Erniel took advantage of the moment, grabbing Strax from behind and attempting to restrain him. As her hand locked around Strax's neck, he reacted quickly, flexing his arms and pulling his body forward, forcing her to lose balance and release him. He spun around and landed an elbow strike to her face, sending her stumbling backward.
"They're putting way too much pressure on me... Why did I suddenly get so weak?" he muttered as he dodged another attack.
Strax had nothing but his trained body and his fists, and it was then that he felt true helplessness... the damned System had made him dependent...
Finally, Eriel decided to join the fray, moving with a terrifying grace as she glided toward him. Her eyes gleamed with a cold determination, and Strax realized she was the most dangerous of the three, the one who moved in only when he was weakened.
Without warning, Eriel conjured shadows around her hands and launched a direct attack, a blow that seemed to swallow the light around it. Strax tried to block, but the dark energy broke through his defense and sent him reeling backward. He felt the impact across his chest, the pain spreading through his body, but he forced himself to stand. He couldn't afford to show any weakness.
"Ahh..." Taking a deep breath, he watched as the three sisters closed in again. Now, he had a clearer idea of their patterns and behaviors. Aliel was impulsive, Erniel was precise, and Eriel was the most dangerous, striking when he was most vulnerable. He had to divide and conquer.
When Aliel lunged at him again, he sidestepped, letting her overshoot. Before she could recover, Strax stepped back, grabbing her wrist and using her momentum against her to slam her down in a quick, controlled move. Erniel moved in next, but he used Aliel as a shield, causing Erniel to hesitate. Taking the opportunity, Strax landed a powerful sidekick that sent her flying.
Eriel attacked with the shadows again, but Strax was prepared. He ducked at the last moment, avoiding the strike, and pushed forward against her. He delivered a rapid sequence of punches and kicks, keeping her on the defensive and preventing her from countering. Caught off guard by his aggression, Eriel retreated but couldn't avoid a blow to her face that knocked her off balance.
Now all three were more cautious, their arrogant smiles fading. They were panting, bruised, and Strax could feel his confidence rising.
"They seem to be losing their strength... how strange..." he thought, before deciding to make his move...
"Looks like you underestimated the 'lost human,'" he taunted with a determined grin.
Aliel and Erniel exchanged irritated glances, then charged at him again, but this time, he was in control. He countered their attacks with precision, slowly turning the tide in his favor. Eriel, still shaken from the blow she took, hesitated to advance, and that hesitation sealed their defeat.
With a final sequence of quick strikes, Strax slammed Erniel into the wall, delivered an uppercut to Aliel, and finally grabbed Eriel by the arm, forcing her to the ground.
Panting, they tried to rise, but he had already won. "Now," he said, his voice low and unyielding, "tell me where I am and how to get out of here." He pressed Eriel's face to the ground.
Eriel tried to lift her head, her face twisted with anger and frustration as she struggled to break free from Strax's grip. "You... You're in !Q*$!@!$!%!@#!@$!@# $!$!@$!@ @!$!@#@!#!@" she started, but her voice sounded strange, as if it were distorted. Her words began to warp, fragments of sentences overlapping and becoming incomprehensible. Strax's triumphant expression turned to confusion.
Sweat dripped down Strax's brow. He was without his abilities, without his weapons. All he had was his own strength, his grit, and his experience. He raised his fists, ignoring the fatigue already weighing on him.
"You really think you can keep me here?" Strax challenged, panting but holding his stance.
Aliel gave him a predatory grin, eyes fixed on him like the perfect prey. "It's not a matter of if we can... but how long you can last before you give up." She lunged, and all three sisters attacked in unison, a deadly, synchronized dance.
Strax dodged by a hair, stepping back to create some space. He began noticing a pattern in their attacks: Eriel struck first, always from the sides, while Aliel aimed for a frontal assault, and Erniel stayed at the rear, weaving shadows to cut off his escape routes.
Gradually, he started anticipating their movements. At a precise moment, as Eriel lunged again from the side, Strax pivoted, delivering a kick that struck her stomach, making her stumble back in surprise. Taking advantage of the opening, he threw a direct punch at Aliel's face, sending her reeling with a frustrated scream.
"Don't just stand there! Get him!" Erniel yelled in frustration, her shadows whipping forward like black tendrils, trying to entangle him. But Strax ducked and rolled to the side, evading the trap and springing back into position.
Now, he could see the fatigue setting in on their faces. The succubi, accustomed to quick victories through illusions and seduction, were facing a true challenge. Strax, adrenaline coursing through him, grinned defiantly.
"Come on, is that all you've got?"
While Strax was busy facing off against the three succubi, in an imposing hall bathed in crimson light, decorated with dark tapestries that seemed to ripple as though alive, a woman sat upon a luxurious throne. The throne was carved from obsidian and adorned with rubies that seemed to pulse with an eerie, hidden energy.
She was a vision of unparalleled beauty, exuding an aura of absolute power and deadly allure. Her skin was pale, flawless, a perfect contrast to her blood-red hair, which cascaded in luxurious waves down to her waist. Her eyes were golden, burning like embers with an intense, fiery gaze.
She wore an exquisite, provocative gown, as if stitched from the essence of darkness itself. The black fabric shimmered faintly, as though it possessed a life of its own, hugging her body flawlessly and accentuating her curves with a predatory elegance. The deep neckline revealed a hint of her collarbone, while slender straps decorated with small red crystals rested on her shoulders, giving her the appearance of an untouchable, irresistible goddess.
The upper part of the dress clung to her waist and hips with precision, narrowing into a long skirt that split into a daring side slit, revealing a slender leg and pale skin that gleamed under the hall's red light.
Around her, the hall was silent, every shadow on the walls seemed alive, molded by her very presence. A slight smirk of disdain formed on her lips as she listened to the commotion echoing down the distant corridors. She knew something was unfolding in her domain—something intriguing.
"So, our new 'guest' has already found my dear servants..." he murmured, his lips curving into a mysterious smile.
With a simple flick of her hand, she summoned a small sphere of energy, flickering in red and black, allowing her to watch the skirmish in the corridors. "Well then, let's see what this mortal is capable of..."