Evan, Markus, and Lucia stood stock still, rooted to the stone in awe within the dungeons cavernous halls. Their eyes traced the ancient artwork that surrounded them.

Murals adorned the walls, painted by what they assumed to be inhuman hands, their contours and colours painting vivid images of slaughter and history. The images told tales of widespread war and the being that led it— a being so powerful it could send creatures of myth to a hell of its choosing, with nought but etched, painted, and captured swings of its metal blades.

It was a strange sight that mesmerised all three.

"Look at that. Dragons," Lucia said, pointing to a mural depicting dragons and giants battling the army of flames. "How could they even stand a chance against those creatures?"

Markus furrowed his brow. "I don't know, but it's clear that they did; otherwise, why would they create these murals?"

Evan nodded in agreement. "Someone wanted to leave a record of what happened here. But why?"

Evan continued studying the image. "I wonder what happened to them," he said. "An army that could fight the world. How come we’ve never heard of them?"

The wind howled around them, and the flames on the torches flickered wildly. Lucia shivered, feeling a chill in the air despite the flames.

Markus spoke up, "What's wrong, Lucia? Are you scared?"

Lucia scoffed, stepping forward and placing her hands on her hips in a show of false bravado. "No, why would I be scared? It's just a bunch of paintings on the wall."

The winds flew past them once more, shifting their equipment and causing them to squint beneath swaying hair, as the flames of the hall flickered.

"Ah, a nice gentle breeze," Markus yawned. "Just what I needed to relax."

Evan didn't miss the way Markus hadn't stopped fidgeting with the hilt of his sword or the strap holding the healing potions Lucia had given him. "Speak for yourself," Evan muttered, eyeing the torches warily. "I don't like the look of those flames."

Lucia rolled her eyes. "Oh, come on, Evan. It's just fire. What could possibly go wrong?"

As if on cue, the winds repeated, at odds with their regular intervals, and snuffed out all of the torches at once, plunging them into inky blackness. Evan's heart leaped in his chest as he jumped in surprise. He stretched his senses in all directions in the silence and tried to ignore the thumping of his heart.

Fwoosh.

Sound and searing light startled Evan as the flames burst back to life of their own accord, the flash of light illuminating the terror on Lucia's face as her hand shot out, and clutched his arm.

Before Evan could react, he heard Markus shout a warning, and Evan turned, his eyes adjusting to the sudden light. He spun around just in time to see a massive, armoured figure hurtling towards them, swords drawn, bearing down in a furious arc toward their frozen and shocked forms. His enhanced instincts kicked in, and Evan desperately threw himself in front of Lucia, raising his arms to block the incoming blow. The force of the strike sent shockwaves rippling through the ground and dust cascaded in a shimmer off the surrounding pillars, and Evan felt a searing pain as his reinforced right arm was cleanly severed at the elbow.

As Evan stumbled back, clutching his mangled stump, the armoured figure lunged forward again, blades flashing in a deadly cross. Evan's reflexes kicked in, and he desperately tapped into his [Teleport] skill, disappearing from the spot just as the swords sliced through empty air.

As Evan reappeared he was met with a wall of metal, rock, and armour.

The armoured man was already in the air, swords mid-swing in a cross, ready to bisect Evan into four pieces. How did it know where I’d appear!?, His thoughts screamed. The world froze as he watched the blades descend blindingly fast. Evan frantically tapped into his [Teleport] skill as time slowed to a crawl, his enhanced synapses firing at lightning speed as he made to escape the killing blow. He feared he would be too late.

His vision suddenly became a mess of flesh and steel as a loud impact shook the room.

Markus had come barrelling into the sky and crashed into the hulking figure, his shoulders sending the armoured being flying. The two combatants collided with bone-jarring force, and both Markus and Evan tumbled to the ground in a cloud of dust and debris. A massive crack split the muraled floor where Markus landed as silence once again filled the corridor.

They lay there in silence as Lucia ran toward them.

Lucia quickly drew her dual blades, while Markus reached for his sword and shield, and Evan stood still, holding his severed arm against the stump. He focused on his cells, willing them to reattach his limb. Growing a new arm would take too long, and he wasn't sure if he had the mass or energy to spare.

The group tensed as they heard a faint clanking sound coming from beyond the darkness. As they turned their attention to the sound, they saw the suit of armour begin to rise slowly from the shadows.

A gust of strong wind blew past, swaying the flaming torches along the walls and clearing the dust. It caused the light and shadows to flicker around the slowly rising suit of armour in the distance.

The three stood across from the rising suit of armour and got their first true look at what had attacked them.

The armour was massive and imposing, a full head larger than anyone Evan had ever seen, and covered in intricate designs and patterns that gleamed in the torchlight. Its burning blue flames for eyes stared down at the group from beneath its helm, which was adorned with a horse-like mane of hair. Two long, thin swords glinted menacingly in each of its massive metal hands.

"It's empty," Lucia said, peering through the darkness. "How is it empty?"

Evan's gaze was drawn to the rocky material that seemed to be interspersed at random intervals throughout the armour. He noticed the engravings and designs beneath, matching those on the walls and murals of the chamber. The metal where the rock was located gleamed as if brand new, in stark contrast to the rust and decay that covered the rest of the armour's form.

"Whatever it is, we have to kill it," Evan gritted his teeth and drew his sword. He hadn't really learned how to use one, often preferring to use a bow and arrow, but it didn't matter. He would bludgeon the thing if he had to.

He glanced at Lucia and Markus and saw hints of fear and a look of determination in each of their eyes. Markus held his shield firm and took a single step forward.

The sound echoed in the empty hall.

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Without warning, the armour lunged forward, its swords slicing through the air. Evan, Lucia, and Markus dove out of the way, as it landed between them in a crash of stone and metal.

The armour turned to face Markus, its flaming eyes bursting in a bright flash of blue heat.

Markus gulped in trepidation, steeled his nerves, and leapt forward to meet it.

He parried a blow with a deft motion, his [Density Control] causing the enemy's blade to merely cut into the flesh behind his shield, rather than take his whole arm. Blood trickled down his body, staining his leather armour in a crimson tapestry.

The armour had expected to cleave through him entirely, but whether it was capable of surprise could not be seen. The thing responded quickly, kicking Markus away before he could adjust his shield to block it.

Markus went tumbling into the distance.

Evan felt the familiar hum of telekinetic energy racing through his skeletal structure as a [Teleport] sent him soaring toward the sentient armour. He planned to finish this in one blow.

The hulking armour moved with a haunting grace, countering Evan's teleportation with uncanny, almost prophetic precision. As Evan materialized, the armour's sword descended upon him like a vengeful comet. Evan's senses screamed, his mind pacing at the brink of chaos. With lightning-quick reflexes, he twisted in mid-air, and weaved past the flash of sharp metal, narrowly avoiding the lethal strike.

Evan struck out with his sword releasing a shockwave as it connected with the living armour's weapon, and a swift parry from the armour sent his sword flying.

So much for that.

Evan teleported high towards a pillar, appearing in a whirl of misplaced dust before he landed horizontally, digging his fingers into the stone to remain aloft.

And then, he almost lost his life.

It was the sound of whistling air and growing shadows that clued him into the coming danger, the armour had somehow anticipated his [Teleport] and hurled its sword towards his new location. Evan looked down and saw the sharp point of a large sword flying towards him, the armour then leapt through the air to follow, its second blade poised to strike. Time slowed down as Evan watched the ascending blade flying through the air to pierce him. How familiar he thought. He almost laughed.

Evan pulled back his free hand and smashed a fist into the blade as it drew near, and released a shockwave deflecting its path. The blade crashed into the pillar behind his body in a small puff of ancient debris.

Evan pulled back again, channeling a thrum of energy in his bones to meet the ascending suit of armour as it followed through the air preparing to slice him in two.

The armour expertly dodged his strike, turning his devastating blow into a glancing one that caused a small dent, retrieved its sword, and struck out in a wicked arc, forcing Evan to desperately teleport away, before it leapt towards the ground, as the trails of its blue flaming eyes left long streaks of after-images in the darkness.

Evan really hated this thing.

A terrifying efficiency emanated from the armour's every move, its sword was an instrument of swift death. It executed each strike with methodical grace, following some long-lost ancient and unknown sword style. Its movements flowed seamlessly from one form to another, a deadly dance of precision and fluidity.

Evan was just wondering how to kill it.

In the chaotic battle, the armour singled out Lucia, perceiving her as the most vulnerable. In a whirlwind of motion, it spun to deliver a powerful kick, launching Evan through the air in a mess of limbs. Simultaneously, its sword slashed at Marcus, leaving him reeling from the impact, he staggered back as streaks of blood stained the tapestry in a broad arc.

And then, with ruthless determination, it lunged towards Lucia, the flames in its eyes flaring with hunger, as it swung down its sword in a mighty slash.

Pure terror consumed Lucia's face, her eyes reflecting the imminent danger.

“No! Lucia!”

“Look out!”

Evan and Marcus shouted, their voices lost in the cacophony of combat.

Markus sprinted towards her, desperation fuelling every step as Evan landed on the ground and made to teleport towards her. The living armour had gone for a killing blow, a breath away from landing. He wouldn't make it in time, neither of them would. For a moment, the world seemed suspended.

Lucia defied their pleas, and In a split-second decision, chose to confront the living armours assault. She had seen its reach with the swords and knew she couldn't dodge this close, the blades were just too long. With sheer determination, she leapt forward, meeting the raised swords descent sword head-on. She could not hope to follow its blades trajectory, so she raised her palms towards the path its stance suggested it would swing, a lesson her father’s hired tutors had long since ingrained in her, and one she had in turn taught to her two friends.

But it would not be enough, should not be enough to stop a blow that had treated Evans scales like butter.

She was doomed.

The creature swung heedless of her raised arms, aiming to cleave through her form like a blade through a stream. The impact of its bite echoed through the room, followed by a burst of ancient dust that billowed out in a shockwave, momentarily obscuring their vision. In that moment, all Evan could hear was a resounding clang and thumping footsteps as Markus raced to save her. He almost couldn’t bear to look.

As the dust reached them, Evan moved forward, a [Teleport] sending him past the shockwave to join Markus. Together, they looked at a shocking sight.

They both saw Lucia, with one bloody and shattered knee planted and lodged firmly in the cracked ground as she grunted in pain. And in both of her hands, she held the killing blow of the living armour at bay.

Her [Iron Grip] was tightened around the living armour's wrist in a vice, defying its deadly intent, and stopping its sword from cleaving into her. The armour once again had expected to cleave straight through her with force, as it had and had chosen to ignore her feeble attempts at defence. But it had not anticipated her [Iron Grip]. Perhaps, without visual confirmation it was incapable of such anticipation. And that lack of foresight and courage had saved Lucia’s life. With a strength of will, she squeezed, causing the living armour's hand to separate from its body, and crash to the ground with its sword in a metallic clatter.

The armour faltered, its once formidable form staggered forward at the sudden unexpected shift in balance. And with another display of [Iron Grip], Lucia lashed out and tore a portion of its chest clean off, revealing a strange blue glow emanating from within. The armour could not anticipate the dainty hands of its foe being capable of causing such damage. It adjusted its calculations. Exposed, the glow within its chest pulsated and flickered, a source of unearthly energy visible to the naked eye.

Threat assessment raised, the armour responded within the second. Torn armour was an objectively greater threat than the mere dents caused by the other hostiles. It would end this troublesome foe first.

It swiftly knocked Lucia to the ground and loomed over her fallen form, its remaining sword raised high for the final blow. With a battered knee and every ounce of strength, Lucia attempted to leap to the side, but her injured limb betrayed her, and she stumbled painfully onto her back.

That was within the armours calculations.

“Guys! A little help!?” Her voice rang out desperately, her yell pierced through the shock that seemed to take hold and jolted Evan and Markus into action.

”I’m out of mana!” She yelled once more.

She must’ve poured all of her mana into her skill to block a single one of that things killing blows, Evan’s eyes widened in realisation as he made to move, shaken from his shocked stupor.

In an instant, a [Teleport] sent Evan behind her, and another sent him crashing into the suit of armour as it attempted to strike her down. As Evan reappeared he whipped his arm forward lightning fast, his intense speed causing a crack to echo through the empty hall as the impact released a shockwave, sending the armour hurtling backward, and straight into Markus.

Markus’s footsteps soon turned from patters, to stomps, and then to booms as he drastically increased his [Density Control]. Soon every step he took shattered the murals beneath him.

He smashed into the unseeing back of the living armour as it faced Evan, his sword and shield bearing down in an arc, hammering it into the ground as Evan appeared from above, leaping down from the ceiling in a puff of air to deliver a devastating blow.

Together, Markus and Evan unleashed a flurry of strikes upon the armour's broken form. Their fists and wrenching motions twisted the metal, rendering it a distorted monument of defeat. Amidst the wreckage, Evan caught sight of a large crystal engulfed in blue flames, nestled inside the armour's shattered chest cavity. Without hesitation, he reached forward on instinct, and crushed the crystal within his palm, releasing a shockwave that tore through the air.

The flames in the armour's eyes flickered and winked out. It was finally dead.

The room fell silent, the only sound the heavy breathing of the combatants and the blood dripping from the mess of shallow cuts covering them. Markus lowered his blade and dropped his battered shield, his face grim with exertion. Evan exhaled as he felt a surge of mana flow into him, filling each of his cores more than any creature he'd faced before.

A hacking cough caused them both to turn around to face Lucia, and the thrill of victory quickly turned into horror as they laid eyes on her.

Lucia was lying motionless on the ground, breathing shallow breaths, a sword in her chest, and a pool of blood forming beneath her.