The devil
The air trembled under the force of their clash. This place, once resembling ancient ruins, was now nothing more than a vast battlefield, scarred by the fresh marks of combat. The two warriors tread upon this desolate land, their movements growing ever faster.
The atmosphere shifted violently, as if hell itself had descended upon this place. Darkness engulfed the world, the only light coming from the flashes of lightning streaking across the sky. Thunder roared—a macabre rhythm accompanying their duel.
With every celestial detonation, blows were exchanged. The hero, faster than his foe, struck before the thunder could even echo.
The monster, on the other hand, was too slow to dodge. It took every hit, unable to retaliate effectively. Yet, upon closer inspection, the situation was far from in the hero's favor. His stamina was dwindling. He had entered this battle in a miserable state, and as time dragged on, his body betrayed his exhaustion.
In contrast, the monster seemed inexhaustible. Its endurance was unparalleled, its vitality limitless. Every wound it sustained closed instantly under the effects of its regeneration.
With a sudden, forceful strike, the hero sent the monster flying, but it recovered immediately and charged back at him. They dashed across the battlefield, their attacks clashing in a deadly dance—striking, dodging, seeking the slightest opening in each other's defenses.
Then, without warning, the monster summoned multiple ethereal spheres, the same kind that had annihilated the hero's team. This time, they were smaller but far more numerous. Like beams of pure energy, they shot toward him.
This is bad!!!
The thunder dictated the pace of their fight, a destructive symphony that seemed the only fitting soundtrack to their battle.
The hero executed a series of evasive maneuvers, dodging the deadly projectiles with precision. Then, extending his hand, he directed his floating swords toward the monster. They obeyed instantly, launching forward and piercing its body.
The energy spheres vanished. Yet, what should have been a decisive blow amounted to nothing. The swords, meant to impale the beast, barely even dented its scales. They struggled, trying in vain to break through.
Its body is evolving…!!!
"Well, if I must give my life to stop you and atone for my sins, then so be it!"
"I, ***************, will take you down with me!"
As if possessed by their own will, all the swords returned to the hero's side, trembling with newfound resolve. Because they were neither dependent on skills nor magic, they remained one of his greatest assets.
"Let your voice be heard!"
The sword in his grasp roared—a powerful ego weapon, radiating an indomitable will.
This battle had to end. Here and now.
The hero gathered everything he had left, ready to give it his all.
"I really did create the devil…"
He let out a bitter, self-deprecating laugh. But his laughter never reached the monster he was desperately trying to contain.
There was nothing left to say.
Nothing left to understand.
One of them had to fall.
The air trembled under the weight of their battle. This place, once resembling ancient ruins, was now nothing more than a vast field of scorched earth, scarred by the fresh traces of a fierce struggle. The two combatants stood upon this desolate land, their movements growing ever faster.
The atmosphere shifted suddenly, as if hell itself had descended upon this place. Darkness swallowed the world, the only light coming from the streaks of lightning tearing through the sky. Thunder rumbled, a macabre rhythm accompanying their duel.
With each deafening crash, blows were exchanged. The hero, faster than his foe, struck before the sound of thunder could even reach them.
The monster, however, was not quick enough to dodge. It took every hit, unable to counter effectively. Yet, upon closer inspection, the situation was far from being in the hero's favor. His endurance was fading. He had entered this battle in a pitiful state, and as time dragged on, his body betrayed his growing exhaustion.
In contrast, the monster seemed inexhaustible. Its stamina was beyond reason, its vitality boundless. Every wound it suffered closed almost instantly, regenerated by its unnatural ability.
With a powerful strike, the hero sent the creature flying, but it caught itself mid-air and charged back immediately. They raced across the battlefield, their attacks clashing in a deadly dance—dodging, striking, seeking an opening in the other's defenses.
Then, without warning, the monster conjured multiple ethereal spheres—similar to those that had annihilated the hero's team. This time, they were smaller, but far more numerous. Like beams of light, they shot toward him.
This is bad!!!
The thunder dictated the pace of their fight, a destructive symphony, the only fitting melody for such a clash.
The hero executed several maneuvers, narrowly avoiding the deadly projectiles. He extended his hand, and his spinning swords followed his movement, soaring toward the monster and piercing it directly.
The energy spheres vanished. Yet what should have been a decisive strike amounted to nothing. The blades, meant to sink deep, barely penetrated its scales. They trembled, struggling to pierce through.
Its body… is evolving…!!!
"Well then, if I must give my life to stop you and atone for my sins, so be it!"
"I, ***************, will drag you down with me!"
All the swords, as if possessed by an independent will, returned to the hero's side. They quivered, exhilarated by his resolve. Because they were neither dependent on skills nor magic, they remained one of his greatest assets.
"Let your voice be heard!"
The sword in his grasp roared. A powerful weapon with its own ego, it radiated an unshakable will.
This battle had to end. Here and now.
The hero gathered everything he had left, ready to fight until the bitter end.
"I really did create the devil…"
A bitter chuckle escaped him, filled with self-derision. But his laughter never reached the monster he was trying to contain.
There were no more words to be said.
No understanding to be found.
One of them had to fall.
In the end, he had only regrets. He didn't even have the luxury of closing his eyes for a moment to reflect on his past, on everything he had done to get here.
Now, it was a race against time.
Would the opportunity he sought present itself, or would he collapse from exhaustion first?
A wave of shame washed over him. The only ability he could use freely was one tied to his intent—and he had only just realized it. His body surged forward, the blades swirling alongside him, and as always, the monster made no effort to dodge the hero's attacks.
But this time, something changed.
The swords, infused with his determination, struck with unprecedented force. The metal sank deeper than ever before into the monster's flesh. A low sound escaped its throat—one the hero had never heard before. Was it a groan of pain… or a sinister laugh?
He couldn't tell. He had no time to figure it out. In one swift motion, he retrieved his main weapon and leapt back, trying to gauge the situation.
But as he attempted to catch his breath, an overwhelming pressure bore down upon him.
The ground cracked beneath their feet.
The monster, still standing, slowly lifted its head. Its eyes gleamed with an unreadable, ominous light. Its mutilated flesh began to regenerate at an unnatural speed, the blades still lodged in its body dulling as if corroded by an unseen force.
The hero's eyes widened.
Was this… the end?
Then, all at once, everything stopped.
A bolt of lightning split the sky, illuminating the battlefield in blinding white. And in a deafening roar, the world collapsed.
A surge of energy erupted, consuming everything in its path.
And when the silence returned…
Only one silhouette remained standing amidst the smoldering ruins.