The thunderous sounds of explosions reverberated through the desolate buildings, while a large column of smoke rose like a harbinger of the chaos that was about to unfold.
The street was filled with the imminent tension of the unknown.
Cephal, sensing Azrakthar's temporary distraction, stepped up his attacks. Each stroke of his blade was like a flash of cutting steel, a chaotic and coordinated dance with the demonic wolf.
Azrakthar, despite his injuries, had the endurance of a relentless demon. His scythe was an extension of his will, shredding space with ferocious dexterity.
Every onslaught from Cephal and his wolf was counterbalanced by Azrakthar's diabolical skill, creating a tumultuous symphony of metal and magic.
As the battle raged under the first rays of morning light, the conversation between Kaizen and Delgron continued as a verbal counterpoint to the physical storm.
The demon, despite his pain, responded sarcastically to Kaizen's pragmatic proposal. "You really are naive, Psyker. Do you think you can try to negotiate with demons?" asked Delgron, coughing up blood.
Kaizen remained unperturbed. "It's not about naivety, it's about optimism. If there is a solution that avoids further bloodshed, why not explore it?"
Og'tharoz kept his eyes fixed on Delgron and Kaizen. He knew more than anyone that demons couldn't be trusted, so he couldn't trust such a utopian solution as Kaizen proposed, but if there was a possibility of a solution like this, it was certainly for the best. Kaizen was right to at least try.
Delgron laughed at Kaizen's response, a hoarse laugh echoing in the devastated street. "You have such a limited view of what's at stake. Our plans go beyond this battle, beyond what you can comprehend. We don't just want to fulfill a contract, otherwise we wouldn't have put all our greatest forces on the front line like this."
Kaizen, losing patience, stood up and extended his right palm towards Delgron. "Stop talking in riddles and tell me what your game is, demon. Or would you rather keep fighting until you're all dead? After that, it'll be one step for hell to break loose."
Delgron's smile disappeared. "Your optimism is pathetic, but since you're so eager for answers, I'll let you in on a secret: demon contracts are always win-win, but the more they demand, the more we want, and to get the strength of the nine strongest demons, you need more than the millions of souls of..."
Delgron's reply was interrupted by the distant sound of an explosion. All eyes turned to the source of the noise, where a colossal figure was rising from a large cloud of smoke near the center of the city. A winged entity, engulfed in black flames, which cast an aura of destruction, and on its chest there was clearly someone engulfed in all that flame.
Azrakthar, in a hoarse voice, cut through the air. "AHAHHAA! A spectre of Belial! That's what I'm talking about!"
"What? Belial?" Og'tharoz opened his eyes wide in surprise, staring at the spirit.
"Belial!" rang out Azrakthar's hoarse voice, echoing like distant thunder. His eyes flashed with excitement.
Before Azrakthar could draw attention to this great creature that had appeared in the center of the city, Cephal grabbed his head and sank to the ground with all his might, taking advantage of his moment of distraction.
Kaizen did almost the same when Delgron tried to get up. He used <Psychokinesis> to sink the demon into the ground and immobilize it.
If they managed to summon that giant thing to where they were, considering the size of the creature made of flames, few of the players present would be able to resist for more than a minute without dying.
The crash of Azrakthar's head against the ground was followed by a brief moment of tense silence. Cephal, gasping for breath, looked around, quickly assessing the situation.
Kaizen kept his psychokinesis firmly on Delgron, who, even immobilized, displayed a sardonic smile, as if he were aware of something the others didn't know.
Meanwhile, the imposing figure of Belial shadowed the city, his black wings beating with a sinister cadence. The fire surrounding him cast distorted shadows over the burnt wreckage.
Cephal stood up, keeping his eyes fixed on the winged monstrosity. "That thing in the center... it's dangerous.
Kaizen nodded and turned to Og'tharoz. "Do you know who the hell Belial is?"
The demon Og'tharoz, observing the scene with his piercing eyes, muttered: "He's younger than me, not of my generation like Azrakthar is, but if these two guys
Cephal, Kaizen and Og'tharoz shared a determined look in the monster's direction.
Meanwhile, Delgron, still in Kaizen's grip, began to laugh mysteriously. "You mortal fools run from one danger to another, without realizing that you're just pawns in a much bigger game."
Kaizen tightened his psychokinesis, putting momentary pressure on Delgron. "If you have information that can help us, you'd better speak now, before I kill you."
The demon let out a hoarse laugh. "Do you think you can stop the rise of Surtr? Belial is only the beginning. The cycle has already begun, and nothing can stop it now."
Before Kaizen could get any more information, a deafening roar echoed through the skies again, and Belial was somehow getting even bigger. This was very dangerous for the players and it was all much more alarming than they had expected, as they were running out of time and had no prospect of victory.
So, in the midst of this chaos that was beginning to spread, Kaizen gritted his teeth and then took a deep breath. He opened his eyes and whispered to himself:
"In the end, everything fell into place at the perfect moment. Could this be what Charles Richards wanted? Did he somehow know all this would happen and was preparing me?" Kaizen smiled with the corner of his mouth. "Argh... It doesn't matter anymore, I'm going to fulfill the request anyway now... Delgron, if you're no longer useful for anything and you're weakened, you'll at least serve as fuel for me to become an Evolved."