Kairo's knees scraped against the scorched stone as he struggled against the oppressive gravity that Hades had commanded. The Bone Blade lay a few paces away, its crimson hum almost calling to him.
With a sharp inhale, Kairo focused, summoning the weapon back into his hand. The air rippled as the Bone Blade materialized, its surface gleaming with the fused power of the Gravekeeper and Kairo's own essence.
For a brief, shining moment, victory seemed possible. Crimson energy flared along the chains still coiled around him, and the Bone Blade pulsed with a promise of devastation.
Then, suddenly, Hades spoke, his voice a low rumble that seemed to twist reality itself. "You are… bold, Red-Eyed One. But you forget your place."
Before Kairo could strike, the gravity intensified, heavier this time. Even the Bone Blade felt impossibly weighty, dragging against his hands and arms as if the very essence of the Abyss had decided to crush him. Bones rattled against his chains; muscles screamed under the divine pressure.
Kairo gritted his teeth, crimson eyes blazing. Sweat streaked his pale face, but his stance remained defiant. "I… will not kneel again," he growled, though every fiber of his body fought against the pull.
The Bone Blade trembled in his grip, almost begging for release. Yet Kairo would not falter. Summoning the full might of the Gravekeeper's magic, he wove bones from the floor into swirling spikes and jagged whips, attempting to pierce the gravity itself, to claw at Hades' control.
The throne room trembled with the clash — the Red-Eyed One's relentless assault against godly authority, each bone strike a test of limits, each pulse of energy a defiance against the weight pressing him down.
Hades watched, unflinching, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk forming. "You struggle well… but the Abyss bends all. Will your will alone suffice?"
Kairo's aura flared brighter, crimson flames licking the shadows around him. Bones spun faster, strikes sharper, intent undeniable. The battle had escalated, and the Red-Eyed One was proving that even divine force could not crush a will forged in torment, chains, and fire.