Rex stretched as he woke from his dream. Or, not really a dream. He was back in his memories of Elysium, practicing more with Pyra. Finally getting the hang of Burning Sword, Rex felt confident with his overall performance as Pyra's abilities became second nature to him.
Plopping down in an armchair in the hotel lobby, Rex got comfortable and fell asleep again. Rather then winding up in Elysium like usual, Rex was in nothing but a black void. Empty and dark, Rex felt alarmed at the sudden footsteps, echoing through the nothingness. "Boy."
Rex turned at the voice. "Malos..." he snarled. "What is this place?" Malos smugly smirked. "This is nowhere important." Malos said. "Just a little bit of black, for us to talk."
Rex drew his red sword. "I have nothing to talk about with you, Malos." Malos sneered. "Oh yes you do. We have a little something you'll be quite interested in. You'll come to the Olethro Ruins... alone."
"What the hell kind of moron do you take me for?" Rex snapped. "I'm not falling into some kinda trap like that!"
"Won't you?" Malos said, smiling as the void consumed him. Rex shot open in a cold sweat.
"Woah, sorry Rex!" Roc said. "Didn't mean to startle ya." Rex's breathing slowed down. "Nah, it's fine Roc, just had a weird dream..."
"Well, it's been going around lately." Roc said. "I dreamt of a fish sandwich last night. You and I probably just ate something funky." Roc said. "Anyways, just making sure you're alright. Most of the others are still in their rooms."
"Thanks Roc." The bird gave Rex a thumbs up before leaving out the door. Rex got up from the chair and cracked his knuckles, Malos words ringing in his head.
"We have a little something you'll be quite interested in."
"Won't you?"
"What are you up too?" Rex muttered, stepping outside. Breathing in some fresh air, Rex aimlessly wandered around town, waving to some friendly locals. before Cole approached him in a rush. The old man had trouble forming words as he rambled to Rex. "R-Rex! It's... it's... Iona! They... got her!" Cole shouted in between gasps for air.
"Easy Cole, what happened?" Rex asked tried to calm the old man down.
"Malos!" Rex's eyes shot open. "Malos got his hands on her! He... wants you at the... th-the..."
"Olethro Ruins?" Rex asked, already knowing the answer. "Y-yeah! Please! I... don't know what to do!"
"Relax... I'll figure something out. But rest assured, I will get Iona to safety. I promise."
"You do? T...thank you Rex..." Cole sat down, breathing heavily. "But... Malos is a dangerous man, and he probably has an accomplice. You must be careful, Rex!"
"I will." Rex said. "And I have an idea."
...
Rex walked up the steps to Olethro Ruins. The others were in tow, and once they reached the top of the ruins, they all split apart from Rex and waited. The plan was for Rex to get Iona out here, then they all rush in to get Rex out. As the others waited, Rex continued through the narrow hallway. Malos and Akhos stood waiting for him to arrive, and smirked when they saw he was alone. "Howdy, partner." Malos mocked.
"Where's the girl?" Rex demanded from his position in front of the hallway. Akhos pointed behind Rex, where Iona sat on the stone bleacher, her legs and arms tied up, and she was flanked by Obrona and Sever. "Akhos is the meanest son of a bitch that I know." Malos said. Rex could see the many bruises on the girls body and one single, large cut on her shoulder, where the shirt around the wound was stained red. "Let her go. Now." Rex snarled, restraining himself from attacking out of rage.
Malos rolled his eyes and nodded to his Blade. Sever sliced the ropes on the girls arms and legs. Iona ran down the bleachers and to the doorway. When she was standing beside Rex, she turned to the Tornans. "Arseholes!" She yelled. She looked at Rex for a second before she ran down the hallway.
Rex chuckled. "She has quite a bit of moxie, no? Whatever, time to come quietly, boy." Akhos said.
"Fraid not, shrimp." Vandham said as he walked into the arena. The rest of the crew followed shortly after. Malos groaned. "Couldn't have just made it easy, could you?" Sever and Obrona came to their Driver's backside.
"No. So, this can go one of two ways." Nia said. "We leave and pretend this never happened. Or, we beat you proper this time. Which'll it be?"
"You already know." Malos said, pulling out his tonfa. Akhos readied his twin swords. "But this will not end well for you."
"Tora will cook baddies for breakfast!" Tora slammed his shield against the ground. "And Tora very hungry! Miss breakfast for this!"
"Masterpon, please be serious."
"You know what we're after, right boy?" Akhos asked.
"I've got a few ideas." Rex said. "Where's Jin? Didn't feel like coming?"
"He's preoccupied. After all, I don't mind running an errand or two for him. I exist for his benefit after all." Malos said. "Besides, I don't even need Akhos to get this over with."
"Unnecessary." Akhos said. "Though perhaps not wrong. That Core Crystal in your chest won't be there for long, boy!"
"Let's end this now." Malos said. Rex's blade flared. "Couldn't agree more."
Malos shot a wave of wind ether at Rex, who blocked it with an ether shield. The shield shattered on impact, and before Rex could recover from the knockback, another wave sliced his shoulder, and he winced as he grasped it. Nia's healing ran over him for a second, before he retaliated with a few fireballs, to give him an opening to close the distance. Vandham rushed to help Rex, but Akhos and Obrona intervened. "Nah ah ah, Malos needs to have his fun, and frankly, so do I." Obrona set up her ether field, blocking the others from their ether.
"Mehmeh! Idiot must forget!" Tora shouted as he launched the drill in his shield at Akhos. "Tora and Poppi not need ether from air!"
"Then you're first to go!" Akhos yelled.
"Double Spinning Edge!" Rex yelled as he slammed his sword against Malos tonfa in a spinning attack. "Sword Strike!" Malos countered with a wide swing to go around Rex's blade. Another ether shield blocked the attack, knocking Malos off balance, and Rex used his anchor to wrap around Malos' leg to topple the man over. The man hit the ground and before he could get up, he felt the force of Rex's massive steel boot bash against his head. Sever blew Rex away with a gust of wind, letting Malos get back up.
Akhos leapt away from the group he fought to stand beside Malos, as Rex was joined by Nia, Tora, and Vandham. "Damn Obrona is cutting of my healing." Nia muttered. "I don't have much juice either." Vandham muttered.
Akhos charged back in again, rushing to slam his swords against Nia's deactivated rings. "To think you're still holding out on us. Idiot!"
"I don't need to go all out to kick your ass, Akhos!" Nia pushed Akhos off of her. Akhos pivoted and went in for more, before Dromarch put up an ether shield in front of Nia. "Do not be reckless, my lady!" The tiger said, as he leapt at Obrona, and the Blade had to drop the ether nullifying field to defend herself. Nia and Vandham's weapon burst to life with the blue ether. "Much better." Vandham said, as he jumped into the fight against Akhos.
Tora's shield blocked another swing of Malos' tonfa, and Rex landed a solid hit against Sever. Malos found himself locked in a corner by Tora's tough defenses and Rex's unrelenting pressure. "I've had enough of this!" He shouted, before his hand endured with dark power. Rex's eyes shot open at the familiar power. It's the same he used at the ancient ship. Malos punched Tora's shield, and the force blew Tora and Poppi into the stone bleacher. Rex charged at Malos before the man slammed the butt of his tonfa into his gut. Malos grabbed the boy and slammed him into the ground, before he shot towards the other fight.
Vandham, manhandling the smaller Akhos felt Malos' fists hammer into his side, and he went flying, taking Akhos with him. Malos stalked towards Nia, throwing Dromarch off of him like a ragdoll. He turned to see Tora's drill fly at him, and the drill was knocked aside in similar fashion. Tora was hurled at Malos by Poppi, and the man had to duck to avoid the drill inside Tora's shied. Akhos broke out of Vandham's grip and charged at Tora, hopping to take the Nopon by surprise. Poppi didn't give him the chance, and his sword harmlessly bounced off her metallic body, before his glasses were shattered by the force of Poppi's fist. The robot turned to be hammered by Malos' dark fist, and the robot girl went flying right into Obrona, slamming both Blades into the wall. Tora was discarded by a swift kick, and Nia dodged Malos' swings, trying to heal up her team in between Malos' attacks. Malos swept her legs out from under her, and Sever stamped his foot against her chest. Roc tried to free the girl, but the bird was shot down by an electric shock from Akhos, who recovered from Poppi's punch.
Rex got up on his feet. Malos and Akhos had their back turned to him, looking at his friends, all sprawled out in the ground. Rex shot his anchor at the stone bleachers where they were, the anchor hooked onto the stone, and Rex lurched forward as the winch reeled him in. Malos and Akhos turned to see Rex launch towards them at high speeds with his anchor, and slammed Malos in the head with the force of his sword and the motion from his anchor. Malos crumpled to the floor, and Rex fought Akhos away from the group. Obrona intercepted, and kicked Rex into the bleachers, knocking the sword from his hands. Malos and Akhos had beaten them. Everyone was beaten and bruised, and it was like Nia's healing wasn't doing anything to help. Obrona's ether field was severely limiting the ether Nia and Vandham had to pull.
Vandham stood up. "REX!" He yelled at the boy. "Time for one last lesson for ya!"
"Wha..." Rex asked. Vandham raised Roc's scythes and stabbed the handles into his gut. Wind ether radiated off his body, concentrating on his fists.
"What is this?" Akhos asked. "Why isn't Obrona'a field doing anything?"
Vandham chuckled. "This ether ain't flowing anywhere but directly into my system..." the man shrugged off the pain. "Nothing you can do to stop this ether flow!"
"He's smart..." Malos said to himself. His eyes darkened. "Too smart."
Vandham had blocked Akhos' swords with his hands, and the man felt another fist hammer into his face. Vandham turned to Malos, as Roc engaged Sever. "The wind blows in my favour, fool!" Roc yelled, kicking the monstrous Blade. Sever laughed madly, as the Blades fought.
Malos infused his fist with more dark ether, and punched Vandham in the stomach. Vandham grabbed the man's arm, and slammed him into the ground. Nia finally felt her healing do something, as she saw Rex's wounds heal over as they watched Vandham take Malos on alone.
Vandham drove his knee into Malos, and he retaliated with a punch to the face. Akhos observed, before turning to the others. "Well, I've quite enjoyed my part in this hackneyed tale... but it's time for the final act." He pointed to the fight. "A deciding fight between two forces, one is sure to fall. Perhaps the same can be said for all of humankind." Vandham was on his last legs, he summoned more wind ether to his fist, but Malos had negated it with a swipe of dark ether. Vandham stumbled backwards. "Run Rex! Get your friends and run! You've got to make it, kid! You've got to go to Elysium!"
Akhos chuckled. "You've seen the capital. The poverty, weapons, soldiers... it's all so that they can kill others." Vandham yelled again "Remember Rex! Remember to fight your war!"
Akhos dramatically pointed to Malos, raising his to tonfa above his head. "Humanity loves nothing if not a little bloodshed!"
And Malos swung.