Single Spell Sorcerer

The symbols around its body enlarged, turning bolder and thicker, until it covered the metal armor fully, turning the entire thing black. The color extended down the sword as well, creating a horrifying scene.

In the middle of the battlefield stood the boss, a knight clad in black armor, holding a black blade. And this time, red eyes glowed from its visor.

"Here we go," Lucille said in a solemn tone. "That has to be its second phase."

The boss looked like an actual boss this time.

"Don't fear," Melayne said. "It's just a boss. We've killed many already."

Jax gripped his damaged axe, the weight distribution all wrong in his hands. The missing chunk from the upper half made it feel awkward, unbalanced. He'd been fighting with this weapon for months, and now it felt like he was wielding an entirely different weapon.

"I can still fight," he muttered, more to convince himself than the others.

The boss knight, now at full power with all nine fallen bodies absorbed, raised its sword high. Dark energy crackled along the blade's edge as it began its assault.

The first swing sent a wave of black energy slicing through the air. The dark slash curved in a wide arc, forcing the party to scatter.

"Spread out!" Lucille shouted.

Jax rolled to the side before jumping forward to fight the boss. The lack of weight could be felt with every hit. Each swing felt weak, ineffective. The missing runes had stripped away the weapon's additional strength, leaving him with little more than a glorified metal stick.

Another black slash carved through the space where Roman had been standing moments before. The healer scrambled away from the attack, thankfully attentive enough to dodge.

"Keep moving!" Lucille called out, her voice cutting through the chaos. "Don't give it a stationary target!"

The boss spun in a circle, its sword trailing more dark energy. Black slashes fired in all directions like deadly spokes of a wheel. Melayne dove forward, having forsaken her shield for the sake of more damage. Ning leaped high to dodge the slash.

Jax wasn't so lucky. A slash caught him across the chest, the dark energy seeping through his armor's joints. He grunted, feeling more numbness than pain from the attack.

"Roman!" he called out.

"Already on it!" Roman's healing spell washed over him.

The battle became deadly. The boss would unleash its attack, forcing them to scatter. Each time they tried to close distance, another barrage of black slashes would drive them back.

"Lucille, can't you hit it with lightning?" Ning asked, barely avoiding a slash that would have taken his head off.

"It won't stay still long enough!" she replied, frustration evident in her voice.

Instead, she focused on her role as the leader, her eyes tracking every movement. "Jax, left side! Melayne, watch your back! Ning, it's about to slash again!"

The constant motion was wearing them down. Roman's spells came at a steady rate, his Navi reserves draining fast. Sweat beaded on his forehead as he struggled to keep up with their onslaught.

Jax swung his broken axe at the boss's armor, the blade connecting with a dull thud instead of the sharp ring it should have made. The damage was minimal, barely scratching the surface.

'This isn't working,' he thought, dodging another black slash. The axe that had served him so well was now holding him back.

The boss seemed to sense his weakness, pressing its attack on him specifically. Slash after slash forced him to give ground, his damaged weapon unable to effectively parry the strengthened sword.

"Screw this!" Jax thought, throwing away the sword. Strings flew out from his fingers as he began swinging them like a whip. That did much less damage than his broken axe, but the distance made it easier to attack and dodge as needed.

The fight dragged on, each minute feeling like an hour. The boss's relentless assault of black slashes kept them constantly on the defensive.

"I can end this!" Ning called out as he moved around the boss's right side. "Distract him for me."

Melayne and Jax did as asked, distracting the bsos with their attacks. Lucille came from the side as well, swinging her arrows at the boss that did nothing more than clink against his armor and fall off. But still she attacked.

The party converged on the boss from multiple angles, and while the boss was distracted, Ning finally dealt the final blow.

His spear found its target underneath the metal plate on its right, digging deep into its body. The boss collapsed with a thunderous crash, its form dissolving into a bunch of black metal bits that then further dissolved until nothing but the familiar loot remained.

All five party members slumped to the ground, completely exhausted.

"That was..." Roman started, then simply shook his head. His hands were trembling from Navi depletion.

"Too close," Melayne finished, her breathing heavy.

Roman reached into his inventory and pulled out a decently large vial filled with swirling blue liquid. "First potion of the trial for me," he said with a wry smile, uncorking it and drinking it down. Almost immediately, color returned to his face as his Navi reserves replenished.

"You couldn't rely on your Navi stones?" Ning asked.

"Takes too long," Roman answered. "I would immediately be ready for the next fight."

Melayne was already gathering the loot, her movements efficient despite her fatigue. She tossed around the Emerald stones to everyone first.

"Another Metal stone," she said, tossing it to Jax without hesitation. "You've got 2 now. How many do you need?"

As Jax caught the stone, he wondered about her question. "Maybe just the two? I don't know," he said. He really didn't know.

Melayne's eyes fell on his damaged axe. "Can I take a look at that?"

Jax handed it over. The damage was even worse up close, the missing chunk exposing the scarlet obsidian's grain.

"It's completely broken," Melayne said softly. "It might've been considered a decent weapon still back in the 10th Carriage, but it can't even be a bad one here."

Jax sighed. "I know. That's why I gave up."