BLACK CRYSTALS

[Eternal Barren]

Grom stopped in front of the Demon King's castle as his eyes caught something unnatural, "What the hell is this?" He bent down to check the black crystals formed on the bones near the wall.

"Freaking hell? What the hell are these?" Grom picked up one of the crystals but threw it far away, sensing pure demonic energy, "Shit, black energy... need to hurry." Without wasting time, Grom rushed inside the demon king's castle.

"Humm, new sword marks...?" 

"New traces of battle."

Grom sensed something was amiss as he noticed the newly formed sword marks on the castle's walls. 

"Blood... Fresh..."

"Just what the hell happened here?"

"Alice should be down there... hope everything is alright."

Grom took out a vile of blood, which Alice gave him to enter the castle's basement, and dropped it on the array. He waited for a few minutes, but the basement door didn't open.