A taste of blood and ash and desperation!

"You better not stand me up, Morningstar. Or I'll drag you out of whatever hell you end up in just to kick your ass."

"Wouldn't dream of it," Lucifer grinned, though she could see the fear behind his eyes.

With a final, lingering look, Lucifer turned back to Xavier. The Divine Templar had already begun to chant, his body taking on a faint glow. Lucifer took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and reached deep within himself.

"Ezra," Xavier called out, his voice strained. "We'll need time. Can you hold them off?"

Ezra nodded grimly, raising Monsoon. "I'll buy you as much as I can. Just... just don't fuck this up."

As Xavier and Lucifer began their desperate ritual, Ezra threw herself into the fray with like she was possessed. Monsoon became a blur of bluish-silver, each strike aimed to maim, to kill, to buy precious seconds.

A massive brute, more muscle than brains, charged towards the chanting pair. Ezra met its rush head-on, ducking under a meaty fist and hamstringing it in one fluid motion. As it fell, she leapt onto its back, driving Monsoon through its skull and into the concrete below.

Pain blossomed across her ribs as a barbed tail caught her mid-leap. Ezra hit the ground rolling, coming up in time to relieve the offending demon of both its tail and its head. Blood – her own and that of her enemies – stung her eyes, but she didn't dare take a moment to wipe it away.

Behind her, she could hear Xavier's chanting growing louder, more frantic. The air crackled with building energy, making her hair stand on end. She risked a glance back and immediately wished she hadn't.

Lucifer was... changing. Light poured from his eyes and mouth, his skin taking on a bright sheen. He looked both beautiful and terrifying, like staring into the heart of a star. Xavier stood before him, arms outstretched, his body trembling as he struggled to contain and direct the immense power flowing through him.

A high-pitched keening drew Ezra's attention back to the battle at hand. A swarm of winged monstrosities descended upon her, all razor-sharp claws and gnashing teeth. She met them with a snarl of her own, Monsoon cleaving through leathery wings and spindly limbs.

One got past her guard, sinking needle-like fangs into her shoulder. Ezra screamed in pain and fury, grabbing the creature by its elongated neck and squeezing until something snapped. She hurled its limp body into the oncoming horde, buying herself a precious moment to catch her breath.

The chanting behind her reached a fever pitch. Ezra chanced another look and felt her breath catch in her throat. Lucifer was no longer recognizable as human. He had become a being of pure light, his form barely contained by Xavier's straining will.

"Ezra!" Xavier's voice was raw, filled with effort and pain. "We're ready! Get clear!"

Ezra didn't need to be told twice. She disemboweled the nearest demon and sprinted towards them, vaulting over twisted bodies and dodging grasping claws.

As she reached them, Xavier raised his hands towards the rift. What happened next was beyond Ezra's wildest imaginings.

Light exploded from Lucifer – not the measly white flame she was used to, but something purer, more primal. It was the light of creation itself, the raw power that had birthed stars and shaped galaxies.

Xavier screamed as the energy coursed through him, his body barely containing the immense power. Ezra could see his skin cracking, golden light spilling from the fissures. His bones were visible through his flesh, glowing like hot iron.

A beam of concentrated light shot forth from Xavier's outstretched hands, striking the rift dead center. The portal buckled and warped, reality itself seeming to bend around the point of impact. Demons caught in the crossfire were simply erased from existence, their forms unable to withstand the cosmic energies at play.

Ezra shielded her eyes, the light too intense to look at directly. She could hear Lucifer's labored breathing, feel the strain as he poured every ounce of his being into the effort. The ground beneath their feet shook violently, great cracks spider-webbing across the concrete.

For a moment that stretched into eternity, the outcome hung in the balance. Then, with a sound like the universe itself sighing in relief, the rift began to close.

Reality snapped back into place with an almost audible 'pop.' The unnatural darkness that had blanketed Paradise City dissipated, revealing a sky turning pink with the first light of dawn.

As the light faded, Ezra lowered her arm to see Lucifer swaying on his feet. He looked... diminished somehow, as if the act of channeling so much power had burned away something essential. Xavier had collapsed to his knees, steam rising from his body like a roasted chicken. His priestly robes had been reduced to ash, leaving him naked and covered in an intricate network of golden scars.

"We... we did it," Lucifer managed, his voice barely above a whisper. "Holy shit, we actually did it."

Ezra rushed to his side, supporting him as his legs threatened to give out. "You did it," she corrected, unable to keep the pride from her voice. "You saved us all, you magnificent bastard."

As the first rays of sunlight broke over the horizon, painting Paradise City in a warm, golden glow, Ezra felt a surge of... something. Not quite hope – she was too cynical, had seen too much shit for that. But maybe a grudging belief that they could face all odds.

The Prince of Darkness and his Sword Saint. Saviors of Paradise City. Covered in blood and other fluids she didn't want to think too hard about.

Ezra looked at Lucifer, took in his exhausted but triumphant expression, and made a decision. Without a word, she grabbed him by the tattered remains of his shirt and pulled him into a fierce kiss.

It wasn't gentle. It wasn't sweet. It tasted of blood and ash and desperation. Lucifer's arms came up to encircle her as he returned the kiss with equal fervor.

It didn't have to be sweet, it just felt right!

***