I gracefully leaped and weaved through the darkness, my every move calculated and precise as I followed Baalkaroth's directions. Each jump was like a delicate dance in the pitch-black abyss, my senses heightened as I searched for the opportune moment to strike against the demon.
Unfortunately, with only Baalkaroth's instructions to guide me in this dark void, I had little to work with.
''Crouch down and strike at the front,'' he ordered, his deep voice guiding me. Obediently, I crouched low before sending a blood arrow from my missing left hand ahead of me.
As we continued to exchange projectiles, the demon's taunting voice echoed around us. ''Come on, I am getting bored with this chasing cat game. Come at me.''
But I couldn't let his words distract me. Fighting in complete darkness was taking its toll on me, countless small cuts covering my limbs and torso.
"Listen carefully, human," Baalkaroth's voice cut through the chaos. "When I tell you, run straight and swing to your right precisely when I command. After that, conjure another arrow. With a bit of luck, your plan might just work."
Taking a moment to catch my breath and focus on his words, I braced myself for his next instruction. And then the moment came.
"Now!" With a burst of adrenaline, I sprinted forward and swung my blood blade to the right with all my might, hoping to connect with the elusive target. The anticipation was palpable as my blade sliced through the air, but in the end, it missed its mark.
"Now is the time,Spring the trap!" Baalkaroth's voice boomed with authority.
Without hesitation, I twisted my arms in a fluid motion, summoning five spikes that shot out from the vial containing a liter of my blood. The resounding crack of bones and a guttural howl echoed through the cavern as the spikes found their mark in the demon's flesh.
As he writhed in agony, I reveled in the satisfaction of knowing I had her exactly where we wanted him. But there was no time to waste in gloating, for I still had work to do.
With my blood blade at the ready, I closed in on the source of the demon's screams. A blinding light suddenly erupted, but I kept my eyes tightly shut, prepared for this retaliation. After all, fool me once, shame on you; fool me twice, shame on me. The air crackled with energy as our weapons clashed and I could feel the force of his blows against my blade.
The demon's voice filled the cavern, strained and furious as he fought against me. But I remained focused and undeterred, determined to complete our mission.
With another swing of my blood blade, I aimed for the neck. But my aim faltered and instead, I felt a powerful blow strike me in the stomach, knocking the wind out of me and leaving me vulnerable on the ground.
I waited for Baalkaroth's instructions as I struggled to catch my breath. "Go to the right," he commanded. But before he could finish his sentence, he abruptly corrected himself. "No, to your left..." His voice trailed off into silence as he sensed something amiss.
Confused and still reeling from the blow to my stomach, I called out to him for an explanation.
In response, he revealed the problem "I sense ten different energies emanating from the darkness...."
Fear gripped me, intensifying with each passing moment, as I questioned Baalkaroth about the situation.
"I don't know either," he admitted, his voice tinged with urgency. "But I sense ten different energies in ten different locations." His words were urgent as he suddenly shouted, "Leap to the right!" But my hesitation proved costly, as a sharp blade sliced through my side. Whirling around, another invisible attack struck me in the back.
"I can't...I can't feel his attacks," Baalkaroth's frustrated words echoed in my mind, adding to the chaos of the moment. "The entire area is filled with energy; I can't sense a thing!"
A pained laugh erupted from the darkness as the demon spoke. "I find it quite strange, you know? How can you pinpoint my position in this abyss?" His voice held a tinge of embarrassment as he continued. "It's a bit humiliating, but I must admit that I wrecked my brain trying to understand why. Did my technique get weak? Maybe it was not dark enough..." He trailed off with a curse, revealing his frustration. "Difficult to say since I lost MY FUCKING EYES!" The last words were practically shouted, and I screamed as another deep cut landed on my shoulder.
Seems like he took it badly....
"Yet, in the end, I had a thought," he said with a crazed laugh "A crazy one at that. Could you be feeling my energy?" His laughter persisted as he continued to speak. "In an effort to test my theory, I spread my mana all around us." And sure enough, invisible blades began striking me from all directions. His laughter only grew louder as he added, "And would you know, I nailed it."
He tiptoed towards me like a child who had just received their most desired gift. "That's the end," he declared with a small chuckle. "It was a nice fight, kid. You gave me quite the scare." He began walking towards me, his voice taking on a mocking tone.
"Hey human, if you have any plans now would be the time to use them," Baalkaroth shouted . "And before you ask, it is too late to invoke me. You will be cut down before you can even utter a quarter of the words." His confident facade cracked for a moment as he added, "Come on, I know you must have an ace up your sleeve. There is no way this will be your end."
"COME ON KID!" His voice was filled with desperation as he shouted, the sound echoing off the dark walls of the cavern. "I DON'T WANT TO DIE! FIND A SOLUTION!"
Feeling the steady thud of the demon's steps closing in, I could feel my heart racing and my palms sweating. Suddenly, his foot hit something slick and liquid on the ground and I could sense his confusion.
At last his lack of sight, came in handy once again....
"Seems like you still haven't figured out my ability, huh?" I muttered under my breath, a sly grin spreading across my face.
His confused expression quickly turned to one of agony as he realized he had underestimated me once again. But it would be the last time he made that mistake.
With all of my remaining strength, I mustered up one final effort. In an instant, two sharp spikes erupted from the ground, piercing the demon's sides and emerging from his collarbone.
As I slowly rose to my feet, blood coated my body from countless cuts and scratches that would surely leave scars. With a wry smile, I looked at the impaled demon writhing in agony before me.
"It seems like I've been bleeding for quite some time," I said in a faint voice, addressing both the demon and the entity within myself. ''You cannot see it but you just stepped into a lake of my own blood. I figured that at least you should have known how you died, you arrogant motherfucker'' I muttered as I approached my foe
I had emerged victorious. It was almost hard to believe.I have really killed a demon...
The bastard tried to speak, but all that came out was a guttural moan as blood continued to flow from his mouth. As I watched him fade, a sudden realization dawned on me - I still didn't know his name.