The earth cracked with an infernal roar. From the gaping chasm burst forth a colossal mass, an abomination that seemed to have emerged from Hell itself. Its head, still half embedded in the earth's crust, turned slowly, revealing a humanoid face but hideously distorted: a glossy skin, of a sickly pink, streaked with pulsating purple veins like living snakes. Its eyes, a livid white, lacked pupils; a chilling void emanated from them, a soulless gaze. From its gaping mouth escaped a fetid breath laden with sulfurous fumes, a guttural groan that made the very air vibrate.
Its massive torso, dotted with gaping mouths and malformed scars, slowly rose from the ground. Each of its shoulders bore a forest of arms: hundreds of misshapen limbs, all taller than towers, with clawed and oversized fingers. Each hand flailed frantically, its translucent nails raking the earth in a concert of shrill screeches. Shreds of shadow slipped between its fingers, dripping like a poison that dissolved everything it touched. At its base, countless legs still buried in the soil beat the rhythm of a monstrous heart, sending shocks that made the mountains dance.
The priestess, body frozen, felt her muscles tense despite herself. Her breath caught in her throat, her eyes dilated with primal terror. Even her sacred weapon trembled in her hands; never had she felt such hostility. Her mind screamed to flee, but her legs refused to obey. Then, almost inaudibly, she whispered a prayer:
— Sancta Lux, vincula timoris solve…
A gentle warmth, like a thread of light, spread through her veins, tearing the veil of fear that paralyzed her. She caught her breath, her fingers tightening around the hilt of her sword.
Kai stepped toward her, a cold gleam in his eyes.
— We're going to have to team up… for now.
The priestess, still panting, wanted to respond, but he gave her no time.
— Keep the Egg. I'll handle this.
She blinked, stunned, as he placed the black Egg in her arms before leaping toward the titanic horror.
The creature let out a guttural cry, a dissonant note that made the nearby stones vibrate. Dozens of its giant arms lunged at once, drawing devastating arcs. Kai, a tiny silhouette against the mass, twirled between the assaults. Every movement was measured: his feet barely brushed the gigantic fingers, his dodges were flashes, fluid and sharp. The priestess, heart suspended, followed this mad ballet with her eyes.
— Watch out! she shouted, her voice drowned in the crashing noise.
Kai, impassive, kept advancing. But a hand suddenly appeared at an angle, faster than the others, and grabbed him brutally. The monstrous grip closed around him like a vise, compressing his body with a sinister crack. The creature, roaring, lifted him then struck him on the ground with cataclysmic force. The impact shattered the rock, sending shards flying in all directions. Without giving him respite, it pounded Kai, each blow echoing like an explosion, pushing him deeper into the earth.
— Kai! screamed the priestess, her fingers clenched on the Egg.
With a breath, Kai freed his body from the grasp and sprang from the rubble, covered in dust and scratches. He dashed again, drawing a straight line toward the monstrous head. The creature unleashed a swarm of arms against him, a tempest of colossal limbs, but he dodged them all with surgical precision. His body was nothing but a moving flash, slipping between massive fingers, grazing palms capable of crushing mountains.
He finally reached the monstrous head. His right hand charged with a fierce burst, a fist concentrating all his power.
— Die! he shouted, bringing it down.
The impact made the abomination's head explode in a geyser of flesh and shadow. The priestess, her chest heaving with sudden relief, let out a trembling breath.
— He... he got it...
But her smile froze immediately. The creature's fragments, far from falling inert, began to pulse. Horrible, discordant screams burst from the shattered pieces; each writhed, deformed... and gave birth to a winged creature. Within seconds, the sky darkened under hundreds of thousands of demonic silhouettes. Each beat of their wings made the air vibrate with an acidic wave.
Their scarlet eyes, with a carnivorous gleam, turned in unison toward the surface. Wherever they passed, the earth dried; plants withered instantly, blackened as if under an invisible scorch. Magical creatures, surprised, collapsed as if drained of their essence. The atmosphere itself grew suffocating, saturated with a metallic scent and palpable malice.
The priestess, clutching the Egg to her, felt an icy shiver run down her spine.
— What... what have we unleashed? she whispered, her throat dry.
Above them, the demonic swarm spread its ranks, darkening the light until only an oppressive twilight remained.
The sky darkened, saturated by the demonic silhouettes. Endless waves of creatures, all the size of small dogs, threw themselves at Kai. He pulverized dozens with a swipe, his precise and destructive blows tracing arcs of light in the gloom. Each impact shattered black bodies into sprays of dark shards. Yet, the more he felled, the more others appeared, leaping from the corrupted fragments of the titanic creature.
Soon, their number became an endless tide. Agile and overwhelming, the horde closed in on him, climbing his arms, clinging to his legs, biting through his clothes and skin. Kai pivoted, launching waves of energy, but for every monster crushed, three others took its place. In seconds, his body disappeared under a writhing cloak; the creatures clustered until covering him entirely, turning his silhouette into a living black mass. His movements became jerky, then ceased completely.
A few meters away, the priestess tried to flee, but a wave of creatures burst from behind her. They gripped her legs, arms, waist, tearing at her armor, their sharp claws scoring the metal.
— No! No! she screamed, terrified. Her cries were broken by the roar of wings and demonic howls. She struggled, striking blindly, but every move only worsened the pressure: the horde overwhelmed her. Her breath broke, a cold thought crossing her: Is this how I will die?
The chaotic sky weighed like a shroud. Everywhere, black wings beat, choking the light, and the air vibrated with their malice.
Kai, buried beneath the writhing mass, felt his mind sinking into darkness. His muscles refused to obey. Then, in the oppressive prison of his own body, a vision came: an unknown place, bathed in reddish light. And in this void stood a gigantic demonic creature, chained within space itself. Fifty heads, all different, stared at him with eyes burning with anger. Its gaping mouths all spoke at once, a thousand voices screaming in as many tongues, some ancient, others unknown:
— Bring him to me!!!
The howl rang like an absolute command, piercing his mind.
BOOOOM.
A lightning tore through the sky. The crash covered everything, and a shockwave swept the demonic horde. The creatures, seized by instinctive panic, scattered in disorderly chaos. Kai fell to his knees, panting, eyes wide open, raw terror still etched on his face.
He raised his head. Above him, suspended in the air, a silhouette dominated the sky: immense draconic wings, made of violet mana, spread out, radiating an aura so dense that it made the air tremble. The mere sight of these wings twisted the horizon, imposing crushing pressure on all breathing beneath.
Behind her floated another silhouette, wingless, motionless like a specter. Her long white hair floated freely, her red eyes burned with an inner glow: Rivhiamë.
Kai took a deep breath, as if to make sure reality had not shattered. His gaze slipped toward the first silhouette: Salomé. Her violet hair, tied in a severe bun, shone with a metallic gleam under the lightning that streaked the sky. Her golden eyes, cold and assured, fixed on the scene below.
The priestess, frozen, felt her legs tremble. Each beat of Salomé's wings weighed on her like a mountain; raw fear coursed through her, instinctive, visceral. She heard Salomé whisper, her voice clear and unshakable:
— Now, I am certain… the draconic wings carry such heavy intimidation that they make the sky rumble.
She extended a hand.
— Domain of Domination.
Violet mana poured out like a raging tide. Waves of energy burst from her wings, covering every corner of the mountain. Wherever they passed, the demonic creatures disintegrated, dissolved into dust. The screaming horde was swept away, their shrill cries fading one by one.
Even the colossal creature, still half-buried, retreated with a guttural roar, its hundreds of arms frantically plowing the earth to bury itself. Its gigantic body gradually disappeared into the chasm from where it had emerged, its howls fading like an echo.
— Flee, you are not my concern… whispered Salomé, her golden gaze shining with a predatory gleam.
Thunder rolled again as the last violet sparks dissolved in the air, leaving behind a deafening silence.
Salomé slowly withdrew her draconic wings, their violet glow fading into the mana-saturated air. She hovered a few seconds more, then let out a heavy sigh, as if releasing all the built-up tension.
Rivhiamë, floating a few meters away, stared at her:
— Looks like everything rests on your shoulders now.
Salomé turned to her, her golden eyes calmer again:
— Rivhiamë… that strange creature… what was it? It had nothing to do with the entities of this world.
Rivhiamë nodded slowly, confirming her fears:
— You're right. It was a demon from the Underworld… a real one, not a mere remnant. Something like that never appears by chance.
Salomé frowned:
— Then why would a demon from the Underworld show up here? And cause such chaos?
Rivhiamë shrugged, a shadow crossing her eyes:
— I have no idea. But one thing is certain: that demon wasn't here on vacation. It was chasing something… or someone.
Salomé turned her gaze away and approached Kai. He floated in the air, still shaken, his wide eyes betraying a fear she hadn't known in him.
— Sa... Salomé?!
She nodded, a slight ironic smile brushing her lips:
— Glad you can finally say my name. But… Kai, what's wrong with you? Why do you look… so worried?
Kai tried to answer, but his gaze drifted beyond her. Salomé turned and saw, a little farther, the priestess. She clutched in her arms the Egg of the Eleventh Heir, her armor marked with blood and dust.
— Who's that girl? Salomé asked warily.
Kai grimaced:
— A priestess I met in the Grove of Evorsence. She said… that this Egg was vital. According to her, an imminent danger threatens the world of myths, and this Egg would be the key to facing it.
Salomé crossed her arms, her gaze hardening:
— Really? If what she says is true, then she's going to have to explain in detail what she knows… and fast.