All the candles went out at once.
Darkness swallowed the chamber so suddenly that even the sound of breathing felt loud.
Then—
Three unknown men stood before them.
Their faces were fully covered beneath black cloth masks. Not even a glimpse of skin could be seen. They stood motionless in the middle of the ruined hall like shadows that had taken human form.
In front of them stood Leo, Ray, and Skye.
Skye already had both guns in her hands, fingers resting near the triggers. Leo gripped his katana so tightly that his knuckles had turned white. Beside them, Ray stared at the three figures without blinking, lightning already dancing faintly around his fingers.
He was ready.
The second even one of them moved, he would strike.
Then one of the cultists stepped forward.
Heavy iron rings circled both of his wrists. His voice was rough and dry, like broken stone grinding against itself.
"Your spy tried very hard to escape us," he said. "But the poor thing is hanging dead behind you now."
He stretched one hand forward.
Fresh blood covered his fingers.
"This is your spy's blood."
Then he slowly licked it.
A twisted laugh escaped him.
"Sweet. Very sweet."
The room became colder.
"But I do feel bad," he continued. "I never asked his name… and I never thanked him for giving me such delicious blood."
Skye listened quietly until now.
Then she spoke.
"You're going to die."
The cultist chuckled.
"You can try."
He moved first.
He ripped both iron rings from his wrists and hurled them at Leo with terrifying speed.
Leo dodged the first ring—
—but the second sliced across his shoulder.
His shirt tore open. A thin cut appeared, and blood slowly ran down his arm.
Leo jumped backward and looked at the wound.
The cultist caught one ring again. Leo's blood stained the metal.
He licked it.
Then sighed.
"You are not tasty."
At the same time, the second cultist attacked Ray.
Heavy chains dragged behind him, screaming against the floor as he swung them like whips.
Ray blocked the first strikes with his arms, but each impact tore skin and bruised muscle. The chains only moved faster.
Soon blocking became impossible.
Ray was forced to dodge.
Then suddenly the cultist changed rhythm—
The chains wrapped around Ray's body and arms.
Ray's eyes widened as metal tightened around him.
Skye gritted her teeth.
"I have to do something—"
But before she could move, the third cultist appeared beside her.
A fist rushed toward her face.
Skye sensed it at the final moment and moved aside.
The punch crashed into a pillar.
The entire pillar shattered.
Dust exploded into the air.
Then he attacked again.
Punch after punch after punch.
Each strike that missed destroyed walls, pillars, and chunks of flooring.
Leo, Ray, and Skye were pushed backward until all three ended up standing back-to-back.
The cultists slowly surrounded them.
Then the ring cultist smiled and joined his hands together.
The other two did the same.
They began chanting.
Dark energy spread through the chamber.
Then all three pointed their hands toward Leo, Ray, and Skye.
Leo and Ray didn't understand.
But Skye did.
Her eyes sharpened.
Before they could react, a glowing magic circle appeared beneath them, a massive triangle carved inside it with strange symbols spinning across its edges.
Skye instantly drew her gun.
Bang!
The bullet tore through the air and struck the ring cultist.
Half his ear was blown off.
Blood poured down his neck.
He showed no pain.
Only rage.
He charged forward.
Bang!
Skye fired again.
The bullet pierced through his leg.
He stumbled backward.
Then she turned toward Leo and Ray.
"You two…" she said coldly.
"Are you joking right now?"
Ray shattered the chains binding him with a burst of lightning.
Leo wiped blood from his shoulder.
Skye glared at both of them.
"Can't you fight seriously?"
She pointed one gun toward the cultists.
"Kill two of them."
Then toward the chain wielder.
"Leave only one alive."
The battle exploded again.
The ring cultist rushed Skye first.
Both iron rings spun in his hands like circular blades.
He hurled one toward her throat.
Bang!
Skye shot it midair, changing its path.
It smashed into a pillar.
The second ring came low for her legs.
She jumped and fired twice downward.
Bang! Bang!
The cultist crossed his arms and blocked with the rings.
Sparks burst.
The moment she landed, he was already in front of her.
His fist shot toward her face.
She tilted her head slightly.
Missed.
Then she smashed the butt of her gun into his jaw.
Crack.
He staggered.
She followed with a spinning kick to his ribs that launched him through broken stone.
"You talk too much," she said.
But he stood again, blood dripping beneath his mask.
"You smell dangerous."
Leo faced the third cultist.
No weapon.
Only fists.
The giant stepped once.
The floor cracked.
Then he vanished.
Leo raised his katana just in time.
BOOM!
A monstrous punch struck the blade and sent Leo sliding backward.
His arms trembled.
"That strength…" Leo muttered.
The cultist attacked again, punches fast enough to blur.
Leo ducked one.
A pillar behind him exploded.
He sidestepped another.
The wall collapsed.
Leo smiled.
"So you're mine."
He exhaled slowly.
His stance changed.
The brute charged again.
Leo moved like flowing steel.
One slash.
Blood appeared across the cultist's chest.
The brute paused.
Then grabbed Leo's blade with his bare hand.
Blood poured from his palm.
He yanked Leo closer and smashed his forehead into Leo's face.
Crack!
Leo staggered back, blood running from his brow.
Then he grinned.
"Good."
Ray stood opposite the chain wielder.
The cultist dragged chains around himself like snakes.
"You wanted one alive?" Ray said.
"Then I'll break everything except his neck."
Lightning burst around his arms.
The cultist swung both chains.
Ray vanished.
The chains struck only air.
A flash of blue light appeared beside the cultist—
Ray's fist crashed into his ribs.
Thunder exploded.
The cultist flew across the floor.
Before Ray could continue, the chains wrapped around a pillar and snapped back like whips.
Ray blocked with crossed arms.
Cuts opened across his skin.
The cultist spun faster and faster.
Chains tore through walls and shattered stone.
Ray clicked his tongue.
"Annoying."
He raised one hand.
Lightning gathered into a spear.
He hurled it.
The cultist crossed both chains to defend—
The spear shattered through them and exploded into his chest.
Smoke rose from his body.
Still standing.
Ray smirked.
"Now we're talking."
The room became complete chaos.
Gunfire echoed.
Steel flashed.
Thunder roared.
Stone shattered.
Skye slid beneath a flying ring and shot through the ring cultist's shoulder.
He screamed.
She grabbed his wrist, twisted it backward, and slammed him face-first into the ground.
At the same moment, Leo leapt over a punch and slashed across the brute cultist's back, opening a deep wound.
Ray dashed through the battlefield in a streak of lightning and drove his knee into the chain wielder's stomach so hard blood sprayed from his mouth.
The cultists were losing now.
Skye reloaded calmly.
"I told you idiots to fight seriously."
Leo laughed.
"You could say it nicer."
Ray cracked his neck.
"She's right."
The brute cultist roared and charged one final time.
Leo met him head-on.
One slash.
Two slashes.
Three slashes.
The brute froze.
Three deep cuts crossed his chest.
Then he collapsed unconscious.
The ring cultist tried to rise again.
Skye walked toward him casually.
He threw one last desperate ring.
Bang.
She shot it aside.
Bang.
Second bullet through his thigh.
Bang.
Third through his shoulder.
Then she kicked him in the temple.
He dropped unconscious beside the brute.
Now only the chain wielder remained.
Breathing heavily.
Smoke rising from his body.
He looked at his fallen allies.
Then laughed.
"You think you've won?"
He suddenly pulled two daggers hidden beneath his chains.
Before anyone could react—
He stabbed one dagger into the brute cultist's neck.
The second into the ring cultist's chest.
Skye's eyes narrowed.
Leo cursed.
Ray moved too late.
Black poison coated both blades.
The unconscious cultists convulsed violently.
Foam formed at their mouths.
Within seconds—
They stopped moving.
Dead.
The chain wielder ripped the daggers free.
"No weaklings. No witnesses."
Ray's face darkened.
"You killed your own men?"
"They were weak."
He dragged his chain across the floor.
"Only strength deserves breath."
Skye holstered one gun and walked forward alone.
"Good," she said.
"That means no one will complain when I break you."
The cultist swung his chain like a whip.
Skye caught it with one hand.
The chain wrapped around her wrist.
He pulled.
She didn't move.
His eyes widened.
Skye yanked once.
He was dragged across the floor straight toward her.
She grabbed his throat midair.
Lifted him with one hand.
He clawed at her arm, choking.
"You should've run," she said coldly.
Then she slammed him into the ground hard enough to crater the stone floor.
The entire chamber shook.
He coughed blood.
Still alive.
Still glaring.
Skye placed her boot on his chest.
"Now," she said quietly,
"you're going to answer my questions."