As Arthur finished enchanting Morgan's shield, he turned to Tista and extended his hand. "Hand me your weapon."
Tista hesitated for a moment before passing her sword to him. The moment his fingers wrapped around the hilt, a thousand glowing runes flared to life, orbiting him in a mesmerizing dance of energy. The air crackled with magic as Arthur whispered an incantation, his voice layered with an ancient power. Sparks of fire, tendrils of lightning, and faint wisps of darkness wrapped around the weapon, binding the enchantments in place.
After a few moments, the runes dissipated, and Arthur handed the weapon back to Tista. "It's ready."
Tista examined her sword, feeling the newly imbued energy pulsating beneath the steel. "What enchantments did you give it?"
Arthur smirked. "You can now coat the blade in fire and lightning at will. When you strike the ground, it will raise a wall of earth in front of you as a defensive measure. If you activate the hard-light projection, it will unleash several elemental rays at your opponent. And lastly, it now bears a Darkness Mastery spell that will envelop your body in a protective layer, shielding you from most attacks."
Tista's eyes widened. "That's... incredible."
Arthur chuckled. "You'll need it. Morgan doesn't go easy."
The three of them moved to the training hall, an expansive room with reinforced walls and a floor designed to withstand high-level combat. The air was thick with residual energy from previous battles, the scent of scorched stone and sweat lingering like an unspoken challenge.
Morgan stood across from them, rolling her shoulders as her left hand ignited in a burst of emerald fire. In her grip, a sabre appeared, the blade shimmering with raw energy. Her violet eyes sparkled with excitement. "So, how do we do this? Free-for-all or teams?"
Arthur stretched, his own weapon materializing in his grip. "Three-way spar. Everyone for themselves. First to land five clean strikes wins."
Tista grinned, gripping her newly enchanted blade. "Sounds fun."
Without another word, Morgan lunged, her sabre cutting through the air in a streak of green fire. Arthur sidestepped smoothly, his own blade meeting hers in a clash that sent a shockwave rippling through the room. Tista seized the opening and slammed her sword into the ground, activating the earth wall. A thick barrier of stone erupted between her and the others, giving her a moment to assess her next move.
Morgan didn't give her the chance. With a flick of her wrist, her sabre released a crescent-shaped wave of emerald fire, obliterating the stone wall in a single stroke. Tista barely had time to roll aside before the flames could reach her. She countered with an upward slash, igniting her blade with lightning. A bolt arced toward Morgan, but she spun her sabre, absorbing the attack with a graceful parry.
"Nice try," Morgan teased, pivoting and thrusting forward.
Tista met the strike with her enchanted defense, activating the Darkness Mastery spell. A shadowy aura flared around her, absorbing most of the impact. She twisted, swinging her sword in a broad arc. Morgan ducked at the last second, letting the blade pass over her head before launching a fiery uppercut.
Arthur intervened, his blade slicing through the flames before they could reach Tista. "You two are getting carried away already."
Morgan smirked. "That's the point."
Arthur didn't respond—he simply struck. His movements were almost too fast to follow, his sword a blur of steel and raw magic. Tista barely managed to block his first strike, but the sheer force sent her skidding backward. Morgan, however, twisted her body at the last second, redirecting Arthur's blade with a perfectly timed parry before counterattacking with a downward slash.
Arthur caught her strike with his own, their weapons locking for a brief moment. "You've gotten better."
Morgan grinned. "You too, but you're still predictable."
Before he could respond, Tista leaped forward, using her hard-light projection to unleash a barrage of elemental rays. Bolts of fire, ice, and raw energy shot toward both of them. Arthur ducked, rolling to the side, while Morgan used a burst of fire from her sabre to propel herself backward, avoiding the onslaught.
Tista didn't let up. She slammed her foot into the ground, activating another earth wall, then channeled lightning through her sword. The electricity crackled along the blade's edge as she dashed forward, aiming a decisive strike at Morgan.
Morgan blocked, but the moment their weapons connected, Tista activated the fire enchantment. A burst of flames surged from her blade, forcing Morgan to leap back. But before Tista could press the advantage, Arthur reappeared behind her, his blade stopping just inches from her neck.
"Point for me," he said with a smirk before stepping back.
Tista sighed. "Damn, you're fast."
Morgan wasted no time, using the momentary distraction to unleash a rapid series of slashes toward Arthur. He blocked the first three, but the fourth grazed his shoulder, leaving a faint mark of green fire on his armor.
"One for me too," Morgan said, flashing a playful grin.
Arthur nodded. "Alright, let's see who gets to five first."
The battle continued, each of them pushing their limits. Magic and steel clashed in a dazzling display of skill and power. Tista found herself adapting quickly to her newly enchanted weapon, using its abilities in tandem to keep up with Arthur and Morgan's relentless assaults.
Arthur, ever the strategist, focused on controlling the flow of combat, his strikes precise and unrelenting. Morgan, on the other hand, fought with raw intensity, her sabre a streak of emerald fire as she weaved between attacks with graceful efficiency.
The room echoed with the sound of battle, the clash of swords and bursts of energy filling the air. Each fighter scored points in turn, but none willing to concede. As they neared the final strikes, it became clear—this spar was about more than just skill. It was a test of growth, resilience, and the bonds they had forged in their journey.
With one final exchange, the spar drew to a close, all three fighters breathing heavily yet exhilarated. They had learned from each other, sharpened their abilities, and above all, strengthened the trust between them.
And they knew—this was just the beginning of even greater battles to come.