Stargazers: World stage

With the chains clattering to the ground, Vahn freed his legs and rubbed his wrists, feeling the faint ache of restraint fading.

"Now, a plan," he muttered under his breath, scanning the dim, cavernous expanse for anything he could use as a weapon. But the demons had been cautious, no tools or sharp objects lay within reach of the ability users.

His gaze shifted to the patrolling demons, each armed with brutal instruments: spears, swords, axes. Those would be his targets.

'But I can't attack them head-on.' Vahn wasn't naïve. The demons guarding this place were bound to be far stronger than the two he'd just fought.

Suddenly, a guttural voice echoed through the cavern.

"Oi, Punchy, where the fuck are you?"

From the dark opening where Vahn had been dragged in earlier, a larger demon emerged, an enormous axe slung lazily over its shoulder.

Instinct kicked in. Vahn teleported behind it, but the demon was fast, already swinging its axe backward.

BANG!

The axe smashed into the cave wall, sending shards of rock and dust flying.

"Who are you?" the demon growled, its yellow eyes narrowing as it saw Vahn escape its attack and wasn't bound by chains. 

Vahn stood his ground with rough breath; he had narrowly just escaped with another teleportation. "Your killer."

'Fighting barehand against an axe is foolish, so I should approach first.' Vahn thought in his mind, no more words needed to be said as he lunged forward.

The demon sneered, raising its axe high.

Then the blade came down like a guillotine, slicing through the air with deadly speed.

'Now.'

Vahn teleported just before the blade could cleave him, reappearing beside the demon's arm. He punched the creature's wrist with all his strength.

PATT!

The demon's grip faltered, the axe deflecting sideways. Vahn jumped, scrambling to seize the weapon. His fingers brushed against the handle when he felt an intense heat.

"What…?"

His eyes snapped to the demon's mouth. A searing orb of energy, the size of a football, gathered, glowing ominously.

"Shit!"

He had forgotten. Since these demons were created from the bodies of the actual demons, he didn't think they would be able to copy their ultimate skill. 

 Vahn barely had time to teleport as the orb shot toward him. It grazed his side, and an agonizing scream tore from his throat as half his body turned black, seared by the blast.

"FUCK!" He collapsed, writhing in pain. It was as if molten metal coursed through his veins. 

"Hahaha, who would have thought too," The demon laughed, striding forward after seeing Vahn's condition, "You know, we're no different from the old demons now. We lost our abilities but gained something better, the demon's ultimate technique: Final Breath."

"Fuck…Fuckk" Vahn screamed in pain. He couldn't feel the left side of his body, and the demon was already approaching with another final breath gathering in its mouth.

Vahn gritted his teeth, and roared, "LOSE? ME?" Summoning every ounce of will, he forced himself to stand on his right side.

"What?" The demon faltered, surprised by the defiance and unwillingness to die.

With a roar, Vahn teleported again, appearing right beside the demon's head. Before it could react, he plunged his fingers into one of its eyes.

PSTCHH!

"GAHHHH!"

Blood spurted as Vahn yanked his hand free, then stabbed his fingers into the second eye, tearing it out with savage fury.

The demon dropped its axe, howling in agony. Vahn teleported to the fallen weapon, his body trembling from exertion and pain.

"FUCK!"

With gritted teeth, he lifted the axe and straightened his body, teleporting back to the blinded beast. With a final, rage-filled cry, he swung the weapon in a wide arc.

BANG...

Vahn collapsed heavily to the ground. A heartbeat later, the demon's severed head thudded beside him.

Breathing heavily, Vahn didn't hesitate. "DEVOUR!"

RAAAAARRRR

The monstrous entity erupted from him with a roar, its maw consuming both the demon's head and body. Agonizing pain seized him again, mingling with the lingering burns.

"GAAHHH!"

This time, minutes passed before the torment subsided. Vahn examined his burned side. still scarred, but healing faster than expected.

"I'll avoid that next time," he muttered with heavy breaths, standing with effort. Yet, something was off. No notification. No power boost.

He frowned, glancing at his healing flesh. 'Did it use the energy to repair me?' That was the only explanation currently.

Accepting the theory, he gripped the axe tightly.

'Now, with a weapon secured.'

The path ahead was one where the back was towards the cell he came from, and the forward was down to the experiment site. However, he needed to save others. After fighting the demon with the axe, he realized he would need others to fight together.

The sides were demarcations to other cells, and that was his destination. So, with the choice made, he tried to teleport beyond the demarcation ahead but failed.

'So, I can't teleport past what I can't see.' He noted that in his mind and thought of another plan.

It was a reckless one at that, however without hesitation, Vahn leaped over the demarcation, twisting mid-air, and teleported mid-fall into the next section.

The demons there barely registered his presence before their heads rolled, severed by swift, precise swings of his axe.

Thud. Thud.

A girl, shackled and broken, stared in disbelief at the sight of her savior. Then when the monstrous creature emerged to devour the fallen demons, her shock turned to terror.

Then that same savior approached her with a voice gentle despite the blood staining his skin. "Are you okay?"

"M-M-MONSTER!" she screamed, her voice echoing through the cavern.