The very moment the flames had consumed Cameron whole, they continued down their path towards Helios and Zero. Their truce was cut short as Cameron was now dead. Cerberus did not waste any time, already exhausted of their company.

But right before the waves of death struck, an unseen force suddenly threw his hat into the ring, pushing back the attack with the shockwaves of his mere movement. Cameron Sin disappeared, and instead of his corpse was a blade. Vulcan's jaw dropped in disbelief at his ability being overpowered as the figure who took Cameron's place emerged from the billowing waves of the azure flames, diving out with lust for blood. As the figure leaped into the air, his blade of cold steel cut through Vulcan's chest as it traveled towards the sky.

As Vulcan gazed upwards, still bewildered by the audacity from the act, his eyes laid on a man with with long black-hair and possessing a pair of haunting silver eyes, his presence reminiscent of the bloodcurdling aura once wielded by Cameron Sin. A name that surely sent shivers down the spine of anyone who has dedicated their life to battle: The Insane One, Akihiro Oni.

"Let's have some fun."

Akihiro rapidly spun through the air, building momentum to throw his Onikiri, the katana piercing right through Vulcan’s palm and anchoring it to the ground, causing his flames to frenzy and less targeted. Heirlooms are indestructible weapons made solely to be compatible with their wielder's ability. The air shook once more as Akihiro propelled himself downwards from the sky, building momentum again. Then, with a sky-ripping attack, Akihiro’s fist connected with Vulcan’s chest, the force blasting the Onikiri right back out for Akihiro to catch as he landed right beside Helios, Zero, and Selene, with a single phrase escaping his lips:

"Easy."

Erupting from Cerberus' new wound was a fountain of flames, the force of his fire blasting Akihiro into a building the next moment.

"Yea, that was pretty easy."

A few meters beside Akihiro who climbed up out of the crater, sparks are born from steel hitting steel. The scalpels defended against a katana, before finally repelling the blade and taking the offensive. For a moment, the blade glows, a blow similar to an explosion. Ivory, though unknown to the public, is currently the strongest creature alive, with Cerberus being the only one with the potential to kill her.

A final clash knocked both the opposite direction, creating distance. Ivory slid next to her son, Akihiro, and Fenris slid right back next to Vulcan. Ivory turned to Akihiro, slightly dumbfounded that Akihiro was the first in the entire crew to even deal as serious blow against Vulcan.

"Are you trying to kill yourself already? He’s the strongest person I’ve ever met. Stop messing around."

Akihiro let out a small giggle, thinking about doing the exact opposite he was told to do right when hearing Vulcan was the strongest person his mother knew. His mother? Akihiro snapped his head toward Ivory just realizing she was beside him.

"When the fuck did you get here?"

With both of the sides ceasing fire to reunite with their allies, Fenris scanned around to see Kronos. A boy who he had taken in after finding him lost, and using him ever since. After his order to aid in the execution of Cameron Sin was accomplished, he had stood still inbetween the two groups.

Fenris called out, 'Come here, boy."

Ivory spared a glance at Kronos, surprised that such a young human was in the middle of a battlefield. Just what was someone so small doing in the middle of a war?

"Do you really want to go back to someone like him?"

Kronos stayed silent, contemplating on what decision to make. Leave Fenris? That is a thought that has never crossed his head, as if he just learned he had a choice he himself could make. What was in his hands was something he had never truly grasped before: free will. He took a look at his father figure, his heart torn between joining people that seem to care for him or staying with the man who promised him a purpose. He shakily inhaled before taking a step toward Ivory, holding his head low, unsure if he had made the right decision, if there was one at all. Zero finally gets up from his knees and breathes slowly as his actions were now catching up to him, exhausted from the battle before.

"There's so much shit going on... I should've just stayed at work."

In the background, the Warrior of the Sun finally manages to get on his own two feet as blood drips down his face from the battle against Cameron Sin.

What the actual fuck is going on? Helios thought, the son of the World President unsure on why his rival Akihiro and the others began to side against Fenris, a jester loved across the face of the earth for being a hero. Helios glances at both Selene & Zero who seemed to be just as confused as him, he doesn’t even bother looking at Akihiro as he’s still pissed at him from their duel earlier before Cameron's interruption, locking eyes with Ivory. Something about her seemed strange to him; out of everyone here, she's the only one he's never heard of. A sigh escaped her throat as she explained to Helios.

"He lured out Ánemos, your sister, to an abandoned city to get rid of her there due to her knowledge. He poisoned your brother so that he could die against his battle with Akihiro, to frame him. He's also taken the life of Yin's brother and Arthur, and even Akihiro's father. I don’t even have to mention Azrael."

After Helios had his wounds fully healed by her sister's shadow, he finally stood up properly and wielded his blade once more. So much information was dumped onto him, but throughout his journey he had experienced the lives of those close to him wither away so many times. In the middle of war, all one could do was move forward. As the strongest of Empire State High, he worked alongside his sister and Zero. Helios walked up to Akihiro as his mana once again flared up, ready to stand against his newest foe: his father’s ally, who had been deceiving everyone around him. Now was the time to let out his anger. Settling their differences aside, the world once again would experience Akihiro Oni and Helios Sol Daystar working together after the trio had lost their youngest member: Yin.

Just when everything was thought to go their way, their hopes will fade in the upcoming moments.

Vulcan began to emit roaring flames that burned even himself. His own skin searing, yet he still stood. He still came back, the fire deep within his soul burned hotter then the one that had consumed him prior. He could feel his ruined heart beating now that Cameron was long gone, the rapid thumping as he could feel his body start to come alive, his flames slowly seeping from his burns as his eyes began to glow a deep oceanic blue as his once dead face began to erupt into a blue blaze. Vulcan rose one of his hands towards Helios as a blinding light begin to grow from his palm slowly forming its own shape, its raw power slowly pushing Vulcan along the ground as his body began to break itself, flames roaring from every stitch he had on his body. Within moments the flame in his hand had formed a bird and with one final flick it's target had been set at it rocketed towards Helios, Zero, Selene, Akihiro, and Kronos, boiling any moisture left in the air causing it turn humid, choking any living creature that was left alive. Vulcan collapsed onto his knees as the flames spouting from his body persisted, torturing his battered body.

“Fuck... ALL OF YOU!"

Selene Luna Daystar locks eyes with her brother forming a plan on the fly as she extends her arms in the air summoning a wall of shadow as Helios begins concentrating on his next attack. As Selene focused on reinforcing the wall, the others suddenly felt a chill run down their spines.

"Those will keep you all safe. Now, Sol!"

A big grin appears on the Titan Sun’s face as he stares down Vulcan looking at his phoenix.

"It's a beautiful looking attack coming from guy who can barely even do anything without hurting himself."

Helios snaps his fingers as sparks appear from it, the ground starts heating up rapidly out as the onlookers look up noticing not one or two, not even three but numerous suns suddenly falling towards Vulcan. With one final declarement of victory, Helios let out one word.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

"Spark."

Maybe it was an hallucination, or maybe the ghost of his past kept its promise to haunt him.

Whatever it was, Vulcan could have sworn he saw the silhouette of Cameron in the place of Helios' figure.

"Tch, you’re even starting to sound like him.”

Despite the effects of the dampener not fully gone, the phoenix was regaining its strength at the same moment it soared towards Helios' suns. These same suns, which had won Helios his crown as the strongest student. His suns, once a symbol of power and the chosen Daystar was suddenly dwarfed against the raw output the phoenix carried. Vulcan overpowered Helios' attack. These same suns, which granted the school their undefeated streak in school wars. The memory of past victories now fell hollow, insignificant against the seemingly endless gap between Vulcan's power. These suns had also still... failed to protect his friends and family. The bitter realization of his inability to shield those closest to him hit Helios harder than any attack could, while Vulcan's anger resulted in the opposite: turning his fire into a flickering dance of chaos. With only one singular sun left, the largest of them all, Vulcan, as if to mock Helios entire journey, as if to mock all of his progress, as if to mock all that he had worked up for, tapestries the phoenix into a colossal hound that dwarfed Helios’ most renowned attack. The transformation was pulled off perfectly, a technique done so well that left even Ivory momentarily stunned that someone whose ability relies on absolute power would even be capable of utilizing it.

"First Head of Cerberus!”

Vulcan's incantation echoed through the air, tainted with his own aura that matched the raw amount of flames he was demonstrating to everyone present. Right as the incantation echoed out from Vulcan’s mouth, Ivory knew it’d be weakened due to him already being exhausted. An incantation that Cameron had claimed would kill everyone before the fight even began. Ivory instantly embraced Kronos and stabbed her feet into the ground, turning her back against Vulcan as she attempted to use her own body to shield Kronos, only for Selene's shadows to wrap around them. The final sun was caught between the jaws of the hound, and as despair finally began to settle in Helios’ mind stripping him of all hope, the sun was obliterated in a sudden massive detonation. The resulting shockwave reduced buildings to nothing but ash the instant, leaving nothing but silence in its wake. Seconds later of pure silence adorned with ringing, the sound of the explosion caught up with the unbearable ringing, rupturing the very skies as the entirety of New York witnessed the most destructive ability that has ever existed like watching a firework. Amidst the rubble and smoke still stood Vulcan, surprised that even the move that he had, which was 25% of his output-- no, even lower due to the fight against Cameron prior. It still managed to cause severe exhaustion to his fire-fragile body. The weight of his actions and the destruction he had caused began press down on him, as he began to relish in the feeling of letting all of his anger out. As the smoke cleared, Ivory stood up, the rubble sliding off her back as Kronos, most likely temporarily deaf for now, remained uninjured. Looking back at the carnage Vulcan had managed to unleash with just a single attack Kronos felt genuinely terrified only lacking the energy to show it, summoning a gigantic deer skull. Spotting Fenris still here while staring back, not wanting to think about the consequences of his actions yet, he turned back to Ivory.

"I prefer not being treated like a cabbage patch doll anymore. We should go."

Ivory mounted on the skull as well, ready to leave. However, right before they set off, Fenris disappeared from Kronos’ sight. The deer skull suddenly felt a forceful impact at its end, tilting it slightly in the air as the figure was none other than Fenris. The Jester’s cape billowed in the wind as his mana began to ooze from his body, such a high amount that could not be compressed in the slightest. Fenris' ice was the only thing as of right now close to rivaling Vulcan's fire.

"Drop the boy, Ivory."

Ivory stood in silence, torn between the decision of sacrificing Kronos to take down Fenris or letting Fenris escape to ensure Kronos' safety. The decision seemed clear-cut, didn't it? Kronos' life was a small price to pay to get rid of a world-wide threat. No, Ivory knew she couldn't win just yet. Fenris' ability required adaptation, and a single decisive blow before she could do so would end her life. Fenris knew that.

Unexpectedly, Ivory ruthlessly got ahold of Kronos by the neck and positioned him just at her scalpel's edge. Stepping back from Fenris, she locked eyes with him with a heartless gaze more so than his own. Genuine fear crept into Kronos' mind as he realized what was going on, he could really die in this moment. He wanted to flail around and kick out of her grasp but he likely wouldnt be able to, especially after all the fighting and damage he took. He probably should've expected this from Fenris, but he couldve never guessed Ivory after the way she acted earlier.

"Any attack you launch at me, and he'll be desperate to defend himself off death. Once he succumbs to that futile attempt, it will be enough for me to adapt to. Leave, and we both settle our matters another day."

Fenris cast an apathetic gaze at Kronos as a tear meanders down his cheek, his newfound caretaker turned traitor in under an hour. She was right. This situation was a statement. Fenris had to accept that he had no immediate means of eliminating Ivory. His couldn’t kill her in one blow due to Kronos being in the line of fire. Should he instead go to kill the rest of the students, Ivory would immediately take the chance of the opening and seal his fate. No matter how hard he contemplated, there were no other moves he could make on the board. A snicker flickered behind Fenris’ mask in grim amusement. He couldn’t help but chuckle at the irony that his public facade would remain untainted, namely because of what Vulcan had done to steal the spotlight a mere minute ago. Helios, now a figure so distant from his previous self, would surely cast doubt on his credibility. Similarly, the Daystars' actions had eroded their trustworthiness. In complete contrast, Fenris was the most charismatic and favored figure of the entire planet. Right now, they had no means of reaching him.

"It seems it’s time to conclude our little show. Treasure this memory for now, Ivory. It’ll be the last time you stand before me unbroken."

Fenris turned to Ivory, the eye sockets in his mask looking as if they were holding a precognition to what Ivory’s future held. It was silent, dark, and cold. Nothing but the fading of the time one would have left. And yet, before Fenris could fully vanish, a promise that would haunt Ivory from this day forward came from him.

"Your future self is currently reflecting on this very moment. You'll look back and see this as a missed opportunity. You've postponed the inevitable, but death is patient. Sooner or later, it will find you, no matter how far you outrun it.”

The conflict had finally ended. Fenris and Cerberus had both left the ruins, and a rain of peaceful yet sad black ash began to pour down on the streets of New York.

Now that Fenris has a power that threatens the very world, I cannot allow myself to ignore it any longer.

Helios Sol Daystar could do nothing but watch as his most trusted attack was gnawed on like it was nothing. Helios reminded himself that hes been in this war for too long, it has passed time he shrugged off the death of his allies. He'd have to expect and accept this to be a normal occurence, right? Yet, even now, Helios' eyes looked like they'd shatter and break down into tears any second. Helios had failed to realize that right before the blast, Selene's defensive ability had used its max power to defend everyone against the First Head of Cerberus, yet it was shattered like glass. At the very least, it kept them alive despite the injuries they suffered after. All were grateful to stay alive, besides an uninjured Akihiro who complained in the background about not being able to fight Vulcan.

"...Let's go," Helios whispered, but just then, he noticed someone entering his range. He turned around, locking eyes with a familiar trio: Tarot's leader, Eris, her brother, Apollo, and Amber. Helios felt his heart sink even further as Yin had passed away not even an hour ago. Amber, his sister, certainly looked down. Why were they here now?

"What? Did you come here to gloat?" Helios snarled.

Eris didn’t even crack a smile as Apollo stood behind her, their arms crossed. She took in everyone’s condition, noting that they were lucky to even be alive after what had just happened. She knew that when they next meet Fenris, it will be a bloodshed. Zero, not knowing who she was as this was their first meeting, stood nearby. As for Akihiro, she locked eyes with him for a moment, remembering what he had told her before, then thought about Cameron. After his death, she had decided to try something new. Finally, Eris glanced back at Helios, who was glaring at her like his sexuality depended on it.

“Are you done feeling sorry for yourself?” Eris nonchalantly commented, causing Helios to be pushed over the edge even more. What is she even doing here? Is she here to fight or to clean up after Fenris' mess considering Tarot helped Akihiro escape prison. Before Helios can say anything, Eris raises her hand.

"Before you say anything stupid, I’m not here to fight...after today's battle, we have the same enemy."

The others stare at the leader of Tarot, the same person who used to cause conflict against others to get what she wanted for Cameron's goal now asking for help from the others. Was Fenris really someone that she fears?

"...Hell n-" Selene covers Helios's mouth with her hand and looks at Eris, trying to tell if she's lying to the group. However, she doesn't sense any malicious intent or deceit.

"So, we're going to be working together. After all you've done against us...why?" Selene acknowledged the big elephant in the room: can Eris be trusted? She had worked hand in hand with Cameron, who had caused all the destruction that happened. It was only natural for the Moon Princess to question her. Apollo steps up besides Eris as he looks at Selene, he notices her step back shivering. Apollo sighed as he ran a hand through his hair. Someone he used to be great friends with was now afraid of him after what he had done to her. The guilt had been eating at him for a while.

"Luna... I'm sorry."

Selene stared at Apollo for a moment, incredulous. Did this bumbling idiot just call her by the name only her family uses? The same idiot who had pierced his katana through her chest, leaving her for dead, during his challenge with Helios in the courtyard?

Amber smashes her staff into the ground, gathering the attention of everyone. Being here is already causing her migraine to become even worse. After finding out about her siblings death, she'd now watching a shitty k-drama episode with these idiots arguing and not trusting each other.

"Enough, we don’t have much time. Our graduation is near. You'll be attending Empire State University. Not me though, I'm stupid. And knowing how ALL of you guys attract trouble everywhere and with Fenris being your number one enemy, he’ll be able to get away with more there than he was here." Selene locks eyes with each of the heavy hitters of the group: Akihiro, Eris, and Helios.

"Stop the nonsense and team up. You're going to need each other more than ever with the things that are about to happen."