Eclipse Requiem

Kael hit the ground hard, his boots slamming into the blood-soaked dirt. The battlefield was **pure chaos**—blades clashing, warriors screaming, and **the stench of burning flesh** filling the air.

A Templar Knight lunged at him.

Kael twisted, **parrying the strike with a sharp clang** before driving his elbow into the knight's gut. The man staggered, and Kael followed up with a brutal kick, sending him crashing into the mud.

Saren landed beside him, slicing through an enemy's throat with terrifying precision. "You see the Templars yet?!"

Kael's **eyes scanned the battlefield.**

Then he saw him.

The Templar **Commander.**

The man in golden armor—the one who had called for Orin's surrender. He stood near the center of the battlefield, his **warhammer glowing with divine power** as he crushed a rogue warrior's skull in a single swing. **Holy runes burned in the air around him.**

Kael's stomach **tightened.**

"This isn't going to be easy," he muttered.

Saren wiped blood off her face. "It never is."

Then they **charged.**

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### **The Golden Titan**

The **Templar Commander** turned as Kael and Saren closed in. His golden **warhammer pulsed** with holy energy, and as they neared, he **slammed it into the ground.**

**BOOM.**

A massive **shockwave** exploded outward. Kael barely had time to react—he threw up his arms as the force **sent him flying backward.**

He hit the ground hard, rolling across the dirt.

Saren wasn't as lucky—she was blasted straight into a pile of broken weapons, coughing as she tried to stand.

The **Commander** stepped forward, his presence **immense**.

"I know not your name, warrior," his deep voice rang out, "but if you stand with Orin Voss, then you stand with a heretic."

Kael gritted his teeth. "I stand for what's right."

The Templar's expression didn't change. "Then prove it."

Then—he **charged.**

Kael barely had time to **raise his sword** before the warhammer **swung down.**

**CRASH!**

The sheer force **split the earth beneath them**. Kael dodged at the last second, but the impact still sent a brutal tremor through his body.

He **countered—fast, precise.** His sword slashed toward the Templar's side—

**CLANG!**

The Templar twisted, his golden gauntlet catching the blade.

Kael's eyes widened.

**He stopped it with his bare hand?!**

Then—

**A knee to the gut.**

Kael gasped as the impact **drove the air from his lungs.**

Before he could recover, the **Templar grabbed him by the throat and lifted him off the ground.**

"You are strong," the Commander said, his **holy aura burning** against Kael's skin. "But you lack conviction."

Kael **struggled**, kicking against the Templar's armor. His vision blurred as **divine energy burned through his body.**

Then—

A **dagger flew through the air, slicing across the Templar's cheek.**

The Commander **flinched**, dropping Kael as he staggered back.

Saren landed beside Kael, panting. "I leave you alone for two seconds, and you're already losing?"

Kael coughed, regaining his breath. "He's… strong."

Saren smirked. "Then let's be stronger."

They attacked **together.**

---

### **Breaking the Holy Warrior**

Kael **moved first**.

He feinted left—then **Abyssal Stepped**, reappearing at the Commander's blind spot. His sword slashed forward, coated in **dark energy.**

The Templar barely managed to raise his warhammer in time.

**CLANG!**

The impact sent **sparks flying**—but Kael wasn't done.

Saren moved in from the opposite side, her daggers flashing as she **aimed for the gaps in the Templar's armor.**

The Commander growled, twisting to block her—leaving his **back exposed.**

Kael's **eyes flashed.**

He **pushed all his Fragment energy into his sword**—the blade **shifting, growing, darkening.**

Then—he **drove it straight through the Commander's back.**

The Templar **froze.**

For a moment, there was only silence.

Then—

**BOOM.**

A final shockwave exploded outward, sending Kael and Saren flying. The Commander stumbled forward, golden blood dripping from his wound.

His warhammer **trembled in his grip.**

Then—he fell to his knees.

Kael pushed himself up, panting.

The **first Templar had fallen.**

But the battle was far from over.

Because in the distance—

Orin was **walking toward them**, his red aura **burning like a wildfire.**

And he wasn't alone.

Behind him, the **remaining Templars**—along with the **rest of the Holy Order's forces—**were **charging straight for them.**

Kael's chest tightened.

This fight was just beginning.

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