This was the opportunity Riven had been waiting for.
Even though the sound from the explosion had affected him too, he couldn't let it slow him down. He ran towards the pale-skinned abominations as fast as he could. There was no need to be quiet anymore.
He sprinted straight toward the wall, planted his left foot on it, and pushed off to gain some height. In one fluid motion, he leapt into the air and landed on the back of the dreadful abomination.
Without hesitation, he coiled the chains in his hands around the neck of the Sunderkin.
Of course, no one likes being choked.
The abomination thrashed violently, trying to get him off its back. It roared beneath him, body too massive for the narrow tunnel, crashing into walls and tearing through the stone in its rage.
Riven pulled the chain tighter, locking it in place. The beast smashed itself repeatedly against the tunnel walls, trying to shake him off.
He held on, teeth clenched. The chain bit into his palms as the air filled with dust and the cracking sound of stone.
He was slammed against the tunnel walls over and over, pain screaming through his body, but Riven refused to let go.
All he could think about was killing it.
Its body was slimy and disgusting, and the stench was unbearable. He felt nauseous just breathing it in. But none of that mattered.
He knew if he got off the Sunderkin, it would tear him apart. He didn't have the room or chance to fight it properly. All he could do was choke the dreadful thing to death.
But the Sunderkin wasn't going down without a fight.
It kept slamming itself into the stone, dragging Riven along with it. At one point, his head almost split open from the impact.
Still, he didn't stop.
He gritted his teeth.
"Just die already, you bastard," he muttered under his breath.
Meanwhile, the explosion had affected the Sunderkin attacking Jae as well, giving him a moment to kick the abomination off him.
But the damage was done.
His hand was mangled. Blood dripped from his fingers. He was breathing heavily, panting, trying to steady himself.
The other Firstborn with him had her own problems to deal with and couldn't help him.
Thankfully, the explosion had disoriented the Sunderkins. She managed to kill the one in front of her.
She glanced at Jae.
"You alright?"
Jae nodded, his voice strained and tired.
"I'm fine. Worry about yourself. There's still two more of those bastards."
He could barely grip his sword, but that didn't matter. He had to kill the pale-skinned freak in front of him.
The monster was recovering fast, crawling toward him with ragged limbs and claws scraping the ground.
Jae staggered back, breathing hard, sweat stinging his eyes.
His left arm was useless, bloodied and limp. He tightened his grip on the sword with his right and, with a deep breath, lunged forward.
He drove the blade straight into the monster's head, praying it would be enough.
It wasn't.
The monster grabbed Jae's legs and yanked, slamming him hard against the ground. His head hit the cold stone with a sickening thud.
But Jae didn't let go of the sword.
The monster's limbs wrapped around his legs, snarling jaws snapping closer.
He grunted, twisted his body, and pulled the sword free. With his only usable arm, he brought the blade around and shoved it toward the monster's head again.
It dragged him back, refusing to die.
Still, Jae pushed harder, driving the edge into its skull, desperate.
The monster was just as relentless.
Even if it was going to die, it was determined to take Jae with it.
Jae forced the sword deeper. It still wouldn't let go.
"Then fine," he said, eyes wild.
He let go of the sword's handle and made a crooked, tired grin.
"Eat shit, you bastard."
He remembered his left leg wasn't trapped. He raised his right foot and slammed it onto the sword's handle with all the strength he could muster.
The blade was driven deeper into the monster's head, finally killing it.
Its grip weakened. Jae pushed it off and stood, breathing hard.
Somehow, the other Firstborn had taken care of the last one.
He looked down at his left hand, limp and soaked in blood. He sighed.
"At least we survived… and what the hell caused that explosion?"
---
Riven, on the other hand, hadn't managed to kill his target yet.
The pale-skinned abomination refused to die. Not that anything ever wanted to die, but this one was especially stubborn.
And so was Riven.
"Just die already, you fucking bastard," he spat, still clinging to the thrashing monster.
It kept slamming him into the walls.
Over and over again.
Then, finally, it started to slow.
The movements dulled. Then stopped entirely.
Riven didn't let go, not immediately.
He waited, listened, felt for breath or heartbeat. Nothing.
It was dead.
He slid off its back. His clothes were soaked in a weird white sticky liquid.
He looked down at himself, disgusted.
"Slimy bastards… What the hell is this crap? Sunscreen?"
Then, something appeared in front of his eyes.
Or maybe on them.
It looked like glowing text, written in an old language he couldn't understand.
And yet… somehow, he could.
[νικρεδνυΣ σανιτκέπἀ]
"You've slain a Sunderkin," he whispered, the words escaping without him realizing.
The moment he said them, he felt it.
His body.
Stronger.
Faster.
His senses sharpened all at once.
He blinked.
"…Huh. What was that?"