Defeating the iseultalon daemon and the eternal troopers, the group saw the road was blocked off due to a large pile of debris. Prompto looked from one side of the street to the other. "Not makin' it through here."

"Think there's any other way around?" Gladio asked.

"We might want to head...under."

(Y/n), who was still in her spiritual form, meandered down the side street the iseultalon daemon and eternal troopers came from. In the distance, she saw the entrance to the subway. Once sensing the men were following her, she proceeded carefully.

Their peaceful moment in the ruins of Insomnia was spoiled when an ariadne manifested alongside some tarantulas. With the enemies too close for comfort near the entrance to the subway, they had no choice but to fight. While the boys focused on the larger daemon, the spirit used her fire magic to burn the tarantulas skittering across the ground. Now that the smaller enemies were dead, she looked up at the ariadne and leapt towards it after it used its own lightning spell. Using her fire breath, she set the daemon ablaze. Prompto slid in and fired a few rounds, siphoning the last of its life.

(Y/n) rolled her shoulders after reverting back to being human. There was no way her spiritual form would be able to wedge through the entrance to the underground subway platform. Following Noctis, they walk down the stairs and wander through the empty station.

Prompto's eyes bounced around, taking in the condition of the white-tiled walls and floor. It was pristine, but some areas were slowly crumbling. "It's worn down, but still the same."

"Just like I remember," Gladio commented.

"Always came in handy," Ignis stated.

(Y/n) looked around with a glint of astonishment in her golden eyes. "So this is the subway, huh...?"

"Only the main thoroughfare. The loading platforms branch off from here. There's tons of them. This place used to be filled with people. Let's see that it is again," Noctis chimed in.

"You're telling me you've lived here for most of your life and haven't been here at least once?" The shield asked out of bewilderment.

"Hey, I was busy with my job at the boutique. Mind you, it was only a fifteen minute walk from the apartment. I had no need to ride the subway," she said.

"I'm quite disappointed in you, Prompto," Ignis voices his thoughts.

"Wha-?" Prompto's jaw fell, his mouth agape at the advisor's words. "Why're you disappointed in me all of a sudden?"

"For not giving (Y/n) a proper tour of Insomnia to show her what all she's been missing."

"B-But..."

"It's fine," the girl interjected. "Like I said, I was busy with my job. I never really had the time to explore the city. I only really know the places Prompto and I regularly visited."

"Guess we'll have to give you a proper tour after all this is over," Gladio said.

"You guys still love bullying me," Prompto groaned.

Noctis smirked at his words as he pressed a button. The metal gate that barred them from proceeded lifted with a faint 'squeak' of the rusted gears. Making their way through the main thoroughfare of the subway station, they encountered a large group of eternal troopers and salpinxes. Seeing as there wasn't much room, (Y/n) opted to use the Creator's Blade instead of transforming. She and Ignis combined their fire attacks and wiped out many of the eternal troopers in one fell swoop. Noctis received assistance from Prompto, which was enough to kill all the salpinxes. Gladio dealt with the remaining few troopers before proceeding forward through the underground station.

At the end of the passageway, Noctis presses another button to raise the metal gate. They wandered down the hallway before walking up a flight of stairs and arriving back on the surface. It was the perfect shortcut for it led them directly to the other side of the pile of debris. Down the street was the secured entrance to the Citadel. There did prove to be one problem, which took on the appearance of a behemoth king.

With a smirk, (Y/n) ran past Noctis and charged at the creature. She transformed, ignoring the men when they shouted her name. Bounding towards the behemoth king, her entire body ignited with flames. She tackled the creature and sank her claws and teeth into its body, allowing her flame-engulfed form to wound it even further. The behemoth squirmed in pain underneath her as it roared.

Keeping it pinned with her weight, she allowed the men to attack without having to worry about it pouncing on them. Noctis and Gladio attacked the head while Prompto and Ignis focused on the hind legs. Thanks to (Y/n), the beast was already significantly wounded by the time they began attacking it.

Once the behemoth king was dead, the guardian reverted back to being human. She flexed her fingers, feeling and hearing a few of the joints popping. Noctis looked over at her. "Damn, (Y/n)..."

She blinked in surprise. "What?"

"For someone who's been asleep for ten years, you're not even the tiniest bit rusty," Gladio answered. "Looks to me like you've become even more powerful."

"I wouldn't say I'm more powerful. It's more along the lines of power that's built up inside my body over a long period of time. I've gotta vent some of this power or it could possibly harm by body."

"And you're using it before we're even at the citadel?" Prompto wondered.

"Oh, trust me. I've got plenty to spare." (Y/n) decided to tease the men. "But you guys... Don't even get me started."

"What?" The marksman gasped. "W-We're still badass! Hell, we haven't even reached our prime!"

"Mmm...I'm not so sure about that."

Prompto analyzed her face with narrowed eyes. "You're pulling my leg, aren't you?"

She shrugged her shoulders. "Who knows."

Noctis pushed open the gates. The five walk past the security checkpoint and make their way to the courtyard located in front of the Citadel. At the base of the stairwell leading up to the grand structure stood Ardyn and Callyx. The guardian said nothing as the auburn-haired man held up his hand, smirking at the group. "Ifrit, the Infernian. He doesn't share the Glacian's fondness for mankind. But you can expect a...warm welcome. We shall await you above." He headed up the stairwell, entering the Citadel with Callyx as Ifrit appeared, sitting on a throne of his own creation.

The moment Noctis took a step towards the Astral, the god raised his hand and sent a powerful gust of flames towards him. The king's clothes were set ablaze as he fell over. He rolled on the ground in an attempt to snuff out the flames.

Prompto rushes over, gets down on his knees beside Noctis, and quickly pats out the flames with his hands. "Noct! Hang in there, buddy!" He was able to extinguish the flames from Noctis' attire. "Stay down. We'll keep him busy." Prompto rejoins the battle.

Noctis gets back to his feet. Ignis, who was kneeling behind cover near Ifrit's throne, called out to him. "Noct! Over here!" The king begins to walk toward his advisor, but is moving slowly due to his wounds.
"Quickly, before he strikes again!" The strategist shouted.

Suddenly, Noctis is tackled from behind by Gladio and pulled into cover where Ignis is. Prompto joins the other three within a second, but that's when he noticed one of them was missing. "Wait, where's (Y/n)?" Looking around, he saw the guardian calmly approaching Ifrit. "(Y/n)! Hurry!"

She said nothing nor even glanced in his direction as the god prepares his second attack. When he went to run out of cover to grab her, Ifrit released a second wave of flames. The four men huddled closer together as the heat seared their skin. (Y/n) felt the flames touch her skin, but she was unharmed. Her eyes radiated with a brilliant golden glow as she smirked. "Let's have some fun." Summoning the Creator's Blade, she attacked the Astral.

Prompto, after seeing she was unharmed and fighting against Ifrit, emerged from cover while shouting to his best friend, "Got your back!" Gladio also broke from cover and joined the fray.

Ignis stands and holds out a curative item to heal Noctis. "Here you go."

The king rises once more and continues the charge alongside his friends. "Let's go!"

The five attacked the god, who didn't budge from his throne. He simply sat their, smirking in amusement at their attempt to fight against him. When Noctis performed a warp-strike, Ifrit easily grabbed him in one hand and squeezed his body. Before the Astral could do any major damage to Noctis, (Y/n) used her sword to slice at his arm. The god dropped the king and tried to grab the spirit, but she was nimble and quick. Leaping out of the god's reach, she regained her bearings. Her plan to attack, however, was thrown offtrack when Noctis summoned Bahamut. He tackled her out of harm's way when one of the Draconian's large swords pierced the ground near Ifrit's fiery throne.

The two watch as Bahamut flew through the sky before coming to a halt above the Citadel. Summoning an array of swords that brilliantly radiated, he aimed them at Ifrit. The Infernian leapt from his throne with his weapon in hand, dodging the large swords as they rained down upon him. As the last one struck the ground, Ifrit spun around with his sword raised and blocked Bahamut as he swooped down to attack.

Noctis, as his eyes met Bahamut's, nodded and summoned his sword. He warped above the Infernian and swung his blade at the distracted god. He struck him as the Draconian vanished. Ifrit's sword fell from his hand as he collapsed to his knees, body engulfed in flames. The king landed behind him as (Y/n), Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis rejoined the battle. They lowered their weapons, but quickly raised them when the Infernian grabbed his sword and got back to his feet.

"So even that wasn't enough?" Gladio growled.

"It's taken a turn for the worse," Ignis said.

"Out of the frying pan, dot, dot, dot?" Prompto muttered.

"We need to put this thing out!" Noctis bellowed. "(Y/n)!"

"Yeah?" The guardian spoke up after hearing her name.

"You're the only one who can withstand the heat. Think you could help with my plan?"

She smirked. "Definitely. What do you need me to do?"

"Knock him off his feet."

"I think I can do a little more than that." Transforming, she jumped around Ifrit as Prompto, Gladio, and Ignis fought against him. Once she was able to find the perfect opportunity, the fox tackled the god to the ground and used her tails to wrap them around his wrists and ankles. She dug her claws into his chest, using her weight to pin him to the ground.

The men rushed in with their weapons, dealing blow after blow. They were able to weaken Ifrit, who was struggling to free himself from (Y/n). He couldn't even swing his sword to attack anyone.

After some more struggling, the Infernian was able to free one of his wrists. He grabbed the fox, tossed her aside, and stood up. He swung his blade, knocking the men away. (Y/n)'s body skidded across the ground before coming to a halt a few feet away from her companions. She could feel the pain from the Infernian's grasp and her tumble against the hard asphalt. Ignis tossed a potion her way once she was back on her feet. She caught the vial in her mouth, crushing it and instantly feeling relief as her wounds healed.

As the guardian leapt back into the battle, Ifrit grabbed Noctis and tossed his body into the air. The god teleported to the king and swung his blade at him. Stunned, the king took the brunt of the attack as his body was sent hurtling towards the ground. Before he could slam against the asphalt, (Y/n) jumped up into the air and caught him on her back.

Ifrit, angered over her interference, teleported back to the ground and targeted the fox. He swung his sword wildly in an attempt to strike the guardian. Noctis, who was still on her back, held on tightly to the fur on the nape of her neck as she dodged the god's attacks.

Using her tails as whips, the fox was able to knock the Infernian away and towards Prompto, Ignis, and Gladio. The three attacked Ifrit while Noctis tried to devise a plan. As he slid off the spirit's back, he heard Shiva speak to him. At her voice, he summoned the Glacian. Gentiana appeared, smiling as she walked past him and transformed into Shiva. The entire courtyard and surrounding area became frozen over with a thick layer of ice. The goddess, with her many duplicates, glided through the air before surrounding Noctis. Eyes turned to Ifirt, Shiva formed a vortex of glacial winds that froze the god as he charged froward with his sword raised.

Now encased in ice, Ifrit was petrified. Shiva floated towards the Infernian and kissed his bottom lip as the icy winds of the vortex began to fade. From her kiss, Ifrit's frozen body shattered. "Rest, my love. May your soul know peace at last." She then flew off, leaving Noctis with one final message. "King of Kings, the grace of the gods is with you always."

Noctis stared up at the sky in the direction Shiva took off. "I made a promise...one that I intend to keep."

(Y/n) changed forms, placing a hand over her chest when she felt Brahma's emotional turmoil for Ifrit's defeat. She wasn't sure what bond he shared with the Infernian, but it caused the god to feel sorrow. Prompto was the first to notice her conflicted expression and jogged over. He placed a hand on her shoulder, peering into her face worriedly. "You're not hurt, are you, (Y/n)?"

She lifted her head, shaking it. "No, I'm fine. Sorry for worrying you."

"It's Brahma, isn't it?" Noctis asked as he, Gladio, and Ignis joined the couple.

"Yeah. I'm not familiar with his relationships with the other Astrals, but with Ifrit..." She curled her hand up into a fist. "I've a feeling they were close before he turned his back on humanity."

"Worry about that later," Gladio said. "We've still got two creeps to get rid of."

(Y/n) lowered her hand. "Oh, no. Callyx is all mine. You four can have fun with Ardyn. Besides, I've got a god who's pissed off at him and can't wait to give him a piece of his mind."

The group, with their minds resolved, headed up the stairwell leading to the entrance of the Citadel. Noctis pushes open the doors, allowing them inside.

"At long last, the Citadel," Ignis said as they entered the building.

"The throne is just up ahead," Noctis stated, walking through the lobby and towards the elevator.

Prompto looked around the room and noticed the illumination from the lights. "It's all lit up."

"Guess they're expecting company," Gladio commented.

"They want this as bad as we do," the king remarked.

"They're not going to win. We'll make sure of that," (Y/n) chimed in.

"We'll get our home back."

Once entering the rear hallway where the elevator was located, Gladio asked, "Think the elevator's workin'?"

Prompto presses the button and summons the lift. When hearing the familiar 'clink,' he was surprised. "Huh... Sure looks like it."

"They are really taking us by the hand," Ignis said.

"It's no fun waiting for your guests if they have to trek up countless number of stairs," (Y/n) huffed out a faint chuckle.

"It'll save our legs the walk up," Noctis stated as they all entered the elevator.

Riding the elevator up, the five were silent until the shield sliced through the tense atmosphere with his baritone voice. "The throne room...waits outside."

"Yeah... And so does Ardyn and Callyx," Prompto added.

"Acting like they own the place," he sneered.

"It's time to take it all back," Ignis said.

"It ends here. Tonight," Noctis declared.

(Y/n)'s golden eyes glanced around at the faces of the men. She leaned against the marbled wall of the elevator, crossing her arms. She had yet to share the ace she had hidden up her sleeve, but thought it would be best to keep it a secret until the time was right.

Stepping off the lift, the group wandered down the hall towards the room located outside the throne room.

"Remember how nervous we were in front of King Regis the day we left?" Gladio asked as he reminisced in an old, fond memory.

"That was the last time we were in here," Ignis pointed out.

"Yeah. They even let me in that day," Prompto said.

"Feels like forever ago," Noctis commented.

"Sorry, but I wasn't a part of that memory," (Y/n) sighed.

"No, but we've made plenty of happy ones with you during our travels," Gladio said.

"Indeed," Ignis agreed.

"Yeah," Noctis replied. "Prompto should've introduced you to us sooner."

"Hey!" The sharpshooter wailed. The others laughed at him before proceeding towards the throne room.

As Noctis and the others approach the double doors, Prompto hummed. "Hmm, not much farther."

"Well, shall we, Noct?" Ignis questioned.

Noctis begins to put his hand out toward the doors, then suddenly stops and turns around. "Yeah, but... Ah. Hold on a sec. Prompto. Can I see your photos?"

Prompto's eyes widen a fraction at the request. "Um...yeah!"

Noctis tried to smile, but he couldn't. "I just need one...to take with me."

The marksman's shocked expression was replaced with a dejected one. "Oh... Yeah. I get it. Um... You can take whichever you like."

The four men huddle together to examine the photographs one last time. (Y/n) decided to hang back while they perused the various pictures Prompto took during their journey. She lowered her head, waiting patiently for Noctis to pick one. When he chose one, he put it in his pocket. With the photo now safely stored, he walked towards the double doors. Before pushing them open, he inhaled and exhaled a deep sigh. "It's time..."