Axion dangled from the haft of his axe plunged into the giant demon’s skull, his grip tentatively slipping. In a panic, he filled his mana tattoos with power and braced his legs against the demon's grotesque face. With a mighty roar, he pulled the axe free and leapt away in a spurt of rancid blood.

Tahlea's invisible spell struck a moment after Axion cleared the path, splitting the gaping wound wider. The elite demon reared back with a howl of pain, clutching at its now-empty eye socket. Axion’s muscles bulged as he mercilessly swung his great axe into the colossal demon’s ankle, the edge biting in deep.

The demon reacted with unbelievable speed, dropping to its knee while punching down on Axion. He dumbfoundedly looked up without time to respond, getting crushed underneath accompanied by the sound of breaking bones. The demon retrieved its fist from the crater it had formed as it stretched to its towering height.

Dink couldn’t see any sign of movement from within the dark pit. He could detect the metallic scent of blood. Dink’s ear twitched after hearing the sound of liquid dripping onto stone. Shifting his gaze to investigate, he watched a drop of blood slowly fall from the demon’s fist to disappear into the deep crater. His entire demeanour changed in an instant.

“You shouldn’t have done that,” Dink said through bared fangs. He tightened his grip on the dragon sword.

“Hahaha, mortal creatures such as yourselves should be honoured to fall under my hands. Your souls will be acceptable additions to my collection. An Expert realm Goblin should fetch a high price,” The demon chuckled in response while cracking its knuckles in its other hand. Its voice grated like nails on a chalkboard.

“You overestimate yourself. Soon, you will regret your decision to accept your master's call to stand in my way. It’s not wise to harm my friends,” Dink replied with a sneer.

He silently activated a second forbidden technique, the mana emitting an azure glow from his eyes. Subtle waves of raw energy pulsed through his flesh, leaving behind a sheen over the surface of his skin.

“I serve no master. The Soulweaver offered the promise of intact virgin souls. I can smell many have been recently desecrated in this place. A pity. Oh well, there are still more,” the demon responded, turning its ruined gaze toward Estra at the top of the staircase.

“My apologies, that one has also been claimed by me. I was simply going to exorcise you and send you back to Hell. But now I’ve changed my mind, your head is mine,” Dink sinisterly said.

He placed the dragon sword on his shoulder. He reached out toward the elite demon with a clawed hand. Shadows contorted from the hidden recesses of the room to circle his wrist and then flow into his skin. It slowly corroded away his flesh, sending black particles floating into the air, encompassing his entire body.

The elite demon finally detected the threat being posed and decided to act. It moved with supernatural speed to strike Dink across the inner sanctum. He heavily slammed into the wall. A cloud of dust and rock exploded from the shock of the impact. The demon crouched forward and roared in a challenge, causing the room to vibrate in protest. Large rocks fell from the ceiling

A figure calmly emerged from the clearing dust. It casually kicked aside a fallen boulder blocking its path. The rock flew with unerring accuracy into the demon’s open mouth, replacing the roar with the sound of choking. The enormous demon clutched at its throat, retreating from Dink walking toward it. His appearance was obscured by wisps of azure light blanketing his body, leaving only a black silhouette.

“My turn,” Dink calmly stated, abruptly tilting his head sideways. His voice echoed with eerie whispers.

He effortlessly raised the huge dragon sword dragging behind him. The movement was disjointed and unnatural, disappearing in places. He stepped forward. Before the demon could react, Dink was in front of it, the blade of his sword cutting deep into its chest. It fell backward, but Dink was already there slashing across its back.

“Master realm! How?” The elite demon cried out in denial. It twisted in an attempt to track Dink’s position.

Everywhere the giant demon looked, it could only catch a glimpse of his shadow before being slashed with a shallow cut. It was quickly doused in rancid blood from thousands of wounds over the surface of its exoskeleton. The loss of blood caused the demon to fall to one knee, panting in exhaustion. It turned one last time to discover the shadowy figure of Dink standing motionless on the staircase in front of it.

“Power is easily obtained by those willing to pay the price,” Dink replied, driving the dragon sword through the demon’s throat. His distorted voice setting off alarm in all who heard it.

“Uck!” Any reply the demon was going to give was prevented by the blade plunged through its neck. Instead, putrid blood gushed from the wound as Dink pulled the sword free.

Flames accompanied by maniacal laughter surged through the demons crowding the room. The injured elite demon’s eyes filled with determination. It threw itself back onto the stairs behind it while twisting in the air. It reached out and clutched a struggling Goblin in its massive hand.

Murkuk screeched in terror, the scent of urine filling the air. It flowed between the demon’s fingers. The demon lifted him with an expression of disgust while pushing itself defiantly to its feet.

“I propose a deal. Allow me to leave and your companions can live,” The elite demon offered. Soldier demons surged uninterrupted through the death gate cavity in the fallen elite demon’s chest, looking to it for orders.

“I don’t think you understand. You're already dead,” Dink retorted while twitching slightly.

The demon’s severed arm crashed to the floor, Murkuk still stuck in its grasp. The stunned giant demon fell back in surprise. It never saw him move.

“So be it. Take them!” The demon roared.

The demon’s final command was cut short by the dragon sword slamming into its neck, decapitating it in a shower of rancid blood.