THE GOBLIN LORD STOOD LIKE A KING AMONG CORPSES, ITS COLD RED EYES FIXED ON RYUJIN.
WITH A SINGLE GESTURE, THE TWO GOBLIN CHAMPIONS CHARGED FORWARD, THEIR MASSIVE BODIES RUMBLING THE GROUND.
RYUJIN DODGED THE FIRST STRIKE AND SWUNG HIS KATANA AT ONE OF THEM—
CLANG!
THE BLADE BOUNCED OFF ITS HARDENED SKIN LIKE IT WAS METAL.
"TCH… IT'S NOT CUTTING!"
USING HIS SPEED, RYUJIN TARGETED THE SAME SPOT AGAIN AND AGAIN.
FINALLY, ONE CHAMPION LET OUT A PIERCING SCREAM AND COLLAPSED.
BUT THE SECOND ONE STRUCK HIM WITH A DEVASTATING PUNCH.
THUD!
RYUJIN CRASHED INTO THE WALL, BLOOD SPILLING FROM HIS MOUTH.
HIS BREATH WAS SHALLOW.
"I… I CAN'T DIE HERE… OR MY REVENGE…"
HE FORCED HIMSELF TO STAND.
THE FIGHT RAGED ON, EACH SWING HEAVIER THAN THE LAST.
INCH BY INCH, WOUND BY WOUND, HE CUT THEM DOWN UNTIL THE LAST CHAMPION FINALLY FELL.
THE GOBLIN LORD MOVES
RYUJIN LOOKED UP AND SAW THE GOBLIN LORD STANDING THERE—UNMOVED, UNCARING, AS IF IT WAS WATCHING A SHOW.
SUDDENLY, IT VANISHED AND REAPPEARED IN FRONT OF HIM.
BOOM!
A POWERFUL PUNCH SENT RYUJIN FLYING, SLAMMING HIM INTO THE STONE FLOOR.
HE COULD BARELY MOVE. BLOOD POURED FROM HIS LIPS.
HIS VISION BLURRED AS THE LORD LAUGHED MOCKINGLY.
"DAMN… DAMN IT ALL…!"
MEMORIES FLOODED BACK—HIS FAMILY, THEIR SCREAMS, THE BLOOD.
TEARS OF PURE HATRED RAN DOWN HIS FACE AS DARKNESS CONSUMED HIM.
HIS BODY WENT STILL. UNCONSCIOUS.
THE ASCENT OF DARKNESS
THE GOBLIN LORD LAUGHED LOUDER, WALKING TOWARD HIS MOTIONLESS BODY TO EAT HIM ALIVE.
SUDDENLY, BLACK SMOKE ERUPTED FROM RYUJIN'S BODY, SPINNING VIOLENTLY AROUND HIM.
STARTLED, THE LORD PICKED UP A MASSIVE BOULDER AND HURLED IT AT HIM.
CRACK!
THE BOULDER SPLIT INTO TWO BEFORE IT COULD TOUCH HIM, FALLING HARMLESSLY TO THE GROUND.
AS THE SMOKE CLEARED, RYUJIN STOOD AGAIN.
HIS EYES WERE PURE BLACK.
HIS PRESENCE… INHUMAN.
THE NEXT MOMENT—
SLASH!
THE GOBLIN LORD SCREAMED AS ONE OF ITS LEGS WAS SEVERED.
IT FELL TO THE GROUND, LOOKING BACK TO SEE RYUJIN SMILING DARKLY BEHIND IT.
BEFORE IT COULD ATTACK, BOTH OF ITS ARMS WERE CUT OFF IN A SINGLE BLUR.
THE END OF THE LORD
FOR THE FIRST TIME, FEAR FILLED THE LORD'S EYES.
IT KNEW IT COULDN'T WIN.
TREMBLING, IT FELL TO ITS KNEES, BEGGING FOR ITS LIFE IN ITS GUTTERAL LANGUAGE.
RYUJIN WALKED SLOWLY TOWARD IT, HIS BLACK EYES LOCKED ON HIS PREY.
HIS SMILE GREW WIDER.
SLASH!
THE GOBLIN LORD'S HEAD ROLLED ACROSS THE CAVE FLOOR.
HIS EYES RETURNED TO NORMAL…
AND THEN RYUJIN COLLAPSED, COMPLETELY DRAINED.