As the two of them clashed, Zero kept parrying every attack Lucian threw at him. Then Lucian made a mistake. He threw the sword in his left hand toward Zero but Zero parried it away. Before he could react again, Lucian had already produced a dagger from his inventory and stabbed Zero's hand. Zero dragged the dagger out and pulled it free. Blood dripped from his palm.
"I'm losing my stamina. I'm losing everything. I'm getting tired really fast. I have to end this," Zero thought. "My title as Paladin Knight, it is tarnishing if I don't finish this. Are all these people seeing me struggle?"
Zero healed his hand and prepared his final attack. Wind swelled around him, howling through the arena. A divine light coated his sword. He launched forward, the sanctified execution about to unleash.
