The demon lunged. Its form was a savage fusion of a T-Rex's build and a crocodile's rough scales. It was radiating an aura of vicious demonic power. A primal, guttural roar appeared from its massive jaws.
Jack met the charge. He swung his [Judgement Warhammer] in a wide arc. Deflecting a claw swipe that could have torn a boulder. The powerful impact made his arms shaken. Even in his hulking rakshasa form.
He grunted in annoyance. This demonic creature had great raw power. Really not easy to handle. So, he decided to quickly apply his simple strategy he had planned... redirecting the chaos.
He feigned a retreat to one direction. Drawing the demon away from the main cluster of his crew and the still-battling Rockleo.
The demon's roar vibrated through the stone as it charged again. Tearing through a pack of undead were-rats that had been shambling too close.
Jack grinned. Good! A flash of sharp teeth appeared in his savage face.
He spun and threw his left arm to one side. The [Chains of Vengeance] whistled through the air. Snaking out to wrap around a stone pillar. He leveraged the chains ability to retract. Yanking himself dramatically to the side. Just as the demon's devastating bulk smashed the ground he was at just a second ago.
The debris sprayed. Obliterating half a dozen living were-rats and crushing three undead ones. The demon didn't care. It fixed its sight on Jack again. Its singular objective was etched into its monstrous features.
"Come on, Ugly Beast!" Jack taunted in low growl. "What? Too slow and too weak to catch me?"
He used his [Chains of Vengeance] to grab an undead were-rat and throw it right away at the T-Rex Crocodile Demon. Only to be slapped by the demon into a mangled form of flesh and bones.
As the demon charged at him again, Jack made his moves. He was like a hurricane of destruction for the other creatures in the hall. His massive body was moving like a blurry speedster compared to the bigger demon. After all, it was much slower. Although it possessed more devastating movements.
Jack didn't just evade the demon's attacks. He guided them. When the demon charged, he would step aside at the last possible moment. Making its momentum carry it into the hall's wall. Crushing both the undead and living were-rats in the way.
When it was about to unleash a wave of dark fire breath from its maw, Jack used his chains to latch to its back and grapple its massive head. Forcefully aiming its crocodile maw so that the blast swept across a clashing horde of undead and living were-rats, reducing them to smoking ash.
The battle hadn't stopped. The main hall was as chaotic as a trapped thunderstorm. The air inside and outside the hall was thick with the stench of blood, burnt flesh, and something indescribably foul.
Roars and snarls echoed. Punctuated by the metallic clang of Jack's hammer, steamrune gunshots, and the grinding metal of Rockleo's relentless attacks.
The pressure on the Silent Mermaid crew eased. Jack's tactic was working. The demon, in its blind fury, was as much a threat to the were-rats and undead as it was to Jack.
And the creatures themselves were no allies. The living were-rats, driven by predatory survival instinct, viciously clashed against the shambling, mindless undead. Creating a grotesque free-for-all battle that further thinned their numbers.
Reina was a phantom amidst the chaos. She flickered from spot to spot. Not just inside the hall but also outside.
With a shimmering ripple, she appeared next to a pair of cornered adventurers. Grasping the two by the arm, she took them and vanished... an instant before an undead claw tore through their space.
She reappeared just a moment later. Depositing them near the hall's entrance, where the Silent Mermaid's crew members were currently gathering.
Aella, the little faewitch, was surprisingly as effective as Reina. Her small form moved with a strange grace. Teleporting everywhere, just like Reina.
She appeared next to a fallen adventurer. A faint purplish glow surrounding her hands. And then, with a simple touch, she whisked him away to a safer place. Her eyes were now sharp and focused. Reflecting an ancient power that belied her age.
All the other crew from Silent Mermaid were surprisingly fine. Their cooperation was top notch. And each of them was powerful enough to take care of themselves against a few opponents like the normal or the undead were-rats.
The more powerful members like Leon and Baroness Artheim even flourished in such type of situations. Their lightning magic spells were deadly to the opponents. And they had their own abilities to keep themselves safe while they were dismantling the enemies.
Even the supportive crew members were not helpless against their foes. Jack had them all equipped with steamrune guns after all.
In the hall, only the demon and the gigantic were-rat could turn into deadly threat for them. But the demon's focus was completely on Jack. And the remaining gigantic were-rat were hard-pressed by the [Ancient Guardian Rockleo].
The metal lion, a marvel of ancient mystic engineering, was deadly, fast, and powerful. Its three glowing eyes were tracking every twitch of its smaller foe.
The giant were-rat might be a deadly whirlwind of claws and teeth for others, but not so much for the guardian. It could indeed tear Rockleo's metallic hide. Leaving visible gouges. However, it still couldn't handle the golem guardian alone.
The ancient guardian's counter-attacks were methodical and devastating. A claw swipe from Rockleo could crack bedrock, or the were-rat's bones. And its roar emitted a wave of concussive force to its target.
And as expected, with a deafening screech of rending metal and tearing flesh, Rockleo finally landed a decisive blow. Its massive forepaw, imbued with raw mystic energy, slammed down on and crushed the gigantic were-rat's skull.
The creature crumpled. Its monstrous body collapsed with a sickening thud. One that seemed to make a tremor through the entire hall. It twitched once. Then it went still. Turning into a mountain of dead flesh, bones, and fur.
Rockleo turned its three glowing eyes towards the greatest threat... the demon. It lumbered towards the monstrous T-Rex Crocodile Demon that was still chasing Jack. The ancient guardian saw only threats to the ruin. And the demon was undoubtedly the largest remaining threat.
The demon sensed the new challenger. It paused its relentless assault on Jack. Its attention was momentarily diverted. It snarled and launched itself at the advancing Rockleo.
The ancient guardian Rockleo met the demon's charge with its own. Its metal-plated head slammed into the demon's shoulder. An audible crack echoed. Signifying immense damage to the demon's flesh and bones. Yet the demon barely flinched.
Instead, it retaliated with a flurry of clawed strikes. Ignoring Rockleo's metal plated defense. Each blow tore massive chunks from Rockleo's metal body.
The ancient guardian roared. A sound of mechanical fury. But its protective enchantments shimmered and shattered under the demon's unholy assault. One of its metal front leg was nearly severed. Sparking with dying runic energy.
Rockleo was powerful. But it was a construct. Built for specific low level threats. Not for an otherworldly abomination of pure chaos. In just one clash, it was heavily damaged. Its movements grew sluggish. Its glowing eyes dimmed. It wouldn't last much longer.
Jack saw it all. The metal guardian had bought time. But the demon remained. And now, the guardian was almost out of the fight. He had to take over once more.
Below, the Silent Mermaid crew had achieved a localized victory. With Jack diverting the demon's attention and Rockleo engaging the giant rat, they had systematically cleared the area around the hall's entrance.
The living were-rats were slain one by one. The mindless undead were shattered.
However, the casualty was a grim tally. Of the numerous adventurers and treasure hunters who had been outside the ruins, only about twenty human survivors remained. They were battered and terrified. But alive. Huddling together under the combined protection of the crew.
"Dear! We've secured the survivors!" Reina's voice, though clear, carried a hint of strain.
She stood beside Aella, both of them panting slightly. Their faces were smudged with dust. Their teleportation was energy-efficient. However, using it so many times repeatedly was still pretty taxing for their mind and body.
"Good. Keep protecting them!" Jack roared back.
He looked around. The only threat remaining was the relentless demon. The ancient guardian Rockleo had been beaten by it. He had to finish this.
Jack charged at the demon. Intending to fight for real this time. No longer diverting the demon's attack to clean up the smaller threats. It would be the final clash.
He smashed the demon into walls. And then he dragged it through piles of debris with his chains. He even slammed it into the heavily damaged lump of metal Rockleo once more.
But the demon kept coming. Regenerating constantly. Its eyes were still blazing with an unholy light. Its physical durability was insane.
Jack used every trick, every feint, every brutal counter in his Savage Rampage style. But the demon was too durable and its regenerative force was too annoying.
Jack dodged a sweeping tail strike. Then, stepping over a collapsed pillar, he brought [Judgement Warhammer] up. Blocking a downward slam from the demon's monstrous claw.
Sparks flew from the impact. This was a war of attrition. And Jack, in his rakshasa state, was no less durable than the demon. His blazing [Naraka Armor] was as tough and resilient as the demon's scales. And, like the demon, he also had the [Hyper Regeneration] trait.
He lunged forward, feigning a direct assault. Then twisting his body, he swung his war hammer into the demon's knee.
The demon roared. Stumbling to the side. It was a momentary advantage. Jack followed up with a typhoon of calculated violence.
His [Chains of Vengeance] snaked out. Wrapping around one of the demon's flailing arms. Pulling it tight.
The demon shrieked. Using its otherworldly strength to struggle against the blazing chains. This was Jack's chance.
With a primal roar that vibrated through the whole hall, Jack leaped. He brought [Judgement Warhammer] up. Channeling every ounce of his fury, determination, and judgement intent into the blow. Aiming for the demon's head.
As his hammer connected, a blinding flash of golden light erupted. It was not mere light. It was a pure, concentrated... true judgement. The [Judgement Warhammer] had resonated with a true strike once more.
The golden light that surged with the attack was the sign. It didn't merely impact the demon's physical form. It pierced through its monstrous shell. Straight to its infernal soul. A true damage.
The demon froze. Its malevolent eyes widened in an instant of pure, unadulterated terror. A sound, unearthly and agonizing, was ripped from its throat. It wasn't a roar of anger. But a wail of ultimate fear. A scream of a being disintegrated without being able to do anything.
The golden light pulsed. Expanding and enveloping the demon completely. Its physical form began to distort. Dissolving into nothing. Flesh melted into shadows. Bones crumbled into dust.
The immense body had previously defied all conventional damage. But, it was now disintegrated rapidly. Like a nightmare fading at dawn.
Within seconds, the terrifying demon that had been resurrected from Scorpion's corpse, was gone. Nothing remained but a lingering golden shimmer in the air. And a faint, acrid smell. Slowly fading.
Silence descended upon the main hall. Broken only by the panting of the survivors and the creak of the heavily damaged Rockleo. The guardian now stood motionless. Its three eyes had finally turned dark. Inactive.
Jack stood amidst the fading golden motes. His [Judgement Warhammer] was held at rest. His rakshasa form was towering in view... now that the much bigger creature was turning into nothing.
Jack inhaled a deep breath. His chest heaved. His tightened muscles relaxed slowly. His eyes, previously predatory and determined, now held a deep, weary satisfaction.
He had finished the battle. He had judged the demon. And it was now gone.
Jack let out a long, slow breath and activated his [Incarnation Shift]. He felt the familiar tingle as his form beginning to transform. The immense physical power receded. His body shrank back to the more humanly acceptable size.
Within just a second, the intimidating Judge Jack had vanished. Jack Night had replaced him. A mercenary wearing dark leather outfits. Huge and muscular, but still within human dimension.
He was about to join his crew members, but the trouble hadn't ended yet. Just after he moved a few steps, the whole ruin shook violently. A deep, groaning sound of the earth reverberated loudly.
The ruin was about to collapse...
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