"E-e-evil one?" Hairs on Kalika stood on end. Every instinct screamed at her to run. Frantic, she glanced around, finding only cliffs with no way down. Paralyzed just like Donovan and Bjorn, she shuddered, forcing her gaze back on the danger before them.
The single white demon-looking figure standing above them radiated danger, a knowing smile never leaving his face. With effortless grace, he leapt from the cliff above, landing to block the only exit. In seconds, the cave entrance sealed behind him, conjured stone.
Ignoring Bjorn, the white being pressed forward, his sights fixed, unblinkingly on Kalika. "You two have done well, following Cassell's will. Without your help, the evil one would've lingered on in this world unfettered." He extended a pale, unnaturally smooth hand toward Kalika's throat. "Now, we can finally remove the last of the ignorance from this world."
The white demon flew. Bjorn's blow hurled it off the mountainside so hard that the stone cracked, booming like thunder. Drops of Bjorn's blood trickled to the ground as dust settled with the shockwave still rattling Kalika's bones.
"Wh-what the hell?" Donovan's voice shook. Eyes wide, he glanced from Kalika to the spot where the demon had disappeared.
Bjorn inhaled. "WHAT ARE YOU TWO DOING!? GET BACK INSIDE!"
"What?" Donovan turned, startled to see Bjorn already clashing against the white figure—the very being he'd just sent flying moments ago.
Kalika stood in a daze. Confusion blurred her senses. The world seemed to slow, every sound muffled as she tried to understand what was happening before her.
"Shame. And I tried to be nice," the white demon said.
Bjorn snarled. "That face you're using! It belonged to a rookie back at the castle. Tell me what exactly you are."
"A smart demon like yourself knows what I am. But if you need my name…"
Without warning, a blinding explosion of white energy erupted from the creature, the sheer force blasting Bjorn off his feet and smashing him into jagged mountain rocks. The air vibrated with unnatural power.
"Terrocht. That is my name." His smile grew more cruel, his eyes curving with visible glee. "And I am honored to kill your kind again, in the name of my master Cassell."
"T-Terrocht?" Donovan repeated, color draining from his face. The name sent a chill through him. "Wait… the same Terrocht sent to fight demons in the testaments!?"
Kalika glanced at him. "You know that demon?"
"K-Kalika, Terrocht isn't a demon. He's- he's an angel!"
"I see the Cassells' followers are well informed," Terrocht mused. He shot his hand forward, letting it stretch and balloon before pummeling Bjorn.
Bjorn roared, veins bulging in his neck as he caught the monstrous hand with both arms. Muscles trembled as the angel's grip tightened and pressed him further into the mountainside. Still, Bjorn fought to keep from being pulverized.
A surge of adrenaline snapped Kalika and Donovan from their fear. They moved, one after the other into the fray, acting on instinct.
Kalika hurled her knife, aiming for the angel with all her strength. Her blade flew, arced and sliced into the angel like a hurricane.
Donovan lunged, ripping his sword free with a desperate snarl. He hacked at the angel's massive wrist, sparks flying as steel bit into unnatural flesh.
Bjorn's back cracked against the mountain. Still struggling, he managed to shout, "Y…You fools! You need to escape! Now!"
"Not a chance! You risked everything for us! Now we're returning the favor!"
"Because I was your guide! We were under a contract, but now it's fulfilled! So neither of you are under any obligation to help!"
"Yeah!? Well neither were you!"
Terrocht's eyes sparkled with twisted amusement, even as he took the group's hits. "Fuhuhuhu. These little blood trinkets the demons played with were always a fun novelty."
Without a flinch, he caught the blade midair, then drove it into his own body as if he were made of mist.
Kalika startled and stared in stunned silence as she felt the connection between her and her blade break.
Terrocht, seeing her, laughed harder, drawing Donovan's ire as Kalika stood in utter shock.
"That's my favorite expression, demons like- oh, sorry. You were human once, right?" Terrocht chuckled to himself.
"Still, seeing a face like that before I ended those demons was a very fine reward."
He swished his arm, ejecting her knife and sending it flying, cutting her cheek.
His grin still wide, he glanced at Donovan. "You're still going? Do you truly wish to go against the will of God Cassell?"
Donovan faltered. His breath caught, and his eyes widened in sudden realization.
Terrocht hummed, his voice almost gentle. "Still so loyal to Cassell. Admirable. And so very tragic."
"But why is God Cassell doing this!?" Donovan questioned.
Suddenly, a white hand erupted from the giant's wrist, clinging to Donovan's head. "Instead of questioning his will, why don't you serve him by merging with me, just as his Gralin followers had? And since you have such a fine face, I'll even give you the honor of using that face of yours."
"N-No!!" Donovan panicked. His eyes darted, new terrifying realizations settling in. "Wait. Is this it? Does Cassell's servant kill me!?"
With a snap, Kalika's knife sliced through the binding. Donovan tumbled free. Her trembling hands steadied as she glared at Terrocht, fear replaced by raw determination.
It was clear Kalika wanted to speak, but fear choked the words back as beads of sweat rolled down her face.
"Perhaps if I were just reborn, you would've had a much better chance against me, just like the holy light holder did. But even she couldn't handle me. Not even with that demon king by her side."
Kalika's breath stopped as the sudden revelation hit her. She stared, more shocked than ever. "Y…You killed Lily?"
In a blur, Terrocht shot his free hand at Kalika. It stretched and arched.
toward her.
"Get down!" Donovan pushed her out of the way, nearly dragging her. He turned and glared, more pained than before. "Damn it! What a shitty situation. I need to get Kalika out of here, fast!"
With a guttural yell, Bjorn wrenched himself free, tearing at the angel's half-severed hand. Power rushed through him as he conjured his earth club, then charged with unstoppable force. His weapon crashed into Terrocht's skull with a thunderous blow that sent the angel's head flying like an arrow in the wind.
In an instant, the head regrew, shocking everyone.
Terrocht's large arm arced, grabbing Bjorn with his oversized hand. "I expected much more from a former general of your kind. What a shame."
Snarling, Bjorn thrust his free hand forward. Flames erupted in a tidal wave, swallowing both him and the angel. The heat was suffocating, forcing Kalika and Donovan to shield their faces as the cave glowed molten orange.
Through the roaring inferno, Bjorn battered Terrocht's regenerating form, each club strike landing with explosive force. But every time the angel's head splattered, it simply reformed. Amused, Terrocht laughed in the firestorm, mocking Bjorn's desperate attacks.
"Your fire still lacks a flare, Ex-General Bjorn."
Terrocht snapped his fingers. Instantly, the flames twisted, turning an eerie violet and surging higher, heat hammering the cave like a furnace from hell.
"BJORN!" Donovan clenched his fist, helplessly watching alongside Kalika as Bjorn's flesh charred.
From within the blaze, a smoldering white hand burst forth, only for it to slam unpredictably into the stone with a seismic crack that splintered the ground. Bjorn's club followed, smashing into the cave entrance with enough force to blast open their only escape.
"What are you standing around for?! Take Kalika and go!"
Donovan froze, watching breathless as the angel easily overpowered Bjorn.
"Don't let that monster take Kalika!" Bjorn barked, voice ragged with pain.
Hearing his plea, Donovan grabbed Kalika by the wrist, practically dragging her deeper into the cave.
"Hey, what are you doing?" she shouted. "We have to hel-"
Kalika's breath caught. The flames surged higher, painting the cavern entrance in violent orange. Bjorn, blackened and burning, poured everything into his attack, melting Terrocht's feet into the ground.
"DIE!" Bjorn's voice was raw, desperate, in a final stand against the impossible.
A white pike pierced out the back of Bjorn's neck. He hacked and gagged, shocked by the swift attack. Terrocht's cruel smile lingered as the heat intensified. "I think we had just enough fun."
"B…Bjorn?" Kalika gasped, stuttering.
A violent eruption of earth spikes followed, shattering the ground beneath them. In a heartbeat, both Bjorn and Terrocht were swept off the mountain, gone from sight.
Donovan grimaced and grabbed Kalika. "Move!" He pulled her deeper into the cave, urgency in every step.
With mild hesitation, she followed, descending back into the cave. Her heart thumped as a chilling voice suddenly echoed behind.
"Where are you going, evil one? Trying to escape is futile. No matter where you go, that little friend will always lead us to you. After all, he is devoted to the true creator of this world."
Donovan grimaced, trying to shake off the words. "Don't listen to him, Kalika. He's only trying to-"
A razor-sharp white spike exploded through the ceiling, narrowly missing Kalika. More followed in a merciless hail, shattering stone all around as she and Donovan dove and scrambled for cover, the air alive with lethal shards.
Little by little, the cave began to crumble under the weight of the attacks.
"Th-the bastard's trying to bury us alive!" Kalika spat.
"No kidding! We're in real trouble!" Donovan braced as the attacks intensified. Kalika and Donovan ducked and weaved. Their breath came in gasps as each new wave of danger pressed them harder.
"You're only delaying the inevitable," Terrocht chimed.
They rounded a final corner. The huge chamber yawned before them. "You jump first," Donovan said, voice stiff. "I'll find another way down."
"Like hell you are! You're coming with me!"
"We don't have time, Kalika! Terrocht is after you! I don't understand why Cassell sees you unfavorably, but there has to be some kind of mistake."
"How naive. But in a charming way," Terrocht said.
A chill ran down Donovan's spine, and he glanced back, watching as Terrocht walked around the corner, unconcerned.
"As long as she remains, Cassell's perfect world can never be achieved." Terrocht slammed his arm into the wall. Spikes erupted with a deafening crack. Kalika and Donovan dove for cover, stone raining down as Terrocht's hand ripped the tunnel wall apart.
He hummed, satisfied. "And to achieve that world, beings with free minds cannot exist. much like those ancient demon kings. As the final loose end, set by Felim, we have to deal with her accordingly, lest she ruin his perfect world."
"Grr! You and your god can go to hell!" Kalika shouted.
"How unbecoming of a lady from a noble upbringing." Terrocht retracted his arm and watched as the two bolted toward the giant hole. He aimed his arm, and in a second, stone formed, blocking their escape route.
"Damn!" Donovan peeked back. Desperately, he reached for his worn-down pipe, blasting the angel with a torrent of fire.
"Ahah. Impressive work. That little stick you're holding. It's a weapon made by a foreign isn't it?" In a show of force, Terrocht pushed the fire off him. "I think I remember observing memories where Cassell and other followers talked of using such things. But the way you use it is far more effective than what I've seen. How intuitive."
His eyes shifted, watching as Kalika had closed the distance, ready to strike.
Her knife struck true, stabbing him in the head. "Go to hell!" she sneered.
His arms reached up toward her.
Sensing danger, she jumped away, circling the angel for a new opening.
Donovan, with a crude snarl, snapped his pipe back at Terrocht, shooting wave after wave of fire. "Kalika, you need to get out of here!"
"I'm not leaving you behind!" she retorted.
She planted her feet and lunged at the angel. He glanced her way, forcing her to retreat.
Nervous, she peeked at the only exit, only for Terrocht to block it with an even larger stone wall.
"Bastard!" she hissed.
Slowly, Terrocht turned to Kalika and approached.
Desperate, Donovan poured more energy into the fire. He clenched his teeth, watching Kalika, forced to dodge the angel's attacks. In a flash, he exchanged the red crystal for a blue one, focused his power, and shot blades of water at the angel.
"Over here!"
Terrocht ignored him, instead launching attack after attack on Kalika as he let the bladed water slice through him. His hand ballooned and reshaped, playing along with Kalika's shallow attempts to defend herself.
The cave shook violently. Cracks spiderwebbed across the walls. Chunks of stone crashed down around them. Terrocht's relentless strikes tore the mountain cave apart, filling the air with choking dust. The ground itself seemed ready to swallow them whole.
"At this rate, Kalika will- !" Donovan glanced back at the blocked ground passage to the pit.
Once again, he tightened his grasp on his pipe, his mind shifting to a passage in a book.
He ceased his attack and tossed the blue crystal aside, grabbing his red and brown crystals.
He turned around, aiming his pipe at the magically conjured stone floor. Taking a deep breath, he concentrated. His hands shook, and his breath shuddered. Slowly, a yellow ball formed. But just as quickly as it formed, it exploded.
He coughed from the smoldering smoke left behind, drawing Terrocht's immediate attention.
He cocked his head, watching as Donovan tried and failed again, this time much more spectacularly.
Using this opening, Kalika skirted behind the angel and managed to slice off his head.
In seconds, his head reformed, staring directly at her.
White spikes quickly pierced her body, locking her in place. "Finally," he said, snatching her neck. He choked the life from her and slowly molded his fingers around her neck like putty. "Now, I can seal you in Cassell's prison for all eternity."
"N….N-"
"Kalika!"
An explosion erupted, splitting Terrocht apart. "Hmmm? Why can't I absorb you?" he noted.
Mustering all her strength, Kalika ripped herself from his weakened grasp as another explosion erupted. Unexpectedly, she found herself falling limp to the ground, her chest and stomach bleeding.
Her heart sank as she watched Terrocht tower over her, reforming his body.
Before she knew it, Donovan snagged her, dragging her away. His face flushed as he mustered all his strength to carry her just over the floor.
Terrocht's face twisted in annoyance. His arms whipped and stretched like pale serpents, lashing through the air in a deadly, relentless barrage that battered the stone and left no room for rest.
Kalika staggered, vision swimming from blood loss. Donovan, sweat-soaked and wild-eyed, dragged her, ducking and dodging through a barrage of monstrous blows. Each strike shattered stone where they'd just been, leaving devastation in their wake.
"Almost there!" Donovan gasped. He hoisted Kalika, but his strength failed. He crashed to the ground, Kalika's body skidding across rubble.
Gritting through the pain, he pulled his sword back out and scurried in front of Kalika. He reached deep and channeled fire into his sword that surged with a fierce intensity.
Unconcerned, Terrocht approached, calm and serene. "You should give in. Destiny is inevitable."
Soon Kalika revived. She shot to her knees and snapped her knife back into her hand, ready to fight.
"No!" Donovan shouted. "Leave him to me. I'll hold him back. I-I'll beat him!" A heavy trace of doubt laced his voice.
Kalika stood. "Don't be an idiot! you can't-"
Donovan pushed her back.
She watched in stunned silence as Terrocht's eyes widened and Donovan charged at him, stabbing straight into the angel. She reached out, forced to bear witness as Terrocht consumed Donovan whole, his dread-filled eyes looking back at Kalika with deep sorrow.
"Donovan?"
A rush of air pushed hard against her back. Memories of their short time together flooded her mind. His jokes. His companionship. His unreasonable determination.
Gone.
"Donovan?"
Before she knew it, a white arm reached for her, attached to a smile all too familiar.
"Donovan?" she breathed.
Suddenly, the walls closed in, crushing the figure and the hand along with her last semblance of hope as she fell hard to the cold ground. Dead.
Kalika blinked awake, a flurry of small, cold white flakes washing over her as the chill grew ever colder. She stared up for a moment, then climbed to her knees and looked up at the newly closed exit she had traveled so far to reach.
"Bjorn?"
"Donovan?"
Her lips trembled, unable to look down as the snow fell. Slowly, water blurred her vision, then rolled down in an uncontrollable stream.
"Why?"
No answer came, only the falling snow and deafening silence.
Kalika hugged her arms to her chest, but the cold stayed inside. Helplessness pressed down, numb and absolute. She had never felt so powerless. So alone.
"They're gone…. They're all gone…"
Darkness closed in. Kalika hunched. From her knees, she pressed her forehead hard to the ground, wallowing as a single desperate thought passed.
"Please… Not again. I-I don't want to be alone."