The battle erupted like a storm — ice clashing against sand, light beams slicing through the air.
The Sand soldiers were strong, but Glacius and Peggy, fueled by their mission to save Kairo, fought like demons.
Kairo, despite his broken body, tried to summon his waves — but the pain and exhaustion were too great. His hands trembled, barely able to produce a single drop.
Yuki felt his struggle, her heart aching. "Kairo... please... hold on."
Glacius created a path of ice, freezing the sand pouring from the walls, while Peggy blasted back the soldiers with bursts of shimmering magic.
Finally — the path was clear.
"Go!" Glacius ordered. "Get him outside — now!"
Yuki, with all the strength she had, pulled Kairo forward, and they stumbled into the blinding sunlight — free from the prison's suffocating grasp.
But the battle wasn't over.
_ _ _
Far in the distance, the storm of Dune's sand still raged — and Sylvia and Arson were locked in a brutal battle with the Sand Tribe leader.
And now, with Kairo free, the final fight was only beginning.
The blinding sun beat down on the sand-swept battlefield, the air crackling as Glacius, Peggy, Yuki, and a barely-conscious Kairo finally escaped the prison's grasp.
Not a moment later, a powerful gust of wind swept through the air — Dune's sand— and in the distance, Arson and Sylvia still stood their ground against him.
Their battle was relentless, the very ground shaking as flames and vines clashed with sand.
The moment Arson's gaze fell on Kairo — bloodied, broken, and barely standing — his usual cocky smirk vanished. For a brief second, there was only shock.
"...Master?" Arson's voice was hoarse, almost disbelieving.
Even through the haze of pain, Kairo managed a weak chuckle. "What... Arson? The hothead... still burning things down?"
Arson's fists clenched at his sides. He remembered — the days when they were just reckless teens, fighting side by side, driven by their ambition to conquer.
The man who once trained him and Glacius, who beat them senseless yet taught them everything they knew... was now barely hanging onto life.
Sylvia, despite the battle raging around her, rushed to Kairo's side along with Peggy. "We need to heal him," she said urgently. "He's too weak — if we don't, he won't last."
Peggy nodded, magic already swirling at her fingertips. "Our combined powers should work... but it'll take time."
"Then buy it," Arson growled, stepping forward to stand beside Glacius.
He didn't even look at his rival — only at Dune, fury simmering behind his flames. "We hold him off."
Glacius smirked. "Just like the old days, huh?"
Arson finally glanced at him, a small flame flickering in his palm. "Don't slow me down, ice guy."
The two princes — once bitter rivals, now temporary allies turned to face Lord Dune, their combined auras surging as fire and ice collided in a deadly harmony.
Dune's expression was unreadable, though his frustration was evident. "You think teaming up will change anything? You're both still as reckless as ever."
"Yeah," Arson shot back, flames roaring around him. "But recklessness is what got us this far."
The battle erupted again.
Arson's flames scorched the sand, turning it into molten glass, while Glacius summoned icy spikes to block Dune's swirling sandstorms.
Their attacks were synchronized — an unspoken rhythm formed from years of rivalry and grudging respect. For every flame Arson threw, Glacius cooled the backlash, ensuring they never interfered with each other.
Behind them, Sylvia and Peggy knelt by Kairo's side.
"Stay still," Sylvia whispered softly, vines creeping around Kairo's body — not to bind him, but to gently merge with his wounds, stabilizing his shattered body.
Peggy's magic sparkled like delicate threads of light, weaving into the vines, reinforcing them with raw healing power.
Kairo barely reacted, his head lolling to the side. Blood still dripped from the corners of his mouth.
Yuki clung to his hand, her thumb gently brushing the back of it. "Please... just hold on," she whispered, voice breaking. "You promised... you said you wouldn't leave me."
Kairo's fingers weakly curled around hers — the smallest, yet most powerful response.
Sylvia's focus sharpened. "We have to go faster — I can feel his energy slipping."
Peggy nodded, pouring more magic into the spell, her wings glowing brighter and brighter.
Meanwhile, Arson and Glacius fought like a force of nature.
Arson's flames coiled around Dune like a fiery serpent, forcing him to retreat as Glacius unleashed a wave of ice, freezing the ground beneath Dune's feet.
Dune, however, was no ordinary opponent. His sand countered both elements — smothering fire, eroding ice — but the combined effort of the two princes kept him off balance.
"I see," Dune said darkly, blocking another joint attack. "You're not fighting for yourselves this time. You're fighting for him."
Neither Arson nor Glacius responded — they didn't have to. Their resolve was clear.
Protect Kairo. No matter what.
Minutes passed like hours — Sylvia and Peggy's powers working in perfect harmony, Yuki never letting go of Kairo's hand, Arson and Glacius holding the line against Dune.
And then — a spark of life.
Kairo's eyes opened wider, his breathing growing steadier as Sylvia and Peggy's combined powers finally began to take hold. His wounds slowly sealed, the blood drying on his skin.
Yuki gasped softly. "Kairo..."
Kairo's voice — hoarse, but stronger than before — rasped out:
"... looks like... I'm not dying yet."