The air in the Spire of Eternity was thick with an overwhelming presence, pressing down on Mary, Lela, and Loosie like an unspoken judgment. The silver-armored guardian before them stood unmoving, its halberd shimmering with golden energy, radiating both power and finality.
Mary's grip on Saber of Mist tightened. There was no doubt—this being was unlike anything they had faced before. It was not a mere specter or remnant of the past. It was a true guardian, one that had existed outside the flow of time, enforcing the boundary between existence and eternity.
"You have come seeking the truth," the guardian spoke again, its voice neither harsh nor kind. "But truth is not given. It is earned."
With a single step forward, the air trembled. The golden energy of its weapon surged, and in a blink, it moved—faster than even Mary's perception could track.
The battle had begun.
Lela barely had time to raise Gáe Bolg before the halberd crashed against it, sending her skidding back. The force behind the strike was immense, shaking her entire body.
"Damn—he's fast!" she hissed, steadying herself.
Loosie moved in a blur, her daggers striking at the guardian's flanks, but her blades barely scratched its silver armor. The guardian didn't even flinch. With a fluid motion, it swept its halberd in a wide arc, forcing her to flip back before she could be caught in the strike.
Mary's eyes narrowed. This wasn't just power. This was technique. Every motion was deliberate, every strike calculated to break their formation.
She exhaled sharply, activating Evil Eye.
The world slowed, and for a brief moment, she could see it—the flow of movement, the subtle shifts in the guardian's stance. She adjusted her grip on her saber and dashed forward.
Clang!
Their blades met, sparks flying as golden energy clashed with mist-laced steel. The force behind the impact nearly made her buckle, but she held firm, twisting her sword to redirect the blow.
Lela saw the opening and struck. Gáe Bolg crackled with divine lightning as she lunged, aiming for the guardian's core.
The guardian reacted instantly, twisting its body unnaturally fast, deflecting the spear with the shaft of its halberd.
But that was what Mary had counted on.
She pivoted, bringing Saber of Mist in a wide arc. The guardian raised its weapon to block, but the mist surrounding her blade shifted—an illusion, a feint.
Too late.
Her sword cut across its chest, a streak of silver mist trailing in the air.
For the first time, the guardian staggered.
Loosie didn't waste the opportunity. She dashed in, her daggers glowing faintly as she struck at the guardian's exposed joints. The silver armor cracked slightly under the assault, and a low hum resonated from the guardian's form.
It was reacting.
The golden energy surrounding it surged violently, and with an earth-shaking motion, it slammed its halberd into the ground.
A shockwave exploded outward.
Mary barely managed to raise her blade in time, but the sheer force sent her flying back. Lela and Loosie were thrown off balance, skidding across the endless corridor of shifting light.
The guardian's form flickered, its stance changing. It had entered its second phase.
Mary gritted her teeth. "It's adapting to us."
Lela spun Gáe Bolg, setting her feet. "Then we just have to hit harder."
Loosie exhaled, shifting her stance. "We're not losing here."
The guardian raised its halberd once more.
And the final trial continued.