We stepped into the tunnel, and I immediately realized it was far more spacious than it had seemed from the outside—about 20 feet wide and nearly 40 feet high. The air was thick with humidity, clinging to my skin as beads of sweat formed, a mix of warmth and nervous tension. Darkness stretched ahead, broken only by the occasional glimmer of light reflecting off small puddles scattered across the uneven, rocky ground.

  I followed closely behind Aya as we stuck to the right side of the tracks. Her demeanor was calm, almost indifferent, as if this was just another demon to slay. Meanwhile, my pulse pounded in my ears. This was new to me—I had never done anything like this before, and I still had no idea what I was truly capable of.

  We pressed forward, every sudden noise—like the soft drip of water from the ceiling—making the hairs on my neck stand on end. I couldn't shake the unsettling feeling of being watched, a hungry presence drilling into me as we moved through the tunnel. Yet, every time I glanced around, I saw nothing but darkness and the decaying brick walls of the abandoned passage.

  The eerie sensation only intensified with each step. Just as I was about to tell Aya, she suddenly stopped.

  "What's wrong?" I asked, stepping up beside her.

  She sniffed the air, as if searching for something, then tilted her head upward.

  "There," she said, a devilish, hungry grin spreading across her face.

  I followed her gaze, squinting into the darkness, but I saw nothing—just brick and shadow.

  Aya glanced at me, clearly noticing my confusion.

  "Focus your energy into your eyes."

  I tried, but immediately felt resistance—my reserves were nearly depleted, all of my energy being siphoned into the dagger. Taking a deep breath, I closed my eyes, releasing the energy from my hand and pulling it into my vision instead.

  When I opened them, the tunnel transformed. The darkness lifted just enough for me to make out the individual bricks lining the walls, the scattered rocks on the uneven ground. It was like night vision, sharpening every detail.

  Then, I looked up.

  My breath caught in my throat.

  Clinging to the ceiling was a demon—a monstrous centipede the size of a truck, its massive, segmented body covered in a black and red chitinous shell. It gripped the ceiling with countless legs, its grotesque head pointed downward, mandibles spread wide, dripping with a thick, black substance.

  And that's when it hit me.

  I tore my gaze from the creature and looked down, my enhanced vision revealing the truth.

  The puddles scattered across the floor—the ones I had assumed were water—were made of the same viscous black fluid that dripped from the demon's fangs.

  "Ahh, gross!" I yelped, lifting my foot out of the puddle and shaking it off.

  "Hey, don't get that on me, idiot!" Aya snapped, backing away in disgust.

  Before I could respond, the creature released its grip from the ceiling and dropped to the ground with a thunderous crash. Dust and debris scattered from the impact, and I instinctively stepped back as the massive centipede uncoiled itself, its mandibles dripping with thick black fluid.

  Aya wasted no time. She turned to face the creature, sword already drawn, her stance firm and ready.

  In an instant, she was upon it.

  Her blade flashed—so fast I could barely track it, even with my enhanced vision. A sharp, wet slice rang out, and just like that, the centipede's mandibles clattered to the ground, severed cleanly at the base. Green liquid gushed from the wounds as the creature screeched in agony.

  Furious, it spun, whipping its massive tail toward her, but it was too slow.

  Aya leapt over the attack with ease, flipping gracefully midair. As she descended, she slashed downward, her sword tearing through the creature's shell. Another deep gash opened along its back, oozing more of that sickly green blood.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

  She landed without missing a beat, already moving before her feet had even fully touched the ground. What happened next was a blur—Aya dashed around the centipede, striking over and over in a deadly dance. Each slash left a fresh wound, blood spurting from different points every second. I couldn't even keep up with her movements—only the aftermath, the gaping cuts and the desperate, screeching thrashes of the creature as it struggled to hit her.

  It never stood a chance.

  For nearly a minute, Aya carved through it like an artist sculpting her masterpiece, a twisted grin on her face the entire time. The centipede's movements became sluggish, its hisses weaker. Then, with one final gurgling cry, it collapsed onto its side, writhing in agony.

  Aya stepped toward its head, standing over it with an almost pitying expression. She raised her sword high.

  Then, with one slow, deliberate motion, she drove the blade straight down into its skull.

  The creature convulsed violently, its entire body spasming as a spray of green and black fluid erupted from the wound, splattering across Aya's face and clothes. She didn't even flinch. Twisting the sword deeper, she held firm as the centipede let out one last, shuddering hiss.

  Then—silence.

  The massive body went limp. The fight was over

  Aya's sword dissipated as she straightened up, turning to face me. My expression was a mix of shock, amazement, and lingering fear.

  She wiped the black fluid from her face as she approached, grinning.

  "How was that?" she asked, already knowing the answer.

  "You're a monster—mean that in the most respectful way," I said, shaking my head. "That thing never stood a chance."

  "Hmph, of course it didn't. That thing's energy signature was weaker than even yours," she replied, crossing her arms and looking away.

  I ignored the jab. "So what now? Do we just leave it here? That can't be good for the environment."

  "We usually leave them. Regular people can't interact with them anyway. Even if someone comes into this tunnel, they won't see or feel a thing."

  "Huh. Neat." It made sense. I had never seen a demon until today. Honestly, I hadn't even believed they were real.

  "Let's head back. I need a shower," she said, already making her way toward the tunnel entrance.

  I followed.

  The walk was mostly silent. Exhaustion weighed on me. After everything I had learned and experienced today, I wanted nothing more than to collapse into bed.

  Up ahead, I spotted the tunnel's entrance—not close, still about a mile away, but thanks to my enhanced vision, I could just make it out.

  Then, without warning, a thick black mist surged past my feet, flowing rapidly back in the direction we had come from.

  "What the hell?" Aya muttered, spinning around to look.

  A piercing screech erupted through the tunnel, the sound bouncing off the walls in an unbearable echo. My ears felt like they were going to burst. I clamped my hands over them in pain.

  I glanced at Aya, who was still staring ahead, unfazed. She pointed from her eyes to her ears in a quick motion.

  I understood immediately. Siphoning energy from my vision, I redirected it to my ears, dulling the sound. When I uncovered them, the screeching was still unpleasant but now manageable.

  I'm getting the hang of this.

  "How?" Aya's voice cut through my thoughts. It wasn't just confusion—it was frustration.

  I looked where she was staring, but I saw nothing. That's when I realized my vision had weakened. I was putting less energy into my eyes.

  "What do you see, Aya?" I asked.

  Her hands clenched into fists. "The damn thing is back up again. And it's… bigger."

  "When I kill you, you stay down." A sinister grin spread across her face. "What are you back for? Seconds?"

  She manifested her sword again and bolted forward.

  "Aya!" I called out, but she was already gone.

  I started after her, ready to channel energy into my legs—but then I hesitated. The only reason I could see in this damned place was because I was channeling most of my energy into my eyes.

  The screeching had stopped. That meant I could take some energy from my ears and redirect it.

  I siphoned power from my ears into my legs. It wasn't much, but it would let me move faster than a normal human—though nowhere near Aya's speed.

  I took off.

  In the distance, I could hear the hissing of the now-revived creature and Aya's battle cries. But they were still so far away.

  I pushed myself harder, running as fast as I could while carefully managing my energy. Minutes passed, but it felt like hours. Finally, I reached the site of our previous battle—

  And stopped dead in my tracks.

  The centipede loomed before me. It was huge—far larger than before. Its swollen body stretched across nearly the entire width and height of the tunnel. Black goop dripped from its fangs, pooling into thick puddles that clung to the ground.

  But where was Aya?

  I scanned the area, but I didn't see her. And yet, I knew she had come this way. I saw it with my own eyes.

  Something wet dripped onto my face.

  I wiped it off, confused—then looked up.

  My breath caught in my throat.

  Aya was stuck to the ceiling, her body wrapped in thick, black sludge. Only her head was exposed, hanging limply downward, her hair obscuring her face. She wasn't moving.

  "Aya!" I shouted. No response.

  The centipede's beady black eyes locked onto me, hungry and unblinking.

  Shit

  I pulled out the bladeless hilt.

  Siphoning energy from my legs, I poured it into the weapon. A tiny dagger flickered to life.

  I held it at the ready, pushing down the fear clawing at my mind. I couldn't afford to panic. If I wanted to survive this, I had to be calm.

  I closed my eyes and took a deep breath.

  The centipede inched closer.

  Now or never.

  I exhaled slowly and opened my eyes.

  My mind was clear. Focused. There was only one task before me.

  Kill the demon.