As they stepped through the portal, a chilling realization settled over them like a heavy shroud. The air was thick with the familiar scent of salt, the rhythmic crash of waves against the shore filling their ears. But the sight before them brought nothing but horror.
Dante was the first to break the silence, his voice laced with disbelief."This... holy shit," he muttered, his eyes darting around the all-too-familiar landscape.
Stiles swallowed hard, his throat suddenly dry. "Are we... really here?" he asked, the words barely above a whisper. His gaze locked onto the dense forest stretching ahead, the shadows between the trees feeling far more menacing than they should.
SteelArm turned slowly, his breath caught in his throat as he saw the portal behind them flicker before vanishing entirely. His hands clenched into fists. "...There's no mistaking it," he said gravely. "We're back..."
They stood in silence, each lost in their own thoughts as the salty breeze washed over them. The rhythmic crash of waves in the distance was the only sound accompanying their heavy breathing.
SteelArm finally broke the silence, his voice hesitant. "There's no point… in just waiting here, right?"
Stiles didn't respond. His mind was a whirlwind of memories—Kiera's death, the brutal fight with Riven, the battle against the stone guardian. The past clawed at him, suffocating, but he forced himself to stay present.
Dante gulped, forcing himself to speak. "I guess… we should just finish this shit and leave. We're much stronger than we were before." His voice lacked confidence, but it was enough to break the weight pressing down on them.
Stiles finally turned to them, exhaling a breath he hadn't realized he'd been holding. He gave a small nod, pushing away the ghosts of the past. "Let's go."
The three of them moved forward. They walked in silence for an hour, the eerie quiet of the forest pressing down on them. Then, emerging from the thick foliage, they saw it, the entrance to the ancient structure. Cracks ran along its stone surface, and its towering doors loomed ominously beneath the dense mana swirling in the air.
"These same damn doors… still standing." Stiles muttered, glaring at them with frustration. He took a deep breath before stepping forward. Without hesitation, he delivered a powerful kick to the massive doors. A resounding thud echoed through the ancient structure, sending dust swirling into the air.
Dante peered inside, his eyes narrowing as the thick darkness seemed to stretch endlessly before them. "Let's move," he said, his voice firm. Without another word, he stepped in first. The moment his foot crossed into the building, his skill [Phantom Materialization] activated. Green energy crackled to life around him, shaping into spectral armor and a long, eerie-glowing spear.
Stiles followed, biting down on his thumb until blood surfaced. The moment the crimson drop touched the air, his twin blades materialized in his grip, the wound sealing instantly as his mana surged.
SteelArm, rolled his shoulders and cracked his neck before stepping in behind them. "Let's get this over with," he muttered.
They retraced their steps through the familiar pathway, effortlessly dodging the traps they had narrowly escaped once before. Leading them to the very door they had once fled through after their battle with Riven.
Dante exhaled sharply as he reached for the handle, only for the doors to creak open on their own. The three of them exchanged glances before stepping inside, unfazed when the doors slammed shut behind them—it had happened before.
The room was eerily silent. They scanned their surroundings, the weight of past battles pressing down on them. But before they could take more than a few steps forward, the ground trembled violently. The floor split apart, stone grinding against stone as a deep rumbling echoed through the chamber.
Then, from the darkness below, a single golden paw emerged, followed by another. Thick fur, shimmering like molten gold, wrapped around its muscular frame. As the creature ascended, its form became fully visible—a majestic nine-tailed fox, each of its flowing tails radiating a soft, golden glow.
The fox's piercing gaze locked onto them before it leapt backward, positioning itself between them and the heart of the chamber. Its tails swayed behind it, crackling faintly with energy. Then, without moving its mouth, a voice resonated within their minds—warm and soft, yet brimming with authority.
"Faelix. That is my name. For trespassing upon sacred lands… I shall be the one to pass judgment upon you."
Without warning, Faelix's nine tails flicked, and from their radiant glow, nine orbs of ethereal blue flames materialized. The orbs crackled with power, pulsating like miniature stars before they suddenly split off—three locking onto each of them with relentless precision.
Before they could react, the orbs shot forward, homing in on their targets at blinding speed.
They narrowly escaped as the orbs collided with the ground behind them. A massive explosion erupted, sending shockwaves through the chamber. Where the orbs had struck, blue flames roared to life.
Before they could catch their breath, Faelix leapt high into the air, landing effortlessly on golden platforms that shimmered into existence beneath its paws. Its gaze locked onto Stiles.
A deep hum resonated through the air as golden energy erupted from all nine of Faelix's tails. The energy twisted and coiled like living serpents, hurtling toward Stiles with terrifying speed. He didn't hesitate—his instincts screamed at him to move.
He darted to the side, weaving through the chamber with rapid movements, but the golden energy refused to relent. It twisted and curled through the air like a serpent locked onto its prey, undeterred by his every maneuver.
Gritting his teeth, Stiles leapt onto a nearby pillar, barely dodging as the energy streaked past him. He pushed off, flipping to another pillar, then another, shifting directions unpredictably. Yet, no matter how erratic his movements, the golden energy pursued him with unwavering accuracy, as if drawn to something deep within him.
Narrowing his eyes, he spotted an opportunity. Timing his next move perfectly, he launched himself off a pillar, aiming straight for Faelix. The fox's golden eyes tracked him, but he was already in motion—soaring over its massive form in a single fluid motion.
The golden energy, unable to shift direction in time, slammed into Faelix, dispersing into brilliant sparks upon impact. Stiles landed behind the fox, rolling to his feet as he exhaled sharply.
As the dust settled, a shimmering barrier of golden energy surrounded Faelix, its glow pulsating with an almost divine radiance.
"Shit... that didn't work," Stiles muttered under his breath, frustration creeping into his voice. He had hoped to bait the golden energy into striking the fox, but the barrier had nullified the attack entirely.
Before he could devise another plan, Dante sprang into action. With a determined glare, he tightened his grip on his eerie green spear and surged forward, his movements swift and precise.
The instant the tip of his spear made contact with the golden barrier, a sharp crack echoed through the chamber. The barrier shattered like fragile glass, dissolving into a cascade of golden fragments.
But before Dante could capitalize on the opening, an unseen force sent a shockwave through the air. His balance faltered, and he crashed to the ground, gritting his teeth as he hastily tried to recover. Faelix remained motionless, its piercing gaze locked onto them, its nine golden tails swaying as if amused by their efforts.
Dante barely had time to push himself up before Stiles sprang into action.
"Don't let up!" Stiles shouted as he dashed forward, his twin blades gleaming in the dim light. He flickered between the pillars, weaving through the battlefield like a phantom before slashing toward Faelix's flank.
At the same time, Dante lunged from the opposite side, his eerie green spear slicing through the air in a deadly arc. SteelArm, using the opening, surged forward, his massive fists crackling with raw energy as he aimed a devastating punch straight at the fox's chest.
But Faelix moved with inhuman speed. It twisted its lithe body, narrowly avoiding Stiles' blades before ducking under Dante's spear. As SteelArm's punch came crashing down, the fox spun on its hind legs, evading the attack by mere inches.
"Tch, it's fast—"
Before Stiles could finish, Faelix's eyes flickered with amusement. Just as it landed, SteelArm instantly appeared where he anticipated its next movement and sent a sudden kick into the fox's side. The impact sent a shockwave through the room, and Faelix dropped to the ground slightly.
Seizing the moment, Dante twirled his spear and thrust it forward, grazing Faelix's shoulder before the fox leaped backward, landing gracefully atop a golden platform. A thin trail of blood dripped from its fur, but instead of looking pained, Faelix's tails swayed in intrigue. Without warning, Faelix's nine tails flared outward, and from their tips, nine blue flaming orbs materialized, crackling with intense energy.
"Move!" Dante yelled as the orbs launched toward them, their heat distorting the air.
They scattered just in time—the orbs exploded upon impact, scorching the stone ground in brilliant blue flames that refused to fade.
Before they could regroup, golden energy erupted from Faelix's tails once more. The streams of radiant power shot forward, each one locking onto them like hunters stalking their prey
The three of them regrouped quickly, a fleeting moment of clarity amidst the chaos. SteelArm gritted his teeth, his mind already calculating their next move. He raised his hand, and slammed it into the ground.
"[Earthen Grip]!" he shouted, and in response, a massive stone hand erupted from the ground around them, forming a protective shield.
The golden energy collided with the earthen barrier with a deafening crash, the force rattling their bones. SteelArm's barrier groaned under the pressure, but it held firm. The golden energy cracked the stone hand, dust swirling in the air, but they were unharmed.
"Perfect," SteelArm muttered to himself. "We need to strike before it strikes."
He quickly turned to Stiles and Dante, his expression determined. "I've got a plan. Let's go."
Without hesitation, Stiles and Dante nodded. The air was thick with tension as they charged toward Faelix, each ready to play their part.
Stiles, his mind already focused on his next move, activated [Sword's Will]. His eyes narrowed, and in a blink, he was airborne, his twin blades raised high. The speed at which he descended was almost impossible to track, a blur of motion. With a single, powerful strike, the fox didn't even have time to react as the blades pierced through its golden fur, bypassing its magical barrier entirely. The barrier shattered like glass under the weight of Stiles' speed and power.
Dante wasn't far behind. He shot forward with incredible precision, his body flickering into existence and then vanishing again as he activated [Phantom Strikes]. In one fluid motion, he unleashed a barrage of thirty rapid thrusts in a blur of motion, each strike aimed at critical points on Faelix's body. The sheer speed of the thrusts left Faelix with little time to recover, and each strike left a wound, the fox's blood staining its golden fur.
A sharp whelp echoed from Faelix's throat, a sound that reverberated through the chamber as it stumbled and fell to the ground, a trail of blood dripping from its injuries.
Seeing the opening, SteelArm roared, activating both [Orc's Rage] and [Colossal Blow]. His muscles bulged with immense power as he rushed forward, bringing his massive fist down with a thunderous strike. The impact was so forceful that Faelix was sent flying, crashing into a nearby wall with a shockwave that shattered the stone pillars around them.