The tension was so thick it was almost suffocating. Everyone stood frozen where they were, too stunned to move. A nuclear explosion could have occurred right outside the window, and nobody would’ve batted an eyelash.

But when Jareth abruptly clapped his hands together and exclaimed in a poorly executed tone of surprise, "Well, isn’t this just a coincidence!" Stormlight nearly jumped out of her own skin. She glared at the Goblin King, who was looking insufferably pleased with himself as he stood to pace over to her.

"Yes," she bit out, hands clenching. "This is such a coincidence that I wonder if it hadn’t been planned!"

His look turned slyly innocent. "My dear, I have no idea what you’re talking about," he nearly purred, chuckling slightly.

She snorted and crossed her arms. "Sure. I believe you. And I’m the Empress of Konan!"

Jareth chuckled again. "Really? And here I had thought it was that Houki charac—" He was abruptly cut off as Stormlight’s hand clapped sharply over his mouth. Her glare was enough to melt rock.

"Will you shut up?!" she hissed, casting a worried glance to Hotohori, who was listening with a somewhat amused—if not confused—expression. "He hasn’t met her yet!" the Listian added, gripping Jareth’s shirt for emphasis.

A smirk was the Goblin King’s reply as he pried her hand from the ruffles of his shirt. "Jealous much?" he teased.

"As if!" Stormlight squawked, now thoroughly embarrassed. "I am not jealous! Besides, you’re a good one to talk, Tights Boy!"

Jareth glared, but rather than argue further, he turned his attention to the Seishi. "Well," he began, his voice as droll as Stormlight had ever heard it, "isn’t this a fine affair! You’ve all managed to arrive at my throne room at exactly the same time. How…perfect."

"So what happens now?" Nuriko asked impatiently. He looked as though he’d seriously love to toss Jareth headfirst out a window. So did the rest of the Seishi, for that matter.

"Well, as it is obviously a tie, I cannot, in all fairness, hand the Shinzaho over to either side." Jareth stated in mock-sadness.

"Oh, give me a break! Since when have you ever cared about fairness?" Stormlight huffed. "How about doing what’s right for a change and giving the Shinzaho to the good guys?"

Jareth pretended to consider, but then he smiled his most charming smile, revealing his pointed teeth. "Thought about it. Decided it just doesn’t work for me," he purred. "That solution is so…dull. There are much more interesting ways to settle this dilemma, I’m sure."

"Do I even dare to ask?" Stormlight muttered, crossing her arms and scowling.

"What kind of ways?" Tasuki asked bluntly, obviously not half as worried about the answer as the Listian was.

"Well, in my world, the most traditional ways to settle a dilemma such as this is by a duel," Jareth announced casually.

"A duel," Tamahome repeated. "What kind of a duel?"

Jareth smirked. "Swords are the most traditional weapon of choice…and as I understand it, there is at least one among you who happens to be quite handy with just such a weapon." And he fixed a sly gaze upon the emperor.

"What?!" Stormlight screeched. "Oh, I do not think so!" She took a protective stance in front of Hotohori and fisted her hands on her hips, shooting the Goblin King a withering glare. "Don’t you think for one second that I don’t know what you’re up to!" she snapped. "Whatever you try to do to him, you’re gonna have to go through me, first!"

Jareth, to her dismay, burst into loud, uproarious laughter. "Such a spitfire my Stormlight is, don’t you agree?" he mocked, still chuckling, as he patted her head condescendingly.

Well, that cut it! The Listian’s hand clenched into a fist, and she swung it at Jareth’s face with all her might. It was a nice, clean uppercut, and it would have knocked him clean off his feet had he not been a smidgen faster and caught her fist in his hand. He tsked at her, his eyes sparking with mirth and a hint of outrage. "My, my! Such violent tendencies we’ve developed lately! What have these barbarians been teaching you, my dear?" he purred through clenched teeth.

"Piss off!" Stormlight yelled, attempting to yank her fist free of his grip.

He merely smiled and brought his other hand to stroke down her cheek lightly. "Oh, have I made you angry?" he asked in false sorrow. "Well, we can’t have that, now can we? What can I do to make it better again?"

"You can go bury yourself in the Bog," she replied sweetly. "Or you can let us all go home again. Either option works for me."

He smiled sourly. "Such a sharp tongue you have. Be careful or I may be forced to remove it," he muttered. She proved that threat ineffective by sticking said tongue out at him, earning a few smirks and chuckles from her companions.

He sighed and shook his head, and suddenly he was all business again. "The plan is this. There will be a duel. You…" and he pointed to Hotohori, "will fight it." Stormlight again tried to protest, but he effectively cut her off by pulling her against him with one arm and using his free hand to cover her mouth. No amount of prying on her part could remove it, either, and she soon gave up and glared at the floor for being stuck in such a humiliating position. "If you win, Emperor, you will be given the Shinzaho and all of you will be sent back to your world. If the other side wins, the same will be for them. Either way, I will be rid of you." He grimaced, then gave Stormlight a warning shake when he felt her attempting to bite him through the leather of his glove. "Behave yourself, dearest, and maybe your precious emperor will survive this fight long enough to say goodbye to you," he hissed in her ear. She went still in his arms, and he smiled. "That’s much better," he purred. She muttered something, and though he couldn’t make it out, he knew it wasn’t very nice.

"Who is to be my opponent?" Hotohori was asking grimly, his face set in a stern expression. It disturbed him to see the Listian being bullied like that, but he knew instinctively that any interference on his part would only make it worse for her, since he seemed to be the reason the Goblin King was so angry with her. He couldn’t help but wonder how someone like her became mixed up with such a cruel man. What had she ever seen in him that made her get involved?

"You may fight any opponent you choose," Jareth told the emperor. "It is bound to be interesting, either way. Although…" He cast a glance toward his throne, where three little birds were perched, watching the events with silent interest. "It seems to have a few less opponents to choose from," he finished with a smirk, acknowledging their dilemma for the first time.

Hotohori clenched his fists and looked to his brother Seishi to ask their opinion, but a low, steely voice stopped him cold.

"I will fight him."

Slowly, every eye turned to face the speaker, and Nakago stared at the emperor impassively, his eyes like chips of blue flint. "Unless, of course, you are afraid to face me," the general added, as close to mocking as he had ever come.

"Never!" Hotohori growled, his golden eyes darkening with anger.

"What an excellent idea!" Jareth exclaimed, and his smile could have rivaled the Devil’s himself. "But you’re not much of a swordsman, compared to our friend here," he added, and stalked toward the blond man, dragging Stormlight along with him. "Out of all of you, I believe I admire you the most. You are quite the villain. Such absolute coldness and ruthlessness deserves some kind of reward. It would be a pity to pit you against someone who is obviously your superior in swordplay, however. So…why not even the odds a little."

A crystal appeared in his hand, and Stormlight’s eyes widened in alarm as she realized what he was about to do. She began to struggle in earnest, trying to distract Jareth’s attention, but it was too late. The Goblin King tossed the crystal at the general, and when it touched him it shattered on impact, surrounding him in brilliant light. Nakago screamed as the light engulfed him, his face contorting in agony, and when it had fully entered him, the symbol on his forehead began to burn a deep and brilliant blue. He opened his eyes and raised his hand to form a ball of glowing, crackling Chi, and the smile that touched his features was a chilling sight, indeed.

Hotohori stumbled back a few steps despite himself, and the rest of the Suzaku Seishi took defensive stances. Tamahome pushed Miaka behind him, and Chichiri did the same for Yui, who looked at him in gratified surprise. He smiled back briefly before turning his attention to the source of danger.

"That isn’t fair!" Nuriko was yelling at Jareth furiously. "His Majesty doesn’t even have a sword to protect himself with!"

Jareth sighed wearily. "Oh, very well," he replied sulkily, and waved his hand. Another crystal formed on his fingers, which he tossed to Hotohori. It stopped just short of the emperor’s face, and then began to glow and change shape. It formed a long, shining object, and when the glow faded, the Deity Sword dropped into Hotohori’s hands.

"Do you dare to face me now, Saihitei?" Nakago sneered.

In reply, the emperor grimly brought the sword up before him with a clack, his expression stern and set with determination. "Have at thee," he replied coldly.

Nakago smiled, a blood-chilling smile. "As you command." The ball of Chi began to grow.

Stormlight’s eyes widened. They mean to do it! she realized in horror. They really mean to…but Nakago killed Hotohori! Who’s to say it won’t happen this time, as well?! She began to struggle again, biting down hard on Jareth’s hand and stomping on his booted foot with both of hers, simultaneously. Caught by surprise, Jareth hissed in pain and loosened his hold, and Stormlight wriggled free and darted toward the emperor.

She was abruptly caught by a pair of arms far stronger than Jareth’s, and she turned to face Nuriko furiously. "Let me go! I gotta stop them before something terrible happens!" she cried, struggling, but as strong as Jareth was, Nuriko was much stronger and she had no chance of escaping his grasp.

"His Majesty can handle himself well enough," Nuriko soothed her, but she shook her head, tears coming to her eyes.

"You don’t understand! Hotohori will die! Nakago will kill him! I saw it happen!" she babbled, trying to make him understand. "It’ll happen again! I don’t want to see him die again! We have to stop them! Please!"

Nuriko’s brow furrowed, and he opened his mouth to speak, but a sudden explosion rocked the ground beneath their feet and knocked them both clean off it. The final fight had begun. Nakago had released his first blast, which Hotohori countered by raising his sword and bringing it down on the energy, slicing it clean in half and sending both halves hurling in two separate directions. Another explosion sounded as each half struck a wall and incinerated it, leaving nothing but rubble and two gaping holes behind. Everyone was astonished to see that, rather than in a high tower as they’d expected to be after climbing all those stairs, they were still on the ground level. Those that were not involved in the fight scrambled outside, a safe distance away, realizing that this was the end of it, and that only those two warriors would determine the outcome of this game.

"Man!" Tasuki complained loudly. "How come we don’t get to fight, too?! I feel like kicking some more ass!"

"That can be arranged if you don’t shut your mouth!" Suboshi yelled, clenching his fists. Tasuki turned on him, grinning savagely, and they might have gotten into another fist-fight right then and there if Nuriko hadn’t stepped in. With a few effortless, well-placed kicks, he sent the two Seishi sailing into the closest wall, where they slumped down, little swirls in their eyes.

"Stay!" he commanded, pointing a finger at them. "This is serious enough without you two hotheads making things worse!" Brushing his hands off, he turned back to talk to Stormlight again…only to see that she was no longer where he’d left her. Eyes widening, he turned in time to see her determinedly sprinting back into the castle. Groaning, he massaged the spot between his eyes and sighed. "I suppose it’s too late to ask if baby-sitting suicidal lunatics is in my job description," he muttered.

Stormlight crept cautiously into the castle again, her worry increasing as silence met her ears. Where were the sounds of battle? Where were the explosions? Was the fighting over already? Did…anyone die…?

"Hotohori?" she whispered, looking around. The castle was a mess, completely unrecognizable to her. It looked more like the ruins of some ancient city than anything. And it was dark. The light had been engulfed in shadow, creating an eerie effect. I hope destroying your own castle was worth this, Jareth, she thought bitterly. Speaking of which…where had he vanished to, anyway?

"Stay back, Stormlight," Hotohori’s voice commanded, startling her. "It’s too dangerous. Go back with the others."

"No! I want to help you!" she snapped, attempting to find him in the darkness. She saw a faint glow of red, and recognized it as his battle aura. She started to make her way toward him.

"You should listen to your emperor, little girl."

Stormlight gasped as Nakago materialized out of the shadows like a vengeful wraith, his face lit with the eerie blue glow of his battle aura. "This fight does not concern you," he added darkly. "If you stay, it will be your death." He raised a fist, which glowed blue.

"Leave her alone! It’s me you’re fighting!" Hotohori was there abruptly, swinging his sword at the general, who merely laughed and stepped back in a move almost too fluid and graceful to be human. The sword sliced through the blue aura with a crackle of energy.

Stormlight’s eyes narrowed suspiciously.

Then she gasped as she saw Hotohori’s appearance. His clothes and hair were singed, and several burns graced his body. His shoulder was bleeding and she could see a deep wound through a gaping tear in his shirt. As strong as he was, he was clearly no match for Nakago’s magic, even with the Deity Sword to protect him. "Go back," he commanded, nearly pleading with her. "I cannot protect you. I can barely protect myself at the moment."

"I don’t expect you to protect me. I…I actually came to protect you," she admitted sheepishly, blushing a little as she recognized the absurdity of her statement. She didn’t even have a weapon. Still, determined to help him somehow, she reached down and picked up a wooden staff that had once been part of a hanging tapestry, holding it defensively.

Nakago looked grimly amused. "How touching," he sneered. "Two young lovers, willing to die for each other. Such a tragic event."

"L-lovers?!" Stormlight croaked. "No, no! I-it’s nothing like that!" She stuck a hand behind her head in embarrassment and tried not to look at Hotohori.

Nakago sighed, his patience clearly at an end. "I have no time for this foolishness. I have a game to finish, and you are in my way. Therefore, you must be eliminated." His gaze locked with Hotohori’s, and a sneer appeared on his lips. "Foolish mortal, to try to take away what is mine," he hissed, raising his hands to gather a large sphere of energy between them.

Stormlight’s eyes went wide. Those words…

And everything happened at once.

The sphere of power was so large now that Nakago was forced to raise it above his head, and his face was almost maniacal as he fixed burning eyes on Hotohori, who held up his sword in defense, his face set. Realizing immediately that the weapon wouldn’t be enough—Nakago was putting everything he had into that final blast, it seemed—he braced his feet and prepared to defend himself to the death. "Miaka, my brother Seishi, I’m sorry I won’t be able to finish our journey," he murmured sadly, and then, "Stormlight, I have enjoyed getting to know you. If we only had more time…"

"NO!" the Listian shrieked, and without another thought she threw herself against the emperor, latching her arms around his waist and burying her face in his shirt, determined to save him no matter what. "My fault!" she sobbed. "My fault! I’m sorry, Hotohori! I’m sorry! I won’t let Jareth take you!"

Hotohori blinked. Jareth…?

And his confused gaze met Nakago’s under the blaze of energy about to tear him to pieces. Only it wasn’t Nakago’s eyes he looked into, but rather the cold, blue-and-green gaze of the Goblin King. The emperor’s own eyes widened in shock at this blatant trick, but Jareth merely smiled as he used his magic to tear Stormlight away from the emperor, although she did not relinquish her hold so easily. She was dragged back, out of harm’s way, spitting curses at Jareth and struggling futilely against the magic that held her. "Run!" she screamed at Hotohori. "Please, run!" But he wouldn’t, she knew. Hotohori would never run from a fight. He would fight this battle bravely, or die trying.

With a smile that could freeze Hell, Jareth released the power.