It felt like my body was on the edge of falling apart, but I wasn't going to stop. Not now. Not when everything was at stake.
I heard myself shouting through the chaos. "Caleeeeb!" I could barely hear myself over the screams of battle and the crashes of weapons, but I knew my voice carried. "We can really use some help with those catapults you mentioned earlier!"
From the corner of my eye, I saw the distant flashes of the catapults being fired. A barrage of massive rocks flew through the air, crashing against the level 3 Demonoid's hulking form with terrifying force.
The massive projectiles hit, exploding against the Demonoid's gleaming armor in violent bursts. The ground shook with each impact, sending a wave of dust and debris into the air. For a moment, there was nothing but silence—then the dust began to settle.
The Demonoid, standing unaffected, simply kept walking toward them, each step heavy with power, its armor barely dented. It ignores the corpses of its own army littered in the battlefield.
"So much for masterpieces by our oh-so-important production class," Tyler muttered under his breath, clearly irritated.
I narrowed my eyes. "It's not enough," I muttered, surveying the beast. "But... it's cracked."
The armor it wore was thick, but I could see the cracks now. Small, but there. I pointed at the kind of cracks that made my blood boil. We had a chance. We could still win this.
"This time, we need everyone who can still move," I said, my voice harsh, my lungs burning from the effort to stay calm. "This thing's bigger and stronger than the last one. We can't take it down with just a couple of us."
It wasn't just a statement; it was a plea. Everyone was tired. The traps had all been used up, the fighters were exhausted, and the support players were barely holding themselves together. But it was up to us now. We had no choice.
Ken stood beside me, still gripping his shield, sweat pouring from his brow as he looked at the Demonoid. "We've come this far. We can't back down now."
I gritted my teeth. "We won't."
And then it was on.
The Demonoid was a wall of muscle and fury, each swing of its massive club sending shockwaves through the air. We all scattered, moving as fast as we could, trying to avoid its devastating strikes. I dove under one of its swings, just barely missing being flattened by its monstrous fist, the air around me thick with the stench of sweat, blood, and iron.
I rose to my feet quickly, my body aching, but I couldn't stop. Not yet.
Ken charged, his shield raised, blocking a blow that would have sent me flying. The sound of the impact made my teeth rattle, but Ken stood firm, his face a mask of determination. He was incredible, but I could see the strain on him. He wouldn't be able to keep up this pace for long. None of us would.
I rushed in, daggers at the ready, aiming for the cracks in the Demonoid's armor. But the beast was faster than it looked, its thick arms moving with a speed that defied its size. I barely dodged another swing of its club, the edge of it grazing my shoulder. Pain shot through me, but I didn't stop. I couldn't. Not when so many were relying on us.
Ryan joined the fray, landing a punch square in the Demonoid's side, but the creature didn't even seem to notice. It swung around, knocking Ryan off his feet with a backhanded swipe, sending him crashing into the dirt. He groaned, but got back up, refusing to stay down. That's the thing about Ryan—he never stayed down.
Ken was at my side again, pushing forward, his shield raised as he tried to keep the Demonoid's focus on him. "Avi, hit its back! The armor's weaker there!"
I nodded, swallowing the nausea that rose in my throat. My breath came in ragged gasps, and my arms felt like lead, but I pushed through. This was it. If we didn't stop it now, there would be no tomorrow. I rushed forward, rolling under the Demonoid's legs, coming up behind it.
"Here goes nothing," I muttered through clenched teeth.
I slashed with both daggers, aiming for the cracks I'd spotted earlier. One hit, but it barely made a dent. The Demonoid howled, its large hand coming down toward me. I rolled out of the way just in time, but the sheer force of its strike sent a shockwave through the air. My head spun, and for a moment, I was disoriented. Blood dripped from my nose and mouth, but I forced myself to stay upright. There was no time for weakness now. Not when we were this close.
The fight wore on, and Ken's movements slowed. His shield felt heavier with each passing moment, his muscles aching under the relentless pressure. I watched him block another blow, but this time, he staggered back, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His shield was too much for him to keep up with, his arms trembling as if they might give out at any moment.
"Ken, move!" Tyler yelled, but Ken didn't respond in time. The Demonoid, its skin gleaming like fresh blood, charged at him with a roar. The axe it wielded was raised high, the weight of it making the air around it heavy, lethal.
And then, in a move that could only be called pure selflessness, Ken threw himself forward, shoving a fellow fighter—one who was unconscious—out of harm's way. The Demonoid's axe crashed down on Ken's shield, the force of the blow sending Ken sprawling to the ground. The ground shook beneath him, and I heard him gasp, the wind knocked from his lungs. His shield had taken the brunt of the blow, but Ken was down, struggling to catch his breath.
"Agh!" Ken wheezed, his chest heaving. He clutched at his armor, his face contorted in pain. "I'm fine," he muttered, though it was clear he wasn't.
"Ken!" Ryan shouted, pushing forward through the chaos, his eyes frantic as he tried to get to him. But in his rush to protect his friend, Ryan miscalculated, and the Demonoid's axe swung again, catching Ryan off guard. The axe slammed into his side with a sickening crunch, sending him crashing to the ground.
"Stupid!" Tyler screamed. But before he could even move, the Demonoid's attention shifted, its axe raised again, ready to strike.
And then Tyler's smug grin faltered. His face drained of color as fear flickered in his eyes. His axe-hammer to heavy for him to move. The Demonoid's axe was coming for his neck fast.
I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't let any of them fall.
Time seemed to stretch, my pulse hammering in my ears. The Demonoid's axe came down with a roar, and Tyler was too slow to move.
Without thinking, I threw myself forward. My body slammed into the ground with an unforgiving thud, but I didn't feel it. I slid across the dirt, my eyes fixed on the axe that was coming down toward Tyler, and without a second thought, I reached for the Shadowfang daggers at my side. These blades—light, sharp, and deadly—were my only weapons in this hell of a battle, but they were more than enough for the task ahead.
With a twist of my body, I braced my body raising the daggers in front of me. The gleaming blades caught the dim light as I slashed at the Demonoid's arm, slicing through its tough skin with a hiss. The force of the blow sent shockwaves of pain through my arms, but the daggers dug deep, the weight of their lightness and sharpness making the strike precise and true. The Demonoid faltered, its grip on the axe loosening. The weapon veered off course, its edge grazing the dirt inches from Tyler's head.
Tyler stumbled back, looking stunned but unharmed. He was too shocked to say anything, his eyes wide, and then his voice broke the silence.
"Idiot!" he yelled, a mix of frustration and relief in his tone. "You didn't have to do that!"
I didn't have the strength to respond. Not yet. My body was burning, the pain from the impact spreading through every part of me, and my vision was starting to blur.
But then—then came the Demonoid's axe, swinging again, this time aimed straight for me.
It came down with a sickening crack, and everything blurred into a wave of pain. My body took the brunt of the attack, and I barely had time to react before the blow landed, sending me reeling back.
I tried to stay on my feet. Tried to fight back. But my legs wouldn't cooperate. The pain from the blow was enough to send me crashing towards Tyler. Tyler was thrown back, too, the force of the attack knocking him off his feet and sending him tumbling into the dirt.
I gasped for air, choking on my own blood. The taste of it was metallic, bitter. My vision swam, dark edges creeping into my sight. My body felt like it was on fire, every movement sending sharp stabs of pain through me.
"Tyler!" I yelled, the words barely more than a rasp. "Stay down! Don't make me come to get you again!"
My voice was hoarse, but I couldn't waste time worrying about that. I needed to get up. I had to finish this.
Three of my friends are out of commission already and I hate to say but the other fighters wouldn't be much help.
With a grunt, I lunged forward, my fingers gripping the Shadowfang daggers. The blades felt like an extension of my will, light, sharp, and deadly. My body was pushing past its limits, each step a battle against the heaviness in my limbs. The world around me was blurry, but my instincts took over, guiding my movements even as my muscles screamed for relief.
I darted toward the Demonoid, my daggers slashing at its thick hide, aiming for any weak point I could find. My movements were fast, precise, driven by the urgency of the fight. I wasn't thinking—I was reacting. Every slash, every stab was an instinctive response to the creature's violent swings.
I could feel the weight of my exhaustion in every movement, but the pain in my side, the bruises, the blood, it kept me sharp. Every stab sent a shock of pain through my body, but I pushed it aside, focusing on the creature in front of me. The Demonoid roared, swinging its massive axe, but I ducked, barely evading the blow. My daggers flashed as I struck at its legs, slicing through the exposed flesh as it staggered.
The creature tried to retaliate, but I was already moving, weaving between its strikes, carving my way around its defenses. My daggers cut deep into its side, and I twisted them, forcing them deeper with a vicious thrust. It howled, the sound a mix of fury and pain, but I was relentless. Every second counted, every strike a chance to end it.
The Demonoid's axe swung again, but I was faster this time, ducking low and slashing across its torso, feeling the steel sink deep into its flesh. The creature faltered, its movements slowing as it struggled to defend itself. It wasn't long before I saw the opening.
With a final burst of speed, I pushed myself forward, ignoring the burn in my legs and the fire in my chest. I thrust the Shadowfang daggers up into the Demonoid's neck, the blades sinking effortlessly into the soft flesh beneath its thick skin. The creature's roar turned into a strangled gurgle as its blood poured out, dark and thick.
In one smooth motion, I twisted the daggers, severing the Demonoid's throat in an instant. The massive creature's eyes went wide, and its body collapsed, the axe falling from its hand as it hit the ground with a final, resounding crash.
I stood over it, my body trembling with exhaustion, my vision swimming, everything blurring together. My knees buckled, and I barely managed to keep myself upright. The world felt distant, like I wasn't really standing at all, just floating. My arms felt like lead, my chest on fire, and the taste of blood still clung to my lips.
I tried to raise my right arm, just a simple gesture. I wanted to show them I was fine. I wanted to smile.
But when I did, the world spun. My body swayed, and I couldn't tell if I was still standing or if I was already falling.
Everything around me blurred, and the shouts of my teammates grew muffled and distant. I heard Alex's voice, frantic, urging for healing, and Emily's voice, pleading for me to stay conscious.
"Focus the healing on him!" Alex's voice broke through the fog, the urgency in it clear. "He can't die! We need him!"
"Stay with us, Avi!" Emily's voice was shrill with panic. "Please, stay with us!"
But all I could do was try to smile through the blood pouring from my nose, my mouth, my ears... my eyes. I felt warmth surround me as the fighters rushed in, their bodies pressing against mine to steady me, but it all felt so distant, so unreal.
And then, with my grin barely visible through the pain, I murmured in a voice that didn't sound like my own, "So, this is what it feels like to be a celebrity?"