The sky over the frozen wastes of Tenebrae turned a sickly shade of red as the Diamond Weapon descended, its massive, crystalline frame dwarfing the train like a god of steel.
The sheer weight of its presence caused the tracks to groan and the air to crystalize.
Theodore stepped out onto the snowy embankment, the wind whipping his coat.
He reached into his inventory, pulling out a weapon that looked entirely out of place in the high-tech world of Eos: the Carian Knight's Sword from the Lands Between.
"9S, keep the perimeter clear,"
Theodore commanded.
"I'm going to take the big guy's head off."
Before charging, Theodore turned to Gladiolus. He tossed a small, glowing vial filled with a shimmering, golden liquid that seemed to defy gravity.
"Catch, Gladio!"
The big man caught the vial, staring at it in confusion. The warmth emanating from the glass was unlike any potion or elixir in Lucis.
"What is this?"
Gladiolus grunted.
"It's a Blessing of Marika,"
Theodore shouted over the roar of the Diamond Weapon's engines.
"Use it on Ignis. If you want to see a miracle, that's it. And hey—you might want to start praying to the woman who made it. She's going to be my wife soon though."
Gladiolus stared at the golden light, then at the blinded Ignis. Without another word, he knelt by his friend.
Theodore turned back to the mechanical titan. The Diamond Weapon charged its chest-cannon, a beam of pure destructive energy beginning to form.
[Skill Activated: Giant Strength]
[Skill Activated: Wind Walk]
Theodore didn't just run; he vanished. Using the 50% speed boost from Wind Walk, he blurred across the snow, dodging the initial thermal blasts. As he closed the distance, he channeled his 950 MP into the Carian blade.
"Let's see how Magitek handles Glintstone Magic!"
Carian Grandeur: Theodore leaped high into the air, the Carian Knight's Sword extending into a massive, blue-glowing ethereal blade of pure mana.
With his STR 10 and the threshold boost, he brought the blade down with the force of a falling star.
The ethereal blade carved through the Diamond Weapon's outer hull like a hot knife through butter.
The Magitek core inside screamed in a digital frequency as the alien mana of the Lands Between forced its way into the circuitry.
Theodore landed on the Weapon's shoulder. He didn't use the sword for the final blow. He placed his palm directly against the primary heat-sink.
"Mana Burst!"
He released a raw explosion of his remaining MP, shattering the internal cooling units.
The Diamond Weapon shuddered, its red eyes flickering and dying as it collapsed into the snow, a smoking mountain of useless scrap.
Back at the train, Gladiolus had poured the Blessing of Marika over Ignis's bandaged eyes.
A blinding, golden light erupted, smelling of Erdleaf flowers and ancient divinity.
Ignis gasped, clutching his head.
The dark, charred skin around his temples began to knit back together.
The scars vanished. When he finally pulled the bandages away, his eyes weren't just healed—they were glowing with a faint, golden hue.
"I can... I can see,"
Ignis whispered, his voice trembling.
"But the world... It looks different. Everything is laced with gold."
"That's the Grace of the Erdtree, Specs,"
9S said, leaning against the train car with a smirk.
"Try not to go 'Maidenless' on us."
Theodore walked back to the group, his MP tank nearly empty but his Mana Recovery already ticking up.
The snow began to swirl into a beautiful, giant feminine form. Shiva, the Glacian, looked down at the group.
She looked at the fallen Diamond Weapon, then at Theodore, and finally at the healed Ignis. A cold, soft smile touched her lips.
"The threads of fate have been severed,"
Shiva's voice echoed in their minds.
"A King who regains his vision. A warrior who wields the power of another world. Perhaps the night will not be eternal after all."
Noctis stood up, looking at his healed brother, Ignis. For the first time since Altissia, the despair in his eyes cracked. He looked at Theodore with a profound, silent respect.
"You really did it,"
Noctis said.
"You healed him."
"Told ya,"
Theodore grinned, wiping frost from his brow.
"Now, we have a boat to catch to Gralea. We're going to get your Crystal back, and we're going to do it with the whole team at 100%."