The Heart of the Root trembled without pause, quaking beneath the force of the colossal battle unfolding within its depths. Vast tides of vitality and core essence were being consumed every instant—either to rebuild the shattered layers or to reforge the wounded Champions and High Lords.
Yet none of that damage compared to what erupted from the clash between the Scarlet King and the Guardian of the Root. Cain was fighting with no restraint from the very beginning, caring nothing for collateral destruction. Why would he? The more devastation the Heart of the Root suffered, the better his chances became.
In the Sixth Layer, one of the Thrones of Ruin—among the mightiest Runic War Avatars—was locked in lone combat against a Champion of the Root. The Throne of Ruin towered like a gargantuan, four-armed demon crowned with three heads, while the Champion of the Root manifested as a colossal humanoid forged of muscle, bone, and corrupting fury.
