Ami ran.
Her boots pounded against the stone floor, her breath coming in sharp, ragged gasps. The corridor blurred past her—dark walls, pulsing symbols, the occasional body of a fallen demon or soldier. She didn't stop. She couldn't stop.
Malagar, she thought. He's still fighting. And Aurelion is facing him alone.
She pushed harder.
The corridor twisted and turned, its walls lined with the same pulsing symbols she had seen throughout the fortress. The air was cold, heavy, thick with the weight of centuries.
She tried her comm again.
"Reyes? Commander Reyes, come in."
Static.
"Reyes, this is Ami Voss. We have a situation. Malagar is—"
More static. The symbols on the walls pulsed brighter, their energy interfering with the signal.
They're jamming us, she thought. The fortress is blocking the signal.
She kept running.
The corridor opened into a wider passage. She could see light ahead—faint, flickering. A chamber, maybe. Or an exit.
She rounded the corner—
And stopped.
A figure stood in the center of the passage, silhouetted against the dim light. It was covered in black ichor, its armor dripping with the remnants of demon blood. Its shape was distorted, monstrous, its silhouette wrong in the darkness.
Ami's hand went to her blade.
The figure turned.
It was Reyes.
Her armor was cracked, dented, streaked with ichor. Her face was barely visible beneath the grime, her eyes sharp and focused despite the exhaustion etched into her features. She looked terrifying—like a ghost, like a demon, like something that had crawled out of a nightmare.
But it was her.
Ami let out a breath. "Commander Reyes."
Reyes blinked, her eyes focusing on Ami. Her voice was hoarse, ragged. "Voss. What are you doing here? You should be with Kade."
"Malagar," Ami said quickly. "He's cornered Kade and the others. They can't hold him forever."
Reyes's expression darkened. "Malagar. Of course. He's been a thorn in our side since New New York."
"Kade told me to find you. We need that plan you mentioned."
Reyes nodded slowly. "Where are they?"
"A passage leading to the throne room. About five minutes back."
Reyes was silent for a moment, calculating. "The corridors are too narrow. I can't maneuver properly in there. If I'm going to take him down, I need space."
She met Ami's eyes.
"Tell Kade to draw Malagar outside. Into the open. I'll finish this."
Ami nodded. "I'll tell him."
"Go. I'll clear a path."
Ami turned to run—
A wave of demons poured from the passage ahead, their claws gleaming, their eyes burning. They had been waiting in the shadows, drawn by the noise and the light.
Reyes moved.
Her blade was a blur—a silver arc that carved through the first demon's throat. She spun, her sword finding the second's heart. The third lunged—she sidestepped, drove her blade through its chest. The fourth and fifth came together—she cut them both down in a single motion.
It took less than two seconds.
The demons crumbled, their bodies dissolving into ash. Reyes stood among the remains, her blade dripping, her breathing steady.
"Go," she said. "I'll follow."
Ami ran.
The scene before her was chaos.
Aurelion and Malagar were locked in combat, their blows sending shockwaves through the corridor. Aurelion's fists were wrapped in crackling mana, each punch powerful enough to shatter stone—but Malagar was matching him blow for blow, his great axe swinging in devastating arcs.
Corrin was on the ground, his spear broken in two, his shield dented and cracked. He was struggling to rise, blood streaming from a gash on his forehead.
Kael was firing from a crouched position, his pistols humming with energy, each shot aimed at Malagar's exposed joints. But the executioner was too fast, his movements too fluid. The shots either missed or were deflected by his armor.
Aurelion ducked under a wild swing, drove his fist into Malagar's chest plate. The impact cracked the obsidian armor, sending the executioner staggering back.
"You're persistent," Malagar said, his voice flat. "I'll give you that."
Aurelion didn't answer. He pressed his advantage, his fists a blur of motion. Each blow was precise, powerful, fueled by the shards beneath his skin.
But Malagar was relentless.
He recovered quickly, his great axe swinging in a wide arc that forced Aurelion to retreat. The blade passed inches from his throat, carving a trench in the wall behind him.
Corrin finally made it to his feet, grabbing one half of his broken spear. He threw it like a javelin, the jagged point striking Malagar's shoulder. The executioner barely flinched.
"Annoying," he said.
He backhanded Corrin across the room.
Ami didn't hesitate.
She moved forward, her blade drawn, her eyes fixed on Malagar. She saw the opening—the moment he turned to face Corrin, his guard dropping for just a fraction of a second.
"HEY!" she shouted.
Malagar turned.
She was already there.
Her blade found the gap between his armor plates, driving deep into his side. Ichor sprayed across the floor.
Malagar staggered.
Aurelion was on him in an instant, his fist driving into Malagar's face. The impact sent the executioner crashing into the wall, his helmet cracking.
"Back for more?" Aurelion said, his voice ragged.
Ami stepped up beside him, her blade still raised. "Reyes is coming. We need to draw him outside."
Aurelion nodded. "Then let's go."
Malagar pushed himself up, his helmet cracked, his armor dented. He laughed—a cold, hollow sound.
"You think you can beat me?" he said. "You think a few scratches will stop me?"
Aurelion cracked his neck and unsheathed his sword.
"I think you talk too much."