Chapter Twenty-Seven: Duel of Twilight

I pushed open the gates with both hands, then walked once again into the pure white castle. There in front of me was the room Amy and I had stood in so long ago. I walked forward with resolve, knowing that a long, trying battle was ahead of me.

After opening the crystal door and treading in, I noticed the staircase was different. It was now in a square spiral shape. I tread up them, fighting the remaining Luce he sent at me, eventually reaching the second crystal door. I opened it and tread into Charon's throne room.

Inside the familiar room, Charon sat on his throne, raised up on a dais. I tread in slowly, Phoenix Sword still in my hands. He looked at me indifferently as I strode up to his throne.

"So, Dark Boy, you're still alive. How unexpected." He started. "Guessing from that look in your eyes, I'd say you want another beating."

"You're wrong, Charon. To think that I, of all people, would get killed now is really stupid," I said arrogantly. "You don't scare me any more. Now, let's get down to it."

"So arrogant," he replied. Then, in the blink of an eye, he rushed me with is lances, but I stopped his attack by holding the Phoenix Sword in front of me horizontally, then swiping them to the ground once they were within range.

"It seems you are not to be doubted any more," Charon said. Then he used one lance to swing at me, the other to thrust. I vaulted behind him, then slashed at his back. Charon, however, stopped his lance in mid-swing, using it instead to block my attack.

I then jumped back, using the time to come up with an idea. Charon turned around and charged at me, moving as fast as I could. I used a well-placed swing to knock his weapons from his hands. Kneeling in front of me, I saw despair in his eyes.

"So, this is the best you got? I'm disappointed," I taunted him, holding my blade inches from his throat.

"Heh… you'll have to do a lot better than that if you want to defeat me!" he yelled, then disappeared in a flash of light toward the center of the room. When I looked at him, Charon had combined his two lances into a massive quarterstaff; it was immense, probably about as long as my own Phoenix Sword.

"Come, hero," he taunted again. I blazed at him, using a vertical slash once I was close. He used his quarterstaff to block my attack, sending out a shockwave that crumbled the pillars and throne.

Then Charon quickly whirled his staff around, using it to strike me in the abdomen before I could react. I was sent flying through the castle walls until I finally landed on the dusty, floating island I had first emerged on.

I stood up, bleeding a little. Looking up, I saw Charon come flying out of his castle. There he floated, in the center of all the islands, ready for the next round.