Chapter 16

Before them was Solaris, who once started as a tiny flame was now a monster of light. It was possibly representing the Beast itself; this form could've been Satan's true one, the most beautiful angel but the most evil entity in this world. Solaris began the attack by hurling meteors with his telekinesis, in which the trio dodged as Shadow did a Turbo Boost to get near the core, making the first strike.

But before Shadow could strike again, Solaris launched a deadly laser that targeted Aloy and Zay at the first bead of sight. Then, the light shells blocked the core. "We have to break those shells to get to its core, otherwise we won't win!" Aloy suggested. Six light shells were protecting the core, and would possibly be broken from a meteor being knocked back. "Shadow, use Chaos Spear to break through his shell, Aloy, just make sure the core is open. I'll blind him." Zay ordered his team. Shadow prepared the Chaos Emeralds' power and Aloy was attempting to open the core of Solaris. Meanwhile, Zay was dodging lasers that shot directly from the core. While they missed, Shadow had to be careful otherwise he could be severely injured. Back down on the ground where the fight was raging to unstable levels, the Resistance air fleet was sending in their most dangerous airships in; the Dorito Silencers.

They had deadly laser cannons that were filled with plasma energy and shot through the monsters, disintegrating them from existence. At this point, more allies and troops were marching in and shot at Solaris. Zay figured that their attacks could just crack the shells, because it never said anything about regular tools and standard damage breaking them. But this caused Zay to be distracted as Solaris hurled a meteor directly at him, but Aloy managed to block it, and broke two of the six light shells in the process when being knocked back. "You're lucky seeing a friendly face is something. Even with us and Shadow."

Aloy winked before focusing back onto the fight. Shadow performed a Turbo Boost near the side of Solaris to avoid being hit by a retaliate. Little did Solaris know the back of the core remained unprotected, as Shadow performed a Chaos Spear and tore through. This caused Solaris to lose its flight and began falling through the air, screeching from pain of its core being torn. That was when the Death Dorito grabbed ahold of Solaris and in the matter of seconds, tore the spirit in half. Now the two spirits of Gaia and Iblis were released back into the world.

Gaia's jagged jaw opened up to expose multiple eyes and two more arms. The tentacles around swung to create a forcefield to protect it from damage. Iblis was more human-like with grown arms and legs with no feet, and a less armored head but larger horns grew on its back and sides of its head, and grew a gigantic tail. Instead of two reptilian eyes, a third one was grown on its forehead. "But we destroyed the core of Solaris!" Aloy exclaimed by surprise of the alternative result. Apparently, there was a proper way to kill Solaris: the super users killing Solaris itself. Without it or just a regular tool tearing it apart, the spirits remained standing and could remerge back.

Radkon was fighting off more of the enemies of Dark Warriors and Iblis' minions. "Attempting to rip Solaris in half only releases Gaia and Iblis in perfect forms. We'll become their dinner tonight!" Blackheart was grabbing Dark Warriors in the grasp of the Phantom Ruby as the Resistance attacked. "Hold them off as much as possible, I'll help Aloy destroy Iblis. Zay and Shadow, you kill Gaia." He ordered everyone. "Because this is going to be a devastating fight." Zay and Shadow flew up to Gaia as more meteors spawned into existence. "Get ready for the big finish!" Zay said, flying around the objects that were in the air to make way for the Resistance Air Fleet and Pirates charging in. The fight was reaching its apex now, and the survivors of Westopolis were dying quickly in the matter of hot seconds.

"I require a report on the number of people who couldn't evacuate in time!" Mustapha called on the communicator radio. "More than 95% of them. Those four are our only hope now," Radkon replied. "Sorry, Zero. We tried all we could." Marie said, as Zay told them not to worry. "You've done plenty enough already. Focus attack on Gaia and Iblis, and I'll engage forces in Westopolis."  Shadow said, dashing to the central area, where he dove down and ducked from a horde of lasers that the forces of Gaia and Iblis were firing. He dropped in to see G.U.N soldiers putting a heavy firefight against the Dark Warriors. "Shadow, glad you came! Help us out with these creatures. They're rampaging this city." The mayor of Westopolis met up with Shadow, still in his Super transformation, and informed him on how the city was tearing down. "I'll take care of them."

Shadow replied, avoiding the fireballs Iblis spawned and hurled. There he was, boosting down the crumbling road and crashing through the Dark Warriors. Shadow didn't feel pity for their tactics. "Stupid formations, won't block any ants to crush." He scoffed. "What the heck? The monsters are being more mass-produced now?!" TheMightyA said on the communicators. "I'm not one to complain, but why's there a giant white hole in the blood red sky up above!" Shadow looked up to see the sky opening up a white hole and even more monsters fell out from above. One landed on a car, crushing it flat and rammed another out of its way with a giant fist. Shadow knew that whatever he was doing, he had to hurry up. As he was fighting more, he heard a familiar voice that he believed had to be dead for so long.

"Shadow...These pathetic friends of yours must pay for what they've done." It shook his brain, causing him to almost miss a Chaos Blast, but he refocused and kept moving. He kept running insane of what was talking to him. Perhaps it was Gaia or Iblis' power that could mess one's perception of sanity...or a long lost nemesis. Shadow stopped to see a large humanoid wearing heavy armor and almost pale skin. It wielded a large battle axe and began swinging it in circles, wishing to kill Shadow.

But he missed, and Shadow performed a Chaos Spear, quickly defeating the monster in the matter of minutes. "You were a false idol, Shadow. Just give up your sanity, it's letting people pass you on the streets...like how you always were known to be: denied." Shadow lost control of his emotions, unclenching his fists and falling to the ground from flying Super, feet first. In the matter of seconds, a deafening screech emerged in his head, which Shadow believed everyone could hear but they weren't. He was going insane, and was hoping to kill anybody who stood upon him.

His quills went completely dark blue with a black and red aura surrounding him. His pupils and irises wisped from his eyes, and he growled with an evil grin of amusement. He flew up and went directly to Gaia who was close to Iblis. "Now, we merge and finish what they expected from us." Iblis cackled. "Not on our watch!" Blackheart said, releasing a wave of heavy energy with the Phantom Ruby, attempting to lock the merge. The cryptic magenta colored aura was all around them, meaning it was working. "This has to end it now!" But somehow, Gaia's superstength broke through the force and severely knocked down Blackheart out of the sky and to the ground, wounding him all around. "Requiring a medic, Blackheart's down!" Epic101 called on the communicators. At this point, they were flooded with conversations of everyone calling for help and reinforcements. "Oscar Mike, they're attacking...Where' Shadow?...Protocol 99, we need all available soldiers...The enemy broke through! Fall back." 

Zay was worried about the Resistance finally dying for good to such evil. That was when Shadow was flying in with the dark blue color, growling in anger and began forcefully attacking Gaia by bashing into the eyes that were opened, closing one by one. He bounced from eye to eye, and knocked Gaia. But it was too late. Gaia was in the middle of merging with Iblis to reform Solaris. A while light blinded everyone. "What is it now?! All our forces are dealing with their minions!" Aggie asked in surprise of the blinding white light. The light then cleared and there was Solaris again. "This flying creature of light just won't stay dead!" Blackheart exclaimed. "I hate to butt in on your speech, Blackheart, but that's a superdimensional spirit that can resurrect itself. Of course it's cranking out more forces until it dies!"

Vivala replied on the communication radio. And that was all true. Solaris would continuously crank out more monsters until it finally died. Therefore, a huge doubt that the Resistance would win was in everyone's thoughts. Ice Warriors and the Redemption Force tired them out so much that they lost the conditions to fight. Aloy, Shadow, Zay and Blackheart flew up for round 2 with Solaris. With the Chaos Emeralds and the Phantom Ruby, this fight had to be theirs. More meteors and lasers were shot around and the Phantom Ruby was slowly losing power. Blackheart ignored the pains that were small but grew bigger and was too much for the creation. "Guys, we must do a Turbo boost into its core as a team! It's the only way to save me as the gem is running out of power. Sooner or later, if it fades, so do I." Blackheart told Zay.

His ears perked down in sadness and told him that he didn't want to leave this world. "Everyone, get ready for a Turbo boost as a team!" Aloy said to Shadow as they all boosted around Solaris, breaking the light shells hurling themselves into them with the meteors. "The core's exposed now! There's nothing that the Resistance can't do. Doritos win again; quadruple boost!" Zay announced as Blackheart, Aloy and Shadow joined and spun in a circle, before boosting into the core of Solaris. Its wings stopped flapping and it released shots of light all around and exploded, shooting mysterious trails of energy of white and light purple. The spirits have been erased from existence and Dark Warriors retreated. The monsters they were fighting suddenly disappeared and the sky of blood red light came back to the full moon slowly setting as the sun of orange and blue light began to shine over the damage of what was caused.

Apparently and fortunately, the survivors escaped in time. "Alright, we won everyone!" Rah announced, as the soldiers of the Doritos Empire roared in victory and hype. Shadow, Aloy, Zay and Blackheart floated down but he fell to his knees, grasping the Phantom Ruby that was emitting a cryptic aura. "Uh oh. It's happening." Blackheart whispered and almost couldn't form words. "The Phantom Ruby has run out of energy. There was no power source it could rely on. I'm afraid we have to let him go." Radkon said in sorrow. Tears filled the eyes of many around Blackheart as he failed forming words. All he let out were mumbles of pain. He suddenly floated up in the air, his arms and head hung low and towards the ground.

The Phantom Ruby tried powering more but hurt Blackheart, as he suddenly released a trace of energy that formed an infinity sign in the air in front of him. "You guys were one of the greatest I could fight with, and that's what I'll never forget you for. Take care, everyone. Even you, Zay. I'll always be here with you." Blackheart said in his last whisper of life, giving one last fist bump to Zay, Shadow and Aloy before he floated up more and faded in a magenta aura. His eye sockets closed more as he floated and as they closed, he was gone. Zay tried reaching up to him, but he was out of existence now and the sun was rising up to broad daylight. "Aw, cheer up guys. I'm sure we'll run into him again." Marie told them. "Hang on, what about when Solaris was just a little flare? We could go back to that time! Do you know which time, Marie?" Aloy asked her when she heard that Solaris was a candle created more than 15 years ago.