What Kanna managed to achieve during the fight with the Lich left a deep impression on Luysia—a revelation.

She saw the professor summon a sacred power she thought lost when they both renounced divine favor.

Luysia herself had believed that, after breaking her oath, it was impossible for anyone to access the strength of the most powerful sacred spells, as if they were reserved solely for those with absolute loyalty to the goddess and the church.

This is what she had been taught, and indeed, she can no longer use them.

As the group caught their breath, Luysia’s mind drifted back to that lost power, to the symbol of faith and light she once wielded with pride: her Halberd of Faith, a weapon of purifying light that made her feel invincible.

The thought consumes her, almost a painful nostalgia. If only she could wield that power again... but more than anything, she wonders how Eykad, another oathbreaker, managed to retain that strength, to overcome the weight of his betrayal and emerge stronger than before.

This is why she must confront the dwarf. She knows that to truly be reborn as a new person, she must defeat someone similar to herself, someone who has walked the same path and emerged victorious.

Luysia advances, feeling the weight of her decision, as if each step toward Eykad marks a confrontation with her own past.

Eykad watches her approach, his expression impassive but proud, his eyes filled with an ancient wisdom that only someone who has endured decades of battles and difficult choices could understand.

"Do you have the answer to my riddle?" Eykad asks, his voice rumbling like thunder.

"I think I do," the blonde replies, taking another step up.

Eykad raises his gaze, a flicker of interest lighting in his eyes.
“Interesting. You managed to find in a short time what took me most of my life,” he comments, adding, “There is no truth in easy answers.” His tone is a mixture of surprise and skepticism, but it’s clear he’s ready to weigh Luysia’s words carefully.

Luysia stops and raises her halberd, pointing it at the dwarf.
"I’ll give you the answer. But this is a matter between you and me. Let the others pass—I will be your opponent."

*RUMBLE*

In an explosive motion, Eykad raises his hammer above his head and slams it into the ground with such force that the temple and the entire staircase tremble as if an earthquake is raging beneath them.

The stones crack beneath Luysia’s and her companions’ feet, and they stagger, struggling to keep their balance.

Staying on their feet is a battle against the very weight of the earth rebelling beneath them. But Luysia, unwavering, raises her halberd again and meets his gaze.

It’s clear that this earthquake isn’t the dwarf’s full power—just a warning.

“My loyalty to my queen is absolute. No one shall pass this way,” Eykad says, his tone final, like a mountain’s unyielding decree.

Luysia stands a few paces from Eykad, the dwarf guarding the staircase leading up to the minor temple on the path to the Great Temple of the Spider Mother.

In front of her, the dwarf lifts his hammer slightly, ready to block her path, but without lunging, as if awaiting a true decision from her.

“So, you won’t stop us if we take another route?” Luysia asks, her tone steady, without a trace of hesitation.

“Only if the Queen doesn’t order me to prevent it,” Eykad replies, the echo of his words sliding down the staircase.

His gaze is cold, devoid of any sign of compromise. There’s something ancient and relentless in him, as if his loyalty were carved in stone.

Luysia turns to the group, her eyes scanning the faces marked by fatigue and wounds.

Without further words, they all understand what this decision means.
“Go around this temple,” she orders, a weight clear in her tone. “Take care of the other two Servants. I’ll stay here.”

The group looks at Luysia with mixed expressions: admiration, concern, and respect.

Kanna steps forward, placing a hand on her shoulder, seeking one last confirmation that this is truly the path she intends to take.

“Are you sure you want to face him alone?” Kanna asks, her voice tense.

Luysia nods. She must find on her own the answers she’s searched for so long.

“Are you certain?” Rero asks, a hint of hesitation in her voice. "Together, we might stand a better chance."

Luysia smiles, but in her eyes, a resolute determination burns.
“This is my fight,” she replies. “And it’s not a battle that can be won by numbers or physical strength,” she adds, looking Rero straight in the eyes.

Her words convey the depth of what she feels: she knows that only by facing this confrontation alone can she close this painful chapter of her life.

Rero clasps her hand in a gesture of understanding. “Then win, Luysia. For Strauss... but most importantly, for yourself.”

Luysia's gaze softens for a moment. “I will,” she replies firmly.

 

The group begins descending the steps to return to the previous intersection, taking the alternate paths to bypass the temple structure, leaving Luysia and Eykad alone on the staircase.

Each step away carries a shadow of concern.

Silence settles over the temple, with only the presence of the two warriors standing a few steps apart, calmly observing each other.

Eykad tilts his head, as if weighing Luysia, trying to read something beyond mere appearance. “So, you’ve stayed,” he says, his voice rough, like stone steeped in his very essence. “You claim to know the answer, but have you understood the question?”

“I was waiting for you to ask it,” Luysia replies, her tone steady and without hesitation.

The dwarf offers a faint smile, then lowers his war hammer.

He gestures for her to follow him inside the temple.

There, they can confront each other.

The blonde ascends the stairs, following her foe to the center of the temple.
Eykad stops, then turns to face Luysia.

“This,” he says, raising the hammer, “is what I’ve dedicated most of my life to: crafting the perfect weapon, the perfect armor. Metal, strength, sacrifice. I followed the tenets of Izhad Ingul.”

Luysia studies the war hammer—not merely a tool of destruction, but an extension of the dwarf himself, embodying all he has built through decades of experience.

The hammer is made of Silverdark with gold-like decorations, etched with runes and magical engravings. Its heaviness makes it seem as though it was carved from a single block of Underealm metal. All the craftsmanship shows the expertise only a master dwarf at the pinnacle of his smithing could achieve.

Eykad strokes his thick gray beard. “But tell me, do you think I succeeded?”

“It’s exquisitely crafted,” she replies.

Eykad nods, a bitter smile on his lips. “Indeed. It is solid, strong, resilient—but not indestructible. Every armor, every weapon, every shield, no matter how perfect, can break. Every weapon can fall to pieces. In the end, what is metal compared to the hand that wields it?”

“Are you trying to make me believe the answer is that simple?” Luysia looks at him, suspicious.

The dwarf laughs, and his laughter is a deep sound, like a waterfall echoing in the depths of a mountain.

"If you've come this far, then you know it’s not that simple. Flesh and metal are only tools. Even the best weapons, even the most trained bodies, are fragile. I’ve learned this by tempering both to their limits. In the end, stats, ranks, and levels don’t matter. Even flesh is imperfect, just like metal."

Luysia looks at her battered equipment and her hands marked with scars and scratches.
Those marks are the memories of battles she has survived, not due to physical strength or weaponry.

"The Lich, Ques..." says Luysia, "you two don’t seem to get along. You’re both Azherie's Servants, yet you follow opposite paths."

The dwarf shakes his head, clearly irritated. "He doesn’t serve; he’s compelled. A snake ready to rebel at the first chance, if he could."

"Did you learn the answer from the Lich?" asks the dwarf.

Luysia shakes her head. "He helped me understand, but I’d say he’s not the solution."

"Exactly," Eykad says with a short laugh, a sound that is almost melancholic.

"The Lich, Ques, with his army of bones and rotting flesh, demonstrates this by using ephemeral things as if they were weapons. Puppets controlled by his will. He is an abomination, a denial of true strength. Where is the sacrifice in them? Where is the pain? There is no honor or sacrifice in what he does. Without pain, without the challenge of death, there is no true strength. There is no victory."

Silence falls between them, only the reverberation of the dwarf's words echoing in the open space.

The dwarf lowers his hammer to the ground, causing the stones beneath them to tremble.

Luysia stiffens and stands firm, determined not to waver.

"Now give me the answer to the riddle," Eykad commands her.

Luysia takes a deep breath, raising her damaged halberd.

"True strength is when metal and flesh wielded together unite with will, with inner strength. That is what ultimately makes the real difference."

The dwarf remains silent for a moment, almost in disbelief, then a smile appears on his lips, reflecting a barely perceptible respect.

"Tell me, how did you come to this conclusion?" Eykad asks, raising an eyebrow.

Luysia looks at him intensely, her eyes shining with a renewed light, as if she is recalling every moment of suffering and growth that has brought her to this point.

"After being broken and rebuilt many times. Through physical and mental pain. I have absorbed it, then fled from it, loved it and hated it. I have understood, however, that it was just a means. A means to become stronger."