Arkilles gritted his teeth, and clenched a fist as veins popped from its surface.

"You know," Arkilles mused, stretching out his fingers with red light veins forming along his head, "I've been dying to test out the powers that this body has held even since I grabbed it…"

Arkilles cracked his knuckles, and smiled as he flung out hands charged with bright red, crackling magic! His eyes glowed even brighter. He licked his lips as the red light completely enveloped his hands.

"And now, I have the perfect opportunity!"

Everyone stepped back as the light around Arkilles glowed brighter and brighter, hands clenching and eyes tracing the battlegrounds. The red light spread to the walls, crept along the floors as sparks of lightning burst from it, and the cheers of the Arkeyan crowds only grew more intense as the light glowed its brightest!

"Look out! It's gonna blow!" Chihiro cried.

Their group split two ways as the light finally burst, and the light shot towards them in streams of furious red lightning that tore right through the floor! The blasts hit the back of the arena instead. The arena’s back blew wide-open while chunks of rock and stone burst from it and rained down on the crowds! A few Arkeyan soldiers cheered as more of them fell unconscious, conked the oncoming blasts.

Down below, Skylander and portal master alike cringed as they shielded themselves from the blows!

"Amazing!" Arkilles cried. He glanced down at hands still rife with magic, and a soft gasp escaped from him as he wiggled his fingers. "I knew that a free magician's power was immense, but feeling it first-hand feels like I'm a completely different mage!"

Arkilles chuckled and turned around as Spyro skidded alongside the battlefield and panted.

"I simply must try it out more! Until this body collapses, even!" Arkilles cried. His cackling continued as he lifted his still-glowing hands, and his eyes trained on Spyro. "Luckily, I have the perfect test subject in mind!"

Arkilles cackled as he floated along the battlefield, pumping his arms and shooting burst after burst of magic fire towards Spyro. Spyro grunted and slid away, his eyes flashing red. Arkilles skidded in mid-air, turned around as his bursts of fire soared along the battlefield, and stopped completely just before they hit the ground.

"Huh?" Arkilles uttered. He stumbled back before he snarled and pointed at the fireballs. "I didn't order you measly embers to stop! Go after that dragon, right now!"

"Change of plans, buddy!" Spyro cried as he flapped his wings. Spyro flapped his wings once again, and the fireballs screeched as they zipped right back towards Arkilles. "Fireballs, return to sender!"

Arkilles screamed as the hot firelight came closer into his vision, turned tail, and scrambled away as the flames crashed into the battlefield! One by one, they burst into pillars of burning fire, painting the area in hot red and oranges and glistening against the cheering standees' metal bodies. Below, their flames licked against Arkilles' back, and heated the back of his robes as he panicked and sputtered out! A few embers brushed dangerously close to the back of his head, and he screamed and rolled away; right as he did, a fireball burst forth and slammed into his side, pushing him across the battlefield! Flames burst from his robes, and burned holes in their cloth as he rolled along the battlefield. Arkilles grunted and pushed himself up. His eyes laid on Spyro, and his teeth gritted as Spyro smirked over him.

"Infernal lizard!" Arkilles hissed. "How dare you burn these robes! Have you no respect for Arkeyan fashion?"

"Nope!" Spyro chirped back, though the flames that formed around his muzzle muffled his voice.

He shot off another string of fireballs. Their flames burned and grew brighter as they all circled around and closed in on Arkilles, but Arkilles teleported away! The flames crashed into each other instead, and their fires erupted in a burning, smoking pillar right as Arkilles manifested behind them and chuckled. With a clap of his hands, the flames grew brighter and taller, and Arkilles gasped before he extinguished them with a few more claps.

Arkilles turned back to Spyro as the flames died, stumbling around their ashy pillars as he did. He flicked his hands while a red glow burst from his palms' veins. He levitated up, prepared to fight, yet a burst of water splashed him in the back and knocked him forward!

"Who dares splash me?" Arkilles squealed as he swung back and forth, his fists shaking the whole time. "These robes aren't waterproof, you know!"

Gill Grunt swirled above Arkilles, propelled into the skies by the streams of water that burst from his jetpack as he spun circles! He lifted a fin, gave a thumbs up to the world behind, and smirked as he hovered in front of Arkilles with his cannon held up and prepped to shoot…

But instead of shooting Arkilles, he zipped away at the last minute and a flurry of gold coins shot into Arkilles instead! They pelted him like bullets, sniping his skin and popping off to reveal burning red marks. Arkilles, barked in pain, once again stumbling in mid-air. He’d collapse and hover up in sharp, jerky movements with every gold coin that smashed into him!

Down on the ground, Trigger Happy cackled as he fired off in rapid speed, raised a brow and turned aside as Chihiro swayed beside him. She held out a hand, and Trigger Happy grinned as he released the triggers and lowered his guns! She teleported off in a flash, and he yanked out a golden box of popcorn that he munched away at as she reappeared before Arkilles!

Arkilles gasped, but only for a moment. He swung forward and shot a glowing magic blast at Chihiro—one she quickly swept aside off before she kicked him right in the back! The kick knocked Arkilles back to the ground at last, and she dropped down as he planted into the ground face-first. Arkilles’s bones cracked as he pushed himself from the ground, and he himself groaned as he trudged up and crawled across the floor. At least, he would've, if Chihiro hadn't stepped on the trailing cloth of his robe and chuckled.

"Okay, I don't know if you're Arkilles, or Kaos, or whatever," Chihiro cried as she crossed her arms, "but whoever you are, you're coming with us!"

Beside him, a green puff of smoke manifested, and cleared away as Stealth Elf jumped out and drew her blades.

"Just come in quietly," Stealth Elf warned, and gingerly stepped forward while her blades drew closer to Arkilles' throat, "and maybe we'll let you off with only an exorcism and a trip to the reapers."

Arkilles scoffed, a confident look finding its way on his face despite his situation. He winced a little as he staggered up a bit, yet he still chuckled and smirked despite it all. His arms shuddered as he lifted them up, flicked Stealth Elf's blade away from his throat, and with that he collapsed back to the ground and chuckled.

"A compelling offer," Arkilles remarked, "but I'm afraid I can't accept!"

Arkilles disappeared right from between them in a flash of red light! His chuckled turned to cackles as he stood to full height and held out glowing red arms. Their red light turned hot like the sun, and raw with malevolent, bone-chilling energy as they stood. The magic leaped from them with a single slap of his hands! The two blasts twisted together, forming the shape of a dragon with a large, toothy maw and leaping for Chihiro and Stealth Elf…

As it leaped for the kill, a large, metallic orange wall leaped in front of the blasts and completely dispersed it! Its flickering embers scattered across the battlefield like rain, dripped onto the marble of the battlefield, and vanished as Arkilles gasped and stumbled backwards.

"Seems you forget you're not the only magician here," 'Enehana remarked as they lowered their glowing orange hands.

Arkilles hissed, gritting his teeth together and turning to 'Enehana. His eyes narrowed as Vatra and Jorden joined them. Flames almost burned along his eyes before he shook his head, and forced that same confident smirk before. Arkilles stumbled forward, hands glowing and all, yet a simple twitch showed that he knew he was outclassed. There before him stood three of his greatest foes, all portal masters far more experienced than he was, and though he stole the body of a portal master, he had no experience whatsoever in using the powers it held. It was clear who would win… Yet, still he shouted out as he rushed out and shot every magic blast he could!

"How dare you look so smug in my presence!" Arkilles growled as he dashed forward. "Disappear already, you worms!"

The blasts of red magic screeched as they came in, but with a clap of 'Enehana's hands, more mechanical walls leaped from the floors and blocked them off! The blasts exploded in a string, one that coated the area in thick, eye-stinging smoke and blocked off everyone from view. The smoke choked out the arena, but the walls rang and thudded just a bit! A few walls barely shuddered and tilted forward as Jorden and Vatra leaped from them, and they slapped their glowing hands on the floor, their own magic presence growing brighter and more powerful!

The ground rumbled as reddish-brown light shone from the tiles, and Arkilles stuttered and stumbled backwards, hands raising at the sights before him! He took one more step back, and the ground below him rumbled and splintered as a giant volcano burst out and trapped him within its grip! The volcano rumbled for moments, collapsed down, and leaped up as it spat Arkilles right out!

"You accursed mages!" Arkilles cursed as he patted stray embers off of his tattered robes. "You will rue the day you rose from your graves and challenged me! I—"

A pair of wooden fingers yanked Arkilles from the ground with such suddenness that it cut off his last words, and left him choking and gasping as the fingers brought him to a pair of blue, cold eyes. Arkilles found himself staring into the icy-cold glance of Tree Rex next, and he gasped and scrambled away. Tree Rex squeezed him tighter, leaving Arkilles gasping and choking for air even more.

"Stop it, you're choking Lord Kaos!" Glumshanks pleaded.

Tree Rex didn't relent. His eyes fixed on Kaos—or rather, Arkilles as he struggled and squirmed within the confines of Kaos's body! The others backed away, and even the Arkeyans in the stands ceased their cheers as Tree Rex held Arkilles closer to his eye level. Arkilles turned to Tree Rex for only a moment, and Tree Rex scowled, bearing his wooden teeth in a threatening display.

"You know, Arkilles," Tree Rex sneered as he squeezed Arkilles a bit tighter. "That was always your fatal flaw. You were too full of hot air to see your own faults!"

Arkilles gasped and choked out something barely made out. A plea for release? A last speech of defiance? A barely held back insult? Well, whatever it was, Tree Rex turned around and scoffed as he walked away, Arkilles still dangling from his pinched-together fingers by the very thinnest scruff of his neck!

"Our mission is done here," Tree Rex proclaimed, his voice cold as ice still. "Chihiro, tell Flynn and Cali—"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!"

A loud, demonic screech hit the air, one so loud that it blew the clouds out of the sky! The screech rattled in the Arkeyan spectators' ears, sending sparks blowing from them. The organic beings in the group immediately rushed to cover their ears—and that included Tree Rex! On instinct, he cringed and shielded his ears with his hands, but glanced aside and gasped as Arkilles fell to the ground like a rag doll! Tree Rex reached down to grab him, but a burst of crimson magic shot off from Arkilles' body and singed Tree Rex's fingers, forcing his hand back!

Arkilles' body stopped in midair just inches before it hit the floor, and instead floated on its back as it laid still like a stone statue. A faint rim of red energy surrounded it like a shield as it floated, and reflected the faces of all those around as they backed away or prepared to attack. The shield lowered to the ground while Arkilles rose upright within…

And as his feet hit the floor, the shield disappeared and Arkilles fell to his knees! His hands propped him up as he slouched over next, all while he groaned and rubbed his head. The voice that came from him wasn't that of Arkilles' baritone, but a familiar screechy voice. Its high tone was strung with pain as Arkilles rubbed his head.

"Oh, my evil head," groaned Arkilles, or whoever it was that controlled the body now. He gritted his teeth and hissed as his hand clenched into a fist, and a low growl came next as he stumbled back to his full, albeit unimpressive, height. "When I get that wannabe king for possessing my glorious evil body, I'll…"

Chihiro blinked, and took a step backwards as the body's eyes turned on her.

"Wait a second," she sputtered out, eyes flickering open and shut in alarm. "KAOS?"

The body turned around and gasped.

"THE POSER MASTER? AND THE SKYLOSERS TOO!" wailed the body, in a shrill, screechy voice that was undeniably Kaos's!

His own eyes fluttered at the sight of Chihiro, and his jaw slipped open as he jabbed a finger at her.

"Don't tell me he just INVITED you here into my temporary evil fortress of ultimate doom!" A low, frustrated growl rumbled in Kaos's throat. "That utter buffoon! That blundering bag of ectoplasm! Don't tell me him rifling through my memories to power the security systems was for NOTHING! Once I get him out of my head, I'll make sure to send him to his ultimate evil doom! There won't be enough itty bits of him left for the afterlife when I—"

Kaos flung his arms in the air, and his eyes grew wide at the sight of his tattered red and gold sleeves. He drew them back to his side, glancing over the rest of his torn, worn robes; his head lurched over next, knocking the crown from its top. The crown rolled around his feet, and he lifted it up with trembling hands. His mouth gaped open wide, but scowled once more as he tossed the crown to the ground.

"WHAT DID HE DO WITH MY BODY? THESE ROBES AREN'T BEFITTING OF SKYLANDS' ULTIMATE EVIL OVERLORD OF ULTIMATE DOOM AT ALL! THEY'RE FAR TOO GAUDY! NOBODY WEARS BRIGHT RED AND GOLD TO A CONQUEST UNLESS YOU WANT TO LOOK LIKE YOU CAME OUT OF A HISTORY BOOK!"

Chihiro winced as Kaos rambled on. Yeah, there was no denying it at this point—this was definitely the real Kaos standing before her. Only he could rant that much about Skylands' doom. He continued his rambles, and Chihiro snarled as she bent her knees. He was so wrapped up in his rant that he didn't seem to care about anything else, and that body was undoubtedly still weak from the earlier spats. He was practically a lamb in the lion's wake!

Chihiro sprung forward and readied a spell, her gaze focused on the back of Kaos's bald head. Just one sleep spell, that would be enough to knock him unconscious, and then she could take him in before he could conquer Skylands again, before he could undo everything they did, before her failure could amount to anything! His head came in closer, and she reached out her fingers. She barely brushed against his scalp, right as he turned around and glared at her with eyes flaring red!

A massive sound wave came next, a blare so strong it blew her back and shook the area. Chihiro rolled against the floor, landing right by Spyro's paws and groaning as she held a ringing ear with one hand. She pushed herself off the ground with her free arm. Her body trembled, her arms and legs aching so badly that just laying down left her pounding and throbbing. She could barely even see Kaos before her.

In her blurry haze, Chihiro saw that Kaos coughed and fell to his knees, clutching his sides with hands glowing red. She growled and forced herself up. A sharp noise shot through her head as she did, and next thing she knew, she was on the floor, coughing and shaking with the marble floors’ heat burning against her skin. Her vision grew so bleary that her eyes ached just from keeping them open. While she shuddered and cringed, just about ready to collapse, a cool feeling washed over her, and then the warmth of scales. Her strength returned enough that she stood up and leaned against Spyro, and her vision cleared enough to focus on Kaos.

Now it was Kaos's hands that twitched, his scowl growing wider as he laid on his knees still. Pulsing waves burst from him and warded off those around. His brow twitched next as he gritted his teeth together, and stumbled back as he glanced around. He was surrounded at every angle, whether it was Chihiro or one of the Skylanders in one instance, an Elder Elemental in another, or one of the ancient portal masters next—but, not once did they attack. They met his scowl with confusion, eyes tense as they backed away from the shrieking, ringing waves and pulses of magic that echoed from Kaos's body.

The light faded from Kaos's hands and he snarled as he stood up. He was at full height now, and the injuries his body sustained slowly faded as he basked in the light. A smile thinned across his lips as he clasped his hand, and not once did he bother to back down, even though he remained completely surrounded still.

"But, before I can deal with that incessant ghost," Kaos hissed, "I'd better take care of you!"

Kaos flicked out his wrists, and a blast of scarlet magic burst from his palms, shooting straight towards Vatra, Jorden and 'Enehana! Its light flared against the faces as it came in, and 'Enehana took it head-on. They rushed into the fray, and fell their lowest as they slammed their hands against the floor! The flap of their backpack flung open in response, and spewed out all sorts of metal and machinery that fashioned into a barrier. The barrier blocked the blow right where it came!

The blow’s red light flashed against the floor, its tile turning crimson in one moment, and orange the next as 'Enehana leaped over the barricade and charged straight for Kaos. He snarled and shot off more blasts, but 'Enehana swept to the side and flicked out their arm! A screeching noise hit the air as the barricade behind them rushed to the front, and it blew the blasts back, combining them into one as they hurtled back towards Kaos!

Kaos gasped, shooting out another, paler red blast that clashed against the force of his old ones. The light turned the floor warm and crimson as the two blasts pushed and tugged against each other. The light burned against him, tinting his face red. Crimson magic sparks leaped from his tense, throbbing veins. A softer crackle came from behind him, and he turned around and split his hands, holding out a second one to shoulder the electrically-charged, gauntlet-bound punch that came from Vaayu behind him!

Vaayu grunted, twisting his arm as he pushed his fist closer to Kaos's chest. The lightning grew stronger, seeping into the sparks that bounced from Kaos's skin! Kaos's eyes grew wide as he screeched out, and finally collapsed as the magic blasts from behind slammed into him and pushed him across the floor!

The static crackled off of his body from the holes torn through his robes. Though Kaos couldn't speak, his eyes scrunched and squinted in pain with every shock he got to show his pained state. A sky blue light cast over him as Vaayu stormed up and raised a hand while his gauntlets dispelled, and Kaos barely craned up his head.

Vaayu reached out for Kaos's collar, but Kaos smirked and shot up his arm! He squeezed Vaayu's wrist as Vaayu gasped, and a burst of red magic shot Vaayu across the battlefield!

Kaos cackled as he pushed himself up from the battlefield. A red shield enveloped him; it turned invisible for moments, with only the sunlight reflecting off of it a sign of its existence. Cracking his knuckles, Kaos floated up and rushed for Vaayu with red lightning at his fingertips—but a single bullet smashed through his shield! The bullet shattered a hole in the shield's front as it passed over Kaos's shoulder, tore another hole in the back on its way out, and a flurry joined that single bullet!

Each one smashed through the safety of Kaos's shield, turning it a solid, pale red. It filled with thin cracks as Kaos planted to the bottom to avoid the bullets. The bullets ended their onslaught and the shield shattered completely, leaving faint red sparkles cascading down on the battlefield!

Kaos gasped, but not for long, for a burst of sunlight brushed behind his ear!

He yelped as the light beam flew into the sky, and leaped away as the screech of another came! Floating further into the air, Kaos flung out a hand and blocked off another oncoming beam of light, but a rock smashed right through that beam. Kaos tumbled through the skies, and teleported away as even more rocks and light beams paired with bursts of fire from below that all shot for him! The flurry was great, and ascended down on him from all angles, trapping him in a solid bubble of hot, bright stone. It was all he could do to float and teleport away!

Chihiro smirked down on the ground. She crossed her arms as her eyes drifted over to where Hot Head, Tree Rex, Crusher, and Bouncer shot away at Kaos like they shot for fish in a barrel. Her gaze then turned to Kaos as he shouted and bellowed out curses and insults. She lifted her arms, flicked out her wrist, and the soft brush of magic touched her palm before the familiar hilt of a sword pressed its way in.

"You know," Chihiro remarked as she squeezed her sword's hilt, "we can't let them have all the fun!"

Chihiro grunted as she leaped in the air, its cold breeze brushing against her hair and blowing it back. She corkscrewed into Kaos's side and knocked him back! She teleported away just before the burning flames en route to Kaos could hit her, but did catch a hot rock smash into his back and knock him forward! The attacking flurries relented as Kaos rolled up and locked eyes with Chihiro. His eyes' red hue turning hot and venomous the moment they latched onto her.

"Portal poster!" Kaos cried as he flicked out his hand. "Who do you think you are, knocking into me like that?"

"The person who's gonna stop you, that's what!" Chihiro cried as she brandished her sword and charged in.

With one slash of her sword, a bright flare of cyan energy burst out in a wave and shot right for Kaos. Kaos summoned a bright red sword, and shielded the blow with the blunt side of its blade! Cyan sparkles exploded from the burst, but dispersed as Kaos zipped right for Chihiro and swung his own blade in turn—a blow she met as it came with her own sword. Her blade was thinner, and only barely kept the sword from recoiling forward and slashing her head open, but it held it well enough. She pushed Kaos’s blade back aside with a single swing.

Kaos struck next, pulling his whole weight into one swing as he aimed for her neck. Chihiro summoned a second sword and shouldered it off! One swing of the sword pair and the blade flew back again, and went only inches from Kaos's face before he swung it right for Chihiro. She leaped back and held up her swords, but instead of aiming for her, the blade swung right through her swords, slicing them in half! The swords exploded into sparkles and Kaos cackled in her face.

"Well, well, seems like you've gotten rusty, portal-poster!" Kaos sneered as he held his sword over his shoulder. "As to be expected of a measly apprentice, of course~"

Chihiro clenched her teeth, jumped back and snapped her fingers behind her back. A surge of power rushed through her again, one like a kind of overwhelming excitement that left her head spinning for moments before it left. As the adrenaline faded, Chihiro smirked at the sight of a single, cyan glow that brushed against the back of Kaos's shoulders.

"I don't know, I think even an apprentice could see that sword right behind you!" Chihiro cried.

Kaos grunted, turned around and a large cyan sword swung for him! It shot him with a blast that knocked him down into the skies. Kaos's blade slipped from his hands, and exploded as he plummeted downwards, screaming the whole time. Spyro charged into his back and knocked him back into the skies!

Kaos steadied himself, rolled in midair before he shook it off, and shot blasts of magic down at Spyro. Spyro flicked his wings, and shot out shields of shiny metal that captured the blasts! As both the magic and the shields exploded, Spyro yanked out his jaw and spat out a bright, burning hot fireball! The fireball shot at Kaos, but Kaos retaliated with a blast of blue fire, splitting the fireball for a moment.

The white flames of Spyro's fire crawled over the blue fire of Kaos's own fireball as it stretched and straining from the impact. The jaws of Spyro’s fireball snapped over the halves of Kaos's own! Its body turned a pale blue for moments, and then back to white as it expanded in size and slammed right into Kaos! A faint screech echoed from within the fires as they burned, extinguished and dropped Kaos down into the depths!

Kaos shrieked and patted away the hot white embers that clung to his tattered clothing. A stream of water burst from the side and knocked him to the ground! Kaos grunted as he slammed into the marble floors, and cracked them slightly on first impact before he slid across the floor. The water poured out from his dampened clothes, and he snarled as Gill Grunt strode and loomed over him.

Kaos twisted up, reached out for Gill Grunt—but Gill Grunt swept away, and Stealth Elf leaped out in his place with blades bared!

Kaos gasped and rolled away as Stealth Elf came down, but a golden blast smashed into his back and knocked him right into her grip anyways! Her blades slashed against his face, leaving nasty, bloody wounds like lengthy scratches across it. Kaos cried out as he covered his face! He finally slouched over and panted; his hands covered his face as he trembled, but he made not a move otherwise!

"Quick, he's down!" Chihiro cried as she shot out her hands. "Take him in!"

Spyro swept down from the skies, and surrounded Kaos right as the rest of Chihiro's group crowded around him.

Chihiro gulped. The magic screeched as it consolidated in her hands, numbing them with raw magic power. Her heart trembled a little at the sight of Kaos reeling before her, but Chihiro steadied herself and threw out her hands. Just one spell to knock him out! Just one spell and this whole mission would be done!

The beam of magic came out in a massive, flaring burst, like a burning laser so powerful it knocked Chihiro herself back a bit! She reeled up right as it came just inches from Kaos himself—and then, disappeared as a powerful gust blew into the room like the winds of a tornado!

The gust knocked Chihiro down on the floor, the others across the battlefield, and Kaos on his back, just inches away from where she laid! His hands peeled from his bloody face, and revealed eyes screwed shut as he moaned in pain.

Chihiro grunted as she yanked his wrist. "I'm not letting you get away, Kaos!" Chihiro cried as she squeezed his wrist tight, so tight that not even the raging winds that lashed down above her could break the grip. "I'm not making the same mistake again!"

Kaos didn't retort, not even to make a witty remark or break free. He just laid limp in her grip. Chihiro grunted, and the wind relented enough that she lifted him up and squeezed him tighter. His body was nothing more than a feather's weight in her grip, but another gust blew down and tossed her off balance as she did.

Her head flung itself up as she stumbled back, and there before her, hovered right behind the rims of the battlefield, was that Conquertron! Its polished red and gold metal shone in the burning light, and its figure was so big that its chest only barely poked out over the island. Its eyes flashed a bit brighter as all eyes turned on it, and its mouth slowly drew open as white smoke poured out! It almost seemed like it was going to attack for a moment, but as the smoke cleared, what came out of its mouth wasn't a rocket, or a cannon, or anything like that. No, it was a speaker!

"Emperor-King Arkilles!" cried some robotic-sounding voice from the speaker. "The preparations for the vault trip have been completed! Your presence is requested immediately!"

The arm in Chihiro's grip regained its weight and knocked her back! The blow came quickly enough that Chihiro released it before she could even comprehend that Kaos's body jerked out of her grip, and flung itself forward. It wasn't until a low, smooth voice echoed out from it that Chihiro realized Kaos stood in front of her, his consciousness fully regained despite his injuries.

No, that laughter wasn't Kaos's. That deep voice, it was Arkilles all the way!

"Perfect timing, minion!" Arkilles cried.

Chihiro blinked just one tiny blink, and the next thing she knew, hot red light lashed against her and knocked her back on the ground! The light faded as she hit the ground, and Kaos or Arkilles was gone. Only the faintest trail of magic laid, the only sign that he was on the battlefield. A faint red light trailed into the Conquertron, and then, that same mocking, snide, deep laughter bellowed over the Conquertron's speakers. It poisoned Chihiro's ears and the rest of her body with its smug, proud, distant laughter.

"Anyways, I have a date with the Secret Vault of Secrets," Arkilles proclaimed, "and I'm afraid none of you are invited! So sorry to say" — Arkilles chuckled a bit more — "but, I do have a little parting gift for you!"

Arkilles cleared his throat for a moment, and the loudspeaker crackled. It shot out a wave of feedback so loud that it forced everyone around to cover their ears.

"BRUTE! Take care of these pests for me, will you?"

"Alright, Lord Kaos!" shouted another voice over the loudspeaker.

"I TOLD YOU TO QUIT CALLING ME THAT!"

A glimmer of red light formed on the battlefield, and out from it came a tall jawbreaker. He had emerald green skin, blank eyes, a jaw full of jutting teeth, and he dressed from head to toe in fancy leather armor. He smirked as he came up and pounded his knuckles together.

But, Chihiro couldn't worry about that right now! She grunted, pushed herself up, and narrowed her eyes as she smacked her feet into the ground. The magic flooded into her veins, and she moved to the skies next, shooting right for the open mouth of the Conquertron. If she just slid right into there, she could yank him out and get him! The Conquertron came closer into view as it slowly closed its mouth, and Chihiro leaned in.

She sped forward so fast that the world around blurred—and then, stopped.

Something hard and solid smacked right into Chihiro's head. The pain it left behind was so strong and numbing that Chihiro fell out of the skies like a dead fly. She only barely made out Arkilles in her concussion.

He laughed his head off as he stood on the other end of a sparkling red dome that completely enveloped the battlefield, then he, he… No, he turned away! That Conquertron turned away, surely to fly off and escape, just when Chihiro finally had the opportunity to take Kaos in!

But, there was nothing she could do about it. The wind pushed down on her as she collapsed, and the most she could do was teleport down to the floor. The cold marble struck her back, and she groaned. She laid on her side as the Conquertron flew up, further and further away from the red tint of the shielded dome.

It flew off, and it took her chance to catch Kaos with it.