66. Crescent Island - Black Flames

Zuko awoke to the feeling of cold water lapping at his face, his body aching and heavy with exhaustion. He coughed, his lungs burning as he rolled over onto his back, the wet sand beneath him shifting slightly with his weight. His vision was blurry, the world around him spinning as he tried to make sense of what had happened. The last thing he remembered was the titanic battle against Captain Tsu and the devastating wave that had consumed the Fire Nation fleet.

He groaned, pushing himself up to a sitting position, blinking rapidly to clear his vision. The beach stretched out before him, littered with debris from the wreckage. His fellow Fire Nation soldiers were scattered across the shore, many of them wounded or unconscious, their armor dented and scorched from the battle. Some were pulling themselves out of the water, struggling to stand, while others lay motionless in the sand.

Zuko's heart sank. They had been utterly defeated.

"Prince Zuko!" A voice called out from behind him, and Zuko turned to see a group of his soldiers approaching, their expressions filled with relief. "You're alive!"

Zuko nodded, though his body felt anything but alive. He was drenched, his clothes clinging to his skin, and every muscle in his body screamed in pain. But he had survived, and so had his men. That was all that mattered. He stood, albeit shakily, and began to gather his people, shouting orders as best he could.

"Get the wounded to safety!" Zuko commanded, his voice hoarse. "We need to regroup and—"

He was cut off by the sudden arrival of a figure on the beach, walking toward them with a calm, deliberate pace. Zuko's eyes narrowed as he took in the man's appearance. His heart skipped a beat when he recognized him.

General Tamutae.

Zuko felt his blood run cold. How was it possible? He had defeated Tamutae only a few hours ago in a fierce battle, yet here he was, standing before him as if nothing had happened. The general's armor was pristine, his face devoid of any sign of injury or fatigue. It was as if the battle had never even touched him.

Zuko, on the other hand, was exhausted, his body covered in burns and bruises from the relentless fighting. His blue flames had drained him of nearly all his energy, and now he stood there, facing an opponent who seemed completely unscathed.

Tamutae's lips curled into a smirk as he approached. "You look worse for wear, Prince Zuko," he said, his voice cold and mocking. "Perhaps you thought our last encounter would be the end of it?"

Zuko clenched his fists, the blue flames flickering faintly around his hands despite his fatigue. "I defeated you, Tamutae. I watched you fall."

Tamutae's eyes gleamed with amusement. "Oh, you may have won that battle, but did you really think it would be that easy? You underestimate me, boy."

Zuko's mind raced, trying to make sense of what was happening. Tamutae should be dead or at least too injured to fight. But here he was, standing before Zuko like a phantom, stronger than ever.

"You should have stayed down," Zuko growled, his voice filled with determination. "I'll defeat you again if I have to."

Tamutae chuckled darkly. "You think you still have the strength to fight me, Zuko? You barely survived the last battle. Look at you—you're broken."

Zuko took a deep breath, summoning every last ounce of strength he had left. His blue flames surged to life once more, burning brighter and hotter than before. "I'll never stop fighting," he said, his voice firm. "Not as long as I have something to protect."

Without another word, Zuko launched himself at Tamutae, his fists igniting in brilliant blue fire as he struck out with all his might. Tamutae responded with a wall of earth, blocking the flames and sending a shockwave through the ground.

Zuko pushed forward, unleashing a barrage of blue fireballs that exploded against Tamutae's defenses. But the general was unfazed. He moved with precision, his earthbending flowing effortlessly as he countered each of Zuko's attacks.

"You're predictable," Tamutae taunted, sending a massive boulder hurtling toward Zuko.

Zuko leaped into the air, using a jet of blue flame to propel himself over the boulder. He twisted in mid-air, launching another wave of flames down at Tamutae. But Tamutae was ready. He raised his arms, and the ground beneath Zuko cracked open, molten lava bubbling up from below.

Zuko barely managed to avoid the sudden eruption of lava, landing on the ground just as the molten rock surged toward him. He rolled to the side, sweat pouring down his face as the intense heat from the lava singed his skin. Tamutae grinned, his eyes gleaming with malice.

"You see, Zuko," Tamutae said, his voice low and menacing. "I'm not just an earthbender. I'm something far more powerful."

Zuko's eyes widened in shock as Tamutae's appearance began to change. His eyes lost their pupils, turning into empty black voids, and his skin took on a ghostly purple hue. His entire body seemed to radiate an unnatural heat, and with a single motion, he cracked the ground beneath them, summoning forth rivers of lava that snaked across the battlefield.

Tamutae was a lavabender.

The realization hit Zuko like a ton of bricks, but there was no time to dwell on it. The battlefield was quickly becoming a sea of molten rock, and Zuko was forced to use every bit of his agility to stay ahead of the deadly lava flows. His blue flames flared as he tried to push back the lava, but it was no use. Tamutae's power was overwhelming.

The ground shook violently as lava erupted all around them, reshaping the landscape of the island itself. Trees were incinerated, rocks melted into slag, and the very air shimmered with heat. Zuko could barely keep up, his body battered and exhausted as he fought to survive.

Tamutae was relentless. He summoned massive pillars of molten rock, hurling them at Zuko with terrifying force. Zuko dodged and weaved, but each attack brought him closer to the edge of his endurance. His blue flames, once so powerful, were beginning to flicker and fade.

Zuko launched a desperate counterattack, sending a torrent of blue flames at Tamutae, but the general barely flinched. He twisted his body, manipulating the lava around him with ease, and sent a wave of molten rock crashing toward Zuko.

The force of the impact sent Zuko flying backward, his body slamming into the ground with a sickening thud. He groaned, his vision swimming as he struggled to get back on his feet. Tamutae loomed over him, his expression cold and merciless.

"This is the end, Zuko," Tamutae said, raising his hand as a pillar of lava rose from the ground, poised to strike the final blow.

Zuko's mind raced, his body screaming in pain. He was finished. He had no more strength left to fight. But just as Tamutae's lava surged forward, something inside Zuko snapped. His eyes widened as a strange, ominous red light filled his vision. His body was suddenly flooded with a new, terrifying power.

The flames around Zuko's body shifted, turning from blue to an inky, black color. The heat was unlike anything he had ever felt before, a darkness that consumed everything in its path. Zuko's eyes glowed a deep red as he rose to his feet, the black flames swirling around him like a storm.

Tamutae's eyes widened in shock. "What… what is this?"

Zuko said nothing. His gaze was fixed on Tamutae, his body radiating an aura of pure, destructive energy. With a single motion, Zuko unleashed a torrent of black flames, the fire roaring like a living beast as it surged toward Tamutae.

Tamutae tried to defend himself, but the black flames burned hotter than anything he had ever encountered. They consumed his lava, melting it down to nothing as they tore through the ground, leaving nothing but scorched earth in their wake.

Zuko moved with lightning speed, his black flames coiling around him as he launched a devastating attack. The flames struck Tamutae head-on, engulfing him in a wave of searing heat. Tamutae screamed, his body consumed by the flames as the power of Zuko's new fire overwhelmed him.

The ground shook violently as the black flames raged, reshaping the very landscape of the island. Tamutae's screams echoed across the battlefield, but they were soon drowned out by the roar of the flames.

And then, silence.

Zuko stood amidst the destruction, his body trembling with exhaustion. The black flames slowly died down, leaving behind nothing but charred earth and the faint scent of burning rock. Tamutae was gone, reduced to ashes by the sheer power of Zuko's new flames.

Zuko took a shaky breath, his legs threatening to give out beneath him. He had won. But at what cost? His vision blurred as his body began to shut down, the toll of the battle finally catching up to him.

Just as he was about to collapse, a figure appeared on the beach.

Aang.

The Avatar stood before him, his tattoos and eyes glowing with an ominous red light. The two locked eyes, the air between them crackling with tension.