Saving Pyroc

Alastor stared at Pyroc, keeping her chained down to the ground and looked at the woman who was keeping watch of the entrance of the area they were in. She filed her nails and waited for any sign of activity behind the stone doors behind them.

"It's only a matter of time before he shows up, so why won't you just use those Spirits to Evolve already? You read those stone tablets. Becoming this generation's Vesta is your destiny, so stop being stubborn and evolve already!" Alastor demanded.

"No! I won't listen to you! I won't accept Pyroc like this! This isn't right...what do you want truly..? Why are you doing this to us..?" Claire asked softly, unable to look Alastor in the eyes.

"Why I'm doing this does not matter. Besides the faster you accept Pyroc, the faster you can rest in the afterlife with Vesta! So just do as I say and evolve!" Alastor demanded, forcing the Spirits inside Claire's body.

Claire groaned in pain as Alastor began forcing an evolution upon her body. Pyroc roared at Alastor, trying to break out of the chains and stop Alastor. Suddenly, an explosion happened, Novis crashing through the stone doors and rolling along the ground. Alastor stopped forcing the Spirits inside her body and looked at Novis.

Claire looked up and her eyes widened as she noticed me, Inoka, and Tsuhori. "Ryoma! Inoka!"

Alastor turned back then smirked at me, snapping his fingers and the chains raised Claire in the air. He walked forward and chuckled darkly at me. "Well, you made it here faster than I anticipated. You certainly don't waste time, old friend."

I glared at Alastor then looked at the mysterious woman and Novis. I turned my gaze back to Alastor, him being my top focus. "It's over Alastor! I know what you're after and I won't let you succeed! It's time we settle the score.."

Alastor laughed softly, his Crest of Chaos shining on his hand then he summoned his sword. "Yes, it's time we settle the score isn't it? Lythia, you deal with Inoka and the fox while I deal with The Emperor himself."

'Lythia..? Manami's sister..?' I thought then noticed my Crest of Manami shining on my hand.

Lythia got off the wall then looked at Inoka and Tsuhori, summoning her spear then twirled it around. "As you wish, Alastor."

Inoka readied her rapier then her eyes shined brightly, preparing herself for battle against Lythia. She got into her stance, powerful flames spiralling around her body. "I won't be holding back! So I hope you're ready for what's to come!"

Lythia taunted Inoka with a giggle then got into her stance. "Come at me then..~"

Inoka lowered her stance then dashed toward Lythia, letting out a battle cry as she slashed her rapier at her. Lythia dodged her swift attacks then countered with a thrust of her spear. Inoka rolled out of the way then went for a sweep kick, but Lythia jumped over her kick. Lythia stuck her spear into the ground and spun around her spear, launching Inoka away with a kick.

Inoka grunted softly from the impact of her kick, quickly recovering onto her feet. Inoka stared at Lythia, her eyes shining a fiery orange color. She dashed toward Lythia once more, leaping into the air then threw her rapier at her. Lythia deflected the rapier, a soft chuckle escaping her lips.

"You're mine," Lythia sneered, preparing to impale Inoka with her spear.

"Not so fast, Witch," Tsuhori said, appearing behind Lythia with Inoka's rapier in hand.

She began to land swift slices to Lythia's back, staggering her then Inoka landed a direct roundhouse kick to Lythia's face. Lythia stumbled back, her mind racing with how to deal with a two against one.

Lythia dodged Tsuhori's thrust then blocked Inoka's kick using her forearm. She launched a counter strike with her spear, but Tsuhori used her tail to stop Lythia's attack. Seeing an opening, Inoka landed a swift and fiery right hook, launching Lythia away upon impact.

Lythia recovered in the air, landing on her feet then huffed. She fixed her jacket sleeve then stood up straight, blowing strands of hair out of her face. "Hmph...your coordination is very good. However, that's doesn't mean you've won. I'm only just getting warmed up."

"Yeah? Well me too! I'm getting even more fired up! I'll make you pay for what you've done to my sister!" Inoka declared, her flames flashing white.

'Her power level is increasing steadily. I need to think about this carefully,' Lythia thought, twirling her spear around then got into her stance.

Inoka stared at Lythia then inched closer, causing Lythia to take a calculated steps back. Noticing her stepping back, Inoka charged forward and swiftly slashed at her, but Lythia blocked the slashes then twirled her speak, aiming to land rapid strikes.

Inoka rapidly parried each attack then bellowed, using her flames to push Lythia back. Lythia grunted softly at Inoka's resilience, a bit impressed by her ability to keep up with her. Lythia shifted her spear into a sword, clashing with Inoka and entering a blade lock.

"You're good, Princess...but not good enough!" Lythia said, pushing Inoka away.

Claire grunted as she watched the battle, trying to break out of the chains. "Inoka!"

Inoka dodged and parried Lythia's swift strikes, sustaining a few cuts on her body from her swift attacks. She parried Lythia's next attack, countering with a swift thrust, but Lythia evaded her attack swiftly. She prepared her counter, but groaned as an near invisible strike landed upon her midsection.

Lythia slid backwards, her eyes scanning the battlefield and looking around for Tsuhori, who was moving at near invisible speeds. Tsuhori appeared in front of Lythia, feinting her attack and causing Lythia to block. Tsuhori disappeared and Inoka appeared in front of her, landing a powerful slash to Lythia's stomach, launching her into the cave wall.

"This is for my sister! Ardent Cleave!" Inoka bellowed, slashing down and sending a powerful fiery cutting wave toward Lythia.

Just as the cutting wave was going to hit Lythia, a barrier protected her, surprising Inoka and Tsuhori. They noticed Alastor protecting Lythia, his gaze menacing and a wicked smirk played on his face.

"You're pretty good...but let's see how you do faced against someone like me," Alastor dared, his sword emitting powerful chaotic energy.

Alastor dashed toward Inoka, slashing at her but I blocked his attack then pushed him back. Alastor chuckled and clashed with me repeatedly, each attack between us a testimate of our shared history. Alastor launched a swift horizontal slash toward me, but I parried him then rushed forward with a shoulder tackle, knocking him off balance.

I went for my next attack, but Alastor sidestepped, evading me swiftly and countered with a powerful slash. I shifted my foot, a stone spike protecting me and allowing me an opening. I swung my sword downward, but he blocked my attack one again.

"Good! Good! This is the battle I hoped for, Emperor! I'm glad to see that you haven't slacked off!" Alastor laughed, rapidly swinging his sword.

I blocked each attack then stomped my foot down, a stone pillar knocking him in the air from underground. I slashed in a circle, landing a clean hit and knocking him back. Alastor grunted as he felt a large cut stretch across his chest.

He chuckled softly, placing a hand on his chest then removed it, noticing his blood on his hand. "Well...seems like you're serious about this battle.."

I got into my stance, my eyes flashing with determination. "I will end you as fast as possible...I will avenge everyone!"

Alastor laughed and held his arms out, his dark aura ominously surrounding his body. "Then come! Show me your conviction!"

Memories of our ancestors clashing in battle flashed in my head, a classic stand off between Ascea and Chaos playing in my mind. I tightened the grip of my sword, my gaze more intense as the situation was dire.

"Prepare yourself, Alastor," I said, transforming into my Emperor's Form.

I propelled myself toward Alastor and Alastor lunged toward me. Once we clashed, a powerful shockwave of energy pulsated across the ground, causing the volcano to rumble and roar. We clashed intensely, each attack carrying the desire to kill one another.

Upon our next clash, our swords flew out of our hands then we leaped backwards. I let out a roar, the Leo Zodiac Symbol shining upon my chest. My hair became a fiery mane then I summoned the Leo Zodiac Crystal, grabbing it and transforming into my Zodiac Form.

Alastor laughed as he got into his stance, readying himself for a hand to hand combat. "Yes...Come at me, Emperor!"

I grit my teeth then launched myself toward Alastor, launching a fiery punch. Alastor blocked my attack then countered with a spinning kick. I ducked under his kick then landed a powerful uppercut to his chin, knocking him in the air. I transitioned into the Pisces Zodiac, launching two spiritual fish at him.

Alastor deflected the fish then rushed forward, landing a palm strike to my chest to cause my heart to skip beats then knocked me in the air with a kick. He launched a follow up, but noticed my body turning into black clouds. I reformed behind him then transitioned into the Aries Zodiac, charging toward him at high speeds and ramming into him, blowing him away.

Alastor groaned as he crashed into the rugged wall, landing into his feet. "Heh...HAHAHA! Ryoma! You are the only person I can ever call my enemy! Now show me more! Show me how badly you want to save Pyroc!"

I bellowed and my armor slowly became golden and my crown spiralled over my head, forming a halo. My roar echoed across the volcano as I transformed into my ascended version of my Emperor's Form. I transformed into my Supreme Emperor's form, white lightning crackling around my body. My Crest of Arcane flashed brightly on my hand, Arcane syncing with me and responding to my power.

"There it is! I can feel it! I can feel your desires! Now let's fight!" Alastor laughed, stomping his foot down.

Alastor's hair slowly became dark red, the Crest of Chaos flashing on his forehead as he transformed into his Chaos Form to match my Supreme Emperor's Form. He chuckled darkly, a sadistic smirk curling on his lips.

Without warning, Alastor propelled himself toward me but I was quick to react, launching myself toward him to meet him halfway. The moment we clashed, our energies merged, causing a powerful repulsive force and an explosion. Inoka, Tsuhori, and Lythia groaned as they were blown away.

Th force of our clash caused the volcano to rumble loudly and finally begin to erupt. Lava erupted from beneath the ground, Manami appearing and strumming a powerful chord and protecting Inoka, Tsuhori, Claire, and Lythia from the eruption.

"Look!" Cyra called out, pointing at the volcanic eruption.

"Oh no...Everyone! Get to safety!" Kolden called out, grabbing Cyra's hands and hurrying off.

"The city! We can't let the lava hit the city!" Inoka called out then let out a screech, calling Phoenix and Cholra.

Two screeches sounded off and both Phoenix and Cholra flew to action, combining their powers to stop the lava from reaching the city. Pyroc let out a roar and finally broke out of her chains, flying toward the lava then with a flap of her wings, she blew the lava to the sky.

"Lady Pyroc! Send the lava to me!" Cholra shrilled, flying to the sky.

Pyroc roared, flapping her wings and launching the lava toward Cholra. Cholra spun around in the sky rapidly, causing the lava to spin around him and aborbed it into his crystals and armor. Cholra flew to the sky, letting out a screech and release the energy, Blazing Stars raining down from the sky.

Claire looked around for me then noticed an explosion in the sky, noticing it was near the islands. She grunted softly then hurried to Pyroc, looking up at her with urgency. "Pyroc, I have a request! Take me to Phoenix Islands!"

"Claire, hold on! If you go up there, you will be caught in their battle!" Inoka said, her tone a mix of worry and concern.

"You've done enough for me, Inoka...but I can't be scared anymore to protect my kingdom and what's mine! I'm helping Ryoma defeat Alastor! You make sure everyone is okay!" Claire said, hopping on Pyroc's back.

Pyroc flapped her wings then took off to the skies, flying toward the islands quickly and with haste. Inoka watched Pyroc disappear above the clouds, her mind racing with concern for Claire. She decided to heed Claire's wish and hurry along to check on the citizens of Pyroc.

Claire noticed me and Alastor battling on the the floating island, feeling the intense energy emitting from the both of us. Her body shuddered with anticipation, but her mind was made, her heart settled with her decision.

"Go!" Claire commanded, her Soulblaze erupting from her chest.

Pyroc roared and flew toward us, cloaking herself in powerful flames. She crashed onto the island planning to strike Alastor, but he dodged last second and slid backwards. I jumped backwards as well, avoiding the shockwave and noticed Pyroc standing in front of me.

Claire got off Pyroc's back, landing on the ground of the island then looked back at me with a smile. "I'm here, my love. I'm here to help you win this fight. I know I won't ever be on your level or Alastor's, but I know I should at least do something instead of sitting aside."

"Claire..." I said softly, walking toward her then looked ahead. "You need to leave this island now. It's not safe up here. I'm not safe to be around. The Tyrant could escape at any moment.."

"No. I'm not leaving your side, Ryoma. I can't. I refuse! I refuse to let you walk alone. You're not alone in this...Plus, it's my duty as Queen to make sure everyone is safe! Safe from the hands of people like Alastor!" Claire exclaimed, her gaze shifting toward Alastor.

Alastor laughed and his dark energy began surging powerfully around his body. "Well, well, well... Vesta's Descendant has decided to step up and challenge the Face of Chaos! Fool! You should've listened to your pathetic fiance while you had the chance. Now both of you will die here!"

"No, neither of us is dying here! We will stop you here and now! You've caused enough damage and chaos already! You've hurt enough people today! Now, it's time for you to pay!" Claire bellowed, her flames spiralling around her body.

The Spirits began to appear around her along with her Blazing Star. Each one entered her body one by one, boosting her power along with it. I watched her evolution, my gaze fixated on her in awe.

Once Claire finished, she evolved into a fierce and powerful Queen enveloped in flames, exuding a strong and commanding presence. She was adorned in elaborate, dark armor with gold accents, which added a regal and formidable touch. Her black hair flowed dynamically with her white cape, adding to the sense of movement and intensity.

She summoned a large, ornate sword, also wreathed in flames, and was held confidently, indicating mastery in combat. The fire surrounding her was vibrant and intense, swirling around her and creating an aura of raw energy and destruction.

Her headdress was adorned with wing-like protrusions, enhancing her fearsome appearance and resembled Vesta's Wings. The appearance of her armor and weaponry suggests a blend of traditional and mythical elements, hinting at her true connection to Vesta, her flames becoming Eternal.

Claire opened her eyes, her eyes shining a cherry red and glowed with a fiery courage and intensity. The Crest of Blaze shined on her hand, glowing with power. "This is it, Alastor. This is the form you wished to see. Now you see it...This is my Royal Awakening. This is my Vestae Form.."

The power I felt from Claire was unreal, even causing someone like me to become awestruck. She looked like a Valkyrie, a Goddess even. I couldn't take my eyes off her, my gaze willed with wonder as I looked at her.

Alastor laughed softly then crossed his arms, his smirk condescending and arrogant. "Well, it seems that your evolution has given you more confidence than you can chew. You aren't even close to my level, let alone my nemesis's level. You were better off on the surface."

Claire glared at Alastor, taking a step forward then her figure flickered, disappearing at high speeds then appeared in front of Alastor, catching him off guard. She slashed at him, landing a clean and direct hit upon his stomach, sending him flying across the battlefield.

Alastor recovered onto his feet, sliding backwards then grunted softly. He scoffed and stood up straight, his glare aiming to pierce through Claire's soul.

"Don't underestimate me, Alastor. I am more than what I was before," Claire said, taking on her stance.

Alastor walked forward and got into his stance, his gaze shifting between me and Claire. He let out a bellow and propelled himself toward Claire, launching a swift strike but Claire dodged his attack then countered with a powerful slash.

Alastor recovered onto his feet then sensed me behind him, dodging my attack. He went for a swift counter but noticed he struck a Phantom, the real me appearing at his side and landing a brutal strike to his jaw and sending him flying. Claire appeared above Alastor, slashed down at him and launched him to the ground.

I rushed forward and knocked him back upward with a powerful slash. "Claire! Let's finish this!"

"Right!" Claire said, landing on the ground then launched herself forward.

Claire and I began to synchronize our attacks, our strikes perfectly in sync with one another, leaving no room for Alastor to find a chance to defend himself. Our attacks were powerful and brutal, mixing Claire's grace with my unrestrained power.

Claire knocked Alastor to the ground, her sword shining brightly. "Eternal Phlostigon!"

Claire struck Alastor with a powerful attack, a massive column of flames erupting in the air then she jumped back. I walked forward and my sword shined brightly, glowing and humming with power.

"The End," I said coldly, slashing down at Alastor, cutting through the fragments of space between us.

The slash effect shined brightly, a bright light flashing in the sky then a cataclysmic explosion happened, a large portion of the island breaking apart and raining down to the surface. Pyroc roared and flew toward the chunks of the island, using her flames to burn them into ashes and protected the city from the destroyed parts of th island.

Claire grunted softly as the high winds of my attack began to push her back a bit. She guarded herself from the debris and winds, trying hard to not get blown away. She skidded back bit by bit, but ultimately stood her ground and uncovered herself.

Once the winds died down, she looked up, noticing a large portion of the island now missing. The smoke cleared and there was no trace of Alastor anywhere, but I knew he wasn't dead. I lowered my sword and closed my eyes letting out a soft exhale.

"It's over for now...It's finally...over.." I said softly, reverting back to normal then fell to my knees, exhausted and strained.

"Ryoma..!" Claire said, reverting back to her normal form then got onto the ground with me, holding me in her arms. "We did it..! We saved Pyroc!"

I felt Claire's embrace, smiling sweetly at her then closed my eyes. I took this moment to rest, gently leaning against her. "Yeah...we saved Pyroc together..~"

Inoka looked at the sky, noticing the battling at ended. A bright smile played on her face then she let out a loud sigh of relief, falling to her knees. "It's over! It's finally over! We won..!"

"It's over?! Yes! Emperor Ryoma for the win!" Cyra cheered, hopping upon and down cheering.

Tsuhori smiled, her tail wagging as she looked at the sky. "I never doubted him for a second..~ I knew he would be able to defeat Alastor.."

Manami stared at the sky as well then looked around, noticing Lythia was gone. She held her hand to her chest and closed her eyes, her spirit slowly fading away. 'Thank you, my love..~ You defeated Alastor, but my sister is still within his clutches. However, that can wait for another time..'

With Alastor defeated and the Kingdom of Pyroc safe from the clutches of Chaos's Influence, the citizens began to celebrate, cheering and chanting the names of me and Claire. They all rejoiced in the moment, their cheers being able to be heard even from the islands.

Claire and I listened to the cheers, a smile playing on both of our faces. We decided to rest on the island for a moment before finally heading down back to the surface to celebrate our big win with the kingdom.