrid vaulted over a low parapet. He landed in a crouch, immediately springing into a backflip as the knight's sword cleaved through the stone where he'd been. Mid-flip, Zellrid hurled his dagger, forcing the knight to deflect it with his gauntlet.
The knight pressed his advantage, each swing of his greatsword threatening to cleave Zellrid in two. Zellrid weaved and ducked, his agility allowing him to stay just out of reach.
He transitioned seamlessly between stances – high guard, low guard, hanging guard – keeping the knight off-balance.
Seizing an opening, Zellrid darted in close. He locked blades with the knight, then used the leverage to run up the knight's chest plate. With a twist, he vaulted over the knight's shoulder, slashing at the back of his helm as he passed.
The knight whirled, his blade whistling through the air. Zellrid dropped into a split, the sword passing harmlessly overhead.
From this position, he thrust upward, aiming for a gap in the knight's armor. The black sword scraped against the enchanted plate, but the knight's stance faltered.
Capitalizing on the moment, Zellrid kipped up and launched into a spinning attack, his sword a whirlwind of strikes. The knight gave ground, forced onto the defensive for the first time.
Their duel carried them across the rooftop, a deadly dance punctuated by flashes of lightning.