The earth shook with every blow. The sky turned crimson as the Beast and Ryuusei, bloodied and breathing heavily, dodged the creature's claws with swift movements. His teammates, Aiko, Daichi, Kenta, and Haru, stood nearby, ready to intervene if necessary.

Ryuusei's hammer cracked against the Beast's torso, but the Beast only growled and lunged back into the attack. It was an aberration of teeth and sharp claws, roaring with primal fury. His size outshone Ryuusei, but he didn't back down. With one swift movement, he teleported over the creature, his hammers descending with brutal force.

Aiko, with fear reflected in her eyes, took out a short knife and ran between the rocks to attack from a blind angle. Daichi, in complete silence, analyzed the fight with a gloomy look. Kenta, despite his carefree attitude, was tense, ready to move. Haru was watching precisely, looking for an opportunity to intervene.

"Ryuusei, to your left!" Haru shouted.

Ryuusei barely managed to react as the Beast spun around on itself, its claws whistling in the air. He jumped backwards, but landed badly, falling on one knee. The Beast gave him no respite and pounced on him.

Daichi, swift as a shadow, slipped behind the creature and plunged his sword into one of its hind legs. The Beast roared in pain and brutally kicked Daichi, sending him against a rock.

"Daichi!" Aiko exclaimed, running towards him.

Kenta and Haru took advantage of the moment of distraction to go on the attack. Kenta rolled to the ground and stabbed the Beast's leg, while Haru slashed his side with surgical precision.

Several players watched from afar as that group of five people fought it, taking advantage of the wounds the Herald had inflicted on the creature.

"Keep attacking, Ryuusei!" Kenta shouted.

Ryuusei stood up, his muscles burning and gripped his hammers firmly. With a roar, he rushed towards the Beast and jumped, spinning in the air. His hammer descended with brutal force, striking the Beast's skull with a deafening rumble. A stream of dark blood gushed out of the creature.

"It's not long now!" Haru shouted.

Ryuusei wanted to repeat the feat, but this time with more momentum. He decided to test a theory with his teleportation daggers. He stuck a dagger into the ground, right next to Aiko's feet, who was far away from the fight. The other held firmly in his right hand.

He said to himself:

"If I throw this dagger hard, it will reach the top of the Beast's head. I will strike it with all my might with both hammers, and when the creature is about to fall, I will retrieve the dagger in my hand. If my theory is correct, I will teleport to Aiko's side."

"Let's put it to the test," Ryuusei murmured.

He did exactly what he had planned. He stabbed the dagger next to Aiko, who looked at him in confusion, but trusted that he had a plan. Then, with all his strength, he threw the other dagger.

"What the fuck...?" I feel like something is pulling me..." he exclaimed in surprise.

In an instant, he appeared on the Beast and, in all his fury, unleashed a hail of blows with his warhammers.

The hatred he felt towards the creature channeled his strength. His blows were so crushing that the Beast's eyes leapt out of their sockets, bathing the ground in blood. For the final blow, he took out the sword he had taken from the Herald and plunged it into the creature's skull.

"DIEEEEERE, YOU DAMN CREATURE!"

The Beast fell. Before his body touched the ground, Ryuusei made a quick movement with his hands and felt that strange force pulling him again. In the blink of an eye, she appeared next to Aiko.

"Daggers seem to automatically respond to the exact place and time I need to move when I use them," Ryuusei muttered.

"YOU DID IT, RYUUSEI!" YOU DEFEATED THE BEAST! Aiko exclaimed, exaggerating her excitement.

But then, a horrible pain pierced his back.

A lash of agony ran down her spine, as if a thousand burning blades were thrust into her at the same time. Ryuusei fell to his knees, trembling, barely holding on with his hands.

"AAAAAAAAAHHHHHHH!" MY BACK! MY DAMN BACK!

The air became dense. His vision blurred for an instant. He tried to move, but the slightest gesture made his whole body shudder with agony.

"NO... NO WAY! NO! ¡I CAN'T... I CAN'T MOVE WELL!

His breathing became erratic. He felt his heartbeat in the back of his neck. The adrenaline dissipated, revealing the true horror.

"DAMN! IS THAT HOW IT FEELS?! IT'S LIKE I'VE BEEN BROKEN IN TWO!

Every attempt to sit up was a torment. His nails dug into the dirt as he gritted his teeth furiously.

"I'M NOT GOING TO FALL HERE!" I'M NOT GOING TO...!

But another spasm silenced him suddenly. A heart-rending scream broke the silence of the battlefield.

Then, a laugh echoed through the air.

From his throne of bones, Death clapped his hands slowly, with a smile of amusement.

"Not bad," he said, "but I'm bored. Let's make this more interesting.

The ground began to collapse. Cracks opened under his feet and chaos broke out. In the distance, Black Heralds emerged from the shadows, forming a path of swords and death.

"There's only one way out," Death announced. The one who manages to cross the goal that my Heralds have created... Live.