Morning came gray and heavy.
Fog still clung to the town as Steel and Stark stepped out of the hotel, breath visible in the cold air. The squad moved quickly, boots crunching against frost as they headed north.
The climb wasn't as brutal as the day before, but the atmosphere felt different.
Quieter.
Thicker.
They followed a narrow trail until it widened into a massive cave opening carved into the mountain face.
Steel stopped at the entrance and glanced at Stark.
"Ladies first."
Stark rolled his eyes.
"Shut up."
They entered.
The cave swallowed the light behind them. The air inside was damp and freezing, their footsteps echoing across stone walls. The only sound was the drip of water somewhere in the darkness.
They walked for nearly fifteen minutes before the tunnel began to brighten.
And then,
They stepped out.
The fog thinned, revealing a massive stone tower perched on the edge of a cliff. A long, ancient bridge stretched from the cave exit directly to the tower's entrance.
The structure rose impossibly high, disappearing into the clouds.
Stark let out a slow breath.
"I think this is the place."
Steel nodded.
"Oh yeah. Definitely."
"Scan it," Stark ordered.
A soldier pulled out a portable radar device. The screen lit up instantly.
"…That's a lot of signatures," the soldier muttered. "Heavy demon activity. Inside the tower. All floors."
Stark nodded.
"You guys stay here. If we start a fight, rush in and back us up."
He paused, staring at the structure.
"But something about this… feels different. These aren't normal demons."
Steel didn't reply.
They crossed the bridge alone.
The giant doors creaked open as they stepped inside.
The interior was breathtaking, and unsettling.
A massive circular chamber stretched upward for what looked like forever. A shaft of pale light cut down from the ceiling high above. Rows of carved stone balconies spiraled along the interior walls.
Steel craned his neck.
"This thing has to be at least one hundred fifty stories tall."
Stark scanned the structure.
"What is something like this even doing out here?"
Their answer came from the shadows.
A throne shifted.
Stone cracked slightly as something massive leaned forward.
A fifteen-foot demon sat in the darkness, skin like cracked granite, horns curling back over its skull. Its eyes glowed faint red.
Its voice boomed through the chamber.
"Are you here… for the fight for the throne?"
Stark stepped forward calmly.
"No. We're here to ask you to stop terrorizing the locals."
The demon chuckled deeply.
"That cannot happen. We require participants for our ritual."
Steel stepped forward before Stark could respond.
"If we take first place in your tournament, you stop taking innocent civilians."
The chamber fell silent.
The demon tilted its head.
"…You offer yourselves?"
Steel nodded once.
"If we win, you end it."
The demon's grin widened.
"Deal."
Stark leaned closer to Steel and muttered under his breath,
"Why would you say that?"
Steel smirked slightly.
"It's just us two. Plus… we've been training for this."
Stark exhaled slowly and turned back to the throne.
"How long do we have to prepare?"
The demon's voice echoed like thunder.
"You begin… now."
From the darkness, drums began pounding.
A war horn blasted through the tower.
Shadows shifted.
Demons poured from the balconies and corridors, gathering around the central arena floor below.
Steel and Stark were escorted down a narrow passageway and into a stone chamber that resembled a locker room, ancient but functional.
The noise from the arena grew louder.
Roaring.
Cheering.
Metal clashing.
Stark tightened his gloves.
Steel rolled his shoulders.
Outside, someone screamed.
And the tournament,
Had begun.