As the overwhelming energy closed in, Joseph remained calm, recalling an overlooked contingency: the XPT reserves stored within the XPT dimension. At the last possible moment, he activated the XPT dimension and executed a daring strategy.

The resulting explosion was cataclysmic, shaking the battlefield and drawing the attention of Lyra and Yoshi, who momentarily paused their battles, fearing the worst. Dust and smoke engulfed the area where Joseph had been standing.

Yet, as the chaos subsided, it became clear that Joseph had outwitted the demoness. Just before the blasts struck, he had used his XPT's advanced capabilities to simultaneously activate the XPT dimension and create a duplicate of himself. The duplicate took his place, shielding him from the brunt of the attack while Joseph safely repositioned himself outside the blast zone.

Despite the duplicate's best efforts, it was caught in the blast, ending it instantly. As the smoke cleared, the demoness froze in shock, her crimson eyes narrowing as she spotted Joseph descending from the sky. His movements were unsteady, his breath labored as he struggled to maintain his balance and grasp the other XPT he had summoned from the XPT dimension.

The demoness wasted no time, launching herself toward Joseph with murderous intent, determined to finish him off once and for all. Meanwhile, Yoshi and Lyra, locked in their own fierce battle, exchanged a glance of relief upon seeing Joseph alive despite his perilous state.

As Joseph descended, his body wracked with pain, the demoness unleashed a surge of dark magic. He barely managed to shield himself with a barrier of glowing XPT energy, the strain evident in his trembling form. Still awaiting his transformation, he braced himself for her relentless assault.

However, in the heat of battle midair, the demoness finally landed a devastating kick that sent Joseph crashing to the ground. The impact shattered his forcefield. When he struck the ground with bone-crushing force, the moment his back made contact with the surface, energy surged from the XPT in the form of binary code before solidifying into a backplate, protecting his spine and upper torso.

Just as the demoness descended with force to crush him, Joseph rolled over, the newly-formed backplate absorbing some of the residual shock as he narrowly avoided the crushing blow of her foot. He regained his stance quickly, and in that same moment, the demoness retaliated with a swift kick. Reacting autonomously, Joseph bent backward, his cuisses and tassets stabilizing his legs as his greaves firmly supported his weight.

The violent gust that followed the kick sliced through rocks, leveling their surroundings like an air blade propeller. Amid this chaos, Joseph's sabaton—armor for his feet—materialized in an instant, providing balance and anchoring him firmly to the ground.

Before he could fully rise, the demoness launched a spinning scissors kick. Joseph's XPT responded instinctively, splitting his body in opposite directions like the motion of wheelchair wheels being dragged apart. The demoness missed her mark, her attack crashing into the ground beneath with devastating impact. She marveled as Joseph's split form moved like swift, mechanical wheels, distancing himself rapidly. His breastplate reformed seamlessly as his body reattached, protecting his chest as he rose, unharmed.

When his hands touched the ground to stabilize himself, XPT energy surged again, forming vambraces on his forearms and gauntlets to shield his hands. Joseph stood fully armed, each piece of armor materializing with every move.

As the demoness charged in fury, Joseph’s instincts kicked in. Without looking, he delivered a powerful back punch that sent her hurtling midair. Before she could regain her balance, Joseph rematerialized behind her, his speed enhanced by the XPT, delivering another devastating punch. Each blow sent her flying uncontrollably as he repeated the process, his movements a blur of light. Finally, with one last punch, he sent her crashing to the ground with a tremendous impact.

Standing over her in the crater, his armor became fully integrated. His helmet and visor—summoned from the XPT dimension—hurtled toward him at incredible speed. He effortlessly caught and equipped them, completing his transformation.

Observing himself, Joseph marveled at his new form.

"Whoa! What is this XPT? I've never experienced such a transformation before," he said, astonished.

"Consider this an upgrade," replied XPT. "Premium max transformation."

"Really? That's the name you came up with? Well, scratch that. This transformation is sick," Joseph said, his excitement evident. Before he could revel further in his newfound power, the demoness interrupted, landing heavily in front of him with a grunt.

"Why won't you just stay dead?" she snarled, slamming her fist into the ground, causing it to crack beneath her. Rising slowly, her dark energy pulsed ominously.

"Because a lot of people are depending on me," Joseph replied, his voice firm. "I can't give up on that."

The demoness laughed mockingly, her voice echoing as she gracefully soared into the sky. Her wounds began healing rapidly as Joseph watched warily.

"You've hurt an entire city, laid it to ruins. It's time to end this madness—before I end you," Joseph declared, his tone resolute.

The demoness ignored his words, her body glowing with dark energy as she drew power from the relic. Hovering midair, she summoned the clones that had been fiercely battling Yoshi and Lyra, reabsorbing them into herself. The energy from the absorption caused her aura to surge violently, casting an oppressive shadow over the battlefield.

Yoshi and Lyra regrouped with Joseph, the three observing as the demoness’s form began to shift. Her size expanded rapidly, growing into a towering, monstrous figure, her presence now dwarfing even the tallest giants. As she descended, her landing sent shockwaves rippling through the earth, scattering the group with its force.

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Each step the demoness took was like an earthquake, her massive form radiating overwhelming power. The group wasted no time, charging with all their might. The demoness unleashed a beam of dark energy from her eyes, its devastating force directed at Yoshi. He braced himself, shielding against the blast with his aura, though the sheer intensity pushed him back, debris swirling chaotically around him.

Before the demoness could capitalize, Lyra intercepted, launching a concentrated magical blast that disrupted the beam. The explosion caused the demoness to falter momentarily. Seizing the opportunity, Joseph glided forward with precision and agility, dodging her massive hand as it swung toward him with deadly intent.

While Joseph maneuvered toward the demoness's upper body, Lyra and Yoshi executed a coordinated strike. Conjuring magical whips out of thin air, they bound her massive legs, forcing her balance to falter. The demoness roared in frustration, her colossal form collapsing to her knees with a ground-shaking thud.

With the opening created, Joseph charged along her massive arm, closing the distance with breathtaking speed. Summoning his energy, he delivered a devastating blast to her chest, the force sending her sprawling backward. Her towering form crashed into the earth, her size rapidly diminishing until she returned to her normal state, lying amidst the smoking ruins of a massive crater.

As the smoke cleared, Joseph, Yoshi, and Lyra surrounded the weakened demoness. Despite her battered state, her defiant spirit burned brightly in her eyes, refusing to yield.

"She’s not done yet," Yoshi warned, his stance tense.

The demoness smirked. "You think you’ve won?" she whispered, her voice dripping with venom.

Before they could act, she unleashed a powerful, all-encompassing blast, scattering the group and forcing them to shield themselves. The ground trembled as her immense speed came into play, keeping them off balance.

In a flash, she cast a circle of gray flames around them, the unnatural fire trapping them with her at its center. The flames radiated a disruptive energy, suppressing Yoshi and Lyra's aura and nullifying their ability to fully harness their powers. Even the demoness herself showed signs of strain, her energy wavering as she maintained the spell.

The only one unaffected was Joseph, his XPT suit shielding him completely from the flames’ disruptive effects. His glowing armor pulsed with power, standing out against the eerie, flickering light of the gray flames.

"Looks like it’s just you and me now," Joseph said, his voice calm yet charged with determination. The demoness smirked, her confidence unshaken.

"Let’s see how long you last," she replied, readying herself for the final confrontation.

"I don't need my abilities to kill you both. The relic's power will suffice," the demoness snarled at Yoshi and Lyra, her voice laced with contempt. She then turned her burning gaze to Joseph. "You may be unaffected by my magic, but let’s see just how powerful you truly are—and who truly deserves to be saved."

Harnessing the immense dark energy of the relic of death, the demoness unleashed a swirling tempest of malevolent power. The energy spiraled around her, growing in intensity and size, resembling a nuke on the verge of detonation. Despite their powers being suppressed, Yoshi and Lyra stood their ground, ready to face the imminent devastation.

Joseph immediately stepped forward, his XPT analyzing the situation and devising a countermeasure. Summoning the full power of his transformation, he created a forcefield to contain the growing energy. However, the overwhelming force of the dark energy began to strain his XPT systems. The immense pressure gradually pushed him back, his footing faltering.

Yoshi and Lyra rushed to his side, placing their hands on his shoulders to lend their strength. They fought to harness even the faintest flicker of their aura, but the gray flames continued to disrupt their abilities, rendering their efforts ineffective. The strain on Joseph's forcefield became evident as cracks began to spiderweb across its surface, and his armor started to deteriorate, falling apart piece by piece under the relentless pressure.

Desperate, Joseph initiated a mental link with his XPT, their shared thoughts racing for a solution. His expression hardened with resolve as he turned to Yoshi and Lyra. He unmasked himself, his face reflecting an unspoken truth—this was his sacrifice. His eyes conveyed everything they needed to understand.

Before they could protest, Joseph acted. In an instant, he sent Yoshi into the XPT dimension for safety. The strain on his suit escalated to a critical level, sparks and malfunctions rippling across its surface. With his options dwindling, Joseph redirected a portion of the blast aside, momentarily destabilizing the tempest of dark energy.

Seizing the fleeting opening, he channeled the last reserves of the XPT’s power to propel himself forward with blinding speed, like a human missile. Simultaneously, he transferred the XPT system to Lyra, shielding her from harm as his own body became vulnerable.

The blast tore into him, burning his flesh at an excruciating rate, but Joseph pushed through the agony. His body was a searing, charred husk by the time he reached the demoness. Summoning every last ounce of strength, he drove his fist into her chest, reaching for the relic embedded within.

The demoness roared in fury, grappling with Joseph as she fought to retain control of the relic. The dark energy around them fluctuated wildly, shifting between powerful surges and weakening pulses. Each fluctuation threatened to tear them both apart.

With his body breaking down—flesh burned, muscles exposed, and bones cracking under the strain—Joseph clenched his teeth and made one final push. Summoning everything he had left, he tore the relic from her chest. The artifact immediately absorbed the unstable energy, neutralizing the impending explosion in a massive shockwave that extinguished the gray flames surrounding them.

Joseph collapsed to his knees, the relic clutched tightly in his hand. But as he held it, he felt a strange sensation. His body began to harden, his movements slowing. Pieces of his burned flesh flaked away, revealing a stone-like texture beneath. His fingers stiffened, his skin petrifying inch by inch.

The demoness, stunned by the relic’s sudden transformation, tried to reclaim it, but her hand recoiled as the relic itself turned to stone in Joseph’s grip. She screamed in rage as she realized what was happening. The relic had claimed Joseph—claimed them both.

Joseph’s body froze completely, his expression locked in eternal defiance as the petrification consumed him. The relic of death, now a lifeless statue, was fused to his hand. The demoness staggered backward, her fury unmatched. She gazed upon the stone form of her enemy and spat venomously.

"Death may have claimed you," she hissed, "but this is far from over."

As the smoke cleared, Yoshi reemerged from the XPT dimension, his presence signaling hope. Lyra stood unharmed, the XPT’s reserved energy finally fading within her. Both Yoshi and Lyra’s auras began to glow brilliantly, fully recovered and brimming with power.

However, their relief turned to shock as their eyes fell upon Joseph, now a statue, frozen in an eternal act of defiance. The demoness, standing nearby, looked at them with a sly, malevolent smile.

"You see now the price of ambition," she said coldly. "The sacrifice one must pay to harness the relic's power is different for everyone. If you're successful, you emerge unscathed. If not, you perish. But this… this is something entirely new. Never before have both the wielder and the relic been claimed simultaneously. It seems your so-called savior was unworthy of its power and has been condemned alongside it."

Her words dripped with venom as she gestured toward Joseph. "This is a first in all of history. Death herself has taken not only her prey but the relic of death as well. He may have been unkillable, but this—this is where his story ends."