Rody turned to face Azura, who stood with her hands behind her back, blushing at him. Without hesitation, he drew his sword and summoned a set of Phalanx spears above him, readying for battle. “Get out… of Luna…”

  Azura giggled. “But it’s me, Rody! I am Luna!”

  Rody snapped. “NO YOU’RE NOT! Luna would never do all these horrible things! And Luna’s eyes are the most beautiful blue in the world!” Rody began to wrap himself in the Frost of Teal, the icy energy swirling around him. “God help! Keep my promise to Luna!” Rody charged at Azura, flinging the Phalanx spears at her.

  “Silly Rody, don’t you know? Fire will always! Beats ice!” Azura laughed, wrapping only her fists in red Teal fire. She blocked Rody’s sword swings as their Phalanx spears smashed into each other.

  “AAHH!” Rody cried out in pain from Azura’s flaming counterpunches.

  “I’ll find a way for ice to beat fire!” he shouted, imbuing his sword with the Frost of Teal. He swung the blade across his body, sending a wave of frost hurtling toward Azura. She frowned as the chill extinguished the flames on her hands.

  Rody couldn’t help but smirk as he prepared to strike again.

  “Looks like you’re gonna be more fun than I thought!” Azura laughed, wrapping herself and her katana in red Teal flames.

  She copied his attack using her flaming katana, and the waves of frost and fire met explosively. “You know, Luna’s always wanted to dance with you, Rody! Why don’t you dance with her now?” Azura held her katana in a graceful pose, ready to strike.

  “I will, when I force you out of her!” Rody lunged forward and struck, managing to slash Azura across the thigh.

  “Ow! Rody, why are you hurting me?” Azura asked using Luna’s voice.

  Rody hesitated—just long enough to give Azura an opening. She launched into a flurry of attacks, forcing him to parry and scramble to keep up with her speed. Azura twirled around him in an effortless, brutal dance, striking from every angle and leaving him dizzy.

  Azura toyed with him deliberately, holding back her full power. Even when he left himself open, she didn’t strike right away, only landing a cut every second or third opportunity, savoring the fight as if it were a game. “You’re a wonderful dancer, Rody!” She giggled.

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  “Damnit…” Rody fell to his knees as Azura knocked his sword away and cut him on the legs. Rody thought of Luna’s kind smile, her sky blue eyes, and how she’d been with him every step of his life. His heart ached, and he called out to God. ‘God, please… How do I save Luna…’

  Azura stood over Rody, mocking him. “You see? Ice can’t beat fire!”

  Rody looked up, yearning to see Luna’s comforting eyes one more time—only to be met with the sinister glow of Azura’s. He shut his eyes and let the frost wrap around him, reaching inward, listening for something—anything.

  Then, at last, he heard it. A voice from within that wasn’t his own.

  “That which is born of the flesh is flesh, and that which is born of the Spirit is spirit.”

  Rody opened his eyes, understanding what he needed to do. He slammed his hands to the ground, sending a surge of frost outward as the surface began to freeze beneath them. Azura tilted her head, watching him with curious eyes. “Okay! I’ll play along!” She laughed, creating a firestorm of red Teal fire around herself that pushed against Rody’s frost.

  The frost Rody created across the ground began to melt under Azura’s heat, but he didn’t stop. He pushed the frost deeper into the earth, forcing it outward in every direction. Channeling Teal Waves, he cooled the air around him and far above, until snow began to fall from the darkened sky.

  Rody looked up at Azura, eyes burning with resolve, and called out to Luna.

  “Luna, I have a plan! When I start my attack, move out of the way! Not your body, Luna, your self! I know you understand!”

  “HAHAHA! Your little snowflakes will never quench my fire! You’ll never see Luna again!” Azura grinned down at Rody with a cocky smirk, confident and unshaken.

  Dark clouds rolled in overhead, ushering in strong, freezing winds and heavier snowfall. Rody stood firm as Azura’s words reached his ears, carried on the bitter wind. He rose to his feet without hesitation, pushing forward against the searing pressure of Azura’s flames. Every step was a struggle, the fire biting at his skin, but Rody pressed on. Behind him, a blizzard surged to life, the howling wind and driving snow propelling him forward and battering back Azura’s flames.

  Rody grit his teeth as he felt the burn of Azura’s flames on his hands as he grabbed her face. “Even if I have to turn this whole planet to ice! YOU’RE GIVING LUNA BACK TO ME!” Rody shouted, then wrapped his arms around her as the tremendous blizzard engulfed the city and them. With sheer power and volume, Rody’s frost extinguished Azura’s flames.

  Rody gently brushed the snow from Luna’s hair. He looked down at her, hoping—praying—that she was truly herself again. A sigh of relief escaped him as her perfect sky-blue eyes opened, shining brightly up at him. “Thank you, Rody,” Luna whispered in his ear as she returned his embrace.

  Before either of them could speak, a sudden wave of heat melted the snow around them. Azura stood nearby, laughing as she regenerated her original body. After being forced out of Luna by Rody’s Teal Blizzard, she had slithered into the remaining pool of liquid Teal to reform her physical form. “Surprise! This love triangle isn’t gonna break that easily, ya know! Hahaha!”

  “Let’s attack together while she’s still regenerating!”

  Luna shook her head. “No, I need you to go check on the others.”

  “Luna, I can’t just leave you to fight alone!”

  “It’s okay, Rody. I’ll be fine.” Luna gave Rody a reassuring smile. “I’ll be able to fight much better, knowing you’re checking on them. Please, for me.”

  He begrudgingly agreed. “I’ll come back as soon as I can!”

  Azura completed her regeneration and conjured two new blades, one in each hand, ready to strike again. “Aww! I really like dancing with Rody! Where is he going? Hahaha!”

  Once Rody was out of sight, Luna turned to face Azura. She planted her feet firmly in the ground, gripping her katana with both hands and raising it near her face, the blade pointed straight at her opponent.“Your focus should be on me! I’m going to make sure that I’m the last opponent you ever face!”