Chihiro heaved faint, shallow breathes as she tailed the sight of Kaos's black robes down the corner of the caverns. Everything around was so hot that her whole body boiled, yet the heat barely bothered her at all as she pursued Kaos! After all, he hadn't seemed to notice her yet; this would be the perfect time to catch him by surprise and snag the Eternal Fire Source! As the two of them bolted down one of the hallways, Kaos came to an abrupt stop out of nowhere—now was her chance! Chihiro's hand glowed blue as she got ready to shoot, but that glow shorted out as Kaos whipped around and grinned!

"Awfully stubborn, aren't we, portal poster?" Kaos sneered as his grin stretched further while he gave Chihiro that snide look that twisted her stomach in knots.

Chihiro snarled, but dug her heels into the ground as she flicked her hand and made it glow once more. "This is the end for you, Kaos!" Chihiro vowed as she prepared to shoot. "I'm not letting you get the Eternal Fire Source!"

Kaos just snapped his fingers and summoned crackling, crimson flames in an instant. "You know, you said the same thing at the Fairy Kingdom, right before I nearly brought about your doom!"

Chihiro gasped, and her mind completely shut down as memories of her confrontation with Kaos rang back into her mind. His twisted laughter, the snarl on his face, how he came so close to ending her life right then and there… Her whole body locked up next, but Chihiro just shook her head and shot off an energy sphere!

"I've gotten a lot stronger since then, Kaos!"

"I don't know about that~" Kaos parried the sphere like a paper plane and smirked as it diverted into the ceiling and exploded into a shower of cyan sparks. "I mean, I completely wiped the floor with you and those pathetic Skylanders when you tried to steal away my Eternal Undead Source!"

Kaos's grin curled around his cheeks as he shot off a round of flames.

"FACE IT, PORTAL POSTER! YOU'RE FAR TOO WEAK TO EVEN FACE ME, MUCH LESS BEAT ME!"

Chihiro gulped as the flames came towards her, but steeled her brows as she dove under one, dodged the next, and ducked right as twin flames barreled towards her. She grinned as those twin flames crashed into each other! With the danger out of the picture, Chihiro smirked at Kaos and laid a hand on her hip.

"I don't know, Kaos! If that's the strongest you have to offer, I think I'll do just fine!"

For a moment, Kaos's grin faded into a snarl, but he just shook his head and stepped forward as more flames ignited in his palms. He tried to keep that cool, calm aura, but the sweat that dripped down his head completely betrayed his shock.

"Oh, that was just a warm-up, portal poster!" Kaos warned as the flames grew as big as Kaos himself. "I've got way worse things in store for you, things a measly imposter could never handle!"

Kaos cackled as the flames grew bigger and bigger, to the point where their flames lapped against his head and heated the room at least a full twenty degrees hotter! Crap, that would be a problem!

Chihiro gulped, and this time, it was her who tried to hide her concerns as she glanced around the room in search of some sort of escape or help. Finally, she gulped and stood tall with a sly grin.

"Okay, I give, I'd probably be too weak to hold off your attacks..."

Kaos lifted up his head and raised an eyebrow, almost as if he was intrigued to see Chihiro so quick to admit defeat. The sight made her own smirk grow wider as she hid a glowing hand behind her back and snapped her fingers.

"But, oh, I don't know, that guy behind you seems pretty tough!"

A mighty roar blew Kaos face-first onto the ground, and with a started yelp he turned around and screamed. Behind him, a gigantic, cyan dragon nearly completely closed off the halls! It snarled as it opened up and got ready to bite, but instead of eating Kaos in one gulp, it exploded into an encroaching cyan light! Kaos wailed and flailed around, but Chihiro just chuckled as she whipped on some magical sunglasses and darted ahead! Truthfully, she'd have to perfect her larger magic minion spells, but at least this one bought her some time!

"OWCH!" Kaos cried as Chihiro stomped on his hand. "WAIT, WHO STEPPED ON MY GLORIOUS EVIL HANDS?"

Chihiro's grin grew even wider as she rounded the corner, while the bright, cyan light faded into the background enough that she could whisk away her sunglasses. Chihiro cast out her hand as she summoned a magical skateboard, leaped on and skated down the pathways! Now, she'd surely leave Kaos in the dust! Chihiro grinned as her skateboard swerved down a tunnel, and perked her head up as screeching echoed from down the halls. Wait, screeching? But she didn't see any bats around here! Chihiro turned her head backwards and jolted up as a bright red blast dashed past her!

"Did you really think you could leave me in the dust, you stubborn little imp?" Kaos proclaimed as he turned around and flared with bright red magic. "Well, you were a FOOL to think that!" Kaos's hands lit up even brighter as he shot off a trio of magic blasts. "NOW LET ME SHOW YOU WHAT WE DO TO FOOLS LIKE YOU!"

Chihiro gasped, caught some air as she leaped over the second blast, and swerved out the way of the third as she finally hit the ground! Though she shook the first two, the last one wasn't exactly going away any time soon! It screeched hard and fast towards her, but Chihiro just smirked and blasted it down with a magic blast of her own! As the spheres exploded into colorful sparkles, Chihiro leaped through the light shower and teleported straight in front of Kaos!

"You're not the only one who can do magic tricks, you know!" Chihiro responded as she swung forward and spun her skateboard straight into Kaos's gut. "Take this!"

While Kaos shot into the ground and coughed, Chihiro leaped off of the skateboard and raced back down the halls! After all, a nice punch to the gut like that would definitely keep Kaos down for a while! Surely she'd be up to the Eternal Fire Source before—actually, nevermind.

Chihiro stumbled backwards as a burst of lava flared up ahead of her, and winced as she glazed over a series of tall stone platforms that stood firm and wide over a bright, burning pool of magma! Chihiro bit her lip, teleported onto the first platform and fixed her eyes on the second. Maybe if she got a running start, she could leap onto the second! Chihiro bent her knees and got ready to make a break for it, but leaned backwards and stumbled as the platform ahead of her turned sideways!

She caught her focus right as the platform split in half and sank into the magma ocean, but how did that happen? They looked stable enough! Chihiro jumped away to the side as a threatening screech filled the air, and gasped as several bright red orbs flew down from the halls and slammed into the next several platforms' bases with such force that the platforms all collapsed!

"HA, HA, HA!" Kaos wheezed as he hobbled down from the depths and held his stomach. "That's me laughing at your futile attempts to stop me! What are you going to do now, huh?"

Chihiro hissed, flew over to the first collapsing platform and leaped to the second from its stone surface! Though the world crumbled around her and Kaos's blasts were still coming, she saw enough wall-jump techniques to know how to get out of here! This would be a breeze!

"HEY, YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO JUMP FROM THEM! THAT'S CHEATING!"

Before she could jump, though, something popped off behind Chihiro and startled her enough that she turned around. She caught Kaos right as he teleported right behind her! She grunted, scaled the platform she stood on and leaped aside right as he charged after her! As she landed on the platform after, she bent her knees and got ready to jump—but before she could, the platform crumbled underneath her feet and cascaded into the depths of the deep, hot magma!

Chihiro leaped forward, floated in mid-air, and snarled as a floating Kaos held out a hand that brimmed with magic.

"Guess I'm gonna have to wing it!" Chihiro proclaimed as she spun around.

Magical, cyan-colored angel wings popped onto her back in a flash, and flapped off with such might that it propelled Chihiro straight through the halls! Chihiro spun around and propelled through the tunnels like this was something she was born doing; all the while, the hot air caressed her hair in a kind of warm, comforting way. Now she supposed she understood why people loved flying so much! This was fun!

Chihiro glided away from a string of low blasts that drilled through the remaining platforms, corkscrewed ahead and grinned as the other side of the tunnel came in sight! She screeched to a halt in midair, and her wings gently flapped as they provided a soft, cool breeze around her while her feet hit the stone floors! Her wings vanished into thin air as Chihiro strode forward and bolted down the halls, but another pop behind her told her she wasn't the only one running here!

"Get back here, portal poster!" Kaos cried as he shot off a round of magical flames. "No amount of running will save you from your ULTIMATE DOOM!"

Chihiro yelped and jumped aside as several of the flames singed the ground behind her, turned around and shot a blast of magical water straight at Kaos as she dashed back down the halls! Kaos yelped in surprise, though his cries drowned and distorted under the water's gargles. He shook himself off and floated back down the halls as he summoned a magical sword!

"Oh, you may be able take the long range attacks perfectly fine," Kaos proclaimed as he zoomed up behind Chihiro and swung his sword, "but what if I make it UP CLOSE AND PERSONAL?"

Chihiro instinctively drew her own sword, and slashed it back at Kaos as the two of them bolted down the halls, neck in neck as they traded slashes and cuts and blows! Footsteps and clashing metal echoed throughout the halls, and the stone walls turned redder and hotter and brighter with every step Kaos and Chhiro took.

They were so fixated on fighting each other that they didn't even notice the change in scenery!

Chihiro skidded backwards and screeched to a stop as she stood in front of the entryway ahead, all while her sword ground against the might of Kaos's blade! While those two blades fought, she merely held out her hand and summoned a second sword! Chihiro flung both swords in front of her body, cast in the shape of an X as they blocked another swing from Kaos's end, and spun forward as she slashed the ground around her! She became a sharp, magical, metal hurricane that carved through the air and rock around her, and Kaos was completely taken aback! She struck so fast that she snapped against the hilt of his sword, and tossed it straight against the walls! The sword disappeared in a flash, while Kaos let out a grunt of shock!

"FINE! IF YOU WANT TO PLAY WITH KNIVES," Kaos proclaimed as he summoned a swirling red cloud around him, "I'LL GIVE YOU ALL THE KNIVES YOU WANT!"

The red cloud around Kaos transformed into an entire array of sharp, pointy magical swords that swarmed straight towards Chihiro!

Chihiro gripped her swords' hilts tighter, slashed ahead and tossed the swords aside, but, something started to feel off. She felt exhausted, not necessarily from combat's fatigue, but rather from heat! Everything around grew muggy and swollen with warmth, and Chihiro herself was just as warm and tired! Her movements became slower and less precise as her vision blurred from the heat, but the swords struck just as eagerly as they did before!

Finally, Chihiro grunted as she tossed her swords in the air, struck them with a magic bolt, and forced them to explode! Right as Chihiro dashed away, the swords' explosions coated the halls in a thick blue fog, the perfect cover for Chihiro to escape under!

"Hey, wait, what's going on? Why am I back at the castle?" Kaos cried as he let out a series of pants. "And, when did it get so hot around here? Did somebody turn off the air conditioning?"

Hallucinatory mist! Now that was a spell Chihiro was glad she picked up while studying, for she completely shook Kaos and dashed down the halls. As she ran forward, the walls around her burned brighter and brighter with heat, but why? Just what's going on?

Just ahead, the entrance shone with a bright warm light doused in red, and Chihiro couldn't help but burst through as the warmth vanished! Chihiro stopped and held her head as the heat swelled further, yet lifted it again as the bright red light crossed her face and gasped!

She found herself in a sleek, stone cavern that shone bright from the red crystals that stuck out from its walls, but that was hardly of note. Rather, the crown jewel of the room was a bright, red oval that radiated with both light and heat, probably thanks to the white-hot flames that crackled within its heart! Just being around this oval made Chihiro feel like she was going to melt into a puddle. Yes, this had to be the Eternal Fire Source!

Chihiro grinned, dashed forward, and leaped up to grab the Eternal Fire Source; but at the last moment, something exploded by her feet and tossed her across the room! Chihiro grunted as she slid across the hard, burning earth, pulled herself up and winced.

"FINALLY!" Kaos crooned as he floated in with a sickening grin on his face. "I'VE REACHED MY PRIZE!"

"Kaos!" Chihiro cried as she staggered back up and slouched down a bit. "How'd you shake that mist?"

Kaos cast a glare at Chihiro and snickered. "Did you really think a cheap trick like hallucina-something mist would stop me, the greatest evil portal master of all time? WRONG!"

Kaos turned his eyes back to the Eternal Fire Source and cracked his knuckles.

"Nothing can stop me from taking what's mine! Once I have the Eternal Fire Source, you and your stupid Skylosers will be nothing more than ashes in the wind!"

Chihiro growled, leaned in and bolted towards Kaos! "NOT IF I HAVE ANYTHING TO SAY ABOUT IT!"

In one swift movement, Chihiro grabbed Kaos by the shoulders and tossed him right towards the wall! Kaos screeched as he flew back, shook his head and stopped mid-trip! As he hovered in mid-air, Kaos summoned a series of orbs and shot them straight at Chihiro, but she just summoned a row of shields and charged down each one! As both the shields and the orbs exploded in mid-air, Chihiro summoned a magical hammer and charged towards Kaos once more!

"Take this!" Chihiro shouted as she bounded forward and slammed down her hammer. "HYAH!"

Kaos slid out of the way right as Chihiro's hammer hit the ground, but that wasn't enough to discourage her! She swung it around once more, and as he dodged that, she bolted down and slammed her hammer every which way she could! Kaos growled, held out his hands and shot a round of magical flames right at Chihiro. Chihiro gasped, stumbled back and gripped her hammer tighter, while the hammer itself transformed into a magical baseball bat within her grasp!

"PLAY BALL!" Chihiro exclaimed as she swung her bat and batted each and every one away.

This wasn't that much of a feat, given that at most these magic flames weren't bigger than an actual baseball; save for the last one, which bloated in size as it flew until it was at a meteor's weight! Chihiro froze, ducked down as she tossed her baseball bat above, and cringed as the flaming blast snapped her bat clean in half! Chihiro gasped as the broken fragments of her bat fell to the floor and vanished in a flash of magic, and unfortunately, this gave Kaos the perfect opening. While the bat disappeared right before her eyes, Kaos shot another sphere right towards Chihiro and slammed her into one of the piping hot cavern walls!

Chihiro screamed as the heat seared into her back, and winced as she slunk down. She wanted to get up, but the burns hurt her so bad that it completely sucked the energy out of her. As she groaned and rubbed her aching arms, Kaos crept up to her and cackled.

"Seems we know who the victor is here, portal pest," Kaos smirked as he looked at the Eternal Fire Source, "now, be a good little pest and stay there while I take my prize and finish you off!"

Chihiro shook her head and clenched her teeth so hard she was sure they'd almost snap. The battle wasn't won yet! Even if her entire body seared with pain, she still had fight in her, and she wasn't going to give up now!

"NOT THIS TIME, KAOS!" Chihiro exclaimed as she leaned up and stampeded forward. "I'M NOT LETTING YOU WIN THIS!"

Though her balance was uneven and she swung from side to side as she ran, Chihiro kept the pace long enough to spring forward and tackle right into Kaos! It was so unexpected, too, that he could only turn around and watch as she grabbed him and pinned him to the ground!

"HEY, HEY! LET ME GO!" Kaos demanded as he squirmed and kicked, but Chihiro had no intention of doing that anytime soon!

Instead, she hissed as she swung her head back and conked him right in the head with her own!

"OWCH!" both Kaos and Chihiro cried as they sat up and stumbled about.

Admittedly, hitting Kaos head-first probably wasn't the best idea for an intervention, but it worked well enough! The two of them groaned and collapsed to their knees as they rubbed their aching heads, and both of them perked up as faint footsteps crossed the air amid the sounds of screeching heat and crackling embers.

"That's Chihiro's voice!" cried a gravelly voice that was without a doubt Eruptor's!

Right as Chihiro and Kaos both came to their senses, a trio of footsteps reverberated around the halls, and right as Eruptor, Flameslinger, and Sunburn dashed into the room!

"Guys! You made it!" Chihiro cheered as Eruptor, Flameslinger and Sunburn burst through the entrance, and smirked as she turned to Kaos. "You're really in for it now, Kaos!"

Kaos whimpered as he fell to his knees and broke into a nasty coughing fit, but snarled as he leaped up and floated in midair, all while bright red and purple magic swirled around him!

"We're not done yet, portal-poster!" Kaos warned as his eyes turned back to the Eternal Fire Source. "After all, nobody's claimed the Eternal Fire Source yet!"

Everybody gasped as all eyes turned to the Eternal Fire Source, while Kaos himself teleported over and reached out to touch it. Before he could, a volley of flaming arrows broke through!

"You'll get that Eternal Source over our dead bodies!" Flameslinger proclaimed as he dashed forward. "LET THE FLAMES BEGIN!"

Flameslinger dashed forward and leaped for the Eternal Fire Source, but before he could, a crimson magic orb slammed into his side and tossed him back onto the floor! Flameslinger grunted as he pulled himself off the stones, while Kaos himself just cackled as he glowered over Flameslinger.

"Over your dead bodies, huh?" Kaos crooned as his hands burned with bright red, magical flames. "I could do that!"

Kaos tossed his hands to the ceiling, and they formed into a bright red cannon that shot flaming brimstone down onto the ground! As Chihiro, Eruptor, Flameslinger and Sunburn danced around and tried their hardest not to get hit, Kaos grinned and let out a cackle! That is, until a tiny brimstone pebble bonked him in the head!

"Watch it, you stupid brimstone rain!" Kaos exclaimed as he turned around and shook a fist at the flaming red cannon. "I'm your creator, don't you dare hit me!"

While Kaos cursed out the flaming cannon (in spite of the fact that it was technically not sapient in the slightest and couldn't respond), a thin smile stretched across Sunburn's beak. With a flap of his wings, Sunburn teleported between the stony raindrops and yanked out the Eternal Fire Source!

"I've got it!" Sunburn proclaimed as he held up the Eternal Fire Source!

However, he proclaimed it a little too loudly, for Kaos yanked his head away from the brimstone cannon and gasped.

"GIVE THAT BACK, YOU FLAMING CHICKEN!" Kaos cried.

In a flash of red light, Kaos teleported behind his brimstone cannon, and turned it upwards so that it fired straight at Sunburn! A storm of brimstone shot down Sunburn and he tumbled to the floor, all while the Eternal Fire Source rolled out of his talons and hovered over the floor. Kaos grinned as he ran over and grappled towards the Eternal Fire Source, right as a burst of flame swept through and snagged it off the ground!

"Sorry Kaos, but you're in a line of fire!" Flameslinger shouted as he tucked the Eternal Fire Source underneath his arm and whipped out his bow. "MINE!"

With a pluck of his bowstring, Flameslinger shot off a swarm of arrows around Kaos, while Kaos instinctively flinched and threw his arms across his face. Except, the arrows didn't strike him; rather, they landed in a circle around him and trapped him in a circle of fire! Kaos let out a mighty cry as he doused the flames with a sweep of his arms, held up a hand and set it ablaze with a snap of his fingers.

"You're not the only one who can play with fire!" Kaos proclaimed as he shot a string of fireballs towards Flameslinger. "TAKE THIS!"

Flameslinger gasped, and pursed his lips as he danced around the fireballs Kaos shot. At the last minute, one fireball diverted out of the way. This sudden swerve threw Flameslinger for such a loop that he tripped over his own feet and tossed the Eternal Fire Source straight at Eruptor!

"I'VE GOT IT, I'VE GOT IT!" Eruptor cried as he bounced up and reached for the Eternal Fire Source right as it soared right past his head. "ACTUALLY, I DIDN'T GET IT!"

Kaos grinned as the Eternal Fire Source soared right towards him, and spread his arms wide as it came within catching range. "COME TO PAPA!"

Kaos stretched out his hands as the Eternal Fire Source came closer and closer, but before he could snatch it up, somebody else zoomed by and snatched it right up!

Chihiro caught her breath as she flew through the air, held the Eternal Fire Source close to her heart and held out her hand. If she could just channel its power, even a little, Kaos would be toast!

"YOU LITTLE PORTAL PEST!" Kaos cursed as he zapped over to Chihiro's side and swiped at her. "Give me back the Eternal Fire Source!"

"Never!" Chihiro proclaimed as she ducked and slid out of Kaos's grasp, all while she squeezed the Eternal Fire Source tight. "I'm not giving up until I bring the Eternal Fire Source back home!"

Chihiro winced and held out her hands while they crackled with those same, magical sparks that always crackled when she cast her magic, but then, Kaos completely vanished from view! Crap, where'd he go? Chihiro yanked her head left and right as she tried to find him, but it seemed as though he found her first!

"I wouldn't quit your day job, portal-poster!" Kaos shouted as he blasted Chihiro in the back with something hard and burning!

Chihiro cried out in searing pain as she stumbled across the floor, and in the shock of the moment, her grip on the Eternal Fire Source released!

"Chihiro!" Flameslinger called as he dashed to Chihiro's side and pulled her up. "Are you alright?"

Chihiro winced and screwed her eyes shut as the pain coursed through her body. She wasn't sure if it was the heat or the shock, but that hurt way more than she was used to! Though the pain had numbed her senses somewhat, though, she could feel a distinct emptiness in her hands.

"The Eternal Fire Source," Chihiro gasped as she looked down at her empty hands, "where is it?"

"RIGHT HERE!"

Chihiro turned her head back to Kaos, and gasped again before the pain overwhelmed she stumbled closer to Flameslinger's grasp! Now, the pieces of the puzzle fit themselves together. The Eternal Fire Source flew out of her grasp and straight towards Kaos when Kaos hit her!

Now, Kaos grinned as he gripped the Eternal Fire Source, stroked it and turned his attention to the ground below.

"Well, you tried, I'll give you that… NOT!"

The Eternal Fire Source brimmed with a threatening crimson aura, and all around them, the whole room turned red with heat! Chihiro herself screamed and yanked herself off the ground from the shock as the heat around became completely unbearable!

"ETERNAL FIRE SOURCE! SEND THESE INSOLENT FOOLS TO A MAGMA-Y GRAVE!"