The battlefield was nothing but cracked earth and rising heat as two entities of pure destruction clashed. The Inferno King stood tall, his hollow circular head glowing with a brilliant yellow-and-orange gradient. A massive crimson cape billowed behind him like a wave of fresh magma, matching the jagged spikes that flared from his shoulders. In one hand, he held a massive, jagged broadsword that pulsed with solar energy; in the other, a swirling vortex of concentrated fire hovered menacingly, ready to be unleashed. Opposite him stood Surt, a dark grey shadow of absolute malice. His glowing orange eyes narrowed behind dark, circular frames, locking onto his opponent. Surt held his legendary fiery blade firmly, its dark metal etched with glowing, ancient runes that hummed with the power to end worlds. The edge of his sword crackled with an intense, unstable flame that licked the air around it. Without a word, the two moved. The Inferno King leaped forward, swinging his massive broadsword downward in a heavy, crushing arc. The air screamed as the blade cut through the heat. Surt reacted instantly, bringing his runic sword up to parry. The collision of the two weapons released a blinding shockwave of sparks and pressurized heat, shattering the ground beneath their feet. Surt pushed back, using the momentum to spin and deliver a rapid horizontal slash aimed at the King’s torso. The Inferno King pivoted smoothly, his crimson cape swirling around him as he narrowly dodged the strike. Seizing the opening, the King thrust his left hand forward, launching the vortex of fire directly at Surt's chest. Surt didn't flinch. He raised his blade vertically, using the ancient magic in the runes to absorb and redirect the blast, splitting the fireball in two so it detonated harmlessly behind him. Through the smoke, Surt charged, his glowing eyes fixed on his target, ready for the next exchange of blows in a battle that threatened to reduce everything around them to ash. The shockwave of the deflected fireball was still clearing when Surt burst through the haze. His runic blade came down in a brutal, overhead strike, cutting a line of pure heat through the air. The Inferno King reacted with seamless agility. Instead of meeting the blow head-on, he crossed his glowing orange arms, utilizing the armored bracers on his wrists to deflect Surt's sword to the side. The metal screeched against the divine energy, sending a shower of golden sparks across the cracked earth. With Surt’s blade momentarily forced down, the Inferno King capitalized on the opening. He spun on his heel, his massive red cape whipping through the air like a localized solar flare, masking his next movement. From beneath the shroud of his cape, he drove the hilt of his jagged broadsword straight toward Surt's chest. Surt, sensing the incoming strike, leaned back just enough to avoid the blunt force, but the sheer heat radiating from the King’s weapon singed the air between them. Taking advantage of the close quarters, Surt gripped his hilt with both hands and swept his leg outward, aiming to take out the King’s footing. The Inferno King ignited the energy in his boots, launching himself straight up into the air to evade the sweep. Hovering momentarily against the darkened sky, his circular head blazing like a miniature sun, he pointed his broadsword downward. A cascade of localized meteors of pure flame erupted from the tip of his blade, raining down on the dark grey warrior below. Surt looked up, his glowing orange eyes reflecting the oncoming barrage. He planted his feet firmly into the trembling ground and raised his runic sword above his head. Spinning the blade at blinding speed, he created a spinning shield of dark fire and ancient magic, absorbing the concussive force of the falling embers as the ground around him turned into a sea of molten glass. As the rain of meteors subsided, the sea of molten glass beneath Surt’s feet began to churn. The Inferno King, still hovering in the air, prepared to descend for a final, decisive strike. But Surt did not give him the chance. With a surge of ancient, primordial energy, Surt slammed his runic blade directly into the melting ground. The runes etched into the dark metal flared with a blinding, apocalyptic light. Instantly, a massive pillar of dark, pressurized fire erupted from the earth directly beneath the Inferno King, engulfing him completely and shattering his levitation. The King crashed heavily onto the fractured ground, his brilliant yellow-and-orange gradient flickering violently as his energy wavered. His jagged broadsword clattered to the side, its solar glow dimming.
Continued: Before the Inferno King could recover his footing or summon another vortex, Surt closed the distance in a blur of shadow. He stood over the fallen monarch, the tip of his pulsing, rune-lit sword resting inches from the King’s chest. The sheer weight of Surt's presence and the absolute heat radiating from his blade made any counterattack impossible. The Inferno King lowered his head in a silent acknowledgment of defeat, his flames settling into a quiet simmer. Surt slowly lowered his weapon, his glowing orange eyes narrowing in victory as the smoke of the battlefield cleared around them.
