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They used to deal good damage and still only deal spirit damage to fiends, which screams holy. But it lacks the trait so it won't trigger fiend weaknesses anymore like it used to. It feels like an unintentional omission, as pre-remaster the rune lacked the good trait despite dealing good damage. OTOH, the holy rune itself changed and was arguably nerfed, so perhaps they wanted the holy rune to have a niche.
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This rune causes a weapon to transform into pure, brilliant energy. The weapon deals an additional 1d4 fire damage on a successful Strike, as well as 1d4 spirit damage to fiends and 1d4 vitality damage to undead
On a critical hit, the target must succeed at a DC 29 Fortitude save or be Blinded for 1 round.
Activate 1-action — Shine Bright! (concentrate, light) - Effec You plunge your weapon into darkness to return the light. Attempt a counteract check with a counteract rank of 5 and a +19 counteract modifier to end a magical darkness effect whose area is within reach of the weapon.
I don't know if not add holy trait to brilliant runes was really unintentional because as you said holy rune gives holy trait explicitly in its description. Probably the designers really want to trigger holy weakness with holy rune only instead of make the brilliant runes like better alternative.
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Its a sidegrade, Spirit damage can damage almost anything while good damage was more limited.
sure it wont trigger weakness anymore but its usable on a broader spectrum now.
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Yes and unless your target is resistance/immune to holy damage it will damage it as normal.
Holy/Unholy traits works similar like silver and cold iron works for weapons damage. They makes difference only if the target have some damage modifiers due holy/unholy traits.
IIRC if you're Holy, your spirit damage gets the Holy trait.
Not quite. That only happens if the ability has the Sanctified trait, which brilliant lacks.
Its a sidegrade, Spirit damage can damage almost anything while good damage was more limited.
sure it wont trigger weakness anymore but its usable on a broader spectrum now.
Also not quite. "The weapon deals an additional 1d4 fire damage on a successful Strike, as well as 1d4 spirit damage to fiends and 1d4 vitality damage to undead."
Spirit damage in general works on anything, but on brilliant it still only works on fiends. Meaning it is strictly downgraded.
Holy Rune, OTOH, is maybe a side grade. It used to deal 1d6 against like 85% of what you'd actually fight with it. Now it deals less damage against 60% and more damage against the remaining 25%. Numbers are a bit made up, but neutral monsters tend to either be constructs/objects or challenges you can overcome without fighting. (Like using Wild Empathy on animals.) By sheer volume of what the average adventurer will fight:
Evil >> Unholy >> Neutral >> Spirit immune.