Malin scrambled to the rubble blocking his path, his heart pounding as he desperately clawed at the debris with his bare hands, feeling the rough edges scrape his skin. Every second counted. Goliath, the colossal skeleton king, had noticed Malin’s advance toward the Sword of Righteousness and had smashed down part of the temple wall to bury it. Now, the ancient stones piled between Malin and his goal, mocking his urgency. But he wasn’t alone. His lizard companion, Yellow, joined him, digging fiercely at the rubble with sharp claws, each powerful scratch sending small clouds of dust into the air.

“Come on, Yellow! We can do this!” Malin urged, glancing over his shoulder at the battle raging behind him.

Not far away, Maya and Abel fought with every ounce of strength and skill they possessed, their movements precise and in perfect sync, honed through years of camaraderie and battle. Abel, his shield held firm, took the brunt of Goliath’s relentless blows while Maya danced around them, her spear flickering like lightning as she struck at Goliath’s joints, hoping to find some weakness in the ancient giant’s structure.

“Not bad, Abel,” Maya called out with a grin, even as sweat dripped down her brow. “It’s almost like the old days.”

Abel laughed, a fierce spark in his eyes. “Almost? I’d say this is exactly like the old days!” He raised his shield just in time to block a devastating swing from Goliath’s massive sword, the impact sending shockwaves through his entire body. “Except I don’t remember facing giants made of bone!”

Goliath’s hollow eyes glowed with a dark fire as he watched their exchange, clearly frustrated by their resilience. He let out a deep, rumbling growl that seemed to echo through the crumbling temple walls. “You think your feeble weapons and tricks can stop me? I am Goliath, King of the Nephilim! You, pitiful mortals, are nothing!”

Abel and Maya exchanged a quick look, their eyes meeting with a mixture of determination and understanding. They didn’t need words; they knew each other’s movements, each other’s thoughts, almost as if they were extensions of one another. Together, they moved as a single unit, Maya striking with her spear in rapid, precise jabs while Abel used his shield to keep Goliath’s sword at bay, parrying the massive skeleton’s strikes with skill honed over years.

“Can you believe this guy?” Maya panted, ducking under a swing from Goliath’s blade. “He’s got a lot to say for someone who’s literally falling apart!”

Abel chuckled, catching Goliath’s next attack with his shield. “Must be compensating for something. I think we’re getting to him!”

Goliath’s frustration was palpable as he let out an enraged bellow. His skeletal frame seemed to shudder with wrath as he swung his sword harder, each strike hitting with such force that cracks began to spread across the temple floor. “Insolent wretches! I will crush you where you stand!”

Blue and Red, the loyal lizards belonging to Maya and Abel, suddenly sprang into action, leaping onto Goliath’s massive frame with surprising agility. They clawed and scrambled over his bones, snapping at him and clinging to his armor in an attempt to unbalance him. Red chomped down on one of Goliath’s shoulder plates, pulling with fierce determination, while Blue clawed at his spine, its sharp claws scratching against ancient bone.

“Good job, Red! Keep him distracted!” Abel shouted, urging his steed on as he seized the opening their lizards were creating.

Maya took advantage of the distraction, slipping in close and driving her spear into one of Goliath’s leg joints. “How’s that, bonehead?” she taunted, twisting the spear in an attempt to dislodge the skeleton’s stance.

Goliath staggered slightly but didn’t fall, his monstrous form seemingly unaffected by their blows. He let out a furious roar and swung his free arm, attempting to swipe the lizards off his body, but they clung on tenaciously, dodging his attempts to dislodge them. “Get off me, you vile creatures!” he bellowed, his voice filled with unrestrained rage.

Abel seized this moment to dash forward, thrusting his sword toward Goliath’s exposed ribcage. “Think you’re so unstoppable, Goliath? Let’s see how you handle this!” His blade struck true, clanging against the ancient bones, but it didn’t seem to penetrate.

Goliath merely laughed, a haunting, hollow sound that sent chills down their spines. “Pathetic. Your weapons are but toys to me,” he sneered, stepping back and dragging his colossal sword along the ground, sending sparks flying. “I am eternal!”

Abel gritted his teeth, feeling the weight of the fight beginning to bear down on him. “Maya, it’s like we’re not even scratching him!”

Maya tightened her grip on her spear, determination burning in her gaze. “Then we keep going. We just need to buy Malin enough time!”

As they fought, the sound of the Lost—the eerie, distant wails of the ghoulish beings—began to echo within the temple, reminding them that their time was running out. Shadows flitted at the edges of the crumbling structure, and they knew that the undead creatures were closing in.

Meanwhile, Malin and Yellow clawed frantically at the rubble, every second a race against impending doom. Malin’s hands were raw and bloodied, but he didn’t stop. He could hear Maya and Abel’s banter and fierce determination behind him, and it fueled his own resolve. They were fighting for him, buying him the time he needed, and he wasn’t about to let them down.

Yellow, sensing Malin’s desperation, dug harder, scattering stones and dirt in every direction. They were close—he could almost make out the glint of the Sword of Righteousness through a gap in the rubble, shining like a beacon.

“Just a little more, Yellow! We’re almost there!” Malin urged, his heart pounding with hope and fear.

Back on the battlefield, Goliath’s frustration had reached a fever pitch. He swung his sword in wild arcs, trying to shake off the lizards and crush the tenacious duo of Maya and Abel. “Enough! I will turn this temple into your grave!” he roared, his voice reverberating through the ancient stone walls.

The temple began to tremble as Goliath’s massive sword struck a supporting column, sending cracks spider-webbing up the walls and ceiling. Debris started to rain down, and Abel shielded Maya instinctively, the two of them huddling together as rocks and dust cascaded around them.

“We’re running out of time, Maya,” Abel said, a grim determination in his voice. “If we don’t do something drastic, this whole place is coming down on us.”

Maya looked at him, a fierce resolve in her gaze. “Then let’s go all in.” She raised her spear, channeling her water magic to surround the tip with a swirling vortex of liquid. Abel nodded, his own sword igniting in flames as he prepared his final assault.

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Together, they lunged at Goliath in a synchronized attack, the water and fire swirling together in a dazzling display of elemental power. They struck at his legs, his arms, any part of him that seemed vulnerable, hoping to at least slow him down, to buy just a few more precious seconds.

But Goliath’s laughter echoed above the din, unaffected. “Futile! You cannot harm the King of the Nephilim!”

In a final, enraged swing, Goliath smashed his sword against the ground with such force that the temple floor buckled. The ancient structure groaned under the strain, and the walls began to collapse inward. Abel and Maya exchanged one last, desperate glance, a silent communication of understanding and trust.

“We did what we could,” Maya whispered, her voice steady despite the chaos around them.

Abel squeezed her hand, his voice soft but fierce. “If this is how it ends, I’m glad it’s with you.”

A sudden crash jolted them back to reality as a large piece of the ceiling came tumbling down between them and Goliath, separating them momentarily. Rocks and dust filled the air, obscuring their view of the skeletal giant.

Behind them, Malin and Yellow finally broke through the last bit of rubble, revealing the Sword of Righteousness in all its radiant glory. The sword glowed with a warm, divine light, casting away the shadows and filling Malin with a surge of courage.

“I’ve got it!” Malin shouted, grasping the hilt of the sword. As he pulled it free, the temple shuddered, and the walls began to crumble faster. Dust and debris filled the air as the ancient structure buckled under the weight of Goliath’s rage.

But there was no time to celebrate. As Malin turned, he saw Maya and Abel trapped on the other side of the collapsing temple. Their eyes met, and in that moment, they knew the battle was far from over.

With a final crash, the temple ruins began to cave in around them, the sound of the Lost growing louder as the shadows encroached from every side. They braced themselves, knowing that they were about to face the fight of their lives.

Amidst the crumbling debris and swirling dust of the temple ruins, Maya and Abel struggled to regain their bearings. Stones and broken pillars lay strewn about, remnants of the temple now nothing more than obstacles between them and Goliath, the massive skeletal king. The eerie glow in his hollow eye sockets flickered with malice as he loomed over them, the tip of his massive sword scraping against the ground with a dreadful sound. Abel and Maya had barely managed to survive the initial collapse, their water and fire powers protecting them from being buried alive like their mounds had; valiant but had certainly fallen to the collapsing of the temple. Now, the grim reality of their situation became clear.

Goliath sneered down at them, his skeletal mouth twisted in a grotesque semblance of a grin. "Only the Sword of Righteousness can destroy me, mortals. And I will not let you lay a finger on it."

The oppressive silence of the temple’s ruin was broken only by the echoing sound of the undead. The ghastly, ghoulish beings they had evaded before were approaching quickly, their distorted voices joining together in a haunting chorus, getting closer with every second. Maya's heart raced; they were running out of time, and now, with only the two of them facing Goliath, the odds were looking grimmer than ever.

Abel cast a quick glance toward Maya. "We need to find Malin—and the sword."

Maya nodded, her grip tightening around her spear. "I can’t see him or Yellow anywhere. We’re on our own for now."

As they shared a glance of unspoken resolve, Goliath lunged forward with a swing of his giant sword. The sheer force behind it made the air tremble. Abel raised his shield, deflecting the blow just enough to avoid being crushed, while Maya darted to the side, rolling across the dust-covered ground to avoid the skeletal giant’s reach.

Goliath let out a low growl, his eye sockets flaring with an eerie red light. "I am the King of the Nephilim! Your pathetic tricks are no match for me!"

Abel and Maya exchanged another glance. Abel could see that Maya was thinking the same thing he was: brute force wouldn’t work here. They would have to fight smart, use every tactic they could think of to buy themselves enough time.

“Follow my lead,” Abel whispered, his eyes sharp with determination.

They moved in perfect harmony, Abel taking point with his shield, blocking Goliath’s heavy strikes, while Maya flanked him, her spear jabbing and striking with precise, lightning-quick movements. But each blow they landed seemed to barely affect the towering skeleton, his ancient bones almost impervious to their attacks.

And then, just as they thought they might find an opening, Goliath’s eyes pulsed with a crimson glow. Abel froze, recognizing the danger too late. From the dark pits of Goliath's eye sockets, twin beams of deadly red light shot out, streaking through the air with the intensity of burning stars. Abel barely raised his shield in time, the intense heat scorching the edges of it, forcing him back several paces as he gritted his teeth against the blast.

Maya shouted, “Abel! Are you alright?”

He nodded, but the worry etched in his face was evident. “That… is going to be a problem.”

Goliath laughed, a hollow, echoing sound that reverberated through the ruined temple. “You will burn before you even get close to the sword!”

They knew now that these beams would make any direct approach nearly impossible. Maya’s mind raced, trying to come up with a plan to deal with Goliath’s new advantage. The two of them moved with renewed caution, weaving around the rubble and using fallen columns as cover.

Each time Abel tried to advance, Goliath’s eyes blazed again, forcing him to duck behind a piece of rubble as the beams blasted past him, leaving scorched, smouldering marks in the stone. The beams cut through the ruins with terrifying ease, and each near-miss filled the air with the stench of burning rock.

“Any ideas?” Abel called out, breathing heavily as he ducked another laser strike.

“Maybe…” Maya replied, her voice tense. “I’ll try to create a distraction. You keep an eye out for an opening.”

Abel nodded, trusting her judgement implicitly. He watched as Maya raised her hands, channelling her water magic. With a fluid motion, she summoned a thick mist, shrouding them in a dense vapour that spread across the ruins. The mist hung in the air, obscuring their forms from Goliath’s sight.

For a moment, Goliath paused, his head turning left and right, the beams in his eyes flickering as he tried to pierce through the mist. “Cowards! Hiding will not save you!”

Using the cover, Abel began to move forward, creeping closer to where he had spotted the faint glint of the Sword of Righteousness lying just beyond a mound of rubble. His heart raced as he realised they were so close. But just as he was about to take another step, Goliath roared, his eyes glowing brighter as he unleashed the laser beams in random directions, hoping to flush them out.

The beams tore through the mist, slicing through stone and debris, scattering fragments of rubble into the air. Abel felt his heart pound as he watched each deadly beam zip past him, knowing that a single touch would turn him to ash. Time felt as though it slowed, every second stretching as he moved forward, keeping low to avoid being seen.

“Come on… come on…” he murmured under his breath.

But Goliath, sensing movement, turned suddenly, his gaze locking onto Abel. The red beams gathered intensity in his eyes, and Abel felt his stomach drop as he realised he was in the open, defenceless. The beams surged toward him, glowing with deadly intent.

“ABEL!” Maya screamed, realising the danger her companion was in.

The world seemed to slow even further, each heartbeat echoing loudly in her ears. Maya’s eyes widened, the desperate realisation sinking in that there was no time, no shield, no cover to protect him. She had only an instant—a single heartbeat—to make a choice that could change everything.

In the corner of her vision, she saw Goliath’s fiery gaze, saw the deadly beams mere moments from hitting Abel, and her mind raced. Her instincts screamed at her to protect him, but she knew she had to be precise, she had to make the right move.