Explosions and roaring echoed like a thunderstorm
The miasma and dust swirled like a storming sea.
The air was thick with the sounds of battle, the clash of steel, the crackle of demonic energy, and the roars of fiends.
If one were to add another dread-inducing trait to fiends, it would be their tenacity; their seemingly unending, unyielding rage and carnage. They appeared to be perpetual motion machines, their stamina terrifying, their will unbreakable.
Kaelgor, even after having been injured by Malgrim in his final moments, was still more than capable of fighting off the two other peak-tier devils.
His movements were precise, brutal, efficient.
Each strike was aimed to kill, each movement wasting no energy. His arms, weapons, and even tail and horns were expertly wielded.
The wrapped devil and the fin-faced female, despite their combined strength, were struggling to land a decisive blow.
They were skilled and experienced, but Kaelgor was a force of nature, a devil who had survived countless battles and emerged victorious.
His path had long been paved in blood and bones.
Seeing this made the other devils, those observing from the swirling dust or engaging in the fight, grow somber.
Malgrim had been a stronger peak-tier devil than most, having stayed in hell's first layer for at least thirty years, his power honed by decades of experience.
But even he had been killed, his death a testament to Kaelgor's overwhelming might.
Still, at least he had been able to damage Kaelgor a decent amount and drained his stamina.
It was small, but it was a chip at Kaelgor's vitality; an advantage that the other devils could exploit.
Alas.
Observing the struggling devils, it became clear that Kaelgor was not going to fall easily.
At some point, another devil had even joined the fray: appearing to have been a beast-kin in their past life, their body had the resemblance of a werewolf. Their muscles were bulging, and in their hand they wielded a bone scythe that moved in a blur of deadly slashes.
But even with three peak-tiers attacking him, Kaelgor held his ground.
If only two kept fighting him, he would eventually slowly heal and return to his peak.
If too many joined the fray, then they risked Kaelgor losing all restraints and committing to a suicide attack; taking down those who fought him alongside.
It was a delicate balance, where every devil was fighting with the goal to kill Kaelgor, but also not giving their full effort as they were still wary of each other.
Only those who thought they had means of escaping after taking the law fragment were the ones who were in the fray.
Others, even if they were stronger, observed at the side as they knew they couldn't escape under the gazes of so many devils.
"Swoosh!"
With a loud slashing sound, the wrapped devil leaped back, a trail of dark blood trailed in the air as he moved glided away.
His gaze narrowed coldly, emotionless, as he observed Kaelgor repel yet another sneak attack.
The newest devil, the beast-kin, had tried to land a blow from the shadows as their bone scythe aimed at Kaelgor's exposed flank.
But Kaelgor merely shrugged his massive shoulder pauldron in the way, the steel infused with potent demonic mana deflecting the attack with ease.
The beast-kin, with their attack deflected once again, let out a frustrated growl and leaped backwards, away from the crater that was being made, and back into the thick miasma. He lurked in the low visibility and sought for opportunities.
The wrapped devil lowered his gaze, down to the thick slash on his chest that cut to bone, and that trickled thick black blood.
The injury looked serious, but it wasn't enough to cripple him.
His sky-blue eyes still fixed on Kaelgor, the emotion of frustration finally dawning in his eyes.
The rest of the devils only had their gazes gleam as they saw an injured 'kin,' but they quickly looked away.
The injury was not enough to cripple him, and they knew that attacking him now would be a fruitless endeavor.
Risking fighting this devil might mean they lose their chance at the law fragment.
Although they weren't working together, they had a tacit understanding: to kill the strongest, the one who held the law fragment, lest they lose the chance and bigger forces come and take that chance away from them.
It was a fragile alliance, born of necessity, but it was enough to keep them focused on their common goal.
The wrapped devil took one last breath of reluctance before darting into the swirling dust and miasma. For now, he had lost the chance to obtain the law fragment.
Kaelgor didn't even have the time to look on in annoyance as the female devil with the fins on her face used the chance when the beast-kin attacked, to strike from the rear.
Her sharp claws aimed for his heart, their tips gleaming with malevolent energy.
But Kaelgor was ready.
He ruthlessly pushed the beast-kin back a step, before sending a heavy front kick at them, sending them tumbling to the ground.
In the same instant, his elbow shimmered with power as he struck down like a guillotine, blocking the female's strike while also pushing forward and aiming to send his elbow through her body.
The female devil silently marveled at Kaelgor's immense strength and combat acuity as she also brought up her shield to take the strike to be flung back.
Kaelgor separated both remaining devils, and sought to take advantage of the situation.
But suddenly, in that instant, another devil emerged from the sky and shot out a torrent of crimson flames down from the sky and onto Kaelgor's position.
It was as if light had parted through the clouds, but this light was solid, hot, and roaring like an angry dragon as it impacted the scorched earth with a physical weight.
The impact was deafening, sending a shockwave that sent ripples through the ground and sent the other devils stumbling backward.
A third devil, wrapped in a black cloak, had quickly and quietly taken over the vacant spot left by the wrapped devil.
They had been waiting, patient and watchful, for the perfect moment to strike.
And now, with Kaelgor's attention divided, they had seized their chance!
The crimson flames roared and crackled, a pillar of destruction that seemed to consume everything in its path.
The air grew thick with the scent of burning flesh and ash.
The ground beneath Kaelgor's feet began to melt and warp.
"Arghhhhh!"
Kaelgor, his body submerged in the inferno, let out a roar of rage and pain.