The air grew thick with malevolence, pressing against the group like an unseen force. Seraphis' figure loomed at the far end of the chamber, her black and gold armor glinting faintly in the dim light. The scythe in her hand hummed with dark energy, its blade etched with runes that pulsed like a heartbeat.
Tarezuchi felt the shard in his grip respond, its light flaring defiantly, pushing back the overwhelming darkness. His heart thundered in his chest, but his gaze remained steady. "We end this here."
"Bold words for someone so small," Seraphis sneered, her voice silken but laced with venom. She raised her scythe, and shadows erupted from the ground, swirling around her like a living storm. "Let's see if you're worthy to challenge the Spire."
The room plunged into darkness.
---
The Battle Begins
"Stay close!" Daisuke shouted, his blade flashing as he parried a shadowy tendril that lunged from the void. Sparks flew from the clash, illuminating his grim face for a brief moment.
Kota loosed an arrow into the darkness, but it vanished before reaching its mark. "I can't see her!" he hissed, his voice tense. "She's hiding in the shadows!"
"Then we drag her out!" Akiyo bellowed, his warhammer glowing faintly as he slammed it into the ground. A shockwave of light rippled outward, dispersing the shadows in a flash.
For a split second, Seraphis was visible—a smirking phantom in the storm—before the darkness consumed her once more. "You'll need more than brute force to defeat me," she mocked, her voice echoing from all directions.
"She's playing with us," Kaida growled, his twin blades glinting as he darted forward. "Rina, can you light the chamber?"
Rina's staff hummed as she began chanting, her voice resonating with ancient power. Light bloomed at the staff's tip, pushing back the encroaching darkness. "I can't hold it forever!" she warned, sweat beading her brow.
The light revealed Seraphis just as she lunged toward Kota, her scythe whistling through the air. "Kota, move!" Kaida shouted.
Kota rolled to the side, narrowly avoiding the lethal arc. The ground where he had stood cracked and crumbled as the scythe's dark energy struck. "She's fast!" he gasped, scrambling to his feet.
Tarezuchi's eyes narrowed. He could feel the shard vibrating in his hand, reacting to the shadows around them. This darkness... it's feeding her power. But if light can push back the shadows...
"We have to keep her exposed!" Tarezuchi called. "Don't let the shadows close in!"
Akiyo, Ryomi, and Kaida moved in tandem. Akiyo smashed his hammer into the ground repeatedly, creating bursts of light that disrupted the darkness. Ryomi danced through the flashes, her fists glowing with energy as she struck at Seraphis whenever she appeared. Kaida's blades were a blur of silver, each strike aimed at forcing her to retreat.
Seraphis snarled, her movements becoming sharper and more aggressive. "You think light will save you? Shadows are eternal!"
She slammed the butt of her scythe into the ground. Dark tendrils erupted, lashing out in all directions. Akiyo roared as one wrapped around his arm, the darkness searing his flesh. Ryomi staggered back, a tendril slicing across her shoulder.
"Rina!" Tarezuchi shouted.
"I'm trying!" Rina cried, the light from her staff flickering as the shadows fought back. "Her power is overwhelming!"
"Then I'll finish it!" Tarezuchi gripped the shard with both hands, focusing all his will into its light. "Everyone, cover me!"
---
The Shard's Power
The shard flared to life, its light piercing the chamber like a blazing sun. Seraphis hissed and recoiled, her form flickering as the light seared through her shadows. "What is this?!" she screeched, shielding her face.
Tarezuchi advanced, the shard held aloft, its glow growing stronger with each step. "You've taken enough from this place. The Spire doesn't belong to you."
Seraphis' eyes blazed with fury. "You know nothing of the Spire's truth!" She lunged forward, her scythe spinning in a deadly arc.
Kaida intercepted her, his blades locking with the scythe's shaft. "Tarezuchi, now!" he roared, straining against her strength.
Tarezuchi felt the shard respond to his determination. The light surged, coalescing into a focused beam that shot forward, striking Seraphis square in the chest.
"No!" she screamed, her form beginning to unravel. Shadows burst from her armor like smoke, writhing and twisting as they fought against the light.
"You're done!" Daisuke shouted, his sword slicing through a dark tendril that reached for Tarezuchi.
Seraphis stumbled backward, the scythe falling from her hands. Her figure wavered, the shadows peeling away to reveal a pale, almost human face beneath the armor. For a moment, her expression softened, her glowing eyes dimming.
"You... you cannot stop what lies ahead," she whispered, her voice no longer cruel but mournful. "The Spire will test you beyond your limits. And when you falter, it will consume you."
With a final cry, Seraphis dissolved into a swirl of dark mist, which faded into nothingness. The oppressive weight in the air vanished, replaced by an uneasy silence.
---
The Third Shard
The scythe clattered to the ground, its dark energy extinguished. In its place, a shard of golden light floated where Seraphis had fallen, pulsating softly.
Tarezuchi approached it cautiously, the shard in his hand responding as if recognizing its counterpart. He reached out, and the golden shard hovered gently into his palm. Its warmth spread through him, a stark contrast to the cold, consuming darkness they had just faced.
"That's the third one," Kaida said, sheathing his blades. "We're getting closer to the core."
Ryomi winced, holding her wounded shoulder. "Closer also means the trials are going to get worse."
Daisuke nodded, his face grim. "Seraphis was strong, but she was just a guardian. Whatever lies at the heart of the Spire will be far more dangerous."
Tarezuchi looked at the two shards in his hands, their combined light flickering softly. He could feel the power building, like pieces of a puzzle fitting together. "We'll be ready," he said firmly.
The chamber trembled, and a new passage opened at the far wall, golden light spilling into the darkness. Without a word, the group pressed on, their steps heavy but resolute.
As they disappeared into the passage, the remnants of Seraphis' voice echoed faintly in the air.
"You may reach the core... but will you survive it?"
The question lingered, a shadow on their path forward, as the Spire's mysteries deepened—and the true test awaited.