As Junna's lifeless body lay in the rubble, Tel-Nu's gaze shifted, his eyes falling upon Cusi, the embodiment of Greed. The twisted being stood amidst his vast hoard of wealth, surrounded by mountains of gold, jewels, and treasures collected over the years. The shades of his followers—now grotesque, goblin-like figures—scurried around him, adding more riches to his pile in a vain attempt to appease their master.
Cusi's eyes widened as Tel-Nu approached, a mixture of fear and anger contorting his features. His hands clutched at a solid gold staff, encrusted with jewels, as though it would offer him some form of protection. The wealth that once brought him comfort and satisfaction now felt meaningless in the face of the overwhelming force bearing down on him.
"You can't take this from me!" Cusi shouted, his voice shaking. "This is mine—everything is mine!"
His words were more for himself than for Tel-Nu, a desperate mantra repeated over and over as if it could somehow ward off the inevitable. Cusi raised the staff, channeling the power of his greed, his twisted form surging with dark energy. The air around him shimmered as he summoned a shield of gold, its surface gleaming in the faint light of the dying world.
Tel-Nu watched, unimpressed. His form loomed over Cusi, casting an enormous shadow over the piles of treasure. With a single motion, Tel-Nu extended his hand, and the shadows surrounding him surged forward like a tidal wave.
Cusi screamed, thrusting his staff forward to reinforce his golden shield, but it was futile. The shadows crashed against the barrier, their force obliterating the shield as though it were nothing but a thin layer of dust. Cusi stumbled back, clutching his staff in a trembling grip, his eyes wide with disbelief.
"No… this is impossible! I have everything! I am Greed incarnate!" Cusi bellowed, his voice cracking as panic set in.
But Tel-Nu remained silent, his gaze cold and indifferent. He stepped forward, the ground trembling beneath him. The treasures piled around Cusi began to shift and tremble, and then, one by one, they crumbled to dust. The mountains of gold and riches that Cusi had amassed over his long, twisted life dissolved before his eyes, disappearing into the air as if they had never existed.
"No!" Cusi screamed, falling to his knees, his hands grasping at the disappearing wealth. "No, this is mine! You can't take it from me!"
Tel-Nu's shadow loomed larger, encasing Cusi in darkness. The goblin-like shades that had once served him faithfully scattered in fear, knowing their master could no longer protect them.
Desperate, Cusi reached into his robes, pulling out a jewel-encrusted dagger, a weapon he had kept hidden for the rare occasion when his greed demanded more direct action. His hand shook as he pointed it at Tel-Nu, a pitiful attempt at a last stand.
"I'll kill you! I'll take your power and everything you have!" Cusi spat, his eyes wild with fear and madness. "I deserve it all!"
Without a word, Tel-Nu raised his hand, and the shadows twisted, wrapping around Cusi like chains. The dagger fell from his hand as his body was bound, his movements restricted by the force of the shadows. He struggled, but his strength was nothing compared to the power that held him.
As Cusi's eyes darted around, searching for a way to escape, the shadows constricted, tightening around him. His once grotesque, goblin-like form seemed to shrink under the pressure, the greed that had fueled him for so long finally consuming him.
Tel-Nu spoke at last, his voice cold and final. "Your greed has taken everything from you, Cusi. Even your life."
With that, the shadows crushed Cusi's body, his form collapsing inward as the greed that had defined him for so long devoured him from the inside out. His hoard of wealth—his life's obsession—was nothing more than dust in the wind, scattered to the corners of the ruined city.
Cusi, the embodiment of Greed, was no more.