After a few minutes of resting, the trio left the rest area and returned to the task at hand. They continue down the hallway and descend a short set of stairs. At the end, the three enter into a short hallway illuminated by red light. As they drew closer to an elevator, they heard a loud roar. "It must be close," Prompto muttered.

"Guess we've no choice but to face whatever it is," (Y/n) said.

Riding the lift, it takes them further underground. They step off and enter a room with red lighting. It wasn't long before they came across a large room with a tall ceiling. Inside the room dwelled a large half-mammal, half-magitek creature, the Unit SAS-0822: Barbarus. As it swung across the ceiling, they saw the remains of dead magitek troopers scattered across the floor of the room.

When the fusion of mammal and magitek spots them, it leaps down with a roar. Prompto readied his submachine gun and shouts, "Bring it on!" Aranea leapt into action with her lance in hand. (Y/n), deciding to make this a much fairer fight, transformed. Although her spiritual form was smaller than Barbarus, she could easily jump up and latch herself onto the monstrosity's body to knock it off the ceiling.

Barbarus climbed one of the walls and dangled from the ceiling. Prompto was careful with where he aimed his submachine gun to avoid shooting (Y/n) and Aranea. He pulled the trigger the moment his guardian latched onto one of the hybrid's metallic legs. A barrage of bullets pierced its body and caused its grip to slip. The fox unlatched her fangs from its legs before she could be crushed under its large form as it fell.

Aranea attacked the downed hybrid with her lance. (Y/n) inhaled deeply before exhaling a powerful breath of fire. The flames ignited Barbarus' white fur, causing it to go berserk and jump around the room in a desperate attempt to put out the flames. It managed to extinguish the fire before setting its sights on the fox. With its fists raised, it came barreling towards her. She nimbly jumped out of the way and sent a crackling fireball at it.

Seeing its attack failed, Barbarus climbed the wall and latched onto the ceiling. It froze for a split second to determine who will be its next target. Seeing Prompto was the one shooting at the hybrid from a safe distance away, it decided to make him its next victim. It swung itself towards the boy, crossing the metal beams attached to the ceiling. Once close enough, it released the metal beam and plummeted straight towards him.

(Y/n) was able to see who Barbarus was planning to target next before it even moved towards Prompto. By the time it landed in the spot where the boy stood, he was gone. The fox had tackled him to safety, using her larger body to protect his smaller one.

Prompto was tucked against the guardian's chest as she laid on her back with her paws in the air. He thanked her as he aimed his pistol at the hybrid and pulled the trigger. Each bullet hit its mark and caused it to stumble backwards. It fell on its back, leaving it vulnerable. Aranea didn't hold back and used her lance to pierce its body over and over again, dealing some heavy damage.

(Y/n) rolled over onto all fours once Prompto crawled off her body. She shook her body, tails flaring outward as she prepared to attack. Her eyes locked onto the boy's form when seeing him running towards a rack of weapons located against the wall. He grabbed one of the bazookas and immediately fired the three missiles loaded inside at the downed creature.

Barbarus recovered, batting Aranea away. The ex-mercenary grunted in pain when her body slammed against the opposite wall. Prompto discarded the bazooka and grabbed his pistol. He fired round after round into the soft parts of the hybrid's body. (Y/n) stood behind him, her many tails stretching outward as she lowered her body. At the tip of each tail, a fireball manifested. They were small in size, but large in quantity. They spun in a circle before being hurtled one by one at the monstrosity.

Once again, Barbarus' snowy fur was set ablaze. It tried to put out the flames, but was unsuccessful. Its entire body was consumed by fire, its fur burning away and gnawing at its flesh. The parts where skin met machine melded together, some components melting and becoming useless. With its body still engulfed by flames, the hybrid leapt around like crazy in a desperate attempt to hit any member of the trio. Roaring, Barbarus swung its flaming arms around and cracked the walls and floor.

Aranea charged at the rampaging beast with her lance by her side. She impaled its left mechanical leg and managed to pin it in place. Prompto and (Y/n) were quick to react, using their abilities to deal some heavy damage.

It wasn't long before Barbarus broke free from Aranea's lance and lunges at the guardian. The fox didn't have time to react because of its quickened movements and was pinned to the floor with one of its enormous hands. She yelped in pain when its grip on her tightened, cutting off her air supply. Prompto and Aranea were dealing blow after blow to try and save the spirit. However, the hybrid's grip didn't budge.

(Y/n) struggled against the hybrid in an attempt to escape and was able to use her tails to free herself. She encircled them around its wrist just below the large metal cuff and used what little knowledge of lightning magic to send a shock through its entire body. The surge of electricity caused parts of its body to malfunction and force itself to release her. She dragged her body away from Barbarus, air filling her lungs. She reverted back to her human form and summoned the Creator's Blade, her body leaning against it as if it were a crutch.

It wasn't long before (Y/n) saw Prompto running over to her with a potion in hand. He placed the curative in her hand, using his own to shatter it. She felt a wave of relief as her pain vanished. "Are you okay?" He worriedly asked.

"Yeah. Thanks for the assist," she replied.

When the couple looked toward Barbarus, they were stunned to see Aranea had dealt the finishing blow. She leapt into the air with her lance and used her weight to impale it in the back. The hybrid roared one final time before falling limp, the flames that once engulfed its body now snuffed out.

Prompto was relieved to see the creature was dead. "Whew, we made it out alive."

(Y/n)'s eyes focused on Barbarus' corpse. "Verstael really has gone off the deep end with his experiments."

All of a sudden, the room begins to shake. The three brace themselves to keep from falling. Prompto looked around in confusion. "What's going on?"

The facility's automated voice speaks out over the loudspeaker. "Unit XDA-1002: Immortalis. Plasmodic miasma transfer complete. No psychic obstructions detected. All systems operational. Activating Immortalis."

The (h/c)-haired girl gasped, eyes wide as saucers. "What?"

That's when Prompto had a realization. "It's outside!"

The three run back to the surface as fast as they could. Once there, they see what Verstael's grandest experiment was: an enormous magitek-powered machine resembling that of an annelida. In place of a head, it features an enormous cannon with seven rotating components resembling drill bits spinning around the core.

Prompto was horrified at the sight. "It's gigantic..."

Aranea runs off out of sight to acquire an armed snowmobile. (Y/n) dispelled her sword. "Dammit, Verstael. What the hell have you been doing...?"

"So that's the "new model"... And that means...he must be inside that thing."

Just then, Aranea pulls up beside Prompto and (Y/n) on a snowmobile with a large machine gun mounted on the back. "Hop on!" Prompto hops on as the guardian transforms. The ex-mercenary drives them away from the research facility with the fox close behind and the Godslayer in hot pursuit. "Ready for round two?"

Prompto grabs ahold of the gun's firing mechanism. "You bet!"

"You better keep up, firefly!" Aranea shouted to the guardian.

Verstael speaks from within Immortalis as he chases after the three. "Long have I waited to smite the world that denied me the glory I rightly deserve-and now, all shall tremble before me, man and maker alike! Even those damned guardians shall quiver in my presence!"

"If that's really him..." Prompto's voice trailed off.

Aranea kept her eyes on the snowy landscape ahead of them. "That maniac's taken "biological warfare" to the next level."

The boy glanced over at the fox now running beside them. He stared into her golden eyes, seeing her resolve and determination to take down Verstael. He nodded his head with his own determined expression and aimed the machine gun at the mechanical annelida. "Then (Y/n) and I want to be the ones to take him down." He pulled the trigger and bullets rained done on the machine's core. He kept the gun steady and focused on the head of the metallic annelida.

(Y/n) quickly glanced behind her at the large machine before looking ahead. Focusing her magic, she was able to create a large fiery vortex that swept across the snow towards the machine. Although it was large in size, it was weak. She mentally cursed the cold climate for weakening her magic.

Instead of using large-scale spells, she opted to infuse the machine gun with flaming rounds. She wished she could be of more help. Prompto watched the bullets spew from the machine gun, each one consumed by flames. They pierced the core of the mechanical annelida, causing some moderate damage.

Eventually, the Godslayer dove underground. It burrowed through the soil in a desperate attempt to catch up to the trio. The ground shook violently the moment it emerged from below a little closer than it was before.

"Down below!" Aranea shouted.

"It's enormous!" Prompto hollered as he continued to shoot at the Godslayer with flaming rounds.

"Fall to your knees before me!" Verstael bellowed, his voice echoing across the area.

The boy moved his aim away from the core and targeted one of the spinning components. When he noticed the flaming bullets were replaced with electrified ones, he gasped and glanced at (Y/n). "When did you learn lightning spells?!"

"Focus, blondie!" Aranea yelled.

"Right! Sorry!"

Under Prompto's unrelenting barrage and the magic infused within each bullet, a component around the head of Immortalis explodes. The machine wriggles before burrowing underground a second time.

"It ain't over," Aranea said. The Godslayer then emerges from the snow once more. "Three o'clock!"

Energy begins building at the tips of the machine's drill-like components. (Y/n) could feel the crackling of the energy, her fur sticking up.

"Incoming-look out!" The silver-haired woman hollered. The machine begins firing energy at Prompto, (Y/n), and Aranea. The boy targets the remaining components and begins dismantling them. "Sharp shooting, kid. Keep it up!" Aranea compliments.

One by one, Prompto disables all but the last of Immortalis' drill-like components. "This ends now." When he delivers what appears to be the finishing blow to the last drill-like component, there's a violent explosion and the Godslayer lifts high into the air before crumpling across the snowy landscape in a mangled heap.

As it lay in the snow, seemingly burnt out, the core of the annelida's head begins to glow red from within. The drill-like components become illuminated as well. Verstael's voice drips out of the machine as Immortalis rises and takes up the pursuit once more. "How can this be? I will not allow it!"

Hearing the man's voice, (Y/n) decided now was the perfect time to unleash her true power. She slowed down, causing Prompto to panic. "(Y/n), what're you doing?!"

Coming to a complete stop, the fox turned and faced the giant machine. She inhaled deeply and focused all her energy into her body. Her entire body became engulfed with flames as it grew in size. She now was a towering beast, the size of five Barbaruses combined.

Prompto ceased firing as the immense fox blocked the Godslayer from his view. His wide cerulean eyes bore into the flaming beast's form as it manifested a fireball half the size of Immortalis. With a thunderous screech, the guardian launched the fireball at the machine.

The moment it made impact, the Godslayer was severed into two. Combustion from the flames and impact resulted in an array of explosions. Verstael's voice resonates from the withering machine as a large explosion caused the ground to shake violently, the machine crashing to the ground in shambles.

(Y/n)'s spiritual form returned to normal size before she returned to being human. Her body swayed side to side, her vision slowly fading to black. She fell to the ground on her back, her body cushioned by the snow. She stared up at the sky until her entire world was consumed by darkness.

In the distance, Prompto begged Aranea to turn around. She did just that and they rode back towards the mechanical corpse of Immortalis. He hopped off the snowmobile and searched frantically for (Y/n). When he found her, he gasped in horror. "No... No, no, no!" He ran through the snow towards her body and fell to his knees beside her. His hands shook as he reached out to touch her. "(Y/Y-n)...?" It wasn't long before tears started to blur his vision.

Aranea said nothing. She remained on the snowmobile, watching Prompto with an aching heart as he pulled the girl into his arms. He cradled her head against his chest, burying his face into her (h/c) locks. His tears streamed down his cheeks and splashed onto (Y/n)'s. He rocked his body back and forth with her in his arms, sobbing like a child.

When Aranea went to look away, she saw (Y/n)'s hand twitched. She was about to say something when a groan fell from the guardian's lips. Prompto lifted his head with a gasp. He stared down at her face, witnessing her eyes slowly opening.

"Why're you crying?" She asked, weakly reaching up to wipe away some of his tears.

"I-I thought you were..." Prompto felt the lump in his throat from crying was causing his words to fail him.

She smiled gently at him. "I'm alive, Prompto. Just exhausted, is all. I used way too much power..."

He held her tighter, nuzzling his nose against her cheek. "Thank the Six..." He sighed breathlessly.

"I'm gonna need a long nap after this."

"As much as I would love to watch you two lovebirds hug each other, we best get moving," Aranea spoke up.

Prompto and (Y/n) stood up. The guardian, knowing there wasn't enough room on the snowmobile, decided to return to the gemstone. She remained there until they returned to where they left the other snowmobile. Standing beside Aranea, she stretched her arms towards the sky. "It's finally over..."

The older woman glances between the two. "You both all right?"

Prompto nodded. "Yeah. This is what we wanted."

"Then say it like you mean it. You and firefly did good, kid."

Prompto takes up a whimsical pose, and with an equally whimsical voice points at Aranea and (Y/n). "Couldn't have done it without you, gurls!" He takes back up a normal stance and a sober voice. "Seriously, though. Well, (Y/n) and I better catch up with Noct and the guys. He's got a lot on his plate, and I figure he could probably use a few extra hands taking back the Crystal and all that. And who knows? Maybe we'll take it back before he does!"

Prompto runs over to the snowmobile and leans down on it. Aranea walks over to him while the guardian remains put. "Don't get ahead of yourself."

"Honestly, I don't know for sure if they're going to accept us for who we really are. But we'll never know if we don't speak up, so we're gonna tell 'em." Prompto stands and turns back to Aranea. "After all, it's our lives to live."

Aranea was impressed by him. "The boy has become a man. Anyway, Gralea's straight ahead." She turns to (Y/n) as the spirit walks over. "Watch over him, firefly."

The (h/c)-haired girl smiled. "I always will."

Prompto and (Y/n) get on the snowmobile and prepare to leave. Before they did, the marksman calls out to the ex-mercenary. "Aranea!"

The woman smiles at him. "Yeah?"

He smiles back. "Thanks!"

Gripping the handles of the snowmobile, Prompto didn't take off until (Y/n)'s arms were securely wrapped around his waist. Once they were, he took off across the snowy landscape. The spirit pressed her cheek against his back with an exhausted sigh. Her golden eyes watched the passing scenery as they made their way to Gralea. Her mind was racing with numerous of possibilities, wondering what would befall them next.