"Okay, is that a highway I'm seeing?" Nick quipped as the Gummi Ship entered a strange sector that looked like it had jumped straight from a futuristic racing game.
"Yeah, this area gets pretty trippy at times," Haruka proclaimed, seeing many Heartless ships shaped like race cars speeding along the track below them. "I have a feeling we're gonna need some speed to catch these guys. So let's race!"
The Gummi Ship transformed into Highwind Mode and rocketed off, following the twisting and turning track while shooting any ships that tried to bump them away.
After a while, a strange cylindrical ship began to ride the track and ignite its thrusters to ram into the Gummi Ship.
"Hey! This is a one-lane track, jerk!" Maylin shouted, firing the lasers to force the cylinder ship to back off. Still, it simply ignited its other thrusters and came back for another round.
"Seems like he didn't take the hint," Haruka stated. "Let's see how he likes this."
The Gummi Ship changed into Falcon Mode and fired off a shot that actually seemed to do some damage to the cylinder ship, even if it just came back for another round.
"Man, this guy just won't quit!" Maylin exclaimed. "We need to knock him off before he knocks us off!"
Nick thought for a second, an idea forming in his head.
"Let's see if this works," Nick stated, raising the Kingdom Key and casting a Magnet spell. An orb of magnetic energy opened up behind the cylinder ship and began pulling it towards it. As the Gummi Ship rounded a corner of the track, the cylinder ship couldn't replicate the feat due to being ensnared in the Magnet spell and crashed into the side of a building on the edge of the track, subsequently exploding.
"And down he goes!" Maylin exclaimed. "I never knew you could use magic up here in the Lanes Between..."
"Well, we never tried," Haruka replied as they approached their next world. "We've always used the Gummi Ship to shoot down the mooks."
"Good point," Maylin stated, gazing at the world ahead. "Hey, it looks like a bustling city kinda deal."
"Let's hope it stays within that expectation," Haruka proclaimed. "Prepare for landing!"
(A hero races through the green fields. The sun races through a blue sky filled with white clouds. The ways of his heart are much like the sun. A hero runs and rests, the sun rises and sets. Don't give up on the sun. Don't make the sun laugh at you.)
The Blue Time Ranger is proud to present:
W.I.T.C.H.: Key to Her Heart HD ReMIX
Story Created: December 17th, 2015
Story Rated: T for Teen
Story Summary: All is well in Heatherfield in the aftermath of the battle with Nerissa, especially after dealing with Will's distrustful father. But when a strange event occurs and swallows Heatherfield in darkness, the Guardians of the Veil are informed of an ancient evil that is plotting to take over the many worlds that exist out there. Now, W.I.T.C.H., alongside their new friend who has been gifted with a strange weapon, must journey through the worlds in hopes of restoring Heatherfield to its former glory. But what strange, devious plots will they uncover along the way? Will the Guardians ever reach home? And most importantly, what is the secret behind Nick's new weapon, the keyblade?
On Today's Episode: The Imperial Capital, while nice and shiny on the outside, is a wretched hive of scum and villainy on the inside, its corrupt prime minister controlling everything with an iron fist. Though hope exists in the form of the Revolutionary Army, most specifically their assassins-for-hire Night Raid, who kill the corrupt and abusive to ensure the empire can change. Where does our keyblade-wielding trio fit into all of this?
And Now, the Obligatory Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to W.I.T.C.H. or any of its affiliations. It belongs solely to Elisabetta Gnone and Disney if we're talking the cartoon. The only things of this story I DO own are any characters created by yours truly for the story. Any characters or things I don't own, I am just borrowing. That also goes for any anime, video game, or comic book series that will be represented here. And I am not infringing on any copyrights (not anymore). I'm just doing this for the entertainment of my readers. Besides, if I did own W.I.T.C.H., which I don't, why would I be writing fiction on a fan site?
Author's Note/For Today's World: In this episode, we're visiting the world of Takahiro's Akame ga Kill!. For timeline placement, this episode takes place between volumes three and four or after anime episode eight, specifically after the battle with the Three Beasts.
Episode 10: Kill or Be Killed
Seryu Ubiquitous continued her patrol, still riding off the excitement of her last battle with Night Raid, though she knew she had to keep it in so as not to attract any attention from suspicious people.
Out of the corner of her eye, Seryu noticed a flash coming from a nearby alley and decided to investigate, making sure she had ready access to her weapons just in case.
"Ugh, why is it always in an alley in places like this?" Maylin growled. "That's just too cliché for my tastes..."
"At least we can blend in with the crowd, then," Nick quipped. "There's a lot of people here."
"Well, let's do our usual thing and investigate this place," Haruka proclaimed. "See what's going on around here."
And so they stepped out of the alley and into the bustling city itself, noticing that there seemed to be a strange atmosphere surrounding it, though you couldn't tell that from the citizens, who acted like it was the greatest city in the empire.
Naturally, the trio didn't buy that for a second, but continued on with their trek anyway. They had always known to never treat anything at face value, as you never knew what could be hiding beneath the surface.
"Okay, guys, this isn't getting us anywhere," Nick groaned. "I'm seriously thinking something isn't right here."
"Yeah, some of these guys sounded like they were forcing it," Haruka replied. "Like they knew someone was spying on them or something."
Nick looked towards the grand palace in the distance. "And I'll bet that someone up there is responsible. What do you say, girls? Want to go check it out?"
"Hell yeah!" Maylin exclaimed. "Super secret spy mission, GO!"
Not knowing that Seryu was following them, the trio began their trek to the palace, though Maylin often noticed other shadows moving through the darkness.
However, upon reaching the great double doors of the main entryway, they found that it was locked tightly.
"Apparently, this place is off limits," Haruka quipped.
"Oh, we'll just see about that," Nick replied, raising the Kingdom Key towards the door. A bright light shined around the doors' lock, causing it to vanish completely. Haruka pushed the doors open so they could all slip inside.
"Some security," Maylin challenged.
"Maylin, we have magical keys that can open or close any lock in existence," Nick teased. "I don't think that'd be much of a problem to us."
"Hey, you!"
The trio stopped in their tracks and summoned their keyblades, ready for a fight. Four soldiers entered the room, their own weapons drawn.
"How dare you trespass on royal grounds," the first soldier proclaimed.
"I think we're busted," Haruka quipped.
Suddenly, all four soldiers began to scream in fear, and to the trio, it was easy to see why, as a pool of darkness had opened up under them, causing Heartless to swarm all over them. Within seconds, all four soldiers had fallen, transforming into Heartless themselves.
"Why did I see that coming?!" Maylin growled, raising Spellbinder as the Heartless approached, many of which were armored knights with comically oversized lances.
"Lance Soldiers are quick, but they can't really control their lance at times," Haruka explained. "Keep them apart and they're good as toast."
Nick nodded, leaping into the air and slicing forward with a Hurricane Period that knocked two Lance Soldiers away. Maylin quickly leaped in and cast a Thunder spell, only for the Lance Soldier to not even flinch.
"Oh, great, so these things are immune to magic, too?!" Maylin exclaimed. "Stupid lance boy... GET OVER HERE!"
The Lance Soldier that Maylin was fighting began to dash around like mad to avoid the mage, but Maylin quickly lost her temper and pounced on the Lance Soldier, driving Spellbinder into its face.
Haruka eyed both Lance Soldiers that were attempting a pincer attack on her, before leaping to avoid their attacks and have them crash into each other, so that Haruka could dispatch them both with an overhead strike.
"Well, that was a thing," Haruka giggled.
"Hey, to whoever's controlling the Heartless, STOP THROWING THE ONES THAT ARE IMMUNE TO MAGIC AT ME, FOR GOD'S SAKE!" Maylin shouted. "Seriously, it's getting really annoying!"
A sharp sound, like a sword being unsheathed, caught everyone's attention. Just ahead, standing at the edge of the stairs that led to the upper level, was a young woman, no older than Haruka, with long, lustrous black hair and sharp red eyes. Her sword was out and ready for battle.
"Okay, is this gonna play out how I think it is?" Maylin wondered.
"Are you responsible for those monsters?" Akame wondered.
"Um, obviously not," Haruka replied. "You did just see us take them down, right?"
"Regardless, you're in my way," Akame proclaimed, bringing Murasame into a battle stance. "Don't make me kill you."
Not waiting for an answer, Akame rushed forward and swung hard, only for Nick to raise the Kingdom Key and block the attack.
"Hey, listen, we're not the bad guys in this scenario!" Nick shouted. "We're just here because we're trying to find out what's up with this place!"
Akame looked confused for a second. "You mean you don't know?"
"We're not exactly from 'around here', so to speak," Haruka explained. "A lot of people in the city say they love this place, but it sounded so forced that we weren't buying it for a second."
Akame backed a few steps away, ready to sheathe Murasame, only for a powerful tremor to rock the surrounding area.
"Oh, what now?!" Maylin shouted.
Maylin soon got her answer as a large Heartless stomped its way down the staircase, a mix of a gorilla and a scorpion with the wings of a dragon.
"Oh, fantastic, here comes the big boy," Maylin proclaimed.
"I've never seen a Danger Beast like that before," Akame quipped.
"Let's just take it out before we draw any more attention," Nick proclaimed. "I'm surprised the guards aren't swarming over us already."
The Imperial Beast roared in challenge and began to gallop towards them, each step shaking the foundations of the room. Maylin quickly cast Reflect as the Imperial Beast threw a fist at them, stopping the attack cold and giving Nick and Haruka time to slash at the arms.
The Imperial Beast backed off before leaping into the air and coming down with a double-fisted overhead slam, creating a shockwave that threw everyone for a loop. Akame recovered the quickest, jumping off of a nearby support pillar to slingshot herself at the Imperial Beast and land a resounding slash across the beast's thigh.
Much to Akame's surprise, the Imperial Beast didn't seem that affected, only roaring in rage and preparing to attack.
"I... I don't understand," Akame proclaimed. "That should have ended it!"
"Heartless are pretty stubborn," Nick admitted, ducking under a flying kick to slash upwards at the Imperial Beast and knock it on its back. "Just gotta keep going until it goes bye-bye."
Nick rushed in as the Imperial Beast was getting to its feet and began striking at its chest area with an Ars Arcanum, with Maylin and Haruka helping out by using Strike Raid from their positions.
The Imperial Beast eventually spun around and whipped its scorpion tail straight for Maylin, who countered by blasting the creature back with a Thunder spell. "Hands off, gorilla boy!"
Haruka leapfrogged off of Maylin's shoulders and propelled herself high enough to meet the Imperial Beast's face.
"Hi."
The Imperial Beast roared in Haruka's face, only to be quickly shut up when Haruka slashed Divine Rose through its right eye. Wall-kicking off of its face, Haruka landed near Maylin, who followed up the attack by shooting a Thunder spell into the damaged right eye, causing the Imperial Beast to howl in agony.
Akame rushed in while the Imperial Beast was incapacitated and delivered three swift slashes to its chest before backing off to avoid retaliation. The Imperial Beast didn't take too kindly to this, swinging around and punching Akame into the nearby wall.
Maylin was already there before Akame hit the ground, casting a Cure spell on Akame before firing off a Blizzara into the Imperial Beast's face.
"You're going to pay," Akame growled before zipping over and slashing like wildfire, moving so fast she appeared to be flash stepping all over the place.
"Jeez, this thing won't stay down, either!" Maylin growled. "Why are they such gluttons for punishment?!"
"Well, how about we change that?" Nick proclaimed, bringing out the Starcrystal.
"Ooh, yes!" Maylin shouted.
Akame took a second to glance at Nick, gasping in surprise when she saw Maylin and Haruka vanish completely.
("Dimension Tripper!" by Nao plays)
Nick tossed the Starcrystal into the air and drew a glyph with the Kingdom Key above his head, slashing through it five more times to form a star shape. The glyph flew up to the Starcrystal, surrounding it and radiating strange shapes of energy resembling plus signs, much like the crystal itself.
Eventually, the glyph returned to ground level and expanded, forming into Neptune, who already had her sword out.
"Aah, another boss battle, huh?" Neptune giggled.
"More or less," Nick quipped. "Let's knock this thing into next week."
"Roger!" Neptune proclaimed, and both she and Nick lashed out at the Imperial Beast, striking in sync with each other and keeping the creature locked in its place.
Akame decided she wouldn't be left out, attacking the Imperial Beast from the front while Nick and Neptune attacked it from the side.
"All right, let's end this with our finishing move!" Neptune proclaimed.
"You may want to stand back," Nick stated to Akame, who wisely took a few steps back as Nick and Neptune readied their weapons.
"Finishing Move, Astral Finale!" Nick and Neptune shouted, firing a beam of light into the air. A second later, giant spheres of magic rained down from above, exploding on contact with the ground and doing immense damage to the Imperial Beast, though it had barely survived the barrage. Akame settled that with one final slash to its neck, causing the Imperial Beast to fall flat on its face and dissolve into little wisps of darkness.
"YES! One more boss served up extra crispy!" Neptune exclaimed. "We're on a roll, aren't we? Just call me if ever you need my help, or if you triggered a strange event flag and don't know what to do."
"Roger that," Nick quipped. "It's always the event flags that get me."
"That's what I'm here for!" Neptune giggled, reaching out to hug Nick before disappearing into the Starcrystal.
"We should probably beat it," Haruka quipped once she and Maylin reappeared. "No telling how much attention that fight may have drawn."
"I've already taken care of my target, so there's no reason for us to stick around," Akame proclaimed. "We should probably get back to base."
"I'm all for that! Let's get the heck out of dodge, people!" Maylin exclaimed.
But as the four retreated, staying hidden within the shadows, they just missed Seryu gazing towards where they had just been, malicious intent shining in her eyes.
So, Night Raid has more members for me to destroy, huh? Seryu thought. Well, that won't stop me from delivering absolute justice. I'll see to it myself!
"So, how did it go, Akame?" Najenda asked. All the current members of Night Raid were gathered for the after-mission report, with Nick, Maylin, and Haruka among them, wondering what exactly was going on.
"I was able to assassinate the target," Akame replied. "But when I attempted to return, a group of strange creatures got in my way. They weren't any problem, but then a large Danger Beast attacked us. It was unlike any I've ever seen."
"What would a Danger Beast, of all things, be doing in the Imperial Palace?" Mine wondered.
"That's because it was actually a Heartless, monsters born from the darkness of people's hearts," Nick explained. "The three of us were trying to get some information about this place because we didn't trust the people's reactions. They sounded so forced, after all. We went to the palace and a bunch of Heartless attacked us, so we kinda had to kick some ass before the place came down on our heads."
"And I'm starting to get the idea that this 'empire' isn't anywhere near as a paragon of light and shininess as these people claim it is," Maylin proclaimed, spinning Spellbinder in her hands. "So, what exactly is going on here?"
Akame was the first to start explaining, about the Empire and how it controlled everything in the capital through corruption and oppression, about how they, the Revolutionary Army, intended to overthrow the Empire and make this country a better place, and how Night Raid was the main face of the army, the ones who would go out and assassinate corrupt nobles or people who abused their power for their personal gain.
"Oh, so it's one of those places," Haruka quipped. "Yeesh."
"Sounds like we jumped into some deep nonsense, eh?" Maylin replied. "Is there any way we can help out?"
"The Heartless are kinda the whole reason we're here, and if they're rambling around, that could mean trouble for the Revolutionary Army," Nick stated.
"I say bring 'em all on!" Leone proclaimed.
"Oh, you would," Lubbock responded. "You'd have all sorts of fun smashing them to bits."
"It's what I do," Leone giggled, striking a pose.
"So, do the three of you know where these 'Heartless' may show up?" Najenda asked.
"Well, they're usually attracted to the darkness in people's hearts," Nick replied, summoning the Kingdom Key to his hand. "But they're also afraid of the keyblade, so they'll probably concentrate on us if we're in their vicinity. And as I know Akame saw, we're pretty capable of wiping them out if they get in our way."
"Akame also told us that you apparently possess quite an interesting Imperial Arms," Najenda quipped, prompting a question mark to appear over Nick's head.
"Wha? Oh, you mean my summon gem," Nick replied. "I've got a couple of 'em, actually. Just have to borrow the power of my friends and I can call on an ally to help me out. It's probably pretty different from these 'Imperial Arms' I keep hearing so much about. But, just out of curiosity..."
However, before Akame could explain this one, a group of Heartless spawned around them, consisting of a few Powerwilds and Lance Soldiers.
"Okay, this really isn't funny anymore!" Maylin shouted.
"Let's just take 'em out, then," Nick proclaimed, readying his keyblade.
To Nick's surprise, the members of Night Raid jumped into battle as well. Akame moved with grace and fluidity, slashing through the Lance Soldiers with one strike each.
Two Powerwilds attempted to pincer against Leone, but she simply activated Lionelle and smashed the two Powerwilds into each other. Mine aimed Pumpkin for one of the incoming Lance Soldiers and fired just as it raised its lance, destroying it easily.
Even Lubbock got in on the action, throwing out wires from Cross Tail to intercept a few Lance Soldiers in the middle of their charge, then using the wires to toss them over to Nick, who finished the job with a horizontal slash.
"Stand still, jerks!" Maylin growled, casting a Gravity spell to flatten two Powerwilds who kept jumping around, allowing her to cast Thundara and finish them off quickly.
"Well, that was an ordeal," Haruka quipped once the last Heartless had been slain.
"Tell me about it! Why is it always when we're talking to people?!" Maylin shouted. "Do they have any idea how annoying it is?!"
"So, moving on, then..." Nick stated just as another person ran into the room, covered in a full body armor.
"What do you have to report, Tatsumi?" Najenda proclaimed, and the figure dismissed his armor, revealing a young boy no older than Nick was.
"I saw someone moving towards our area," Tatsumi answered. "I don't know if they know we're here or not, but I figured it was suspicious enough."
Naturally, Nick's immediate suspect was Mariko Kusumi, the hooded woman who had been antagonizing them a lot lately. Even now, Nick still wondered what her part was in this 'council of villains' that Risky Boots had hinted at.
"Let's go check it out," Nick responded. "I have a hunch it may be a certain hooded nut who's been following us our whole journey."
That was all the convincing the rest of Night Raid needed, and so they set out to the nearby forest to take down the intruder.
"So, is this the one?" Cinder asked, placing the crystal down next to the others the group had collected.
"Yes," Red, the man in the mirror, replied, a victorious smirk on his unseen face. "We only need one more and we can proceed with the ritual."
"Ooh, I can hardly wait!" Risky cackled. "Think of the treasure we can pilfer with this kind of power!"
"Okay, this is starting to get a little kooky," Marie proclaimed, swinging Stormfall a few times to keep up her combat skills. "Can someone please explain to me what exactly this ritual of yours is going to accomplish?"
"We seek these crystals because they are filled with an ancient power, drawn from a goddess that was split into multiple forms," Red explained. "We aim to bring all ten of these crystals together, along with the the goddess's avatars, and reunite them so that she may be reborn and open the door to the heart of all worlds. Within lies untold power and wisdom, and it is within this that you will surely find the way to restore your sibling to normal."
"And I'm going to assume that those two have something to do with this?" Marie replied, pointing casually towards the unresponsive bodies of Taro Namatame and Inaba police officer Tohru Adachi.
"Exactly," Red responded. "We have the three avatars, so we merely need to find the last crystal, and we can begin."
Marie looked back at Namatame and Adachi. Only two. What gives?
"Okay, that's all well and good, but I still have two questions," Marie stated. "First off, where do I fit into all of this?"
"Only a keyblade wielder like yourself is capable of uniting the avatars when it is time," Red explained.
"And two, what if those three get in our way? Because I know they will."
"Then we will eliminate them. Simple as that."
Marie didn't think it would be that simple, though. There's something that they're not telling me. I know it's useless to ask, because I know they won't answer me if I do.
"Any sign of the guy?" Tatsumi asked, staying hidden thanks to Incursio's camouflage ability.
"Nothing yet," Mine replied. "Just wait, I'll blast his head off!"
A rustling in the nearby bushes caught everyone's attention. After a few seconds, Seryu and Koro stepped out, ready for a fight.
"YOU!" Mine growled, bringing Pumpkin to bear right at Seryu's head. "Oh, I've been waiting for you to show your face."
"Well, well, Night Raid, we meet again," Seryu cackled, her expression changing quickly and making her look slightly unhinged. "How long has it been since I killed ol' what's-her-face?"
"I'm warning you, don't set me off," Mine growled, letting Pumpkin charge up.
"Oh, what does it matter anyway?" Seryu proclaimed. "I will destroy you, Night Raid, for everything that you've done. In the name of absolute justice, I will rip you to shreds! Our great capital seems to have gone blind to the damage you murderers can cause if left to your own devices, anyway!"
"Oh, yeah?!" Nick countered, summoning the Kingdom Key to his hands. "Then you must be blind if you can't see how corrupt this empire of yours really is!"
"So, that's why you're here," Seryu stated, and Nick really didn't like the crazy look in her eyes. "You're not from this world, are you? You're one of those pathetic keyblade wielders, I see."
"And what of it?!" Maylin growled, summoning Spellbinder.
"As the keybearer, you've apparently forgotten the golden rule," Seryu taunted. "One must not meddle in the affairs of other worlds, after all."
"That's kind of a moot point now, don't you think?!" Haruka proclaimed, summoning Divine Rose. "You honestly think we're going to just stand by and let the Heartless destroy everything?!"
"The keybearer shatters peace and brings ruin," Seryu laughed. "You've violated the number one rule."
Koro began to bounce over to Seryu, opening its mouth far wider than its small body had any right to be. To everyone's surprise, Seryu actually stuck her arms into Koro's gaping maw.
"And you know what that means? It means I get to make an example out of you!" Seryu cackled as Koro slammed its jaw shut on Seryu's arms. "There's no room in our glorious empire for you or your key!"
Koro opened his jaw, and when Seryu brought her arms back, they had been replaced by almost foot-long blades.
"Time for you to die, Night Raid!" Seryu laughed, charging straight at the group, only to be stopped as Nick stepped in to block her downward swing.
"Not on my watch," Nick proclaimed, swinging upward to knock Seryu off balance before slashing her across the torso, forcing her to stumble. Nick pressed his advantage, landing four solid strikes before finishing with a Ripple Drive that caught Koro in the blast as well.
"Haruka, you take care of dog boy!" Nick exclaimed. "I have a feeling he's gonna be a problem."
"Roger that," Haruka replied, dashing off after Koro.
"So it's you and me for psycho lady?" Maylin laughed. "Fine by me. Let's shank this bitch good."
Seryu just burst out laughing and rushed back in to the fray, only to be knocked flat on her behind when Maylin hit her with a point-blank Thunder spell. Nick leapfrogged over Maylin to attack while Seryu was down, making one powerful swing that severed Seryu's swords from her arms.
Seryu didn't seem discouraged, however, merely leaping to her feet and dashing over to Koro, shoving Haruka aside and letting Koro clamp down on her arms again. When Seryu was ready, her arms were back to normal (though still made of metal), but she now carried a large rifle and a mace flail.
"You won't stop me, Night Raid!" Seryu exclaimed, swinging the mace before slamming it into the ground and creating shockwaves that forced the group to back away.
Seryu leapt into the air, intending to crush Maylin's head in with the mace, but the young mage simply cast a Reflect spell and let the attack bounce off.
"Try again?" Maylin taunted. Seryu roared in rage and began to slam her mace into the Reflect barrier over and over.
"Seriously, you're making this too easy!" Maylin laughed, raising Spellbinder and shattering the barrier, throwing all the absorbed damage back into Seryu and knocking her into a tumble.
"So, how about you just give it up?" Nick proclaimed. "There's no way you're gonna beat us if you keep rehashing the same old tricks!"
"Okay, then how's this for a new trick?" Seryu challenged. "KORO! GO BERSERK!"
Koro suddenly began to change, its muscles expanding rapidly until it was a hulking beast that towered over everyone in the area.
"Ooh, that doesn't look good," Maylin quipped.
"Night Raid, can you hold off the psycho until we're done here?" Nick stated. "I think we need to bring Neptune out here again."
"You really seem to like calling her out, huh?" Maylin giggled.
"Well, I don't wanna overuse my other summons, either," Nick replied. "Besides, I think Neptune's most suited for this one."
"All right, then let's call her out," Haruka laughed. "We'll see you guys in a flash."
Seryu stood her ground as Nick reached for the Starcrystal and Maylin and Haruka vanished.
("Dimension Tripper!" by Nao plays)
Nick tossed the Starcrystal into the air and drew a glyph with the Kingdom Key above his head, slashing through it five more times to form a star shape. The glyph flew up to the Starcrystal, surrounding it and radiating strange shapes of energy resembling plus signs, much like the crystal itself.
Eventually, the glyph returned to ground level and expanded, forming into Neptune, who already had her sword out.
"That was quick," Neptune giggled. "Got another boss for us to roast?"
"You know it," Nick replied as Koro began to gallop towards them. "Let's take care of business."
Koro reared back for a double slash, but Neptune quickly countered that with a spinning sword attack.
"Down, boy! Don't make me Nep-Nep you!" Neptune taunted, to which Koro roared before attempting a foot stomp. Nick was there in a flash to swipe at Koro's leg and knock him to the ground.
"Aw, you didn't have to do that," Neptune stated. "Summons like me are usually invincible while we're out, after all. It's, like, one of the rules of RPGs, right?"
"Even so, no way would I just leave a friend in the lurch," Nick replied. "It's just not me."
"Awww," Neptune giggled, floating down to hug Nick. "You're such a sweetheart. Now, how about we teach this hulk a lesson in messing with the main character?"
"Ready when you are, Neptune," Nick proclaimed, switching to World System.
Koro picked itself up and threw its arms out before roaring in challenge. Nick and Neptune responded by charging in and attacking Koro's chest, hoping to drive the beast into submission. Koro attempted a claw strike, but was interrupted by Neptune delivering a quick stab to a weak spot, causing Koro to stumble and steam to escape from his body.
"I think we've got it on the run! Neptune, let's finish it!" Nick shouted.
"Oh, yeah! Finisher time!" Neptune giggled.
Koro wasn't going to accept defeat that easily, and began hobbling towards Nick and Neptune as they raised their weapons into the air, despite the fact that it was losing speed with every second.
"Koro, hurry up and take them out!" Seryu exclaimed, still holding off the rest of Night Raid.
"Finishing Move, Astral Finale!" Nick and Neptune shouted, firing a beam of light into the air. A second later, giant spheres of magic rained down from above, exploding on contact with the ground and damaging Koro to the point he stopped and fell flat on his face, reverting to his normal form in a burst of steam.
"Now THAT was awesome!" Neptune exclaimed. "Another boss gets Nep-Nep'ed!"
"Indeed," Nick replied. "I'll call you if I need you for any more boss fights."
"See that you do! Dismissed!" Neptune proclaimed, sounding slightly serious before laughing at how ridiculous she sounded. She gave Nick a thumbs-up as she disappeared back into the Starcrystal.
"And then just one remained," Nick proclaimed, setting his sights squarely on Seryu, who seemed to realize she was in trouble.
"T-this isn't over, Night Raid!" Seryu exclaimed, retrieving the out-of-commission Koro and retreating into the distance. "Just you wait, I'll be back!"
As Seryu ran, Nick was the first to notice that she'd dropped a glowing piece of paper that he instantly recognized as belonging to the Pipo Storybook.
"We're seriously on a roll finding these," Nick quipped. "Let's keep the streak up, eh?"
"Well, that was fun!" Leone proclaimed, stretching her arms. "I've been waiting for a chance to pound that bitch's head in after what she did. Shame she wussed out, though. I was just getting started!"
"Me, too," Maylin admitted, resting Spellbinder on her shoulder. "I really wanted to shank a bitch. Just out of curiosity, though, what exactly did the nutcase do that got you guys so worked up?"
Mine was the first to respond after looking up to the sky. "She killed Sheele."
"She was one of us, but the first time we ran into Seryu, she and Koro ambushed us and... Sheele didn't make it back," Tatsumi proclaimed. He gazed at the armor of Incursio, the Imperial Arms that Bulat had bequeathed to him before his own passing. I won't let anyone else die. I promised Bro, after all.
"I get the feeling you guys would really have loved her," Leone added.
"And at least we sent little miss psycho running, so that should teach her not to mess with Night Raid!" Maylin proclaimed.
"So, I guess that means you guys are done here?" Lubbock asked.
"Almost," Haruka replied. "We've still gotta find the keyhole for this world, so the Heartless can't destroy it."
"Let's get back to base," Akame proclaimed. "We can start searching from there."
And sure enough, when they returned to their base, something was shining at the entrance to the base. Just over where Night Raid's emblem was printed, a shining keyhole had materialized.
"That was quick, huh?" Lubbock quipped.
Nick raised the Kingdom Key and shot a beam of light into the keyhole, sealing it off with a loud click.
"Man, we are on a roll!" Maylin exclaimed.
Akame walked up to Nick, smiling as she handed him a keychain. "I figured you should have this. For helping us out."
Nick attached the keychain to the Kingdom Key and watched as it transformed. This keyblade appeared to be modeled after the Imperial Arms that Night Raid possessed. The handle guard was a set of circular wires resembling Cross Tail, the hilt of the blade was a lion's head, like Lionelle, and the shaft was two different blades, one a large half-scissor blade like Sheele's weapon Extase and the other a smaller katana similar to Murasame. Extending from the guard were two small capes resembling the one Incursio wore, the teeth of the blade were three small blaster guns that resembled Pumpkin, and the keychain was a small robotic fist like Najenda's. The words Imperial Blade came to Nick's mind.
Before any celebration could occur, a rustling of bushes put Night Raid on high alert.
"Oh, who is it now?!" Mine growled, readying Pumpkin.
"Did she come back for round two?" Leone cackled.
However, after the rustling, there was just silence for a few seconds as Night Raid searched for the incoming enemy.
"Still looking for those keyholes, I see. When are you ever going to learn?"
Nick clutched the Imperial Blade tightly, slowly turning around to face none other than Mariko Kusumi.
"Our ritual is nearly complete," Mariko proclaimed. "Once the vessels are united, you can say goodbye to these pathetic worlds of yours."
"And you're telling us this why?" Maylin challenged.
"Because I feel like it," Mariko stated, summoning Darkgnaw into her hands. "I only kept you alive because I figured you would be useful to our plans."
Nick readied the Imperial Blade for another fight.
"But now that we have everything we need to proceed, you 'variables' are no longer needed," Mariko quipped before charging.
Mariko lunged out with an overhead strike that was quickly parried and thrown back at her, but she recovered quickly and cut through the air with a spinning somersault attack. Nick dove to the right to avoid the attack, then retaliated with a Stun Impact, though he was surprised to see that it didn't affect her.
"I will not be affected by such trivial performance," Mariko laughed.
Nick struck back by blasting Mariko into the nearby tree with a Ripple Drive, Maylin following up with a Thunder spell that inadvertently destroyed said tree in a hellstorm of voltage.
"Well, you have improved since the last we met," Mariko conceded. "But don't think I'm giving up. I'm just getting started!"
Mariko spun Darkgnaw and prepared to cast a dark magic spell, but Mine intercepted the attack with a blast from Pumpkin.
"Well, so are we!" Mine shouted.
"Let's see if you can keep up, then," Mariko proclaimed, leaping in to slash at Mine, only to be deflected when Akame hopped in and slashed upwards with Murasame.
Lubbock took advantage of the distraction and threw out multiple wires from Cross Tail, ensnaring Mariko and keeping her locked in one spot so Leone could activate Lionelle and start delivering a beating.
After a few seconds, Mariko was able to move her arms and throw them outwards to create a dark pulse that shoved all three of her attackers away. Tatsumi leaped in from above, delivering a flying slash to Mariko's side, only for her to counter with a horizontal strike.
Even as Mariko charged, Mine began to rapid-fire Pumpkin, keeping Mariko at bay with a storm of laser shots. This gave Nick the advantage he needed, as while Mariko was busy dodging the lasers, Nick snuck up behind Mariko and unleashed an Ars Arcanum, actually doing visible damage this time.
Even better, Nick was able to knock Mariko to the ground with the final strike. When she picked herself up, though, Nick noticed something strange.
Though Mariko's hood had been knocked down, which meant they could possibly confirm her identity, all Nick could see was her black hair.
But that hairstyle looked very familiar to Nick.
It seemed that Mariko had picked up on this, because she threw her hood back over her head and vanished into a dark corridor.
"Yeah, you suck!" Leone proclaimed. "Come back when you can put up a fight!"
Maylin was the first to notice Nick's thoughtful expression.
"Everything okay, Nick?" Maylin wondered.
"I was just thinking," Nick replied. Something about that hair... no, that couldn't be... could it?
"That stinks," Haruka quipped. "We were that close to finding out who that chick really is, too. Ah, well, there's always next time."
"Okay, one question I have is, well, why does Seryu know about the keyblade?" Maylin wondered. "How many worlds has miss hood been messing around in?!"
"Let's file it away for later, Maylin," Haruka replied. "I think priority one is finding Mariko first so we can wring some questions out of her."
"Yeah, if they're almost done with that ritual, it can't be anything good," Nick stated. "And I'm starting to believe that they're responsible for why Marie's been acting so strange lately."
As Night Raid continued to inquire about what the trio was searching for, another figure stalked through the shadows, focusing her attention on Night Raid, mostly Akame. She smiled before slinking back into the darkness.
"Soon, dear sister... soon."
"Hey, is it me, or is this place getting darker as we move on?" Maylin wondered as the Gummi Ship coasted through the Lanes Between, on a course back to Traverse Town. "That's what it seems like to me."
"I think Maylin's got a point," Haruka noted. "It's getting lighter in the Lanes because we're moving backwards. But, whenever we move on, it seems to get darker. I wonder what that means?"
"Maybe we're getting close to a really strange world," Nick replied. "That's just my guess, anyway."
Maylin looked back at Nick and noticed that he was lost in thought again.
"Everything okay there?" Maylin asked. "Sorry if it's the second or third time I asked."
"Just thinking about something I saw earlier," Nick replied. "When Mariko attacked us and we knocked her hood off, I... please don't think this is weird, okay?"
"Talk to me," Maylin stated, lifting herself from her own seat and sitting down right next to Nick. "I'm all ears."
Nick actually blushed at Maylin's forwardness. But then again, she's my friend. I really don't have a reason to hide it from her.
"When we knocked her hood off during that fight, I caught a glimpse of her hairstyle," Nick explained. "And that's pretty much what's been nagging at me since we left the capital. I know that hairstyle looks really familiar to me, but the only option my mind's presenting to me is one I don't think I can just ignore because it's the only one that makes sense. Problem is, I'm denying it because I really don't want it to be true."
"What is this theory of yours?" Maylin wondered.
"It... it has something to do with Marie," Nick admitted. "You know she's changed since my world was taken. I'm starting to worry that Mariko might have a hand in that."
"You think miss hood might have possessed your sister or something?" Maylin asked. "She did say something about the 'avatars' before we sent her running. Maybe these 'avatars' might be connected."
"And there's another problem," Nick replied. "I know Mariko's not going to spill anything, so the only option we have is to find the world that this villains' council is operating on and wring it from them. I just... don't want to lose my sister. She's the only family I've got left, after all."
"Hey, don't worry," Maylin stated, leaning over to hug Nick. "We'll get her back, and we'll send these stupid villains straight into next week!"
"You mean the next century," Nick quipped.
"Yeah, that!" Maylin giggled.
"Seatbacks stowed, everybody! Traverse Town, dead ahead!" Haruka exclaimed as the Gummi Ship parked in front of Traverse Town.
"Back so soon?" Kikyo proclaimed, her smile never wavering.
"Found another page for the storybook," Nick replied. "So I'm gonna go in and see what I can do."
"We're gonna check out the Synthesis Shop again and see if the Elric bros have any new stuff for us to make," Maylin proclaimed. "It's been a little while, after all."
Nick waved to his companions as he walked up to the Pipo Storybook and replaced the missing page to where it belonged. The book shined with a bright light and pulled him inside to the TV Station, where, just as expected, the alerts were blaring at the discovery of the next location of a Freaky Monkey Five member.
"Aki, did we find one?" Nick asked.
"Yumi's already on scene," Aki answered.
"Then I'm off," Nick replied, jumping into the viewscreen and coming out right next to Yumi. Both of them had found themselves in a Japanese pagoda high up in the mountains.
"Interesting place for a fight," Nick quipped. "Here's hoping this guy's not one of those super-stealthy ninja types..."
Yumi would have made a comment, seeing as how her newest transformation was exactly that, if they hadn't been jittered by a loud, cackling laughter.
"Who's there?!" Nick proclaimed, the Kingdom Key flashing into his hands.
Their answer came in the form of a rotund yellow-skinned monkey that dropped down from the sky. He resembled a classic sumo wrestler and was wearing positively gaudy accessories.
"Oh, dear, haven't I seen you on TV?" Monkey Yellow laughed.
"I don't know, maybe..." Yumi replied.
"Oohhohoho, I do so hate you cutesy types," Monkey Yellow taunted.
"Oh, really, is that so?" Yumi groaned. "Hmmm, you must just love yourself, then."
"Well, now, quite sure of yourself, aren't you?" Monkey Yellow proclaimed, dancing back and forth slowly. "Well, there are plenty of prettier girls than you, you know!"
"Oh, yeah?!" Yumi growled. "Have you seen my ratings lately?"
"Have you seen your waistline lately?" Monkey Yellow shot back. "Check your ratings again after the paparazzi get a shot of that! Ooh, but that doesn't matter now. Doctor Specter has asked that I take care of you here and now."
"Well, bring it on, then!" Nick shouted, readying the Kingdom Key for a fight. "Show us your moves, ninja boy!"
"Oh, dearie me, you're losing that cutesy image," Monkey Yellow cackled.
"Oh, don't underestimate me," Yumi proclaimed, her Stun Club at the ready.
Monkey Yellow immediately started hopping up and down, his tremendous bulk creating shockwaves with each stomp that forced Nick and Yumi to keep their distance. Nick took a few steps back before going into a Strike Raid, throwing his keyblade at Monkey Yellow from afar and then calling it back to throw it again.
After about six throws, Nick leaped in to slash at Monkey Yellow's bulk a few times, though he didn't seem to do any visible damage. "Okay, so you're not gonna be as easy as the others."
Monkey Yellow just laughed and began to spin around, forcing Nick to back off. "All right, let's see how you like this!" Nick shouted, casting a Thunder spell and knocking Monkey Yellow back, only for the rotund sumo wrestler to bounce off of a nearby wall and use his momentum to deliver a powerful flying kick that sent Nick tumbling.
Recovering quickly, Nick picked himself up and unleashed a Sonic Blade, hitting Monkey Yellow as many times as he could before finishing with a cross-slash. Monkey Yellow once again seemed to take no damage at all from the attack.
"Man, this guy's unreal!" Nick growled. "How do you think we can dent this guy's defenses, Yumi?"
Yumi reached for her Morph Gear. "Oh, I've got an idea. Transform, Miracle Ninja!"
A bright green light surrounded Yumi, and when it cleared, she was wearing an (in Nick's mind) absolutely adorable kunoichi outfit and was holding her Stun Club in reverse grip like a ninja.
Yumi charged for Monkey Yellow, noticeably faster in her stride (most likely due to becoming a ninja, Nick thought) and began attacking Monkey Yellow with spinning attacks. Surprisingly, this damage seemed to stick, forcing Monkey Yellow to leap to the top of a nearby slope.
"Time for my SECRET NINJA ATTACK!" Monkey Yellow shouted, throwing out maces that slammed into the ground all over the arena. Yumi was the first to notice that some of the maces had chains attached to them that went back to Monkey Yellow. Seeing an opportunity to do some damage, Yumi jumped onto one of the chains and began to run up it, lashing out at Monkey Yellow before he could react and causing him to tumble back to the main floor.
Nick rushed in before Monkey Yellow could recover and struck out with Ars Arcanum, hoping to do as much damage as possible before Monkey Yellow could get back on his feet. And sure enough, the alarm light on Monkey Yellow's headpiece quickly cycled from blue to yellow to red as Nick poured the damage on.
However, before Nick could land the blow that would decide the outcome, Monkey Yellow recovered and dashed away, much faster than someone his weight should ever be allowed to move.
"Get back here, fat boy!" Nick growled, chasing after Monkey Yellow, who would leap away with each strike Nick attempted.
Meanwhile, Yumi watched from atop the slope, formulating an idea as Nick tried to catch Monkey Yellow. Yumi made a leap off the slope, only to unfurl her glider and soar a good distance above the arena.
"Stand still, damn you!" Nick shouted.
"Make me!" Monkey Yellow proclaimed.
Yumi took this as her moment, closing the glider up and falling back to the arena, striking out with multiple somersault attacks that caught Monkey Yellow off guard and gave Nick all the time he needed to deal the final blow. This final attack sent Monkey Yellow tumbling before falling flat on his face.
Yumi landed on her feet and brought out the Monkey Net, swinging out and capturing Monkey Yellow. Once he had vanished, the Specter TV satellite on the top of the house collapsed into pieces.
"Another region freed," Nick quipped. "Hopefully it won't be much longer before we can find Specter and end this."
Speaking of Specter, he was watching in shock as another region was freed from the control of Specter TV.
"They've taken out Yellow!" Specter gasped. "What do we do now, Tomoki?!"
No response came. Specter looked over at Tomoki, only to see him gazing at his reflection in a mirror.
"Where is your mind at?" Specter groaned, activating his communication feed. "Hey, do you read me?!"
"Oh, Specter baby, I read you loud and clear, sweety!" the voice on the other end replied.
"Those pesky humans have taken out Yellow."
"You mean that fat... I mean, Yellow, huh? Well, it serves him right, always showing off and trying to think he's better than me. Ooh, the next time I meet him, I'm gonna..."
"Um, Pink?"
"Whoops, was I thinking out loud again? I gotta stop doing that..."
"Listen up, Pink, I have new orders. Do not let those humans get by you, no matter what."
"Baby, you know I have rehearsal after this."
"'Baby'? Who do you think you're talking to?! I JUST GAVE YOU A DIRECT ORDER, PINK!"
The entire station fell silent. Even Tomoki stopped gazing at himself to wonder what had just happened.
Nick returned from the storybook with a new spell coin clutched in his free hand. "That's three down," Nick quipped. "I think there's only two more missing pages, so that means we're almost done with this."
"Welcome back, fearless leader!" Maylin giggled as she and Haruka stepped into the Magic House. "How'd it go in the book?"
"Another Freaky Monkey Five member down the drain," Nick replied. "Just two more to go."
"Hey, speaking of which, we've got stuff!" Maylin exclaimed, showing off the new trinkets they'd created at the Elric Alchemy House.
"Nice," Nick quipped. "What's what here?"
"Well, I made me a Rune Armlet," Maylin replied, pointing to the trinket strapped to her left arm. "Buffs my magic by a few stages, and being how that's my style, I figured I couldn't go wrong!"
"I created an Angel Bangle," Haruka stated, gesturing to the winged earring she was wearing. "Gives extra vitality in a pinch. Very useful, indeed."
"And, for you, my friend," Maylin quipped as she handed Nick a necklace decorated with swirling hearts. "This is the Heartguard. It boosts your natural resistance to the power of darkness. The Elric brothers had to deal with a lot of darkness-touting maniacs back in their world, so they figured it'd be a good idea."
"All right," Nick quipped, sliding the trinket around his neck and feeling the power flow through his body. "Well, what say we get a move on?"
"I'm all for that!" Maylin proclaimed. "Let's go help more worlds!"
"Just like you, Maylin," Haruka laughed as the trio transported themselves back to the Gummi Ship.
"Hey, do you think we're ever going to find that other Navi-G Piece?" Maylin asked. "Because we still have that one that requires its partner to work..."
"I'm sure it's on one of these worlds," Nick replied. "We just have to keep looking."
The control console's viewscreen suddenly began to flicker. The trio readied themselves, knowing who was probably trying to contact them.
"Hey, everybody! I didn't scare you this time, did I?" Ruby asked as her face flickered to life on the screen.
"Nah, we were ready for this one," Haruka laughed. "You're the only one I've given the comm. codes to, after all."
"Well, we've got another tournament ready for you guys!" Ruby exclaimed.
"Wow, that's three in how long?" Haruka quipped. "Like I said, Ruby, times flows way differently up here in the Lanes Between, so sometimes it only feels like a few hours to us."
"Yeah, I'm sure interdimensional travel is just a cornucopia of disturbing concepts," Ruby giggled. "Stop on by whenever you're ready! Oh, I'm on my way, Weiss!"
With that, the feed cut out. Haruka was already reaching for the button to activate the warp drive.
"Well, guys, what say you?" Haruka asked.
"Let's go kick some faces in!" Maylin exclaimed.
"I'm all for it," Nick replied.
"All right, back to Beacon Academy we go!" Haruka proclaimed, activating the warp drive.
To be continued...
New keyblade acquired!
Imperial Blade
Strength: 7
Magic: 5
Ability: Combo Critical
A keyblade representing the assassins who seek justice for a corrupt world. Raises max MP by one, and enhances magic and summoning power. A well-balanced weapon that always finishes a combo with a powerful critical strike.
On the next episode...
Maylin: It's tournament time again! For the third time!
Haruka: I think you mean "again for the second time".
Maylin: Oh, shush, you grammar stickler!
Nick: The Gold Championship looks like it's gonna be a good challenge, guys. I hope you're ready.
Maylin: Oh, I'm always ready to kick some Heartless faces in!
Haruka: Looks like we've got some new ones, too. Stay on your toes, everyone!
Nick: Next time on W.I.T.C.H.: Key to Her Heart HD ReMIX, "Battle Festival"!
Nick, Maylin, & Haruka: The worlds are our ocean!