[Location: Isshin's Place; Time: 7:00 AM (Day 47)]
Sora was seen sleeping inside wait could be called the living room of the house owned by the late Isshin Matoi. He let out a very big yawn as he didn't exactly sleep comfily this time around. The bed wraps back at Mako's place were better than what was left of Mr. Matoi's couch. As he got off said sofa, he then said "Hopefully this is a long enough wait, provided that Ira lets me off with some leeway. I still have all of today to find clues and hopefully Nonon will be a little more lenient with me than the boys would." He then proceeded to resume his search for the safe's combination.
[Meanwhile at Honno-Ji]
"Welcome back, my lady!" they all saluted Satsuki's return as she got out of the helicopter. Satsuki nodded in response to their calls with a most respectful look in her eye
However before she got any further to proceed with her final speech, Ira stepped up in front of her and informed her in a most solemn tone "My lady. I'm afraid to notify you of this but during your absence last night… we had a break-in…"
"Was it one of 'them'?" Satsuki said with a worried tone, afraid that something of hers may have been compromised
"No… it was Sora of all people…"
"Sora!? The Key's Chosen One! Are you sure!?" Satsuki answered, completely shocked at the news that was just revealed to her
[At a remote location where this was being recorded to]
"I saw him leave the tower with my own eyes. I was wrong about from the very beginning." Ira said on the monitor, ashamed that he was seemingly been led astray by the boy's genuine good nature
"If word gets out, we're finished." Satsuki whispered "We have no choice then. Place a bounty on Sora's head now; the price is five hundred million yen."
"Yes Lady Satsuki. And I'm sorry for trusting him…" Ira said as he went to asset the new bounty in Honno-Ji City
The monitor then turns off and the person that did so muttered "Perfect. Now no one will stop Lady Ragyo's plan of cleansing all the worlds now…"
[Location: Honno-Ji City slums; Time: 8:00 AM]
Sora was seen browsing the slums like its everyday thing now. But before he got far, there was a sign with his picture on it. "Oh no. Now I'm a wanted man." He muttered as he observed the sign in greater detail. On it was his picture from the student record database and two crimes: 'Trespassing in Satsuki's Tower and break and entering from the said tower.' And a reward for his capture of five hundred million yen; dead, alive, or anywhere in between. "Ah man. There goes my chance to see Nonon for the dates of those events. Now that they got the whole city under lockdown for my face as well as the the student body is making preparation for whatever it is they are prepping for, my chances to blend in are zilch now." He then decided to take his leave of Honno-Ji via his Glider. "I have no choice: I have to skip town…"
Once he was well out of reach of the school, he pulled out his cellphone, dialed Aikuro's number, waited for the line to connect (which it did), and from the other end was "Hey Sora how're you holding up?"
"Aikuro. I've got a serious problem now." Sora said sounded a bit stressed
"As do we at the moment to be exact. Head to Osaka, jump into the reservoir and let the waves do the rest. Either I or Ryuko will brief you on what we're up to in person." Aikuro instructed Sora on where to go to reunite with Ryuko and Mako "Just mind the mess would you…?"
"It's bad THAT down there?"
"Osaka got the worst of it, and with reasons…" Aikuro then hung up
[Location: Ruins of Osaka; Time: 11:00 AM]
"Damn… I was told it would be a total mess here, but this goes beyond what even I predicted." Sora said as he observed the mess and the faint smell of embers filled his nostrils. "Now where to they expect me to…jump…from." He asked himself, only to look down and saw the emblem of Nudist Beach. "Well that's to the point." And with zero hesitation, he cannonballed into the water below.
[At a most exotic looking beach]
Sora just emerged from the waves of the basin that he jumped into a mere minute ago and was greeted by a most exotic looking beach and the crazy thing about it is that is looks like that it is underground and for the most part, it is. "Wow… I thought Honno-Ji was crazy looking, but this is something else entirely!" Sora exhaled as he was completely riddled with sheer awe at the surreal sight "How did this place come to reality anyway?"
"You can thank my father for this, with all the money that he earned as a college professor and subsequently spent funding this place and its people for war." Ryuko said from behind him
"YOUR FATHER WAS BEHIND THIS!?" Sora exclaimed in total shock at what he just heard
"Yup, used all the money he made as a college professor for general construction as well as hiring local mercenaries for hit-and-run jobs on Kiryuin owned shit." Ryuko answered as she recalled what she was told about the true origins of Nudist Beach.
Sora chuckled a bit to try and lighten the incoming tension and continued "Guess that explains why he sent you to that horrible school in the first place. He couldn't afford any other educational facility without compromising his war efforts, couldn't he?"
"Yeah, that's right…" the red-streaked renegade replied. As she took a similar pose as Sora with her hands behind her head, her eyes widened with complete realization and continued "You know what? Now that you mention the part about the money, it should have been so fucking obvious why he left me at such a cheap ass place to start with. He needed it to be devoted to something even bigger than just me, bigger than himself, bigger than even Senketsu and twin blades. I-It makes so much fucking sense now that I think about it!"
"Whoa…it must've been a lot to take in all at once." Sora exhaled
"Yeah, it sure was…The bit where you mentioned that Life Fibers were blobs of living darkness?" Ryuko quipped back
"You mean back at the school during my early days…?" Sora recalled
"That's the one; me and Senketsu at first laughed at the notion. But then Aikuro personally confirmed what you learned from the council was absolutely true."
"I was downright terrified at this revelation." Senketsu voiced his own opinion "I was afraid that…that…"
"You would've consumed Ryuko someday?" Sora finished for him, only for the Kamui's only eye to widen at what he just said "Back when I was still green to these garments, I was always afraid that every time that they consumed my friends to give me more strength that one day-"
"That they wouldn't return to your side…?" Senketsu finished for Sora, effectively returning the favor
"All one in the same, guys… you should both be glad that it wasn't the case for either of us." Ryuko stated as she wrapped her right arm around Sora's back, then the Keyblade veteran and living uniform nodded their heads in agreement. Then Ryuko proceeded with "And another thing that he told me, the Kiryuins are up to something big." Ryuko recalled what she learned from Aikuro, who enlighten her with everything he knew; no punches pulled this time around.
"How big?" Sora asked, afraid of what might come out of her lips
"While you were gone, we saw satellite imagery of the REVOCS clothing line shipping a shit ton of Life Fibers to Honno-ji. Aikuro stated that if they were willingly giving Shitsuki's school that many Life Fibers, then it's clear to him that they are likely preparing for 'Her' return."
"'Her'?" Sora pondered
"Ragyo Kiryuin, the mother of my rival Satsuki, head of the Kiryuin Conglomerate, Grand Director of the REVOCS clothing production line, all of those first few things making her the school's de facto principal since it falls under REVOCS ownership, is finally making an in-person appearance at Honno-ji Academy for the first time in three years. Back then she apparently made an inauguration speech on the day it was opened for operations just to flaunt her authority and to inform everyone how Satsuki is her acting eyes and ears and was made Student Council President for being such. She was also my father's former employer, plans to use all of its clothing, which are tailored with Life Fiber, to consumed everyone on this world and have them handed over to the dark beings as food; for the lack of a better statement." Ryuko said
"Your old man used to work for REVOCS?" Sora questioned, shocked by what he just learned "That'll explain how he had easy access to some Life Lifers in the first place; he must have made off with some to make Senketsu and my clothes later on."
"Sounds quite ironic I know." She stated, full of glum and proceeded "and what's even more so than that is that beings of dark or not, it still feels dirty to even think about putting Senketsu through this, fighting and murdering his own kind."
"You mean Senketsu was created as -"
"A weapon? Yeah, that's right… as much as I wanted him to sit this fight out in particular, he insisted on joining me and the Nudists." Ryuko informed Sora "Isn't that right, buddy?"
"I have made my decision the very moment I was first worn by you, Ryuko. As have the Life Fibers owned by REVOCS" Senketsu said with strong hints of genuine loyalty in his voice "and if that decision is to use others as their petty savory dishes, then I feel that I have no other option but to answer in kind and help Ryuko destroy every single one of them."
"Damn. That's deep, buddy…and quite harsh to be honest." Sora replied as he was rattled at what the black uniform just told him to the point where he was sitting on the ground. Just as Sora finished that sentence, gunfire was heard from a distance. The source turned out to be the same guy from the photo that Ryuko got her hands on weeks back. "Hey I remember that guy. That's Tsumugu isn't it?"
"Harsh, but all things considered, understandable. And yes that's him." Ryuko replied as she joined him and asked him "Want to know why he bares such disdain for Life Fibers?" Sora gulped as he prepared for the worst "His older sister, Kinue, volunteered for a prototype Kamui project. Things went really downhill really fast went she was killed in the process. Aikuro was just as devastated as Tsumugu was since she was revealed to have been in an affair with, despite the big guy's initial reservations, Aikuro himself."
"Older sister. Kid brother. Girlfriend. So that's who Aikuro was referring to back when he was residing at Radiant Garden." Sora said as he put the pieces together
"And the same person Tsumugu mentioned when he wanted me to get rid of Senketsu." Ryuko chipped in and followed up with "Any there is one more thing they filled me with: my father infused my DNA with the Life Fibers used to create Senketsu. Hence why not only why I am able to commute with him, but also the reason why I haven't been consumed as well as being the only one that can use wear him to his fullest. But how you are able to understand him perfectly is still a mystery to me… I guess we'll just chalk it up as what you two agreed on: that it's simply your Keyblade's magic at work"
As Ryuko began to poke at the subject of Sora's ability to commute with a Kamui like the one Ryuko is wearing, he then recalled the incident that branded him with the accursed Recusant's Sigil: the day he sacrificed himself to release Kairi's heart, turning himself into a heartless in the process. He knows for a fact that the darkness within him still lingers and can be very easy to ignite if he is ever wrongfully provoked. He was unsure of what frightens him more: if what he suspects is true, or if Ryuko ever found out that he just like Senketsu; if both were to be true, the aftermath would be most catastrophic.
Regaining his train of thought, he then replied to Ryuko's statement "Yeah…just some good old fashion magic at work…"
"You know what, I don't think I would have been ready for everything Aikuro told me today had it been the old me that was just looking for the identity of my father's murderer seven weeks ago. But now that that I think about it, I'm actually glad he waited because now… I found new calling for my life. Or perhaps, this was the real reason why I was born."
"And that is?" Sora asked despite already knowing the answer
"To make a difference for this world; for all worlds actually; just like you." As she finished her sentence, Ryuko and Sora were now holding hands "It's like he foresaw everything that would lead up to this day, including his own death."
"Wait a minute! You mean to tell me Isshin knew of this very event from the beginning, including the exact date of which it would happen!?"
"That's what Aikuro and Tsumugu said"
"Then there's still hope yet! The safe at Isshin's place that holds Satsuki's primordial journal entry! That date, THAT'S got to be the combination!"
"Still going on about proving Princess Bushy Brows' innocence?" Ryuko enquired in an unamused tone, then she got a spark of sudden interest when Sora mentioned its location and said " Scrub that last one; what the fuck is that skank's journal doing in my dad's place anyway!?"
"I know what you're going to say after this, but I still can't shake the feeling that Satsuki's ties with her mother aren't all that is cracked up to be… as for why it's even there of all places: I intend to find that out as well." Sora confessed with a bit of reserve yet a good hint of confidence in his theory
"If you can provide us with that journal that can prove me otherwise before 9:00 AM tomorrow, I'll sit and think about what to do with her. If not, then no guarantees that she'll be alive by the time you do."
"Trust me… I got a good feeling that it will change your opinion about her…" Sora said with a confident grin on his face, but then thought to himself "but I have bad one of what it may have to say after that video."
Before Sora took his leave of the true Nudist Beach Base, Ryuko grabbed him and said "Hold up. You said you were caught in the tower, right?" In which Sora's nods his head in response "Then you're better off here with us than back at Isshin's Place or Honno-Ji for that matter. Wait until tomorrow morning, then go get the journal. I'll spare her until you get there said journal in hand."
"Okay, thanks. I could use a bit of a breather right about now… and all I'm asking for her right now is a fair shot."
[Location: Isshin's Place; Time: 8:00 AM (Day 48)]
Sora was seen in front of the very safe that contains his friend's rival's very first journal entry. He inhaled deeply front his nose, exhaled from his mouth, and said to himself "This is it. This measly little batch of paper in this box it could very well turn the tide of this whole war in our favor. Getting my hands on this one entry in particular has been bordering seven weeks in the making."
He then carefully punched in today's date, which is the date of the Cultural and Sports Grand Festival, and much to his surprise, it actually opened! A computerized voiced then said "Welcome Back, Doctor Matoi." Then he carefully took the journal entry that seemed to have been very well persevered.
As he held the booklet in his hand, he could swear that he can feel them trembling at the very feel of it, like it contained some dark and haunting stories. He took another deep breath and said "Alright Sora. This is no time to get cold fingers; not when it counts the most." When he finally regained his composure and was about to open it, he then followed up with "Well…this is it."
He finally opens the booklet that was in the palm of his hand. The part mention something about writing practice and her simple yet positive views of everything "hehe… I guess everyone was like that in their childhood." As he kept reading, he saw a part where Satsuki received a massage from her mom "A negative response? What kind of massage was lil' Satsuki receiving?" he then turned the page once again and was met with even more grisly details of what transpired during Satsuki's childhood. "'Down there'? By that, does she mean…?" before he finished that sentence, Sora placed his right hand onto his mouth and was still holding the journal with his left and said "By Yen Sid's beard. You DO mean in that region, don't you Satsuki?" while he was hesitant to turn the page, he felt the need to do so to know everything of what the poor child had to endure. He was then met with Satsuki's TRUE ultimate goal. "Would have killed her? No dinner!? MURDERED HER FATHER AND BABY SISTER!?" that last one made him so mad, that it cause him to drop to his knees after he placed the journal entry into his possession and look to be emitting an aura of darkness. Sora then shouted "THAT BITCH!" and unleashed a powerful surge of the forbidden power. Of all the times that Sora has ever lost it, this one time goes to the top of that list. After the initial anger subsided, he got back onto his feet, and saw that the safe had one last piece of paper inside of it. he reached for it and learned that it was actually a peace treaty negotiations between his organization of Nudist Beach and Satsuki's armada of Honno-Ji Academy. It also said that Ryuko was to be the ambassador to keep both forces in the know-how for the both of them. "No..."
He then got out of the basement/laboratory and instructed himself "These need to be made public; this whole world has been deceived by a lie."
Items acquired:
{Satsuki's Secret Journal 1}
{Nudist/Honno-Ji peace negotiation paper}
[Location: Honno-Ji City Entrance; Time 8:35 AM]
"This information needs to be known at the festival ASAP. I don't care about the bounty on my head anymore!" Sora roared, pumped full of resolve. After he made his way into the slums, he was met with even more Neoshadows than normal and it's on the day that Ragyo offers this world to darkness as a scapegoat. This is no coincidence neither; it's not only like they know who he is after, but also like they are working for REVOCS. "Boys, you really should be on your merry own way right now. I'm in a very, very, very bad mood right now…" He said in a hauntingly fuming tone that would give most psychopaths twice his age and size complete pause, all while he carved the Neoshadows with minute effort, even going as far as slitting some of their throats and leaving them to bleed out. After he was done with those, he made his way to the one star district.
[Location: One-star district; Time: 8:45 AM]
As Sora made his way through the one-star commons area to the Courtyard, which now looks like a glorified stadium, four Dapper Shadows now stood in his way, ready and itching for a fight. While Sora was too engulfed by his new found hatred in the woman who was supposed to have been a good mother, he was far from distracted on the fight at hand. They once again tried their usual tag-team tactic, but this time Sora was not having any of that for he was too tight of a time budget to spend on the likes of these guys. So he zapped the most bundled together group with a Thundaga, stab the one in front of him in the eyes (both of them) and whacked the stunned ones upside their heads so hard they fly off, and stab the now blind Dapper Shadow right through the chest; killing the bugger effectively. After that bout of business, he made his way to the two-star living areas.
[Location: Two-star district; Time 9:00 AM]
Sora was now just a mad dash away from the site of the chaos. But as he was about to reunite with the resistance, he was then confronted by yet another Darkside. Only this time it had zero intentions of doing what Ragyo has been planning to do for the past 20 years. Instead, it was clearly more focused on the destruction of the Keyblade wielder in front of it, and its intent showed as it cranked its neck and popped its knuckles.
Just as Sora prepared to face the giant, he took note of the sky and saw what appeared to be flying white business suits. He then look even more unsettled and said "What the hell are those things…? I don't think that's the fashion police…" as he was distracted, the Darkside landed a nasty looking knuckle sandwich to his whole body, but that was not enough to bring this Keyblade wielder down as he quickly got back on his feet and resumed battle with the full-time world jacker, part-time bodyguard.
While it was surprisingly faster than its normal eyed counterparts, its gargantuan size still slowed it down considerable enough to where Sora can easily telegraph the giant's attacks and deliver some nasty looking counter strikes. No longer spending any more time on petty distractions, he hurled his Keyblade and its teeth landed straight in the Darkside's…you-know-where. The behemoth then knelled in pain while covering its nether regions. And with its head now at a more vulnerable height, he delivered the finishing blow to the giant Heartless, allowing him to get to the stadium and with that, the bottom of everything here.
[Location: Stadium; Time: 9:05 AM]
As he finally made his way to the stadium, what he saw next was just as repulsive as what he read in Satsuki's first journal entry. What he saw was Ryuko's heart (literally) in the palm of the woman whose appearance resembles that of the person that was described as Satsuki's mother. As he bared witness to such inhumanity, he lobbed his Keyblade once again, heading straight towards them and it easily sliced off the offender's hand. As Ryuko managed to get her bearings back together, she saw the weapon that released her from her recent predicament and complimented "about time…"
Sora then leaped onto the stage and yelled out "Ryuko, leave this psychopath to me and get everyone out of here! The sky! You've noticed it haven't you!?"
"I know I have, but she-!" Ryuko objected at first wanting to stay behind and fight alongside Sora, but as she took another glimpse of him, he saw that his eyes were teeming with pure hatred. But Ryuko knew for sure they weren't meant for her. Instead, he was dead set on ripping the older woman in front of them a new one. Once Ryuko saw the brunt of Sora's rage, she gulped hard and willingly backed off and replied "I-I understand…" remembering full-well after her fight with Mako that ended with the Fight's Club's disbandment that it's the nice ones one must be most weary of.
Sora couldn't believe what he just did to his friend. He managed to succeed in what Satsuki was failing in miserably: Intimidate the ever living daylights out of the reckless and dauntless Ryuko Matoi, who is like a sister to him. "Damnit all… what is this world turning me into…?" Sora said to himself quietly. After Ryuko widened the gap between herself and Sora, the latter then started "You… are you Ragyo Kiryuin…?"
"Oh my, it seems my astonishing reputation precedes even MY expectations…" The woman brazenly and stimulatingly responses as she gestures herself while wearing what is no doubt a hijacked Junketsu "Yes, I am Ragyo Kiryuin!"
"THEN PREAPRE FOR YOUR EXECUTION!" Sora boomed as he rushed her down with the Kingdom Key in hand unleashing a blinding flurry of strikes that no mere human can keep up with yet she was able to dodge each time. When Ragyo managed to find an opening, she managed to snap it in two. As Ragyo tried to follow up with a devastating gut blow, Sora easily parries the attack with the Oblivion Keyblade. While it did not break as easily as the Kingdom Key, the blow still sent Sora skidding on his feet quite a distance. "Th-that power… no one should ever have that much attunement with the darkness except Xehanort; just who, or what, the hell is she?"
"What the…?" Ragyo said, quirking an eyebrow, then went to smirking "Well, isn't this something else? It seems the Keyblade is more than what it appears to be"
"You think that's something? Then check this out!" Sora yelled as he was no doubt preparing to take on his ultimate form. Now clad in its signature white with black indents, Sora has taken Final Form to (hopefully) face the evil Ragyo Kiryuin on equal footing. "This is the end, Ragyo Kiryuin… YOUR HEAD IS MINE!"
She chuckled at Sora threat and said "Funny… my child, or should I say eldest child, said the same exact thing and look where it landed her…" Ragyo mocked as she gestured her left index finger in the direction of a rather large crater in the wall. After Sora focused a little bit more at what (or who) is there, he sees Satsuki Kiryuin; beaten within an every inch of her life.
"Then you'll pay for that atrocity as well…!" Sora bellowed as he began what would go down to be the fight of his life. Utilizing his telepathic connection with the two Keyblades he wields now, he is able to initially catch Ragyo off-guard and deal some notable yet repairable damage to both mad woman and the Kamui she stole alike. But as she then got the hang of how Sora was fighting, she was then able to fend of the devastating flurry of attacks that could turn most foes into parmesan cheese by now.
"Wait! I know that look in your eye." Ragyo replied as she was now able to deflect as quickly as Sora was able to attack
"Silence!" Sora bit back, not taking any more of Ragyo's psychotic and self-centered BS.
She then laughed maniacally as she instantly puts two and two together (one being of Sora's anger and the other being what he just said), grabbed him by the neck, slammed him into the ground creating an extremely wide crater
"Sora!" Ryuko shouted. Feeling that she has evacuated enough of the student body, she heads to the center stage to lend Sora aid; only to be obstructed by a most annoyingly familiar face
"Uh, uh, uh, Ryuko. You have to play with me first." Nui said playfully
"Shit! Not again… I have no time for you for now." Ryuko said as she began to do battle with Nui once again, only this time it was a more fair fight.
"I knew it! You found out about 'that', didn't you!?" Ragyo said as she kept him down by pressing her left high-heel onto his throat "You want to know something else…?"
"Fuck you, Ragyo." Sora spited as he decided to rightfully spit in her face, hitting her in her right cheek
"This precious source of power that Satsuki foolishly came here with, Junketsu…?" Ragyo asked as she wiped the spit off her cheek with her left hand and teased him by groping her own left breast with right hand "I had a feeling that I couldn't trust her with a Kamui as far I could've thrown her when she a newborn. So I had a tumor implanted into Junketsu's already savage brain, a tumor of which containing MY DNA, to make him untamable by any other but myself…" She finished, now kneeling down onto Sora
"You…you monster… you knew of what she was up to?" Sora groaned
"From the very start!" She stated revealing that she allowed everything to play out from the beginning "Aww, don't look too glum… soon the light of this world and all others will cease to exist and you won't have to worry about a damn-" Just as Ragyo was about to finished her sentence, she found herself stabbed in the chest by the Oathkeeper and Junketsu's left eye stabbed by Oblivion, leaving her with a nasty-looking scar on her belly AND back as it had succeeded in piercing her all the way, and potentially damaging said eye beyond repair respective.
"Wanting to snuff out the light and allow an apocalypse of darkness to swallow everything… all while satisfying your own personal desires, manipulating everyone form the God damned sidelines!…You remind me of Xehanort…" Sora spited
"As do you…I mean, look at you. Even my own daughters couldn't hold a candle to me, but you… I knew you would be different. The immense power that you possess; you could remake and reshape the worlds into your own liking if you wanted to…" She playfully said while spewing some of her blood due to the Oathkeeper still being imbedded within her
"Wait! How do you know about-!?" Sora questioned
"Me and him go way back, sonny." Ragyo answered as she pinned Sora's hands down with her knees and traced her fingers across Sora's chest, only for her to widen her eyes in shock "Wait a minute… These garments are made of Life Fibers, aren't they? But how did- Isshin… he's been even more busy than even I previously anticipated." Ragyo said as she was now completely puzzled by this recent discovery "But how was I not able to detect it…? Yen Sid, it would explain why my Nui was so quiet on that topic. You should have been utterly destroyed by those clothes of yours; you being here means that Nui failed. But no matter, it means I'll have more fun taking those off of you myself…" she licked her lips ravenously as she prepared to deal with Sora the same matter she did Satsuki
Just as Ragyo was about to relieve Sora of his technically half-made Kamui, Satsuki then saw that everything was heading even further south than she previously thought all while still unable to get back on her feet. Feeling that death would be a better alternative for her two trump cards than what Ragyo has planned for them, she felt she has no choice but to force her hand. She was holding what appears to be a remote detonator in her hand and then said in a coarse tone "Sora… Ry-… little sister… I'm sorry… for everything…" she then pressed the button and suddenly, massive explosions engulfed the entire stadium, bringing all the stands down and allowing easier access for everyone to get out. After the blast has cleared out, most of the patrons that weren't consumed by COVERS were already home-free… but what of the fates our star players…?
{Character Relations updated}