The battlefield raged with power. Flames danced across the broken stones, and shockwaves cracked the ancient walls of the tower. Jareth, bloodied and breathing heavily, clashed once more with Romelo, who, even with a missing arm, showed no sign of slowing.
Romelo's face twisted into a cruel grin as he hurled another barrage of magical beams. They split through the air like spears of light, each packed with deadly precision. "You look tired, hero. Losing your edge already?"
Jareth deflected the onslaught with his blade, each motion quicker than the last. Sparks flared with every impact, and their footwork became a blur. Twenty strikes per second, neither yielding, each blow melting stone and shattering wind. Fire rained down from their fury, lighting the battlefield like a storm of wrath.
"You're all talk, Romelo," Jareth spat between clenched teeth. "But I see the fear behind your eyes. You're slipping."
"Fear? You mistake fury for fear!" Romelo screamed, summoning another surge of corrupted mana into his remaining hand. "I will grind your bones into dust!"
Their blades clashed again and again, the speed and power of their battle now reaching divine levels. But with each blow, Jareth was learning—calculating. Slowly, his eyes tracked the movements around Romelo's right side. The severed arm had created a subtle imbalance. Just a slight opening. But enough.
And Jareth found it.
Their swords screamed as they met again, and this time, Jareth pivoted. He twisted mid-swing, dragging his blade in a path that exploited Romelo's blind side.
CLANG!
Romelo stumbled back, wounded across his ribs. His expression twitched in disbelief. Jareth smiled.
"You're not invincible. You are just all talk."
Romelo roared in frustration, eyes glowing with black fire. He raised his remaining hand, and the entire tower began to tremble.
"If I fall, I will take you with me!" he bellowed. From the heart of the chamber, energy spiraled. The tower, having absorbed the divine energies of fallen gods for centuries, began releasing it all—into him.
A storm of auras swirled around Romelo, divine, demonic, chaotic. Power beyond comprehension flooded his body. The walls cracked. Time itself seemed to shiver.
Inside Jareth, Bahamut stirred.
"Boy, this is it. The final clash. I don't know if we'll survive."
But before Bahamut could finish, Jareth cut in, eyes glowing with pure resolve.
"Trust me, Bahamut. I'm going to beat this clown."
His body pulsed with his own mana, steady and strong. The floor shattered under his feet as the two titans prepared their final attacks.
Romelo launched forward, unleashing his final strike—but behind him, he had cast three hidden spells. They streaked through the air, aiming to hit Jareth from behind while distracting him.
Jareth's eyes sharpened. He didn't fall for the trick.
With a burst of strength, he leapt onto the ceiling of the chamber, then pushed off with every ounce of force in his body. A shockwave erupted. He became a flash of motion, a streak of light.
Romelo's spells slammed into the floor where Jareth once stood, missing entirely.
Jareth's blade met Romelo head-on.
CLASH!
A line of silver light cut through the chaos. It happened so fast, even time seemed to freeze. The clash ended in silence.
A single cut glimmered across Jareth's cheek. He stood, his back to Romelo.
Behind him, Romelo's head toppled to the ground.
His body followed a second later.
Bahamut's voice whispered softly.
"Boy... I'm proud of you."
Jareth stood tall, catching his breath. He reached out and absorbed Romelo's soul, just like he had in the first tower. A holy light burst from the tower's core, exploding into the sky like dawn breaking over a cursed land.
The lands surrounding the tower were purified, returned to holy ground once more.
From the light stepped a figure clad in robes that shimmered with the essence of time itself.
Astoria, Goddess of Time.
"My son," she said, her voice echoing through space and soul. "You must return to the city. Lyra and Nerina are unable to fight. The people need you."
Jareth nodded. "Then I have to go now."
He prepared to shift into his godform, but Astoria raised her hand.
"Wait. Because you've released the tower's seal, there is a new path. I can create a Voidgate—a bridge between this tower and the one in the city."
Jareth's eyes widened. "You can do that?! Then do it! Now!"
She smiled, lifting her hand to the sky. The light began to twist, spiral, and condense—forming a portal between realms.
Jareth stepped forward, the weight of battle behind him, and another war waiting ahead.