My back lies against a boulder as I stare eye to eye with Azure. Though perhaps eye to eye is being generous given her feral form that dwarfs me, even while lying down. We're both tattered and torn, covered in blood and bruises. Our labored breaths sync as we try to desperately catch our breaths. We've hit our limit, neither of us is able to muster the strength to move.

So we can do nothing more than lie here, locked in an unmoving gaze, waiting for the other to reignite the fight. What numbered battle are we on? I can't say for sure, but it always ends the same way. We're too tired to make that final strike. But even if I had the energy, I wouldn't do it. Fighting Azure has become my escape from it all. In these battles, it truly is just her and me.

The world, this war, my past — all of it slips away as we slash and draw blood from each other. But the reality is that this is our final bout. My divine power is fading. Since I turned down the gods' offer, my strength has been slipping away. Maybe this is what was always meant to happen? I wasn't meant for this world, and all I have left now is my hatred.

"What do you fight for, Hero?" Azure breaks the silence. "These humans you don't even know? I doubt it."

I can't help but laugh, letting the pretense drop for an instant. Looking into her eyes, I let her see the raw truth.

"The answer is simple... Fighting you is the only time I feel alive."

Lacey couldn't comprehend what she was witnessing. Both Azure and Princess seemed frozen in time, but no, that wasn't it. They were all being crushed by an aura of unimaginable strength. Their eyes were on Azure, but the sound of crunching steps drew their attention to someone moving past them. The generals and Alex's party watched in disbelief as Alex, alive and radiating an otherworldly amount of mana, walked past them. The stone beneath his feet collapsing and fracturing under the weight of his power.

It wasn't his survival that stunned them—it was the torrent of mana flowing from someone who never had it. Stopping in front of Jessy, one eye now the color of opal, he spoke with a voice echoing as two: one they knew, and another, softer and feminine.

"Sorry I took so long." His voice rang. He glanced at his hand, as if gauging his own lethality. "I can't control this power, and the chances are high that I'll kill one of you without realizing it. So you have to leave."

With a snap of his fingers, all of the generals and his party disappeared, reappearing inside the demon queen's throne room.

"We can't just—"

Lilith tried to take a step forward but collapsed onto the floor in agony. Everyone else too fell, all of their bones were fractured from the teleportation spell.

"Breath slowly," Lacey instructed through clenched teeth. "I'll heal us as fast as I can."

"Was that Alex?" Lilith asks in shock.

"It was his body, but I can't say if it was his soul," Lacey replied, her tattoos glowing as she cast a healing spell. "But he was right. If the simple act of teleporting did this, I dread to think what the battlefield looks like."

I continue to walk towards Azure and Princess. My entire body feels crushed by the weight of this power, yet I feel lighter than ever before. My vision has transformed; I see further and with more clarity. Even more strangely, I see colors enveloping everyone—emotions made visible. For Princess, it's white as freshly fallen snow, a sign of her calm acceptance.

But when I look at Azure, it's a mix of so many other emotions. The most prominent being terror, knowing she has entered a frenzy just like the one when she destroyed her clan.

"How do we go about this?" I ask, stopping a few feet away from them.

"You already know the answer." Opal's voice whispers from within.

"She's stronger now. One strike won't be enough."

"But you won't fight her alone. You can't contain my mana yet, so share it with Princess. Together, you'll find the moment."

"Can your soul withstand my level of casting?"

"I've been building my mana since my death. Get through that first, then we'll talk about what I can withstand." She replies without hesitation.

"Fair enough. Then there's nothing left to say."

I walk into Azure's gaping maw to Princess's side.

"O-Opal? Is that you?" She asks, still stuck in place.

I step beside her, smiling. "Yes and no."

"Alex?" Her focus is drawn to my opal eye. "What's going on?"

"Long story. First, let's get you some light." I pick up Princess and walk out from Azure's maw and set her down. "I'll make this short. Azure is being controlled. It might not make sense, but the only way to save her is to let her die, even if just for a moment. I can't manage this mana on my own; you'll have to siphon as much as you can from me while we fight."

"But my body isn't what it used to be," she says, looking at her fist, remembering the immense weight of the mana she had siphoned from the others. "I can't keep up in this battle—"

Her words falter as she feels an immense weight lift from her. She looks down and realizes almost instantly that she's been restored to her prime. Gone is the burden of age; she's once again the warrior she used to be.

"You still look beautiful," I say honestly. "Just as I remember you. Now go, save our daughter."

Princess lets the moment sink in, a grin spreading across her face. She steps beside me, both of us facing Azure, who is starting to overcome the immense mana in her infinite rage.

"What are you talking about, Opal?" Princess flexes, cracking her joints. "She's your daughter." As she assumes her stance, black flames burst forth, and she draws a massive amount of mana from me in mere seconds. "I'm just her grandmother."

"You know, for a mortal, he's quite impressive," a feminine voice cuts through the hushed murmurings of the divine council.

The male god, with barely contained irritation, retorts, "Impressive? The same mortal who spat in my face?"

A light chuckle follows, "True, but why wouldn't he? You belittled the love of his life after her death. And despite everything, Alex endures. How many humans would have already crumbled under such weight?"

"He faltered before, took his own life over that same 'love.' I foresee no difference this time," the male deity snaps, a scowl in his tone.

"But it's precisely that—out of love—that he did it," another female deity interjects, her voice serene. "It's a concept you evidently can't fathom."

The male god emits a grunt of disdain, unwilling to concede the point.

"The longer we engage with these beings, the more I ponder our intentions. Why are we so bent on their destruction?" another male voice questions, curiosity palpable in his words.

"Because they exist beyond our dominion. Their autonomy undermines our influence unless we impose divine intervention," the disgruntled male deity states with finality.

"What wasted potential," the other male muses thoughtfully. "Just imagine: in a few million years, they might even become a genuine threat to us."

"Excuse me?"

"What's more thrilling than the stakes of life and death?" the second male deity responds with a hint of excitement.

The first female deity proposes with a mischievous undertone, "How about a wager? If Alex can conquer Azure, they live."

Interest ripples through the divine assembly, gods and goddesses exchanging curious glances.

"And for those who stand against him, what do you stake in return?" one god questions, leaning forward.

With a smile audible in her voice, the first female replies, "How about a billion followers?"

Gasps echo and the divine conclave buzzes with excitement, save for one perplexed deity.

"Why place such a high bet on him? What do you stand to gain?" the confused god asks, eyes narrowed.

She laughs, the sound like wind chimes on a breezy day. "Because Alex is fascinating. He risked everything, even his soul, to destroy us. In his despair, he spat in our faces, found an ally in Purgatory, and now wields a power that could rival the divine, all to save Azure. Isn't that a spectacle worth witnessing?"

The second female from before laughs too. "Indeed, when viewed from a distance, it becomes a compelling tale… Very well, I'll match your billion. But I want the right to bless Alex should he prevail. Mere survival isn't enough considering what lies ahead."

"A blessing?" one of the male gods, clearly against Alex, interjects, raising an eyebrow. "Then to level the playing field, those of us who stand against Alex will grant our grace to Azure in this battle. Those who favor Alex may reward him if he clinches victory. Agreed?"

United in their devilish amusement, the gods exchange sinister grins before their voices rise in unison. "Deal."

Azure had overcome the immense pressure of my mana, and a silence fell over the battlefield. The air was thick with anticipation, an eerie calm before the storm. Azure loomed over, her form casting a shadow over us as her powerful aura began to pool beneath her. Her eyes held no signs of free will or intelligence. Just a primal fury that locked its gaze onto me and Princess with unwavering intensity.

Princess stepped forward, her dark flames wreathed her form, fueled by the mana pouring from me. We both looked at one another, a silent exchange of knowing what lies ahead. Her fist ignites as I materialize my sword, its blade flowing with mana. With a quick nod, we turn to face Azure, ready to start this battle. Azure responded with a deafening roar, shaking the ground beneath us. Her roar, a symphony of rage and power, reverberated through the air, making the earth tremble.

With blinding speed, she charged forward and swung her massive claws in a relentless torrent. Each slash emitted terrifying blades of dark energy that ripped through the landscape, tearing deep gashes into the earth. The ground fractured beneath her onslaught, hurling chunks of rock and debris in every direction. The winds following each slash howled like tormented spirits, tearing through anything in their path, including us.

Princess and I were weaving through the assault without hesitation. Even as some of the blades came within inches of us, we kept up the pace. Princess broke away and drove her fist into the ground, sending a shockwave of dark flames surging forward that engulfed the energy. Seconds later, Azure's head pushed through the flames and tried to bite Princess.

I was already below her chin as I kicked upward, the strike dazed her for a moment as Azure then raised further toward the sky and unleashed a torrent of blistering fire, the heat so intense it singed my skin as Princess and I leapt away. She kept it skyward as it began to become concentrated into a searing beam before she swiped her head downward, the beam carving a path at the speed of sound toward us.

There was no dodging this. I quickly channeled a spell into my blade before thrusting my sword upward to meet the beam before it landed on us. The collision created an explosion of light and energy, shattering the beam and sending fragments exploding into the distant mountains. Princess didn't hesitate to take advantage of Azure's lapse. She closed the distance in the blink of an eye and began to hammer down onto Azure. Each punch landed with concussive force, sending shockwaves rippling through the dragon's body.

Azure roared, whipping her tail around in a swift counterattack. Princess was just as quick, evading the deadly strike, the tail's speed and power tearing into the earth with little resistance. While this was happening, I was already preparing my next attack. The glyph beneath me pulsed with increasing brightness and complexity, the very air humming with raw power.

Azure's eyes locked onto me when she realized what I was doing. She summoned a storm of dark energy around her, the air crackling with electricity. Bolts of shadowy lightning struck the ground, each impact radiating destructive force as it moved toward me. Princess charged ahead to buy me time, her body cloaked in dark flames. She moved with agility and strength, deflecting some of the lightning bolts with precise strikes from her paws.

She closed the gap and delivered a powerful uppercut to Azure's jaw, the impact resonating like a thunderclap. Seizing the moment, I completed my spell. The air around me thrummed with power as I unleashed a massive wave of mana, sending it crashing into Azure. Ethereal chains of energy coiled around her limbs and torso, binding her momentarily.

Azure thrashed against the bindings, roaring with a mix of fury and desperation. Drawing upon a wellspring of frenzied power, she prepared for another devastating attack. Her maw opened wide, gathering dark energy for a cataclysmic blast.

“Not this time!" Princess shouted, leaping back into the fray. She unleashed a flurry of strikes on Azure's underbelly, each punch knocking the wind from Azure, dissipating the concentrated energy.

For a fleeting moment, the battlefield was bathed in the brilliance of our combined efforts. Yet Azure's rage knew no limits. With a titanic roar, she shattered the bindings, her energy swelling to even more dangerous levels. Her eyes burned with an intensity that seemed to scorch the very air. I quickly conjured a protective barrier around Princess and I, deflecting another wave of Azure's claw attacks.

This was a war of attrition and I felt the odds were in our favor. Azure's tail whipped around at a blinding speed, striking my shield. But what happened next wasn't what I expected. Instead of deflecting off, her tail cut right through, slamming into my side and sending me flying before I landed with a crash, gasping for air.

That hit… It cut through my defenses. I looked down to my chest, blood trickling from the gash. This power, the searing pain—I recognized it. I turned my gaze to Azure, who stood there, now glowing with a radiant golden aura.

"The gods have blessed her..." I say in disbelief.

Princess rushes to my side, her eyes filled with concern. “Alex, are you alright?" she asks, her voice a mix of worry.

I wince, forcing myself to stand. “Things just became more complicated. Even with all this mana, I'm not sure if we stand a chance of winning."

Azure's eyes blaze even brighter, the sky above shifting hues as divine powers pulse through her. The ground beneath us trembles, the very air charged with an almost unbearable pressure. Princess helps me stabilize, her grip firm and comforting.

“We'll face this together," she says resolutely. Her own eyes burn with unwavering resolve.

This is a worst case scenario, but there's no turning back now.

After being healed, Lacey created a scrying mirror to watch the battle. The raw power at play here sent shivers down their spines. But even then it appeared as if Alex had the advantage. With Princess and him working so well together in tandem, it was only a matter of time before they won. That was until Azure became blessed. They all knew what it was, as it reminded them of the stories they were told of Alex. In just a single moment, all hope felt lost.

"They can't do this alone." Lilith says under her breath.

"There's nothing we can do." Lacey states bitterly. "Our mana is spent. Joining them wouldn't even amount to getting in their way, we'd be killed instantly."

"It doesn't matter. Just sitting here and watching." Lilith grits her teeth. "It's pathetic."

Everyone in the room understands how she's feeling. It's frustrating. Alex and Princess are fighting for their world, even against the gods and yet they're all powerless to join them. Even if they had their mana back, they could barely hold on against Azure before she was blessed. They're weak. They don't want to say it, but it's clear on their faces. They want nothing more than to join in the fray but all hope was truly lost.

This is what Jessy could see while she sat back and looked at everyone. Even her friends held that same defeated look. Wishing to join Alex but knew it would be fruitless. And Jessy was no different. As a spirit user, she was alway used to feeling weak. Accustomed to the backlines, only moving forward when the way was clear.

This can't be how it ends. Jessy stands tall before looking to the sky, her hood falling back, revealing her past for all to see. Deep scars that lined her features, her long flowing black hair spilling out and her eyes having been covered with bandages long ago. But even so, they become damp with tears.

"You gods never gave me anything in life. You watched, even as I pleaded for strength." She says past her tears as they now roll down her cheek. "I learned long ago that praying never brought about change. Alex saved me when no god would. And that's why I'm going to return the favor."

"Jessy, what are you talking about?" Alice asks as everyone stares at her.

She looks down at everyone. "Do you wish to fight alongside him?" There was no hesitation as they all nodded together. "Then take my hand, and no matter what, don't look back."

Sweat drips down my face, mixing with the blood. My vision swims, but I focus on Azure, towering above us, crackling with divine energy. This hasn't been going our way since she became blessed. The longer this goes on the more I can feel our odds of winning slip away.

“We still have a chance, Alex. This isn't where I want things to end." Opal's voice rang out. "If fighting isn't fruitful, then we must find another path to victory."

Another path? There is one I can think of but we'd still have to exhaust as much of Azure's mana as possible for it to even have a slim chance of working. But hesitating now would only assure our defeat. If only we had another way to keep Azure preoccupied; Then Princess and I could unleash an attack.

My thoughts couldn't finish as I see a bluish blur fly past me and crash into Azure, sending her stumbling back. What was that?

"Hey there, Alex." I look to see Jessy's spirit standing beside me.

Something isn't right, her spirit can't talk.

"Jessy. What is going on?"

She gave a laugh, but the look on her face was one of unspoken pain.

"I'm sorry we won't be able to have that drink after all."

Wait... I turn back to look at the blur and now it all comes together. It's my party and the generals. All of them have been astral projected onto the battlefield. However, to give their spirit a fighting form, a catalyst of unimaginable power would have to be used. And there's only one that Jessy could use.

"Why?" Is all I could ask, turning to face her, knowing the depth of the choice she just made.

"You gave me life. The last thing I'll ever let happen to you is death." She only did one thing, leaned forward and gave me a kiss. When she pulled back, tears were running down her face. "At least I finally worked up the courage to do it. That's enough for me in the afterlife." I grit my teeth. If I had my divine power, if I had found another way to resurrect Bane's family... But Jessy rests a hand on my cheek. "It doesn't matter what you could've done, Alex. Because in the end, I made this choice and I'd do it again. Now go, or you'll regret not using my life to end this."

I take a long breath in before locking eyes with Jessy. "I still owe you that drink. Weather in this form, or another."

That breaks the gloom as a genuine smile breaks across her face. "I'll be waiting."

And with that, she broke into a stream of spiritual energy and formed a barrier around the projections. I didn't hesitate to look at Princess as she watched the exchange.

"We're never going to beat Azure with force, but still, I need you to cast your spell Armageddon to stop her long enough for me to cast my spell."

"Very well."

She begins to gather mana from me as I turn to the others.

"Keep Azure back for as long as you can!" I shout. "We're ending this!"

Since they are in astral form, I begin dumping a massive amount of mana into them as they explode with unbound power. This amount would've shattered their bodies but outside of their body, their souls capacity was vastly increased. They didn't need any more instructions, this was the final battle.