Zami moved cautiously through the darkened temple, the air heavy with an ancient, malevolent energy. The walls were etched with crude carvings of grotesque creatures, their forms unnatural and twisted. Eventually, he arrived at a massive stone altar, its surface stained with dried blood. Human skulls littered the area, scattered like offerings to a forgotten god.
The altar bore a crude carving of an insect-like beast, its mandibles wide and threatening, wings spread as if in triumph. Zami's silver eyes narrowed as he scanned the scene, a familiar unease settling over him.
"This place reeks of death," he muttered.
The ground suddenly trembled beneath his feet, a low rumble that quickly grew into violent shaking. Zami placed a steadying hand on Kiyo's shoulder.
"Hide," he ordered, his voice calm but firm. "Stay in the corner and don't move until I tell you."
Kiyo nodded quickly, her small frame darting to a shadowed corner.
The ground erupted without warning. A massive, segmented tail burst through the floor, slamming into Zami with brutal force. He was sent sliding back across the stone floor, his boots screeching against the surface as he regained his balance.
From the rubble of the destroyed altar emerged a monstrous creature, an unholy fusion of insect and dragon. Its body was encased in thick, segmented armor, dark gray and black with a metallic sheen. A reptilian head jutted forward, sharp and angular, with glowing red eyes that burned with intelligence and malice.
The creature spread its wings, a vivid yellow-orange veined with black. The air around it roared as it flapped them, creating a gust that sent loose debris flying. Its powerful, scorpion-like tail swayed behind it, the sharp red tips gleaming menacingly.
It opened its mouth, revealing rows of serrated teeth, and let out a deafening roar. Acid dripped from its maw, sizzling against the ground.
Zami stood his ground, his hand on the hilt of his katana. His voice was steady as he observed the beast.
"It has wings like an insect, a tail like a scorpion, and a head that could pass for a dragon. I thought dragons were just myths the clan elders used to tell stories about... but nothing surprises me anymore."
The creature shifted, its movements unnervingly fast for its size. Zami tensed, his gaze locked onto it.
"This thing isn't as powerful as the vessels," he thought, recalling the divine offspring of the entities he had faced before. "But it's formidable. No wasted movements. That exoskeleton looks denser than the scorpion's."
The beast roared again, spreading its wings and beating them hard. A violent wind burst erupted from the force, slamming into Zami and sending Kiyo's hiding spot into darkness. He adjusted his stance, anchoring himself against the gust as dust and debris filled the air.
The creature lunged, its tail whipping forward with alarming speed. Zami sidestepped, his katana unsheathing with a whisper of steel. He slashed at the tail, but his blade barely left a mark on the dense exoskeleton.
"It's tougher than I thought," Zami muttered, dashing back as the tail lashed out again, narrowly missing him.
The beast followed with a swipe of its clawed forelimbs, and Zami parried the blow, sparks flying as his katana met the creature's armored appendages. Acid sprayed from its mouth in a wide arc, sizzling against the stone as Zami leapt clear of the deadly liquid.
"This thing's power rivals even the Bone Monarch," Zami thought, his breathing steady as he analyzed the beast's movements. "It's fast, strong, and that tail is a problem. I'll need to find a weak spot, or this fight will drag on."
The creature roared once more, its eyes narrowing as it prepared to charge. Zami steadied his blade, his silver eyes cold and focused.
"Kiyo," he called, his voice firm. "Stay hidden. No matter what happens, don't come out."
The girl's faint reply came from the shadows. "Be careful."
Zami's grip tightened on his katana. This was going to be a fight to remember.