My Wives are Beautiful Demons

The ground shook, cracking with red veins that seemed to pulse like exposed arteries. The twisted trees bent, creaking like broken bones. From the depths of the abyss, the two colossal embers rose—red eyes that stared at the group like ants about to be crushed.

Vergil raised his sword, even though his blade felt puny in the face of their presence. The air grew heavier, difficult to breathe, as if the atmosphere itself were made of molten iron.

Roxanne could barely stand.

"This… this can't be real."

The colossus emerged slowly, as if the abyss were giving birth to it. First, an elongated skull, covered in black bony plates that gleamed like obsidian. Then, thick arms, ending in claws as long as spears. The immense body seemed a fusion of flesh and stone, pulsing with incandescent scars.

And then… the wings.

Vast, misshapen wings, like veils of solid smoke, spread behind the creature, obscuring what little sky could be seen above. Each beat stirred the air, sending out waves of heat that made the ground liquefy in isolated spots.

Vany spat on the ground, panting, her daggers already covered in black blood.

"And here I thought the leader was enough trouble."

Rize, still surrounded by a circle of smaller creatures, laughed humorlessly.

"Who said life would be easy?"

The monster tilted its head, its gigantic eyes reflecting the flames of the abyss. Then it emitted a soundless roar—an echo of pure pressure. The impact was so devastating that Vergil had to drive his sword into the ground to avoid being thrown. Roxanne fell to her knees, shielding her ears even though there was no real noise.

Titania screamed ancient words, summoning a golden wall that rose before them. But the barrier trembled, cracking the instant the invisible wave passed.

Zuri, high in the tree, arched her body as if about to attack, but hesitated. Her serpentine eyes were wide with pure survival instinct.

"That's no ordinary creature," she hissed to herself. "It's an entity."

The smaller creatures moved again. Like puppets guided by the colossal being, they advanced with renewed fury.

Vergil didn't have time to think. The leader—the larger creature that had emerged from the ground—rushed at him. Vergil's blade met the stone claw, sparking pure energy. The clash sent ethereal sparks flying, like trapped lightning.

"Go, Roxanne!" he shouted. "Stay behind Titania's barrier!"

Roxanne wanted to protest, but the sight of the approaching mass of monsters paralyzed her. She obeyed, backing away, her heart pounding like a drum.

Vany leaped between bodies, spinning like a dance of death. Every movement was precise, but the creatures came in endless waves.

"Rize!" she screamed. "Cover the rear!"

Rize struck relentlessly, her flaming blade slashing in wide arcs that ignited the black flesh of her enemies. The smell of burning sulfur filled the air.

"I told you I could take it!" she replied, even as she bled in three different places.

The colossus finally raised its arm. Its claw descended like a meteor, crushing half the clearing. The impact sent up a wave of rock and fire that threw Vanny away. She rolled on the ground, coughing up blood, but was already getting to her feet, laughing defiantly.

"That son of a bitch is going to have his work cut out for me."

Vergil dodged the same claw, his sword vibrating with concentrated energy.

"Everyone, stand back!"

But moving away was impossible. The smaller creatures pressed in from all sides, like a living wall. Titania expanded her barrier to its limit, the golden light shining blindingly, but each new impact eroded it. Sweat streamed down her face, her lips murmuring incantations at a frantic pace.

The leader facing Vergil took a step back, as if on orders from the colossus. Then he advanced with renewed fury. Vergil stopped retreating and charged as well, his blazing blade slicing through the air. The shock was so devastating that nearby trees exploded into splinters.

Rize rushed to help him, but a swarm of creatures blocked her. She roared, her sword blazing in circles, burning everything around her.

"Shit! I won't let you face this alone!"

Vanny reappeared behind the enemy wave, her daggers clinking.

"If I'm going to die, let it be by kicking them in the face!"

Titania, on her knees, nearly exhausted, raised her voice in a desperate spell. The black sky split open for an instant, revealing a fissure of blue light. Lightning descended in flaming columns, charring dozens of monsters. But the price was high: Titania fell forward, exhausted, blood streaming from her nose.

Roxanne rushed to catch her.

"Hold on!" she pleaded. "You can't fall now!"

Vergil heard Roxanne's scream, but he couldn't be distracted. The leader raised his claw again, and this time Vergil couldn't block it completely. He was thrown against a tree, the air knocked from his lungs.

The colossus—that immense being—watched. Its red eyes glowed more intensely. And then, for the first time, it moved.

One step.

The earth sank.

Another step.

The heat became unbearable, as if the air were pure fire.

Vergil spat blood, trying to get up, but felt his body fail. It was then that a shadow rose up beside him. Roxanne. She held him, even as her knees trembled.

"I won't leave you alone."

Vergil opened his mouth to protest, but there was no time. The colossus raised its hand—not against them, but against the abyss itself. A fissure opened in the ground, revealing rivers of lava and more creatures emerging.

The entire group was surrounded.

Vany and Rize retreated until they were shoulder to shoulder with Vergil and Roxanne. Titania, pale, barely stood, while Zuri curled her body around them in a last line of defense.

Silence fell for a second, only the beating of colossal wings echoing.

Roxanne, leaning against Vergil's back, was breathing heavily. Her heart felt like it was about to leap out of her chest.

"How did we get to this?" she whispered, unaware she had spoken aloud.

Vergil didn't answer. It was Vanny who let out a weak, almost insane laugh.

"Who knows?"

The colossus tilted its head, as if it had heard Roxanne's question. Its eyes, incandescent embers, burned even brighter, reflecting their smallness in the face of such vast power.

The smaller creatures, kneeling, began to rise in unison, obeying a silent command. The silent roar echoed again, vibrating in the very core of each of them, as if bones and flesh would resonate until they shattered.

Zuri tightened the circle, her colossal body enveloping the group like a living wall. Her scales shimmered with crimson light, and her forked tongue vibrated in the heavy air.

"This isn't just another fight," she hissed, her voice low but sharp as steel. "It's survival."

Vergil rose calmly as if stretching, then wiped the blood from the corner of his mouth. His sword trembled in his hand, not from fear, but from sheer bloodlust...

"Well, the warm-up is over... Time to have some fun."