In the extreme depths underground, even deeper than where the Lonely Mountain dwarves had dug, a massive sphere rested silently like cooling magma.
Suddenly, it split open.
Crimson eyes blazed to life, followed by flames erupting around its body. They flared brighter and fiercer as consciousness returned.
"ROAR!"
Middle-earth's second surviving Balrog had awakened.
The moment the Balrog opened its eyes, it looked upward. A familiar dark power called to it from above, that sinister energy continuously beckoning from the heights, making the demon instinctively want to investigate.
Thud!
Rocks crumbled continuously under its ascent.
Like a meteor striking upward from the underworld, the Balrog shattered layer after layer of obstacles buried above the cavern, surging toward that darkness which grew increasingly clear.
Finally, when this sensation reached its peak, the space above suddenly opened up into a vast chasm.
Whoosh!
Levi raised his head, his gaze tracking the emerging fireball as it rose.
Many thoughts raced through his mind.
It shouldn't have appeared. This creature has no part to play in the story. As long as it honestly slept underground, even if dwarves continued digging for centuries, they couldn't have reached it. It should have missed them entirely, sleeping until the world's end.
But now someone has deliberately summoned this discordant note...
"I can give you one chance."
Looking at the increasingly powerful Balrog, Levi said flatly, "Go back and continue sleeping, and I won't bother you."
"ROAR!"
The response was an irrational roar that echoed throughout the entire chasm.
This Balrog seemed not very intelligent, at least not as sentient or cunning as Moria's had been.
"If this is what you want..." Levi raised his sword. "Then disappear."
CLANG!
He swung the dragonfire steel greatsword with one hand, clashing with the flame whip that the Balrog condensed from thin air.
The result shocked the demon. Its whip was completely deflected back, flames weakening several degrees, while that ominous greatsword suffered no damage whatsoever.
Seeing the Balrog stunned for that instant, Levi actively charged forward, jumping with his sword raised high. As the blade fell, the Balrog hurriedly raised its massive arm to block.
Sword collided with thick arm, a texture like metal yet somehow stone-like underneath. The impact produced a tremendous sound that rang through the chasm.
The Balrog staggered back entirely, its arm spurting flames like blood.
This sword had cut clean through its defenses.
The wound successfully enraged the ancient demon.
More vigorous flames erupted, covering the injury. The Balrog condensed a flame greatsword longer than two Levis standing end to end, angrily slashing downward with crushing force.
CLANG!
Levi swung upward forcefully, deflecting the flame greatsword in a brutal clash. Then, taking advantage of the Balrog's momentary stiffness, he swung again with incredible speed, the blade whistling through the air.
When this strike connected, it stunned the Balrog completely, its massive form staggering backward and collapsing through a section of rock wall.
In this battle, the demon had made critical misjudgments.
The dragonfire steel sword, though much larger than Sting and weighing more than two or three times as much, had the same attack speed in Levi's hands.
This greatsword was no different from Sting for him, equally light and easy to wield.
What caused the Balrog's fatal error was precisely the sword's intimidating appearance, combined with Levi's strength to wield it like an ordinary longsword.
He had almost no attack recovery time between strikes.
"ROAR!"
The Balrog bellowed, hurling a massive boulder. Levi struck straight down, shattering the projectile to pieces with raw force.
"Come on, continue."
Levi stepped forward, slightly beckoning with his free hand.
The Balrog's flames shifted from red to white-hot, the surrounding temperature climbing rapidly.
The runic shield flared to life around Levi. He quickly drank a fire resistance potion, plus a level II strength potion.
I have to. At this temperature, raw meat would cook through in seconds.
Thud thud thud...
The Balrog trampled the earth, each thunderous step creating spiderweb cracks. It raised the flame greatsword high, charging forward to clash with Levi in a contest of pure strength.
Greatsword met greatsword. One human and one demon locked in a brutal test of power.
Flame embers fell to the ground, instantly influenced by the Balrog's presence and burning even fiercer.
Crack.
The rock behind Levi's feet split under the pressure. The runic shield immediately blazed brighter, absorbing the impact.
No, I can't keep fighting like this. Once the shield depletes, I'll be sent flying.
Seeing its attack finally take effect, the Balrog let out a savage grin. Step by step it advanced, that terrifying horned head looming closer, trying to instill fear.
However, after waiting, it couldn't smell that sweet scent of terror.
Instead, the human before it smiled.
Levi raised an eyebrow mockingly.
The Balrog immediately sensed something wrong.
"Not playing with you anymore."
CLANG!
The dark crimson greatsword swept upward in a devastating arc, knocking aside the flame greatsword. Immediately following, Levi rushed beneath the Balrog's face in a blur, one strike cutting its left leg until flames leaked like arterial spray, simultaneously forcing the demon half-kneeling to the ground.
THUD!
Another crushing blow. The Balrog's head snapped back from the heavy strike. Before it could recover, Levi delivered another sword strike, slapping the demon entirely backward. The next second, he launched himself straight at the Balrog's chest and hammered down with both hands on his sword.
BOOM!
After a devastating combo, the Balrog crashed down, embedded deep into fractured rock.
Levi stood upon its massive chest, gripping the dragonfire steel greatsword with both hands, blade pointed downward at the Balrog's core.
The dark red greatsword rose high, then plummeted rapidly. In the brief instant it approached the Balrog's vulnerable chest, the barely conscious demon suddenly sensed death's cold breath.
Death is approaching.
For other life, it might bring grace, liberation, the soul returning to Mandos' halls of rest. But for these already corrupted beings, it meant only endless emptiness, eternal banishment, and torment in the Void.
Intense survival instinct exploded.
The great mountain trembled.
A heart-piercing, extremely penetrating shriek burst forth, faintly transmitted through the stone to people's ears far above, making everyone's breath catch.
Far away in Minas Morgul, the Witch-king turned his gaze northward, emitting harsh, unpleasant laughter from within his empty armor.
"You should feel the Fire Demon's wrath."
Wrath?
The great chasm in the underground depths instantly filled with erupting flames, like a volcanic explosion. Caught off guard, Levi, at the eruption's epicenter, was blown entirely upward by the tremendous force.
He rode the fire pillar skyward.
The Balrog roared from below the canyon floor, glaring hatefully at Levi, blown upward by its flames.
But Levi spun in midair, reversing his momentum and spiraling downward through the erupting flames like a living meteor aimed at the demon that caused all this.
Fire collided with fire. Under tremendous impact pressure, white light burst from between them, cracking both canyon walls simultaneously.
Fissures spread rapidly to both sides, racing toward distant ends beyond sight.
Massive rock plates fell one after another in thunderous succession.
BOOM!
The great chasm finally couldn't withstand this catastrophic pressure.
It collapsed entirely.