The air trembled as Kevin and Boothill launched into their final clash. Kevin surged forward with twin spirals of golden flame erupting from his feet, while Boothill stood his ground, rifle aimed and still morphing, pulsating with crimson energy. With a crack of thunder, Boothill fired—Kevin vanished.
The bullet curved mid-air, seeking its target, but Kevin reappeared a heartbeat later above Boothill, slamming down with a comet-like fist. Boothill barely rolled aside, retaliating with a barrage of bullets that Kevin weaved through with impossible speed. Sparks flew. Heat warped the air. Each blow from Kevin carved trenches in the dirt; each shot from Boothill shredded the landscape.
They moved like forces of nature—fire and steel, fury and precision. Boothill's weapon flickered between forms, blade, chain, gun, spear—Kevin countered each transition with blazing speed and fierce determination. For every strike Kevin landed, Boothill delivered one in return. The gunslinger's smirk returned as the tide began to turn.
Boothill's movements sharpened. A brutal swing of his chainblade sent Kevin flying. Before he hit the ground, Boothill fired, and the shot struck Kevin in the side, knocking the wind from him. The flames around Kevin began to sputter.
"Ya burn bright, boy," Boothill growled, advancing, "but every fire goes out."
Kevin forced himself upright, flames dimming but eyes alight with resolve. "Then I'll burn out takin' you with me."
He charged again, but Boothill was ready. The gunslinger sidestepped, slamming the butt of his rifle into Kevin's back, then spinning and blasting him point-blank. Kevin crashed into the earth, gasping.
From the sidelines, March's fingers trembled around her bowstring, aura glowing a soft violet. She aimed high, heart pounding. "Come on, come on..."
As Boothill raised his rifle to finish Kevin off, March released the arrow.
The arrow whistled through the air, glowing brighter with every second. Boothill sensed it too late—he turned, just as the arrow struck him in the shoulder.
The explosion of violet light rocked the battlefield.
Boothill staggered, weapon fizzling in his hand. The crimson glow faltered, and his eyes widened. "What in—"
Kevin rose with a roar, golden flames reigniting with renewed fury. He dashed forward, fists ablaze. Boothill tried to react, but his weapon sputtered, the arrow's magic shorting its shifting mechanism.
Kevin unleashed a relentless barrage. A flaming uppercut sent Boothill into the air, followed by a spinning roundhouse that cracked across his jaw. Boothill slammed into the ground, coughing blood, trying to stand.
Too late.
Kevin summoned all his strength into one final, blazing punch.
"This... is for March!"
He drove his fist into Boothill's chest, fire exploding outward in a shockwave that split the earth and sent a column of light into the sky. Boothill's weapon shattered, its pieces scattering like stardust.
Silence followed.
Boothill lay unmoving, smoke rising from his coat, his eyes dazed but alive. Kevin collapsed to one knee, chest heaving. March ran to his side, catching him before he fell.
"You did it," she whispered.
Kevin grinned weakly. "Nah... we did."
In the aftermath, the scorched ground smoked, the skies clearing as if the battle had burned the storm away. Boothill's reign had ended—not by brute force alone, but by trust, teamwork, and the fire of defiance.
And as the wind stirred the dust, March and Kevin stood tall together, ready for whatever came next.
A low, raspy chuckle echoed through the clearing.
Boothill pushed himself up, one knee braced on the ground, blood dripping from his mouth. He coughed, then threw his head back and laughed. It was raw, hoarse, and eerily joyous. "Hot damn," he said between breaths. "You two are somethin' else. Hell of a fight... hell of a pair."
Kevin tensed, March raised her bow again—but Boothill held up a hand.
"Easy now. I ain't lookin' to keep swingin'. You won this round fair. Gave me one hell of a show. Been a long time since I had to fight like that. Y'all pushed me further than I thought I could go." He spat blood into the dirt and chuckled again. "But... you think it's over? You think beatin' me is all it takes to get outta here?"
He tilted his head, eyes glowing faintly red, a dark light flickering in their depths.
"Y'all still stuck in the dreamscape. And you ain't gettin' out... not 'til she breaks free."
March's eyes widened. "Robin."
Boothill nodded slowly. "That girl's the lock and the key. She's buried so deep in this place, you'd need a miracle to pull her out. And until someone gets her outta that cage... this nightmare keeps spinnin'."
As he spoke, the ground trembled once more. From the shadows behind him, the earth cracked open with a hiss of brimstone. Crimson light spilled out like lava, and an icy wind blew through the clearing.
Figures rose—hulking beasts clad in tattered duster coats, with skeletal jaws, glowing red eyes, and weapons made of rusted iron and bone. Their spurs clinked with each step, their bodies half-shadow, half-corpse. Horns curled from their skulls, smoke trailing from every joint. Some rode spectral horses with molten hooves, others dragged broken chains or brandished jagged cleavers the size of tombstones.
Old western demon monsters. Dozens of them. Maybe hundreds. More than Kevin and March had ever seen before.
Boothill rose to his feet, the last of his strength pushing him upright. He watched the army form behind him and gave a tired but wicked smile. "So... let's see if y'all can handle Act Two."
Kevin stepped forward, fists ablaze once more, his aura flaring tall and golden. His injuries still bled, his body still ached—but his spirit burned brighter than ever.
March joined him, her bow glowing brighter with every breath, the string shimmering with energy. She gave Kevin a sideways glance and nodded. "We're not afraid."
Kevin cracked his knuckles, fire swirling tighter around his arms. "Let's finish what we started."
Boothill gave a low whistle. "Then the curtains rise. Hope you two brought an encore."
Together, Kevin and March faced the rising horde, fire and magic flaring bright once more as the next battle began.