In the Underworld…
The red sky split open. From it, Zalavoria emerged, stepping confidently and hovering in midair. Behind her followed Florehil, eyes alert, scanning the surroundings for any trace of her.
Florehil: "You're here!"
Zalavoria turned to him coldly, with a hint of sarcasm:
Zalavoria: "And what are you doing here?"
Florehil hesitated, as if justifying himself:
Florehil: "I… I forgot my weapon too."
Zalavoria burst into laughter, mocking him:
Zalavoria: "Hahaha… you deserve that!"
Florehil paid no attention and dashed toward the depths.
Zalavoria (angrily): "Wait, you fool!"
She kicked the air and shot forward like a meteor tail, leaving behind an echo that pierced the sky.
Around them, the scene was a canvas of horror: a red sky like blood and fire, land burning with blue and red flames, and bodies writhing in agony; souls, creatures, and demons burned endlessly. Screams echoed through the hellish landscape, reverberating so loudly that their sound seemed to pierce bones.
Zalavoria (exasperated): "What a nuisance!"
Florehil (calmly): "You are right."
Zalavoria accelerated, with Florehil following closely. Minutes later, they arrived at Gate Zero.
Florehil (panting): "Finally… we've arrived."
Zalavoria: "Good. Now we must open the gate."
Florehil (desperate): "It's… exhausting. It would take at least twenty years! Its size and weight are enormous!"
Suddenly, a deep, confident voice came from behind:
Voice: "No need for twenty years… I will open it."
With a simple movement of his finger, the gate swung open as if it were nothing more than a pebble.
Zalavoria (tense, with hatred): "Thanis… what are you doing here?"
Florehil, stunned by the supernatural strength, said:
Florehil: "I don't know you… but opening this gate so easily… it's insane! Unbelievable!"
Thanis (calm smile): "The gate is weak, that's all. I'm not strong."
Florehil (shocked): "Weak?! Do you know how much that gate weighs?!"
Zalavoria: "It rules the world… the human world, the place you came from."
Thanis's face emerged from the shadows. Black hair, dark eyes, wolf-like features, and the presence of a king confident on his throne.
Zalavoria: "Now… what brings you here?"
Thanis (narrowing his eyes, emitting a murderous intent): "I've come… to kill you."
With one step, a crushing aura exploded from him, and he appeared behind Zalavoria in the blink of an eye, whispering coldly in her ear:
Thanis: "Do not ever step on my land again."
Zalavoria (smiling defiantly, indifferent): "Do you think your aura will scare me?"
Florehil (ominously, behind Thanis): "Take one step… and I will cut off your head."
Zalavoria: "Florehil! Don't try to fight him! He's stronger than you."
Thanis looked down at Florehil, confident he could crush him instantly.
The atmosphere ignited with colliding auras, each glance enough to spark a cosmic battle.
Suddenly, the scene shifted. Florehil and Thanis found themselves in a world of darkness. Florehil used his power, stripping everything from Thanis—but Thanis clapped calmly and smiled:
Thanis: "Just an illusion."
The field shattered. But before Thanis could breathe, his right eye was cut in a repeating loop without end. Thanis screamed, but the scene replayed endlessly.
After an hour of mental struggle, Thanis awoke from the illusion, realizing it had all been created for him.
He fell.
Florehil looked coldly at him:
Florehil: "Do you understand your place now? Do not be arrogant; you are nothing but an insect!"
Suddenly, Thanis laughed:
Thanis: "Open your eyes."
The shock… the illusion was mutual. Florehil himself was trapped in a deeper illusion created by Thanis.
Florehil awoke, stunned. He smiled, acknowledging his defeat:
Florehil: "I never expected someone stronger than me at controlling illusions."
Zalavoria: "I forbade you from fighting him!"
Florehil looked around. The Underworld had been destroyed: mountains crushed, oceans evaporated, planets vanished, and the sky on the verge of collapse. He wondered what had happened.
Zalavoria answered, staring at Thanis with murderous intent:
Zalavoria: "While you slept… I was fighting him."
Thanis (smiling): "Your fight was entertaining."
Thanis (serious tone): "Zalavoria… I hope that doesn't happen again."
Zalavoria (with contempt): "You should thank me! You are the first beast honored to fight me, yet you did not act arrogantly. Those days of triviality are gone! You thought you were high, but you are beneath my service!"
Thanis began to grow angry:
Thanis: "Repeat what you said, and I will show you who the beast truly is!"
The confrontation did not end. The auras collided again, shaking the abyss beneath their feet.
Finally, Zalavoria calmed herself:
Zalavoria: "Understood… but do not show me your face again."
Thanis smiled and vanished into nothingness.
From afar, a girl observed—Seraphina—smiling:
Seraphina: "What a massive battle… among mere ants."
Zalavoria sensed the presence and unleashed a killing intent toward the source, but Seraphina disappeared before she could strike.
Zalavoria (muttering): "Who is that girl?"
Then she entered the gate, leaving behind a shattered hell.
To be continued…