Morgoth's darkness faltered.
The instant it receded, Rowan's fire surged forward again, pouring into every exposed tunnel and cavern that led into the depths beneath Angband.
That alone was not enough.
Above Rowan's draconic form, hundreds of spell circles ignited in rapid succession.
The sky warped.
Five hundred colossal meteors manifested simultaneously.
"Cataclysmic Starfall. Five hundredfold."
They fell.
Impact followed impact.
The earth convulsed.
From the perspective of the allied armies, the world itself seemed to tear apart.
When the dust cleared, Angband no longer existed.
Where the mountain fortress once stood was now an immense abyss, a yawning pit that plunged endlessly into darkness.
Rowan ceased his flames and rose into the air.
More spell circles bloomed above him.
"High-tier Light Sorcery. Fairy Radiance. Five hundredfold."
Columns of blinding light descended like spears, each one as wide as the chasm below.
They plunged into the pit without pause.
Light was poison to Morgoth's creations.
Without fortress walls to shield them, orcs and corrupted beasts were erased in seconds.
Rowan did not slow.
His reserves did not diminish.
Absorption.
Regeneration.
Consumption.
He could continue indefinitely.
The allied armies stared in stunned silence.
Angband, a nightmare that had haunted the world for ages, was being erased as if it were sand.
A strange realization spread through the ranks.
Rowan alone could have done this.
The armies were not needed.
They were witnesses.
And strangely, that truth brought relief rather than shame.
War always devoured families.
If one being could shoulder the burden alone, then countless fathers, sons, and daughters would live.
That was a mercy.
Rowan had never planned to rely on anyone else.
The coalition was insurance.
Nothing more.
And so far, everything was proceeding smoothly.
Deep within the abyss, a roar finally erupted.
"You insignificant mortal!"
A figure rose from the depths.
Black armor.
A massive sword wreathed in shadow.
Morgoth.
He had endured hundreds of light bombardments without retaliation, hoping to outlast Rowan.
But Rowan's magic did not stop.
And Morgoth realized something terrifying.
Rowan's power was not dwindling.
It was constant.
If this continued, Morgoth would eventually exhaust himself maintaining defenses.
So he made a choice.
He recalled all the dark power he had spread across Middle-earth.
He abandoned the long, slow corruption of the world.
Everything returned to him.
Here.
Now.
Morgoth emerged in his true war form.
His body swelled, growing into a towering giant that blotted out the sky.
Darkness condensed around him like a living storm.
He dodged the descending light and hurled himself toward Rowan.
The massive blade descended in a single, annihilating arc.
Straight for the dragon's head.
The decisive battle had begun.