It wasn't long before Noctis was separated from Gladio and Ignis due to the wrecked train on the tracks. It also only took Ardyn a few minutes to begin taunting him. He gripped (Y/n)'s sword tightly as he insulted the chancellor before continuing to proceed forward. He reaches another wrecked train car when daemons began swarming him. He sliced down a few and created an opening for him to run.

Noctis manages to make it into a now derelict building where he stops to catch his breath. After a moment, he drops to one knee, reaches into his pocket, and pulls out something clenched in his fist. He slowly opens his palm to reveal the Ring of Lucii. His hands begin to shake as he stares at it and he grunts rapidly, as though wracked with pain. He unsteadily slides the ring onto his finger, roaring in pain and his eyes briefly glowing red as he succeeds in this struggle. Catching his breath once again, Noctis stares at the ring of his ancestors, flexes his hand, and rises from his knees. "The time has come."

Switching between the Ring and War's sword, Noctis destroyed any daemons that targeted him. He made his way towards Zegnautus Keep. He eventually found the elevator leading to the Keep. However, daemons poured out of the lift when the doors opened.

Once killing the enemies, Noctis boarded the elevator and rides it up to Zegnautus Keep. When he stepped off the elevator, he heard Ardyn taunting him again. He tried his best to ignore the chancellor as he walked the halls of the Keep.

When rounding one corner, he spots Ardyn at the other end of the hall walking away from a downed magitek trooper. He quickly hid once seeing the lifeless machine stand, taking a zombie-like posture. He sneaks by the rogue axeman, only to stumble into more further down the hallway.

After some time, Noctis starts to see and hear Prompto. Every time he tried to help his best friend, he was greeted by a lifeless magitek. The prince realized Ardyn was playing more tricks on him and he was becoming frustrated.

Using the keycard he recently upgraded, Noctis takes the elevator to an upper level and proceeds across a bridge leading to the central lift. He carefully made his way across a catwalk towards a control panel for the central elevator. He tried to use his upgraded keycard, but it didn't work. "Gotta find a way to make it move."

"Try this."

Noctis was startled by the voice and spun around, coming face to face with Death. He stared into her golden eyes for a few seconds before looking down at what she was offering him. It was another keycard. "Well, uh...thanks." Using the generator keycard, he was able to activate the control panel and give power to the elevator.

The two begin to make their way back across the catwalk towards the central elevator. They didn't make it far before a gargantua daemon suddenly lands on the platform just beyond the end of the catwalk. "The hell?" Noctis glared at the enemy.

Death went to summon her scythe the moment the gargantua raises its sword. She went to attack the daemon, but the daemon brings its sword down and shatters the catwalk. The Horseman and Noctis fall into the depths of Zegnautus Keep.

As they fell, Noctis gripped (Y/n)'s blade tightly. He focused on what she taught him and wrapped an arm around Death's waist before tossing the blade. He warped the moment the sword embedded into the wall, taking the girl with him. They both looked up to see how far they fell. "Damn..." Noctis cursed.

Death looked down. "There's still quite a fall left."

The boy also looked down and grimaced at the sight. He thought for a few seconds until he steeled himself and prepared to warp a second time. "Hold on," he told the girl before yanked the blade out of the wall. Adjusting their position, he tossed the blade downward. It lodged itself into the ground and the familiar sensation of warping filled his being.

Warping to the bottom of the central shaft, Noctis sighed in relief and released Death. "You okay?"

"I'm fine all thanks to you." She looked around, noticing the large pile of debris and the bodies of imperial troopers. When seeing a familiar figure among the dead, she frowned. "Oh, no..."

Noctis followed her gaze and spotted the body of Ravus. What else caught his attention was the deceased man's severed mechanical arm still clinging to the haft of the late King Regis' sword. The blade stands impaled in the floor beside Ravus' corpse. Noctis gazes at the dead high commander in silent sadness.

After a moment, he reaches out toward the haft of his father's sword. At his touch, Ravus' severed arm falls to land on the first son of Tenebrae's chest. Noctis pulls his hand back from the weapon, taking a moment to first kneel beside Ravus and look upon his face a final time. Finally, the prince stands and grasps his father's royal arm, pulling it free.

Death walked over to War's blade and did the same. She gazed sorrowfully at the black and crimson weapon. Noctis peered over at her before making his way over. "We'll get (Y/n) back."

She smiled at him. "I know we will." She switched out her scythe, deciding to use her sister's sword. "Let's get moving. We have to find your friends."

Joining forces, Noctis and Death make their way through Zegnautus Keep. They continued to listen to Ardyn taunt them both over the loudspeaker. At one point, the sable-haired girl summoned War's blade and impaled the loudspeaker, silencing the man for a short while. She sighed contently. "Finally, some peace and quiet."

"Until we come across another loudspeaker," Noctis said.

"Then I'll destroy that one, too."

He smirked at her reply before returning his focus to searching for the others.

Deeper into Zegnautus Keep, they were soon being stalked by the foras daemon. The duo kept on their toes while proceeding forward. They fell into a few of Ardyn's traps, but there was one they walked right into that proved to be difficult to escape. Translucent, electrified doors close at either end of the hallway and begin closing in on Noctis and Death. The magitek troopers on the floor rose and set their sights on the duo.

"Didn't see that coming!" Noctis snarled.

"A little pain never hurt anyone. On you go. Hurry. While you dawdle, people are dying," Ardyn said.

"We've really gone and done it now."

Death summoned (Y/n)'s blade and killed the magiteks. "We're not giving up."

Ignis' voice suddenly calls out from the other end of the hallway in the direction Noctis and Death had been going. "Noct? Is that you?"

"Hey! Noct! Can you hear us?" Gladio asked.

"Ignis, Gladio!" The prince shouted.

"Where are you?" The tactician inquired.

Gladio is able to see through the doors at the other end of the hallway. He takes notice of Noctis' and Death's situation. The doors have almost finished closing in on them. He went to search for a way to save the two, but he stopped when seeing the Horseman create a hole in one of the doors. She gritted her teeth when feeling the electricity course through her body, but she fought through the pain and absorbed it. Weakly, she lowers the blade as Noctis leaps through the hole she created. She followed him, crumpling on the floor beside him. She breathed heavily, her body healing itself.

Noctis places a hand on her shoulder. "Thanks for the save."

She managed a small smile. "Consider it payback for saving me from that fall earlier."

He stood up, helping the Horseman to her feet. He then looked over at Ignis and Gladio. "How'd you guys get here?"

"After we were separated, we received "help" from the usual suspect," Ignis stated.

"That bastard's playing with us. But at least we're together," Gladio said.

"All but two of us."

Just then, Ardyn's voice rung out from the loudspeaker. "Reunited with your retainers at last. How very touching. Must be a fine feeling, having friends. Look how happy you are! I pray you find your dear Prompto soon. And you mustn't forget the lovely (Y/n). It's impolite to keep a lady waiting."

Gladio glared at the loudspeaker at hearing the chancellor mention the girl. "Damn bastard."

"Once we find Prompto, we'll search for War. She doesn't have much time left," Death said.

"Then let's hurry."

She smirked at the trio. "I've a feeling someone else is going to find him before us."

"What?" Noctis asked.

"Famine," Ignis answered.

"Speaking of her..." Death's voice trailed off when she could sense her sister's location. "Follow me."

Noctis, Ignis, and Gladio followed the girl through the hallways of the Keep. They followed her to an elevator, where they headed up to the cell block. There, they found Famine helping Prompto out of a cell. The three boys make their over to the sharpshooter.

"Hey, you alright?" Gladio asked.

"Are you hurt? Do you need help?" Ignis inquired.

"I'm fine," Prompto said as Famine released him. He stumble towards them and almost tripped, but  Noctis caught him. "Thank you, Noct. Tell me. Were you worried about me?"

"Of course I was. What kind of question is that?" Noctis retorts.

Prompto managed to steady himself with his best friend's help. "Of course. That's why you came, like I believed you would."

"Prompto..."

"That's why I told myself I couldn't die. Not until I could see you and hear you tell me I'm not a fake—that I'm the real me."

"I'm sorry," Noctis muttered melancholically.

Prompto shook his head. "Don't be. Everything's alright now."

Once the two boys separated, Famine provided healing for the blonde. Seeing the minor cuts and bruises heal, she smiled at him. "There, all better."

Prompto smiled back at her. "Thank you."

"Well then, now that we're all together, our next move should be finding War," Death said.

"About that..." Noctis trailed off.

"We don't have weapons," Gladio said.

The sable-haired girl blinked in surprise. That's when she remembers Noctis only had her sister's sword with him earlier. "That is a problem..."

"I propose we search the area," Ignis suggested.

"It couldn't hurt," Famine said.

"Then let's look around," Noctis stated.

The group make their way back toward the central area of this level of Zegnautus Keep after rescuing Prompto. It wasn't long before Ignis stopped them. "Noct, do you hear that?"

"Hear what?" Noctis asked, looking toward his advisor.

"I've heard this sound before—on the train, just before your weapons failed you. It's nearby, and it may hold the key to restoring your power." The six of them make their way across the catwalk leading to the central area of this level of the Keep. They come to a halt in front of a room sealed with large metal doors. "It's here," Ignis said.

Noctis approaches the metal doors in the center of the enormous room. "This thing?" He places his hand against one of the doors and tried to open it, but both were tightly sealed. "Door's locked."

"It's coming from within. Is there no way through?" Ignis questioned.

"There's a way," Prompto solemnly said. All eyes were on him as he hesitantly steps up to the door's scanner and raises the back of his right wrist to it. As the doors slide open, he resumes speaking while staring off into the room, unable to make eye contact with the others. "So, MTs... They've got those codeprints...just like I do."

"Do they? Never looked," Noctis said, unfazed.

"Yeah... So, as it turns out...I'm one of them. Not exactly something I could tell people growing up in Lucis." Prompto is fighting back tears, but continues speaking. "Still... You guys are like...the only friends I've ever known. I just hope that things can stay the way they were."

"Whatever. Who cares where you were born?"

"I don't see you turning against us. Not now, or ever," Ignis stated.

"Thanks, guys. Still...I can't change where I came from. What I am," Prompto mumbled.

"Since when does where you come from matter to you?" Noctis asked. "You never once treated me as a prince." He playfully punches Prompto's shoulder.

"He's got you there," Gladio chimed in.

"Never so much as a "Highness"," Ignis added.

"We're done here. C'mon, crown citizen," Noctis said.

Gladio steps over to Ignis to help guide him into the room. He gives Prompto's shoulder a friendly smack as they walk past. "You're one of us, right?"

Ignis stops and turns back towards the marksman. "Unless you'd rather not be."

Prompto smiles with a nod. Before following them, Famine walked up to him. She playfully nudges him in the side. "I bet that's a weight off your shoulders."

"I do feel a lot better," he confessed.

He and Famine follow the others into the room. Inside it, they find the emperor's abandoned clothing laying upon the throne. They also find a large bank of computers, which are the cause of Noctis' lost powers. Without hesitating, the raven-haired boy rams his father's sword through the machines.

"So...did it work?" Prompto asked.

"With the device down and out, Noct's power should be up and running," Ignis answered.

"Go on, try it," Gladio told Noctis.

"Alright. Moment of truth." Noctis holds out his hand and conjures a sword. Prompto claps in celebration.

"We're back, baby," Gladio smirked. "Now we can hunt down that damned monster."

Noctis nodded in agreement. "Let's roll."

The moment the group left the emperor's throne room, the gargantua daemon that caused Noctis and Death to fall earlier lands on the platform in front of them. It's quickly joined by other daemons, who begin manifesting. "Not you again," Noctis groaned.

"New friend?" Prompto inquired.

"You really need to pick 'em better," Gladio chuckled.

Before the boys could even summon their weapons, Famine casted a powerful lightning spell. Myriads of lightning bolts manifested from thin air and struck the daemons. Many of the weaker ones perished from the spell while the fewer strong ones remained. The golden-haired girl stepped forward in front of the group as the remaining enemies recovered from the spell. "I'll handle these guys. You all need to find War. She's running out of time."

"But..." Prompto began.

She sent a smile his way. "I'll be fine."

Gladio lowered his hand. "Where do we even begin?"

"The last I saw the dullahan it was wandering around the lower levels of the Keep. Start there. I'll meet up with you all once I've dealt with these guys."

"Be careful," the sharpshooter said.

"Let's go." Noctis led everyone but Famine out of the enormous room. They returned to the elevator and immediately ride it to the lower levels of Zegnautus Keep.

As the lift carried them down, Gladio felt an intense burning sensation in his pocket. He winced from the extreme heat and quickly took out what the cause was. It was the summoning orb. The shield was unable to hold it any longer and accidentally dropped it. "Damn..." He tried to pick it up, but Death stopped him.

"Wait," she held up her hand. Squatting down, she watched the orb closely as it began rolling around.

Prompto lifted his foot to allow the orb to roll by. "What's going on?"

"It's going crazy," Noctis commented when the orb picked up speed.

"It's never done that before," Gladio said.

The closer the elevator got to the lower levels, the faster the orb rolled around. Death promptly caught it as the lift door slid open. She wasn't bothered by the burning sensation, her minor injuries healing within seconds. "War's using what strength she has left to call upon the orb." She stepped off, the light the scarlet orb was emitting growing brighter. "We're on the right track."

"Does this mean we're gonna use it like a tracking device?" Prompto questioned.

Death smirked. "Exactly. Follow me, everyone."

Noctis, Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis followed Death through the halls of the lower level of Zegnautus Keep. She held up the orb, watching it closely whenever they turned a corner or passed a room. Whenever they stumbled across splitting paths, she would hold the orb up higher. She walked a little ways down each path to see the orb's reaction. The path she always chose was the one where the orb's light would intensify.

Eventually, Death led them into a large hangar-like room. She quickly pushed everyone behind a large pile of wooden crates when she smelt a foul odor. She noticed the orb's light vanished, it no longer being hot to the touch. She handed it back to Gladio, who put it back into his pocket.

Peering out from behind the crates, Death scanned the hangar. Her golden eyes bounced around until she saw a black puddle materialize in the middle of the hangar. Her eyes narrowed when the dullahan emerged from the inky substance. Its body was much larger and the armor it once adorned now was gone.

Gladio has also been peeking out from their hiding spot. He glared daggers at the grotesque monster. Raising his hand, he went to summon his greatsword. Death saw this and promptly stopped him. "Don't even think about it," she whispered.

"Why?" The brute growled. "We're here to kill it, aren't we? It's got its damn head with it. It'll be easy."

"I know you want to get War back, but running out there and attacking blindly is careless. You won't be risking not only our lives, but War's as well. She's inside that thing. If you swing wildly, you risk hurting her. In her current weakened state, heavy injuries to her body won't heal and she will die."

Prompto swallowed the lump in his throat. "(Y/n)'s inside that thing...?"

Gladio lowered his hand. He desperately wanted (Y/n) back safe and sound. "Fine. What's your plan?"

She was grateful he listened to her. "All right. Listen closely..."