Hell has been unleashed on Arcadia.
Moments ago, the streets were filled with the quiet rhythm of a peaceful afternoon. Now they run red. The great portal above spews wave after wave of demons, their numbers endless, their hunger insatiable.
They flood the streets, devouring the innocent, tearing children apart. Women are defiled before the eyes of husbands and fathers who are held down, forced to watch before being slaughtered themselves. The city has become a butcher's yard.
The Gaióthrauste swings its massive club, sending chunks of shattered stone crashing into buildings. One blow hurls a boulder the size of a carriage into the town hall, ripping away an entire wing of its marble glory.
Atop the ruined building, a hulking figure laughs.
"Woah, haha! Careful there, don't hit me! I'm on your side, after all~"
On the marble steps below, Admetus sits motionless, Khnouphis' lifeless face cradled in his arms. His friend's last breaths had been full of pain, and an inexplicable apology.
"Why… did you apologize?" Admetus whispers. "I'll never know…"
He lays the body gently down and rises, his eyes locking on the smug figure above.
The demon notices. "Oh? Finished with your mourning?"
Admetus says nothing. He draws his sword in one deliberate motion, the steel catching the light, and points it directly at the creature. The nearby guards, huddled by the columns, freeze at the sight of such defiance.
"You filth…" Admetus' voice trembles with rage. "I WILL ERASE YOUR EXISTENCE!"
The demon blinks, then throws back his head and roars with laughter.
"Ahahaha! Big talk, human. Let's see you try."
He plants one foot forward and leaps from the rooftop. His landing shatters the marble beneath, sending shards of stone whipping through the air. Soldiers hiding under the awning are struck down by the flying debris, groaning in pain as they scatter. Within seconds, the steps are empty, save for Admetus and the towering figure before him.
The demon straightens, stepping closer until his breath is hot in Admetus' face. Twice his height, his body radiates brute strength. He doesn't need a weapon, his hands could crush a skull with ease. Still, Admetus stands his ground, blade unwavering.
Up close, the monster's features are clearer.
Horns curve from his skull like those of an African bull. Short, coarse hair runs along the ridge of his head. His crimson armor reeks, blood-soaked for so long it has become part of the metal. Black, scaled skin stretches over a frame like a dragon's hide; his blazing red eyes glare down with animal hunger. Rings pierce his ears, nose, and lips, each glinting with gold. The stench is overwhelming, enough to make most men faint.
The demon's gaze drops to Admetus' bright red chestplate.
"You must be someone important."
"Fascinating," Admetus replies coldly. "That something as low as you can speak. My identity isn't worth your existence."
"Hah! A compliment!" The demon chuckles, scratching the back of his head mockingly. Then, with a sharp movement, he pulls a massive spear from his back, holding it easily in one hand.
"As for your identity, it won't matter. When I'm done, your carcass will be unrecognizable." His lips curl back, revealing animal fangs stained a deep, wet crimson.
"As for mine… I am Zir, one of the six generals of my lord, Aeonoch."
Admetus shifts his stance, sword ready.
"I don't care."
The demon kept grinning, waiting for the man to strike. A tense moment passed as both held their breath, and then!
Admetus charged forward with lightning speed, his agility proving why he is the general of the sacred city of Arcadia. Zir's eyes widened at the sudden burst of speed, but he narrowly dodged the piercing strike aimed straight at his heart. In a blur, the two switched places, Admetus now stood in front of the town hall.
Zir chuckled, not out of mockery but excitement.
"Hehehe… finally, some fun. It was getting boring. I'd like to see you writhe—"
Before he could finish, Admetus lunged again. This time his blade drove into the demon's stomach.
"Stop talking," he said coldly, pure disdain in his voice.
But the tip only scratched the scales, Zir's skin was as hard as stone.
It took Zir a moment to process what had happened. The fact that a weapon so frail had touched his body seemed to infuriate him. His grin widened, his eyes darkened. In a flash, he seized Admetus' arm in his massive hand.
"Oh, now I'm starting to have fun!" he bellowed, and hurled him through the air toward the base of the stairs.
The sheer velocity made Admetus' head throb. He remained airborne for what felt like a long moment before bracing himself, curling his body and angling his armor downward in a last-second decision. He crashed onto the marble steps, his armor clanging against the stone, then tumbled to the main road.
Without hesitating, he forced himself back to his feet, shaking off the impact. But dizziness set in. Zir closed the gap in seconds, barreling down the stairs and slamming his right shoulder directly into Admetus's chestplate.
The blow sent him flying again, this time with even greater force. His body tore through a closed wooden vendor stall, splintering it apart, and continued over the empty fields beyond. At last, he crashed into the grasslands.
"ARGH!" The scream ripped from his throat as pain shot through every nerve in his body.
"You're no match for me," Zir sneered, walking toward him. "Silly how your intellect told you that you could ever defeat me."
He crouched beside the fallen general.
"…and that, in my opinion, is far more fascinating."
Admetus glared up at him, rage making his eyes tremble. The agony only made his jaw clench harder.
"Haha… I love seeing your kind struggle in pain. It's far more entertaining than ending you in one blow."
Admetus gripped his sword tighter. His voice began as a whisper, then rose into a thunderous shout:
"Evlogíes tou Orésti!"
For an instant, the sword blazed brighter than the sun, blinding the demon.
"What—?"
Before Zir could react, Admetus struck, driving the blade toward his heart. The steel didn't pierce, but a lightning bolt erupted from the hilt, striking the demon's chestplate at the exact moment of contact.
The blast lit up the battlefield, followed by a deafening explosion across the demon's body.
The blast hurled them in opposite directions.
Admetus landed face-down, the world spinning, he had sustained a concussion. Zir was thrown back but crashed to his knees, skidding across the ground until he stopped himself with his left arm. Sparks from the explosion ignited the dry grass, and flames began to creep outward.
Smoke rose from the center of Zir's abdomen. He glanced down, his chestplate was gone, replaced by a gaping hole where it had been. His hardened skin beneath was intact, bearing only shallow scratches. He exhaled slowly.
"Now you're full of surprises…"
With one motion, he tore off the remaining armor, revealing a frame of muscle as thick and dense as tree trunks. His spear had been blasted away, so he reached over his shoulder and drew a second one.
"…but this just keeps getting better!" he roared, his voice carrying to where Admetus lay.
Admetus stirred, vision fractured, the world tilting in every direction.
"Now, we don't have all day," Zir taunted. "I have a city to destroy. Stand up!"
Breathing heavily, Admetus pushed himself upright. Each step drained his strength, each pulse of pain doubling in intensity. He reached for the sword lying beside him, the weapon the demon had dismissed as ordinary. Now it glowed faintly, threads of electricity dancing along its edge.
A divine weapon, huh? Zir thought. Interesting.
"So… you are important after all. That blade destroyed armor crafted by His Majesty Aeonoch."
Admetus, eyes fluttering and body wavering, spat his reply through ragged breaths.
"Like as if… I fucking care…"
The remark sent a tremor of fury through the demon.
"YOU CARCASS!" he roared, charging forward, spear leveled at Admetus's heart.
Admetus planted his feet, gripping his sword with both hands. He focused everything he had left into a single chant:
"Theía Oxýtēs!"
Light surged from the blade. In the instant Zir's spear closed in, Admetus swung, time itself seemed to slow. The sword sliced through the weapon like warm bread, the spear's shaft falling away in two clean halves. He stepped to the right, and the world snapped back to its normal pace.
Zir stared in disbelief at the ruined weapon, then pain exploded through his hands. His fingers burst open in a spray of blood. With a guttural groan, he dropped what was left of the spear.
"Urgh!"
The demon's blood was not red, it shimmered with a sickly golden hue, unsettling to the eye. A color beyond description, yet instantly repulsive.
Barely clinging to consciousness, Admetus rasped,
"Having… fun?"
Zir groaned through clenched teeth.
"That's the taste of divinity," Admetus went on, his smirk breaking through the exhaustion etched across his face. "Pretty sure… you've never felt it before…"
The words ignited something far darker than anger. Zir's groans deepened into guttural growls. His flesh began to writhe as if alive, shifting and pulsing in unnatural ways. Muscles swelled, bones stretched, and his towering form grew into something monumental, now four times Admetus's height.
Admetus watched the transformation, jaw slack. Then, despite himself, he let out a short, bitter chuckle.
"So… it just keeps getting worse, huh?"