The Fang of Wrath

Shu lifted Leon’s sword, now returned to its sealed state. He studied the blade for a moment, its surface faintly reflecting the dim temple light.
“Sometimes,” he muttered under his breath, “I wonder if using fragments of the Enkairadion to forge these weapons was a good idea.”

Hannah, already reading her son’s thoughts, walked toward him and rested a hand on his shoulder.
“It was a gift from the celestials to the heroes who saved the world,” she said softly. Then her tone hardened. “Besides, anyone who isn’t the original owner—and hasn’t been permitted—can’t even wield it.”

Her expression shifted to something graver. “We don’t have time to linger. Leon can hold the Demon Lords back for only so long. Let’s move.”

Shu gave a curt nod. Together, they vanished in a burst of light.

They reappeared at the mouth of a cave.

The cavern yawned from the valley wall like the jaw of a long-dead beast. Jagged stone teeth framed its entrance, shaped by wind and forgotten centuries. The valley itself was drowned in shadow, a place where sunlight dared not linger. The air carried a damp chill, and the distant cries of crows echoed like warnings through the hollow.

A shiver crawled up both their spines. Every instinct screamed don’t go in, but they stepped forward anyway. They needed the power of the Berserkers—no matter the cost.

The cave pulsed like something alive.

Each step they took echoed through the vast chamber, swallowed by the pressure that hung in the air. The walls were etched with runes—neither celestial nor demonic—markings older than any written tongue.

At the center stood a stone altar carved into the shape of a monstrous jaw. Resting within its fanged cradle was the Fang Bound Amulet, its surface pulsing with veins of crimson light that crept across the floor like living roots.

Hannah halted, instinctively raising her guard. “This place… feels alive.”

Shu’s eyes stayed locked on the relic. “It is,” he replied. “They’re watching.”

The amulet’s pulse quickened—like a heartbeat sensing prey.
Then… silence.

The air distorted. Mist began to rise from the altar, twisting into vague, humanoid shapes. The fog thickened, forming shadows that flickered in and out of form. Then came the eyes—hundreds of them, burning red in the dark.

“Mortals…”
“Celestial scent… Human blood…”
“You dare approach our prison…”

The voices overlapped, countless and discordant, each syllable scraping against the stone walls until the cave itself trembled.

Shu stepped forward, his expression steady. “We’re here for your power. We need it—to stand against the Demon Lords.”

The shadows stilled. From their midst, one spirit emerged more clearly than the rest—a towering warrior made of smoke and flame, a cracked mask hiding the snarl of a beast beneath.

“Power?” the spirit echoed, its tone sharp and cold. “Do you even know what you ask for, child of the Enkairadion?”

Shu’s eyes narrowed. “You… know of it?”

“We remember its light,” the spirit hissed. “We remember when the Celestials wielded it to shape existence—before their arrogance birthed our curse.”

The others began to move in slow circles around them, their forms rippling like black fire.

“We were their soldiers once. Celestials. Demons. Names mean nothing now.”
“We are rage given form—echoes of war itself.”
“When the heavens fell, our fury did not die. It devoured us.”
“The Celestial of Balance sealed us here, within fangs torn from the maw of a Kaiju, so our hatred would never touch the world again.”

The cave roared with their collective voice, dust raining from above. Hannah unsheathed her blade, golden light igniting along its edge.

“Then why not end yourselves?” she demanded, voice steady. “If you hate this prison so much, why stay?”

A deep, guttural laugh shook the air.

“End ourselves? Little celestial flame… you do not understand. We are bound to this hunger. It sustains us. It is us. But through the contract… we may feed again.”

Hannah’s eyes hardened. “You want us to set you free.”

“Freedom?” the spirit mocked. “No. Merely a taste of the battlefield once more. A vessel to channel our wrath. You offer your body, and we grant you power. That is the law of the Fang.”

Shu glanced at Hannah. “They’re already hinting at a contract.”

“A bond of blood and spirit,” the lead spirit said. “You will wield our might—but your souls will burn as fuel. The longer you fight, the closer you draw to madness. In the end, your hearts will rage until nothing remains.”

Silence fell again. Only the heartbeat of the amulet pulsed between them.

Hannah lowered her gaze, hand trembling. Then she clenched her fist. “We don’t have another choice.”

Shu nodded once. “If this is what it takes to stand against the Demon Lords… then so be it.”

The spirits watched with cruel delight.

“Then step forward, bearers of hope,” the lead spirit whispered. “Offer your blood to the Fang Bound Amulet… and let the storm claim you.”

They pressed their palms against the relic.

A burst of crimson light exploded outward, swallowing the chamber whole.
The spirits screamed—not in agony, but in euphoria—as their essence surged into Shu and Hannah’s bodies. The sound of a thousand heartbeats thundered through the cave.

“Let it begin,” the spirit’s voice echoed within their minds.
“Let your rage become your strength.”

Then the light dimmed.
Silence returned.

Twin sigils glowed at the center of Shu and Hannah’s chests—burning crimson symbols pulsing in rhythm with their hearts. A mark of the contract now bound in blood and soul.

“I can feel it,” Shu murmured, staring down at the sigil. “Its rage… its thirst for blood.” His face wavered between fear and resolve.

Hannah’s breathing steadied. Her celestial mind suppressed the Berserker’s hunger clawing inside her. She turned to him, worry flickering behind her calm eyes.
“You good?”

Shu managed a strained smile. “Yeah. Just… feels a little off. That’s all. Come on—Leon’s probably hanging by a thread.”

They stepped out of the chamber, their eyes darker than before—stained with a power that wasn’t entirely their own.

Back in the temple, Shu raised Leon’s greatsword and poured his kantar into it. The weapon flared with divine energy, its seals breaking. With one mighty swing, he cleaved open the air itself—ripping a portal to the Demon Realm.

Without hesitation, he and Hannah stepped through.
The portal sealed behind them with a sound like thunder…
and the world fell silent once more.