Damien watched how the fire surrounded the eel and began to lick at its body; fortunately for the eel, though, the moisture clinging to its body protected it against the fiery elements.
But...
HISS...!
It seems that the water dripping from its body is beginning to transform into steam. The steam from its body fused with the smoke that all rushed towards the hole in the ceiling.
Damien stayed put in his blackening chair that could snap at any moment with a nonchalant expression, "Why should I fight in your territory, hm?" He said as the eel thrashed about to try and keep back the flames.
SWOOSH SWOOSH SWOOSH
The air from its flailing slammed into Damien and fuelled the flames that continued to grow ragefully. The sounds of cracking coming from his chair resounded inside Damien's ears.
"I guess I should probably stop watching and get to it..." He said before pushing himself off the chair that broke with his sudden movements. The broken chair clattered against the ground, and the flames jumped from it towards his cape, which seemed to be highly resistant towards them.
SWISH SWISH SWISH
Damien waved his sword around and cleaved through the wall of flames that fluidly danced before him, his feet quickly closing the gap between him and the eel.
"You look like you're struggling..." Damien said with a mocking tone as he watched it struggle for air, "Your biology is truly fascinating..." His eyes flashed with an ominous red glint as he dashed forward.
Damien quickly closed the gap between them with his lunge and hastily slashed diagonally upwards. He felt his sword slice through its touch muscles and its white, scaly underside.
Due to the momentum of his swing, his upper body twisted around. However, by hurriedly planting his boot into the ground, gripping the blade with his free hand, he twisted his body back around and plunged his sword into its chest.
Its reddish blood sprayed out from its life-threatening wounds, its eyes rolling up to the back of its eyes before snapping back down.
With one last ditch effort to take out its prey before it succumbs to its wound, it widened its jaw and snapped its mouth shut over Damien's skull.
Its sharp and jagged teeth grinded against his bones. A victorious glint passed through its shaky eyes but was soon replaced by one of despair as Damien's muffled voice appeared inside its mouth.
"They said an animal backed into a corner is when it's most dangerous... Even the dog and pigeon did better than you, an oversized eel."
He twisted the sword inside its chest and pushed it deeper into its chest before releasing its hilt. He then raised his hands to its mouth and began to pry it open.
A red blinding light escaped from the gaps made, and its source was coming from deep within Damien's once-empty eye sockets.
"Is this all you have?" He groaned, "You're getting overpowered by a mere skeleton!" Damien roared before pushing its head away from his and swinging his fist towards the side of its head.
BAM!
The light in the eel's eyes faded before eventually disappearing, and with a soft thud that was hidden by the crackling of the fire, it collapsed onto its side—dead.
[You have slain a stained creature, Leviathan Spawn.]
PSHT!
Damien tore out his sword and began to stab at the eel, "Can't have you getting up and dragging in the water now, can we?" After making sure it was definitely dead, he couldn't help but feel a sense of achievement.
'Strong... I have gotten stronger, right...?' The red light in his eyes then began to die down before disappearing. He then stared at the screen before him with a raised brow.
"Well, aren't you a surprising sight?" He said before gazing back up at the hole he came through. There, he saw four humanoid figures staring down at him—it was the undead.
"Hmm... Mind helping me up?"
*
*
*
Under the dark night sky, two figures sat on the steps leading to the entrance of the cathedral.
One had glowing red eyes that were hidden away by the palm of the skeleton's hand. Another one sat beside him with a hunched back and rhythmically tapped at the shaft of a black wooden staff.
"I guess I haven't gotten as strong as I thought I did." He sighed in disappointment. He flexed his hand and threw another stone into the flooded street.
SPLASH!
Howrah nodded along as he listened to Damien's words. He had just finished listening to Damien's small story of him slaying the eel. "Well... One may never truly know the height of their potential until the day it is revealed."
PAT PAT PAT
He then patted Damien's back with a comforting smile on his wrinkly face, "Don't think much of it, my boy."
"Boy?"
Damien raised his head towards Howrah with a questioning look, "What do you mean by that?" He asked.
"Hm? I just mean it in a fatherly way."
"Hmph... Fatherly huh? A father that's going to kill his son more like it." Damien shrugged off Howrah's arm with a look of acceptance of his fate.
"What? Who says anything about killing you?" Howrah raised a brow at him, "Who filled your mind with such nonsense?" He asked him.
"Why do you wish to keep someone who refuses to call you their master?" Damien gave Howrah the stink eye and gazed down at the water. He saw something dark in it—swirling around—it was like something was swimming in it.
The old man just rolled his eyes, "Do you think I would just kill something that I resurrected with a very precious soul core?"
"Soul core?" Damien asked and was met with a brief nod followed by a dismissive wave.
"Yes Yes. A soul core. But we'll talk about that later."
"Later...? Are you suggesting that—"
"Yes! I shall still assist you in the art of soul energy!" Howrah said with a toothy grin, which shocked Damien as he stared wide-eyed at the old man.
"For what reason?"
"I still need a very powerful ally. Especially one with your durability." Howrah poked his body with his staff. Damien couldn't help but show a soft expression to the old man.
Just before Damien could respond with gratitude, Howrah interrupted him. "But before that, I would like you to call me—" But he was then too interrupted by something flying out of the water towards them.
It was one of those eels that Damien killed. It revealed its razor-sharp jaws and neared the old man's vulnerable body.
Damien shot his hand towards the sword and prepared to intercept the eel before...
"Must you interrupt a son and his father?" Howrah sighed before quickly bringing the tip of his staff away from Damien and towards the inside of the eel's mouth.
BOOM!
A green beam of light emerged from a small runic circle and enveloped the entire eel—killing it instantly.
'It's just one thing after the other...' Damien couldn't see any traces of the eel's existence, not even ashes. It was wiped cleanly from the face of the planet.
"Let's try this again," Howrah said before planting the butt of his staff against the brick stair and staring at Damien in the eyes. "I would like you to refer to me as father rather than master... Damien..."