The light of the sword grew in my hand as if it had a life of its own.
It wasn't just brightness.
It was energy.
Pure.
Dense.
Almost heavy.
I felt that force running through my arm and spreading throughout my entire body. Every muscle seemed to awaken again, as if something was reigniting a flame that had nearly gone out.
The General watched.
In silence.
His eyes, once calm, were now more attentive.
Curious.
"So there is still more power within you."
I didn't respond.
My breathing began to stabilize.
The pain in my chest was still there, but something was changing. The energy of the sword wasn't just circulating through my body… it seemed to be reorganizing everything inside me.
As if it were correcting something.
Strengthening.
Awakening.
The vibration increased.
The light of the blade grew more intense.
For a moment, the air around us began to shimmer.
Small particles of dust lifted from the broken ground, slowly floating around us.
The General raised his sword.
"Show me."
He advanced.
This time faster.
Much faster.
I barely had time to react.
His blade came in a brutal diagonal strike.
Instinct.
I raised my sword.
The clash exploded between us.
CLANG!
The pressure of the impact ran through my entire arm, but… something was different.
My body didn't give in.
For the first time since the beginning of the fight…
I wasn't pushed back.
The General's eyes narrowed.
He noticed.
So did I.
The strength in my arms had increased.
A lot.
He turned his body and attacked again.
A sequence of violent strikes came down on me.
Right.
Left.
Diagonal.
Vertical.
I blocked.
One.
Two.
Three.
Four.
Each impact echoed through the destroyed fortress.
But my feet remained firmly planted on the ground.
The sword's energy continued to grow.
My heart pounded faster and faster.
The General stepped back a few paces.
Watching.
"Interesting."
My hand tightened around the sword's hilt.
The vibration increased again.
And then…
A new voice appeared in my mind.
It wasn't just the sword.
It was something deeper.
More ancient.
A presence.
A clear message appeared before my eyes.
As if it were engraved directly into my consciousness.
Suit unlocked.
Hero's Armor.
For a moment, the world seemed to stop.
I felt the sword's energy explode.
A wave of golden light burst from the blade and enveloped my entire body.
The General took a step back.
The energy continued to grow.
Rising.
Spinning around me like a storm of light.
My vision turned completely white for an instant.
Then…
Something began to form.
First over my chest.
Metallic plates emerged from the light itself, slowly shaping over my body. Golden lines intertwined as if they were part of a living structure.
Then came the shoulders.
The legs.
The arms.
The armor took shape piece by piece.
Elegant.
Imposing.
Powerful.
It wasn't heavy like common armor.
It was different.
I felt as if it were part of my own body.
The energy continued to flow.
The pain that had dominated my chest began to disappear.
The wounds closed.
My breathing returned to normal.
My vision became completely clear again.
I was healed.
Completely.
The light around me finally diminished.
Revealing the full armor.
Golden.
With silver details and smooth lines running across its entire surface. Its glow reflected on the shattered stones around us.
Silence took over the fortress.
The General watched me.
Without attacking.
Without moving.
For the first time since the beginning of the fight…
He seemed truly surprised.
"So this is it."
His voice came out lower.
"This is the true power of the sword."
I looked at my hands.
The armor fit my body perfectly.
Every movement felt natural.
Fluid.
As if I had used it my entire life.
I raised the sword.
The blade now emitted a deeper light.
More controlled.
The General took a deep breath.
The smile returned to his face.
But this time…
It was different.
"Now this is it."
He raised his sword again.
"Now the battle has become interesting."
I took a step forward.
The stone ground cracked under my foot.
The energy around us felt denser.
Heavier.
The air of the destroyed fortress became silent again.
But it wasn't an ordinary silence.
It was the silence before an explosion.
I looked directly at the General.
"Let's finish this."
He gave a wide smile.
"Yes."
Black mana began to emerge around his body.
Thick.
Violent.
For the first time…
The General's true power began to appear.
His magical pressure increased drastically.
The ground began to crack.
The remaining walls of the fortress trembled.
But I didn't step back.
The golden armor absorbed the pressure.
The sword vibrated in my hand.
Ready.
The General raised his blade.
So did I.
And in that instant…
We both advanced at the same time.
The next collision would decide the fate of that battle.