The wind howled like a cornered beast, scattering shreds of black clouds across the barren wasteland. A blood-red sunset painted the rocks in ominous hues, foreshadowing something dire. At the center of this chaos, motionless as a statue, stood the Unknown. His dark cloak billowed in the wind, concealing his face beneath a deep cowl. Around him, in a semicircle, shadows coalesced – dozens of figures radiating an aura of hostility.
At last, we have found you, hissed a voice, raspy as the grinding of stone on stone. A tall, skeletal demon emerged from the shadows, its skin resembling obsidian, its eyes burning with hellfire. You have played with us for too long, Unknown. It is time to pay.
The Unknown remained silent. He didn't even flinch. Only the barest twitch of his hand betrayed his readiness.
Do you think your silence will deter us? roared another voice, deep and resonant as a thunderclap. A massive figure clad in steel armor stepped forward. It was a war-mage of the High Ones, his face contorted with rage. We have come for your power! We will take it for ourselves!
Fools, whispered a third voice, thin and piercing like the hiss of a serpent. A graceful figure in silken robes slithered from the shadows. It was a priestess of the goddess of deception, her eyes glittering with cunning. He will not surrender his power. He will destroy you all.
The demon snarled, the mage raised his staff, the priestess emitted a shrill laugh. And in that instant, the battle began.
The demon lunged at the Unknown, its claws leaving fiery trails in the air. The mage unleashed a barrage of magic missiles, each capable of slaying a dragon. The priestess wove an illusion, attempting to confuse and weaken him. But the Unknown remained unmoved.
He moved with incredible speed, dodging the demon's strikes, deflecting the magic missiles with a flick of his wrist, dispelling the illusions with a glance. His movements were fluid and precise, like a dance of death.
Suddenly, the Unknown stopped. He raised a hand, and a dark fire ignited in his palm. He hurled it at the demon, and with a piercing shriek, it dissolved into a cloud of black smoke.
The mage, witnessing the death of his ally, flew into a rage. He focused all his power and unleashed a devastating spell upon the Unknown. The earth trembled, the sky cracked with energy. But the Unknown merely smirked. He extended a hand, and dark energy, as if alive, wrapped around him, forming a protective shield. The mage's spell shattered against this shield, harming him not at all.
The priestess, realizing that the Unknown's power exceeded all their expectations, decided to employ her most insidious tactic. She crafted an illusion that showed the Unknown his greatest fear. But the Unknown did not succumb to this trickery. He saw through the illusion; he knew it was merely a deception. He focused his will, and the illusion crumbled like a house of cards.
You cannot defeat me, the Unknown said, his voice cold and merciless. Your power is nothing compared to mine.
He took a step forward, and the shadows recoiled. They knew they had lost. They knew that death awaited them.
The Unknown raised his hand, and the dark fire ignited in his palm once more. He was ready to end this battle. But at that moment…