The calm before the storm had stretched on for what felt like an eternity, but Delson Snow Sr. knew it was only a matter of time. As he stood at the edge of the platform high above Corintopia, his senses were attuned to every vibration, every shift in the energy of the world around him. His hands rested calmly at his sides, though inside he was ready. Ready for whatever came next.
And then, it began.
It started as a faint tremor, so subtle that at first, Delson dismissed it as nothing more than the shifting of the Earth's natural plates. But then, it grew. The tremor deepened into a rumble that seemed to originate from the very core of the planet. The air grew heavy, electric, as if it too was bracing for what was coming.
Delson's eyes narrowed. "It's time."
From his high vantage point, Delson watched as the sky above Corintopia darkened unnaturally. Black clouds swirled together, swirling into a vortex of shadow and storm that descended toward the city, casting an ominous pall over the once-proud fortress. Lightning flickered within the storm, illuminating the clouds with bursts of jagged light. The citizens below, the soldiers, and the shades of the Sinister 7 all looked up, their faces filled with confusion, fear, and dread.
A loud crack echoed through the city as the first bolt of lightning struck the outer wall of Corintopia. The impact shattered stone and sent a shockwave through the district, causing buildings to tremble and crumble under the sheer force. Soldiers scrambled into action, rallying to defend their posts, but the terror that gripped the air was palpable.
From the distance, a wave of black, shimmering energy surged forward, crashing into Corintopia like a tide of death. Tel-Nu's attack had begun.
Delson's gaze sharpened as he watched the chaos unfold below. This was not a direct assault on him or the Sinister 7—no, this was calculated. Tel-Nu was attacking the city itself, dismantling Corintopia piece by piece. The black energy ripped through the outer districts, dissolving buildings and walls as if they were made of sand. But even as the destruction spread, Delson noted something strange—no bodies, no screams of pain or death.
Tel-Nu wasn't killing anyone. Not yet.
The Sinister 7 had expected bloodshed, chaos, a full-on assault, but what they were witnessing now was something far more terrifying—precise, controlled destruction, as though Tel-Nu was playing a twisted game.
The shades in the outer rings scrambled to respond, moving to intercept the black waves of energy. Junna's forces moved first, her twisted army of shadows and loyal servants, now embodiments of Lust, rushing forward to meet the attack. They attempted to hold the line, but the black energy washed over them like a tidal wave, scattering their forms like dust in the wind.
"Is this it, Tel-Nu?" Delson muttered, his voice barely above a whisper. "Is this all you've got?"
But even as he spoke, he knew better. This was only the beginning.
As the energy surged forward, reaching the third and fourth rings, the goblin-like shades of Cusi and the brutish orc shades of Cormac tried to regroup. But it was useless. The wave of energy twisted and turned with precision, breaking apart anything in its path, leaving nothing but empty streets and piles of rubble in its wake. And still, not a single living being was touched by the destruction. Every soldier, every citizen, every shade was relocated before the black energy could claim them, wrapped in shadows and whisked away to safety.
"This isn't war," Kira hissed, appearing beside Delson. Her eyes were ablaze with envy, her power swirling around her like a poisonous mist. "It's a mockery. He's toying with us."
Delson didn't respond. His mind was racing, trying to make sense of the attack. Tel-Nu had power beyond their comprehension, that much was clear. But why go to such lengths to destroy their city without taking a single life?
Below, the destruction intensified. The fifth and sixth rings were next. Buildings crumbled into dust, ancient walls that had stood for centuries were obliterated in seconds. Dmitri's forces, lazily patrolling the perimeter of the fifth ring, were caught completely off guard, their slow reactions proving useless against the precision of Tel-Nu's assault. Eshe's mages in the sixth ring frantically cast protective wards and shields, but nothing could stop the onslaught.
And then, with a thunderous crack, the seventh ring fell.
Delson's eyes widened as the sanctuary of the Core 7, the heart of Corintopia, was struck. The towering spires, the gleaming white walls, all reduced to dust in the blink of an eye. The ground trembled violently as the sanctuary collapsed inward, the sound of its destruction echoing through the city like the tolling of a great bell.
And yet, as the dust settled, Delson saw the same outcome—no lives lost. The citizens, soldiers, and shades of Corintopia had all been moved outside the city walls, standing in a dazed crowd at the outskirts. Confusion and fear were etched on every face as they looked back at their once-great city, now reduced to little more than a barren hill of grass, as though Corintopia had never existed at all.
The Sinister 7 were untouched, standing in the center of the crowd, their faces contorted with anger, fear, and disbelief. They had never seen anything like this before. Corintopia, their fortress of power, the seat of their rule, was gone. Erased from existence as if it had never been.
"Where is he?" Cormac growled, his gluttonous form trembling with rage. "Where's that shadowed bastard?"
"He's here," Eshe snarled, her eyes burning with wrath. "He's always been here."
The air around them shifted. The shadows grew thicker, darker, as if the very essence of the void was closing in on them. And then, a voice—deep, cold, and echoing—rang out across the now-silent landscape.
"You failed," Tel-Nu's voice boomed, sending a shiver through the crowd. "You tried to build your utopia on lies, on greed, on destruction. And now, it's gone."
The Core 7 turned in unison, searching for the source of the voice, but Tel-Nu remained unseen. His presence, however, was unmistakable—an oppressive force that hung over them like a shadow of impending doom.
"You believed you could stand against me, that your power, your sins, would protect you. But you were wrong. I gave you this chance, and still, you chose the path of corruption."
Tel-Nu's voice grew darker, more menacing. "Now, I will show you the truth."
Delson felt a cold wave of fear wash over him, something he hadn't experienced in years. He gritted his teeth, clenching his fists as he tried to suppress the feeling. This was it. The final showdown had begun, and Tel-Nu was playing by his own rules.
"Prepare yourselves," Delson muttered to the others, his voice filled with resolve. "This isn't over yet."
As Tel-Nu's voice faded into the darkness, the shadows began to move once more, swirling around the Sinister 7 and the remaining citizens of Corintopia. The true battle was just beginning, and Delson knew that they would have to fight with everything they had if they were to survive the coming storm.