The heart of the fire trembled beneath Eren and Leylin's feet, a deep echo like the beating of a giant heart echoing through the walls of the blazing hall, as if the volcano itself was slowly breathing, preparing to unleash a scream unheard for thousands of years.
Leylin looked at the fire swirling in her hand, heavier yet purer, while the lightning winds swirled quietly around Eren, twisting with his breath without quenching in the heat.
Eren clenched his fist, "It's time."
They advanced toward the corridor leading outside, each step met with a tremor in the ground. Ash fell from the ceiling, burning on contact, leaving behind a smoky scent unlike anything they had ever known.
Arriving at the crater of Flame Mountain, they faced the horizon. The sky had turned the color of blood, black clouds swirling slowly, and deep within them flashes of red lightning, as if a storm were slowly forming from the ash itself.
The air was filled with layers of fine ash, but this wasn't ordinary ash. It pulsated slowly, swirling in tiny whirlpools before dissipating, carrying whispering sounds that seemed to tell stories of pain and annihilation.
A huge black shadow appeared on the horizon, slowly creeping over the mountains. It was formed from dark clouds and rising ash. Its red eyes glowed in the darkness. As it roared, the ground shook, and rocks tumbled from the cliffs surrounding the volcano.
Lylin whispered, "Ash Lord... wake up."
The Great Ash Lord unleashed a wave of thick ash that swept through the air, turning day into darkness. It began to fall to the ground like rain. Each atom of ash slowly burned upon contact with the ground, leaving behind black sparks.
Far below, black shadows began to form from the ash. They moved in the form of featureless figures, but their eyes glowed red. They crept toward the mountaintop as if they knew where they were headed.
Eren raised his hand, and the lightning winds unleashed a halo of green and white light around him, scattering the ash around him and preventing it from approaching. Meanwhile, Leylin lit a fire in her hands, releasing a long flame that pierced the darkness, revealing columns of shadows moving silently.
"This is the beginning of war," Eren said, his voice calm but firm.
"We will not allow it to swallow this world," Leylin shouted, raising her flaming hand.
The first shadow of ash charged at them, but Eren unleashed a blast of lightning winds that tore it to black dust. Leylin incinerated another group of shadows with her new fire, the ash turning to golden sparks before dissipating.
But the shadows didn't stop. They continued advancing in waves, filling the valley surrounding the mountain. With each wave, the Ash Lord's roar echoed in the sky, as if his wrath were embodied in these endless creatures.
The first battle against the Great Ash Waves had begun. With every second, ash thickened the air, fire and wind scorching to penetrate the shadows. But every time one shadow fell, another formed in its place.
Eren shouted, unleashing a massive gust of wind that momentarily pushed the ash away. "Leylin, we need to move from here. We can't exhaust our strength before confronting him head-on."
Leylin nodded, firing a broad torch that opened a path through the shadows, forming a corridor between the black waves. Together, they sped off, fire and wind moving in unison, making their way down the mountainside to leave it. The Ash Lord's eyes silently followed their movement from behind the blood-red clouds.
As they left the crater, Leylin turned back and saw the crater blazing with black flames mingling with red lava, while the shadows continued to rise, as if the mountain itself had become the Ash Lord's stronghold.
"This... is just the beginning," Lilin said, breathing heavily.
"We will fight," Eren replied, clenching his fist as the wind swirled around him.
As they moved away from the Mountain of Flames, voices echoed in the sky, voices heard only by those who carry fire and wind:
The Day of Shadows is approaching. Will the fire shine again, or will it be extinguished forever?