The wind rose sharply, kicking up dust and leaves as the hooded figures lined up around Veran and Raigor. The two warriors' eyes blazed with determination.
"Did you really think you could rewrite history without anyone noticing?"
The voice came from one of the hooded men, a tall man with a dark, ominous aura. His eyes glowed with an unnatural light, like two stars dying in the void.
Raigor cracked his knuckles, a ferocious grin on his face. "And who the hell are you?"
The hooded man didn't answer. Instead, he raised a hand, and the air around them grew heavy, as if reality itself was giving way.
Veran felt a chill run down his spine. "Raigor… this is no ordinary opponent."
Suddenly, a chasm opened beneath their feet and a dark energy enveloped them. The ground disappeared, and in the blink of an eye they found themselves elsewhere.
When the light returned, Veran and Raigor found themselves in a dark, damp cave. The air was thick with an acrid smell, a mixture of sulfur and burning flesh. The floor was covered in bones.
Raigor rose to his feet with a growl. "Damn… where have they taken us?"
A slithering sound resounded in the depths of the cave. Something massive moved in the shadows. Then, the darkness broke with the flash of six yellow eyes.
From the heart of the cave, a huge creature emerged, its scaly body writhing in snakelike motions. Six dragon heads rose, each with a maw full of sharp fangs.
Veran gritted his teeth. "We're not just trapped… we've been condemned to die."
The creature moved with surprising speed, throwing one of its heads forward. Veran dodged with a lightning leap, while Raigor planted his feet, ready to repel the attack with his titanic strength.
The werelion grabbed one of the Hydra's heads in his mighty hands and hurled it against the stone wall, shattering it with a roar. But before the head could even stop, another one lunged at him, forcing him to jump back.
Veran seized the moment. His hands lit up with electricity, and with a swift movement he threw a bolt of lightning that struck the Hydra's chest. The monster roared in pain, but did not retreat.
Raigor gritted his teeth. "If we keep going like this, we'll never take it down. Every time we hit a head, two more will take its place!"
Veran paused for a moment, his thoughts racing. Then, an idea struck him.
"Raigor, we must hit all the heads at once. If we destroy them with one simultaneous blow, they will not be able to regenerate."
Raigor smiled ferociously. "Perfect. Then make room for me!"
With a roar, the werelion lunged forward, grabbing two of the heads with its mighty arms and pinning them to the ground. The Hydra thrashed furiously, but Raigor did not let go.
Veran, meanwhile, leapt into the air, channeling all the power of the storm into his body. The air around him charged with electricity, lightning crackling in his hands.
"NOW!" Raigor shouted.
Veran unleashed his energy in a single devastating blow. Lightning exploded from above, hitting each of the Hydra's heads simultaneously. The entire cave was lit up in a blinding light, followed by a deafening roar.
When the glow dissipated, the Hydra lay on the ground, its body charred and motionless.
Raigor let out the breath he had been holding. "Damn, that was tough."
Veran nodded, his chest heaving with the effort. "And yet… something doesn't add up. Why did they send us here? Just to be killed by a Hydra?"
Raigor looked around. The cave was still silent, but a strange energy hung in the air. Then, in the center of the room, something glowed among the ashes of the defeated monster.