Deep beneath the earth, deeper than the dwarves of the Lonely Mountain had ever delved, in a place buried far below, a vast, magma-like sphere stirred in silence.
Two scarlet eyes flared open, followed by a surge of fire across its body. The flames burst forth, burning hotter as its gaze awakened.
ROAR!
The second Balrog in Middle-earth had awakened.
The moment it opened its eyes, it looked upward. There, above, lingered a dark power that felt strangely familiar, an inviting call from afar that instinctively urged it to climb upward and investigate.
Boom!
Stone shattered.
Like a meteor forcing its way up from the depths, the Balrog tore through layer after layer of obstacles, the darkness above growing clearer with each strike.
At last, when the sense of arrival reached its peak, the space above suddenly opened wide.
Whoosh!
Garrett lifted his head, his gaze rising along with the massive fireball that broke through.
Countless thoughts stirred within him.
This creature was never meant to appear. There was no place for it in this symphony. Had it remained quietly asleep beneath the earth, no matter how deeply the dwarves dug, they would never have reached it. It should have passed by the dwarves entirely, sleeping until the end of days.
But now, someone had played the wrong note, dragging this discordant sound out at the wrong time...
"I can give you one chance."
Looking at the Balrog, whose aura grew ever stronger, Garrett said coolly, "Go back to sleep, and I won't trouble you."
ROAR!
Its answer was a mindless bellow that shook the entire chasm.
This Balrog... it didn't seem very intelligent. At least, not as cunning as Durin's Bane in Khazad-dûm.
"If that's what you want..."
Garrett raised his sword.
"Then be gone."
Boom!
With one hand, he swung the great Dragonflame Steel sword, clashing directly against the flaming whip conjured by the Balrog.
To its shock, the whip was cleaved apart, its fire dimming slightly. Yet the great sword, etched with ominous patterns, remained utterly unscathed.
Seeing the Balrog hesitate for an instant, Garrett lunged forward. Leaping high, he brought his blade down. The Balrog hastily raised an arm to block.
Steel crashed against its thick limb, ringing like metal upon stone. A deafening clang resounded.
The Balrog staggered back, flames gushing from its arm.
That strike had cut deep.
And it enraged the demon.
Flames surged even fiercer, searing over its wound. The Balrog condensed a blazing greatsword, longer than two of Garrett, and swung it down in fury.
Clang!
Garrett slashed upward with raw force, splitting the fiery blade apart. Then, seizing that brief moment of imbalance, he swung again, his strike cleaving the air with a howl.
The blow struck true. The Balrog reeled, its massive body stumbling back, smashing a whole section of the cavern wall into rubble.
It had made a critical misjudgment in this battle.
The Dragonflame Steel sword, though far larger and heavier than most weapons, moved with shocking speed in Garrett's hands.
That giant weapon, which should have been cumbersome, was as swift and agile as a common longsword for him.
The Balrog's mistake came from underestimating both the sword's capabilities and Garrett's monstrous strength, his ability to wield it without pause, without even the slightest recovery time after each swing.
ROAR!
The Balrog hurled a massive boulder. Garrett cut straight through it, not merely splitting it, but shattering it into dust.
"Come. Continue."
He stepped forward, beckoning with one hand.
The flames burning upon the Balrog grew ever brighter, and the air around them swelled hotter and hotter.
His runic shield lit up. He quickly downed a potion of fire resistance, then followed it with a second-tier strength potion.
There was no avoiding it now, at this heat, even raw meat would be cooked through in moments.
Thud, thud, thud...
The Balrog stomped across the ground, each step cracking the earth. Raising its blazing greatsword, it charged forward to clash once more with Garrett.
The demon's sword met Garrett's, man and monster locked in a contest of strength.
Sparks and embers fell to the ground, only to flare into larger flames under the Balrog's fiery aura.
Crack.
The stone beneath his feet split open, and the runic shield instantly flared to block the shock.
Garrett's mind raced.
No, this wouldn't work. If this kept up until the shield ran out, he'd be blown away for certain.
Seeing its attack finally pushing through, the Balrog let out a twisted grin, pressing forward step by step. Its monstrous head loomed closer and closer, seeking to drown him in terror.
But no matter how long it waited, it couldn't taste that sweet scent of fear.
Instead, the human before it smiled.
Garrett raised an eyebrow.
The Balrog suddenly felt unease.
"Playtime's over."
Boom!
The dark-red greatsword swept upward, flinging the Balrog's fiery blade aside. In the same instant, Garrett dashed forward, almost appearing beneath its eyes, and slashed into its left leg. Flames gushed from the wound, the force driving the demon into a half-kneel.
Boom!
Another strike crashed against its head. Before it could recover, he struck again, smashing it backward, then leapt high and brought his sword down hard against its chest.
Crash!
With that devastating combination, the Balrog was knocked flat, its body embedded deep into the rock.
Garrett stood upon its massive frame, both hands gripping the Dragonflame Steel sword, the blade aimed straight down at its chest.
The dark-red sword lifted high, then plunged toward the Balrog's weakest point. In that instant, just as its edge neared, the barely-recovered Balrog felt it, an aura of death.
Death, closing in.
To other living beings, death might be a blessing, a release, the soul's return to the Halls of Mandos. But to these corrupted creatures, it was nothing but endless emptiness, endless exile, endless torment.
A desperate will to survive erupted.
The mountains quaked.
A piercing shriek split the air, its terrifying resonance carrying far into the distance, reaching human ears and stealing their breath.
Far away in Minas Morgul, the Witch-king turned his gaze northward. From within his armor came a hoarse, grating laugh.
"Now... you shall feel the wrath of the Flame of Udûn."
Wrath?
In an instant, fire flooded the vast chasm below like a volcanic eruption. Unprepared, Garrett was blasted upward, engulfed by the pillar of flame.
The Balrog roared from the depths of the gorge, glaring at the human hurled skyward. But Garrett twisted midair, spinning with the surging fire, spiraling downward like a falling star. He plummeted toward the one who had caused all of this, the Balrog.
Fire met fire. Under the crushing force of their collision, a burst of white light erupted between them, shattering the canyon walls.
Cracks raced outward at incredible speed, spreading into the farthest reaches of sight.
Massive slabs of rock broke loose and fell.
Crash!
At last, the great chasm could no longer bear the strain.
It collapsed completely.