corrupted fiend

Kelvin planted his feet firmly, his shield raised as the corrupted fiend lunged again.

This time, it was faster.

The beast feinted to the left before twisting mid-strike, its clawed hand slashing toward his exposed side. Kelvin barely managed to pivot, angling his shield just in time. The impact sent a jarring vibration up his arm, his muscles straining against the force.

He gritted his teeth. It's learning.

The fiend wasn't just attacking wildly—it was adapting to his defenses. Each strike probed for weaknesses, testing his reactions. The longer this dragged on, the worse it would get.

Kelvin retaliated with a brutal swing of his broadsword, aiming to cleave through a joint in the creature's plating. But the fiend twisted again, his blade skidding off the metal shell with a sharp clang. Sparks flew.

Damn thing.

The fiend lashed out in response, catching his sword arm with a sweeping claw. Pain flared as jagged talons cut through the chain links beneath his armor, drawing blood. Kelvin hissed but didn't falter. Instead, he slammed his shield forward, bashing the fiend across the face.

The creature reeled back, momentarily stunned.

Kelvin sucked in a breath. He needed a new approach—fast. His sword barely did any damage, and his shield was already wearing down under repeated attacks. If this continued, the fiend would whittle him down and tear him apart piece by piece.

His eyes flicked across the battlefield. Debris. Ruins. Cracked pillars and broken stone.

A plan began to form.

But the fiend wasn't going to give him time to think.

With a guttural snarl, it charged again.

Kelvin braced himself.

The real fight was only beginning.

The fiend lunged again, its claws blurring toward him in a vicious arc.

Kelvin raised his shield to block, but this time, the impact was different.

A sharp, unnatural sound rang out as the corrupted energy in the fiend's claws met the already-weakened metal. His shield held—barely—for a fraction of a second. Then, it cracked.

Splintered.

And finally, withered away into glimmering embers of light.

Kelvin stumbled back, his now-empty arm feeling strangely weightless. Damn it.

But the fiend wasn't unscathed.

As his shield broke, he used the last of its force to drive his sword deep into the creature's exposed side. The blade cut through one of the narrow gaps in its armor, sinking into flesh.

A sickening screech tore from the fiend's throat as dark ichor splattered onto the ground. It staggered, its movements losing some of their fluidity.

Kelvin exhaled sharply, his grip tightening around his sword.

No shield. Bleeding arm. But now, the fiend was wounded.

This fight wasn't over yet.