Slaygon's labored breaths echoed in the cavern, a tumultuous battleground filled with chaos and destruction. The grotesque fusion of the Cherufe, Kelpie, and Headless Knight remained defiant, seemingly impervious to the mayhem that surrounded it. Hellfire danced and writhed around, casting eerie shadows across the scorched landscape.

 

Slaygon, his form in tatters, stood as a testament to the brutal battle that had unfolded. One of his wings hung limp, tattered, and useless. Blood oozed from a deep gash on his side, a vivid reminder of his desperate struggle. It was evident that he had given his all in this fierce encounter.

 

Clicking his tongue in a begrudging acknowledgment of his defeat, Slaygon looked to an option he had once detested but now had no choice but to embrace

 

“Fine!”

 

he growled, his voice dripping with bitterness and a begrudging acceptance of his vulnerability. 

 

“I need your help brother!”

As the words left his lips, a pulsating magic circle erupted on the cavern's floor. From its radiant glow emerged another demon, his features strikingly humanoid. His skin, a deep, alluring shade of darkness, framed chiseled facial features. Suave black hair, immaculately styled, was swept back from his broad forehead. A pair of elegantly curved horns adorned his head, a testament to his demonic heritage.

 

“Brother, I was in the middle of the most exquisite meal I had ever tasted,  this better be something important.”

 

The newcomer strolled nonchalantly to his brother's side, his aura radiating an air of arrogance and confidence. He wasn't one to be easily swayed or hurried, even in the face of a desperate plea.

 

“Slaygor, look out!”

 

Slaygon's voice quivered with urgency as he attempted to warn his brother, but time seemed to conspire against them.

 

Slaygon tried to warn his brother but the giant creature had already swung its massive arm with an uncanny speed. 

 

The colossal creature before them swung its gargantuan arm with uncanny speed, its intent clear - to obliterate everything in its path. It was a relentless force of nature, a nightmarish amalgamation of nightmares, and it showed no mercy.

 

Yet, to Slaygon's astonishment, it was his brother, Slaygor, who intercepted the devastating blow. With sheer physical might that left Slaygon wide-eyed, Slaygor defied the monstrous creature's overwhelming force.

 

“Since I ate that phantom, my power has been boiling.”

 

Slaygor boasted, his smirk embodying the unbridled confidence of a demon embracing his rekindled might.

 

[Boom!]

 

With another thunderous swing, Slaygor unleashed a bone-shattering punch upon the Headless Knight, the colossal creature that had once seemed unbeatable. It staggered under the relentless assault, its massive frame momentarily lifted off the ground by the sheer force of the blow.

 

Slaygor flexed his brawny fists, savoring the sensation of raw power surging through his veins. 

 

“It’s been decades since I felt this powerful.”

 

Slaygor followed up at the Headless Knight that was still stumbling with another powerful fist. 

 

[Boom!]

 

“I’m almost at my original power.”

 

[Boom!]

 

Another fist landed on the knight and the massive creature buckled over vomiting up chucks of water and stone. 

 

Yet the Headless Knight, realizing the futility of its existence, struggled to find an escape route amidst the carnage. Slaygor, however, had no intention of granting it reprieve.

 

“Come on, that was just testing my Physical abilities, let’s see how you do against my skills.”

 

"Come now, I've merely been testing my physical prowess. Let's see how you fare against my skills," Slaygor taunted, raising a single finger and directing it with malicious intent at the beleaguered foe.

 

‘Desolate Blast’

 

In the blink of an eye, a beam of dark light consumed the Headless Knight. Its anguished roars reverberated throughout the cavern as darkness devoured it whole. The dungeon itself trembled, its walls crumbling under the force of the destructive beam, triggering a massive quake within its depths.

 

When the cataclysmic energy finally subsided, there remained nothing of the Headless Knight but a shattered memory. Slaygor nonchalantly brushed his hands together, gazing upon the aftermath of his unforgiving display of power.

 

“Little brother,” 

 

he said, his voice carrying a mix of concern and condescension,

 

“as a fellow senior demon it truly is a disappointment to see how weak you’ve grown.”

 

Slaygor looked at his injured brother with eyes of concern. 

 

It had been several years since they could last exhibit this much power but it was a feeling that was as familiar as breathing. 

 

—-

Meanwhile, Bliss observed the dramatic showdown with wide eyes, his initial impression of the demons as harmless creatures shattering before him. As the senior demons triumphed over the mutated Headless Knight, he realized that demons were not so different from humans after all. Their innate strength, amplified by ancient power, made them even deadlier adversaries.

As the mutated Headless Knight crumbled to defeat, a flurry of notifications danced before Bliss's eyes.

 

[You have successfully defended your dungeon +1 Dungeon leader slot]

 

[You have slain a Mutated Summoned Beast +2500 EXP]

 

[Congratulations! You have leveled up]

 

[The spirits of three summoned beasts have been trapped within your dungeon. You can pay souls to restore them as your own dungeon creatures.]

 

Bliss couldn't help but smile, his understanding of the path ahead deepening.