Hells Escape: A Journey of Redemption

No virtue… Why did I have to be such a devil?

Damien gritted his teeth, weaving beneath a massive claw that could have split him in two. The air around him roared as the limb struck down, spraying sand like shrapnel.

To his left, a shimmering bubble drifted lazily into view, a fragile sphere of light. It burst the instant another scythe-like limb cleaved through it, spraying faint motes of color before vanishing. The bubble had done nothing to slow the insect.

Then —

CLANG!

Damien's dagger caught the descending claw, but the force of the blow cracked the blade and sent a shockwave through his arms.

He didn't have time to curse. The impact hurled him backward, boots scraping deep furrows into the dune as he skidded across the burning sand. He landed hard but twisted his body mid-fall, rolling and rising to one knee, his dagger still glinting defiantly in his hand.

His chest rose and fell in ragged breaths, a bitter smile curling on his lips despite the ache in his arms.

With a faint hum and a flash of green light, his cracked dagger knit itself whole again in his hand, the familiar warmth of Blythe's restoration ability washing over him.

Good timing, he thought, fingers tightening around the hilt.

Behind him, Blythe and the bubble-wielding girl hovered at the edge of the chaos, their abilities flaring as they tried to support the others. Green light rippled from Blythe's hands, sealing minor wounds and mending blades, while delicate orbs of shimmering color floated forward from the other girl to try and slow the bug down.

Ahead, the rest of the Hellbounds- Jenna, James, Joseph, the Grey Monk, and the two other forgettable girls- danced around the towering creature, weaving in and out of its reach, some of their movements cleaner than the others, but all desperate.

Steel, flame, and sheer force crashed against its carapace again and again. Sparks flew, blood sprayed, claws raked the air, yet nothing left more than a faint scorch or dent.

A dozen clean strikes, and not even a scratch on its armor.

The giant insect stood unbothered, its crimson eyes blazing as it lashed out, each blow sending the Hellbounds scattering like dry leaves in the wind.

Sprinting across the sand, Damien's eyes caught the glint of a massive scythe arcing toward Jenna from above.

Can't let her die yet..

He lunged. His boots dug deep into the burning dune as he hurled himself forward, slamming into her and sending them both sprawling just as the blade whistled past where she'd stood a heartbeat ago.

The ground bit at his back as they skidded across the sand, rolling to a stop in a spray of grit. His weight pressed down on her as she lay beneath him, gasping, her wide eyes flashing with fear and fury.

She was a mess, blood slicked her cropped shirt and arms, her left forearm torn open by a deep, ugly gash. Stray flames roared nearby, casting their tangled shadows long across the dunes.

For just a moment, Damien stayed there, hovering above her, his breath shallow. A plan was already forming in his head.

Her explosions hadn't left so much as a dent in the monster so far, but what if…

Jenna's eyes narrowed at him, her cheeks flushed despite the blood loss.

"Thanks," she ground out, her voice sharp even over the cacophony of battle around them.

Another cry rang out behind them, a jet of fire lighting the horizon, but she didn't take her eyes off him.

"But can you get off!?" Jenna shouted, her voice almost swallowed by the roar of wind and flames.

A smirk ghosted across Damien's lips.

"Don't flatter yourself, stick."

He rose smoothly to his feet, then, without hesitation, dragged his dagger across her blood-soaked arm. The blade gleamed crimson as it drank deep, soaking in her blood. Jenna froze, her cheeks still flushed, though her grip on the glowing orange katana never wavered.

He met her gaze briefly, calm and commanding.

"Stay back from the fight," he said. "When I say, explode this."

She blinked at him, lips parting as though to argue, but she only nodded.

Without another word, Damien turned his back to her and stalked toward the battle.

Around him, the Hellbounds sagged and gasped for breath, their movements slower now, sweat gleaming on their skin. The air stank of ichor, smoke, and scorched sand as Damien's eyes swept the battlefield, studying the creature, waiting for his opening.

It came sooner than expected.

James, the greasy-haired slob, drove his fist once again into one of the two massive limbs the insect used to brace itself. He'd pounded that spot a dozen times before to no effect, but this time, something gave way.

BANG.

A sharp crack rang out as the beast shuddered violently, its balance breaking. Its towering body listed to one side, and its scythe-like limbs whipped wildly through the air in a frenzy.

"Watch out!" Blythe's scream cut through the chaos.

Too late.

The beast's blades lashed through the dunes, shearing straight through two of the shimmering bubbles and then through two of the bland Hellbound girls before they could even cry out. Blood misted the air.

Joseph, the Monk, and James threw themselves clear just in time, sand kicking up where the claws struck.

"Joseph!" Damien's voice was a whipcrack above the din. "Hit its eyes!"

Joseph shot him a glare, the scowl on his face saying everything about how little he liked taking orders. Still, even he couldn't deny the opening.

Flames coiled in Joseph's palm, then streaked out in a roaring cylinder, slamming into the creature's black-red eyes.

The damage was minor… but the effect was immediate.

The beast let out a bone-rattling screech, rearing back, its head snapping side to side, claws carving deep gouges into the sand.

Damien was already moving.

His boots pounded across the dunes, grit spraying behind him, his body screaming with each step, bones straining, lungs burning, but he didn't care.

He had one shot.

Ahead, the Grey Monk saw him coming and dropped low, spear angled just right. Without missing a beat, Damien planted a foot on the shaft and launched.

Air rushed past him as the world fell away below. The shrieking insect loomed huge before him, its mandibles wide and glinting in the firelight.

At the peak of his arc, Damien raised his blood-soaked dagger high, its edge glinting red and gold, and with all the force in his body, he hurled it straight down.

The blade whistled through the air, a streak of steel and scarlet, and buried itself deep inside the monster's gaping mouth.

"Now!" Damien roared, his voice cutting through the chaos as he landed hard on one knee.

BOOM!!

The ground shuddered. The towering insect froze, mid-screech. Its claws sagged, Its chest caved in with a sickening crunch before it collapsed into the sand with a thunderous THUD, throwing up a choking cloud of dust.

And when it cleared, Damien stood there, chest heaving, lips curled into the smirk of a devil, staring down his kill.