The Final stand
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The battlefield was unrecognizable.
Flames consumed the air, licking at the ruins of Emberstead. The ground was blackened and cracked, molten rivers flowing between deep fissures. The very sky had split apart, golden and violet flames warring in the heavens, casting long shadows over the mountains.
In the center of it all, two warriors stood.
Nero, his Sacred Flame blazing brighter than ever, stood firm, his golden fire sword humming with power. His breath was heavy, his body sore—but he would not fall.
Across from him, Nachogi trembled, his violet flames flickering unstable. His cloak was scorched, his body burned, and for the first time—his confidence wavered.
Nero saw it. He was winning.
But Nachogi's eyes burned with something else now—
Desperation.
"You think you've won, boy?" Nachogi snarled, his voice raw. "You think a little golden fire will defeat me?"
His flames suddenly exploded outward, twisting into massive, clawed hands of darkness. The air itself screamed as a storm of black fire swirled around him.
"I AM FLAME ITSELF!"
Nachogi's arms lifted, and the ground beneath Nero's feet collapsed.
---
(The Darkest Flame)
A gaping chasm opened beneath Nero, fire and shadows devouring the land itself.
Nero barely had time to react before the shadows lunged toward him, grasping like claws trying to rip him apart.
He jumped back, flipping mid-air, but Nachogi was already there.
A violet fist slammed into his ribs, sending Nero flying across the battlefield. He crashed into a ruined pillar, stone exploding on impact.
Pain flared through his chest. His flames flickered.
For a moment, he struggled to breathe.
He's stronger than before…
Nachogi had abandoned all form, his body shifting, his very flames mutating into something unnatural. Something beyond fire itself.
Nero pushed himself up, gritting his teeth. He couldn't lose—not when he was this close.
"Come on, come on!"
He forced himself to stand, his Sacred Flame burning even hotter.
But Nachogi was already charging at him again.
Their fists clashed in a storm of fire and power, shockwaves splitting the earth beneath them.
Each strike was faster, harder, more devastating.
And yet—Nachogi kept getting stronger.
Nero's chest tightened.
"If I don't stop him now, I might not get another chance!"
---
(The Final Attack)
Nachogi lifted both arms, his flames coiling like a vortex, forming a massive, rotating sphere of darkness above them.
The sky trembled. The ground shattered beneath their feet.
"This is the end, Nero!" Nachogi roared. "Your fire will fade, and I will become the only flame left!"
The sphere descended.
A firestorm of darkness, large enough to consume the entire battlefield, hurtled toward Nero.
Angel and Nagel screamed his name.
But Nero didn't run.
He took a deep breath.
And then—he closed his eyes.
---
(The True Awakening)
For the first time, Nero stopped fighting his fire.
He stopped trying to control it.
Instead—he listened.
The flames whispered.
They were not just power.
They were his will, his soul, his very existence.
And for the first time—he embraced them completely.
The Sacred Flame surged.
His golden fire erupted, burning hotter than the sun, consuming his entire body—
And then it changed.
The golden hue deepened, shifting into a radiant, untouchable white.
His fire was no longer just a weapon.
It was pure energy.
Nero opened his eyes—and the battlefield shook beneath his presence.
Nachogi froze.
"What… is this…?"
Nero exhaled. His voice was calm, absolute.
"The end of your darkness."
And then—he moved.
---
(The Final Strike)
Nachogi hurled his massive sphere of Devouring Fire down toward Nero.
But Nero didn't dodge.
He stepped forward, raising his arm, his Sacred Flame roaring.
And with a single swing of his blade—
He cut through Nachogi's darkness.
The massive firestorm split apart, shattering into embers.
Nachogi's eyes widened in pure horror. "NO—!"
Nero appeared before him in an instant.
His blazing fist struck Nachogi's chest.
A shockwave of pure flame erupted, swallowing the battlefield in a blinding white inferno.
Nachogi screamed. His dark flames unraveled, consumed by the Sacred Fire, burning away the corruption.
His body trembled, breaking apart, his flames flickering for the last time.
"You… can't…" Nachogi gasped.
But it was over.
With a final burst of light—
Nachogi was gone.
---
(The Aftermath)
The battlefield was silent.
The fire had died down, leaving only the scorched ruins of Emberstead. The sky, once filled with fire, had cleared, revealing the first glimmers of dawn.
Nero stood, his body still burning with Sacred Flame—but it no longer raged uncontrollably.
He had become one with it.
Angel and Nagel ran toward him, their faces filled with relief, awe, and exhaustion.
"You did it," Angel whispered, tears in her eyes.
Nagel smirked, patting Nero on the back. "Damn. You actually pulled it off."
Nero exhaled, his fire finally fading. He looked down at his hands, the warmth still there—but now, it was peaceful.
Then his eyes turned toward Aizen's fallen body.
His heart tightened.
He rushed forward, kneeling beside his master. Aizen's breathing was shallow, his flames barely flickering.
"Master…" Nero whispered.
Aizen's eyes fluttered open. A weak smile tugged at his lips. "Took you… long enough."
Nero's chest ached. "Don't talk. Save your strength."
Aizen chuckled weakly. "No, Nero. You saved us all."
Nero clenched his fists, tears threatening to spill.
Aizen coughed, his golden eyes meeting Nero's. "You have done… what I could not. The Sacred Flame is… finally yours."
His hand gripped Nero's shoulder, fire passing from master to student one last time.
"Carry it well, Nero."
Then—his flames faded.
And Aizen… was gone.
Nero bowed his head, his shoulders trembling.
Angel and Nagel stood in silence beside him, grief and relief woven together.
Emberstead had survived.
Nachogi was gone.
But the cost had been high.
Nero closed his eyes, his hands clutching the embers of his fallen master's flame.
A new dawn rose.
And with it—a new Firelord was born.
---
End of chapter 7
. The final battle reaches its climax.
. Nero fully awakens the Sacred Flame.
.Nachogi's defeat – The darkness is finally vanquished.
. Aizen's farewell – A tragic but fitting conclusion to his story.
. A powerful ending leading into the future.
Next up: Chapter 8: A New Dawn—Nero takes his first steps as the new protector of Emberstead.