Neptune was jolted awake by a sharp pain in his neck. He slowly opened his eyes, surrounded by darkness.
His heart stopped as he felt a cold breath against his skin.
"Arghh!" Neptune swung his fist toward the source of the icy breath. The figure quickly leapt back. Pain flared in his neck where he'd been bitten. He touched the bleeding wound, then jumped up and staggered away.
"What…?" a sleepy voice mumbled.
"Did you just bite me?!" Neptune shouted, glaring at Astariel in confusion.
"I was sleeping… what are you talking about?" she muttered.Neptune looked to his right—Astariel was still lying on the ground a few meters away. Then he turned back toward the darkness.
If that wasn't Astariel…
He tried to summon Crownbreaker out of reflex, but it didn't respond.
"There's someone else in our cell!" Neptune gritted his teeth and pressed his hand to the bleeding wound. The pain made his head spin.
Astariel stood up, rubbing her eyes."Who are you?!" she called into the dark, stepping forward.
The thing didn't answer. It simply vanished into the shadows. Astariel looked around, fists raised.
"That thing bit me! Who the hell was that?!" Neptune growled.
The bite still burned, and a heavy dizziness washed over him. He could only hope it hadn't poisoned him.
"I don't know," Astariel said, her expression tightening. "Probably a stray Corrupted Creature."
Then it appeared again—standing at the metal door not far from them. Both of them focused on it. The silhouette looked human.Then it tilted its head to the side—too far.
Crack.
The sound echoed through the cell.
Neptune's eyes widened at the grotesque movement. The next instant, the figure dashed toward Astariel with inhuman speed.She reacted instantly, swinging her leg up in a powerful kick aimed at its head.
The creature swerved sideways mid-dash, narrowly avoiding her strike. Neptune lunged forward to help, but the creature was far faster—it slammed a fist into Astariel's stomach, sending her flying into the iron bars. She let out a pained cry and coughed blood.
Neptune was already in front of the creature and threw a punch at its face. It ducked at the last moment, and his fist struck the bars instead.
The hunched creature drove a blow into Neptune's gut, sending him crashing backward. His head hit the bars hard, and the world spun.
As it lunged again to finish him, Astariel appeared beside it. Her fingers had turned into long, dagger-like claws made of shadow. She slashed across the creature's torso, splattering dark red blood onto the floor.
It screamed—a high, distorted, almost human sound—and vanished into the darkness.
"Neptune, you alright?" Astariel asked, wiping the blood from her mouth.He slowly pushed himself up from the ground."Don't worry. It's gone. I can't feel its presence anymore."
"I'm fine… no bones broken."
He was dizzy, but conscious. Still, the wound on his neck wouldn't stop bleeding. The blood loss made his mind foggy.
"The spot where it bit me—it won't stop bleeding," he muttered weakly.
"Let me see." She swiftly approached him and leaned close to his neck. She sniffed the wound… and then licked it.
Neptune froze. "Did—did you just—?!"
Astariel stepped back calmly, scanning the cell. "I closed your wound."
He touched the spot, and sure enough, the bleeding had stopped completely.
"Probably one of her weird vampire tricks…" he thought, still baffled.
Strange growls and distant screams echoed through the dark corridors.
"That thing probably escaped," Astariel said quietly, her crimson eyes glinting. "It's roaming in the darkness now. Stay alert—it's an Abomination. Its power seems tied to the dark."
Neptune wiped the dried blood from his nose. Three Soul Vessels—that meant it was just like the massive creature that dragged them into the arena. Without Astariel, he'd already be dead.
Somewhere in the distance, fighting and screaming broke out. Something—or someone—was battling the monster. Both Neptune and Astariel sat back against the cold metal bars. They needed rest before the next round began.
After what felt like hours, the noises faded. Silence returned—heavy and suffocating. The pain in Neptune's neck eased, and even his broken nose began to throb less.
Neptune and Astariel were awakened by the echo of footsteps approaching through the dark. Both tensed and stood, fists raised.
The steps grew louder.The metal door slammed open—and the towering silhouette of the Abomination appeared.
Neptune didn't know how long it had been since the last fight, but he knew instantly: it was his turn again.
"Go to hell, bastard," he thought bitterly.
The creature stared down at him, its gaze like a blade cutting straight through his soul. Neptune met its eyes and didn't flinch.
It raised its arm, and the familiar chain shot forward, wrapping tightly around his neck.
His turn.
"Good luck," Astariel said with a faint smirk. "Try not to die."
The chain constricted painfully as Neptune nodded once. He was dragged out of the cell, swallowed by the blackness once again.
He couldn't see anything. Only the sound of dragging chains and his own heartbeat.
After a while, another metal door opened—and he was thrown inside. Before him stood the massive wooden gate leading to the arena.
Muffled cheers seeped through from the other side, and cold sweat trickled down his face.Now, only luck could save him.
If it was another Demon, he might survive. But if it was an Abomination again…
Adrenaline surged through his veins as the gate creaked open. Sunlight poured in, blinding him.
Neptune stepped into the arena. The roar of the crowd hit him like thunder. When his eyes adjusted, he saw the familiar walls of blood-stained metal towering around him. The sandy ground was splattered with crimson and black.
He looked across to the opposite gate. It began to open.
A dark silhouette stepped forward—its entire body shrouded in shadow, head tilted at an impossible angle. Fog drifted from its form.
Neptune's face went pale.
It was the same Abomination he and Astariel had fought in the cell.