The demon's claws scraped against the earth as it rose again, unfazed by the series of blows Coris had landed. Its snarling lips peeled back over rows of jagged teeth, and its eyes glowed a deep crimson, filled with murderous intent.
Coris stood across from it, her breath shallow, her hair messy and matted with blood and dust. Her armor had cracked, and several wounds opened across her body, but her gaze remained cold, focused.
The fight had raged for what felt like hours. Neither she nor the demon had held back. Spells had shattered the air, and the ground was littered with the rubble of their destruction. Forest trees nearby had been burned to ash or split in two by waves of dark energy. The sky overhead had darkened, not from storm clouds, but from the sheer saturation of malevolent magic around them.
