Conor moved swiftly across the battlefield, expertly weaving through the maze of shadows that cloaked the city as he worked to outmaneuver Knight Apollo. The knight unleashed an unyielding barrage of light-infused arrows, each forming with astonishing speed from his bow and striking its target with precision. The shadows served as Conor's endless network of teleportation portals and acted as a natural shield, instinctively slowing the arrows just before they struck, a passive ability requiring no deliberate effort on his part.
However, as the shadows interrupted the light, the light struck back against the darkness. Each arrow that tore through the shadows left behind an intense, searing radiance so powerful it could have melted steel.
In retaliation, Conor launched his own assault, firing arrows in all directions, each disappearing into the shadows upon release. Observing this, Knight Apollo smirked, his expression betraying his confidence in the battle's outcome.
Without warning, Knight Apollo's instincts flared, urging him to abandon his current position. He kicked off the ground forcefully, leaping to another section of the tall building while keeping his focus on where he had just stood.
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
BOOM
Arrows shot forth from the shadows, striking the ground where Knight Apollo had been standing just moments earlier. A chill ran down his spine as he realized how narrowly he had escaped death. His eyes locked onto Conor's position, his face twisted in fury.
"YOU DARE!" he bellowed, nocking another arrow and aiming it directly at Conor.
Conor responded with a smirk, conjuring an arrow formed of dense shadow material. "I dare," he said, his voice dripping with contempt.
Electric tension filled the air, as though lightning might strike, before they loosed their arrows simultaneously.
BOOOOM!
The arrows collided midair with the force of a powerful explosion, shattering nearby windows in a deafening shockwave.
BOOOOM!
BOOOOM!
The clash of arrows continued unabated. Meanwhile, below them, Knight Lugh moved like a whirlwind, each motion of his spear creating faint afterimages in the air. He pressed War Woman with relentless ferocity, his strikes infused with the radiant power of light.
Holding her shield at an angle, War Woman deflected a spear thrust aimed at her head, driving the gleaming weapon into the ground with a resounding crack. She quickly repositioned her shield and followed up with a powerful uppercut, turning the typically defensive tool into a devastating offensive weapon as it smashed into Knight Lugh's chin.
POW!
The man was sent flying backward, but with a quick twist in the air, he managed to use the momentum from her attack to regain some distance.
Knight Lugh, fully aware of the legendary War Woman's incredible strength, was determined not to let her exploit it.
With a precise thrust accompanied by a twist, Knight Lugh unleashed a beam of light energy, forcing War Woman to raise her shield in an effort to deflect or at least diminish the impact of the incoming attack.
CLANG!
CTCHHHHHH!
War Woman gritted her teeth as her feet and knees dug into the asphalt. The force of the attack sent her sliding backward, increasing the gap between them. After being pushed nearly a block, the thrust lost its momentum, and with a fierce yell, War Woman deflected the remaining energy, sending a spear of light careening into a nearby building with a resounding and explosive crash.
Smoke and dust billowed from the wrecked building as shards of debris fell like a cascade of glowing embers. War Woman stepped forward from the swirling haze, her shield raised high, the gleam of her bronze armor faintly illuminated by the fiery light of the spear lodged in the ruins behind her.
Knight Lugh descended opposite her, his landing shattering the asphalt beneath him. His spear radiated a faint hum, its shaft trembling as though barely containing the searing energy within. The golden knight's eyes blazed like twin suns as he addressed her.
"You fight valiantly, War Woman, but the divine light of the almighty god cannot be overshadowed by mere strength."
War Woman's jaw clenched. "Then you've clearly never taken a hit from me."
Without hesitation, she surged forward, the ground erupting under her feet. Lugh countered with a sweeping arc of his spear, forcing her to duck as sparks flew from the weapon's contact with her shield. She twisted sharply, using her momentum to arc her sword upward in a diagonal slash.
CLANG!
Their weapons collided, sending shockwaves rippling through the street. Lugh spun his spear with masterful precision, his strikes a blur of radiant energy forming a luminous circle around her.
War Woman parried each attack with calculated precision, sparks cascading like shooting stars. Then, seizing her moment, she drove her shield forward with immense force.
BOOM!
The impact shattered the air like a thunderclap. Lugh was thrown back several meters, his boots carving glowing trails into the concrete as he regained his footing. He lifted his spear, light swirling around it like a storm on the brink of eruption.
"Enough restraint," he muttered. "The Order demands victory."
The light on his spear intensified, condensing into a single, searing point before erupting in a spiraling wave of energy. The blast radiated outward, obliterating nearby shadows and hurling War Woman through the crumbling remains of an office building.
CRAAASH!
For a moment, silence lingered. Then—
Step.
Step.
War Woman emerged from the debris, blood trickling down her temple, her eyes blazing with unyielding resolve. She raised her shield once more, its cracked surface glowing faintly, as though defying destruction itself.
"Is that all?" she growled.
Her sword ignited, the bronze blade glowing with a fierce red-gold aura. With a sudden burst of speed, she charged forward, the ground shattering underfoot as she closed the gap in an instant.
Their weapons clashed again, light and power colliding in a stunning explosion that bathed the city block in brilliance.
BOOOOM!
Buildings quaked. Windows shattered. The clash of divine energy and indomitable will sent shockwaves rippling outward like the brief birth and death of a small sun.
When the radiance finally subsided, the two warriors remained locked in place, their weapons grinding against each other as their eyes met, burning with mutual fury and respect.
Amid the chaos of the battlefield, Knight Nuada stood firm across from the Immortal, the wreckage of the city street framing their standoff. His golden armor radiated brilliance, illuminating the darkness with a light so pure it transformed the night into a luminous expanse. Every piece of his resplendent plate seemed imbued with the very essence of dawn, and in his hands, he wielded a sword and shield forged from solidified light, divine weapons pulsing in synchrony with his heartbeat.
In stark contrast, the Immortal was a figure of raw endurance and determination, his silhouette carved from pure muscle and willpower. His tattered uniform bore the stains of countless battles, grime, blood, and wear, but his green eyes burned with an unyielding fire, fierce and timeless, embodying defiance and resilience.
"Your time has passed, ancient one," Nuada declared, his voice ringing out like a celestial pronouncement. "The dawn of a new age rises, and you—"
Before he could complete his proclamation, the Immortal surged forward, moving with blinding speed. His fist cut through the air with the roar of a thunderclap.
BOOM!
Nuada barely managed to lift his shield in defense. The impact unleashed a dazzling explosion as divine radiance clashed with unbreakable flesh, the collision generating shockwaves that rippled outward with destructive force. Cars were hurled into the air, pavement fractured and buckled, and entire storefronts were obliterated in the wake of their clash.
The Immortal maintained his relentless pace, delivering a vicious left hook aimed at Nuada's side. However, the knight twisted with the strike, allowing the blow to deflect off the curved surface of his radiant armor. Without hesitation, Nuada countered, thrusting his sword forward, its blade shimmering with light that flowed like molten gold.
SHHHHNK!
The strike glanced across the Immortal's ribs, the radiant energy cutting through his flesh and scorching the wound beneath. The hero let out a low grunt, more irritated than hurt, as his regenerative abilities began mending the injury almost instantaneously.
"You talk too much," he growled in a steady, resonant voice. "Let's see how long that light lasts when I grind it into the ground."
Nuada's gaze hardened. "Your arrogance will be your undoing."
Their ensuing clash sent shockwaves through the entire block. The Immortal's fists pounded against Nuada's shield with relentless force, each strike heavier than the last. The cacophony of impact was overwhelming, metal straining under divine pressure and the air itself fracturing into explosive bursts.
KRAKOOM!
Nuada evaded a sweeping blow and retaliated with a blinding shield bash. The Immortal braced against it with crossed arms, but the immense force hurled him backwards, crashing through the wall of a nearby building. The structure crumbled upon impact, sending a cloud of dust and debris billowing into the air.
A blazing spear of light followed immediately, Nuada's sword transformed midair, stretching into a luminous javelin as he hurled it into the wreckage.
KRA-KOOOOOM!
The explosion detonated like a nascent star, its shockwave ripping through the street and obliterating the debris. For an instant, the world was engulfed in a blinding white radiance.
Then... motion.
A silhouette emerged from the glare, slicing through the brilliance like a razor. The Immortal surged from the rubble with blistering speed, fragments of concrete and metal scattering in his wake. His skin was charred, his uniform reduced to tatters, but his grin was wild and predatory. In his hand, he clutched a jagged steel beam as if it were a club.
"That supposed to hurt?" he sneered.
Nuada's expression stayed impassive, though the tautness in his posture betrayed his astonishment. "You endure beyond logic."
"Yeah," the Immortal replied, cracking his neck, "that's kind of my thing."
He charged.
The ground buckled beneath him as he brought the steel beam crashing down. Nuada raised his shield to block, but the immense force drove him to one knee. The Immortal didn't relent, he struck again and again, each blow heavier and swifter, his roars reverberating across the devastated cityscape.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each strike ignited the air with dazzling sparks as steel clashed against sanctified light. The final blow split the beam in two, its fragments scattering like shards of shrapnel.
Nuada countered without hesitation, his sword blazing as he swung it down in a radiant arc. The Immortal narrowly dodged, the blade grazing his shoulder and leaving a molten streak seared into his flesh.
He retaliated with a ferocious uppercut.
CRACK!
Nuada's head snapped back, his helmet crumpling under the force. The knight stumbled but quickly regained his footing, enveloped in a burst of golden light as he slashed horizontally with divine accuracy. The Immortal raised his forearm to block, the intense heat sealing the wound before blood could flow.
They broke apart, circling each other warily, their breaths ragged. The golden glow of Nuada's armor dimmed slightly, while the Immortal's aura of raw vitality surged stronger with every passing moment.
"You shine brightly," the Immortal said, flexing his fist, "but fire burns out quickly."
Nuada lifted his sword, light gathering along its edge until it vibrated with the intensity of a thousand suns compressed into one. "Then behold the brilliance of eternity."
The two warriors charged, colliding with unstoppable force.
Their collision unleashed a cataclysmic explosion, this one pure, unrelenting force. The shockwave obliterated cars, shattered windows across entire city blocks, and sent a towering plume of dust spiraling into the atmosphere. Nuada's sword carved arcs of radiant light through the chaos, each swing a blur of divine precision, while the Immortal dodged, wove between strikes, and counterattacked with relentless fury, his fists hammering into the shield like cannon fire.
For every strike of celestial brilliance, there was an equal and opposite response of mortal determination.
BOOM! CLANG! THUD! SHRRRRAK!
At one pivotal moment, Nuada thrust his shield forward, ramming it against the Immortal's chest and driving him into the wreckage of a demolished bus. Waves of searing energy surged outward from the shield, scorching everything in their path with blinding intensity.
"Fall!" Nuada bellowed, pouring more power into the shield, the radiant heat melting through twisted metal and tearing into flesh.
The Immortal's eyes ignited with a vivid green glow. "Not… today!" he growled through gritted teeth.
With a defiant roar, he gripped the shield's edge and heaved. The earth beneath them cracked and split as the Immortal's raw strength forced the divine knight back. Breaking free with a thunderous cry, he swung a devastating punch that struck Nuada's breastplate, fracturing it with a resounding impact. Golden fissures radiated outward like a spiderweb, the cracks gleaming ominously in the fading light.