Elito rose from the scarlet vortex, towering above the arena. His robes wove like living blood, and from his hands he drew a colossal blade forged from the bones of Saints, scarlet runes etched along its edge. The blade hummed, a choir of a thousand screams vibrating through the chamber.
Lacolone's katana sparked scarlet-white as he gripped it tighter. The Twin-Knife Kid leapt beside Elito, blades humming with deadly energy.
"The King no longer hid behind thrones."
The first clash shattered pillars. Elito swung the bone-blade; Lacolone intercepted, sparks shrieking into the air. Faces inches apart, hatred mirrored in their eyes. Maya's aura dome flared, holding Eden and Jessica back, while Salah chanted, eyes fixed on the Kid.
"Steel against steel, but heavier than worlds."
The Kid vanished in Driftform, reappearing behind Maya. Whispercall created an echo barrier, slowing his assault.
"You finally look awake," the Kid smirked.
"I've been waiting for you," Salah replied.
Blades clashed — twin knives against sigil-wrapped daggers, silence sharper than screams.
Elito's monstrous strength sent Lacolone through a fossil-throne. Valgor dove in, fists glowing blue, striking Elito's chest — sparks flew, but the King didn't flinch.
"You've grown… but not enough."
His blade slammed down, nearly cleaving Valgor in two.
Maya stepped forward, threads of scarlet-white binding allies' souls, blocking the slash. Cracks spiderwebbed across her barrier.
"I won't let you erase them again," she whispered.
Salah's Whispercall struck the Kid, temporarily desynchronizing his rhythm. But the Kid bled into the chant, doubling his aura instantly. Genius met madness.
Lacolone rose from rubble, fractured katana glowing. He dashed through three chains of Elito's aura, drawing scarlet blood from the King's cheek. Elito licked it, smiling.
"Finally… you amuse me."
The arena erupted into twin fronts of war: Elito against Lacolone and Valgor, the Kid against Maya and Salah. Reality itself trembled. Eden scribbled frantic sigils; Walid staggered back, bloodied blade in hand.
Elito slammed his blade into the ground; scarlet geysers erupted as skeletal Saints clawed upward. Valgor and Lacolone fought through wave after wave.
The Kid revealed his true power — one knife grew, vibrating like a tuning fork. Salah gasped, realizing it contained a fragment of a Pillar. Barrier shattered; Maya's aura cracked.
Walid sacrificed himself to block a strike for Maya, bleeding but smiling faintly.
Lacolone awakened fully, channeling all five Pillars. Katana reformed into dual shifting blades. He whispered,
"This time, you fall."
A scarlet storm erupted as their auras collided.
Maya dragged Walid behind her, healing while fending off the Kid. Her eyes blazed scarlet and white.
"Because I'm not fighting for myself," she said.
The arena's balance collapsed — pillars crumbled, thrones fell. Jessica's Riftquake bullets slowed the collapse, but Elito shattered them mid-air.
"Children with toys," he growled.
Crossfires erupted: Lacolone vs Elito, Maya vs the Kid, with Valgor and Salah striking where they could. Sparks filled the sky.
Elito swung full force, cutting through pillars and souls alike. Lacolone's arms trembled under the weight.
"I made you. I'll unmake you."
Maya screamed, rushing forward, only to be intercepted by the Kid, knives inches from her throat.
Walid collapsed; Eden lost grip on sigils. Lacolone's blade fractured. Maya's desperate shield barely held, pierced by the Kid.
"Hope thinned to a single breath."
The final splash: Elito raised his bone-blade overhead, scarlet storms whirling. The Kid lunged at Maya and Salah, knives blazing with Pillar resonance. All heroes staggered, battered, yet standing — facing annihilation from both fronts.
"Two wars. One heartbeat left to fight them."