The victory over the first Dusked Minor was still fresh in their blood when the ground trembled beneath them. The surrounding area was filled with the tang of dust and ether, the air grew heavier... Belial's grin faltered, his violet eyes narrowing as he scanned the jagged horizon of the mo.
Raven shifted beside him, his armored gauntlets flexing with a faint creak, while Xin clutched the Dharma Wheel tighter, its golden glow flickering in the dim light of the Dark hazy glass-tinged sky.
They'd barely caught their breath, the ether from their last kill still settling in their veins, when the shadows stirred again.
It came from the mist—a hulking shape, larger than the last, its silhouette warped and menacing. The creature emerged with a guttural snarl, its quadrupedal form low and predatory, each step a thunderous crunch against the cracked earth.
Its dark green hide shimmered with an oily sheen, rippling over sinewy muscle, but it was the head that froze their blood. Three eyes...two on either side, one glowing sickly yellow in the center—blazed with feral intelligence, tracking them in unison.
From its maw jutted two protruding fangs, long and curved like scimitars, dripping with a venom that hissed as it hit the ground.
Another Dusked Minor. But this one was different. Stronger. Deadlier.
"Brace yourselves!" Belial roared, his ether-infused blade igniting with a flare of silver light.
The beast charged, its speed a blur despite its size, the ground quaking beneath its clawed feet. Xin reacted first, his echolocation snapping into focus, mapping its form in his mind—every muscle, every twitch, every lethal intent.
He shouted a warning "Fangs!" but the word was swallowed by the creature's deafening screech as it lunged, its massive jaws snapping toward Belial.
Belial dove aside, rolling across the gravel as the fangs sliced through the air where he'd stood, the venom sizzling as it splattered against the rock. He came up swinging, his blade arcing in a vicious crescent aimed at the beast's flank. The strike connected, ether flaring as it carved a shallow gash through the thick hide, but the Dusked Minor barely flinched. It pivoted with terrifying agility, its three eyes locking onto him, and lashed out with a claw that gleamed like obsidian.
Raven intercepted it. His black-armored form surged forward, gauntlets raised, and met the claw head-on. The impact was a thunderclap—metal clashing against bone with a force that sent shockwaves rippling through the air. Sparks flew as Raven's gauntlets held firm, the reinforced plating absorbing the blow, but the beast's strength drove him back, his boots skidding through the dirt. He gritted his teeth, muscles straining, and shoved forward, twisting his body to redirect the claw aside. The opening was brief, but it was enough.
"Xin—now!" Raven growled, his voice a low rumble.
Xin's Dharma Wheel spun faster, its golden light intensifying as he channeled ether into Raven. The energy surged, a torrent of power flooding the warrior's frame, and Raven exploded into motion. His gauntlets ignited with a faint, dark shimmer, and he struck—once, twice, a barrage of blows that hammered into the Dusked Minor's side. The first punch cracked its ribs with a wet snap, the second sent it staggering, dark blood spraying from the wounds. The beast screeched, its three eyes blazing with fury, and retaliated with a snap of its fangs that grazed Raven's armor, leaving a smoking gash across the obsidian plating.
Belial didn't let it recover. He charged, his blade a whirlwind of light and shadow, slashing at the creature's legs to cripple its mobility. The ether burned hotter with each strike, cutting deeper, severing tendons with a sickening pop. The Dusked Minor stumbled, its front leg buckling, but it twisted with unnatural grace, its central eye flaring as it lunged at Belial again.
He ducked under the fangs, the venom's acrid stench stinging his nose, and drove his sword upward, aiming for the soft underbelly. The blade sank in, ether exploding in a burst of light, and the beast howled, thrashing wildly as blood poured from the wound.
Raven seized the moment, his gauntlets slamming into the creature's skull with a force that echoed like a cannon shot. The blow dazed it, the three eyes blinking out of sync, and Xin saw his chance. He stepped forward, the Dharma Wheel spinning so fast it blurred, and unleashed a concentrated blast of ether.
The energy lanced through the air, a golden spear that struck the beast's chest, burrowing deep into its core. The Dusked Minor convulsed, its screeches turning guttural as the ether tore through it from within, but it still wouldn't fall.
"Stubborn bastard!" Belial snarled, ripping his blade free and slashing again, this time at the neck. The cut was brutal, severing muscle and sinew, but the creature's hide was thick, its vitality fueled by some unholy resilience. It reared back, fangs snapping, and caught Belial off-guard with a swipe of its claw. He twisted, the blow glancing off his side, but it sent him skidding across the ground, gravel biting into his skin.
Raven roared, his gauntlets blazing as he tackled the beast head-on. He grabbed its lower jaw, forcing the fangs apart, and drove his fist into its throat with a crunch that shattered bone. The Dusked Minor thrashed, its claws raking at Raven's armor, leaving deep gouges, but he held firm, his strength amplified by Xin's ether.
"Finish it!" he shouted, his voice strained as he wrestled the beast's head back.
Xin's hands trembled, sweat beading on his brow, but he focused, the Dharma Wheel glowing brighter than ever. He thrust it forward, the disc spinning into a radiant blade of light that sliced through the air. It struck the creature's neck where Belial had weakened it, cutting clean through in a spray of dark blood and ether mist. The head lolled, then fell, the body collapsing in a heap as the three eyes dimmed to lifeless husks.
The silence that followed was deafening, broken only by their ragged gasps. Raven staggered back, his gauntlets smeared with blood, his chest heaving. Xin dropped to one knee, the Dharma Wheel clattering to the ground as exhaustion claimed him. Belial pushed himself up, wincing as he clutched his side, his violet eyes scanning the corpse with a mix of triumph and wariness.
"Two in a row," he muttered, spitting into the dirt. "We're getting good at this."
Xin managed a weak laugh, his voice hoarse. "Good? We're barely alive."
Raven said nothing, his dark gaze fixed on the horizon, where the ether mist thickened, swirling with an ominous promise. They'd won—again—but the cost was mounting. Belial rolled his shoulders, testing the ache in his side, and stepped toward the corpse to siphon its ether. "Let's get what we came for and—"
A sound cut him off—a low, guttural growl, closer than it should've been. The ground trembled again, sharper this time, and the mist parted to reveal a new shape. Another Dusked Minor—no, something worse. Larger, its hide scarred and mottled, its three eyes glowing with a deeper, malevolent light. Its fangs were longer, thicker, dripping with venom that smoked as it hit the earth.
"Shit," Xin breathed, scrambling to his feet, the Dharma Wheel flaring back to life.
Belial grinned, reckless and wild, raising his blade. "Round three, then."
The beast charged, faster than the last, its claws a blur as it closed the distance. Raven lunged to meet it, his gauntlets crashing against its side, but it barely slowed. Xin sent a surge of ether into Belial, who darted forward, his sword slashing in a brilliant arc—only for the creature to twist, its fangs snapping shut inches from his arm. He dodged, laughing through the adrenaline, and struck again, the blade biting into its flank.
But he misjudged its reach.
The Dusked Minor reared, its central eye flaring, and lunged with a speed that defied its bulk. Its fangs sank into Belial's shoulder, piercing through muscle and bone with a wet, tearing crunch. He screamed, the sound raw and primal, as the creature shook its head, ripping flesh and sinew. Blood sprayed, hot and dark, and Belial's arm went limp, his sword clattering to the ground.
Raven roared, charging in, but the beast flung Belial aside like a ragdoll, his body slamming into the rock with a sickening thud.
"Bel!" Xin cried out, the monster turned, its bloodied fangs glinting, its eyes locked on them.