A thunderous roar tore through the cavern, shaking loose dust from the ceiling as the massive figure surged forward. The Blood Lord moved like a blur, its speed so overwhelming that it left streaks of afterimages in the dim light. In less than a heartbeat, it closed the distance and appeared directly in front of Meles.
The children screamed.
A massive hand, tipped with long, grotesque claws, lashed out toward her throat. The air itself seemed to tear under the force of the strike, the killing intent so thick it was suffocating.
At the last possible second, a shout exploded from the tunnel entrance.
"Monster—try some light!"
A figure burst into the hall, sprinting forward with an ultraviolet lamp raised high. Without slowing, he hurled a spherical device straight at the Blood Lord.
The object detonated midair.
Blinding violet light erupted outward like a miniature sun, flooding the cavern with harsh ultraviolet brilliance. Every shadow was ripped apart, every detail exposed under the violent glow.
"ROAR!"
The Blood Lord howled in agony. Its scarlet eyes began to bleed as thick black smoke poured from every part of its body touched by the light. The sound it made was no longer controlled—it was raw, primal pain.
The wind from its halted strike whipped past Meles's face, close enough that she could feel the heat and stench of it. The flesh thorn that had been about to pierce her throat slammed into the ground beside her instead, missing by inches.
The force knocked her and several children to the floor.
The Blood Lord recoiled violently, its massive frame curling inward as the ultraviolet light burned into it. In the next instant, it twisted into motion again, retreating in a blur back toward the blood pool.
Splash!
Dark red liquid exploded outward as its body plunged beneath the surface, vanishing into the depths in an instant.
Gus didn't waste time.
The moment he saw the opening, he charged forward, pulling another ultraviolet explosive sphere from his bag. His fingers tightened around the trigger as he prepared to throw it into the pool and finish the job.
He never got the chance.
A blur shot out from the side.
Something slammed into him with terrifying force, sending his body flying backward. Before he even hit the ground, a blood-soaked flesh thorn lashed toward him, aiming straight for his neck.
Gus reacted purely on instinct.
He dropped flat, his body twisting as the attack barely skimmed past him. The tip of the flesh thorn tore through the air where his throat had been a split second earlier.
"ROAR!"
Eichorst staggered into view, his face grotesquely split as multiple fleshy tendrils burst from his mouth. They whipped through the air with sickening speed, each one moving like a living weapon.
Gus didn't hesitate.
He yanked the ultraviolet shield from his back and slammed it forward. The device activated instantly, releasing a protective field of violet light just as the flesh thorns crashed into it.
The impact was brutal.
Gus's entire body was thrown backward, the force driving the air from his lungs. Even with the shield, the strength behind the attack was monstrous.
Eichorst fared no better.
The tips of his flesh thorns sizzled under the ultraviolet light, blackening and burning as he recoiled with a guttural scream. He clutched his mouth, his throat producing wet, animalistic sounds as pain tore through him.
"Gus…" Eichorst rasped, his voice twisted with rage and agony. "You've got nerve. Have you forgotten your mother is still in the hospital?"
Gus's expression hardened.
He didn't answer.
Instead, he turned toward Meles, who was still frozen in place, surrounded by terrified children. Her entire body trembled, her mind struggling to process what she had just witnessed. The image of that massive flesh thorn—thick as a man's leg—was burned into her vision.
"Move!" Gus barked. "Get them out of here!"
His voice snapped her back to reality.
"Y-Yes… yes!" she stammered, scrambling to her feet. Her hands shook as she grabbed the nearest child, pulling them close. "Everyone, stay together! We're leaving now!"
The children clung to her, crying and stumbling as she guided them toward the exit.
Another roar erupted behind them.
The ground trembled.
Even Gus felt it this time, a deep, instinctive fear clawing at his chest. The sheer power behind that sound wasn't something he could ignore—it was something ancient, something far beyond anything he had ever faced.
Then the blood pool exploded again.
A towering figure surged out, red liquid cascading from its body as it launched straight toward the fleeing children. The speed was even greater this time, its hunger no longer restrained.
Gus's eyes widened.
Without thinking, he ripped another ultraviolet explosive from his bag and hurled it toward the children's path. The device burst open in a flash of violet light, forcing the Blood Lord to recoil for a fraction of a second.
That was all the time Gus needed.
He gritted his teeth and charged forward, raising the ultraviolet shield as he rushed directly at the monster.
For a moment, it worked.
The Blood Lord flinched under the light, its movement disrupted just enough to break its charge. Gus let out a breath, relief flickering across his face—
Then everything went wrong.
A shadow blurred toward him.
Before he could react, the Blood Lord was already in front of him. Its body moved faster than his eyes could track, and a thick flesh thorn shot forward, aiming straight for his face.
It had been targeting him all along.
Gus's body locked.
The attack was too fast.
He couldn't move in time.
Just as the flesh thorn was about to tear into him, a wave of searing heat blasted across the battlefield.
A rocket screamed through the air.
The explosion hit the Blood Lord head-on.
Fire and force erupted simultaneously, slamming into its body and sending it crashing backward. The shockwave knocked Gus off his feet, the heat washing over him as he hit the ground hard.
At the tunnel entrance, Locke lowered the rocket launcher from his shoulder.
Without a second glance, he tossed the empty launcher aside and stepped forward. His figure blurred as he moved, passing Meles and the children in an instant before closing the distance to Gus.
His speed was terrifying.
Even if it hadn't reached the level of the Blood Lord, it was no longer something a normal human could comprehend.
Gus stared at him, stunned.
Locke didn't slow.
He grabbed Gus by the collar and yanked him backward, placing himself between him and the monster. His eyes locked onto the Blood Lord, which was still writhing under the lingering ultraviolet light.
"Who are you?" the creature roared, its voice shaking the cavern.
Locke didn't answer immediately.
He flicked on the ultraviolet searchlight mounted to his head, bathing the Blood Lord in a focused beam. The monster shrank slightly under the exposure, its massive form curling inward beneath the black robe soaked in blood.
Then Locke spoke.
"Nice to meet you," he said calmly. "I'm Locke."
The response was immediate.
A cluster of flesh thorns shot out from the side, aiming straight for him. The attack was sudden, vicious—but a streak of silver cut through the air before it could land.
A blade flashed.
"AAARGH!"
Eichorst collapsed with a scream, clutching his ruined mouth as the severed flesh thorns writhed on the ground.
"Silver…" he rasped in agony.
Locke flicked his wrist, the sword tracing a clean arc as he shook the blood from its edge. His eyes narrowed slightly as he noticed something within the droplets—tiny, wriggling forms mixed with the dark liquid.
Worms.
His grip tightened.
In the next instant, the sword shot forward like lightning, piercing straight through the Blood Lord's body just as it began to move again.
"ROAR!"
The creature howled, its entire form convulsing as the blade pinned it in place.
Locke stepped forward.
He ignored Eichorst's screams completely.
Under Gus's stunned gaze, he walked up to the trembling monster and raised his hand.
"Deprivation."
Invisible energy surged outward.
The Blood Lord roared again, the sound more feral this time, shaking the cavern as the process began.
"It was you!"
The creature's voice twisted with recognition.
In the next instant, its black robe exploded outward. A massive hand shot forward, slamming toward Locke's chest with brutal force.
But Locke was ready.
He twisted his body sideways, narrowly avoiding the strike, and drove a punch into the Blood Lord's chest. The impact landed clean and heavy, followed instantly by a second attack.
A kick.
Fast.
Precise.
Devastating.
The blow slammed into the creature's abdomen, sending its massive body flying backward across the cavern.
For a fraction of a second, everything froze.
Then the Blood Lord moved again.
Its body blurred into a shadow, vanishing from Locke's sight. A chill ran down his spine as he reacted instinctively, stepping in front of Gus to block the incoming attack.
But the shadow didn't strike him.
It passed him.
By the time Locke turned, it was already over.
The Blood Lord had seized Eichorst.
A black blur swallowed them both as they retreated into the depths of the tunnel, disappearing into the darkness beyond.
Silence followed.
Locke exhaled slowly, his hand tightening slightly as he watched the empty passage.
"Don't chase," he said, grabbing Gus before he could move.
His gaze lingered on the darkness ahead.
That path led into New York's underground sewer network.
And now… it belonged to the monsters.