Elyus's POV:

We skid to a stop near the cliffside and my jaw drops at the sight of the large volcano spewing out black smoke as crackles of lighting shoot out.

I feel a hand interlace with mine and I turn, meeting Sersi's weak smile. "If this works--"

"When this works." I cut in and squeeze her hand.

"When this works," Sersi repeated with a laugh. "you think we can hang out again? Like old times?"

I smile. "Of course. How does California sound?"

"Anywhere with you is fine with me."

"Sounds like a date."

"I suppose it does."

"Don't mean to interrupt your plans but..." Druig trailed, causing Sersi and I to turn. "the world is sort of ending right now?"

"Right, sorry." Sersi cleared her throat. "It's time to put a god to sleep."

Druig twisted his bracelet and instantly the fragments rapidly spin around his wrist.

Makkari, Sersi, and I do the same, watching as the pieces rapidly spun in unison, feeling my combat suit thrum at the action as it linked with the other bracelets.

The golden lines and geometric patterns outline my body and I begin to float mid-air with my arms spread, feeling the energy connect with Sersi's, Makkari's, and not too long after Thena and Phastos.

Druig started to rise above the ground with his arms wide which creates a golden geometric dome to emerge until it brightly extended wider, amplifying his abilities.

Rumbles from the volcano slowly died down and from where I floated behind Druig, I could see the lava subside.

However, a laser zaps into Druig's back which shoves him off balance and he fell on his stomach with a grunt

"I should've done this five centuries ago." Ikaris landed in front of us as he stomped towards Druig before grabbing him by the throat.

I try to break free from the hold but since the effects were barely still winding down, I was forced to helplessly watch as Ikaris flew Druig high into the air.

The three of us drop to the floor just as Ikaris harshly throws him before blasting him with his eyes beams, sending him deep underground.

Makkari wails in despair and I huff, swirling my hands around my feet to prepare to jump.

"Ellie, don't!"

I ignore Sersi's shouts as I blasted the surge of wind at my feet, creating the large cyclone to meet at Ikaris's level.

"You bastard!" I angrily yell out and lunge toward him but he swiftly wraps his arm around my throat, holding me in a chokehold.

With one swipe of my free hand, I force the harsh winds to surround us, feeling his grip begin to loosen as our surroundings violently shook.

"You all had a choice!" Ikaris growled, squeezing his grip tighter. "Now, you have to live with the consequences of going against me. Do you regret it now?"

"Never." I croak out. "I still want to kill you."

"Let's see you try."

He thrusts us forward, breaking through the wind barrier and my eyes widen at the Domo flying close to us.

Ikaris spins us around and pushes me forward, driving me through the hull of the Domo's walls to split it in half before he proceeded to do the same for the bottom.

The rubble practically blinded my vision and Ikaris flew us above, forcing me to watch as the Domo violently dove headfirst to the beach.

Ikaris lifted me by the throat once more and struck a punch hard enough to send me falling thousands of feet until I felt a burning sensation scorch my chest, sending me to slam against the ground.

"Ellie!" I dizzily blink a few times, meeting Sersi's relief as Makkari barely sped to us with Phastos and Thena. "Can you stand?"

"I feel like my head slammed into a wall about...one thousand times." I mutter, letting my head fall on Sersi's lap as she cupped my face with her hand. "Have I ever told you that I love when you hold my face?"

"I can't say that you have."

"Druig's gone." Ikaris firmly spoke, causing Sersi and I to turn. "It's over."

Just before he could take another step, Makkari angrily rushes to him with her speed and drags him away from us.

Electricity violently crackles at a fast rate from the smoke inside the volcano until it erupted, spewing out molten rocks that flew towards us.

Phastos used cosmic canons made out of his shrapnel pieces, blasting each boulder that came close by while Thena conjured her swords and slashed each one.

However, a rather large boulder hurtled directly at Sersi and I but before I could lift my hand, Sersi is quick enough to hold hers out first.

The boulder instantly disintegrates into rose petals and I shake my head with a laugh, unfazed at petals on top of us. "You did that on purpose."

She plucks the rose petal from my hair with an innocent shrug. "Cannot confirm nor deny." We look back toward the volcano and my smile falters at the sight.

"Sersi--"

"I know." She cut in with a saddened look before she carefully helped me to stand on my feet. "I have to try and stop this."

"How are you gonna do that?" Phastos worriedly asked.

"I need to get closer to Tiamut." She firmly stated. "Keep Ikaris busy."

"We've got you." I reassure her with a smile. "I owe some payback."

"Remember when I asked you in the Domo if I could try something I've always wanted to do?" Sersi nervously asked.

"Yeah, why?"

She cupped her hands on my cheeks and before I knew it, she crushes her lips against mine. I kiss her back instantly, wrapping my hands around her waist and tugging her against my chest.

I pull away, knowing we were on a time crunch but keep my head pressed against hers. "Please be safe so that we can have more of those."

"I'll try." She laughs before pulling away from my embrace and racing off to the volcano.

"Come on, Sally sunshine," Phastos tugged on my arm, snapping my attention away from the eternal. "We need to get to Makkari, now."

˙ ࿐ೃ˙ ࿐ೃ˙ ࿐ೃ˙ ࿐ೃ˙

I land us a safe distance from Ikaris in time to see him blast Makkari away from him with his laser eyes.

The three of us charge and Phastos launches a slicer but Ikaris blasts the contraption with his laser eyes, the explosion sending him off balance but he somersaults backward to rest on his knee.

He blasts his laser eyes once more but Thena materializes a shield, blocking the attack and Phastos continued to fire with his other gauntlet.

I jump as I kick-spin my body around, sending two gushes of harsh winds which causes Ikaris to stumble.

Makkari quickly gets up from the ground and uses her speed to slam into him, sending him off balance. Using this to my advantage, I rush in and slam my heels against his chest, shoving him hard into a rock that breaks into two halves in impact.

Thena materializes her spear and leaps, moving to slice with her weapon but he quickly dodges it, causing the weapon to split the rock wider apart.

"Thena, stop!" Ikaris growled trying to dodge her attacks with her cosmic blades.

He manages to throw a hard punch against Thena which sends her flying but I swiftly raise my hands, causing a burst of wind to slow down her fall to collide with Phastos, who was in the middle of building another contraption, and thankfully Makkari catches her.

Makkari rolls across the sand with a grunt but Thena quickly shields them as Ikaris fires his laser beams again.

"Ha!" I snap my eyes to Phastos, watching in awe as his contraption split into dozens of glowing mini disks and it went straight into Ikaris's body, exploding on impact.

He tries to fly up, blasting each of the disks with his laser eyes at a fast rate but I quickly swirl my hands around the sand, creating a dust storm to temporarily blind his vision.

Ikaris groans in annoyance and fires his laser eyes toward me but Phastos swiftly uses the shrapnel pieces and shields us both, blocking the blast. Makkari speedily skids to a stop near Ikaris, creating a wave of sand to hit his face which causes him to recoil.

Thena leaped in the air with her spear and slashed upward, sending Ikaris flying backward.

However, another figure jumps down from the hill and strikes a punch against Ikaris's head, sending him to fall flat on the sand.

My eyes widen in recognition, seeing as the figure had various tentacles. "It's the Deviant that killed Ajak and Gil!" Now that it had absorbed power from Ajak and Gilgamesh, it looked more human compared to the regular Deviants.

Before it could try to charge Ikaris, Phastos blasts another cosmic bolt at the Deviant, sending it rolling across the sand.

"Why are you helping Ikaris?" Thena twirled her spear around with a huff.

"As much as I want him dead," I remark before I nod my head towards the Deviant. "if we let it absorb his or any of our powers, he'll be unstoppable."

"Too late." The Deviant growled as it held its fist up, projecting the golden, cosmic exoskeleton that shielded his arm and fist. The power that it took from Gilgamesh.

With a glare, Thena materializes her spear and shield and started to walk toward the Deviant. "Thena, he's trying to goad you. Don't--"

Makkari runs in circles around the Deviant and creates a tornado made out of sand. However, a ripple of cosmic energy pushes her out of balance, sending the two women to collapse backward.

Since Makkari was closer, the Deviant's tentacles wrapped around her limps until one of them plunges to the side of her neck to absorb her powers.

Phastos uses his gauntlets once more, sending two cosmic shots to hit the Deviant's back, releasing its hold on Makkari as it skidded to the cave.

It tries to stand again but I push my hands forward, sending the strong winds to blast him further inside the cave, disappearing into the darkness.

Though, Thena materialized her weapons again, keeping her hardened gaze as she marched inside.

"Thena stop--!"

"I have to finish this!" She interrupted me, not bothering to spare a glance my way.

"Where's Sersi?" Ikaris angrily demanded.

"She's a little busy at the moment." I smirk at his unamused expression. "You always did underestimate her."

Ikaris lifts himself off the ground and flies but before I could follow after him, I feel a hand placed on my shoulder.

"Already way ahead of you, Elyus." Phastos aimed his gauntlet at Ikaris and a beam of light latches onto Ikaris's ankle, holding him in place. "Not so fast!"

Several more golden lines appear from the sand and link to Phastos's device then he slams the eternal to the ground, trapping Ikaris in place.

"Boss." He sarcastically nicknamed before we approach closer to him. "I don't know about you, Elyus, but this is really satisfying, right?"

"It's like watching a caged animal." I smugly grin.

"Let me go, Phastos!" Ikaris angrily yelled out, trying to fight the cosmic binds but it was like the more he squirmed, the tighter it held him. "I can't let her do this!"

"I don't think so." Phastos shook his head, watching as Ikaris struggled to break free and tried to use his laser beams, only for his eyes to briefly flicker. It was weakening his abilities. "I've been wanting to clip your wings for a long time, Ikaris!"

"It's so hilarious to me that you told us an hour ago that we couldn't stop you and expected us to bow down at your feet." I scoff, taking a few steps closer to stand in front of him. "Because now you have to look up, begging for mercy. It's a shame it'll be your last words."

"Elyus, this planet is not worth sacrificing a celestial!" He angrily yelled. "You have to understand I did it for the sake of Arishem--"

"I have to understand why you murdered Ajak and let Gilgamesh die?" I emphasize, shaking my head with disbelief. "Then you have to understand why I'm going to make this so painful for the sake of the planet."

I begin to pull the air in front of Ikaris's face and his eyes widen, watching as a swirl of his air began to spin around his head. Choked gasps escape from his lips and he tries to reach to claw his throat but due to his binds, they are firmly held in place.

"Elyus, you have to go." Phastos spoke up with worry laced in his voice. "Sersi should've been there by now but if I had to guess, the numerous volcanoes up ahead are Sprite's doing. You have to help her!"

"Right after I finish with him." I glare, still pulling the air from Ikaris's lungs.

"There's no time! You have to go, now!" He exclaimed. "Even if you kill him, he will still win once Tiamut rises! Go!"

I groan in frustration and cease my movements, causing the air to immediately retract into his mouth and he bursts into a series of coughs.

"I'll be back for you." I spat before I swirl my hands around my feet, forming a tornado underneath, and swiftly fly towards the hills.

The tornado easily phases through the various illusions, making it easier to spot the fakes and from below, I could see Sersi clutching onto her stomach with a pained look as Sprite towers over her with her hands out.

I swipe my hand across my tornado which makes it disintegrate and I dive headfirst toward them.

"We get to start over somewhere new." Sprite harshly stated.

I push my hands out, using the gust of wind to slow my fall and knock Sprite to stumble forward.

She angrily turned to me with a glare but before she could attack, I spin on my heel and kick across her cheek which instantly knocks her unconscious and makes the rest of her illusions disappear.

"I thought I told you to be safe?" I breathe out before I offer my hand to Sersi to grab. "Though, I definitely feel better after that."

Still clutching onto her bloodied side with Sprite's knife lodged into her, Sersi uses her other hand and I carefully pull her up to stand. "She snuck up behind me."

"I would've just hit her with a rock, to be quite honest." Sersi and I jump at the voice and turn, seeing as Druig limped over to us with a weak smile. "Elyus practically drop-kicked her in the head."

"You're alive." I sigh in relief, briefly pulling the boy into a tight hug before I step away. "Do you have enough energy to put Tiamut to sleep?"

"I don't." He grimly shook his head before he looked at Sersi, who disintegrated the knife in her side and turned it to water. "This is your fight now."

"And what about you?"

"I'll stay back with Sprite." He gestured to the unconscious girl. "Elyus, you can get Sersi to Tiamut faster."

I turn to Sersi with a small smile. "Ready?"

She nods and quickly wraps her arm around mine, watching as I swirled my hands, creating a gust of wind to surround us. I thrust my hands at our feet which sends a burst of air to make us jump high in the sky.