Failing the Mission

The atmosphere in the vast hall shifted abruptly as a new, formidable threat emerged from the freshly opened portal. A giant demon, its skin a deep, dark red and its form unnaturally skinny and elongated stepped into the hall with a menacing presence. It surveyed its surroundings with a malevolent gaze, and almost immediately, a horde of other demons, each one grotesque and terrifying in its own right, followed suit, pouring out of the portal in a relentless stream.

As the colossal demon emerged, a cry rang out from the more experienced combatants stationed around the hall. "Emergency, all spare defensive lines to that monster!" Their voices carried a mix of urgency and command, rallying the troops into action. Eliss, Liora, and their friends, along with many others, quickly reoriented themselves to face this new wave of adversaries, forming a critical barrier between the emerging demons and the mages engaged in the sealing ritual.

With grim determination, Eliss and her companions turned to confront the lesser demons that swarmed towards the sealing team. These demons were smaller but numerous, their feral eyes glinting with malice and chaos. The young mages and warriors worked in seamless coordination, their training kicking in as they moved as one. Powerful spells and swift sword strikes met the advancing horde, halting the first wave in a fierce display of resistance.

Meanwhile, the stronger fighters, including seasoned warriors and adept mages, converged on the towering dark-red demon. This beast posed a significant threat due to its sheer size and the dark aura of power it wielded. 

Back on the front lines, Eliss and her friends formed the last line of defense. Their position was crucial; they were literally the only barrier standing between the onslaught of demons and the mages whose focus was entirely absorbed by the complex incantations and magical energies needed to reinforce the seal on the Leviathan.

As they held their ground, a sudden blur of movement caught everyone off guard. A shadow-like demon, faster and more agile than the others, darted through the defensive lines. Its form was almost a blur, a dark streak of malevolence that slipped past the defenders with eerie ease.

Liora, who had been fighting alongside Eliss, saw the swift demon break through their ranks. She shouted across the chaos, her voice laced with urgency, "Eliss, you must stop it!"

Reacting instantly, Eliss stepped forward, her focus narrowing on the fast-moving target. She began chanting, the words of a powerful spell forming on her lips, her hands weaving through the air as she conjured a large fireball. The sphere of blazing energy grew in intensity, glowing brighter with every syllable she uttered.

With a final shout, Eliss released the fireball, directing it with all her might toward the swift demon. The hall lit up with the light of the fiery projectile as it streaked across the space. But just as it was about to strike its target, the demon, with an almost mocking agility, dodged the attack. Eliss's eyes widened in horror as she watched the demon evade her spell and continue its deadly course.

"Noo!" she cried out, her voice echoing through the tumult as the demon reached one of the key mages performing incantation. The impact was immediate and devastating; the mage was struck down, breaking the delicate balance of the magical energies being woven into the seal.

In that moment, a dark smoke began to billow from the artifact at the center of the altar. The smoke spread quickly, filling the air with a choking darkness that seemed to pulse with malevolent energy. The disruption in the incantation caused by the attack introduced a dangerous instability to the ritual, threatening to undo all the progress made so far.

As the hall reverberated with the chilling echoes of Leviathan's ghastly howl, a palpable wave of dread swept over the assembly. The beast's massive hands clawed their way out of the artifact first, followed by its grotesque, skeletal head. Inch by inch, its enormous body emerged, shrouded in an aura of dark menace. The creature's emergence was a sight of pure nightmare, as its skeletal form, massive and imposing, continued to push through the portal until it was half-exposed.

However, as Leviathan attempted to pull the rest of its torso through, it suddenly became stuck. Its monstrous eyes darted around in fury and confusion, trying to ascertain what force held it captive. It was then that Leviathan noticed one of the mages, a figure of intense concentration and formidable power, amplifying his efforts, channeling a surge of energy into the seal that bound the creature. In response, Leviathan gathered the dark energy swirling around it and launched a powerful magic bomb toward its captors.

Quickly, the mage who had been momentarily disrupted from his incantation reacted, his hands moving in a blur of motions to cast a shield spell that absorbed and nullified Leviathan's attack. The hall held its breath as these two forces clashed, a testament to the power and desperation on both sides.

Enraged by the resistance and realizing the futility of its initial efforts, Leviathan let out another bone-chilling scream, "AHH... Screw it." In a gruesome display of resolve and dark magic, it conjured a blade made of pure darkness and, with a horrific determination, severed the lower half of its own torso. The upper half of its body then fell to the ground, and with a grotesque squelch, it pushed itself so strong, that it flew across the hall, its form rapidly adapting as tiny, twisted legs sprouted from the severed torso.

Leviathan's landing was violent, causing a tremor through the hall as it hit the ground among a cluster of unsuspecting people. The impact was immediate and terrifying; the creature's presence alone sowed panic and horror. A desperate scream cut through the chaos as one brave or perhaps foolhardy soul charged at the monstrous figure, only to be cleaved in two with a casual swipe of Leviathan's limb.

Pandemonium ensued as Leviathan began a ruthless massacre, moving through the crowd with lethal efficiency. Each swing of its limbs was a death sentence, executed with terrifying precision. The screams of the fallen and the fleeing filled the air, creating a cacophony of terror that echoed off the stone walls.

Eliss and her friends, witnessing the horror not far away, were paralyzed with fear for a fleeting moment before survival instincts kicked in. As Leviathan continued its bloody rampage, they turned and ran in the opposite direction, desperate to put as much distance between themselves and the beast as possible.

Amidst the chaos, the woman warrior who had earlier reassured them about their safety now became their beacon of hope. She stood by a portal, her voice cutting through the mayhem as she shouted, "Here!" while waving frantically at them. She was a pillar of strength in the maelstrom, guiding the terrified young mages towards a possible escape route.

Eliss and her friends, driven by primal fear and the will to survive, sprinted towards the portal. Behind them, the sounds of Leviathan's destruction continued unabated, a grim soundtrack to their desperate flight. Every footfall brought them closer to the portal, to safety, and away from the nightmarish scene that had erupted so suddenly.