Amongst the shouting cultists, Prompto ran through them and headed to where the drop ship pieces were. Half of the ship smashed through the southern wall while the other half crashed a few yards from the same wall. Smaller pieces of metal were scattered around the fort from the immense explosion. He knew the lightning belonged to (Y/n) by how powerful the strike was.

"(Y/n)!" He shouted as he checked the debris for his lover. He received no response, but that didn't stop him from searching. Avoiding the flames, he checked under the pieces of metal thoroughly before moving on to the next half of the ship. Treading lightly, he avoided the large pieces of concrete that were in the ship due to where it crashed in the southern wall.

While searching for Famine amongst the remains of the drop ship, a sudden chill shot down his spine as the temperature dropped all around him. Not even the flames erupting from the destroyed ship warmed him. Alongside the chill, he noticed the entire fort had gone silent. All the screaming and echoes of running footsteps were no more.

Prompto's brows knitted together in confusion as he jumped down from the debris and scanned the interior of the fort. He gasped when he saw all the cult members were encased in ice, resembling sculptures. He weaves through a few frozen cultists before stopping in his tracks when he heard a heavy sigh. "Dear Astrals, I think I went overboard with the ice..."

The blonde searched the sea of ice sculptures for the owner of the voice and found (Y/n) standing a few yards away, glancing around at the frozen men and women. He kicked into high-gear and ran to her. When he reached her, he nearly tackled her to the ground as he embraced her from behind. He heard her gasp as he buried his face into the crook of her neck. "Thank the Six..." He sighed, his warm breath grazing against her neck.

She wiggles around in his arms until she was facing him. "Are you okay? Ardyn threw you pretty hard."

"I'm fine," he reassures. "W-What about you? How'd you survive the explosion?"

"Oh, that was thanks to—"

"Moi," a feminine voice giggled. Prompto lifted his head and spotted Pestilence a few feet away. "Barriers are one of my specialties."

Suddenly, the door leading to the underground portion of the fort swung open. Gladio's and Ignis' eyes widen as they see all the frozen cultists. "What the hell...?" The shield muttered in bewilderment.

"(Y/n) may have put too much mana into her ice spell," Pestilence smiled at the two men.

"I've no idea how you can control a vast amount of mana," Famine sighed. "I'll leave the spells to you."

"So, uh..." Prompto glanced around at the frozen bodies. "What're we gonna do with them?"

"Just leave 'em," Gladio said. "They're lucky to still be alive."

"Wait..." Ignis called out to them. "Do you hear that?"

All eyes fell on the advisor. Pestilence blinked owlishly in confusion and tilted her head slightly. "What do you hear, Ignis?"

"A low growling," he replied, glancing around the fort. "It sounds rather familiar."

"This fort might hold more secrets than we know. Let's look around to see what else is hidden from plain sight," (Y/n) said. The others agreed and split into two groups—Prompto and Famine together with Gladio, Ignis, and Pestilence forming the other.

The gunslinger and the golden-haired Horseman searches the western and southern portions of Fort Vaullerey while Gladio, Ignis, and Pestilence checked the eastern and northern parts.

An hour passed as they checked every nook and cranny. While checking one of the walls, (Y/n) discovered a small indenture that blended in with the wall. She called Prompto over before pushing against the indenture and listened as a mechanism was triggered. Stone grinding against stone caught their attention as they saw the wall in front of them recede, revealing a hidden passage. The couple exchanged baffled expressions, admiring their discovery.

"What else is this place hiding?" Prompto murmured.

"I'll get the others," (Y/n) said before dashing off to find her sister and the two other men. When she did, she told them of her and Prompto's discovery and they all ran to where the hidden passage was. They entered the narrow space, following the dark path. Luckily, they had their flashlights to illuminate their surroundings.

"An elevator?" Pestilence asked as they reached the end of the hidden passageway.

"Wonder where it goes," Prompto pondered.

"Only one way to find out," Gladio said. "Hop aboard." He pushed open the gate and the five of them stepped onto the elevator. Once everyone was on, he closed the gate and pressed the button.

With a screech, the elevator shook side to side before descending. (Y/n) unconsciously stepped closer to Prompto and hugged his arm, snuggling into his side as the lift continued to shake as they delved deeper underground.

"This elevator is certainly carrying us to the depths of Eos. We might even see King Aeshema," Pestilence teased.

"Is Hell really just fire and brimstone?" Gladio questioned the snowy-haired Horseman.

"Far from it," she replies. "It's very..."

"Bland and ashy," Famine finishes her sister's sentence.

"Exactly. Gray and lifeless, even with all the souls of the damned floating around and wandering the corridors. At least King Aeshema has a decent palace. It adds some life to Hell, especially with how crazy of a decorator he is."

"What about the Inner Sanctum? What's that like?" Prompto asked.

"Besides the monsters, the Inner Sanctum is quite gorgeous. Thriving forests, beautiful beaches, a vast ocean, and magnificent waterfalls. The only structure you'll find in the entirety of the Inner Sanctum is the alcazar we call home," (Y/n) answered. "You'd have a field day with your camera."

Prompto glanced down at the floor of the elevator as he asked his next question. "What's the possibility of me seeing your home, (Y/n)?"

Famine's eyes widen a fraction, replaying his words in her head to make sure she hadn't misheard him. "You... want to visit the Inner Sanctum?"

The blonde nodded with a small smile. "Well, yeah. I've been curious about it ever since you mentioned it after the attack on Altissia. And now that I've got somewhat of an image of what it looks like, I really wanna see it for myself."

(Y/n)'s mouth opened and closed a few times before she was able to answer him. "I-I don't know, Prom. A human's never stepped foot in the Inner Sanctum. Who knows what will happen to your body, physically and mentally."

Prompto's smile morphed into a sorrowful frown. "Y-Yeah. I never even thought of what could happen to me. I guess I leapt before I looked."

Famine felt her heart ache at hearing and seeing the melancholy. She looked away, unable to withstand looking at his dejected expression. "I'm sorry, Prompto," she whispered.

The sharpshooter shook his head. "Nah. Don't apologize, (Y/n). I know you're just looking out for me." He pulled his arm free of her grip and wrapped it around her waist, pulling her into a side hug and nuzzling his nose against her cheek.

Pestilence smiled from ear to ear at the scene. She placed her hands together, entwined her fingers, and leaned her cheek against her hands. "Aw, how sweet. I'm jealous of the zealous between you two."

The elevator suddenly jolted to a halt, alerting the group. Ignis raised his flashlight a little to see where the lift had carried them. "It appears to be another narrow passage."

The low howl the advisor heard earlier echoed through the passageway. (Y/n)'s eyes widened when she recognized the sound. "Hold on a sec... That's the Gashadokuro. How did—? What is—?"

"Wanna bet the chancellor is behind this?" Gladio glanced at Famine.

She sighed with closed eyes. "I wouldn't be surprised..." She opened her eyes, staring down the passageway. "After five years, he makes another appearance."

"Let's not fret over the chancellor. Right now, we've a monster to deal with," Pestilence stated.

Ignis opened the gate and gestured to the darkness before them. "Onward, then."

They stepped off the lift and walked down the lengthy, narrow passageway. As the monster's cry crescendoed, they noticed the pathway began to lighten up. When they reached the end, the passage opened up into a large room dimly lit by torches. Along the stone walls were symbols drawn with chalk alongside splotches of blood.

Walking further into the immense chamber, the amount of blood increased. In the middle of the room was none other than the monster (Y/n) had been hunting for so long. She gasped when she saw the large creature chained to the ground. "They captured it?"

"Look at the body parts," Pestilence murmured, pointing out the array of human body parts that were littered near the Gashadokuro. "They've been feeding it."

"Guess they weren't following the tale after all." Famine turned and eyed Gladio. "I hope the hunters are ready to deliver some terrible news to families. It seems we've found the bodies of the missing people."

Gladio rubbed the back of his neck with a scowl. "Shit..."

Pestilence stepped toward the body parts, ignoring how the Gashadokuro was trying to reach out and grab her. "Ignis informed me of the other ten bodies the hunters discovered. They were all members of the cult. It seems they volunteered their blood to nourish the daemon they had in their possession. It seems Ardyn failed to mention the Gashadokuro is no daemon."

"The diet of the Gashadokuro is human blood. They'll eat the head off its victims, but it'll toss the remainder of the body aside once its drained of blood," Famine added.

"That would explain the numerous appendages," Ignis said.

"This is gonna be one helluva story to tell Dave," Gladio huffed a heavy sigh.

(Y/n) summoned her sword and stepped toward the monster chained to the floor, noticing the leg she had severed was gradually growing back. She had to admit she was impressed with how well they were able to lure the Gashadokuro to this exact chamber and chain it down. Blade held tight, she kneels down in front of the creature's face. Its jaw unhinged, releasing a bellowing roar in her face. The horrid stench of its breath caused her to scowl. "Guess they gave you enough blood to allow your leg to start regenerating. It's a shame this won't be a fulfilling battle, though. At least with these chains, you can't do that little vanishing act you love to do so much when you know you're about to be killed."

The Horseman held out her sword and charged it with lightning, fire, and ice. She let the mana overflow before bringing her blade down and plunging it into the Gashadokuro's skull. It released a deafening wail before the elements ricocheted through its body. Its roaring was silenced as branches of lightning erupted from its body alongside burning flames and ice shards. Hearing its dying breath wasn't enough for (Y/n) and she didn't yank her blade from the monster's skull until she felt the exhaustion of using a hefty amount of mana.

Once the blade was freed from the creature's skull, (Y/n) watched as its body disintegrated. The chains 'thumped' against the ground and Famine took a few steps back. She dispelled her blade with a sigh, feeling relief wash over her. "Finally... It's over."

"All the monsters that escaped the Inner Sanctum have been slain. It seems we'll be able to return home once King Aeshema receives word of our success," Pestilence said.

"Bravo!" The five suddenly heard a voice chant. Everyone turned and saw a man standing a few feet away, clapping his hands.

"I knew I chose the perfect souls to become the Four Horsemen," he smiled softly.

"Y-Your Highness?" Famine stuttered in utter shock. "What're you doing here?"

"With the Starscourge ravaging Eos and my subjects wandering amuck, Hell has become rather... boring," he confesses. "I came here to see how my most loyal and trustworthy allies were handling the land of the living."

"You're taking quite a risk being here, Your Highness," Pestilence sighed.

"Oh, nonsense, Pestilence. Even a king needs a vacation." Aeshema glanced between the three men who were present. "Gentlemen, I must apologize for any reckless actions my Horsemen have stirred."

"Quite the opposite," Ignis stated. "They have proven to be admirable allies."

Aeshema's smile widened. "Well then, I'm glad to hear that. Now," he clapped his hands together once again. "The doorway to the Inner Sanctum has been opened. You girls better head back."

"Wait!" Prompto shouted, grabbing the king's attentions. "Can't they stay here?"

"Oh?" Aeshema grinned. "And why, pray tell, would they need to stay on Eos? They have a very important job to attend to in the Inner Sanctum."

"Because... Because I..." Prompto stared at (Y/n), fists clenched by his sides and unable to finish his sentence.

"May I speak with you in private, King Aeshema?" The golden-haired Horseman stepped forward.

The daemon king nodded. "Of course, Famine."

Gladio, Ignis, and Pestilence left while dragging along a reluctant Prompto. They rode the elevator back to the surface and headed to the shield's truck. While the trio chatted, the blonde spotted (Y/n)'s clothes in the back of the vehicle. He opens the door and grabs them just as she and King Aeshema return.

"Prompto," the girl said. "Would you come with me for a moment? I'll also be needing those." She pointed to her clothes.

He nodded and followed her a little ways from the truck. As she changed with his back turned to her, she told him what she discussed with the daemon king. "I've told His Highness about our relationship."

Prompto clutched the sides of his pants with both hands, swallowing nervously. "W-What did he say?"

"Well..." (Y/n) tugged at the hem of her outfit as she spun around, sporting a smile. She maneuvered around her boyfriend to show him her joyous expression. "He was shocked at first. Then, he was happy. He doesn't have any qualms with our relationship. He actually... blessed it."

Prompto had feared the day she would slay the Gashadokuro. He was glad the monster kept vanishing because that meant he'd have more time with her. But now that he knew they wouldn't be torn apart, he couldn't hide his excitement and joy. He took the girl in his arms and crushed her in a hug. He placed kisses all across her face, making her giggle.

"There's actually more good news," (Y/n) said, snuggling her cheek against his chest.

"What could get better than that?" He asked.

"You want to see the Inner Sanctum, right? Well, the king said he'd grant you a week's time to my home. You only have to tell him when you want to go."

Prompto felt tears of joy prick at the corners of his eyes. He pulled her into a passionate kiss, not wasting a single moment. The kiss would've turned into a full make-out session if the two hadn't stopped themselves beforehand.

When they pried their lips from one another's, Prompto pressed his forehead against (Y/n)'s. "You're the best, sweetie."