Eldo entered the training grounds to find Typhon already waiting, arms crossed, his draconic wings stretching wide. The serpent-arm writhed, hissing at Eldo with undisguised contempt.
"You look rested," Typhon rumbled, voice like grinding stone. "Good. I want you at your best before I break you."
Eldo met his gaze, forcing bravado into his voice. "You're pretty confident for someone who just watched me take down Bael."
Typhon's lip curled. "Bael plays with puzzles. Kishi dances. I brutalize. That's all that matters, boy." He stomped forward, the ground trembling beneath his feet. "Forget the tricks you learned from them. Forget the tactics. With me, it's simple—if you're not stronger, you lose."
He tilted his head, scales glinting. "So... let's see what you've got."
Before Eldo could even blink, Typhon was on him—a blur of scale, muscle, and fury. The first punch landed like a wrecking ball, sending Eldo skidding across the glass floor. He barely had time to roll aside before Typhon's serpent-arm lashed down, smashing a crater where he'd just laid.
"Move, or be crushed!" Typhon bellowed, swinging again. Eldo leapt up, hellfire igniting around his fists. He threw a blazing punch—Typhon blocked it with his forearm, barely flinching.
"Is that all?!" Typhon roared, slamming Eldo with a brutal backhand. Eldo crashed into a pillar, coughing, vision spinning.
"C'mon, prince of hellfire," Typhon taunted, stalking closer. "Stop hiding behind fancy flames. Show me power!"
Eldo wiped blood from his mouth, anger flaring. "You want power?" He flared into his hellfire form, flames roaring across his body. He charged, fists blazing, trading blows with the demon. Typhon's strikes were relentless, each one a shockwave of force, but Eldo refused to back down. He ducked a punch, countered with a fiery uppercut that snapped Typhon's head back.
Typhon grinned, eyes wild. "Finally!" He unleashed a devastating combo—left, right, serpent whip, then a stomp that sent cracks radiating through the floor. Eldo blocked what he could, his arms numb from the impact, but managed to slip inside Typhon's guard and jab him in the gut with a searing punch.
Typhon staggered, then laughed—a deep, bone-shaking sound. "Not bad, kid! You've got a little bite after all."
Eldo panted, sweat and soot streaking his face. "I'm just getting started."
"Good!" Typhon thundered, wings unfurling. "Then stop thinking, stop planning, and FIGHT!"
He lunged, the serpent-arm snapping like a whip. Eldo dodged, rolling under, and landed a blazing kick to Typhon's knee. Typhon grunted, snatched Eldo up by the arm, and hurled him across the arena.
Eldo crashed hard, the world spinning. He forced himself to his feet, flames sputtering but not dying. "You're insanely strong, But you're crazy if you think backing down now!"
Typhon charged, and the two collided in a flurry of blows—raw, vicious, elemental. Each hit rattled bones, each block sent sparks flying. Eldo's hellfire burned brighter, fueled not by anger, but by stubborn will.
Typhon landed a brutal punch to Eldo's ribs, knocking the wind out of him. "You're still standing. Impressive."
Eldo spat blood, a defiant smile on his lips. "You said power's all that matters, right? Well, I've got more left!"
With a guttural yell, he summoned every ounce of flame he could muster. His fists blazed like miniature suns as he launched himself at Typhon, trading blow for blow. Typhon's scales blackened where the fire struck, and for the first time, the demon flinched.
"Ha!" Eldo shouted, landing a hook that rocked Typhon's jaw. "Not so tough after all!"
Typhon's grin widened, even as smoke curled from his scales. "That's it, prince! Show me everything!"
Their battle raged on, power against power, until the very arena shook with their fury.
The two clashed in the center of the arena, flames and scales colliding in a storm of force. Eldo's fists blazed with hellfire as Typhon's serpent-arm coiled and struck, cracking the obsidian floor beneath them. The heat and pressure grew unbearable—raw power against raw power, each refusing to yield.
Sweat streamed down Eldo's face as he ducked a savage hook, retaliating with a hellfire uppercut that sent Typhon stumbling. Typhon roared back, wings unfurling, smashing Eldo with a backhand that knocked him halfway across the ring.
"Still standing?" Typhon growled, stalking forward, eyes wild with battle-lust.
Eldo spat blood, eyes burning with stubborn fire. "I told you—I'm not quitting!"
They met again in the center, trading blows that sent shockwaves through the walls. Eldo's flames seared Typhon's scales, blackening them, while Typhon's fists hammered Eldo's guard, bruising bone and muscle. For every strike Eldo landed, Typhon landed two more, but Eldo refused to give in, his hellfire burning fiercer with every hit.
"Not bad, brat!" Typhon snarled, breathing hard. "But let's see what happens when I stop holding back!"
He reared back, the serpent-arm swelling with dark energy, and Eldo felt the whole arena tremble. Eldo's hands blazed, summoning every scrap of power left in him. The world shrank to the space between them—one final blow, winner takes all.
Typhon rushed in, his punch a living avalanche. Eldo's entire body ignited, hellfire roaring, and he launched himself to meet the strike, flame and scale crashing together with a sound like the sky shattering.
But just as they unleashed their finishing moves, a blinding column of white fire erupted between them, forcing both fighters back.
"ENOUGH!" Malachi's voice thundered, echoing through the ruined chamber. The butler appeared in the flame, eyes burning with unearthly light. "Another second, and one of you would not leave this arena alive."
Typhon skidded to a halt, chest heaving, serpent-arm twitching with leftover energy. "Don't stop me now, Malachi!" he snarled, wings quivering. "He was finally giving me what I wanted!"
Malachi's gaze was unyielding. "You have tested him. That is all that was required."
Eldo staggered, barely able to keep his feet, flames flickering around him. "I—I was ready to finish it..."
Typhon shot him a savage, reluctant grin. "You've got guts, kid. More than I expected. You stood up to me, took every hit, and kept coming. Not many can say the same." He straightened, folding his wings. "You're still not the strongest—but you've got the heart for it. That counts for something."
He turned, heading for the shadowed exit. "Don't disappoint me, prince. Next time, I won't let anyone stop us."
As Typhon's footsteps faded, Malachi stepped forward, placing a steady hand on Eldo's shoulder. All at once, the heat of battle gave way to a deep, aching relief.
"You have endured the gauntlet of the elite three," Malachi said, voice gentler now. "You have proven your strength, your mind, and your spirit. The throne is yours to claim, Eldo Chefera."
Eldo, battered but unbroken, managed a shaky smile. For the first time since entering hell, he felt more than just a survivor. He felt—finally—worthy.
"Thank you," he whispered, barely able to stand but burning brighter than ever.