Elena's illusion maintained its facade, smiling at Grigor with an eerie sweetness as if she were truly alive.
The cavern seemed to reverberate with the cruel laughter of the demon god, reveling in the torment it had inflicted upon the unsuspecting human.
Francus's heart ached for his friend, who had been so desperate to see his loved one again.
He knew that they were ensnared in the nightmarish web of the Demonic Realm, where reality and illusion blurred into a surreal nightmare.
Desperation fueled Francus as he tried to break the illusion and free Grigor from the demon god's grasp.
"I have to do this. There is no other way!"
He aimed his blasters at the skeletal figure, firing precise shots meant to disrupt the illusion and reveal the truth.
Bright bolts of energy struck the skeletal form, causing it to flicker and distort. Grigor, still embracing the illusion, felt a jolt of confusion as the enchantment wavered. His hands clutched empty air, and he finally began to realize that something was terribly wrong.
The cavern quaked as the demon god's fury erupted. The illusion shattered, revealing the skeletal figure once more. Grigor stumbled back, his face contorted with a mix of grief, anger, and betrayal.
The demon god, its form undulating with rage, hissed in a voice that seemed to come from all directions. "You dare to defy me, mortal? You shall pay dearly for your insolence!"
Francus stood by Grigor's side, his blasters aimed at the sinister entity. "We won't be deceived by your illusions, demon!"
he demon god's fury echoed through the cavern as it confronted Francus and Grigor. Its voice, a cacophony of malevolence, reverberated off the walls. "If I can't obtain your soul through deception, then let me have it through torture!" With a sinister chant, it unleashed a strange spell, binding both Francus and Grigor in place.
Francus strained against the magical restraints, his muscles tensed as he tried to break free. He knew that they were in a dire situation, facing a demon god that had already deceived them with its illusions. The malevolent entity seemed determined to claim their souls one way or another.
"Grigor! You woke up yet?" Francus shouted, his voice filled with urgency as he glanced at his immobilized comrade.
Grigor, still struggling against the magical bonds, finally managed to respond. "Yeah! Sorry to burden you so much!"
Francus couldn't help but smile, even in the face of their predicament. "You old tard! You're lucky I've got your back!"
Grigor gritted his teeth, his eyes filled with regret. "Sorry, Francus. It's because of me that you got stuck in here. I'm just an old dud who can't let go of my late wife. I should've let her go. If she were here, she would tell me that."
Francus shook his head. "If she were here, she would tell you to do everything you can to stay alive."
Grigor glanced defiantly at the looming demon god, a spark of defiance in his eyes. "You're damn right!"
With renewed resolve, Grigor shouted, "Alexa, activate the grenade launcher!"
A concealed weapon hanging from Grigor's waist responded to his command, launching a pair of grenades toward the demon god. The explosives detonated with a deafening roar, sending shockwaves of force and fire through the cavern.
The demon god howled in agony as the magical restraints dissipated in the chaos of the explosion. Francus and Grigor were freed, their bodies thrown to the ground by the force of the blast.
Quickly regaining his composure, Francus scrambled to his feet and helped Grigor up. The demon god, its form flickering and wounded, seethed with rage but was temporarily incapacitated.
"We need to finish this," Francus declared, his blasters at the ready. Grigor nodded, his own weapons drawn.
Together, they unleashed a barrage of energy blasts and projectiles, targeting the wounded demon god relentlessly.
The demon god fought fiercely, conjuring dark flames and hurling them at the two determined warriors.
They dodged and retaliated, slowly wearing down the demon god's strength.
"Enough playtime! I shall show you my power!"
The demon god's laughter echoed through the cavern as it suddenly began to grow larger, its form expanding with an eerie and unnatural speed. At first, its immense size was constrained by the cave's ceiling, but it quickly became apparent that the cave itself was unable to contain its colossal proportions. Cracks formed in the rock, and debris rained down as the cavern struggled to accommodate the demon god's growing presence.
Francus and Grigor stood frozen in shock, their eyes wide with disbelief as they witnessed the cavern crumbling around them. The once-stalwart walls now quivered and cracked, threatening to collapse under the weight of the malevolent entity's expansion.
The demon god's laughter reverberated through the cavern, mocking the two warriors who dared to defy it. Its voice, filled with malevolence, taunted them. "You thought you could defeat me? You are insignificant insects in the face of my power!"
Just as the demon god was about to unleash its wrath upon Francus and Grigor, a blinding beam of light pierced through its chest, causing it to convulse and scream in agony.
The cavern trembled as the demon god's monstrous form began to disintegrate into nothingness, consumed by the brilliant radiance of the light.
Francus and Grigor shielded their eyes from the blinding spectacle, their bodies bathed in the warm glow of the light.
As the light faded, they cautiously lowered their arms and gazed in wonder at the spot where the demon god had stood just moments ago.
"Who did that?" Francus asked.
Then, from the shadows, two figures emerged. Aldred and Victor, leaders of the Celestial Platoon, walked toward Francus and Grigor with casual expressions. Aldred, a formidable warrior with incredible power, and Victor, a skilled sentient robot, were known for their unwavering strength.
"Is… is that Aldred?" Francus widened his eyes.
Aldred smiled and waved at them. "Both of you caught yourself in a terrible place, huh?"
Francus and Grigor knelt immediately.
Francus, trembling in excitement and nervousness, barely manage to speak his thought. "T—thank you, sir. For saving us. If you weren't here, the demon would have killed us."
Aldred glanced at the two of them. A particular light appeared in his eyes and their information lay bare for him to see.
"You two aren't very strong, but." Aldred's eyes moved towards their panel that only he could see.
Potential talent: S+
Potential talent: S
"Hoo." Aldred smiled.
