We found the underground chamber moments after George's Domain Expansion collapsed.
It was behind the creepy stone door at the bottom of the old basement, leaking dark, mystical energy. It eased open as we approached, crackling with magic while we hurried inside.
I was by no means an expert on geology, but there was something unnatural about the structure of the caves. The interconnected rooms, the texture of the walls, the neat staircases, and the vivid murals and stone carvings—
It all pointed to heavy magical modification, if not outright creation, and it made me wary of magical traps.
We found none on our way to the central chamber, which seemed to be the nexus of all the magical and demonic energy.
It was structured like an amphitheater. Massive sloping seats terminated in a sunken platform. Brother Blood stood there naked and listless, inches away from a pit half-filled with blood.
The energy oozing off him was so thick it melded with the air and settled over the chamber like mist. Raven lay unconscious beneath layers upon layers of spellwork on a raised altar.
It was a good thing I'd brought Curse Breaker.
Nathan's Adam's apple bobbed nervously, and I gave him what I approximated as an encouraging nod.
Powerful as he might be, he was clearly out of his depth. I would've spoken to him if it didn't risk tipping off the enemy.
He's survived this far. He can manage a little longer.
Infusing my body with Curse Energy, I stepped forward. The first step brought me to the edge of the blood pit, and the second sent me sailing over it.
Brother Blood snapped awake instantly, his eyes burning black as his body swiveled toward me like something demon-possessed.
He raised a hand to do something—Boogie Woogie—and then he was gone, replaced by Nathan.
Lightning flashed, and gravity shifted wildly behind me as I passed Nathan, who was still blinking to adjust.
Bone spears appeared in my hands, and I rammed them into the bedrock midstride.
"How's the fight going?" I asked Nathan, even though I could hear, taste, smell, and sense it.
The air split, and I felt a huge surge of demonic energy, followed by an impact. Gina grunted. Stone shattered as I felt her dive back into battle.
"Could be better," he said.
"Let's not keep them waiting long then."
I clapped again, this time targeting Raven, and tried to swap her out for one of my spears. The bone spear flickered, but Raven stayed where she was—cocooned and trapped.
I clicked my tongue. Well, time for plan B.
Pulling out Curse Piercer, I wrapped it in Curse Energy and triggered Flowing Red Scales.
The blade came down like a guillotine, powdering the altar holding Raven's body. Cracks snaked across the amphitheater, and blood started leaking from the pit.
"Son of a—" Shelim screamed as his body shot past me, tangled in chains of darkness wrapped around him. Nathan stared numbly after him.
"Get in there!" I yelled, but it was already too late. "Help them hold him off!"
Brother Blood flipped between George and Gina, narrowly avoiding his high fist and her low kick before landing smoothly.
Black bars of energy poured out of him, spearing them through the midsection and driving them into the walls of the amphitheater.
Brother Blood spun on his heel and reached out. Nathan and I froze abruptly.
His hold didn't feel quite like the female blood mage's. It was absolute. Every muscle in my body locked up like it had been caught in a vice grip, and I could feel his mind pressing against mine.
"You're the sorcerer who broke my shield, aren't you? You killed Mother."
His voice was soft yet firm, like an uncertain child struggling to find his voice. Blonde hair hung over his face in damp clumps, and his musculature made it easy to mistake him for a man, but he very much wasn't.
Brother Blood's attention drifted to Curse Piercer.
"You're strong. I will savor your power once I ascend."
He gestured as if to summon the blade, but I sent it back into my Inventory first. He didn't seem to appreciate that very much.
With a wave of his hand, he hurled me at a pillar and looked genuinely surprised when I landed softly, my original technique coming in clutch.
The sudden acceleration and impact had weakened his hold on me enough to buy me time to clap again.
He popped like a bubble, suddenly replaced by a Curse Energy-infused bone dagger from the edge of town. I'd planted it in the grass before we entered, just in case I needed an exfiltration point. Buried beneath layers of demonic and blood magic, I could still sense my Curse Energy clearly, even from that far away.
I kicked off the collapsing pillar, catapulting myself toward the recovering twins and Shelim, who was hurrying over.
"Where did you send him?" he asked.
"Where you need to be. Outside town. I need more time."
Gina nodded. There was a charred hole in her shirt, and her abs were on full display. The skin was still red, but healing rapidly.
"We won't hold back. Not this time."
She looked toward George and Shelim. Both gave small nods of their own, and Nathan scampered over.
"Where do you need me?" he asked.
"With them," I said. "Fully locked in and spamming the shit out of your technique. Give them the openings they need."
Nathan visibly paled at the suggestion.
In my view, his technique—Projection Sorcery—was nearly as broken as Shrine. The ability to freeze someone in place for an entire second was ridiculous. Of course, that assumed they weren't fast enough to react. If they were…well, the consequences could be fatal.
I suppose that's why he's afraid. Still, he's got allies.
"I'll try my best," Nathan said weakly.
Shelim swung an arm around Nathan's shoulder. "Don't worry, I'll keep him alive."
His assurance had the opposite effect, but I trusted Shelim enough to get Nathan through the battle, at least.
"Break a leg."
I clapped multiple times, substituting each of them with energy-soaked rocks from the stone fortification I'd constructed during the fight in the forest.
Now that I had some latitude, I turned back to the multicolored barrier sealing Raven in and approached it.
"Now, what to do about you?"
Read up to Chapter 166 on Patreon.com/artandcreativewriting