The climb happened faster than expected—almost dreamlike in its smoothness. The four SUB-MACHINE GUN DRONES disengaged from their mounts, two attaching to each Knight Mech, and with a low, subtle whir, their rotors spun up. Despite their weight, the Knight Mechs moved fluidly, climbing the massive vine like creatures bred for it. Their actuators flexed and extended with powerful precision, hoisting Luis upward toward the floating island. The drones, feather-light and coordinated, gave additional lift and stability to the ascent. It was quiet, efficient, almost elegant.
At the summit, a mossy ledge welcomed them. The air was clean and cool, tinged with that distinct, metallic hint of ozone. There was no sign of the dragon girl or her silver-scaled Pyrion—only the vast stretch of plateau, speckled with luminous flora and ancient, twisted trees.
"Figures," Zyx grumbled, materializing just above Luis's shoulder, arms crossed in mock disappointment.
"Just when you're set up for your dramatic anime entrance, she's off sipping celestial tea or something."
"She's here," Luis muttered, eyes scanning the terrain. "She just hasn't noticed me yet."
He turned to his units.
"Knights, drones—get into position. Hide. Wait for the signal."
The Knight Mechs thudded off, steps muffled by thick moss, fading into the shadows beneath the canopy. The SUB-MACHINE GUN DRONES zipped out, practically melting into the leaves, their silent profiles disappearing against the vibrant skyline.
Luis approached the middle of a large clearing, a circle of softly glowing grass stretching out before him. This had to make a statement.
He took a breath.
Then channeled Mind Construct.
The air ahead shimmered, bent, and snapped into form: a towering brass blowhorn, twenty feet long and polished like a war relic from another world.
"Alright, Zyx," Luis said, grinning. "Time to make some noise."
"Oh, this is gonna be good," Zyx purred, vibrating with gleeful tension.
Luis raised his voice—and his lungs—into the massive horn. The resulting bellow thundered like a god's challenge, shaking trees and causing the clouds to ripple. Not angry. Not desperate. Just loud. Taunting. Confident. His challenge echoed, bouncing across the island, resonating into a heavy, unsettling silence.
Then—
A shadow passed overhead.
He looked up.
There she was—hovering on the back of Pyrion, her silver dragon. Her expression? Pure fury.
"Took you long enough," she called out, her voice sharp as lightning.
"You can stop hiding now. You're dead."
Luis let the construct dissolve.
"Are you really sure we have to kill each other?"
"No other option," she snapped. A flame danced across her fingertips.
"But for you to burn."
Luis didn't reply. He raised his hand and activated the full transformation. Metal plates snapped and locked into place—the EXO-MASKED suit expanded into its full battle-ready form: the EXO-SUIT.
Her eyes widened.
"What the hell—? You didn't have that before!"
She didn't wait for more answers.
With a sharp cry, she unleashed her power. Fire roared from above in great torrents. Pyrion added to the inferno with massive orbs of flame, each crashing into the earth with explosive force.
Luis blinked across the battlefield using Hyper Boosters, ducking between craters and leaping from smoldering rubble. The EXO-SUIT gave him speed, but he couldn't hit her. She was airborne, and his hammer—his main weapon—was useless at that height.
"Come on, come on—cooldown, please," Luis muttered, glancing at the internal timer for Mind Construct. Another fireball landed dangerously close.
Above, she began chanting—words guttural and ancient.
"By Solara, the Blazing Sun… METEOR RAIN!"
The sky twisted orange. The clouds churned. Then came the meteors. Dozens. Hundreds. Molten boulders fell from the sky like the end of the world.
Luis didn't try to block them all.
As his cooldown reset, he snapped a glowing psychic shield into place overhead—angled to deflect the worst of the barrage. It held. Barely.
Still, he had to move—always moving. Dodging. Running. Weaving through a firestorm while the ground erupted around him.
She was pouring all of her energy into the attack. And she was wide open.
"NOW!" Luis barked into his comms.
The forest exploded with motion. The four SUB-MACHINE GUN DRONES burst out from cover and rocketed into the sky. Their rotors spun violently, circling Pyrion like angry wasps.
Before the girl could react, they opened fire—burst mode. Dozens of precision bullets tore into Pyrion's wings. Silver scales ripped. Blood sprayed.
The dragon shrieked in agony.
One wing failed. Then the other.
"No!" she gasped as Pyrion spiraled down.
A few bullets grazed her too, breaking her focus. The Meteor Rain fizzled. The spell collapsed.
Pyrion hit the ground like a comet.
The girl was thrown clear, crashing and skidding across the clearing.
"Drones—cease fire."
Luis's voice was calm now.
The Knight Mechs emerged from the shadows, stomping forward with blade arms ready. They encircled her, towering and still.
She was on the ground, breathing hard.
"What… what are those…?" she asked, eyes flicking between Luis and the steel giants.
Luis stepped closer. The EXO-SUIT retracted, revealing his face. He held the hammer loosely at his side.
"I don't want to kill you," he said quietly. "Just put your hands down."
But her eyes burned.
"I don't need your mercy!" she screamed.
She began chanting again, her voice rising.
"By Solara, my Blazing Sun… I activate INFERNAL DAMNATION!"
Fire erupted from the earth.
The air exploded in heat.
Pyrion's corpse shimmered—and melted—its essence drawn into her.
She began to change.
Her skin became molten.
Her hair turned to living fire.
She grew, towering over the mechs and Luis alike. A being made of flame, her power now monstrous.
"She's absorbing the dragon!" Zyx shrieked, panicking.
"Her stats just jumped fiftyfold! Luis, she's burning herself alive!"
The infernal avatar screamed, flame pouring from every inch of her body. One Mech charged—and was melted within seconds. Its metal turned to slag. It collapsed, twitching.
"One down!" Zyx cried. "Luis, run!"
Luis sprinted, boosters flaring, dodging massive fists that left boiling lava in their wake. His remaining drones tried to circle her—but two of them were obliterated by her aura before they could fire.
He tried to strike—once—twice. His hammer landed a hit. Spider Bite triggered.
But the poison? It evaporated. Useless.
His suit screamed alerts. His HP dropped—50%—40%—30%.
Sweat blinded him. The pressure mounted. She was too strong. Too fast.
He faked a swing. She bit. He dodged and finally landed a clean strike to her arm.
The passive worked—but it was like hitting a volcano. His body screamed in pain.
Down to 20% HP.
Vision blurred. Heat pressing in.
And then—
She stumbled.
The fire flickered.
Her form cracked.
Her face twisted.
"N-no… I don't want to die yet…" she whispered, trembling.
Her molten skin cracked.
Ash poured from her arms and face.
Luis caught her hand before she could fall completely. It burned—but he didn't let go.
"It's okay," he whispered. "You fought hard. You can rest."
She looked up, her eyes watery and glowing faintly.
"I… I just wanted to win…"
Then she turned to dust in his hands—shimmering ash scattered by the wind.
The silence that followed felt heavier than the battle itself.
He hadn't killed her.
Her own power had.
One Knight Mech remained, watching silently.
The two surviving drones hovered still, their barrels cold.
Luis's health bar blinked—20%.
He rubbed his face with a shaking hand.
He had survived.
But the cost…