The Eminence of a True Monarch of the Shadows

[Third Person's PoV]

As Cid and Claire ventured deeper into the castle, they found themselves stepping into an eerily quiet throne room. Shadows danced across the vast, empty hall, the only illumination coming from the faint flicker of torches lining the walls.

Next to the throne stood a platter set upright on a pole. Claire walked ahead toward the throne and noticed a piece of old parchment resting on the platter.

"What's this?" Claire murmured, her brow furrowing as she picked up a piece of old parchment resting on the platter. She held it up to the torchlight, inspecting the faded script.

"It's a teleportation script. You're supposed to rip it, and it teleports you to the next floor," Cid explained.

"Oh, cool! It's like a video game!" Claire said excitedly.

Cid already knowing what Claire was like simply put a hand over shoulders. Claire, always impulsive, tore the parchment without hesitation. They were instantly teleported to the next floor.

When the light faded, they found themselves on the first floor of the Demon Castle. The atmosphere here was entirely different—dark, humid, and filled with the low growls and shrieks of lurking demons. Dozens of twisted, grotesque creatures prowled in the dim corridors, their glowing eyes cutting through the shadows.

Claire's lips curled into a feral grin as she drew her sword. "Don't intervene," she said, her voice laced with excitement as she turned to Cid.

Cid raised his hands in mock surrender, leaning casually against the wall. "All yours."

In an instant, Claire became a blur of motion. She dashed into the throng of demons, her figure trailing black lightning as her blade flashed like a streak of light. Heads flew, limbs were severed, and her zigzagging movements left only carnage in her wake. Her laughter rang out, wild and untamed, as she reveled in the chaos.

A horde of demons charged toward her, their collective roars shaking the ground. Without hesitation, Claire leaped into the air, arcs of black lightning spiraling around her. Her figure shone like a falling star as she plummeted into the center of the horde, her sword plunging deep into the earth.

"Let's see how you like this!" she yelled, her voice electrified with power.

The ground erupted with waves of uncontrolled lightning. The arcs crackled and surged outward, disintegrating demons on contact. Those caught in the attack screamed in agony before erupting into gory messes of ash. The destruction left a crater in the earth, smoke and swirling ashes rising like a dark cloud.

Claire stood at the center of the carnage, hands on her hips and a smug expression plastered across her face. "I'm good—ugh! Cough Cough—ew, ew, some of the ash got in my mouth!" she sputtered, spitting to the side with a horrified look.

She spat furiously and glared at Cid, who was chuckling. "It's not funny!" she scoffed, pouting.

Kicking at a pile of ash, she muttered, "Let's just find the next piece of stupid paper and get on with it."

Floor after floor, Claire decimated the monsters with growing expertise. Her control over her Black Lightning sharpened with each encounter, and her attacks became more devastating. The demons grew stronger as they climbed—larger, fiercer, and more cunning—but to Claire, they were mere distractions.

From the first floor to the sixth, then the tenth, the fifteenth, the twenty-fifth, the thirty-fifth, and finally the forty-ninth, Claire carved a path of destruction.

Sliding to a stop, she concentrated, her tongue sticking out slightly as she lined up her next attack. Her sword glowed with magical energy before releasing a railgun-like beam of lightning. The attack ripped through rows of demons, obliterating everything in its path.

She thrust her sword skyward, summoning a massive storm cloud. Black lightning crackled ominously as the cloud grew larger.

The remaining demons, conjuring flames, charged toward her with hateful glares.

Claire smirked, blowing them a kiss with a wink. Then, with a dramatic swing of her sword, massive bolts of lightning rained down, annihilating the demons before they could scream. The ground erupted with craters from the sheer force of the attack.

As the storm dissipated, Claire hoisted her sword onto her shoulder, static crackling at her fingertips. She let out a deep breath. "Alright, juice me up. I'm running low on magic," she said, pointing her sword at Cid.

Cid, casually lounging on a pile of rubble, wore a long black sleeveless coat, his hood partially covering his face. "What? Am I just a battery to you?" he scoffed.

"Yeah. What else are you good for? You've just been lazing around while I do all the work," Claire shrugged.

"Excuse me? You told me not to intervene! Who do you think has been finding the teleportation parchment?" Cid shot back, glaring.

Claire crossed her arms. "So, did you find it?"

Cid pulled the parchment from his pocket. "Duh. What do you think, dumbass?"

"Good. Now, come on, recharge me," Claire said, spreading her arms.

With a roll of his eyes, Cid jumped off the rubble and flicked her forehead. Claire winced, crouching down and rubbing the spot. "What the hell was that for, you jerk!?"

"You said to recharge you. You didn't specify it had to be pleasant," Cid replied with a shrug.

Claire grumbled, realizing her magic had indeed been replenished. She stood and kicked his shin. "You didn't have to make it hurt—ouch!"

Hopping on one foot, she glared at him. "What are you made of? Metal?"

Cid smirked smugly, earning another kick—this time to his backside.

"You should be nicer to your brother," he teased, tossing her the parchment.

"Tolerating you is already too much," Claire muttered before ripping the parchment.

They teleported to the fiftieth floor and found themselves in a grand hall.

At the center of the room sat a massive demon, his crimson skin rippling with muscle. Horns curled menacingly around his head, and his sharp fangs glinted in the dim light. He rested on a throne constructed entirely of bones, and by his side lay a colossal kanabo, its spiked surface gleaming with blood.

Dozens of smaller demons flanked him, standing at attention like dutiful guards.

"Ohhhh! A boss battle!" Claire said with a grin, pointing her sword toward the demon. She glanced at Cid over her shoulder. "You can handle the minions. Leave the big guy—aka the Boss—to me."

Cid smirked. "You sure he's the boss and not you? You're both demons, and you're just as bossy."

Claire shot him a deadpan look. "Do you want to get punched?"

Cid sighed, a flicker of purple-black flames igniting in his palm. "Let's just get this over with."