Chapter 24: Maddening Laugh
Malakar took a step back; his mind started racing; he had thought of numerous scenes of their encounter, but this was not what he had expected. "I’ve waited for you," Malakar said with a voice tinged with something unnatural. "I’ve waited for centuries, causing chaos just to bring you back. And now... now you’re here, but you’re not... You’re not the same."
The lord’s smile widened, and he took a step forward, his presence commanding and undeniable. "I am more than what I was, Malakar. And believe me, they will have to pay for what they have done ultimately.
Malakar felt a chill run down his spine. But still there was a seed of doubt inside him; he just couldn’t believe what he was seeing, or more to say, he was unable to digest what he saw.
But he would find out.
Without a word, Malakar’s power surged like a dark energy coiling around him like a living thing. The ground beneath his feet cracked and splintered. It was unable to withstand the force he was gathering. His eyes start glowing with a fierce red color and lock onto the figure before him. And then, with a roar that echoed across the desolate landscape, Malakar unleashed his attack.
The force of it was catastrophic. A beam of dark, destructive energy shot forth from Malakar’s outstretched hand; it starts tearing through the air with terrifying speed. The ground trembled, and the sky seemed to darken as the power he unleashed distorted the very fabric of the world around them.
The impact was immediate and devastating. The ground erupted in a massive explosion, sending shockwaves that rippled outward, flattening everything in their path. Lesser demons and spirits that had been lurking in the shadows were flung away like leaves in a storm, their cries lost in the deafening roar of Malakar’s assault.
For a moment, the world seemed to fall silent; dust and debris filled the air, obscuring the impact of Malakar’s powerful attack.
But as the dust began to settle and the scene around him started to clear, Malakar’s smirk returned as he looked at the scene before him.
The Lord hadn’t moved an inch. His expression was calm, almost bored, as if Malakar’s most powerful attack had been little more than an inconvenience. The dark mist that swirled around him dissipated, revealing a man who appeared untouched by the chaos that had just erupted around him.
Malakar’s disappointment was short-lived, replaced almost immediately by a twisted sense of satisfaction. He couldn’t help the smirk that spread across his face. This was his Lord—the one being in all the realms who was truly unstoppable, truly invincible. Even now, after centuries of absence, he was as powerful as ever.
But the Lord’s expression was anything but pleased. His eyes, cold and devoid of any warmth, locked onto Malakar with a gaze that could freeze blood. When he spoke, his voice was a low, dangerous whisper, carrying the weight of a forbidding power that Malakar had nearly forgotten.