The chamber buzzed with a sinister energy, the air thick with tension. Dakota stood at the center, his flame-wreathed hands illuminating the dark expanse around him. Across the room, the dark mage loomed, his cloak billowing unnaturally, his staff radiating tendrils of shadow.
Dark Mage (sneering): "You've lasted longer than I expected, boy. But this is the end."
Dakota (smirking): "Bold of you to assume I've even started."
The mage slammed his staff into the ground, summoning a wave of black fire that roared toward Dakota. With a flick of his wrist, Dakota countered, conjuring a blazing inferno that met the dark flames mid-air. The clash of opposing magics sent sparks raining down like a fiery storm.
Dakota: "Is this all you've got? I was hoping for more of a challenge."
The dark mage snarled, thrusting his staff forward. Shadowy tendrils shot out, snaking toward Dakota with terrifying speed. Dakota darted to the side, flames trailing behind him as he moved with practiced precision.
Dark Mage: "You talk big for someone so close to death!"
Dakota skidded to a halt, his boots grinding against the cracked stone floor. He raised his hand, summoning a massive fireball that hovered ominously above his palm.
Dakota: "Close to death? You don't even know who you're dealing with."
He hurled the fireball at the dark mage, the intense heat warping the air around it. The mage raised a barrier of shadow, but the fireball exploded on impact, sending him staggering back.
Dark Mage (growling): "You're more persistent than most, but persistence won't save you!"
He raised his staff high, chanting in a guttural language. The shadows coalesced into a monstrous figure—a towering wraith with glowing red eyes. It lunged at Dakota, claws slashing through the air.
Dakota leapt back, narrowly avoiding the strike. With a sharp inhale, he thrust his hands forward, unleashing a torrent of flames that engulfed the wraith. The creature screeched, its shadowy form writhing as the flames consumed it.
Dakota: "Summoning tricks won't save you either."
The dark mage slammed his staff into the ground again, the force sending a shockwave that cracked the stone floor. The room trembled as spikes of shadow erupted from the ground, each one aiming to impale Dakota.
Dakota weaved through the spikes with fluid movements, flames erupting around him to melt the shadow constructs before they could reach him. He landed in a crouch, his fiery gaze locked on the mage.
Dakota (smirking): "Getting desperate, aren't we?"
The dark mage's eyes narrowed, his frustration evident. He extended his hand, and the shadows gathered into a swirling orb of dark energy.
Dark Mage: "Let's see how cocky you are after this!"
The orb expanded rapidly, sucking in the light around it. Dakota braced himself as the mage hurled it toward him. The sheer force of the attack sent a gale ripping through the room.
Dakota planted his feet firmly, summoning a barrier of flames. The orb struck the barrier with an ear-splitting roar, the resulting explosion sending shockwaves through the chamber.
The flames flickered for a moment, but Dakota pushed harder, his fire blazing brighter until the orb was consumed entirely. When the smoke cleared, he stood unscathed, his expression cold and unwavering.
Dakota: "My turn."
He raised both hands, flames spiraling upward to form a massive inferno. The heat was oppressive, the intensity forcing even the dark mage to step back.
Dark Mage (glaring): "You think you can defeat me with raw power? Pathetic!"
The mage began chanting again, this time summoning a barrier of shadows reinforced with black fire. Dakota didn't flinch.
Dakota: "You don't get it, do you? This isn't raw power. This is control."
The inferno condensed into a blazing sphere, its light blinding. With a sharp movement, Dakota hurled it toward the mage. The sphere collided with the barrier, and for a moment, it seemed like the shadows might hold.
But then the flames intensified, cracking through the barrier like a sledgehammer against glass. The dark mage screamed as the sphere exploded, flames engulfing him in a fiery storm.
When the flames subsided, the mage staggered, his cloak scorched and his staff cracked.
Dark Mage (panting): "This… this isn't possible…"
Dakota advanced slowly, his hands still wreathed in fire.
Dakota: "I gave you a chance to walk away. You chose this."
The mage raised his staff in a final act of defiance, but Dakota was faster. He extended one hand, flames spiraling upward as he summoned one of his strongest attacks.
Dakota (quietly): "Ashen Cataclysm."
A pillar of fire erupted from the ground beneath the mage, engulfing him completely. The flames roared higher and higher, consuming everything in their path. The dark mage's screams were lost in the inferno, his form reduced to ash within moments.
The flames receded, leaving nothing but a charred mark on the stone floor. Dakota stood at the center of the room, his breathing steady despite the intense magic he had just unleashed.
The oppressive energy in the chamber dissipated, replaced by an eerie silence. Dakota glanced around, his flames extinguishing as he relaxed his stance.
Dakota (muttering): "Ashes to ashes."
Behind him, a faint voice echoed through the chamber.
Voice (whispering): "You… you'll regret this… god of this world…"
Dakota's eyes narrowed, but the voice faded before he could respond. He shook his head, brushing off the lingering unease.
As he got up from the ground, the heat from his magic lingered in the air, a testament to his victory. He wiped the sweat from his brow, his expression unreadable.
But then his younger sister Emma came rushing in to his chest.
Emma: "oh god I missed you big brother, I'm so glad you came to save me."
Emma was crying in Dakota's chest, but Dakota didn't mind and petted his sister on the head.
Dakota: "of course I will save you, if I didn't mother and father would kill me. Well they still probably will since I didn't call them for help. But I will do something so don't worry."
And they exited the chamber, and left the dark forest. And this luckily ended good with Dakota and his team saving his sister, and also Killing a bunch of high-ranked Djinns and dark mage's.