The Mekai: Endgame

Chapter 9

The Final Battle

The pain finally stopped. Hundreds of questions burned in Ray's skull in the surreal moment. How is Ren still alive? What is this?

"I commend you on killing Pterrol, though I never doubted you would," Ren's voice spake. "And now, for completing my 'trials', we may now have our final duel. Do you accept?"

Ray stood up and said: "Of course." A circular platform appeared beneath his feet and sunk beneath the floor. The platform lowered past the eighth and ninth floors; there had been openings in the floor of each hallway and the heat continuously intensified. On the tenth level of the castle, the platform finally merged with the floor of Ren's throne room. Ray now stood face-to-face with Ren, who sat on his throne.

"Ren," Ray said.

"Well, boy, you finally get your wish," Ren said, non-chalant.

"I don't know how you survived," said Ray, "but I've waited five years for this. No more games, no more tricks- it's just you and me now!"

"As promised," said Ren. "I should have known it would come to this. After all, you know what they say: if you want someone killed right-!"

Ren caught Ray in a lightning blast before he could react. The latter found Ren's attack even more intense than any of Lightning's ever was. Ren let up after bringing Ray to his knees.

"Don't die yet, boy," Ren laughed. "Otherwise this won't be much of an all-out battle!" He stood up and, slowly, made his way over to Ray.

"I told you- I've waited five years for this moment," said Ray, picking himself up. "I'm now three times the warrior than on that day."

"Someone will die this day," said Ren, "and it won't be me."

Ren shot more lightning at Ray, who blocked it with a pillar of rock. Ray kicked the pillar at Ren, who grabbed it, spun it around, and sent it back with more speed. Ray destroyed it as Ren pinned him down with a rock shower. He blocked and hit back the flying rocks before sending them away with a burst of wind.

Ren took to levitating again and threw more shadow balls. He got hit with a deflected one and Ray moved in on him, only to be hit himself, by one of Ren's Angel Palms. Ray flipped over and sent a tidal wave of water at Ren. Ren stepped on it- and the water froze- not realizing Ray used the ice to race over. He socked Ren on the face and sent him flying through his own throne. Ray ran as fast as he could, to finish him off, when a giant fireball came flying at him. He dropped to his knees, leaned back, and slid in order to let the fireball fly over his head.

Ren flew overhead and released his killer Death Branches. Ray used fire as thrusters to fly out of the path of the branches. It surprised him how the Death Branches each fired off Annihilus attacks from their "mouths". He escaped the attack and boosted himself up to deliver another blow to Ren. Ren back-handed him and rushed him with another water blast immediately after.

"You'll never beat me with cheap tricks," said Ray, landing on his feet. The last hit he received from Ren stung.

"Indeed you have grown more powerful over the course of the last three years," Ren complimented. "Your mastery of the Arts has far exceeded my expectations."

"Then you should be proud," said Ray. "That world-wide odyssey I took created the man before you. In other words, Ren- you created your own demise!"

Ray prepared to launch another elemental attack when his intuition told him to move. He obeyed and, like steam from a geyser, a fountain of lava burst from where he once stood. The look of pure entertainment from Ren suggested he caused this. More fountains erupted throughout the throne room and Ren just smiled.