We stepped from the protection of Yoshitsune’s ability to stand in between the bronze elf and the useless dog priest. As the blood from the losers showered upwards into the grates, the sounds of mechanisms slowly turning could be heard through the floor. Only one sacrifice was left to advance.

“You made that look easy,” I commented towards the elf.

“It’s their own fault for not understanding their place,” the elf replied with a scoff. “You weren’t bad for what you are.”

I brushed the abrasive comment aside. In the language of fighters, they had already won the opening argument. Part of me wished to see if I could fare better than the fools that were unprepared. However, the fires were not raging within me and pragmatic thoughts prevailed.

“If that’s the case, why don’t the three of us form a group?” I suggested.

“And betray your final member?” the elf replied curiously. They narrowed their eyes, uncertain if the proposal was a trap.

“Do you think that we will survive the rest of the dungeon with an ally who refuses to lay a hand on other demons?” I returned with a question of my own. “Besides, according to him, whatever happens is in accordance with God's will. Even this betrayal will just be another trial on your path, won’t it, priest?”

The question did not reach the ears of Herzblatt. Whatever that glow was seemed to block out sound. That, or he was willfully ignoring me. Either way, he refused to acknowledge or protest my words.

“It is a nice offer, but I will have to decline,” the elf rejected with a scowl. “You reek like a traitor and I couldn’t bear to spend a single moment with you.”

My eyes widened before I began to laugh in recognition of what the words truly meant. The malice that exuded from the elf’s body. I supposed that this was one that I was meant to call comrade if I didn’t exchange my shackles for new ones. Instead, we got to tear our throats out like a pair of dogs that did not understand the intentions of our masters.

It was far better this way.

“Are you going to get a treat from Wrath if you kill me?” I teased with a toothy grin. “If it’s not worth more than clearing the tower, I’m going to be a little hurt.”

“Don’t look down on me like you aren’t doing the same!” The elf spat. Purple smoke leaked from their fingers as an endless supply of arrowheads fluttered into existence like feathers off of a fleeing bird.

Expecting a bullet and dodging a bullet are completely separate matters. Though my muscles tensed and my body moved at the same time as the attack, I was far too slow to dodge them all completely.

Then, a flash of lightning enveloped the volley, sending them flying ineffectively in different directions. Without skipping a beat, Yoshitsune prepared another bolt and sent it crashing down in the direction of the elf.

“Stay out of this, aswang!” The elf screamed at Yoshitsune. “I’m getting out of this room, even if I lop off your limbs and carry you on my back!”

Unlike the motley crew that the elf got to overwhelm, Yoshitsune and I possessed unspoken coordination. They could not focus on one of us without the other slipping out of their vision.

This time, it was my turn to swoop in like a hawk on a rabbit. My claws were spread wide to clasp my prey. Eyes peered from the back of the elf’s head as a perfect copy stepped out from the body of the original to stop my swipe with a sword.

While my burning claws sliced through the sword like mercury and the fake elf’s flesh bubbled and steamed under my attacks, more clones stepped out from the elf’s body to slow me down.

For now, it appeared that the elf believed that five were enough to keep me busy for a time. The rest, including the main body, tried to quickly focus down Yoshitsune. However, the eyes of the Corpse-Watcher once again opened and the lightning-shrouded samurai screamed from eye to eye like a pinball.

Blood and arrowheads flew all over the place. After taking a moment to adjust to the rapid speed, the elf managed to masterfully stick multiple poisoned arrowheads into Yoshitsune’s flesh. With less vitality than myself, Yoshitsune seemed far less capable of managing the effects of the poison. She quickly tumbled into one of the red eyes to lick her wounds and wait out the nausea.

A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

While the elf had their eyes on Yoshitsune, I quickly tried to eliminate as many clones as I could. After quickly dispatching of the elf already in my grasp, the number already dwindled down to four.

I could not allow them to create a formation to hem me in. I leapt at the nearest clone and turned them into crimson sashimi. The clones slashed at my body in revenge, but I found that their attacks, while still strong, lacked the precision and ferocity of the original. Attacks that should have immediately put me in mortal danger did little more than draw some blood.

With useful blood-bags surrounding me, I was able to employ even more aggression. No matter how little I protected my body, free health kits were throwing themselves on me, begging for me to sink my teeth inside.

As I began to maul my next target, the clone lost mass and my hands passed through like they became a hologram. The surviving clones merged back into the elf’s body as their infuriated eyes met mine.

“It would have been disappointing if you weren’t at least this strong,” the elf complimented as they summoned several swords to float inside their magical grasp.

We exchanged blows face to face; my claws against their swords. A dance of offense and defense took place as both of our health bars began to plummet. Hot claws scraped against flesh while an entire platoon of swords slashed against my joints.

The elf changed how they used their clones to better fight me. Instead of an entire body reaching out and facing me, it was only a limb. An extra arm that I did not account for gripped a sword and cut across my chest while an extra leg struck my calves and left them burning and with reduced mobility.

I felt my blood heating up and my mind go ablaze with joy. As my blood levitated from my body and lubricated the gears that operated the tower, I was obsessed with the opponent in front of me. There was nowhere to retreat and they had not lost any confidence in their own abilities. Their eyes told me that my victory would only come at my own mutilation. And, in this moment, I was closest I felt to loving another person.

Who were they? What spurred their hatred onwards? Could they keep this attitude until the end? Would they still be fun if I ripped them away from Wrath?

My thoughts were not allowed to exist. Endless slashes caused endless split decisions that had my ship constantly avoiding the rocks that would sink it to the bottom. The vessel would scrape against the rocks and I felt splinters spray from my hull as the rocky finger raked across the wooden skin.

But this was not a one-way street. My own attacks and the heat that radiated from my hands like a ten-set of fire pokers sapped away at the elf’s body. Sweat coated their sun-loved skin and their purple smoke slowly lessened.

Then, I felt a foot plant firmly in the center of my chest. A rogue leg sprouted from the elf’s body and pushed me away. My heart ached temporarily as though I had been rejected by a lover. What was wrong? Did you not want to play anymore?

The elf pressed her hands together and the swords moved closer together. Where there were once ten, the blades consolidated down into one. It looked sharp enough to cut the air itself and it thrummed with magical power. With a running charge, the elf’s sword sang the song of climax toward me. Fully prepared to sacrifice more flesh to survive, but without much left to give, I stepped in to ensure that this strike would not be for free.

A flash of light moved between the elf and me. Yoshitsune skidded to a stop, her arms spread out defenselessly to the elf’s attack. Incapable of killing Yoshitsune to advance, the elf instinctively tried to redirect their attack.

The blade bit into Yoshitsune’s shoulder. Her armor was parted like a stack of paper under a guillotine. Thick bone finally stopped the sword from sinking deep into Yoshitsune’s organs like a dull axe into hardwood.

I quickly was able to react to my partner’s risky suicidal action and stepped around her to sink my claws into the elf’s neck. Surprised, the bronzed demon spat blood into my hand with a shocked expression. However, their shock quickly cooled into disappointment at the result. Then, the elf began to chuckle.

“Seriously, who takes a blade for another down here?” The elf asked with a morbid laugh. “To think that there was someone like that.”

I sharply pulled upwards on the elf’s neck while I felt Yoshitsune’s blade pass within a hair’s breadth of my knuckles to sever the head from the shoulders.

As the last of the elf’s life seeped through my fingers, the mechanisms below us finally snapped into place as the disc in the center of the room ascended towards the ceiling. The near infinite stairs continued to spiral downwards into the black.

I stared down at the head, my battle lust seeping from my body to leave my once living heart cold like a campfire doused with water. The fleeting nature of my joys once again taunted me and made the fall back to earth all the more devastating.

I shook off my waning joy and turned my attention towards Yoshitsune. Her working hand was clasped around the handle of the sword but she was too weak to extract the weapon. Heavy breaths and a worrying amount of blood was what it took to finally snap me out of my stupor and launch me into action.

“Are you going to live?” I asked as I helped remove the sword from Yoshitsune’s body.

“I’ll continue to be useful,” Yoshitsune responded through gritted teeth as she drank a recovery potion with trembling hands.

Now that Yoshitsune was stable, my attention drifted to a new target. The tranquil dog-man that sat at the far end of the chamber continued their tranquil pose. Why could I not have kept the elf? But I knew that nothing would have disappointed me more than their surrender. I just had to put up with the priest a bit longer.

“Hey, we’re done,” I said to Herzblatt.

The priest did not react to my words. Instead, they continued to sit in their stupid pose and breathe like they were comatose.

In frustration, I threw the severed head of the elf in the direction of Herzblatt. The skull bounced off the ground before colliding with the protective light that hung over the dog priest. The light shattered like throwing a rock through a cathedral window and the demon blinked into unsettled clarity as he drank in the bloody scene.

“Hey, priest, get the fuck up.”