The demonic entity roared. It was a sound that threatened to crack the very stones of the chamber.
Amaranth was pale but resolute. She ripped open the pouch she was holding. A wisp of bluish smoke snaked out. It quickly solidified into a serpent of pure misty energy.
It hissed, then lunged forward. It entangled the demon. And like a thunderbolt, it struck. It sank its fangs into the demon's grotesque flesh. The two creatures became a writhing tangle of claws, teeth, and spectral energy.
Amaranth, meanwhile, became even paler. Blood was dripping from the corner of her mouth. It seemed that summoning the serpent was not that simple.
But the mist serpent was still not enough to defeat the demon. It was weakening, rapidly. Its ethereal form was flickering under the demon's relentless assault.
Jack knew he had to act. And he had to do it fast. Before the serpent was completely defeated.
He quickly channeled his energy. He focused on the twisted abomination. He hammered the demon with his [Nightmare Shapeshift].
But instead of the usual horror, he conjured a vision of serene paradise. The demon was hit by the vision of sun-drenched meadows, crystal-clear streams, and happy angels.
And with [Banshee's Requiem], he added background sound. He layered over this idyllic scene a chorus of holy hymns, voices soaring in perfect harmony.
It was a gamble. The gamble was inspired by his encounter with the Drenched Woman. Demons were creatures thriving on darkness and chaos. What could be its nightmare? Light, peace, and heavenly order were his best bet.
And it worked.
The demon shrieked. It was a sound of unbearable anguish. It was laced with confusion. Its rage tore through the chamber. It stumbled, clawing at its own face. It was as if it tried to rip away the vision assaulting its senses.
Kinderman, enraged, began chanting. His staff was glowing with dark energy. He clearly intended to interfere with the unexpected development.
"Not a chance!" Father Lucca grunted.
He spurred into action and flung his dagger. The weapon glowed and it impossibly curved in the air, dodging Kinderman's swipes. It darted towards the village chief like a heat-seeking missile.
Kinderman was enraged. The dagger distracted him from whatever he wanted to do. He batted the dagger away with his staff. But it simply circled back. It was a persistent, stinging threat.
The demon was only momentarily incapacitated. It thrashed wildly for a while. But it recovered quickly. With a guttural roar, it tore the mist serpent in half.
Amaranth gasped, spitting blood. She clutched the now-empty pouch with painful face. The defeat of her conjured serpent clearly took a heavy toll.
Jack grimaced. He felt the pressure to act building within him. He couldn't let Amaranth's sacrifice be in vain. He channeled his Nightmare Shapeshift again.
He tried to use similar 'heavenly' nightmare. But it couldn't register. The demon had become immune toward it. He was desperate to find weakness within the demon's chaotic psyche.
So, he tried to conjure a vision of utter isolation. The demon was standing on a barren, windswept plain. The sky above was a swirling vortex of gray. It promised nothing but endless, lonely expanse.
He hammered the demon with the sheer, crushing weight of emptiness. He hoped to starve its hunger for chaos. He hoped to suffocate it with a sense of utter insignificance.
The demon roared again. This time, it was a sound that seemed laced more with annoyance than genuine pain. It stumbled slightly. Its claws were scraping against the stone floor. But the effect was fleeting.
The serene paradise had thrown it for a loop. But this, the demon easily shrugged it off like a bothersome fly. The vision flickered, unstable. It was a testament to the demon's growing resistance.
Jack felt an invisible bead of sweat trickle down his non-existent temple. This was getting harder.
He didn't have time to dwell on it. He pushed another nightmare. This time, he drew on the more absurd mirage. He flooded the demon's vision with a swarm of divine cherubs, the baby angels.
Their eyes glowed with warmhearted kindness. They hugged it, massaged it, and peeled darkness out of it. Using his [Banshee's Requiems], he amplified the vision with Beethoven's symphony of Fur Elise.
It was a truly weird nightmare.
The demon howled. It was a sound that echoed through the chamber, causing the very air to vibrate. It thrashed wildly. Its massive claws flailing, trying to brush away the phantom cherubs.
Quickly, the nightmare effect was diminishing. The cherubs, although still present in the demon's perception, seemed less real, less potent. The background symphony also immediately dissipated.
Jack could feel his own energy draining. He was pushing too hard, too fast. He grimaced and was about to launch new nightmare. However, a sudden idea struck his mind.
The demon was standing on a bloody floor. It was thick puddle of blood, spilled from the butchered inquisitors.
The glowing crystal on the ceiling was reflected on the surface of the blood. So did the shadowy image of the demon. The blood puddle had a reflective surface. It was a paltry mirror. But, it should be enough.
Jack poured his remaining energy into his [Bloody Mary's Mirror World] trait. And then, he plunged himself, phasing into the demon.
It was a jolt. A wrenching sensation. Then, darkness. He was inside the demon. He did not have the ability to possess creatures. Not yet.
But he could still feel the chaotic nature of the demon. It was a prisoner in its foul essence. It was always surrounded by rot and malice.
But more importantly, he felt that he could connect his mirror travel power to this creature. He seized the opportunity.
He activated [Bloody Mary's Mirror World].
Both he and the demon vanished.
And then...
They were in the Mirror World. It was the realm of identical reflections. And monstrous echoes. They were still in the underground chamber. But there were no other creatures there.
No Elder Kinderman here. Or Father Lucca. Or Amaranth. Or the other surviving inquisitors. Just the scattered remains of Brother Elkey and the two dead victims.
The demon roared in confusion. The air hung heavy with dread.
Jack didn't dare linger. He still remembered the terrifying Orthrus. And the gigantic Worm. And the aura of other horrifying entities in this realm.
He remembered his narrow survival. He knew how dangerous this place was.
Without hesitation, Jack tore himself away from the demon's essence. He flashed away, to another puddle of blood in the chamber. A reflection of the carnage in the real world.
Jack poured the remnants of his power into it. He activated [Bloody Mary's Mirror World] travel function for the second time.
And...
He was back. Back in the real world. Back in the blood-soaked chamber beneath the church. With people in it.
The demon was still in the Mirror World. Alone. He succeeded.
Kinderman screamed. His connection to the demon was severed. The power he had been promised was gone. The power he craved was ripped away. He staggered, momentarily disoriented.
It was all the opening Father Lucca needed. The dagger, still floating and circling, found its mark. It plunged deep into Kinderman's chest. It pierced his heart.
Kinderman gasped. His eyes were wide with disbelief and rage. He clawed at the dagger. But, his strength was failing him. He slumped to the ground, lifeless.
Silence descended on the chamber. Broken only by the survivors' ragged breathing. And the drip, drip, drip of blood. The remaining bluish mist from the torn serpent drifted away, disappearing into the black void.
Jack remained invisible. He observed the aftermath. The crisis was over, for now. But he knew this was far from the end.
He had glimpsed the Mirror World, full of terrifying horror. He had felt the insidious presence of the demon. These were forces he didn't fully understand. Forces that could return.
Jack looked around. The surviving inquisitors were still slumping in their place. Their faces still showed pain and fear.
On the other side, Amaranth knelt beside Kinderman's body. Her face was etched with a mixture of sorrow and relief.
Father Lucca hunched beside her. His shoulders were slumped. His face was lined with weariness. The dagger was still embedded in Kinderman's chest. It seemed to glint accusingly in the dim light.
They were all survivors. But they were also deeply scarred.
Jack knew he couldn't stay. He had interfered. He had helped them survive. But he was still an outsider, a ghost with a past he couldn't readily explain.
He turned and phased through the stone wall, leaving the survivors to their grief and their secrets. He didn't need to understand what would happen afterward. He didn't need to know the full detail of what Kinderman had been planning.
Well... he wanted to know what exactly that demonic entity was. He also wanted to figure out what people like Amaranth and Father Lucca were capable of. But he knew he wouldn't find it here.
His best course of action would be finding the closest city. Searching the greatest library there. And learning more about this world there.
Jack let out invisible sigh. He should have done this earlier. He really underestimated the hidden secrets of this world.
Suddenly... Jack felt a familiar tingle. The level up notification again appeared before him.
[LEVEL UP!]
[AVAILABLE NEW INCARNATION FORM] CHOOSE ONE:
[DEVIL INCARNATION: KRASUE]
[MONSTER INCARNATION: SLIMER]
[NATURE INCARNATION: SPRIGGAN]
[FIEND INCARNATION: DRAUGR]
[SPRITE INCARNATION: GREMLIN]
[DEMON INCARNATION: KAPPA]
Jack gasped. The notification this time was... different.