The floating barrier surrounding Elion drifted lower as Melroy came to a stop in the sky. His body swayed faintly, barely held upright by the final traces of strength flowing through him.
His remaining eye moved across the destroyed land. He noticed Asmodeus lying half-dead on the ground.
He noticed Zenith standing over him, surrounded by an aura so powerful that the land itself seemed to bend around her.
Then he noticed Elion floating nearby, protected within the barrier by the same powerful energy rolling off the woman's frame.
Melroy smiled faintly.
"Ahhh…" he breathed with great difficulty. "So I wasn't too late." His voice sounded weak and raspy. Nothing like the booming, confident voice Elion had grown used to hearing.
"I came here as fast as I could, you see."
He coughed, and a thick mouthful of blood spilled from his lips and fell through the air.
"The little bastard got us…" Melroy continued hoarsely. "But we ended up winning in the end."
His smile widened slightly.
