THE CHAMBER ERUPTED.
DOZENS OF ABYSSAL ELITES SCREAMED AS THEY CHARGED, THEIR BODIES A BLUR OF CLAWS AND FANGS.
RYUJIN DIDN'T MOVE.
HIS HEAD LOWERED, KATANA LOOSELY IN HAND, A DARK SMILE SPREADING ACROSS HIS FACE.
"SO MANY TARGETS… PERFECT."
THE SLAUGHTER BEGINS
WHOOSH!
RYUJIN VANISHED.
AN ELITE DIDN'T EVEN HAVE TIME TO SCREAM AS HIS HEAD EXPLODED OFF HIS SHOULDERS.
"ONE…"
HE REAPPEARED IN THE CENTER OF THREE MORE ELITES, HIS KATANA SPINNING IN A BLACK BLOOM OF SLASHES.
BLOOD SPRAYED LIKE A FOUNTAIN.
"TWO… THREE… FOUR…"
HIS VOICE WAS SO CALM, IT MADE THE OTHERS FREEZE.
KAI WATCHED IN HORROR.
"H-HE'S… ENJOYING THIS…"
ARIANA CLUTCHED HER WEAPON, HER VOICE TREMBLING.
"THIS ISN'T RYUJIN… IT CAN'T BE…"
BUT IT WAS.
EVERY TIME RYUJIN DODGED A CLAW OR SHATTERED A SKULL, HE LAUGHED—
A LOW, UNHINGED LAUGH THAT FILLED THE CHAMBER.
"YOU'RE TOO SLOW!"
SLASH!
"TOO WEAK!"
STAB!
"PATHETIC!"
HE WASN'T JUST KILLING THEM.
HE WAS PLAYING WITH THEM.
THE ELITES BEGAN TO HESITATE, GLANCING AT THE WARDEN FOR ORDERS.
EVEN THEY COULD FEEL IT—
THE UNSTOPPABLE HUNGER OF THE SHADOW ASCENDANT.
"DON'T STOP!" THE WARDEN SNARLED.
"KILL HIM!"
BUT IT WAS USELESS.
ONE AFTER ANOTHER, THEIR BODIES HIT THE FLOOR.
SOME SCREAMED. SOME BEGGED.
RYUJIN SHOWED THEM ALL THE SAME SMILE.
THE LAST ELITE FELL TO HIS KNEES, TREMBLING.
"P-PLEASE…"
RYUJIN WALKED UP SLOWLY, HIS KATANA DRAGGING AGAINST THE STONE.
HE KNEELED DOWN, TILTING HIS HEAD LIKE A CURIOUS CHILD.
"BEG LOUDER."
SQUELCH!
HE SHOVED HIS KATANA STRAIGHT THROUGH THE CREATURE'S MOUTH AND STOOD, YANKING IT OUT WITH A TWIST.
BLOOD SPLATTERED HIS FACE.
HE DIDN'T WIPE IT AWAY.
"THAT WAS… FUN."
THE WARDEN STEPPED FORWARD, SILENT FOR A MOMENT.
THEN—
HE LAUGHED.
"MAGNIFICENT! YOU ARE PERFECT, RYUJIN! YOU WERE BORN FOR THIS!"
RYUJIN LIFTED HIS KATANA, HIS EYES COMPLETELY BLACK.
"NO… I WAS BORN TO KILL YOU."
ARIANA TOOK A STEP BACK, HER HAND SHAKING.
KAI LEANED IN AND WHISPERED,
"IF WE INTERFERE NOW… HE'LL TURN ON US TOO."
ARIANA BIT HER LIP, FIGHTING BACK TEARS.
"BUT IF WE DON'T… HE'LL BE LOST FOREVER."
THE WARDEN AND RYUJIN FACED EACH OTHER, THE CHAMBER LITTERED WITH CORPSES.
"SHOW ME, KING," THE WARDEN SAID.
"SHOW ME YOUR FULL POWER."
RYUJIN SMILED, HIS VOICE LOW AND DEADLY:
"WITH PLEASURE."