// WARNING: Failure to complete this quest will result in death//

*"Death? Does that mean it's over if we don't get out of here?!"*

It was already too late, just as Karn finished making a diversion for us, he had already sprinted towards the enemy, his skin glowed a bright red hue as he was about to rush into Nahci.

"Show me a great fight will ya!" he shouted. He grabbed the handle of his axe with great strength, his veins and muscles were popping with force as he swung his weapon against Nahci with great speed.

Karn's axe roared through the air, glowing with the intensity of his spirit. The sheer power of the swing was enough to cut through anything. The force of his move sent shockwaves rippling through the cave, removing the smokescreen he had created for us.

"HA! Now this is what I like!" Nahci screamed, his legs twitching, creating a popping sound with every muscle that moved.

But just as the attack was about to hit its mark, Nahci vanished completely.

The air stilled for a moment, and an eerie silence settled over the battlefield, Karn's eyes circled his field of vision, searching for his opponent. There was no sound, no trace of movement whatsoever.

"I think he's gone!?" Karn smiled as he turned around toward us, completely dropping his guard. "Heh! This one is pretty easy don't ya guys think!" He screamed, unaware of the danger he was about to witness.

The smugness in his voice echoed through the cavern, his confidence blinding him to the truth.

Nereus’s eyes widened in fear, his body trembling as he stepped forward, his voice barely a whisper at first. "Karn... you idiot...!"

We were speechless, our mouths dropped in horror as we saw something Karn couldn't see.

"You... YOU FOOL!" Nereus’s shout exploded through the cave, his voice filled with fear and fury.

Karn froze, his head tilted a bit as he stared at Nereus with confusion, but before he could open his mouth, a sharp voice cut through the conversation.

"Now now... I'm just enjoying the scene!"

Our blood ran cold, Nahci was sitting on Karn's axe, leaning like a predator toying with its prey, his legs crossed casually as if he'd been there the whole time. The smirk on his face gave me a sight I would never forget in my life.

Without hesitation Lythael pulled out her bow and loaded an arrow, "You Idiot! Duck!", with a green aura infused on her weapon, she released the bowstring, firing an arrow that could not be seen by a normal human.

Usually, we would think of Karn as the hot-headed all-in type of frontline, but with his experience in the group, he immediately knew how to combine attacks, even with his body size, his reflexes were second to none when on the battlefield.

As the arrow traveled at the speed of light, Karn ducked his body just in time to dodge the attack, "Ha! Now enjoy that scene you fool!" He swung his axe with lightning speed, flipping it in one smooth motion, trying to send Nahci into the path of the lethal arrow.

"Yes! That's a sure hit!" I screamed in hype as the arrow was about to hit Nahci.

In those series of attacks, Nahci barely flinched, he yawned, stretching his arms as if he was playing with us the whole time.

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"Now that's not a nice way for a visitor to act!" Nahci's voice was dripping with sarcasm, and his posture was relaxed, until the arrow struck Nahci square in the chest, a perfect shot. The force of the impact sent him backward, falling to the ground. His arms flopped overdramatically to his sides, his head static as if life had been snuffed out of him in that instant.

*"Is he dead? No.... Somethings fishy..."* We all froze, unsure if it was some kind of trick. Karn blinked, confused, lowering his axe slightly. Even Lythael hesitated, her bow still drawn, unsure of what to make of this sudden "victory."

For a moment, the room was silent, then, a booming shout ripped through the cave.

"NAHCI! Stop playing around and take this seriously!" Olem's voice thundered throughout the cavern, his voice was loud and furious, "If you don't.... I'll report this to him..."

Nahci's eyes shot open immediately, his playful smirk was suddenly gone as the last sentence Olem shouted echoed throughout the place. "Tsk.. Killjoy..." He rosed up slowly, He patted the spot where the arrow had landed, brushing off the dirt from his chest. No wound, no blood, not even a scratch.

*"No damage?? How!? It was a hit!!"*

He stood up in one smooth, unhurried motion, dusting himself off as if nothing had happened. The mocking grin left his face, replaced with an angered expression that was filled with killing intent.

"Don't you dare report this to him!" Nahci shouted back at Olem, his once playful demeanor replaced by something far more sinister. As he ripped off his cloak and let it fall to the dirt, we all braced ourselves for what was coming next.

Beneath the cloak, Nahci wore an all-black outfit that seemed to drink in the light around him. His body was well-toned and muscular, Tight-fitting and sleek, it gave him an almost ethereal appearance but a strong aura. His chest was bare except for a thick, silvered bracelet that encircled his wrist, engraved with an ominous rune that glowed faintly in the dim light.

We all sensed it, something powerful was about to be unleashed. Karn quickly dashed toward us, gripping his axe tightly as he stood next to me, Lythael steadied her aim, ready to fire another arrow just in case. Nereus and Fiera were on the ground, casting a protection spell around us.

Nahci raised his hand, his eyes fixed on the bracelet as a wicked smile began to form at the edge of his lips.

"Let me show you what happens when I stop playing," Nahci spoke in a low tone voice.

The rune around the bracelet suddenly glowed, its light intensifying as if feeding off his spirit. The air around him warped, bending as his willpower surged, manifesting in front of us like a tangible force, the power was enough to send us back a bit.

The rune on his bracelet erupted in a flash, and from it, a weapon began to form. At first, it was just a shadow, a dark mist swirling and taking shape, until finally, it solidified. A massive scythe appeared in his hands.

"Tsk... This is bad.... He had one of those.... " Nereus spoke, just in time to witness the reveal of Nahci's weapon.

Instead of the traditional single blade, the scythe had two. Twin blades curved back to back, running along the staff, making it twice as deadly. The edges of each blade glowed with a faint violet hue, pulsing with the raw energy of Nahci's manifested spirit, It wasn’t just a weapon, it was an embodiment of death, eager to taste blood.

"This crap hurts a lot to release... But playtime is over... I don't want to disappoint him...." The sheer size of it should have been impossible for anyone to wield, but Nahci held it with ease, twirling the double-bladed weapon effortlessly in his hands as if it weighed nothing.

"Jorr.. Fiera... Get out of here now...." Lythael whispered, her voice trembling in fear as she saw what was in front of us. "You can still make it.....we’ll buy you some time"

“I wonder how long it will take to make you all into meat skewers” Nahci murmured, running his fingers along the glowing edge of his scythe. “I’m almost bored already.”

I glanced at Fiera, her eyes wide with fear. She didn’t need to say a word for me to know what she was thinking, this was suicide. The sight of Nahci wielding that deadly scythe, its twin blades swinging with lethal power, made my stomach twisted. Lythael’s words were a lifeline, offering us a chance to escape, a way out of this nightmare.

But something stirred within me, at first I wanted to escape with them, but after countless attempts of being brushed away from things like this, I didn't want to tuck my tail in between my legs.

"No." The word came out of my lips unconsciously. Lythael turned to me, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"What? Jorr, this isn’t—" she started, but I cut her off.

"We’re gonna deal with this as a team," I said, my voice growing louder, more certain with each word. I could feel the trembling in my hands start to disappear, replaced by something far stronger, resolve.