Xander lunged at Razlin, who instantly reacted.

  He reached Razlin and punched her with his augmented arm. Razlin caught it. The arm melted on contact but created a shockwave through Razlin’s body that traveled to the ground. Hot yellow and red plasma scattered across the concrete floor.

  Smiling, she threw a right hook, catching Xander’s jaw as it melted. Instantly, the jaw bones, muscles, and tissue regenerated.

  “Is that all you got, you bitch?”

  “You have yet to land a hit on me.” She let go of his augmented hand.

  The augmented hand instantly healed with the crackling sound of tendons, bones, and skin reforming.

  Xander swung his left arm at Razlin—it melted on impact with her face.

  Razlin went flying into the wall from the shockwave. The wall instantly melted as she touched it. She rolled into the keep’s hallway.

  Xander walked toward Razlin. Razlin got up, still in plasma form, walked through the hole in the wall, and moved toward Xander.

  They reached each other in the middle of the training room. Razlin looked up at Xander as he looked down. Their gazes met in silence.

  Razlin quickly punched Xander in the left side of his chest, her hand piercing through. Xander wreathed his augmented arm in purple and red zeal and grabbed her arm.

  His hand melted and regenerated in constant flux, flesh dissolving even as new tissue formed.

  “What happened to that smile?”

  “Fuck you, Xander!”

  Razlin punched Xander in the face. He snapped back and hit her in return. The shockwave pushed them both back as Xander refused to let go of her plasma arm. She punched him in the abdomen, leaving a cauterized hole in his stomach.

  Xander hit her in the chest, following through as his arm melted.

  The shockwave traveled through them as plasma splattered on the walls, partially melting them.

  Xander let go of her arm. Her hand left Xander’s chest.

  Xander punched Razlin in the jaw. She fell to her knees and quickly grabbed his left knee—it melted and separated from his ankle.

  He stumbled and fell down next to her. She quickly hit him in the face again. His face quickly regenerated.

  Razlin grinned, striking once more. Xander’s flesh, bone, healed almost as fast as it melted away. He countered, sending a few of Razlin’s teeth clattering to the floor in a spray of blood. The crimson liquid on her lips sizzled and steamed from the plasma.

  Razlin laughed and spat the blood-plasma mixture onto the floor.. “Oh, I missed these fights.”

  “There she is.” He landed another face punch that cracked her neck bones. His fist melted on impact.

  As Razlin’s bones snapped back into place, she punched a hole in Xander’s chest. His blood splattered over her, instantly vaporizing on her plasma form. She headbutted him, grinning fiercely.

  Xander threw a wild fist, sending a shockwave through Razlin’s body. Razlin retaliated with a powerful kick, sending Xander crashing into the wall and leaving a deep crater. Both their bodies had already healed from the grievous wounds they’d inflicted on each other.

  “Razlin!” Tito yelled as he entered the smoldering, superheated room with walls that dripped like magma. The concrete floor was ripped up, cracked, and melting. Mithaos and Septon carefully followed.

  Razlin, focused solely on Xander, ignored Tito’s call.

  “XANDER, THIS ENDS NOW!” Razlin yelled. The sound reverberated off what remained of the walls. She extended her arms, summoning the WHITE SUN. A ball of white-hot plasma pulsing with zeal began to form between her hands.

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  “I agree, this ends here,” Xander growled, extricating himself from the wall. Xander’s augmented arm erupted with intense purple and red zeal, his whole body soon engulfed as it swirled around him and pulsed outward. Dust and plasma whirled in the thick, smoky air.

  Razlin’s zeal ball quickly grew larger than Xander’s whole body.

  Tito’s voice cracked with panic. “Razlin, you’re going to destroy the keep!” Realizing the imminent danger, he shouted, “Everyone, get out!” The others began fleeing the crumbling structure.

  The WHITE SUN swelled, now taller than the keep itself. The room’s roof melted away, debris raining down around them. Xander and Razlin stood unfazed amidst the destruction.

  “XANDER!” Razlin hurled the massive WHITE SUN at him.

  “RAZLIN!” Xander lunged with superhuman speed. “NO MANE LAST TESTAMENT!”

  Just before impact, he unleashed a rapid succession of zeal pulses, followed by a wide-area blast and a concentrated beam. The WHITE SUN exploded as Xander collided with it, engulfing both him and Razlin.

  The training room, the floor, the walls—everything in it and the remaining structure instantly vaporized in the wake of their collision.

  Xander went flying out of the kingdom and crashed into another structure with wooden walls and a roof of slate stone and straw. Debris covered Xander. A couple inside were startled from their bed, screaming as they scrambled for cover.

  Razlin flew back into the throne room, skimming across the floor and partially melting it. Concrete debris scattered as she skimmed along the surface.

  He slowly unburied himself from the rubble. She thinks she can beat me.

  Razlin emerged from the concrete. He thinks he can beat me.

  As the two emerged, their transformations faded. Both were fully healed, though Xander’s clothes were scorched and Razlin’s fell away in tatters.

  They both walked back to the training room. They approached each other, eyes locked in an intense stare.

  “Like old times,” Xander muttered.

  Razlin’s jaw tightened. “Not anymore.”

  Standing inches apart. Razlin looked up at Xander. “Fuck you!” she spat, the saliva landing on his cheek.

  “Real queenly,” Xander sneered, wiping his face.

  “You fucking bastard!” Razlin snarled, punching Xander once more. The blow didn’t faze him. “I fucking hate you,” she hissed, striking again. “I sacrificed just as much as you!”

  “No,” Xander whispered, his tone ice-cold. “I sacrificed EVERYTHING for this country. I denied the crown to help other countries. My father died when I was gone. YOUR father refused to give it back.”

  “You’re a fucking liar, just like fifty years ago when you gave me your word you wouldn’t leave.” She punched him again, drawing blood.

  Xander’s hand shot out, gripping Razlin’s throat. He lifted her, bringing her face to his. “You’re a fucking proxy queen,” he bit out, teeth bared.

  “You fucking bastard,” Razlin hissed, her voice laced with venom. She swung again, her fist connecting with Xander’s face.

  Xander’s eyes flashed dangerously. “That’s the last free blow you get, you bitch.”

  Razlin’s jaw clenched. “I hereby banish you from the Order of the Seraphs domain. You have until morning to leave my lands.”

  “I’m not leaving until I kill Naru!”

  Razlin’s eyes narrowed. “No, we’re done here. You’re done here. Leave this room to find Naru, and you’ll face the full might of the Order of the Seraphs generals!”

  Xander chuckled, a grim smile spreading across his face. He released Razlin, who dropped to her knees, gasping and clutching her throat. Her eyes followed him as he turned away. He walked toward the broken entrance where Tito stood, tension radiating from his rigid posture.

  “Tito, give him his clothes. Bring mine as well,” Razlin commanded, her voice hoarse.

  Xander snatched the long shift from Tito, fixing him with a murderous glare. As he donned the garment, he spotted April, Ambrose, Carly, and Dez behind the throne. Ambrose waved, a tentative gesture. Xander strode towards them.

  Tito rushed to Razlin’s side, offering her a long shift. “My queen, put this on. Let’s get you to your chambers. Are you—”

  “I’m fine… I don’t want to discuss it now.” Her eyes remained fixed on Xander as he disappeared behind her throne and into the secret passage.

  Xander walked towards Ambrose, April, Carly, and Dez, who were waiting behind the queen’s throne. "How did you get back in here?” Xander asked Ambrose.

  Ambrose managed a weak smile. “There is a secret passage here. This was created for cases just like this.” Ambrose smiled. He glanced around. “We witnessed everything. Let’s get out of here.”

  Xander nodded. “It’s time we headed back to Ash.”

  As they filed into the secret passage. The narrow corridor was dark and musty, a stark contrast to the grand halls they’d left behind.

  Dez fell into step beside Xander. “What about the Order? And Razlin?”

  Xander’s jaw tightened. “This is her domain now. I'm going home.”

  They emerged from the hidden exit outside the city walls, the night air cool on their faces. With one last look at the distant lights of the Order of Seraphs’ stronghold, Xander turned towards the familiar road to Ash. As they set off into the darkness, he couldn’t help but feel the weight of his banishment, even as thoughts of home pulled him forward.