Fall Into Darkness

The four traveled through the next portal leaving Whisper's shop. Having acquired a new item and the mag for Wolf's Fang made potential damage to be better for the weapon. He read its description as it didn't work the same way the 9mm one does. For instead of creating rounds, it infuses the round with an attribute that is selected when it is loaded. Cyrus could infuse 4 CEP into it to change the element to something else.

The part of the weapon was added to his artifacts page, but nothing came up on the description. Like it wasn't able to identify it without more pieces. Which that artifact had 5 pieces, more than the sword and not the affinity with the Slayer's Short Sword. Cyrus and the others looked at the room and found it had Mad Men and grotesquely large birds. They crawled on the ground without legs, dragging their bodies with only their wings. But that wasn't what stopped them from moving forward.

Behind the enemies, there hung a humungous body of some demonic entity. Skin removed and revealing the muscles of the creature. A ram's head greeted them while its eyes were still dark. At the top of the bridges and stairs, a door leading to the next area sat closed. Cyrus raised his hand and summoned all his companions. Chase and Thomas drew their swords, while Godfrey looked at the creatures and cracked his knuckles.

"These pitiful monsters are not worth staining my axe!" Godfrey ran over and grabbed hold of the Mad Man and the shadow that inhabited it couldn't stop the large hand. The gauntleted hand creaked and scraped together as the hand closed crushing the Delta class creature. Cyrus received only 10 points for its death, but didn't stop him from joining the fray. Having everyone rush forward as Mad Men and the disfigured birds crawl at them.

Fenrir and Visne went out and took out plenty of the creatures on their own. Chase and Thomas fought with each other fighting a group of Mad Men on the first floor. Godfrey was using his fists to take out the creatures, squashing them beneath his monstrous power. While Cyrus had Grimm and Delrune summoned to assist him in combat. Delrune would handle melee combat and Grimm would support using his magic.

Grimm cast a spell that created a bolt of lightning to strike an area causing some Mad Men to be stunned. Delrune rushed in and cut down the stunned Chaos Beasts. Each Creature so far from the Mad Men only gave 10 points while the birds seemed to give 2. That is when from a level above, Black Knights came out from a side area. Some using bows and some using spears or swords. However, the Black Knights were leaking black smoke that revealed the shadows from within.

The Black Knights were corrupted and the higher they climbed the worse it got. For the shadows seemed to have been getting stronger when they climbed the floors. Cyrus pulled out his Beretta and used the G.Mag for increased power. Saving the ammunition for Wolf's Fang. Delrune would defend Cyrus from the weapons while Grimm provided cover for Cyrus. Using his own Fire Bolt spell and Ice Shards to become a terror on the field of battle.

Fenrir and Visne worked together well as Visne was big and could destroy weak armor. Fenrir with his speed and power could provide protection to the large dragon. They managed to take out Black Knights that were enhanced by the shadows. Though with trouble for the shadows also attacked instead of just defended. Creating whips and bladed appendages to attack and keep Fenrir at bay.

Godfrey remained unfazed by the increased attacks and defenses by the shadows. He just punched, and slammed the creatures into the ground, walls, or into each other. While Thomas and Chase were dancing around the enemies, cutting them down one by one. Chase with his katana blade seemed to slice through armor like a hot knife through butter. While Thomas with his borrowed blade was literally wielding a hot knife. Burning away the creatures who stood in his way. He had excellent form even without the shadow that had controlled him before.

Over all, Cyrus managed to gain close to 300 extra points in total. The party climbed up to the fifth level of the area to reach the bridge leading to the door. All they needed to do now was cross the bridge and touch the door. But Cyrus was on edge still, he hadn't gotten the notification that the floor was completed. Letting everyone know to still be on guard they had reached the middle of the bridge. Above them a single drop fell to the ground. Looking down Cyrus saw that it was some form of black liquid, unsure of what it was he looked up.

Above them was this pulsating sludge that seemed to cover the ceiling. "Above us!" Cyrus called out, just as everyone looked up the ooze launched itself at the large demonic corpse. Slamming into the creature, it slowly dissolved into the thing's body. Then its eyes lit up with a red light, the ram head began to twitch and turn towards the bridge. Everyone had readied their weapons and prepared for a fight. Cyrus had to unsummon Visne for the fight cause they were too big. Fenrir, Grimm and Delrune all remained.

The creature looked at them all and then to Cyrus. Cyrus prepared the Ice Shards around his hands and fired them at the creature. While Godfrey drew his axe finally finding an opponent who could taste its metal. Chase and Thomas prepared themselves as Chase pulled out the book and prepped a magical spell. Summoning forth a spears of light that were launched at the creature. Cyrus wanted to learn that spell someday but for now he worked with what he got.

The creature went to bring its massive arm towards Godfrey's side and swipe us off the whole section of the bridge. But the walking fortress decided to shoulder ram the wrist to stop its momentum. Cyrus watched as a good chunk of Godfrey's health went down, but was already climbing back up slowly. No wonder Cyrus thought that he wouldn't have been able to defeat Godfrey, the man could heal wounds faster than Chase or Thomas. Cyrus with his heal spell could maybe help but there was a limit compared to Godfrey's natural healing.

The creature's arm had managed to stop and Cyrus used the Shackles of Pain to slow down that part of the body. Grimm assisted by increasing the size of the Ice Shards using its own Chaos Energy to thrust them into the creature's wrist and pin it to the bridge. Cyrus used didn't have the same control as Grimm did over his magic, but knew that it would improve over time. For now he told Fenrir to leap on the beast and tear out anything he could.

Without hesitation Fenrir leapt from the bridge and started clawing and biting the creature's flesh. Tearing it apart as it bled and tried to get Fenrir of with a swipe of its other hand. But Fenrir leapt away and kicked off the bridge again and kept tearing into it. Cyrus would fire his 9mm which did little damage but with everyone's combined damage it was starting to dwindle. Godfrey hefted his axe as he dropped it on the creature's hand severing a finger.

Which caused the monstrosity to tear its arm free and smack Godfrey away, knocking him off the bridge. Cyrus ran to the edge, "WILHELM!" Before Cyrus could react the hand came over and knocked him away from the group. His body got slammed into the door and got pushed through the portal. His summons vanished as Chase, Thomas, and Godfrey were left to fight the large creature on their own.

The others watched Cyrus fly through the portal and his summons dissolved as they were dragged with him. Godfrey had managed to catch one of the lower bridges and hoist himself back up. Chase and Thomas went at the creature with a battle cry. Both their power combined they managed to topple the giant over. Godfrey called his axe to his hand and leapt from the bridge and brought down his weapon on the monster's chest.

It let out a blood curdling scream as they flailed getting the three to back off. The creature got to its knees and swiped at them as they were now on ground level. It roared and slammed the ground, shaking the bridges above. Godfrey rushed forward going for the creature's legs to try and make it stay low on the ground. While Chase and Thomas kept it distracted, burning the hands and slashing its flesh.

Though as they fought the creature, all on their minds were to get to Cyrus as fast as possible. For they didn't know what kind of danger he was in. This was all of their driving force to kill this monster and help him get stronger by slaying it and the shadow within.