The wind howled with ferocity, and the dark figure before them loomed like an apex predator. Its eyes burned with an unsettling intensity, molten orange seeping through the cracks of its otherwise shadowy form. The air around it twisted, the oppressive atmosphere thick enough to suffocate anyone who wasn't prepared. Ezra's heart raced in his chest as the countdown reverberated in his mind, each passing second more suffocating than the last.
[Countdown to the Main Story: 135,099 Hours]
This was no mere creature. No demon. It was something older, more dangerous, its presence almost suffocating. The ominous figure loomed over them like a harbinger of doom, its voice resonating across the land as though it were speaking from the depths of the very earth.
"You are too late," it boomed. "The storm cannot be stopped. And neither can I."
Ezra clenched his sword tighter, trying to push aside the chill that had settled deep within his bones. His mind raced for solutions. "Who are you?" he demanded, his voice steady despite the adrenaline rushing through him. "What do you want?"
The figure's head tilted, its molten eyes flickering with amusement. "I am the inevitable," it replied, its voice dripping with an unsettling sense of finality. "I am the one who watches, the one who guides, the one who will rewrite the fate you so desperately cling to."
The earth trembled once more, and the winds surged violently, almost as if reacting to the figure's words. The air thickened, pushing against Ezra and the others like an invisible force, and the trees around them swayed, bending dangerously.
"You think you can stop me?" the figure sneered, its voice now mocking. "You, who have yet to realize the true nature of your power, the true cost of your actions? Your system is but a fragment, a tool—nothing more than a plaything in my hands."
Ezra's mind whirled as he processed the figure's words. The system… Was it more than just a tool? Had it been guiding him all along? Was this force the true mastermind behind everything? The Watcher, the trials, the tests—it all pointed to a larger design, a design that he was only beginning to understand.
Escanor, standing tall beside him, shifted his stance, his golden aura flaring. "Enough of your cryptic words. If you think you can rewrite fate, you'll have to go through us first."
"Yes," Meliodas added, his tone grim but resolute, "We're not here to play your games."
The dark figure's eyes flickered once again, its form seemingly shimmering in and out of existence. "You cannot defeat what is already in motion. You cannot stop the storm that has already begun. The countdown has already started. You are merely players in a game you do not understand."
Ezra's heart beat harder as the words washed over him. The countdown… already started…
[Countdown to the Main Story: 135,098 Hours]
It was clear now. This figure wasn't just a force of nature—it was tied to the system, to everything Ezra had experienced up until now. It was orchestrating events, pulling strings, and he had been a pawn in a much larger game.
"You think we're weak?" Escanor growled, his massive figure radiating with the full power of the sun, his aura blazing like a beacon. "You haven't seen anything yet."
The dark figure's expression shifted, its amusement fading, replaced by a dark, hungry grin. "You think you can challenge me with your power?" It raised a hand, and with a single motion, the ground beneath their feet cracked open, sending tremors through the air.
"Escanor, Meliodas—get ready," Ezra said, his voice low but determined. He could feel the presence of the figure like an oppressive weight in the air, but something in him refused to back down. He'd come too far.
The figure's hand extended, and in an instant, tendrils of dark energy shot toward them. The ground exploded around them, sending rocks and debris flying. Ezra instinctively dodged to the side, the air around him distorting as the power of the figure surged with brutal intensity.
Escanor roared, his golden light bursting outward, creating a shockwave that sent the tendrils of dark energy skidding to the side. "I'll burn you to nothing!"
The figure laughed, a low, rumbling sound that seemed to vibrate the very air. "You cannot defeat what you do not understand, Escanor. I am the eye of the storm—the center of everything. And you are merely the wind and rain."
Merlin stepped forward, her magic swirling around her as she prepared a spell of her own. "We've dealt with things greater than you before. Don't get too cocky."
The figure's gaze flickered to her, and for a moment, Ezra could have sworn he saw a flicker of recognition. "You... think you can change the course of destiny?" it asked, its tone now more curious than mocking. "You have no idea how far back your actions stretch. How many fates you have already altered."
Ezra narrowed his eyes. "We're here to stop you," he declared, stepping forward. "If that means fighting fate itself, then so be it."
The countdown ticked again, each second ticking down with a sense of urgency that pressed against him like a weight on his chest.
[Countdown to the Main Story: 135,097 Hours]
The dark figure raised both hands, and the ground beneath them cracked open once more, releasing a flood of black tendrils that reached toward the sky. The storm in the distance grew ever closer, dark clouds swirling in unnatural patterns above. The battle for the fate of their world was beginning in earnest.
And Ezra knew one thing for sure—this wasn't just a fight for survival. This was a battle for control of everything, of the very threads of destiny itself.
"Let's finish this," Ezra said, determination hardening his voice.
The storm raged louder, and the clash began.