Thud!
Another violent tremor rumbled from underground. People above grew increasingly uneasy.
"I'm truly afraid the earth will suddenly collapse beneath us."
Thorin stood on the city walls, gazing at Erebor's gate, feeling like his hair had whitened several more strands in the past hour alone.
"Don't worry."
Bard spoke to comfort him. "The houses on our side were all built with Levi's construction magic. Even if the earth truly collapses, they can float up and remain stable."
"Is that so? But Erebor isn't..." Thorin trailed off, not knowing what to say.
Fortunately, the terrain here remained stable enough for now.
When the great chasm collapsed deep underground, the first to break free from the rocks and emerge was the Balrog. It reignited its already crushed flames, illuminating the shattered underground space with hellish light.
Upon emerging from the rubble, the Balrog alertly looked left and right, only to find itself alone.
Just as it prepared to laugh and declare its victory, a square hole appeared beside it with a faint popping sound.
That cursed human still climbed up through it.
"Almost got buried alive down there."
When Levi dug vertically upward using blocks, the Balrog looked like it had seen a ghost.
No, wait. Ghosts aren't this terrifying. Most ghosts, even if they really came, would probably be burned to ash before getting close to me. This person is far scarier than any ghost.
What manner of being has come seeking my head? An elven lord? No, not an elf. Must be some legendary human hero.
Seeing Levi about to charge again, the Balrog made a desperate decision.
Escape. Return to the surface.
Perhaps there were ambushes waiting above, but being careful might still offer a slim chance to flee. Going anywhere was better than staying here, fighting this relentless warrior. No matter the situation topside, continuing to stay here meant certain death.
Whoosh!
So it spread its wings, climbing and flying toward the only cave opening that led upward.
"Come back here!"
Levi shouted from behind while closely pursuing.
The Balrog kept fleeing ahead, using its hard body to smash through obstacles, wings sweeping out vast flames that both provided acceleration and ignited everything nearby.
Swoosh!
A firework rocket sound approached rapidly from behind, getting closer. The Balrog sharply turned, clashing swords brutally with Levi. The result sent both combatants flying backward.
Levi increasingly missed knockback resistance.
Dragonfire steel armor let him take several direct Balrog strikes plus survive a great chasm collapse without losing much health, but the armor wasn't as stable as before, physically heavy and grounding as netherite had been.
In the enormously spacious mining cavern, one human and one demon engaged again in brutal combat. They fought until the great bridge collapsed, railings falling row after row, lanterns shattering everywhere. The warm light from within was replaced by the Balrog's hellish blazing fire.
Lift cables burned through, and metal parts melted into streams of molten iron. Everywhere they passed, mine carts were smashed beyond repair.
After chasing for what felt like an eternity, this inferno finally burned its way up to Erebor proper, following the mine shaft upward and rushing into where dwarves had lived.
Fortunately, no one remained. Everyone had evacuated outside.
In the Lonely Mountain's complex network of bridges and buildings, the Balrog rampaged everywhere, one moment charging through the forge, the next collapsing someone's house, overturning market stalls in its desperate flight.
Finally, after wreaking sufficient havoc inside the Lonely Mountain, it spotted a massive gate ahead.
"ROAR!"
The Balrog roared defiantly backward while sincerely quickening its pace toward freedom.
Almost there. Once I reach the outside...
BOOM!
Erebor's great gate ultimately couldn't escape being smashed through.
The Balrog got its wish, seeing the sunlight. It raised its horned head and roared triumphantly, as if celebrating its rebirth and hard-won freedom.
This thunderous roar echoed throughout the entire valley. People in Dale felt dizzy from the sound, unable to help covering their ears against the overwhelming noise.
When the demon appeared fully in daylight, the nearby river water rose in vast clouds of hissing steam.
"It's here..."
The oldest dwarves trembled, looking at rolling black smoke pouring from the gate, then at the towering Balrog standing at the entrance. Despair arose in their ancient hearts.
The nightmare of Moria returned. The same shadow and flame that had devoured their ancestors now stood before them, as if the ancient curse had followed them across centuries to finish what it began.
Facing the disaster-incarnate Balrog, everyone felt so suppressed by that overwhelming presence that they could barely breathe, and even standing upright felt strained.
"Where's Levi?"
Thorin forcibly stood against instinctive terror, staring at the gate with eyes full of deep worry.
Could it be...? No, impossible.
Just as everyone's hearts rose to their throats, the Balrog suddenly stumbled forward, as if violently pulled back by something.
It grabbed at the fishing hook embedded in its back, forcefully pinching and burning through both hook and line.
"Don't you dare run!"
A defiant shout startled the demon. Levi charged out sword-first, a jumping slash knocking the Balrog to the ground, where it rolled several times before stopping.
Smack!
Once its form stabilized, the Balrog immediately condensed a flame whip and lashed at Levi. But Levi calmly extended his arm, letting the whip wrap around it.
The runic shield resisted the flame whip's malevolent power.
The Balrog had successfully entangled Levi, but conversely, Levi now controlled the demon's movement.
He held the flame whip with one hand, swinging his greatsword with the other to advance, standing toe-to-toe, trading blows with the ancient terror.
Whenever the Balrog tried retreating or fleeing, Levi forcibly yanked it back into combat range.
Shield durability continuously decreased. The Balrog's health also rapidly dropped while fighting at a disadvantage.
At this moment, the Balrog seemed to suddenly realize something strategic. It glanced backward.
A human city. And he's clearly this city's lord...
An evil grin spread across its massive, horned head.
Today I'm eighty percent certain to die here, but even dying, I must drag some mortals down with me!
It released the whip, preparing to charge straight toward Dale's walls.
"Hmph, trying to escape your fate?"
But before the Balrog walked several steps, Levi jumped high and slashed it brutally to the ground.
They grappled and clashed again in fierce struggle.
On the city walls, seeing the Balrog continuously approaching despite its wounds, Bard couldn't help but sweat nervously.
Even though the demon seemed to be unilaterally suppressed by Levi, struggling desperately just to resist, this battle didn't look like it would end quickly or cleanly.
Since the Balrog had nearly crashed into the walls, most defenders had retreated further back. Only a brave few remained watching.
Huff.
"I finally understand why Moria's dwarves perished so completely. That creature simply isn't something mortals can oppose."
Exhaling deeply to steady himself, Bard spoke while raising his head. He was the first to break free when others remained dominated by primal fear, immediately taking decisive action.
He yanked up Bain beside him, who was bent under the Balrog's terrifying aura, lifting him like a child and forcing him to straighten his back. He also took one of the two great bows from Bain's trembling hands.
"Stand up, Bain!"
Facing his son, just recovering his senses, the old archer shouted, "Stick out your chest, raise your head high!"
"Round two of our competition begins now."
He divided the precious dragon bone arrows in half, handing them to Bain.
"Levi said to use these at appropriate times. I think now qualifies as quite appropriate."
"Father..."
Bain's throat moved. He extended his hand, grasping the deadly arrows.
Whether an illusion or not, in that brief moment of contact, Bain sensed his old man Bard was also trembling slightly.
Archers are quite sensitive to any shaking in their hands.
BOOM!
In the dried moat below, one human and one demon still fought in brutal close quarters.
Seeing the Balrog growing increasingly weakened, it suddenly spread its tattered wings, attempting to leap over the walls toward the populated city district.
"Still scheming..."
Levi pulled out his dragon bone bow.
Just as he prepared to nock an arrow and shoot the demon down, suddenly the Balrog's left wing tore open with a massive hole. Its flight attempt failed catastrophically, sending it crashing down immediately.
Levi turned his head to see a dragon bone arrow embedded in the ground nearby.
The Balrog angrily glared toward where the attack originated.
"I scored a point!"
Bain, on the watchtower, shouted excitedly despite the Balrog's furious gaze boring into him, his teeth chattering from terror.
Being stared at close range by a natural predator, countless ranks higher, was too stimulating for any mortal.
So stimulating, his hands trembled too much to grab a second arrow.
"Beautifully shot!"
Levi gave an enthusiastic thumbs up, immediately switching back to his dragonfire steel sword and charging forward. He cut off the Balrog's other wing with a brutal slash, then delivered a jumping strike that pressed the demon firmly against the wall's base.
Compelled and desperate, the Balrog raised both arms and condensed a flame greatsword.
That blade burned bright as the sun itself. Underground, it would have been blinding; at the surface, it was no less brilliant, almost suppressing genuine sunlight's radiance.
The entire valley darkened ominously. But as Levi charged up and released a devastating armor-breaking sword technique, the flame greatsword instantly dispersed into sparks. Bright sunlight returned to the valley.
The demon was almost at execution threshold.
The Balrog's health had dropped below one-quarter. Just one more combo would finish it.
Calculating quickly, Levi gripped his sword with both hands, fiercely thrusting toward the Balrog's exposed chest.
But this time the demon wasn't unprepared. It blocked with both massive arms crossed before its chest, trading limbs for its life.
Just when the thrust's force was nearly depleted and the Balrog sighed with momentary relief, slight movement came from another direction.
A dragon bone arrow broke through the air, nearly grazing Levi's waist and striking with pinpoint accuracy at the sword pommel's very bottom.
Tremendous force pushed the blade forward, penetrating clean through the Balrog's defensive arms and stabbing deep into its chest cavity.
Thud!
The Balrog staggered backward, its blazing flames stuttering and weakening.
Levi withdrew the dragonfire steel sword. The demon tilted backward, crashing down with a ground-shaking boom.
This sword had struck true. It had only one breath remaining.
If the Balrog could still speak, perhaps it would want to ask: "Can we reconcile and part ways?"
But it was far too late for negotiations.
Levi stood upon the Balrog's massive chest, raising his blade high and thrusting downward one final time.
Delivering the killing blow.
[Obtained Title: Balrog Slayer]
[Ally Reputation: +10,000 (Legendary)]
[Mordor Reputation: -10,000 (Legendary)]