Winter staggered through the ruined palace halls, every muscle aching, Bael's defeat still pulsing through his battered body. He cast a glance back, torn by the urge to check on Kyo—but up ahead, the doors to the throne room loomed, heavy and imposing.
He hesitated, the echo of Kyo's monstrous roar shaking the marble. But he forced himself forward, jaw set. If he could reach Eldo, maybe—just maybe—they could end this and save Kyo too.
Winter shoved the throne doors open with both hands, the hinges screaming in protest. The sprawling throne room was awash in hellish red light. At its center, Eldo sat on the obsidian throne, his face unreadable, posture rigid and regal.
Eldo didn't even flinch at Winter's battered form crossing the threshold—didn't blink, didn't speak, just watched with a cold, distant indifference.
Winter's frustration boiled over. "What the hell are you doing, dumbass!?" he barked, voice echoing off the cavernous walls. "You know Kyo's out there—he's hurt, maybe dying, and you sit here on your ass playing king?"
Eldo's eyes narrowed, his voice chillingly calm. "If you had simply let the world transition into the peaceful future I could bring, none of this pain would exist. You're the one who keeps resisting."
Winter stared at him, disbelief flooding his face. "Listen to yourself! This isn't you. None of this—" He straightened, anger turning to resolve. "Fine, you idiot. If you won't listen, I'll just beat some sense into you."
He marched forward, steel blade sliding from his arm, but Eldo stood up slowly, every inch a ruler.
Eldo's gaze sharpened, a flicker of old resentment surfacing. "You know, I've always hated bullies like you. You're always causing problems for me and everyone else."
Winter scoffed, circling, trying to get a read on his old friend. "I don't care what you think of me, not anymore."
He lunged—a close-range strike meant to disarm, not kill—but Eldo sidestepped with ease, his movements eerily measured. Eldo's counterattack came fast, flames licking his fingertips as he lashed out. Winter barely dodged, skidding back across the slick obsidian.
Eldo's voice was low, dangerous. "Although I guess I'm not surprised you made it this far." He sank into a fighting stance, fire pooling in his palms.
Winter spat blood, raising his blade. "You're a challenge, I'll give you that. But not even one of your Elite was enough to put me down."
Eldo's eyes flickered, curiosity breaking through the cold. "What happened to them?"
A massive, bestial roar shook the palace, echoing toward the throne room. Both turned, startled. Before either could react, something crashed through the stained glass high above—wings, claws, lightning.
A monstrous bipedal dragon slammed onto the marble, scales crackling with electric fury, eyes wild and slitted. Winter took a step back, blade raised; Eldo's flames surged in response, both bracing for a fight.
The creature's chest heaved, breath coming in ragged bursts. Then, in a voice twisted by pain and rage, it screeched, "ELDO!" The sound rang through the throne room, shaking dust from the rafters.
Winter's eyes went wide as recognition dawned. He whispered, barely audible, "Kyo...?"
Kyo's monstrous form trembled with rage, lightning crawling over his scales as he locked eyes with Eldo on the throne. With a deafening roar, Kyo charged—his claws gouging the marble, wings unfurling for a burst of speed that shook the pillars. Eldo barely had time to react, bracing himself as Kyo barreled into him, the impact sending shockwaves through the throne room.
Eldo strained to hold Kyo back, his hands burning with hellfire that seared but did not stop the beast. "K...Kyo..." Eldo gasped, voice cracking with effort. "I thought you would be different." With a surge of power, Eldo's body ignited, flames turning black at the edges—his hellfire form unleashed. He grabbed Kyo by the throat, flames swirling, and hurled him across the room with a force that shattered the wall.
Winter, already tense, seized the chance. He summoned steel spikes and launched them at Eldo, aiming to pin him down. In one smooth motion, Eldo caught each spike mid-air, his hands glowing with concentrated heat. "Nice try," he muttered, before flinging them back at Winter twice as fast. Winter dropped and rolled, barely dodging as the spikes thudded into the floor, sending splinters of obsidian flying.
Breathing hard, Winter watched as Kyo shook off the impact, wings flaring, eyes wild and unfocused. Winter's mind raced—he needed a way to de-escalate, to save both of them, but the odds were stacked against him. "There's got to be a way out," he whispered, voice tinged with desperation.
But Kyo's next move shocked him—snarling, Kyo charged at Winter, lightning crackling down his claws. Winter conjured a shield of steel, deflecting the first barrage, shouting, "Kyo! Snap out of it, dammit! It's me!" But Kyo was too far gone, his blows relentless, forcing Winter to switch tactics and conjure a wall of jagged ice. The moment Kyo's claws struck the ice, he recoiled, shrieking in pain, lightning arcing wildly. For an instant, Winter saw confusion flicker in Kyo's eyes.
Winter's heart sank. "He's too far gone..." he realized. "There's no best-case scenario anymore." As Kyo staggered backward, Winter began charging a freezing blast, hoping he could subdue him without lethal force.
But Kyo shook off the pain and, with a furious screech, launched himself back at Eldo. He spun in the air, electricity pooling in his jaws, charging a devastating blast. Eldo, already anticipating his move, clenched his fist, condensing hellfire into a single, blindingly bright flame—so hot it seemed to swallow all other light.
For a moment, the two powers faced off—storm and fire, rage and will. Eldo wove aside Kyo's electric blast in a blur of molten speed, then stepped in, driving his fist straight into the dragon's gut.
"INFERNAL FIST!" Eldo roared.
The impact was cataclysmic—Kyo's body was launched across the throne room, slamming into the far wall with such force the marble spiderwebbed and dust rained from the ceiling. He crumpled, unmoving, the storm around him flickering out.
Eldo stood over the smoking floor, voice thick with sorrow. "Goodbye, my friend."