Anita was approaching the capital, and she still didn't have an idea of what to do. Without her sword, there was no definite way to defeat the darkness. But she had to try because there was no one else. She rode midnight through the town, only stopping at the castle. She pushed open the door, being welcomed by silence. Many soldiers and such were frozen where they stood, a sign that Arkon had been there. The aura of the halls felt darker than before, and the windows let in no more light. Anita 'borrowed’ a sword from a fallen soldier, holding it close as she crept around the castle. She slipped into the throne room, looking around. The walls were dark and the tapestries were torn. Many bodies are either frozen or dead. At the foot of the throne was a body, the queen. Anita rushed over. The queen’s body was cold and her face was sunken. her eyes were closed as if she accepted her fate. Anita sighed and left the room. She made her way to her room. It felt like forever since she was here. She changed into better clothes and braided her hair. She stuffed the picture of her parents in her shirt, next to her heart. She wanted them to be with her if she was going to die. Finally ready, she left the castle, mounting her horse. She headed to the center of town. 

When she arrived, it looked very different from before. The flowers were wilted and the plaza was littered with bodies. Anita dismounted the horse, carefully stepping over to the stage. She climbed up the stairs, raising her sword.

"I Am Here Arkon! I know you are too." Anita waited. A shadow slithered towards Anita, protruding from the ground. It formed into a familiar shape: Arkon. A black shadow with pointed ears and a blade in better condition than hers. She still held her blade up.

"If you truly think you can beat me, be my guest." Arkon taunted, swinging his sword toward Anita. She quickly blocked with her own, sliding back from the force. Anita pushed forward, but arkon let up, swinging his sword underneath. Anita spun out of the way, stabbing towards Arkon. The battle continued, but as arkon grew stronger in the night, Anita grew tired. Anita charged toward arkon, who kicked Anita down. She fell, quickly blocking the incoming blade.

"You, hero. Are. Nothing. But surrender and I may just spare your life, so you can watch your country fall."

"Never, the darkness will not win." Anita quickly rolled out of the way as Arkon's blade tore through the earth. His blade, deep in the ground, was stuck. She got up on steady feet and quickly charged. She swung for his head, only to be sliced by his blade. Now free, Arkon used his blade to slice Anita's stomach, leading her to collapse. She wheezed in pain, dropping her sword whose blade broke under the sole of Arkon’s foot. Anita cradled her stomach, trying to stop the bleeding.

"I gave you several warnings, and a chance you ignored. So goodbye Anita."

"N-no. You can't. You-" Anita fell sideways, head colliding with the ground. 

Get up. A voice whispered in her ear. Arkon got a steady footing.

Get up, hero. His grip on his sword tightened, as he raised his blade above Anita.

Get up, Anita. Arkon swung his blade, and Anita stopped it with her own. A blue light shone, Rune emerging from it. Anita gripped the handle, blocking Arkon’s attack.

"WHAT! NO- THIS IS IMPOSSIBLE-" Arkon shouted.

"You can't win," Anita spoke, rising from the ground. Her hair shone blue and her eyes white. "Cause I am the hero of Malovora, and these are My people, not yours." Anita ran towards Arkon at a speed she didn't know she had, stabbing him in the shoulder. He yelled in pain. The hand holding his sword dropped, leaving Anita victorious. The shadows dispersed from Mars’ body, leaving the princess falling. Anita removed her blade, Laying mars down on the ground.

"Mars, you're okay. You'll be okay, I think. I'll be back." Finishing tying some fabric around the stab wound, Anita grasped her sword and looked at the skies. Surprisingly, Arkon didn't run, but it was at the same time, worrying. "I Won, Arkon. Are you so eager to die already?" She raised her sword in anticipation.

"It was wrong of me to put my faith in the forms of petty mortals." Arkon started. His shadows started to spread across the skies. "Humans ruin everything they touch, they kill everything they own and steal everything they see. But me, I am not one of you." The shadows crackled over the skies, stretching as far as Anita could see. "I am a god, and I will wipe out the pest that is humanity." From the sky, shadows began to rain. Anita was automatically swept up in a fight with a shadow, who she killed with one swing. Although they were easy to kill, they could easily overpower her with this many. The area started to fill with shadows. Anita growled, looking up at the sky. In the eye of the storm was arkon, who looked like a person completely made of darkness. Their body was a shadow, and the dark holes that eyes should be were a dark green. 

How do we get there? Anita asked for her newly returned sword.

You're the hero, with a magical sword. Use some magic.

How do I use magic? Anita questioned. She could somehow feel the glare the sword was giving.

You know. Anita sighed, thinking. After a few moments, she got an idea.

"Uh, I don't know if this will work, but uhm, Fly. On cue, she started to float up. "Whoa, that worked!- do you know how useful this would've been-" As Anita complained, she started to get a grasp of her new ability. She sensed the wind, flowing around her, enabling her flight.

This won't last forever, so I hope you know what you're doing. Anita felt around for more magic. A small amount of elemental magic flowed through the shadows, all originating from Arkon. If she could get to him, she could stop this. On cue, shadows swarmed around her. She cut them down, looking towards the ground. The kids were there, attacking with fierce bravery. Tom stuck a thumbs up towards the sky. Anita quickly dispersed the rest of the shadows before heading toward Arkon. Up close, the shadow looked more like a disease than anything. As she approached, a glow of green exploded from his body. The shadows dispersed, earning a loud shout from the warriors below. People started to unfreeze and the sky started to clear.

"What is your game, Arkon," Anita growled, putting her blade to his throat. "Do you want to build up my hope, to squash it? Is killing everyone else next on your list-"

"Do it." A small whisper came from his throat. Unlike before, his eyes glowed a startling light green. 

"You're.. not the same"

"Im Arkon, the true Arkon." The shadow spoke. It seemed to be fighting upon itself.  "I cannot hold out for much longer, please end this."

"But you're... I can't do that, what about you-" Anita stumbled for a response, a reason not to kill him. 

"This is how it has to be. I was never going to be the hero of this story. This is what I should've done centuries ago. Please.." Arkon's body quaked, the shadows growing stronger. Anita raised her sword and swung.

The blade stopped mere centimeters from his heart. 

"What are you waiting for, do it-"

"You do it. You can still be the hero. I didn't even want to be a hero. I don't want to be the one to end your life, this is your story. I'm just in it." With this, Anita reaches for the shadow, placing its hands on the sword. Rune shook under their grasp. 

"Thank you, Anita." With both of them grasping the handle, the sword plunged through the shadow.