"Bang! – Splat" Haidar's revolver bullet pierced the head of the creature wrapped in the sack, knocking it back and making it fall flat on its back. Three other creatures charged from different directions towards Henry and Helena, two of them leaping forward with their long, sharp claws extended, trying to reach them.
Time seemed to stretch, and the short distance between them felt as if it was growing when Henry quickly moved to shield Helena, thinking to use his back as a shield against the attack. Although Helena was blocked by Henry's body, she could see, reflected in his eyes, the sharp claws that were moments away from slicing their target.
"Bang! Bang!" Helena blinked, and in an instant, she saw the claws that were about to strike—once extended with open palms, now turned limp and moving away from her view. It shifted to a wider image, two bullets having hit the bodies of the two leaping creatures, causing them to fall sideways, off their attack path toward Henry and Helena.
"DUCK!" Haidar shouted, warning Henry and Helena.
Hearing Haidar's shout, Henry quickly grabbed Helena's shoulder and head, ducking down with her. One creature that was still charging was ready to launch its attack, but Haidar, who moved swiftly, was already in position. He gathered his momentum, gripping his axe tightly, and then released a powerful swing. The axe blade quickly embedded itself in the front of the creature's head, and without stopping, Haidar added force, sending the creature flying as the strike reached its peak.
The creature was ripped from the axe's blade, tumbling and rolling several times as it moved away from Haidar and the others. Meanwhile, the two creatures that had leaped to attack were given fatal blows by Haidar, who struck their heads with the axe. Haidar quickly glanced at the creatures that had received fatal blows, and as they stopped moving, they disintegrated into ashes, leaving behind chunks of metal stone.
As if not wanting to give Haidar any time to rest, two new creatures charged again at Henry and Helena. "Bang! – Bang!" Haidar fired two shots, hitting the heads of the creatures before they could get close to attack. "Clank!" Suddenly, a surprise claw attack aimed at Haidar's blind spot came, but Haidar managed to block the slash with his revolver. Upon closer inspection, it appeared that the creature's claws, which had its head wrapped in a sack, were actually sharp metal blades that fused directly with the creature's five fingers. Half of the fingers had been removed to attach the metal blades.
"SKREEEECH!" Haidar shoved the claw that was held by his revolver and kicked the creature backward, just before the other claw came in for another attack. Seeing that the creature was slightly off-balance, Haidar charged forward and slammed the creature's head. The axe's blade remained embedded until the creature disappeared into ashes.
"whrrrraaaaghhh…" Haidar was already quite exhausted as the creature on the ceiling was preparing to launch a larger mass of flesh. Haidar aimed at the creature. "Clack!" His revolver didn't fire a bullet, instead only producing a bad omen sound for him.
"Damn, out of ammo!" Haidar grumbled.
The creature on the ceiling smirked coldly before throwing a massive ball of flesh at Haidar and the others. Haidar quickly sprinted toward the ball, timing his jump perfectly as he gathered momentum while tightly gripping his axe. When the ball was within striking range, Haidar immediately swung his axe with all his strength. "Chop!" The axe blade sank deep into the ball, and Haidar pushed with all his might, ripping through the mass of flesh. "Fssshhh! – SPLRRAK!" Haidar quickly crossed his arms in front of his face to shield himself, trying to protect against the searing heat coming from the explosion, while small chunks of flesh rained down on him.
"Accckkk!" Haidar's voice strained with pain as the blast from the broken ball of flesh pushed him back, "Brukkk!" He slammed hard onto the ground, landing face first. "THUD-CLINK!" His revolver slipped from his grip and landed near Henry and Helena. "whrrrraaaaghhh… whrrrraaaaghhh…" The creature on the ceiling screamed with renewed vigor, signaling the return of several more head-wrapped creatures emerging from the meat portal.
"This is bad, my booster's effect is fading," Haidar muttered, struggling to get up.
Haidar's hands were visibly wounded, and he looked drained, but he still pushed himself to stand and prepare for the next fight.
"Helena!" Henry exclaimed in shock.
"Haidar, throw me the bullets!" Helena shouted as she grabbed Haidar's revolver.
"Huh?" Haidar responded, still focused on defending against the creature with the sack over its head.
"I'll reload your weapon!" Helena called out.
At Helena's request, Haidar quickly unbuckled the long bullet clip from his belt and tossed it to her. "Clank!" Meanwhile, a sudden claw attack was intercepted by Haidar's axe, and he used both hands to block the relentless creature's strikes. Despite his efforts, the creature in front of him was determined to inflict harm.
From Haidar's left, another creature lunged with a leap, but Haidar quickly kicked the creature in front of him, spinning backward to gain some distance. The creature that leaped only managed to land a strike on the floor between itself and Haidar. With the momentum from his spin, Haidar immediately swung his axe at the creature that had just landed in front of him. "Chop!" The axe hit the back of the creature's head, sending it crashing to the ground, turning to dust.
"CLINK-CLINK-CLINK!" On the other side, Helena struggled to load the bullets into Haidar's revolver. Her hands were trembling from fear, making it difficult to grip the bullets. A clawed creature, noticing Haidar's struggle as he fought to protect himself, seized the opportunity and lunged at Helena, bypassing Haidar.
"Watch out!" Haidar shouted, realizing the threat to Helena.
Haidar tried to turn and strike the creature coming for Helena, but before he could, "Slash!" the creature's claws scored a deep cut across Haidar's left shoulder. Blood spilled from the wound as Haidar gritted his teeth in pain but continued to fight, blocking a second slash with a swift move. The pain was intense, but Haidar was locked in the fight, unable to help Helena as the danger for her grew closer.
Meanwhile, Helena stood frozen, paralyzed with fear, as she saw the creature barreling toward her, its claws outstretched and ready to strike. With only a few steps between her and certain injury, she closed her eyes, lifting her hands defensively in front of her to shield herself.
Helena braced for impact, expecting the strike to land, but a moment passed, and nothing happened. Confused, she wondered if the attack had come and gone so quickly that she hadn't felt it. She waited for a moment, unsure if she had been hit or not. Then, cautiously, she opened her eyes to assess the situation, only to be met by a large shadow blocking her vision.
"HAAAAAAA!!!!!!" Henry's voice roared, his face fierce and determined.
In front of Helena, Henry stood firm, gripping the creature's wrists with immense strength, stopping it in its tracks. The creature's claws thrashed in the air, desperately trying to reach Helena, but Henry's unyielding grip pushed it back, causing the creature to struggle in disbelief. It was unable to believe that it was being overpowered by him, but Henry's fierce expression and unshakable strength pushed the creature further away, making it falter.
Seeing Henry's situation, Haidar quickly dispatched the creature holding him back. "whrrrraaaaghhh!" Haidar realized that a more dangerous threat was imminent—the creature on the ceiling was nearly ready to attack, and its target was Henry and Helena. Without hesitation, Haidar grabbed a bottle containing corrosive liquid from one of his holster pouches and sprinted toward Henry and Helena.
As Haidar raced forward, he prepared to throw the bottle, timing his throw carefully. The creature on the ceiling, distracted by the preparations for its attack, didn't notice the bottle flying toward it. Just as the creature caught a glint of light reflecting off the bottle and glanced in its direction, "TING-KRANGG!" The bottle shattered on the creature's head, and the corrosive liquid splattered across its face.
"SKREEEEEE!" The creature on the ceiling screamed in agony, clutching its face as the liquid burned into its skin. The ball of flesh it had created fell and shattered, spilling red fluid onto the altar and across the floor. At the same time, Henry, cornered and kneeling, struggled to hold back the creature in front of him. Behind Helena, another creature had appeared, ready to attack her. Every second was critical—Haidar knew he couldn't reach them in time to help either of them.
"I won't make it," Haidar thought to himself.
At the distance he had, Haidar made a quick decision. He gripped his axe tightly with both hands, gathered momentum, and swung it upward behind his head. With tremendous force, Haidar hurled the axe at the creature behind Helena. "Jleb!" The axe lodged in the creature's forehead, sending it crashing to the ground in front of Helena. The creature, now crumbling into dust, briefly pinned Helena under its body before vanishing completely.
Having finished reloading Haidar's revolver, Helena quickly tossed it to him, shortening the distance between them for the next move.
However, Helena's exhausted hand failed to give enough force to the revolver, and it fell short of reaching Haidar. Realizing this, Haidar immediately leaped forward, grabbing the revolver with his right hand. He then fell prone, quickly taking aim at the creature Henry was holding back. "Bang!" The bullet shot out, piercing the creature in front of Henry. Red fluid splattered onto Henry, causing him to recoil in shock and release the now-weakened creature. Another one crumbled into dust before Henry's eyes. Worried about Helena, Haidar rushed to her side, quickly readying himself for whatever might come next while clenching his fists.
"Bang! – Bang!" Haidar fired at the creature trying to close in on them, standing with his back to Henry and Helena. Meanwhile, several more creatures with sharp claws emerged, attempting to surround Haidar and the others from all sides, ready to charge.
"Never-ending!" Haidar muttered under his breath.
"Waaaarrggghhhh!" a creature near the wall with a rack of wooden barrels screeched, almost as if challenging Haidar. "Bang!" A bullet sped toward it, piercing the creature's head before embedding itself in the wooden barrel behind it. A liquid began to flow from the hole in the barrel. Realizing the battle would continue for a while longer, Haidar grabbed a new injection—one similar to the one he had used during the fight in the red corridor.
"Haaaa!!!!" Haidar shouted as he injected the substance into his neck.
The creatures surrounding them immediately moved to charge, and Haidar swiftly grabbed Helena's belt of ammo, strapping it around his waist. "Bang! – Bang! – Bang!" Racing against the oncoming attack, Haidar aimed and fired at the creatures closing in. "Clink - Clank!" He quickly swapped the empty shell for a fresh round and fired again, continuing the relentless assault.
Haidar's heart raced, his expression intense and focused. His mobility and combat accuracy had increased significantly. Every bullet he fired was deadly to the attacking creatures, and he faced each incoming assault with precision, moving around Henry and Helena, who stood frozen, watching Haidar's battle. Any creature that managed to narrow the distance was knocked back as Haidar used his momentum to kick its head with force while spinning.
Soon, Helena caught a familiar scent, one that seemed to emanate from the liquid spilling from the hole in the wooden barrel. In that instant, an idea flashed through her mind—one that might just save them. Helena stood up and tore part of her dress to allow more freedom of movement.
"Haidar, we can use the barrel!" Helena shouted.
"Barrel?" Haidar asked, surprised.
"The liquid in the barrel is Naptha!" Helena yelled, pointing at the rack of barrels.
Upon hearing this, Haidar quickly scanned the surroundings, still fighting off the attacks. His face curled into a sly grin when he spotted two large double doors. The one on the right was the entrance Haidar and Henry had come through, but there was another door to the left, close to the barrel rack.
"Everyone, follow me! The door on the left is our way out!" Haidar yelled.
Henry and Helena understood immediately. Henry quickly grabbed the axe lying on the ground and threw it to Haidar. Haidar gripped his revolver with his right hand and the axe with his left. Leading the way, he dashed toward the barrel rack, clearing the path of creatures attacking from the front. One creature tried to charge Henry from the side, but with swift precision, Haidar shot it down.
The tension was high as Haidar cleared the creatures blocking the left double doors, while Helena and Henry hurriedly stacked the wooden barrels in front of them. The creature on the ceiling had regained its ability to act and immediately noticed Helena and Henry's intentions. It began to create small globs of flesh. "Whaaarrrrgggghhh!" The creature on the ceiling quickly shot a glob of flesh, and just as fast, it created another. These projectiles were headed directly for Helena and Henry.
"Bang! – Bang! – Bang!" Haidar fired rapidly, one shot after another, causing the deadly globs of flesh to explode mid-air. Some still landed, but none hit Helena or Henry. Haidar, with a frustrated expression, aimed at the creature on the ceiling and shot again. "Bang! - Splat!" But the creature blocked the shot with its hand in a defensive posture. The bullet struck its arm and exited the other side, as the creature loosened its grip.
The battle raged on as Haidar continued to protect Helena and Henry, pushing away any attackers while they kept stacking the barrels in front of the door. Fear fueled their adrenaline, and they worked swiftly, stacking as many barrels as they could.
"Haidar! It's your turn!" Henry shouted, signaling that the door was ready.
Haidar slammed one creature into another, knocking them both down. "Get away from the door!" he shouted.
Henry and Helena dashed away and dove to the floor. Henry covered Helena, trying to shield her from the potential impact. Haidar aimed at one of the barrels in front of the door, exhaled deeply, and focused intently on his target.
"Bang!" A bullet shot out, soaring just above Henry, spinning through the air and leaving a trace of energy as it passed. The bullet tore into the wood of the barrel, creating a cavity that swallowed it entirely. "Tsssrrr..." A small stream of liquid leaked from the hole made by the bullet, but no immediate effect followed.
"Hah?" Haidar reacted with surprise.
Henry, equally shocked and disappointed, looked at Haidar. Haidar felt a bit embarrassed, realizing that his attempt at looking impressive with the shot had turned into a joke.
"You need to use fire directly!" Helena yelled.
"Oh, right, quickly, use the lighter!" Haidar was stunned for a moment before shouting again.
"Does anyone have one?" Henry asked flatly.
"Huh?" Haidar responded, confused.
"Eh!" Helena was equally puzzled.
"Damn it," Henry muttered, his tone flat.
"Haaaaaaaa!" The three of them screamed in unison, panic setting in.
Helena and Henry quickly glanced around at the torches mounted around the room, but they were placed too high to reach, and the only other options were either too far from where they were now or on the barrel rack. "Clank – Clank!" However, a sudden attack from a claw, which Haidar blocked with his axe, revealed a potential solution. Haidar noticed something that had come to life on his axe after it collided with the creature's claw, the one with the head wrapped in a sack.
"Everyone take cover!" Haidar shouted, warning them.
Henry and Helena immediately dove to the floor, taking cover as they had before. Haidar seized the moment and threw his axe at the wooden barrel that had previously been shot. "Chop!" The axe's blade embedded into the barrel near the small stream of liquid that had been leaking out. Haidar aimed precisely and fired. "Bang!" The shot hit the axe's blade, and the bullet quickly traveled toward it.
"Clank – Shh!" The friction between the bullet and the blade of the axe created a spark, and a small fire ignited from the steam around the leaking liquid. The fire grew, and the barrel, pierced by the axe, began to expand before it exploded. The flames spread, catching the other barrels, which also caught fire and exploded in a chain reaction. "BOOOOM!" The blast shattered the double doors, forcing them open. The heat was intense, even from a distance, and the shockwave of the explosion hit with tremendous force.
Haidar caught his axe, which had been thrown back by the blast, and he was startled to see how close the blade had come to his face. If he hadn't reacted quickly enough, the axe could have struck him. He quickly assessed the situation, making sure the path was clear and checking for any other impending explosions or bursts of fire that could be dangerous.
"Run!" Haidar shouted.
Helena and Henry rushed through the blasted doors, with flames still licking the edges, followed by Haidar who ensured they were safe from any attacks. The creature on the ceiling glared sharply as they made their escape. The creature with the head wrapped in a sack lowered its claws, signaling that the battle was over and that Haidar and the others had won, having successfully exited the altar room.
The red flames on the torches around the room returned to their original color before gradually fading one by one, like a curtain closing on a stage. The darkness slowly enveloped the room, erasing the presence of the creatures within. But there was one last sight that remained as the darkness grew thick: two red dots glowing on the ceiling, piercing through the shadows like the aura of a predator watching its prey.
To be continued.