Leon's heart pounded as he stood between two monstrous adversaries, the corpse ghost and the figure of Liam, charging at him from both sides. His hands trembled, fumbling over the incantation, words spilling from his lips faster and faster as fear tightened its grip on him. He could feel the spell slipping away from him, the edges of his concentration fraying with each breath.
The magic circle he had conjured was too small, barely ten meters in diameter and it would take only seconds for these fiends to close the gap. The first to reach him was the hulking Ghoul Knight, its rotting flesh encased in battered armor. Leon stood his ground, knowing he had a trap set just ahead.
With a thunderous crash, the Ghoul Knight's boot slammed onto the thin netting Leon had hidden beneath the earth. The camouflaged trap gave way instantly, sending the undead warrior tumbling into the shallow pit below. Its heavy armor clanged as it struggled to rise, only managing to push half its body above the rim, flailing uselessly.
Leon allowed himself a brief flicker of hope but just as quickly, it was snuffed out. A shadow blurred across his vision, a whistling sound following in its wake. He barely had time to turn before something slammed into his shoulder with a force that knocked the air from his lungs.
What?!
The impact was brutal. Leon cried out in pain, his body twisting as he lost his balance and crashed to the ground. His shoulder throbbed, the weight of the blow leaving a burning ache that spread down his arm. Cold sweat beaded on his brow as he struggled to comprehend what had just hit him.
Beside him, rolling to a stop, was the severed head of a zombie, the very same one Liam had been holding earlier. But Leon couldn't dwell on that now. The real danger was far worse: his spell had been interrupted. Panic surged through him as the words he'd been chanting slipped from his mind like sand through his fingers.
Desperate, Leon executed a clumsy roll, scrambling to his feet just in time to see Liam barreling toward him, sword raised and eyes blazing with murderous intent. The demon host was closing in, its dark blade slicing through the air with deadly precision. Leon stumbled backward, retreating as fast as his legs would carry him, each step a gamble against death.
Just when it seemed Liam's blade would find its mark, the demon tripped. It was sudden, jarring even. The hulking figure crashed to the ground with a heavy thud, cursing as it hit the dirt. Leon blinked in disbelief, his chest heaving with labored breaths. The ghoul he had trapped earlier had managed to grab hold of Liam's ankle, dragging the demon down with it.
An opening!
Without wasting a second, Leon spun on his heel and sprinted toward the other side of the magic circle. He had to recite the spell again: now, or everything would be lost. His mind raced, trying to pick up where he left off. But before he could even finish the first verse, a gruesome sound reached his ears, a sword slicing through armor and bone.
Leon glanced back. The corpse knight had freed itself from the pit and stood over Liam's prone form. In a bizarre twist of fate, the undead swung its blade down with fury, aiming for the very demon that moments ago had sought Leon's life. Despite being a cursed, mindless creature, the corpse knight's actions were clear; it saw Liam as a threat, as flesh and blood.
Leon couldn't help but feel a surge of adrenaline, his chance at survival inching closer. He pressed forward, breathless but determined. The Spirit-Repelling Rune had to be activated, and this chaotic moment was the only one he'd get.
—Clang!
The sound of metal striking metal echoed like a thunderclap as the two swords collided with brutal force. The Ghoul Knight, towering and armored, swung his sword with a power that could split stone. But Liam, now fully corrupted by the Angry Demon, caught the blade with a swift backhand, his inhuman strength crackling through his veins. Fueled by a rage that burned beyond mortal comprehension, Liam pushed the Ghoul Knight's sword aside with terrifying ease, exposing the undead warrior's vulnerable center.
Liam didn't hesitate. With a snarl, he twisted his blade and drove it toward the Ghoul's chest, seeking to end the fight with a single, deadly thrust.
Ding—!
The blade struck hard against the Ghoul Knight's breastplate, the sound sharp and jarring. But instead of piercing through, the sword tip shattered upon impact, sending shards of metal scattering into the air. The force of the blow, however, was enough to stagger the undead knight, knocking it off balance as it stumbled backward, its armored feet scraping against the ground before it managed to steady itself.
Though Liam's attack hadn't penetrated the armor, it had left a deep dent in the breastplate, the sheer strength of the strike warping the metal like it had been struck by a blacksmith's hammer. But the recoil had taken its toll on Liam too. His right wrist, still gripping the sword hilt tightly, twisted grotesquely under the force of the impact, the bones snapping with a sickening crack.
But Liam's fury was far from spent. His bloodshot eyes blazed with malevolent hatred, his breath coming out in ragged snarls. Without missing a beat, his wrist, distorted and broken moments before, snapped back into place with a loud crackling sound, healed by the vile power coursing through his veins. He rose to his feet once more, the movement jerky and unnatural, like a puppet on strings. His hunched posture, now more monstrous than human, sent shivers down the spine of anyone who might have watched.
"Hiss... hiss..." Saliva, mixed with dark blood, dripped from Liam's mouth, his teeth having morphed into razor-sharp fangs. From the depths of his twisted throat, a hoarse, guttural roar erupted: "Die!—All of you die!!!"
The words were barely recognizable, more an animalistic snarl than speech. And with that, Liam charged forward, his broken, blood-streaked sword swinging wildly in the air. His vision was red with rage, and in the twisted corridors of his mind, he no longer saw the undead standing before him. No, to Liam, it was the faces of the Kantadar thugs, the ones he believed had wronged him, the ones who had taken everything from him.
But the Ghoul Knight, bound by neither fear nor emotion, remained steady. Its decayed instincts from countless battles kicked in, and it raised its sword to meet Liam's furious onslaught. The undead knight's movements were mechanical but efficient, guided by the echoes of swordsmanship long ingrained into its very bones.
The Ghoul Knight held the sword horizontally, pointing its tip toward Liam, whose crazed charge brought him dangerously close to the undead's range. Liam, blind with fury, didn't even realize he was stepping into the trap. The boy's sword, chipped and jagged, came crashing down, aimed with deadly intent toward the Ghoul Knight's head, as though the blow would split his perceived enemies in two.
But the Ghoul Knight was quicker. It sidestepped, its body pivoting sharply from right to left, evading Liam's wild strike by a hair's breadth. In a blur of motion, the knight spun back, thrusting its own sword forward with the precision of a trained warrior.
Chila!
Sparks flew as Liam barely managed to block the attack, his sword catching the Ghoul's blade just in time. The sound of metal grinding against metal filled the air, harsh and grating, like nails on stone. Liam's breath was ragged, his strength barely holding the weapon against the knight's relentless pressure.
But the fight was far from over.
Had the Ghoul Knight still possessed a living mind, it would have used its skill to disarm Liam in a heartbeat, ending the duel with a single, masterful move. But the creature's body was driven by instinct alone, its advanced techniques lost to the decay of its soul. Even so, its basic training remained effective. When Liam's blade was caught in the deadlock, the Ghoul Knight used the crossguard of its sword to wrench Liam's weapon aside, clearing an opening.
The Ghoul Knight stepped in, closing the distance in a swift, calculated motion. With its sword raised high, it pivoted once more, the blade cutting down from the left. The strike aimed directly for Liam's exposed neck, seeking to end the demon-possessed boy's rampage once and for all.
Time seemed to slow as the blade descended, glinting in the dim light, a harbinger of death.
It was a fleeting moment, one that Liam barely seized in time. With a dangerous flick of his wrist, he pulled his sword back into position just as the Ghoul Knight's blade descended. He bent his knees, bracing himself, holding his weapon horizontally to block the impending strike.
Clang!
The sound of the two swords colliding echoed like a thunderclap, metal scraping against metal as sparks flew. The sheer friction between the blades made the air vibrate with tension, each warrior's strength forcing the weapons to lock together, tightly bound in a deadly contest.
Liam had blocked the strike, just barely. The attack that had been meant to behead him now halted inches from his neck. But his advantage was fleeting. The height difference, combined with his awkward stance, meant that his sword was being forced downward, his defense crumbling under the pressure of the much larger Ghoul Knight.
Sensing his foe's instability, the Ghoul Knight didn't hesitate. With a sudden surge of power, he raised his sword and drove his armored knee into Liam's midsection. The blow landed with brutal force, knocking the wind from Liam's lungs and causing him to gasp in pain. His body froze, the shock of the strike reverberating through his bones.
But this knee strike was merely a prelude. Before Liam could recover, the Ghoul Knight followed through with a devastating overhead slash.
BOOM!
The impact was deafening. The force of the blow sent Liam crashing to his knees, the ground beneath him cracking under the weight of his collapse. His legs buckled, bones shattering under the immense pressure. His feet gave way, leaving him kneeling in a crater of broken earth.
The knight's heavy sword smashed into Liam's raised blade, driving it downward with such ferocity that it shattered Liam's defense completely. The blade, forced by the knight's overwhelming strength, drove straight into Liam's own shoulder. It should have been a death sentence, a blow that would have cleaved him in half.
But Liam was no longer human.
Roar!!!
A demonic howl erupted from Liam's throat, primal and filled with rage. His face, twisted beyond recognition, bore no resemblance to the young boy he once was. The demon within him surged to the surface, its presence ripping through the fabric of reality as Liam's fury gave it a voice in the world.
Despite the sword embedded in his shoulder, Liam didn't falter. His body, driven by the unholy strength of the demon, entered a berserk frenzy. He released the hilt of his sword and, with both legs shattered beneath him, lunged forward like a wild beast. His hands, now twisted into razor-sharp claws, latched onto the Ghoul Knight's armored feet, his grip like iron.
With a roar of raw power, Liam pulled the knight off balance. The massive, armored figure toppled to the ground with a thunderous crash, caught entirely off guard by the boy's monstrous strength.
Liam wasted no time. Ignoring the pain in his mangled body, he pounced on the fallen knight. His right hand shot up to the sword embedded in his shoulder, and with a sickening sound, he ripped the weapon free. Blood, blackened and thick, oozed from the wound, but Liam didn't care. He was consumed by his rage, his mind lost to the demon's influence.
The Ghoul Knight struggled, trying to retract his own sword and mount a defense. But the close quarters worked against him. The long blade, so deadly in open combat, became a hindrance as they grappled on the ground. Before the knight could bring his weapon to bear, Liam struck first, slashing downward with terrifying speed.
Shing!
The blade found its mark, cutting into the armor joints on the knight's right arm, slipping between the plates where they connected. With a furious roar, Liam twisted the sword and ripped it downward, severing the knight's right forearm in a single brutal motion.
The armored limb, still gripping the knight's sword, flew through the air, dislodged by Liam's savage blow. The Ghoul Knight's arm, now a broken and useless hunk of metal, clattered to the ground nearby, still clutching the sword that had once threatened Liam's life.
But Liam's wild attack left him vulnerable. The force of his strike had thrown him slightly off balance, his momentum carrying him to the left. In that split second of overreach, the Ghoul Knight struck back with ruthless precision. The undead knight, despite the loss of his arm, was not finished.
With a swift motion, the Ghoul Knight's remaining left fist shot upward, landing a powerful hook across Liam's face. The impact was brutal, and the force of the punch sent Liam flying backward, crashing into the dirt with a heavy thud.
No matter how much raw power Liam possessed, corrupted as he was by the rage demon, he was still no match for the sheer bulk and strength of the heavily armored Ghoul Knight. The undead warrior, every bit as powerful and much more experienced in battle, brought Liam crashing to the ground with a single, brutal punch.
Before the young man could even attempt to rise, the Ghoul Knight rolled swiftly, its movements eerily graceful for a creature of such size. In one fluid motion, the knight pinned Liam to the ground, using its body weight to restrain him. It knelt on his back, pressing its left knee hard against his spine, immobilizing him. With its heavy, steel-plated boot, the knight stomped down on Liam's right wrist, trapping the boy's hand and preventing him from lifting his sword. Its remaining left hand, armored and skeletal, clamped down on Liam's throat like a vice, fingers digging into his skin.
The end seemed inevitable. With just a twist of its iron grip, the Ghoul Knight could snap the boy's neck and end the fight. The cold, flickering light in the undead knight's eyes glowed brighter, as if reveling in the imminent kill. Victory was within its grasp.
But then, a flash of cold steel sliced through the air, cutting through the tension with deadly precision.
Sching!
A sword, sharp enough to cut through metal as if it were nothing, swept across the Ghoul Knight's neck from behind. In a single swift motion, Brandon, unseen and calculating, decapitated the monstrous knight. Its head flew off like a dislodged ball, landing with a dull thud and rolling across the ground.
The sudden decapitation froze the knight's body. Though technically undead and incapable of dying from such a wound, the loss of its head threw it into confusion. Its body went rigid, left hand releasing its grip on Liam's throat as it reflexively reached for its severed neck. Disoriented, the knight fumbled, trying in vain to recover its missing head.
The momentary lapse was all Liam needed.
Freed from the knight's iron grip, Liam snarled and surged upward, throwing the headless corpse off his back with unnatural strength. He scrambled to his feet, the demonic energy within him pulsing with fury. The rage demon cared nothing for the mystery of why its foe had suddenly lost its head, only the thrill of violence mattered now. Without hesitation, Liam raised his sword and swung.
The Ghoul Knight, now blind and unable to defend itself, had no chance to dodge the blow. Liam's strike knocked it to the ground, and then the real frenzy began.
Slam!
Liam's sword came down again. And again.
Slam!
Each swing of the blade was filled with the demon's wrath, every strike a savage release of fury. The Ghoul Knight's armor, strong as it was, couldn't withstand the relentless assault. Liam's blade found the gaps between the plates, slicing through flesh and bone with terrifying precision.
Slam!
Piece by piece, the undead knight's body was torn apart, its limbs severed and strewn across the ground. Black blood oozed from the mutilated corpse, staining the earth as the dismembered body parts twitched, still animated by some twisted magic. The severed limbs crawled and wriggled like grotesque insects, desperately seeking the missing head.
Meanwhile, Leon, unnoticed amidst the chaos, finally completed his spell. His voice, strained and hoarse from chanting, reached the final syllable of the incantation. The Spirit-Repelling Rune activated with a blinding flash of light.
The magic circle on the ground lit up, its runes glowing with an intense, otherworldly energy. Columns of radiant light shot up from the ground, creating a barrier that shimmered and crackled with power. The glowing symbols projected into the air, spinning and forming a three-dimensional shield that enveloped the battlefield.
Liam, now almost fully transformed into a demon, paused, the severed remains of the Ghoul Knight still in his grasp. His bloodshot eyes, nearly consumed by the demon's influence, turned toward the rising light. For a moment, the demon within him stirred, realizing with a hiss of fury what was happening.
But it was too late.
The magic barrier was complete. The rebuke rune flared to life, and the circle's power surged, trapping the demon and its host within the enchanted boundary. Liam dropped the ruined pieces of the undead knight, his chest heaving with exertion and fury. He spun around, eyes wild and furious, but the demon's hold on him was slipping. The light of the barrier was too strong, its magic designed to repel creatures of the Abyss.
Brandon, having witnessed the scene from a distance, had already turned and fled. He knew better than to stick around when Liam was in this state, possessed by a demon, no less. Whatever was about to happen next, Brandon wasn't going to be around to find out.
The demon roared one last time, but it was no longer in control. The barrier's power was forcing it back, banishing it from the mortal plane. The spell had worked.
And Liam, the boy, was left standing amidst the aftermath, breathing heavily, his body trembling as the demon's influence receded.