The demon city of Mol'Kharnis rose like a rusted claw from the earth—jagged towers, glowing miasma vents, and roads paved with screaming tiles. Literal ones. Every step was an audible mistake.
"Quiet," I whispered. "Every echo carries. Their agents patrol these shadowed alleys."
Aria gave me a side glance. "You stepped on five howling stones on the way here."
"They wailed in reverence," I said confidently.
Kuroblade crouched nearby, hand pressed to a wall covered in runic scars.
"The air sings of corruption," he muttered. "The kind that stains bones."
Aria sighed. "You guys sure you don't want to wear signs that say 'We're here to blow up your boss'?"
I turned to her. "That's what the banner's for."
The plan was simple.
Step one: get inside.
Step two: locate the councilor's spire.
Step three: improvise.
I had crafted the perfect disguise—a black cloak with silver trim, a demon horned hood, and dark boots with enchanted heel-clicks. Aria said I looked like a cosplay accident. Kuroblade approved.
We slipped past the gate guards by pretending to be cursed nobles from Sector Twelve. Kuroblade claimed diplomatic immunity from "the shadow that binds treaties." The demons bought it.
Or were too tired to argue.
Once inside, we marveled at the city's "architecture," which mostly resembled bad mood swings carved from obsidian and guilt.
We reached the spire by nightfall.
It loomed above the rest, ringed in soulfire and guarded by a platoon of elite demons with miasma-hound helmets.
"Should we sneak in through the sewers?" Aria asked.
Kuroblade shook his head. "The shadows down there remember me."
"Right," she muttered. "Because you used to live in a haunted manhole."
"It was a sanctum."
We made it thirty feet into the compound before I "accidentally" illuminated the entire guard hallway.
"I thought it was a stealth flare," I said.
"It lit up like a holy rave!" Aria snapped, diving behind a demon statue as alarms blared.
Kuroblade responded in the most responsible way possible: by hurling a ball of exploding ravens into the sky.
The explosion knocked out two towers.
"Oh no," he said dramatically. "The abyss has answered."
I summoned a radiant spiral and cleared the courtyard.
"Guess we're doing this live," Aria muttered.
Demons poured from all directions—enforcers, howlers, three-legged siege-beasts that barked in Latin.
Aria dropped a barrier spell that shimmered like stained glass.
Kuroblade opened with "Ebon Prism Hex"—mirrored runes rose around the front line, reflecting enemy blasts back at them and detonating in a cascade of shadow.
I followed with "Starpoint Requiem," dashing forward in a blur of silver light. My rapier carved through a wall of miasma armor, then I launched off the rubble mid-air and cleaved down with a shining arc.
Kuroblade twirled dramatically, cardboard sword untouched on his back, summoning "Midnight Grasp: Wailing Coil"—binding tendrils of cursed runes that dragged a trio of elite guards into a self-contained glyph storm.
They vanished. Screaming.
I landed, spun once, pointed my sword skyward, and shouted:
"Limit Break: Radiant Spiral Ascension!"
A tower exploded.
---
Aria's Internal Monologue
> "They're both morons.
> Very handsome, lethal morons.
> I am surrounded by magical pyrotechnics with egos.
> I've healed seven wounds this minute and somehow still have time to cast anti-fireball shielding on the one who keeps setting himself on fire with his own attacks.
> Ren said he needed a sword polish earlier. His sword is made of sunlight.
> I will poison their tea."
After fifteen straight minutes of destruction and posturing, we stood before the doors to Councilor Dregvari's throne chamber.
The gate glowed with chains of command magic—spell-glyphs meant to break minds, dispel illusions, and cause spontaneous dental anxiety.
Kuroblade stepped forward, held his hand out dramatically, and said, "I reject your leash."
His palm burst into black light, burning a void circle into the seal.
The doors imploded.
---
Inside stood Councilor Dregvari, robes swirling, voice booming from four mouths that weren't his.
"You break protocol. You destroy order. You are… noise."
"I'm a bard," Aria deadpanned.
I stepped forward, rapier gleaming, eyes lit with light.
"Kuroblade."
"Yes?"
"Time to remind them why we don't travel together."
"I am already writing the song," he said.
"Wait, what?" Aria blinked.
Then we charged.