A crimson aura ignited like wildfire around Thanatos, engulfing his entire body in a roiling, visceral energy.
The aura pulsed and crackled, each undulation releasing an almost tangible wave of rage and power.
The aura extended outward, an intangible yet undeniable presence that seemed to consume the air around Thanatos, causing the chamber itself to tremble with the raw might of his fury.
The two Undead Knights, standing in opposition to him, looked on, their expressions unreadable yet dripping with a malevolence that matched Thanatos' own.
Thanatos surveyed the crimson aura that encased him, his gaze focused inward as he processed the sensations coursing through his body.
'So this is what rage feels like,' he thought to himself. 'It's surreal, this feeling of raw, unbridled power. I can feel it flowing through me, potent and dangerous, like a river of pure destruction.'
He turned his attention back to the two Black Knights, the tension between them palpable, like lightning crackling in the air.
The battle erupted in a frenzied clash of steel on steel.
Thanatos launched a ferocious assault on one of the knights, his crimson aura crackling with power.
The black knight deflected each blow with his sword, a ringing cacophony of blades clashing.
Seizing the opportunity, the second knight swept in, aiming a deadly strike at Thanatos' vulnerable side.
Sensing the danger of the coordinated assault, Thanatos instinctively leapt into the air, vaulting over the blade of the attacking knight and delivering a crushing kick.
As the creature staggered backwards, disoriented by the blow, Thanatos turned to face his original opponent, his eyes hardened by a newfound determination.
However, he suddenly disengaged from the fight, leaping back to reassess his strategy.
With two formidable opponents before him, he knew he needed to act swiftly and decisively if he were to emerge victorious.
Thanatos' mind worked swiftly, piecing together the information he had.
'This is the final phase of the boss fight,' he began.
'The enemy splits into two halves, with one focused on defense and the other on offense. I have to adjust my strategy accordingly to exploit their weaknesses and evade their coordinated attacks,' he concluded, finally drawing his inner monologue to a close.
After a momentary delay, the Black Knight that was previously sent reeling by Thanatos' kick began to rise, his movements stiff and labored but determined.
He soon stood alongside his partner, the two Knights facing Thanatos in an almost synchronized pose, their swords held at the ready.
Thanatos, his crimson aura still pulsing around him, remained unflinching in the face of this coordinated threat.
His gaze darted between the two Knights, assessing their positioning, their stance, their slightest shifts in balance.
Thanatos, sensing the imminent danger of the situation, knew that he needed to act quickly and decisively.
'It should be ready anytime now,' he thought, referring to something we had little knowledge of.
'I must buy some time before that happens, or I'll have little chance of defeating them both. I cannot afford to underestimate their combined strength.'
With this determination in mind, he prepared for the next move in his carefully crafted strategy.
In the blink of an eye, the two Black Knights shot forward, their speed startling even for Thanatos' heightened senses.
They raced towards him in a perfectly coordinated movement, their weapons poised to strike.
Thanatos, alert and focused, tried to track their movements, but the blur of black and steel proved to be too swift for his eyes to follow.
He was blind for only a moment, but it was enough.
He heard the shrill whine of a blade as it sliced through the air, and knew that he must act immediately.
"You're above!" Thanatos shouted, his voice thunderous as he instinctively parried the strike from the Black Knight above.
The thunderclap of steel on steel reverberated throughout the chamber.
But as Thanatos defended against the airborne attack, the ground-bound Knight capitalized on the opportunity, unleashing a ferocious blow that connected squarely with Thanatos' side.
The force of the impact was powerful, but thanks to his defensive skill, Thanatos remained unmoved, his footing firm and resolute.
"Tch," Thanatos growled, his eyes flashing with determination as he swiftly parried the airborne Knight's blade, using the momentum to send it reeling away.
He then spun on his heel to face the ground-bound Knight, his crimson aura flaring as he slashed at its chest.
The Knight, with uncanny reflexes, blocked the blow with both hands, the impact of Thanatos' blade reverberating through his arms.
The Knight stumbled backwards, momentarily pushed back by the power of the strike.
Yet before Thanatos could press his advantage, the Knights struck again, a swift and coordinated series
of attacks that forced him onto the defensive.
Despite his skill and his Eviscerator Form, the onslaught was relentless, their steel singing against his with a furious rhythm.
Thanatos, his reflexes and skill still honed to perfection, managed to block and parry most of their attacks, the passive integration of his defensive skill enabling him to weather the storm.
But still, some blows slipped through his guard, leaving him with a series of shallow blows here and there.
This went on for a while, before he finally spotted a small window for him to regroup.
Seeing an opportunity in the brief reprieve, Thanatos gracefully leapt backwards, creating a brief distance between himself and the Knights.
His crimson aura pulsed with power, casting a scarlet hue upon his surroundings.
'Tch,' he thought to himself, his voice seething with frustration.
'These bosses are unpredictable due to their coordinated attacks. I designed them this way, yet now they're my undoing. Perhaps I shouldn't be trying to fight them the same way. Maybe I should…'
Just as Thanatos was about to continue his train of thought, his keen senses alerted him to an incoming attack.
One of the knights used the opportunity to disappear into the shadows, reappearing behind Thanatos with its sword poised to strike.
Instinctively, Thanatos ducked under the blade, his reflexes on point.
With the same momentum, he spun and grabbed the Knight by its waist, his crimson aura intensifying as he lifted the Knight high into the air before slamming it into the ground with a bone-shattering crash.
In a show of resilience, the Knight on the ground began to stir, its damaged frame trembling as it tried to regain its footing.
But Thanatos, unrelenting, slammed his foot down on the Knight's chest, pinning it to the ground.
He then channeled his magicules into his fists, a scarlet glow enveloping his knuckles.
With the same ruthless efficiency, Thanatos rained a barrage of blows onto the pinned Knight, each punch vibrating through the chamber.
The fallen Knight, unable to defend itself, groaned under the onslaught, its defenses shattered and broken.
With the first Knight neutralized, Thanatos stood, his gaze shifting to the still standing Knight.
The pair stared at each other for a moment, the tension between them palpable.
Thanatos' crimson aura burned like a raging inferno, his movements shifting into a fighting stance as he weighed his options.
The second Knight, seemingly unfazed by his comrade's fate, tossed his sword aside and settled into a boxing stance.
The ground trembled with the weight of their combined power, the air itself seeming to crackle with anticipation.
Thanatos let out a low, humorless chuckle, his eyes blazing with a fiery determination.
"I've been thinking too hard about this," he said, his voice cold and challenging. "Let's settle this with fists. Come at me. It's straight hands from now on!"
The words hung in the air like a declaration of war, a primal promise of what was to come.
The silence that followed seemed to stretch for an eternity, until the Knight opposite Thanatos answered with a feral roar and charged.