"ROAR!!!"
The metallic howl ripped through the entire city of Bilgewater, loud enough to drown out even the frenzied bells and shrieking alarms. The Black Mist surged forward with terrifying speed, far faster than any mortal could imagine.
Like a flood, you think it's far away… then in the blink of an eye, it's right in front of you.
Szzz!
A scorching beam of light burst forth like pressurized water from a faucet, slicing straight through the suffocating darkness that engulfed the square. The Black Mist parted like heated butter under a hot knife.
Wherever the beam passed, it left behind glowing trails of seared earth and molten debris.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
A barrage of explosions followed, fire erupting into the sky and tearing countless shanties to pieces. But it also forced the shadowy monsters lurking in the mist to shriek and flee in all directions.
Some of the undead hit directly by the beam burned away instantly, like dandelion fluff catching fire, gone in a blink.
"This big guy's got some real kick!"
Graves grinned as he noticed the destruction caused by the arrogance-blasting light beam. He raised Destiny and fired at a swarm of zombie rats leaping toward him.
BOOM!
Destiny roared, and blazing shrapnel scattered. The lunging rats were instantly blown to pieces, nothing left but chunks.
"Hell yeah!"
Graves took a long drag from his cigar and burst into laughter. A yellow playing card flew past his cheek, striking a lurking rat king hidden in the mist, one that had been creeping up on him unnoticed.
But this wasn't the kind of rat king Duke had encountered before, the sort that could lead its kind like a monarch.
This one was different: an abomination of rats bound together by tangled tails. The cause could be blood, filth, frost, feces, or just some cruel knot of fate.
Once bound, they grow as one.
A single rat king could contain dozens of rats, rare and disturbing enough. But what the Black Mist had created was even worse.
It wasn't natural. The Mist didn't just kill, it corroded flesh, dissolved blood, rotted muscle and bone. It annihilated life.
These rat kings were once ordinary dock rats, fused together the moment death claimed them, grotesque and rotten beyond description.
Even in Bilgewater, where dock rats were already repulsive, these creatures made people gag.
"Die, you disgusting freak!"
Graves fired at the rat king now right in front of him. The deafening shot shattered it into burning, flying bits of ash and bone.
"Graves, could you maybe not enjoy this so much?"
Twisted Fate dodged a tendril of Black Mist trying to wrap around him and flicked a red card into the haze. He sounded clearly annoyed.
"Old pal, you're too uptight! Relax! Let go for once, like that big guy said before!"
Graves tossed aside his used cigar and lit a fresh one against the overheated barrel of his shotgun.
"Let's fight like we mean it!"
"Ugh, I really can't with you..."
Twisted Fate narrowly dodged a charging wraith bride, her rotting wedding dress flapping like shredded silk.
WHIRRR!
A sonic wave blasted the bride into the air. Riven nodded toward the two men with a flash of her white teeth.
"No need to thank me!"
But as soon as she smiled, the wooden boards beneath her feet exploded. A black ghost hand erupted from the hole, grasping at her ankle.
SWISH!
Camille's blade legs, infused with Hextech crystal energy, slashed cleanly through the ghost's grasp. She soared upward, lifted by her grappling hook.
"No chatting during battle, gentlemen!"
"Yes, ma'am!"
Camille disengaged her hook mid-air. Her exosuit activated hover mode, allowing her to scan the battlefield. Her AI projected a full tactical overlay in front of her eyes.
"Scalpel, where's Duke?"
Her AI, which she'd fittingly named Scalpel, responded in its usual tone.
"Madam, Duke is at your three o'clock!"
Camille turned sharply and spotted the red-glowing armor flickering through the thick mist.
"That brat... finally decided to go all out this time!"
She twisted her waist midair, slicing a ghost in half. The spirit screamed and evaporated into ash.
ZAP!
A surge of ultraviolet light exploded outward from in front of Duke, forming a blazing corona that incinerated dozens of undead where they stood.
"Dad, any closer and your UV grenades are going to melt my paint job!"
As Wally's voice rang out, Duke spun, twin legendary pistols, Black Ebony and White Ivory, appearing in his hands as he fired in a deadly arc.
Infused with arcane magic, the legendary guns finally bared their fangs. Bullets tore through Black Mist and monsters alike, shredding them to pieces.
"If your paint gets scorched, we'll just repaint you."
"But if I'm scratched up, the pretty ladies won't like me anymore!"
"Shut it, Wally!"
Duke slid forward, White Ivory vanishing mid-move. In its place, a blast of wind and fire burst from his gauntlet.
Fist-Gun Technique: Full Bombardment!
"Warning: Gauntlet overheating. Elbow piston wear exceeding 15%!"
"Quiet, I've got this!"
The explosive attack surged outward, but Duke's mind remained razor-sharp. He pressed deeper into the Black Mist, getting farther from the safety of Thieves Square.
This was a technique that once, unaided, could punch an entire powder keg explosion back into a ship's hull. Now, with Wally's support, it was even more devastating.
The mist ahead of Duke was obliterated instantly.
But the Black Mist was endless. Clear one patch, and it would slowly gather again, filling in the void.
CLIP-CLOP. CLIP-CLOP...
Suddenly, the sound of hoofbeats echoed in the dark. Duke froze.
He crossed his arms, slipping ten ultraviolet grenades between his fingers. Each ring looped around a finger, ready.
CLICK, CLICK, CLICK...
He yanked all the pins at once. The grenades arced out, landing just five paces ahead.
WHOOSH! WHOOSH! WHOOSH!
Blinding light erupted, flooding the space. As the mist receded, a terrifying silhouette emerged.
A monstrous undead warhorse, the size of a house, now blazed with fire from the UV light. Atop it sat the Dread Knight, green fire dancing in his eyes as he hurled a massive battle-axe at Duke.
"Dad!"
"Trouble!"
Duke tried to retreat, but ghosts surged from behind, pushing against his back, blocking his escape.
"Magitech engine at 150% output!"
With calm resolve, Duke sliced open the void. A pair of Heavy Gauntlets emerged, clamping onto the blue-lit sockets on his arms.
HUMMMM!!
The gauntlets locked into place, energy pouring in from the ports.
"Energy loaded. Bomb Fist charged and ready!"
Wally reported as Duke darted forward, throwing a brutal punch.
CRACK!
The ground beneath him shattered into splinters. The Dread Knight's flaming axe swept toward him, bursting into emerald flame.
When axe met fist, the world seemed to freeze.
Then
BOOOOOM!!!
A thunderous boom shook all of Bilgewater. Everyone in Thieves Square turned to stare at the source.
The wooden floorboards under Duke vaporized in an instant. The fire in the Dread Knight's eyes flared violently. His warhorse reared up to charge.
"Wally. Detonate."
"Yes, Father."
Wally activated the secondary explosion of the Bomb Fist.
A shockwave like a collapsing mountain roared forth. The undead steed shrieked, but it was too late.
The mist around the Dread Knight was shredded. Cracks spread across his entire body like fractured porcelain.
WHOOOSH!
The Knight raised his axe one last time. The steed tried to rear back—
But Duke didn't even look. He turned and vanished into the mist, hovering out of sight.
One breath later
The green fire in the Dread Knight's eyes extinguished.
His body crumbled to ash, swallowed by the Black Mist.
Duke reemerged at Thieves Square. As he landed, all the undead spawned from the mist were already gone.
But for the Black Mist?
This was nothing. A mere drop in the ocean.
RUMBLE... RUMBLE...
Hoofbeats echoed once more.
Everyone turned.
The mist recoiled, retreating like a curtain—and behind it stood dozens of Dread Knights.
"Oh my god!"
A sailor's sonic gun clattered to the ground as he screamed.
"The Dread Cavalry... is here!"
End of chapter...
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