The Cursed seized the black scythe, turned around, and delivered several powerful strikes. The enchanted weapon sliced the black darkness into several pieces. The red eyes upon them were looking in bewilderment at what was happening.
The Cursed delivered several more strikes, and the Black Mist, having fallen apart into pieces, dissolved into the air.
"Now you can pass through the portal," the All-Seeing's voice rang out. "Do not delay. The Black Mist cannot be destroyed completely. Not even with this weapon."
The Cursed returned to the palace and passed through the portal.
A tall, broad figure was descending the stone steps. Its eyes were burning with yellow flames. There were no pupils. There was no need for a handheld lantern to light the way. The yellow flames of its eyes could illuminate the path without difficulty. But the one descending was not even looking by means of the flames. It existed partly outside its body and perceived through other senses.
In the black darkness, numerous red eyes and long teeth appeared. Spirits were guarding the road leading to the place where the staircase descended. Sensing the aura of their master, they hissed and obediently retreated into the darkness.
Then they too disappeared. Only the visitor and the black darkness remained alone together.
The grim figure was descending into the deepest chamber beneath the earth.
He opened the iron door and entered. A polygonal room. White walls. In the center of the floor was the image of a pentagram. A faint glow was emanating from the walls, driving away the darkness of the room.
The Demon-King sat down on the pentagram and closed his eyes.
A dark forest. A severe frost. The kind of frost that could be caused only by the presence of the Ice Queen. But this was another continent, where the Ice Queen's foot had never set. The stench of death hung in the air. Behind one of the tall snow-covered fir trees lay the disemboweled corpse of a large monster. Black streams of blood had frozen in the white snow. One such creature was capable of destroying a hundred heavily armed warriors. Farther away lay the torn-apart corpse of another such monster. The traces of their black blood led farther into the dreadful depths of the forest. To the place where the one who had destroyed them was sitting.
The tall snow-covered trees suddenly parted, revealing a sinister clearing. Blue lights of unknown purpose were burning along its borders, as though watching the one who had entered. At the far end of the clearing stood the grim temple of an ancient forgotten deity. An atmosphere of terrible menace and the hunt for another's life spread from its half-open entrance doors.
At the very foot of the temple sat a slender, lean girl. Long white hair. At first, it seemed to him that she was completely naked, but then he saw that she was wearing very thin armor that clung tightly to her body.
The icy clearing, which was in fact the temple courtyard, was covered in black blood. The white-haired girl was greedily feeding. In her bloodstained hands, she held large chunks of flesh from the slain monsters.
He approached and threw two small black discs before her. Each of them contained an amount of energy capable of powering a city of one million people for ten days.
"This is a down payment. Kill the Cursed. You know whom I am talking about. Then you will receive the rest."
The girl turned her head toward him. Her mouth, covered with black blood, bared its teeth in a predatory grin.
"The Cursed... kill... I have already killed two Cursed... I only have to do it again..."
In the frosty air, the hissing sound of an opening portal rang out.