"I wonder how Lord Pit and Lady Lucina are doing," Ephraim thought aloud, trying to break the heavy silence as he and Kuro followed Remiel's lead through the Underworld.

"I'd say they're doing rather well," Remiel replied as they arrived at what appeared to be a mountainous region nearly smothered in darkness.

"What makes you say that?" the blue-eyed angel wondered.

"Father- rather, Hades- hasn't been sending nearly as many of his troops to the Overworld, from what I can tell. Beyond that, I don't think nearly as many souls are showing up here as before. So hopefully that's a good thing."

"Probably means Hades is getting ready for the battle with us. All of us," Kuro pointed out. "Anything else he sends out is probably just toying with them and the humans."

"You would know better than us," Remiel said rather glumly. "You're the only one here who actually knew Hades." Kuro didn't reply, and they continued on in silence as they navigated through the mountains until, finally, they found their target.

Kuro let out a yelp as he felt some unseen force jerk his body forward with Remiel and Ephraim calling after him. He groaned as he hit the ground, but got up quickly and set himself into a defensive stance as he glared at a certain blue-haired goddess smiling dangerously at him.

"Been wondering when you would show your face," he spat, and she chuckled softly.

"You know I'm not one to take a straight route forward," she replied. "Now, my little Dark Pit, are you ready for me to break your body and crush your soul?" He straightened up and crossed his arms, holding his bow in one hand as he smirked, and his next words came out very slowly, very clearly, and very pointedly.

"It's Kuro."

"A silly nickname, though certainly not as bad as Pittoo," she scoffed, tilting her head back with a look of boredom on her face. "Deny it all you want! Inside, you're still Dark Pit! You can't escape the nature of your creation!" She glanced up to Ephraim and Remiel as they tried to find some way around the barrier she'd cast into place around her and the Commander. "Oops, was I not supposed to say that? Sorry if I gave away your little secret."

"They already know," he replied shortly, standing his ground and keeping his burning gaze on her as she started pacing around him. "Are you just gonna keep running your mouth or can we get this over with?"

"Where's the fun in that?" she laughed. "But if you're so quick to accept the very painful death I have planned for you, I suppose I can oblige." He took a deep breath and turned to her.

"This is going to be the last time we meet," he replied. "I'm tired of dealing with all the trouble you cause. And," he smirked, "I'm sick of listening to your obnoxious voice."

"Fine, then!" she made her way up behind him, placing her hands on his shoulders and leaning in near his ear, but he held his ground and watched her from the corner of his eye. "Why don't we make a deal, then? One duel to the death, winner take all. No outside help, no retreating, no mercy."

"Sounds good." He turned around and took hold of her offered hand, and a small flash of light sparked from the grip before they both withdrew and took several steps back. He took hold of his clasp and summoned his armor, then readied his bow as she pulled forth her sword. He took a breath as his heart pounded in his chest, narrowing his eyes as she watched him.

She vanished in a brief burst of blue flame and he sprung out of the way just as she slashed her blade at him from behind, and he retaliated with a charged shot from his bow before rolling back and springing to his feet once more. She sidestepped and spun around, sending several spikes at him that grazed his armor, and he sprinted toward her before slashing down one of his swords, managing to score a cut on her arm.

"Oof!" he huffed as she slammed him with a barrier of sorts that shattered upon impact, the shards razing his skin and clothes like broken glass. Once he found his footing, he rushed at her again and their blades connected with a loud clang, and she vanished once again before he could follow up with his second attack, throwing him off balance and leaving him open for a burst of flame that hit him from the side. He shook it off and fired another arrow that hit its mark, and the two glared at each other before she vanished once again and he dodged out of the way just before she stabbed down her blade from above.

While she recovered, he again rushed at her and slashed both his swords forth, leaving a deep gash on her shoulder. She grit her teeth and thrust her hand forward, producing several more spikes that cut across his side and cracked his armor as he jumped back to avoid the worst of the blow. These fresh wounds coupled with his injuries from the fight with Cerberus began to threaten his speed and stamina, but he shook it off as well as he could and fired another shot at her, one that she dodged, and he let out a yell as he struck with one sword again. She winked at him, confusing him just before she again vanished and he found himself stuck in one of her traps, and he growled as he tried to pull himself out of it.

An intense blast of flame knocked him out of the trap and he landed on his side, the breath knocked from his lungs as he lay there in a daze for a heartbeat.

"I've been waiting too long for this," she said in a low voice as she readied her blade, but he knocked it away with his own before springing up and planting his feet squarely against her abdomen as he launched himself off the ground, sending her sprawling. He recovered his footing once more, panting and wiping the sweat and dirt from his forehead before hurrying over to her and slashing his blade across her chest as she tried to get up. She fell back again and he stamped his foot down hard against her, driving the wind out of her as he placed the edge of his bow against her throat.

"G-go ahead," she rasped, smirking at him. "Or have you become too much of a do-gooder to finish the job?" She fell silent as he pressed the blade closer, breaking her skin.

"You should know better than anyone that I'm not afraid to get my hands dirty," he replied in a flat voice. "I just want to savor this- Seeing you on your deathbed. I've waited for this way too long." He leaned down, his eyes narrowed. "Behind all your bravado and high-held strutting, you're nothing." He smirked. "You couldn't even keep control of the dark angel created to do your bidding. You're worthless." She let out a labored chuckle.

"Seems Dark Pit isn't as far gone as I thought," she said weakly.

"I told you," he growled. "It's Kuro." With that, he brought forth the other blade of his bow and slashed it deep across her throat, and stepped back as her body faded into flickering blue flames. As he watched them smolder, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, leaning his head back.

It was over.

He'd finally assured that Pandora would never come to haunt him or threaten Pit again. He opened his eyes at the sound of hurried footsteps to find Ephraim and Remiel approaching him, and the blue-eyed angel quickly looked over his Commander's injuries with a worried face.

"I'm okay," he assured them as he looked from the angel to what was left of his adversary. "It's over. She's finished."

"Well, not quite," Remiel spoke up, and Kuro turned to him curiously. "Your deal with her- winner take all." He gestured to the flames as they changed from bright blues to dark reds. "You defeated her fair and square and you both agreed to it."

"I'm not following you," Kuro said as he stared at the flames.

"I mean her power is yours for the taking," Remiel elaborated. "You can take over. In fact, you kind of have to." Kuro's gaze drifted to the prince before returning to the flames, and he shut his eyes and took a slow breath. He could almost hear the echo of Palutena's words so many years ago in his ears.

"What are you doing?!"

"Just making sure Pandora's powers don't go to waste," he said softly with a tired smile as he opened his eyes. He glanced at Remiel again, who gave him a reassuring nod. With another soft and slow breath, he turned back to the flames and stepped toward them, slowly at first before picking up his pace, and he reached his hand out as his eyes closed once again.

The sudden rush of power, heat, and rage through his body nearly knocked him off his feet. He let out a loud grunt, felt like fire had replaced the blood in his veins as a nearly irresistible thirst for destruction burned to life within his core. He stumbled, clenching his fists and holding his arms close to his body as he felt like he was going to burst.

"Kuro!" Ephraim called out, though Remiel held him back from rushing over to his Commander. Kuro hesitantly opened his eyes as the fire finally subsided, though he could still feel it burning within him. He slowly uncurled his body and stood up, staring at his hands as he tried to grasp just what had happened to him.

"Is this what it felt like?" he mumbled.

"Commander?" the boys behind him beckoned, and he turned to them.

"Nothing," he shook his head. "Just… Wondering if what Pit went through when Lady Palutena passed her power to him felt that… intense." He shook his head.

"So…" Ephraim frowned, though it quickly became a smile he tried to keep from forming, and Kuro stared at him. "Now what?" Kuro looked down at his hand again and clenched it into a fist, focusing the fire in him into a renewed resolve.

"Now, we go find Pit. After that, we put an end to Hades." He turned and walked over to a nearby cliff, then took a deep breath and looked up, a dark pink light enveloping his wings as a grin spread across his face. He took off at a nearly blinding speed into the air with Ephraim shouting for him to slow down as he and Remiel struggled to catch up.

"It's been too long," Kuro said quietly as he felt the air whipping around him. "I'm free." He circled around to rejoin his companions, and the trio quickly made their way to the Underworld's entrance.