Deep underground, in the dimly lit caverns where shadows danced and echoes whispered, Gorlion and Bellic engaged in a brutal clash. Their battle escalated with each passing moment, the air crackling with tension as they vied for dominance in a fight to the death.
Gorlion, his eyes burning with determination, launched himself at Bellic with a ferocious roar. "Bellic! Your church is a blight upon this world, spreading hatred and intolerance in the name of your so-called god! I will not stand idly by as you seek to exterminate every non-human race from these lands!"
Bellic, his expression stoic beneath his golden helm, parried Gorlion's blows with practiced ease. "You dare to speak of justice, Gorlion?" he thundered, his voice echoing through the cavern with righteous fury. "It is your kind who have brought this world to the brink of destruction, mages with your insatiable greed and boundless ambition. The church seeks only to restore order and purity to these lands, to purge them of the festering corruption that taints them, whether it be mage or non-human. And today, under the gaze of the Lord Pillar, we shall fulfill our divine destiny!"
Their weapons clashed, each strike resonating through the caverns as earth magic clashed with holy power. Gorlion pressed forward, his attacks relentless as he sought to shatter Bellic's defenses. "Your words are naught but venomous lies, Bellic!" he roared his voice a thunderous roar that reverberated off the walls. "The church preaches hatred and division, seeking not only to eradicate those who dare defy its twisted dogma but to bring about the annihilation of all! I fight for a future where all races can coexist in harmony, free from the suffocating grip of your intolerance! And I, Gorlion, leader of Dragon Tooth and the Orc Clans, S-class adventurer, and The Indomitable Hero of the East, shall be the harbinger of your downfall!"
Gorlion fought with the fire of determination burning in his heart. He yearned for glory, knowing that this battle would be nothing short of epic. To defeat a Pillar in single combat was a feat that few could claim throughout history. Only Valicar, of old and new, could boast such a title. With each strike, Gorlion sought to etch his name alongside those legendary few.
Bellic, his golden tattoo ablaze with divine power, fought with a godly fury that shook the very earth beneath them. His one good hand gripped his weapon with unwavering resolve, while his other hand, grotesque and mutated, served as a stark reminder of the price he had paid for his power. Sophia's radiation magic had twisted it into a monstrous club, the result of an accelerated and uncontrollable growth that had turned healing into a curse of malignant proportions.
Amidst the fury of their clash, Gorlion's voice rang out, filled with pride and arrogance. "Behold, Bellic! Witness the might of Gorlion, the Earthshaker, The Indomitable Hero of the East! Today, I shall carve my legend into the annals of history with your defeat!"
Bellic, his face twisted in scorn, spat back, "Foolish mortal! No one is watching your pathetic showboating! Your boasting means nothing in the face of true power!"
But Gorlion only grinned in response, his eyes sparkling with defiance. "My audience is right here, Bellic," he declared, pointing his weapon at the Pillar with a flourish. "You are my stage, and this battle is my performance!"
As they exchanged words, the battlefield erupted into chaos. Gems of diamond and ruby soared through the air like shooting stars, aimed at the Pillar's golden shield. With each impact, the shield shimmered and wavered, threatened by the sheer force of the onslaught. But before the gems could breach its defenses, they exploded with magical fury, sending shockwaves rippling through the cavern and adding to the cacophony of battle.
Bellic roared with fury as he unleashed a torrent of divine energy, his attacks shaking the very foundations of the earth. "You dare to challenge me, mortal?" he bellowed, his voice echoing through the caverns. "I am Bellic, Pillar of the East! Your arrogance will be your downfall!"
But Gorlion remained undaunted, his resolve unbroken. "I fear no god, Bellic! And I certainly fear no man playing at being one," he shouted back, his voice ringing with defiance. "Today, I shall prove that we mere mortals are capable of standing against even the mightiest of beings, I will show you the true power of S-class adventurers, the peak of humanity, with my own strength!"
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With a deft gesture and a chant, "Bas tu!" Gorlion opened yet another cavern, causing Bellic to stumble and fall. Seizing the opportunity, he continued his incantation, "Na yo taldra!" Earth spikes erupted from the walls and floor, each one slamming into Bellic's cutting through his golden armor with mana-reinforced rock. Despite the Pillar's rapid healing, the wounds served as a reminder of Gorlion's deadly skill.
With renewed determination, Gorlion pressed forward, his earth magic surging with newfound strength. With each strike, he chipped away at the Pillar's defenses, inching ever closer to victory. But Bellic, seasoned templar that he was, possessed strength far beyond that of most mortals. The Golden tattoo gifted by the Pillar of the North channeled divine power, granting him resilience and power unmatched by ordinary warriors. As the battle raged on, the caverns echoed with the clash of steel and the roar of magic, a testament to the titanic struggle unfolding deep beneath the earth's surface.
The battle above was deafening, the air trembling with the sheer magnitude of their clash, but for Gorlion and Bellic, the world around them faded into insignificance as they focused solely on each other. With each blow exchanged, the ground trembled beneath their feet, echoing the intensity of their struggle. As their battle reached its climax, Gorlion's eyes burned with determination. "You see, Bellic?" he taunted, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "This is what happens when you dare to challenge the might of Gorlion, the Earthshaker, The Indomitable Hero of the East! Your arrogance has sealed your fate!"
Bellic's face contorted with rage. "You think yourself a hero, Gorlion? You are nothing but a fool!" he snarled, his voice filled with contempt.
But Gorlion only chuckled, a smirk playing on his lips. "Perhaps so," he conceded, his blade poised to strike. "But even a fool can recognize true power when he sees it. And today, my friend, you shall witness the pinnacle of mortal strength!"
With a swift flourish of earth magic, Gorlion propelled them upward, breaking through the earth's surface to emerge amidst the chaotic battleground above. High in the heavens, Valicar clashed fiercely with the Pillar of the North, their conflict a tempest of elemental might and divine power.
"Master, together we can end this! I can see your glory!" Bellic's voice boomed, a desperate plea echoing through the tumultuous skies. "OH! LORD OF LIGHT MAKE ME YOUR SPEAR!"
His plea ignited a blinding radiance, transforming his very being into a vessel of divine retribution. The golden lance, wrought from the essence of his fervent devotion, took form in his grasp, ready to pierce the heart of Valicar. But Gorlion, swift as lightning, intercepted the deadly spear, not with his blade, but with his very being.
The cursed light tore through him, rending flesh and spirit alike, as the spear pierced his chest with searing agony. Yet, with defiant purpose, Gorlion summoned every ounce of his strength, pulling the lethal weapon through his own body. With a roar that echoed through the chaos of battle, he staggered forward, the cursed spear jutting out from his back, a macabre symbol of his unwavering resolve.
With each earth-shaking step, Gorlion closed the distance to the Pillar, his blood staining the ground with each determined stride. Despite the agony wracking his body, his eyes blazed with unyielding determination as he raised his blade high, the weight of destiny heavy upon his shoulders.
Bellic's eyes widened in horror as his own attack sealed his fate, after depleting the last of his divine magic. "No! Not like this!" his voice echoed with raw fear and desperation as the realization of his impending doom gripped him. With his tattoo ceasing to glow, the golden arrogance in his eyes now reflected the terror of a man confronting the consequences of his misguided actions.
But Gorlion's blade showed no mercy. With a single, decisive stroke, it cleaved through Bellic's neck, the razor-sharp edge slicing through flesh, sinew, and bone with brutal efficiency. Bellic's head toppled from his shoulders in a gory spectacle, his blood spurting from the severed stump in a crimson arc, a grim testament to the finality of his demise, with no chance of regeneration to save him.
His head hit the ground with a sickening thud, his eyes still wide with shock, his mouth frozen in a silent scream of agony. As his head came to a rolling stop he looked up at Valicar's form, he cursed her with his dying breath, as he sent off one final prayer to his gods.
Gorlion knelt, his strength waning, yet his spirit undiminished. His gaze lifted to the azure glow of the moon, where Valicar's blade still burned with righteous fury. "What a show we've staged, Valicar," he murmured, his voice barely a whisper amidst the chaos. "One the world will never forget."
As his lifeblood seeped into the earth, Gorlion's back found the cold embrace of the ground, his breaths growing shallower with each passing moment. Beside him lay Bellic's corpse, a grim testament to the cost of their clash. With his final exhale, Gorlion's eyes closed, his legacy etched in blood and sacrifice.
The world was free from a tyrant, but it would mourn the passing of a true hero. His name would forever be etched in the annals of history, remembered as the mere man who slew a Pillar with his own strength. No draconic soul, no demon pact, just plain old S-rank might.