The darkness rapidly retreated before the flames, but what followed was not light. Instead, a pair of enormous wings seemingly formed from shadows and thick smoke spread through the air as though riding the wind.
As the black figure planted himself on the edge of the cliff, a terrifying roar rang out, echoing through the previously silent Third Vale. Even the smooth, seemingly unyielding floor beneath their feet seemed to tremble under the force of the sound.
Waves of scorching heat burst from his flaming maw, blowing toward the six rune arrows fired from the Sapphire Rune Bows.
The specks of blue light flared brilliantly as they sped through the air, only to vanish like meteors before that enormous figure without leaving so much as a mark.
The Balrog sensed something utterly repulsive in that blue light. This form of his disliked that bone-chilling cold.
As he roared, the Balrog swiftly raised his thick, black arm, wreathed in blazing fire, to shield his chest.
A forked bolt of dazzling lightning plunged into his black arm in an instant. Threads of electricity raced across the Balrog's enormous body, giving off enough light to illuminate the entire cavern.
This was the light that truly drove back the darkness, and amid its flickering glare, the Balrog's movements slowed.
Allen's Chain Lightning, powerful enough to overwhelm dozens of people in an instant, had paralyzed the enormous demon. Yet the flames on his body continued to surge, and not the slightest change crossed his hideous, terrifying face.
Clearly, this attack had done the Balrog little real harm.
Allen's second attack struck the Balrog's still-open maw just then. Under the lightning's impact, the Balrog snapped his mouth shut and lurched backward, his right foot involuntarily taking a step back.
At last, Allen found a brief moment