Chapter 56 Spear of Judgment

Chapter 56 Spear of Judgment
The battlefield froze as Malrec hurled the holy spear.

The weapon blazed with purifying light, a lance of concentrated Radiant Veil power aimed directly at Seraphine’s back. It was meant to kill her instantly, to purge the Elyra fragment before it could corrupt the Saint any further.

Seraphine turned too late.

Darius moved without hesitation.

Despite the agony of her Light burning through every inch of his body, he lunged forward with a roar that shook the valley. Black mist exploded around him as he threw himself between Seraphine and the oncoming spear. His massive armored form shielded her completely.

The holy spear struck him square in the chest.

It pierced straight through his necrotic armor and bone plating with a blinding flash of golden light. Darius staggered, dark blood, thick and black, spilling from the wound. The purifying energy seared through him, burning away layers of his power and tearing at the bonds connecting him to his army.

The entire battlefield stopped.

Undead thralls froze mid-strike. Templars lowered their weapons in shock. Rhen and Vael stared in disbelief. Even Brother Aldric stood motionless, eyes wide.

The undead king, the monster terrorizing the frontier, had just thrown himself in front of the Saint sent to destroy him.

Seraphine caught Darius as he collapsed forward, her arms wrapping around his armored torso. The contact sent violent silver and green light flaring between them. She could feel the spear’s holy energy burning him from the inside, weakening every part of his being.

“Why?” she whispered, tears streaming down her face as she held him. “You were supposed to kill me. Why would you protect me?”

Darius’s glowing sockets dimmed with excruciating pain. Dark blood poured from the wound in his chest, spilling across Seraphine’s white-gold robes. His clawed hand rose weakly and brushed her cheek, leaving a streak of black ichor.

“Not again…” he whispered, voice raw and broken. “I won’t… lose you again…”

The words struck Seraphine like a second spear. She held him tighter, feeling the resonance between them surge painfully. Elyra’s memories flooded her mind, the same desperate love, the same fear of loss. She could feel Darius’s agony through their connection, yet he had still chosen to protect her.

Malrec’s voice cut through the stunned silence like a whip.

“Traitor! The Saint has been fully corrupted! Kill them both!”

But the templars hesitated. The sight of the Hollow King shielding their High Priestess had broken something in their faith. Some lowered their weapons. Others looked to Malrec in confusion.

Rhen and Vael surged forward to protect their king, cutting down any knight who tried to approach. The undead army remained frozen, their master’s sacrifice rippling through every bond.

Darius’s breathing grew ragged, though he needed no air. The holy spear continued burning inside his chest, weakening him severely. Yet he looked up at Seraphine with glowing sockets filled with something softer than rage, something closer to peace.

“I remember more now,” he rasped. “Her smile. Her voice. The way she said my name. You carry all of it. Even if you destroy me… keep her safe. Don’t let them erase her completely.”

Seraphine’s tears fell onto his armored chest. “I won’t let them erase either of you. I won’t let them win.”

Malrec raised his hand, holy power gathering for another strike. “Enough sentiment! Purify the abomination and the corrupted vessel!”

But Seraphine stood up slowly, still supporting Darius’s weight. Silver light blazed around her brighter than ever before. For the first time, she turned her power not toward the Hollow King, but toward the Order forces threatening him.

The war had shifted.

And in the center of the battlefield, the monster who had hesitated held the Saint who could no longer bring herself to strike.

Darius whispered one last time before his strength failed:

“Not again…”

Black blood continued to spill across the ground as the Hollow King clung to the woman who carried his lost love inside her.

The battlefield held its breath.