The Cardinal gasped, stepping back. His voice wavered, "This... this shouldn't be possible. A demon... forming here? Especially with so many around..."
The Yokai's presence grew stronger, the bones in the church rattling softly from its approach. The Cardinal shouted, "Everyone, out! I must perform a blessing!"
The few gathered worshipers, about twenty people, quickly scrambled out of the church. The Yokai's figure solidified as it lunged forward, its claw aimed directly at Jiang's neck. Aylin's eyes widened, and she threw herself in front of Jiang, just as the Yokai swiped down.
Aylin grabbed Jiang and rolled, the creature's claw missing them by inches. She stood quickly, fire blazing from her hands as she threw a wave of flames at the Yokai. The fire struck it, but the creature only laughed, unaffected.
"Fire? How pathetic," it sneered. The Yokai raised its other hand, a black orb swirling into existence. It launched the ball of dark energy at Aylin, the force slamming into her chest and sending her flying back. She crashed into the stone floor, skidding several feet before coming to a stop, gasping for breath.
The Yokai stepped forward, towering over her. "You thought you could stop me, little girl?"
Aylin forced herself to stand, fire still sparking weakly in her hands. "I'm not done yet," she muttered.
The Yokai lunged again, its claw reaching for her, but she dodged, ducking under the blow. She conjured another flame and threw it at the Yokai, only for the creature to swat it aside effortlessly. It snarled, its form flickering as it turned its attention back to Jiang.
Jiang's vision swayed as he struggled to remain standing, his legs shaking beneath him. The faint blue line tethered to the Yokai pulsed again, draining his strength with each breath. His mind raced. I beat him before… in the sewers. The thought was fleeting, but the memory surged forward—how he'd outlasted the creature using only instinct and the environment around him. There wasn't much here, but he had to try something.
The Yokai's twisted form dragged itself toward him, the faint outline of a face and claw illuminated by the dim candlelight. "You're weaker than I thought," it growled, its voice low and guttural. "But you've always been running. This time, there's nowhere left."
Jiang's heart pounded in his chest, every muscle in his body telling him to move. Penguin Reflexes. He needed to stay light, stay fast. He pushed himself off the floor, diving to the side as the Yokai's claw swiped the space where he had just been standing.
The Yokai lunged again, its claw reaching for her, but she dodged, ducking under the blow. She conjured another flame and threw it at the Yokai, only for the creature to swat it aside effortlessly. It snarled, its form flickering as it turned its attention back to Jiang.
Jiang's breath came in shallow bursts as he tried to steady himself, but his body screamed with exhaustion. The Yokai dragged something with it, then with a sick grin, lifted the decapitated head of the rat creature Jiang had faced in the sewers. The lifeless eyes stared blankly at him.
"I'm still feasting off the last one I caught," the Yokai rumbled, its voice cold and heavy with malice. It dropped the head, letting it roll forward. "You're next. After I devour you, I'll break free of this wretched curse, and then... I'll consume the others like me. This world will be mine."
Jiang's eyes widened in shock as the head thudded against the floor. He swallowed, his mind flashing back to that desperate battle in the sewers. I escaped once. Barely. But now the creature was stronger, its form more solid, more dangerous. And it was coming for him.
Behind them, the Cardinal stood tall, his hands raised. The ancient words rolled off his tongue, echoing through the chamber:
"In nomine Dei nostri, sancta luce, te condemno!"
His voice cut through the air, the Latin ringing in the space as the energy around them shifted, growing thick with divine power. The bones in the ceiling began to glow brighter, vibrating in rhythm with the Cardinal's chant.
The Yokai's lip curled, its face twisting with annoyance as the chant gained strength, but its focus remained on Jiang. "It won't save you."
Jiang, heart racing, dived forward again, barely avoiding the Yokai's claw as it scraped across the floor. He fired off a volley of ice bullets, but they splattered uselessly against the Yokai's dark form. His mind raced. I beat him in the sewers. I can do it again.
But as the Yokai's other claw formed another swirling ball of energy, something flashed in Jiang's memory. The creature had risen again, stronger, even after the fight in the sewers. This wasn't a battle he could win by dodging forever.
The Yokai grinned, licking its jagged teeth. "You'll never escape this time."
The Cardinal's voice rose again, filling the chamber with power:
"Adversus tenebras, luce divina, vincere te oportet!"
The glow from the bones intensified, casting long shadows across the floor. The Yokai's claw twitched as the energy in the room grew thicker, but it pushed through, unrelenting.
Jiang fired more ice bullets, but the creature batted them away, taking slow, deliberate steps forward. "This ends now," it growled, and in one quick motion, its claw snatched Jiang by the throat, lifting him off the ground.
Jiang gasped, his body kicking instinctively, but he couldn't break free. The Yokai tightened its grip, cutting off his air. His flippers flailed, trying to pry the claws loose, but the creature's grin only widened.
With a brutal motion, the Yokai slammed Jiang into the stone floor. Blood sprayed from his beak and eyes as his body hit with a sickening thud, pain exploding in every nerve. His vision blurred, the world spinning around him as he struggled for air.
The Yokai raised its hand, the swirling ball of dark energy crackling violently. "This is where it ends," the Yokai said, voice calm, final. The black energy pulsed, growing brighter, distorting the air with a force that twisted everything around it.
Jiang's chest heaved, every movement agony. He saw the ball of energy descending toward him, his mind screaming to act, but his body refused. Blood dripped from his beak, pooling beneath him as his limbs twitched uselessly. Move.
The energy surged closer, the pressure suffocating.
At the last second, a golden-white chain shot through the air, piercing the ball of black energy before it could land. The chain wrapped itself around the swirling mass, halting its advance.