It wasn't a soft glow. It was a flash, so bright it washed out the dark colors of the forest. Nox, who was dodging a lunge from his own spider, had to shield his eyes for a second.
When he looked again, he froze.
Serian was still on the ground, but she was kneeling now, not cowering. The golden light swirled around her, and in her hand was a new sword. It wasn't her simple steel blade. This one was ornate, its hilt shaped like the branches of a tree, its blade shining with a light of its own.
Her eyes were open, and they were glowing with that same golden light. She didn't look scared anymore. She looked… divine.
The spider's leg came down.
She didn't flinch. She just swung the new sword in a simple, effortless arc.
The blade met the spider's leg. There was no clang of metal on chitin. The blade passed through the thick limb like it wasn't even there. The leg, completely severed, flew off and crashed into a tree.