The cavern walls loomed high, rough and uneven, as if carved not by tools but by something ancient shifting in the dark. The air was thick, heavy with a scent that was neither dust nor decay—something older.
Denzan's grip tightened on his katana. The echoes of their footsteps barely carried in the oppressive silence. Even Paimon, who always had something to say, remained quiet.
The Traveler moved ahead, their gaze sharp. "Whatever's down here… it's waiting."
Renshin placed a hand on the stone wall, running his fingers over strange markings that pulsed faintly with an eerie glow. "These symbols… They aren't just warnings. They're bindings."
Denzan frowned. "Bindings?"
Before Renshin could explain, the ground trembled. A deep, resonant sound—like metal grinding against itself—rumbled through the cavern.
Then came the whisper.
"So… you have come."
A shiver ran down Denzan's spine. The voice wasn't like the others. It didn't echo or fade. It was here,everywhere, sinking into his bones.
The mist coiled in the cavern's depths, swirling into something massive. A shape began to form—a hulking figure, neither fully flesh nor shadow, bound in layers of cracked armor. Its body was riddled with weapons—blades, spears, even arrows—half-buried in its form as if it had been struck a thousand times but never truly fallen.
Its eyes, two burning voids, fixed on them.
"Who will challenge me?"
The Traveler stepped forward, weapon drawn. "Who are you?"
The being's head tilted, its form shifting like molten metal. "I am battle. I am memory. I am the wars long forgotten." It lifted one massive, clawed hand. "And you… You are the next to fall."
With a guttural roar, it struck.
Denzan barely had time to move before the force of the blow sent him skidding back, boots scraping against the cavern floor. He steadied himself, electricity crackling along his katana.
Renshin and the Traveler were already engaging. The Traveler darted in with swift strikes, their blade meeting the creature's armor with sparks of elemental energy. Renshin unleashed a surge of Electro, arcing lightning toward their foe, but the creature barely flinched.
Denzan growled. This thing isn't just powerful—it's absorbing everything it's fought before.
Vaelith raised its hand, and suddenly, the weapons embedded in its form moved. Swords tore free from its body, swirling in the air like a storm of steel before launching toward them.
"Move!" Renshin shouted.
Denzan dove aside, barely dodging a rusted spear that buried itself into the ground where he had stood. The Traveler parried a pair of flying blades, their movements fluid, but even they couldn't stop them all. A cut formed on their arm, a shallow but telling wound.
Paimon screamed, "We can't beat this thing if it just keeps taking everything thrown at it!"
Denzan grit his teeth. Paimon was right. This thing wasn't just strong—it was endless. They needed another way.
His gaze flickered to the markings on the cavern walls. The bindings. If this thing was sealed here… then maybe there was still a way to trap it.
"Renshin! The symbols—how do we use them?"
Renshin's eyes widened in understanding. He scanned the walls, searching. "We need to weaken it first! The seal won't hold unless we disrupt its core!"
The Traveler nodded. "Then we bring it down together."
Denzan smirked, leveling his katana. "Now that I can do."
Electricity surged through him, crackling along his blade as he charged.Vaelith roared, raising its hand for another devastating blow.
Denzan's katana crackled with raw electricity as he lunged, his blade meeting the Sleeper's monstrous arm in a clash that sent sparks flying. The Traveler struck from the side, their weapon a blur of precision, while Renshin focused on the glowing symbols along the cavern walls, his hands pulsing with Electro energy.
Vaelith barely staggered. Its molten form twisted, weapons embedded in its body shifting like living things. Rusted swords tore free, spinning midair before launching toward them.
Denzan reacted fast, swinging his katana to deflect two of the incoming blades. One scraped his shoulder, tearing fabric, but he barely flinched. The thrill of battle roared through his veins.
"Whatever you're doing, Renshin," he called, "do it faster!"
Renshin gritted his teeth, tracing the symbols with his fingers. The carvings pulsed under his touch, their glow intensifying. "I need more time!"
Vaelith roared, shifting its focus. Shadows curled around its form, solidifying into towering figures—warriors from another time, spectral and armed.
Paimon gasped. "Oh, come on! How many things does this guy have?!"
The phantoms charged. Denzan didn't hesitate, slicing through one as the Traveler cut down another. But for every fallen warrior, another took its place.
"This isn't working!" Denzan growled.
Then, a flash of movement—Renshin turned sharply, slamming his palm against the largest carving on the wall. Lightning surged from his hands, racing along the symbols like veins of light. The cavern shook.
Vaelith let out a guttural sound, stumbling for the first time.
Denzan's eyes widened. That's it.
"The seal weakens it!" Renshin shouted. "We need to bind it now!"
The Traveler nodded, slamming their weapon into the ground. A burst of energy rippled outward, shattering more of the Sleeper's spectral warriors.
Denzan took the opening. He dashed forward, katana igniting with a surge of lightning, and slashed. His blade struck deep, cutting through the shifting metal and striking something solid beneath.
Vaelith screamed.
Darkness poured from the wound, its body convulsing. Renshin raised both hands, channeling everything he had into the symbols. The markings flared, and in an instant, golden chains erupted from the cavern walls, wrapping around the creature.
"No—" vaelith's voice twisted, no longer commanding, but desperate. It thrashed, but the bindings only tightened.
Denzan stumbled back, breathing hard. The Traveler stepped beside him, watching as the Sleeper was dragged downward, pulled into the very stone it had once ruled over.
The last thing they heard was a whisper—"This is not the end…"—before the cavern fell silent.
The mist cleared. The weight in the air lifted.
For the first time since stepping onto the island, the presence was gone.
Denzan exhaled, rolling his shoulder. "Well. That was something."
The Traveler sheathed their weapon. "It's over."
Renshin studied the now-dormant carvings, his face unreadable. "…For now."
Paimon finally let out a breath. "Can we please never do that again?"
Denzan let out a short laugh, shaking his head. "No promises."
They turned toward the entrance, leaving the Sleeper buried in the dark. The storm had cleared. Their journey was far from over—but for now, the island was at peace.