The air in the catacombs was thick with decay, the walls lined with veins of dark, pulsating flesh. The Volatile Fiends lurked in the shadows, grotesque creatures with bloated, wretched forms. Their bulbous eyes glowed eerily as they sensed the intruders. A low growl reverberated through the stone, a forewarning of the chaos to come.
Belial gripped his curved longsword tightly, its edge catching the faint light as he stepped forward, the rhythmic scraping of his boots echoing. His sharp eyes scanned the shadows, focusing on the twisted figures that began to slither and crawl toward them.
Xin, perched near a crumbling pillar, clenched his fists, his heart pounding in sync with the echo of the approaching beasts. His eyes darted to the walls, seeking the Crystalline line shards embedded deep within the stone. They hummed with energy, waiting for him to call upon them.
Raven stood at the rear, encased in his full black armor, his gauntlets clenched into fists, ready to deliver bone-crushing blows. His movements were calm, precise—every swing of his arm a potential death sentence.
Then, without warning, the first Volatile Fiend lunged from the darkness, its bloated body surging forward with unnatural speed. Its gaping maw, dripping with venom, opened wide as it charged. Belial reacted instantly, sidestepping with fluid grace, his longsword slicing through the air.
With a sickening squelch, the blade cut deep into the Fiend's side, leaving a trail of black ichor oozing from the wound. The beast shrieked in agony, its body convulsing as it staggered back, only to be met with the sharp sting of another attack. Belial's sword slashed again, this time cleaving the monster's arm clean off. The severed appendage hit the ground with a wet thud, the grotesque flesh writhing and twitching.
"Focus," Belial muttered to himself, eyes locked on the remaining monsters. They were only getting angrier.
At the same moment, Xin's eyes gleamed with a deadly precision. His hand shot forward, his fingers outstretched as he called forth theCrystalline shards. From the walls, the jagged stones seemed to respond to his command, vibrating before rocketing toward him. In a swift motion, Xin grasped the shards, positioning them in his hands.
One by one, he hurled them toward the Fiends. The first shard struck its target—embedded deep in the chest of one of the creatures. The Fiend screeched, its body spasming violently as the shard dug deeper, shattering bones and rupturing organs. Another shard, aimed with surgical precision, landed in the neck of a second creature, severing its spinal cord. The Fiend gurgled, its head jerking at an unnatural angle before collapsing to the ground in a puddle of viscous blood.
The remaining Fiends, now enraged, howled in fury. One of them, a hulking monstrosity with jagged spines running down its back, charged straight at Xin. Its breath came in hot, rancid bursts, its gaping maw wide enough to swallow a man whole.
Xin didn't flinch. His eyes narrowed, and he called upon the Crystalline shards once more, his movements fluid as the stones returned to his grasp. With a flick of his wrist, he sent them flying—sharp, fast, and merciless.
The shards embedded themselves into the Fiend's throat, its grotesque skin splitting open as the stone pierced deep. It faltered, staggering backward, but Xin was already on the move. He closed the distance in seconds, leaping forward to land directly on the beast's back. His body weight caused the Fiend to drop to its knees, but Xin wasn't done. With a single, brutal strike, he drove a shard directly into the base of the creature's skull, the force of the impact cracking its cranium open like a melon.
The Fiend's body went limp, and Xin rolled off, landing effortlessly on his feet. His breath was steady, though his heart raced, each kill fueling his adrenaline.
Meanwhile, Raven was a whirlwind of destruction. The remaining Volatile Fiends, not yet fully aware of his power, turned their attention toward him, thinking him an easy target.
They were wrong.
One of the beasts lunged at him with a speed that defied its bloated size. Raven didn't move a muscle. He simply raised his armored fist and slammed it into the Fiend's face with a bone-crushing punch. The force of the blow sent the creature spiraling through the air, its skull caving in under the pressure. Blood and shattered bone sprayed across the stone floor, painting the walls in a grotesque tapestry of gore.
Another Fiend, faster and more vicious, slashed at Raven with razor-sharp claws. The attack was swift, but Raven was already moving, his armored frame blocking the strike with ease. His fist shot out, catching the Fiend under its chin with enough force to lift its massive body off the ground. It flew back, crashing into the catacomb wall with a sickening thud. The creature twitched for a moment before going still, the last remnants of its life draining away in a pool of blood.
The catacombs were now alive with the sounds of battle—the wet slap of bodies hitting the ground, the shrieks of dying monsters, and the heavy, rhythmic sound of Raven's fists smashing through flesh and bone. The Fiends were falling one after another, their grotesque forms succumbing to the onslaught.
But there was no time to rest. From the shadows, a larger, more monstrous Fiend emerged, its bloated form towering over the others. It was a grotesque behemoth, its mouth stretching from ear to ear, lined with rows of jagged teeth. Its massive claws scraped against the stone floor, sending sparks flying.
Belial grinned, the thrill of the battle coursing through his veins. "This one's mine."
He charged forward, his curved longsword held high. The Fiend howled, swinging its massive claws toward him with terrifying speed. Belial twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the swipe, and then struck. His sword sliced through the air, its edge biting into the creature's flesh. The Fiend screeched in pain, but it wasn't enough to stop it.
It retaliated, its jaws snapping shut with a vicious crack. Belial dodged again, rolling to the side just in time. The Fiend's claws scraped the ground, kicking up chunks of stone and debris. But Belial was relentless. With a battle cry, he sprang forward once more, thrusting his blade deep into the creature's side.
The Fiend roared, its clawed hand swinging toward Belial. The attack landed, sending the warrior sprawling to the ground. Blood dripped from the wound, but Belial gritted his teeth, his grip tightening around the hilt of his sword.
As the beast loomed over him, ready to strike again, Xin appeared from the shadows. He leapt into the air, Crystalline shards flying in all directions. One by one, they pierced the Fiend's eyes, blinding it with an agonized howl. The creature staggered backward, its claws flailing wildly as it tried to find its attacker.
Raven, seeing an opening, rushed forward. With a roar, he slammed his armored fist into the Fiend's ribcage. The impact shattered bones and ruptured organs, sending a spray of blood and viscera splattering across the floor. The Fiend's body crumpled to the ground, its once towering form now reduced to a lifeless heap of gore and twitching limbs.
The catacombs fell silent, save for the faint dripping of blood. The trio stood victorious, panting heavily, their bodies covered in the remnants of the creatures they had slain.
Belial wiped the blood from his sword, eyes scanning the dark corridors for any more threats. "We've done our part. Let's move."
Xin nodded, wiping the sweat from his brow, while Raven let out a heavy exhale, his chest rising and falling beneath his armored chest plate. They had survived the onslaught—but they knew this was only the beginning.
"This isn't over," Xin warned, retrieving more shards. "There's more further in the up"
Belial approached the wall on the hall they were walking, he felt around then reached a decisive spot.
He touched the symbols on the wall, hoping something would change but nothing happened.
Frustrated, he cursed quietly and joined back with the group.