The day of execution had arrived. The air in the cell was thick with tension as two guards approached, their expressions stoic. They unlocked the door and stepped inside, one moving to unshackle Knox from the wall.

As soon as the string of mana-infused metal connected to the wall was removed, Knox sprang into action. He smashed his forehead into the ground, using the force to propel himself upright in a fluid motion. Before the guards could react, he launched himself off the wall like a coiled spring, aiming directly at the first guard.

Their heads collided with a sickening crunch. Knox emerged unscathed on the other side, but the guard's skull shattered upon impact, sending a spray of blood and fragments across the cell. It all happened in a heartbeat, leaving the second guard barely any time to comprehend the situation.

Knox moved with lethal precision, pivoting on his heel and driving his foot into the second guard’s back. The force of the kick was devastating, creating a gaping hole through the guard's chest. Organs and blood poured out, splattering the floor. The guard fell forward, lifeless.

Knox stood amidst the carnage, his chest heaving with adrenaline. The once confined prisoner was now a force of destruction, unleashed and unrestrained.

He saw the key to his cuffs lying on the ground next to the guard with a gaping hole in his chest. Without hesitation, he lunged toward it, his movements quick and precise. Grabbing the key with his teeth, he fumbled with it for a moment before managing to fit it into the lock. With a satisfying click, the cuffs fell away, freeing him from their oppressive grip.

Instantly, he felt a surge of power flood through him as the system reconnected. The sensation was electrifying, invigorating him with newfound strength. His two severed arms began to regenerate, white-hot flames searing through the air as they reformed. The heat was intense, the fire licking at the air with an almost sentient hunger.

Knox flexed his newly healed fingers, the flames receding to reveal perfectly restored limbs. He clenched his fists, feeling the raw power coursing through his veins. His eyes burned with a renewed intensity as he prepared to confront anyone who stood in his way.

The execution had failed. Now, it was time for vengeance.

*** *** ***

The leader, Elara, and the council members stood in the execution area, awaiting the arrival of Knox. The crowd was hushed, the tension palpable. The sun hung high in the sky, casting stark shadows across the assembled onlookers. It was supposed to be a moment of justice, an end to the terror that Knox had wrought.

But then, something shifted. The air grew thick and heavy, pressing down on them like an invisible weight. Breathing became laborious, and each inhale felt like a struggle against an unseen force. The atmosphere crackled with an oppressive energy, and a sense of impending doom settled over the gathering.

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Elara's heart raced as she glanced around, her instincts screaming that something was terribly wrong. The leader's brow furrowed in confusion and unease while the council members exchanged worried glances. They all felt it—an evil presence, suffocating and inescapable.

Suddenly, a figure emerged from the shadows at the edge of the square. Knox. His appearance was nothing short of terrifying. His eyes blazed with an unnatural fire, and his newly restored arms still smoldered with residual flames. He moved with a predatory grace, each step exuding raw power and unbridled rage.

The crowd gasped, a wave of fear rippling through them. The suffocating air seemed to press harder as if Knox's very presence was warping reality itself. He stood tall, unchained and unbroken, a living testament to the horrors he had endured and the vengeance he was about to unleash.

The leader took a step back, his face pale. "How... how is this possible?" he stammered, his voice barely audible over the mounting panic.

Knox's gaze locked onto Elara, his expression a mixture of fury and determination. "You thought you could end me?" he growled, his voice resonating with an otherworldly power. "You thought you could execute me and be done with it?"

He raised his arms, and the flames that had healed them flared to life once more. "Now, you will face the consequences of your actions… Oh? Have you people lost your will to fight? Can’t rely on a master scroll user anymore? Don't worry, I won't play unfairly.” Knox’s voice was a taunting snarl, reverberating with a malicious glee that sent chills down the spines of those present.

He raised his arms, and flames began to twist and curl from them, shaping themselves into two lethal swords. The fire hissed and cracked, the heat emanating from the blades distorting the air around them. “I’ll only use these two swords to kill all of you. How does that sound?”

A wicked grin spread across Knox's face, his eyes alight with a terrifying blend of hatred and delight. He couldn't contain his maniacal laughter, the sound echoing through the execution area like the peal of a death knell. The crowd recoiled, their fear palpable as they faced the embodiment of their nightmares.

The leader, his face ashen, took an involuntary step back. He glanced at the council members, their expressions mirroring his dread. Elara, standing beside him, felt a pang of regret mixed with a paralyzing fear. She had known Knox’s capacity for destruction, but seeing it unleashed so fully was a different reality.

Knox experimentally swung his fiery swords, the flames dancing dangerously close to the ground. Each movement was precise, controlled, and dripping with the promise of violence. “What’s wrong? Is this the best you can muster?” he mocked, his voice laced with venom. You dared to chain me, to cut off my arms, and now you cower before me?”

He took a step forward, the ground beneath him scorched by the heat of his flames. The crowd seemed to hold its breath collectively, the oppressive silence broken only by the crackling of Knox’s swords. The air was thick with tension, a palpable dread hanging over them like a dark cloud.

“Come on!” Knox roared, his grin widening. “Show me what you’ve got! Or will you all die like the cowards you are?”

The leader, finding his voice amidst the terror, shouted orders to the soldiers. “Stop him! Do whatever it takes!”

But the soldiers hesitated, their resolve wavering in the face of Knox’s overwhelming presence. The memory of the guards who had tried to restrain him, now nothing more than charred remains, was fresh in their minds. The bravest among them stepped forward, weapons raised, but there was a tremor in their hands, a falter in their steps.

Knox’s laughter rang out again, a harsh, mocking sound that cut through the air like a blade. He advanced his fiery swords, gleaming with a deadly light. “You think you can stop me?” he sneered. “You think you can fight me?”

He lunged forward, the swords in his hands blazing with an intense heat. The first soldier barely had time to react before Knox’s sword sliced through him, the flames searing his flesh. The crowd screamed, a mix of horror and helplessness washing over them.

Knox moved with brutal efficiency, each swing of his sword leaving a trail of destruction in its wake. The soldiers fell one by one, their attempts to fight back futile against his overwhelming power. The ground was soon littered with the bodies of the lost, the stench of burning flesh filling the air.

Elara watched in stunned silence, her heart pounding in her chest. She had known Knox was dangerous, but this… was a nightmare. She could only hope that they could find a way to stop him. But as Knox continued his rampage, that hope seemed to grow dimmer with each passing moment.