“Come, we draw near,” I exclaimed. The three of us raced through the corridors at great speed. The stench in the air was thick, the cacophony of bones cracking beneath our feet resonating around the walls, setting an unsettling symphony for the battle that was about to commence. Yet, nothing compared to the dark aura that lingered through the corridors, deepening with each step. The only light that pierced the dark halls was us, both physically and spiritually. Yet, the end was in sight, clear as day.

  Out of the darkness, half a dozen shadows made their appearance. We couldn't see them until the very last moment, though we successfully evaded their onslaught. My khopesh danced with deadly grace, dispatching one, and a well-aimed shot from my pistol claimed another. I tried to assist Talia but felt a strong force pull me away from her. I was flung through the air but managed to acrobatically land on my feet, settling my stance in perfect timing to face the two revenants standing over me.

  They both threw their arms at me, which I dodged and parried successfully. I knew my pistol would be useless against these demons, as they could catch the bullets and send them back to me. So, I opted for my chakram. Revenants were extremely durable and possessed ice and space essence but lacked speed and agility. For every blow they aimed, three strikes from my enchanted weapons met their mark, searing their ethereal forms with divine essence.

  One of them tried to pull me in once more while the other conjured a javelin of ice with the intent to impale me. I dispelled the gravitational essence and swatted the javelin aside with my chakram to create an opening with my khopesh. I channeled a great deal of positive essence into the blade, aimed right at its neck. The revenant fell to the ground, perished under the will of God. The other let out a toxic breath, causing me to back away while four wights jumped at me, trying to catch my flanks.

  Guan came in like a hurricane, cutting down two of the wights in seconds, a dangerous dance of death. The revenant tried to pull her, which created an opening for me to throw my disc into its skull and unload multiple rounds from my pistol on the demon until it fell to the ground. A nefarious arrow, dripping with corrosive malice, shot at me from the obscure recesses of the hall. No doubt a creation of a lurking necromancer. Swiftly, I conjured a protective ward to shield against this malevolent assault.

  “I'm going after the necromancers. Feel free to join me when you finish with the undead.” I dashed through the corridors, somersaulting to avoid multiple projectiles thrown at me from the dark sorcerers. Three in total, none more skilled than a 3rd circle caster. For every dark beam or corrosive arrow they threw at me, I fired back with my pistol. Just as I successfully avoided damage by either dodging or shielding myself with a ward, they used barriers to shield themselves from any harm.

  As I got closer, half a dozen wights came between me and the necromancers, though they were easily dispersed with my pistol. One of the sorcerers conjured a poisonous fog, but I managed to dispel it. I launched my chakram, shooting another sorcerer, only for both attacks to be thwarted. I shot the chakram that was flying back to me to ricochet it back to another necromancer, launching it right at his neck, decapitating him. The necromancers weaved sinister spells with the macabre crimson fluid. Spears were materialized and hurled at me. With swift precision, I deflected them using my khopesh.

  Just before my chakram flew back to my hand, I seized the moment and tossed a grenade at another necromancer. Before he could react, I launched the chakram at the grenade. Conflagration devoured the necromancer in a roaring inferno, erasing his dark presence.

  The final dark mage quivered in her boots, a palpable fear emanating as she desperately backpedaled. Beads of sweat cascaded down her brow, hands weaving a desperate incantation in a frantic dance of desperation. Yet, her efforts proved futile as her arcane assault crashed against the unyielding shield of my unwavering faith.

  With a burst of blinding speed, I surged forward, seizing her wrist in a vice-like grip. A swift, merciless twist shattered the bones within, and my blade sliced through the tendon on her other hand.

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  "By order of the Church, you are under arrest."

  "You have no authority here, inquisitor." She spat, a venomous tone behind her voice.

  "The Lord I serve has authority everywhere. You are coming with me to answer for your crimes, but first you will answer some questions."

  "I will answer nothing!" She shouted.

  I laughed, but not my usual welcoming laugh, rather one that showed I would not tolerate rebellion.

  "Grant me discernment, Lord," I whispered. Her puzzled expression met mine as I placed my hand upon her, a touch both gentle and firm.

  "You WILL OBEY!" I commanded, an ethereal authority infusing my voice, conjuring something otherworldly. In the face of this spiritual power, she quivered in fear, my presence heightened by the sacred prayer.

  "HOW MANY ARE THERE?" I demanded, urgency slicing through the damp air of the underground labyrinth.

  "Just five more! They continued forward," she confessed, the truth compelled by forces beyond her control.

  "WHAT MASTERY HAS THE STRONGEST ACHIEVED? WHAT IS THE MOST THREATENING DEMON HERE?" My questions bore into the heart of the dark secrets lurking in the shadows.

  "Fourth circle. You have faced the worst we have to offer," she admitted, the weight of her revelation settling in the subterranean darkness.

  "Good," I declared, my voice returning to its usual timbre. "Now, you will come with me and convince them to surrender."

  "What did you do to me?" she cried, bewildered and trembling.

  "Encouraged you to speak the truth," I responded, hoisting her with one arm. Guan and Talia emerged in that moment, having dealt with the lesser demons.

  "Shall we press on?" Talia asked, her resolve unwavering.

  "Of course. They will not get away; of that, you can be sure. We will capture them or slay them, should it come to that. We are judge, jury, and executioners here."

  We made our way through the catacombs, quickly cutting through any shamblers or wights they put in our path, even as I carried the sorceress on my back.

  "You know, if they fought alongside their minions and kept them grouped together, they could've actually posed a threat," Guan remarked practically amid our advance.

  "Don't give them ideas. It's to our benefit they're too cowardly to risk their lives with their minions. Besides, if they did, Elleshar could drop the catacombs on their heads. They don't know if we have Essence users with us or not," I clarified.

  I heard the resonance of their boots striking the stone just before we reached the next turn. It had a distinct sound, much different from the wights, shamblers, or revenants. As soon as I turned the corner, I opened fire down the hall, hearing one of the sorcerers yelp in agony. I stopped for a moment to break both of his knees.

  "Come, he will not be going anywhere." I declared, urgency pushing us forward. The panting and heavy breathing of the sorcerers betrayed them. They turned to face us, expelling the remnants of their waning essence.

  "Surrender now while you can. There's no need to perish today," I shouted, deftly deflecting their sorceries with my holy stone.

  "Death is but the beginning!" One shouted.

  "Then why did you run? Your words do not match your actions. There is no point trying to fool a trained professional. Do not forfeit your life for a cause that does not care for you." I reasoned.

  "Do it, brothers!" the necromancer on my back commanded, the desperate call initiating an unexpected turn of events. One of the necromancers pulled out a knife, chanted an incantation, and stabbed himself. All the necromancers, as if connected by some unholy bond, coughed up blood and fell to the ground, lifeless.

  "What just happened?" Guan asked, voicing the collective confusion hanging in the air.

  "I... am not sure. I have never seen this before, but it must be some sort of ritual," I admitted, grappling with the unprecedented strangeness of the situation.

  "The dark essence in the air, it's unstable." Talia exclaimed as she closed her eyes and meditated.

  I held the communication orb in my hand. "One of you, tell Indo to regroup with us. I will inform Christelle what has happened here."