DxD: Ascension - Redux

Chapter 40: The Grand Finale

BGM: Diana Boncheva & BanYa - Beethoven Virus

Zach and Sona's blades clashed with an earsplitting clang. The two fighters pushed back against each other with equal force. Zach gritted his teeth, his smirk turning into a grimace. She's on my level with her Unbound form... gonna have to kick it up a notch. He rolled away from Sona. "Azrael, you got me?" he asked.
Absolutely, the Lord of Balance's voice replied from within Zach's sword. Attri-boost: Strength!
Zach felt his physical strength surge as he charged at Sona once more. Their blades connected again, but this time Zach was more than able to push back against her successfully and shatter Sona's icy sword.
Unfazed, Sona ducked under Zach's next swing and sent him flying with a blast of freezing water. "Show me what you can really do, Praktum!" she yelled. "I know you're stronger than this!"
"Don't say something you'll regret!" Zach countered, launching a volley of fireballs at Sona from all sides.
Attri-boost: Power! Azrael announced.
Zach attacked Sona with a torrent of flames from each palm, landing a direct hit and partially melting her armor. Or so he thought. When he paused his attack, he found that he'd only melted an ice sculpture of Sona, not the real thing. "Where did- GAH!" Zach cried out as Sona's reformed blade pierced his chest.
The real Sona smirked from behind Zach, pulling her blade out as he fell to his knees, struggling to breathe. "You underestimate me at every turn, Zach. Maybe now you'll think twice about that."
Zach's labored breathing turned into quiet laughter. "Oh, my dear Sona..."
"Hm? What's so funny?"
"You really think I've never been stabbed like that before? That it's enough to take me out?" Zach slowly turned to face Sona, a smile creeping across his bloody lips. "You're gonna learn a valuable lesson today." His eyes transformed into miniature blue suns as he spread his wings, detonating a massive explosion of fire with himself at the epicenter.
Sona was sent flying back, slamming into the wall of the arena. "Dammit..." She gritted her teeth. "Should've seen that coming."
Zach stepped out of the cloud of smog caused by his explosion, violet lightning dancing along each hand. Blood was still leaking from both the hole in his chest and his mouth, but he had a smile on his face. "Now we're having fun, darling!" He fired a bolt of lightning at Sona from each hand.
The Sitri heiress was barely able to create an ice shield to deflect the attacks. He's got me against the wall- figuratively and literally, Sona thought. And this Unbound form is going to run out soon. I have to end this! With a defiant yell, a cyclone of water gathered around Sona's legs, lifting her into the sky. From her elevated position, she created hundreds of jagged ice spikes in the air around her and flung them all down at Zach with a thrust of her hand in his direction.
Zach released all twelve of his wings, closing them around his body to protect himself. Once every spike had been deflected, he blasted Sona with lightning again, knocking her off her waterspout. He fired at her again and again as she tumbled through the air, destroying her armor piece by piece.
Sona hit the ground hard. Shaking, she barely managed to get to her knees. But as she looked up at her opponent, Zach also collapsed to his knees. He's lost too much blood... this ends now, she realized.
Zach's wings disappeared as he stretched his arm out toward Sona. "Sorry about this. But someone had to win," he choked out before coughing up more blood. He fired one final blast of fire at his opponent.
Sona couldn't even defend herself this time, unable to even move her body anymore as the flames consumed her. She disappeared in a flurry of blue light.

End BGM

"Sona Sitri has been defeated!" the announcer shouted. "After defeating an unexpectedly powerful opponent, Zach Praktum wins and will be moving on to the final round against the Red Dragon Emperor!"
The audience exploded with applause and cheering as Zach gave a peace sign before he, too, dissolved into blue light, being sent to the infirmary.

Later...

Zach woke up sometime later in the Temple hospital, where he found Sona reading a book in the bed next to his. "Hey. How long has it been?"
"Six hours or so." Sona closed her book. "That was a close one, wasn't it?"
"Closer than I thought it'd be, yeah. You were amazing out there."
"Same to you. A lot of people have come by to see us. They were pretty disappointed to hear that you hadn't woken up yet."
"Yeah? Like who?"
"Rias and her team, Azazel, what seemed like half the cultists on the mountain, the works. You're a real celebrity now."
"I don't know how I feel about that." Zach sat up. "You're not mad, are you?"
Sona chuckled. "Why would I be mad? That you beat me? I'm more just disappointed in myself for losing after getting so close. But you should focus on Issei now."
"Issei... that Cardinal Crimson Promotion, or whatever he's calling it, is one tough cookie. Taking it down will be a serious challenge."
"I think you've got this."
"Let's hope. I'm honestly not sure if that form even can be beaten. It might just be a matter of stalling until he runs out of energy. Once that happens, winning will be effortless."
"Do what you have to. Just don't cheat."
"Of course not. You think we're good to go back to the hotel now?"
"We've been good for a couple of hours. I was just waiting for you to wake up. Passing out after a fight seems to be quite common for you now."
"I should be more careful," Zach agreed as he got out of bed. "They'd better not have a surprise party waiting for us."