The throne room had become a storm of light, bone, and shadow. Hades' shield flared violently, twisting and bending under Kairo's relentless assault. The cracks carved by the Red-Eyed One grew larger with each strike, tiny glimpses of the throne's structure beneath the divine barrier.
Kairo's aura blazed crimson, bones spinning like whips around him, stabbing, piercing, and striking at every angle. He had learned the rhythm of the shield, predicting the subtle distortions as it bent to counter his attacks.
"You test me… relentlessly," Hades said, voice resonating like a chasm of thunder. Beams of blinding light sliced through the bone constructs, forcing Kairo to twist midair, narrowly avoiding being impaled.
Kairo gritted his teeth, sending a spiral of bones surging upward, forming jagged serpents that wrapped around the shield, probing for weak points. "I'm not testing you," he growled, eyes flaring. "I'm breaking through!"
The first bone serpent pierced the edges of the light shield, cracking the surface with a sound like shattered glass. Sparks flew as divine energy flared, distorting the air. Hades countered instantly, summoning spears of pure light that collided with Kairo's constructs, throwing them in every direction.
Kairo twisted, spinning the Bone Blade with lethal precision. Crimson energy laced with Gravekeeper power wrapped around the weapon, cutting through the smaller spears and deflecting heavier beams. Each strike pushed him closer to the throne, forcing Hades to expend more energy maintaining the shield.
The throne room trembled. Shadows writhed, the light bending and flashing violently. Flames of energy licked the edges of the cracks. Kairo's aura flared higher, crimson burning against divine gold, each surge of bone magic making the shield wobble, testing its limits.
Hades' voice dropped, resonating with both authority and warning: "You are bold… but the Abyss bends all. Will your defiance be enough?"
Kairo's eyes narrowed, voice low but fierce: "I don't bend. I carve. And I will reach you."
The storm of bone and light raged, shaking the throne room to its foundations. Each strike, each surge, each clash brought Kairo closer to victory — and to the final confrontation that would decide the fate of Hell itself.