In the shadow of the Radiant Colossus…

Only a few steps forward separate us from those massive, hulking arms that’ll easily turn us to paste with a direct, unguarded hit. That said… I don’t think this big boy can pursue us past this makeshift area, being as big as it is. But then, neither can we advance until we kill this big fucking Monster.

Good grief. We’re at an impasse here, it seems. It is what it is. But just as I’m thinking up all of that, I hear the door behind us slam shut. Oh well. So much for that.

“NO ESCAPE.”

The Radiant Colossus wastes no time attempting to smash us into a bloody paste. We get out of the way just in time, and the massive crater left on the floor where we once stood makes me count my lucky stars. Honestly, I’m not even sure if we’ll wake up outside the Cathedral with a headache if this big bastard gets us. And as I whisper a prayer and wave my hand to infuse Anna with my Divine Blessing… I’d rather not find out.

Hmm… fuck. No way we’re beating this Monster in a slugging match. Big bastard could easily crush an entire army by itself in a direct confrontation. But that’s probably not the way to go about it, right? The whole Cathedral’s a puzzle, each trial a problem to be solved. Even if things are different now, the rules stay the same, surely. Probably. So, perhaps magic is the way…

“Arisa, look out!” Anna exclaims as she tackles me to the side, getting both herself and me away from another brutal smashing from tree-sized holy fists. “Oh my, that was close…”

Oh, but of course! This Radiant Colossus is fused together by a ton of Lightspawn. Lots of magic and Mana involved in such a process of magical fusion, I reckon. But if I start channelling Dispel Magic, the big bastard will see me doing it, and it’ll smash us both into a bloody paste. Hmm…

“Are you okay, Arisa?”

“Sorry about that,” I whisper as I get back up on my feet, dodging another smash alongside Anna that leaves yet another crater in the once immaculate dining hall. “I think I know what to do! I’m gonna…”

“Me too!” Anna interjects sharply as she casts off Ascalon and her cloak to the floor, picking up a nearby chunk of rubble the size of her palm and lobbing it with all her might at the Radiant Colossus, hitting it squarely in its glowing torso. “Arisa, do it now!”

Woah. Can she read my mind!? No time to clarify, unfortunately! Tossing that rock’s gotten the Monster’s attention on her and her alone as she runs at it with another chunk of rubble, creating distance between us. And so, while she dodges another brutal smashing aimed solely at her and her alone… I’m gonna do what I gotta do.

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“C’mon Elizabeth… let’s drain this motherfucker dry.”

Planting Elizabeth into the ground, I focus up and channel Dispel Magic amid the chaos, dust, and falling rubble, my eyes and my hand focused solely on the Radiant Colossus as it tries (rather unsuccessfully!) to turn Anna into paste while she expertly ducks into the ruined dining tables to take cover.

Little by little, with Elizabeth’s bladed wings glowing radiantly in white and blue, I unravel the spell holding all those Lightspawn together. Magic circles, red like blazing lust and emblazoned with inscriptions of Enochian, form beneath my feet. There’s so much magic being absorbed, far more than my spell can handle… but with Elizabeth as my magical lighting rod, grounding all that energy, eventually…

“Arisa? Arisa!?”

I shake myself awake and blink. The magic circles around my feet have vanished. Where the Radiant Colossus once rampaged, I see a storm of radiant wisps fizzling away into the settling dust. And there’s rubble everywhere! Somehow, the Cathedral still stands.

Oh, shit. Did we win? Good grief. That was a little… taxing, I’ll admit. Just a little!

“Anna…”

I’d scream her name to the heavens. I should! But I feel… breathless, and I find myself taking a knee to the floor. Breathing heavily, I bring up my hand, glowing white and blue, and Heal myself. In mere moments, I feel a lot better. As I feel that relief washing over me like a cool breeze, I see the glowing silver light of Anna’s Heal assisting in my efforts.

“Feeling better, Arisa?” Anna asks, smiling sweetly as she stands up and offers me her hand. “Can you stand?”

“Yeah…”

With a strong hand, Anna pulls me back up on my feet. She’s come out of this mostly unscathed. Bit of dust here and there on her armour, as well as a few minor cuts, most likely from glass and debris flying all around from all that wanton smashing … but she’s still here, smiling.

Heh. She’s a fast one, I’ll give her that! Even I couldn’t catch up to her when we were doing those extra laps in the courtyard that one morning we were reminiscing under the great tree, and I swear, I really gave it my best to beat her in that little race of ours back there!

“You knew exactly what I was gonna do, eh?” I tease as I extend my hand, glowing white and blue with my Heal spell, towards her face. “I knew we were good, but not that good! Yet.”

“Umm… of course!” Anna answers sheepishly as the warmth of my Heal mends the cuts on her face. “I was paying attention when you showed me all those spells in the library, you know! You told me Dispel Magic drains any source of magic, remember?”

“I did say that, yeah!”

“Yup! So I put two and two together!” Anna adds cheerfully, placing her hand on her cheek. “We didn’t have time to discuss anything in detail… so umm… I put my trust in you. And you trusted me as well.”

“What can I say? Great minds think alike. Don’t you agree?”

“Of course! I expected nothing less from my Healer!”

I burst into laughter. So does she! Heh. It’s so nice to laugh. Gotta say, it looks like she’s learning fast from me, in more ways than one! Gosh, this must be what it feels like to be a proud teacher seeing a student ace a test. Surely!

“Shall we continue onward?” Anna offers as she retrieves Ascalon and her cloak, her gaze upon the rubble and ruined furniture up ahead. “There’s still one more trial, right?”

“Yeah. There’s gonna be a Phoenix and a whole lotta fire. Hope you’re ready!”

“I’ll do my best, Arisa! And I’ll…”

Her badass boast is cut short by a loud, mournful growling. It’s not a Monster from the Cathedral… but something far worse – an empty stomach!

“Shall we, Anna? This place is a dining hall, ain’t it?” I offer warmly, reaching for the sandwiches and waterskins from our little pack of supplies. “Used to be, anyway. Can’t think of a better place to eat! C’mon!”