“Supreme Commander Kindral, the Desert God has made his appearance on the battlefield, he has yet to engage.”
Amidst the chaos, the words of the messenger reached the ears of Supreme Commander Vaim Kindral, though they were barely audible amidst the relentless noise of battle.
Vaim Kindral stood tall, a colossus among men. His imposing figure exceeded six feet, while his physique was an embodiment of strength, and his weathered armor bore testament to his years of warfare. Strands of long gray hair brushed against his pauldrons, while a matching beard framed his strong chin, extending past his neck. Despite his age, the man's rugged handsomeness was undeniable.
Although the surroundings were grim, an exuberant grin adorned his face. His powerful grip firmly held a colossal weapon, a halberd of such immense proportions that the term "mountain" felt inadequate. The polearm's length alone exceeded even that of the Supreme Commander, and the blade attached to it was an equally formidable presence.
As Vaim rose from his seat, the grin broadened. "My friend, it may be time for me to pass the torch. I have devoted my life to our kingdom, but my family will be left to fend for themselves after I become one with the Source. My son will need all the help he can get."
Although his words were directed towards the weapon at his side, his voice carried across the battlefield, reaching the hearts of the Reguus army. They might not have comprehended the meaning, but his presence alone caused a shift in the tide of battle.
Without warning, Vaim vanished from his position, reappearing hundreds of meters away in the heart of the battlefield, without a sound to betray his movement.
Upon landing, the foes facing the Reguus army became apparent. Arrayed on the sandy expanse of the Unud Desert stood a massive enemy force, stretching beyond the limits of a human's vision. These were the unified Tribes of Unud, brought together under the banner of the Desert God.
Their mismatched armor and weapons belied their collective strength, representing diverse desert regions unified only by their tanned skin caused by the hellish sun that beams down on the golden sands of Unud. The army appeared more like a motley assembly of tribes than a disciplined force.
They regarded the Supreme Commander warily, understanding that Vaim Kindral represented the pinnacle of power in their world, an unmatched force of nature.
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After years of conflict with various countries, two of the main armies finally confronted each other, and for the first time, unease crept into the hearts of the Tribes. Could this be their end?
The fear was short-lived, for behind the Tribes emerged a seamless, enigmatic figure. His silhouette was grand and otherworldly, and he walked as if the air beneath his feet were as solid as the ground. This figure was undoubtedly the Desert God described by Vaim's messenger, clad in loose-fitting garments and an austere mask that concealed all but his deep, penetrating golden eyes, which observed Vaim with curiosity.
As the two figures approached each other, the armies around them slowly retreated, for the collision of these two peaks of humanity threatened to unleash catastrophic destruction.
"You understand as well as I do how this will end, yet you seek to settle it with a duel. Why?" The voice of the masked entity was calm and otherworldly.
Vaim's smile persisted, but he tightened his grip on his halberd, his patience for words exhausted. "I've grown weary and lost purpose. I do not wish to fight you and your tribes, yet I cannot simply abandon my post. Any more of this, and I'll die of boredom before I can die on the battlefield, as I was born to do."
The Desert God's expression remained unchanged as he uttered quiet words, "Kota Gurun, Partial."
Instantly, a desert tornado appeared around him, serving as an automatic shield and repellant. Unlike a typical desert tornado, this one was far from ordinary.
Vaim sighed, still grinning, and for a moment, he closed his eyes. "Archon's Confluence," he murmured. When he opened his eyes, almost invisible streams of light from the battlefield converged upon him, intensifying his intimidating presence. His armor vanished, replaced by glowing blue tattoos that swirled across his body, coalescing at the center of his chest.
Finally, Vaim's grin faded as he leaned back, readying his halberd. He was done with words. With that, he launched himself forward, propelling himself toward the Desert God.
In response, the Desert God extended his hand and raised it. In an instant, a colossal pillar emerged beneath Vaim, a massive structure with a diameter exceeding ten feet, aiming to strike from below.
Seeing the towering pillar, Vaim extended one foot into thin air. Underneath, a tile of pure blue energy materialized. He pushed off against it, bending like a coiled spring before launching himself toward the Desert God, leaving a trail of vibrant blue energy in his wake.
As he closed in on the swirling desert tornado, Vaim's halberd took on a radiant blue sheen, a bubble-like substance enveloping the weapon. The energy it emitted defied mortal comprehension, clear and utterly pure.
Vaim swung his halberd toward the tornado and the Desert God, but just as he approached, the enigmatic figure muttered more words from within the whirlwind. "Feels like it's been centuries since I last needed to do this. Be proud, Vaim Kindral. You were the peak of humanity. Kota Gurun, Manifestation."
In an instant, the world seemed to pause, every gaze fixated upon the so-called Desert God. Then, amidst the sprawling battlefield, a massive city materialized. The Desert God presided over it, seated on his throne, seemingly suspended above the city, as though it existed in a realm separate from reality, untouched by the laws of the world.
Reclining on his throne, the Desert God stared into the sky, his attention seemingly elsewhere. With a casual wave of his hand, he transformed all the city's buildings into sand spikes, which converged on an unseen point in an instant. Then, with another wave, the summoned sand vanished entirely, leaving no trace behind.
The soldiers looked to the spot where Vaim had stood moments ago. All they found was a solitary halberd standing tall in the sand, beside a pool of crimson blood.