Chapter 53: There is hope
Maleficent and Capella in their dragon forms continued to face each other, both firing fire with everything they got. As their dragon fire was countering each other, Maleficent moved her tail to hit Capella's head with a good amount of force, pushing the Sin Archbishop of Lust back. Capella was enraged by this and quickly managed to move her tail in a way that allowed her to hit Maleficent in the face as if she uppercut her. Maleficent in her dragon form was caught off by this and fell on her back side with Capella starting to revert back to her original self, satisfied with the battle.
"Was that all of your strength? For one who doesn't believe in love, that was quite weak! Hahahaha! Of course, one who doesn't love can't survive against me!"
Capella proceeds to laugh, enjoying her victory while Maleficent started to revert herself back into her original form. Pete approached Maleficent after she reverted, preparing to do everything in his power to fight Capella. Maleficent notices this and quickly moves next to Pete while also responding to what Capella said.
"Hmph. You are not done with me. I will admit, you are quite annoying but I won't allow myself to lose."
"Is that right?!"
Capella looked at Maleficent with a sadistic look before she snaps her fingers, forcing the witch cultists around her to appear behind her. Maleficent and Pete noticed this and quickly they summoned a swarm of heartless to back them up.
"Well now, shall we begin this dance?"
"Hmph."
Maleficent gave a gaze at Capella before sending her heartless minions directly at the Sin Archbishop of Lust. Capella saw this and quickly snapped her fingers, causing the witch cultists of hers to charge directly at the heartless. Capella and Maleficent both watched the two armies of theirs fighting each other with everything they got. Capella smiled at this since she loved the intense battle between her witch cultists and Maleficent's heartless army. Maleficent saw this as annoying since she wants her heartless to hurry up and take down the witch cultists. As their battle was going on, Capella felt something change in her gospel. She quickly looked at her gospel to see what happened and quickly realized that something was wrong.
"That fucking moron. Of course he gets himself killed."
Capella closed her book with a distasteful facial expression and quickly attempts to leave, knowing that it is time to leave if she wishes to escape the city alive. As she was leaving, she snaps her fingers once again, alerting the witch cultists to attack the city. They all nod and quickly spread around the city to cause chaos. Maleficent and Pete noticed this, seeing that this is their open to attack the Sin Archbishop of Lust. The heartless charge at Capella only for each and everyone of them to be easily wiped out. Capella looks at Maleficent and smiles evilly before leaving the area.
Before Maleficent could do something, she notices a beam fired directly at her. She creates a barrier that allows her to block off the attack before turning towards the person attacking her. As she turns towards the attacker, she notices that it is someone in an Organization uniform. She looks at the Organization member and just gazed at it before pointing her staff directly at the Organization member.
"Who are you?"
"..."
"Speak!"
"..."
The Organization member just looks at Maleficent, having stayed silent for a moment before just disappearing. This annoyed Maleficent since not only did she got no information of this new opponent but also the Sin Archbishop of Lust had escaped her grasp. Maleficent was annoyed by this yet she kept herself in check before looking at the city.
'Hmm. I could get one of these lesser fools to help me find that annoyance.'
Maleficent started to think on how she could get the witch cultists to help her find Capella. She started to walk towards the city with Pete looking confused on what Maleficent is doing.
"What's the plan?"
"Just follow me, buffoon. We have some work to do."
"Y-Yes ma'am!"
Pete just stayed silent and quickly started to follow Maleficent into the city with the large heartless army following the two.
Meanwhile, Rem and Garfiel both worked together in giving it their all towards Lye in hopes of landing a fatal blow. Lye smiled to this and quickly dodged the attacks, having been interested in the two fighters since he sees Garfiel gourmet and is curious to know if Rem has gotten new memories since their last encounter. Rem and Garfiel continue to do everything in their power to push Lye back yet little do they know that the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony was toying with the two. He looked at Rem and can see that this Rem fights completely different compared to the previous fight.
He then turns towards Garfiel and can tell that he isn't able to go all out despite showing immense power due to his injuries from his fight against Saix. Lye dodged a few attacks before attempting to eat Garfiel first, wanting him yet Julius jumped in between the two and managed to save Garfiel. The demi-human was caught off guard by the knight's interference but before he could say anything, he quickly used his divine protection of Earth spirits to push Lye back with using the ground to attack the Sin Archbishop. Lye saw this and quickly jumped back to avoid getting hit by the ground's attack.
As he was on the air, Rem quickly managed to land a hit on Lye due to him having been distracted with Garfiel. Lye was sent to the ground and crashed yet he wasn't on the ground for long. He got up and started to speak to Rem specifically.
"Yes! You are more Gourmet than before~TSU! We must prepare for this feast!"
"You...You are the one who took my memories...you are the one who made everyone forget about me, correct?"
"This is quite rare! We are the ones who took your name and memories, Lye Batenkatos."
Rem was stunned for a moment yet she wasn't discourage, she was now more motivated than ever to fight Lye and beat him. Seeing that this was the person that took her memories and made everyone forget her, she feels that killing him could reverse the effects. Rem using her oni powers at its full power, she charges directly at the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony to show off her strength. Lye smiled at this and quickly encountered Rem in battle, enjoying himself for a bit before Garfiel, Ricardo, and Julius quickly assisted Rem in facing the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. Lye didn't mind seeing the three join in, always enjoying a good fight and allowing him to see if they are worthy of being gourmet. Otto stood at a distance, observing the fight and trying to figure out how he can assist with Felt also waiting to see if she could help the group as well.
"Dammit! I want to help!"
"Felt-sama, you should stay here. A candidate of the throne shouldn't participate in a fight to the death."
"And why not?! Big sis and big bro are fighting with everything they got. My hero and my dumbass knight are also risking their life to help others! Why can't I help too?!"
"Because you would just get yourself killed."
Otto looked at Felt and noticed how angry Felt was by what he said yet he knew that it had to be said. He knows that Gluttony is too dangerous since he is holding his own against the combination of Garfiel, Rem, Julius, and Ricardo's strength. Felt wouldn't be able to do much and that was something he wanted her to know. Felt looked at the merchant angrily yet she knew he had a point. This made her angry more towards herself than Otto since she wants to help but knows she would only get in the way.
'Damn it! I want to help! I want to be useful!'
Felt thought of any way she could help turn the fight to their favor yet all she could see is many possibilities of being killed. She crossed her arms and started kicking the air until she kicked the bag Otto was holding. The merchant freaked out a little since he was holding the red stones and the last thing he needed was to blow up alongside Felt. As Otto checked the bag, he let out a sigh of relief when he noticed the red crystals not glowing.
"You need to be more careful Felt-sama, we don't want to be killed by an explosion."
"Ha! As if I would let a little explosion harm me."
"That's not the point!"
Felt looked at the bag and was a bit curious if she could use the red crystals and her divine protection to help Garfiel and his group somehow. She quickly swiped the bag from Otto's hand, getting the merchant's attention. Otto tried to stop Felt from doing anything yet the petite girl using her incredible speed to enter the fight with a full bag of red crystals in her hand. She waits until Lye tries to stab Rem's arm. Felt quickly placed the bag in front of Lye before managing to pull Rem away from the explosion radius. Lye didn't think much in the bag and quickly sliced it in half yet he realized his mistake when all of a sudden a massive explosion happened a few feet away from him. Using lunar eclipse, he dodges the explosion with only his left arm having been injured by the explosion. Lye looked at Felt and was a bit curious on the little girl.
"Are you gourmet? You came out of nowhere and attacked us. You used a trick that we didn't see. There is a possibility you could be gourmet. You also could have memories for Louis to enjoy."
"I won't allow you to take away my memories!" Felt shouted with some hint of fear in her voice.
"We shall see."
Lye proceeded to charge at Rem and Felt only for Garfiel and Julius to both jump in between the two girls to protect them. Lye noticed this and quickly started to think about the memories Rem had and started to understand how to beat Garfiel at the very least. He smiled has he started to clash with the shield of sanctuary.
"You seem to always want to get close to nee-sama, isn't that right Garfiel?"
"Th'Fuck'r ya talkin 'bout?!"
Garfiel was thrown off by this and felt disturbed by the way Lye was talking, feeling has if he recognized the way he spoke. As Garfiel was getting some assistance from Julius in pushing Lye back with everything they can, Rem quickly told Felt to stand back.
"You need to be away from him, Felt-sama."
"I know! But I want to help you all out! I don't want to be some damn damsel in distress!"
Rem looked and could see Felt's determined eyes, wanting to help out the situation they are in. These eyes she saw were the same determined eyes she would see in Sora during the one year in between the incident of the Sanctuary and current day. Before Rem could say anything to Felt, she noticed Otto approaching the two.
"Felt-sama, you need to be more careful! Your life is too important to be here!"
"I can be here if I feel like it, idiot!"
"Now that's just rude!"
Rem looked at the two and smiled at this sight before turning her attention towards Lye, knowing that she needs to be the one to defeat him considering that he is the one that took everything from her. She first turned towards Felt and said to her,
"You have a warrior's spirit but you must also be cautious when fighting. Know when you are needed and when you are not."
"But I want to be needed."
"Want is one thing, actually being needed is another. You are very important and I assume Reinhard-sama put a lot of trust in us to keep you safe. So please stay with Otto here."
"..." Felt stayed silent for a moment, understanding what the blue-haired maid was trying to tell her. She reluctantly agreed to this and quickly put her knife away, seeing that she won't be using it at the moment. Rem approached the battle with Ricardo joining her side, both noticing each other and nodding as they acknowledge that they need to work together to assist Garfiel and Julius in pushing Lye back. Rem made sure she took one of the ethers she got from Ram to restore her mana, knowing that her oni form drains her of a ton of mana. As she regained her strength, she pulled out her horn just as her sister taught her and quickly with Ricardo charged directly at Lye. The Sin Archbishop of Gluttony noticed Rem and Ricardo charging at him, he quickly dodged Garfiel and Julius' attacks before clashing with Rem and Ricardo, more interested in Rem than anything else.
"You are gourmet! We are ready to feast on you once again, Rem."
"Don't underestimate me!"
Rem quickly pulled out a couple of knives given to her by Ram, using them to attack Lye by tossing at them towards the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. Lye noticed this and quickly blocked them off with ease, only to leave himself to take a powerful punch to the face. As Rem punched Lye hard enough to send him a few feet away from the group, she quickly charged at him with Ricardo backing her up. Lye looked at Rem and smiled as he was happy to find Rem even more interesting than their previous encounter.
"Yes! You are truly gourmet! You will make a fine feast! More than before~TSU!"
"Like hell!"
Rem with everything she had started to go on the offensive with Ricardo backing her up, both proving to be equal to Lye while he held his own. Garfiel and Julius both waited for a moment before joining in, knowing that Rem and Ricardo are going to need some assistance.
A year ago:
Rem worked hard to be a maid alongside her fellow allies with Ram being much strict with her due to the two being twin sisters. After Sora had become a Keyblade Master and Subaru had become Emilia's official knight, the following day she begins working on the more tougher maid tasks. For the next few weeks she would learn to cook, clean, and do laundry while taking some short breaks to observe Sora's sparring sessions, curious to see how the Keyblade Master fought. At some point during her small break, Ram was walking around and noticed her sister watching the window at the boys training. She approached Rem and patted her shoulder, surprising her since she wasn't expecting anybody to notice her.
"R-Ram-sama!"
"Hm. Come with me."
"What?"
"You heard me Rem, come with me."
Rem was a bit surprised to hear this yet she nodded and followed Ram all the way towards the other side of the mansion. As they were in a grassy land, Ram quickly summoned her dream eaters while having a few potions ready just in case. Rem was confused by this since she didn't know what was going on.
"Ram-sama, what are we doing out here?"
"We will commence your training. If we truly are sisters just as Barusu and Sora-sama have pointed out, then I must help train you."
"Train me, for wh-?"
"Training begins now."
Ram moved her arm towards Rem's direction, causing both her dream eaters she had taken as pets to charge at Rem. The blue haired oni quickly noticed this and acted on insitnct, allowing herself to somehow dodge both attacks before noticing one of the dream eaters throwing a fireball at her. Rem tried to dodge the attack yet Ram took noticed this and quickly said to her sister in a stern voice,
"Don't dodge! Block off the attack, Rem!"
"Wha-?"
"Deflect the attack!"
Rem was caught off guard by this yet she listened to her sister and with all the strength she could muster she tried to block off the attack. All she could do however is put both her arms and take the hit with her arms being a bit numb. Rem looked at them and saw that they were slightly injured but not too badly. She took a moment before returning her focus on the fight ahead, noticing the two dream eaters to charge directly at her.
She waited for a moment before dodging a couple of attacks, observing the way the dream eaters were fighting before using all of her strength in knocking the two out. Due to her inability to control her strength, she ended up sending the two dream eaters flying into a few trees, injuring them in the process. Ram had suspected something like this to happen, causing her to use two potions to heal her pets before turning her attention towards Rem.
"You have remarkable strength but that also needs to be controlled."
Ram quickly put away the potions and prepared herself for a sparring match with Rem.
"I shall be your next opponent."
Rem noticed this and quickly wanted to stop this sparring fight yet Ram had already started by charging at her in incredible speeds. Rem was caught off guard by this and tried to block the attacks coming from Ram yet the pink haired maid managed to be quick enough to land a couple of hits on the blue haired maid. Rem was sent back a bit with her body sore from Ram's attacks. She looked at her sister and quickly charged directly at her with full force, seeing that she has to give it her all. Ram noticed this and quickly dodged the barrage of attacks from Rem, observing the way her sister was fighting.
'Hm. She isn't bad but for sure she could use some work.'
Ram blocked a few attacks and could tell that she is fighting at full strength, understanding that Rem needs work with not only fighting properly but also controlling her strength to avoid her from killing people by accident. She waited until finally seeing Rem leaving himself opened for an attack. Ram goes for the finishing blow yet to her surprise, Rem managed to stop her most strongest punch by grabbing it with all her might. This causes Ram to see the potential her sister can do yet still knowing that she wouldn't reach the level she was as a child with her horn. Ram smiled has she jumped back to gain some distance from Rem before saying,
"You do have much to work on but I see much potential with you."
"Of course Ram-sama."
Ram started to explain to her sister on what they need to work on, knowing that getting her to unleash her oni powers should be the last thing to work on. For five months straight, the two trained with Rem starting to get better and better in her fighting style while she also watched Sora training the other members of the Emilia camp. After having her fighting skills perfected in Ram's eyes, the two finally started working on Rem's oni powers. Ram is aware that unlike her, Rem's oni powers are much weaker than hers. Ram showed Rem how to unlock her oni powers and after a few days, the blue haired maid was able to pull this off. Once she had her horn out, Rem could feel her mind being engulfed with rage but with the help of Naoko in having a calm mind by mediation, she was able to keep herself from losing her mind.
"Impressive Rem, you seem to be controlling your oni powers. Then again you are my sister, it is to be expected."
"Thank you Ram-sama."
The two looked at each other for a moment before charging each other with everything they got, both excited to see how the battle is going to go. Rem and Ram both clashed fists with the two being in equal grounds. This slightly impressed Ram since she can see that her sister is getting stronger yet she is yet to hold herself against a restrained version of herself. The two clashed for a bit with Rem having the slight advantage for a moment before Ram using her oni powers for a brief second, managed to knock her sister to the ground with extreme force. As Ram does this, she starts to bleed a bit for having used too much of her mana. She fell to the ground for a moment before quickly using an ether to allow her to move. Rem with some strength she had started to get up, impressed by how strong her sister is.
"That was an impressive amount of strength, Ram-sama."
"Of course, I am the superior one between the two of us."
"For now."
"Huh?"
Ram was surprised when she heard this yet before she could ask Rem to clarify what she meant by what she said, Rem smiled at her before speaking confidently.
"You are my sister, that is clear from what Sora and Subaru had told me and from how we look but that doesn't mean I won't surpass you."
Ram noticed this and could see how motivated her sister was in surpassing her, though she doesn't know the reason why. This prompted her to ask what the reason behind this mindset to which Rem responds with,
"I have watched Sora teaching Subaru, Garfiel, Elsa, and others who visited the mansion be trained, get stronger. I want to gain the strength to defend him, help him when he needs help, and to get back the memories I lost so that he won't be sad about it anymore. I know Sora blames himself for my lost memories but I want him to know that everything will be okay because I will get them back. I will return the lost version of myself and then I will be able to make him happy."
Ram looked at Rem and nodded with approval before turning around to think on what she just heard from her sister. She understood that this task will be difficult since from what she learned from Crusch is that the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony is very tough to beat. Knowing that Rem would want a chance at beating the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony on her own, it would take a lot of training with the oni power to at least give her a fighting chance. Before ending their training session for the day, she had a smile on her face. Although their relationship hasn't been anywhere to sisters, she is getting close with her sister in a different way.
"We will work hard in getting you strong, Rem. I promise you that."
Rem nodded and managed to calm her mind enough to get her horn to be pulled back into her forehead. As she put away her horn, she could feel her strength returned to normal. Ram started to walk away, feeling prideful towards her sister. As the two were returning to do their maidly duties, Rem quickly asked her sister,
"I know this might be a sensitive topic Ram-sama but why don't you have your horn?"
Ram stood silent at this, feeling a bit unsure of herself regarding something like this. She took a moment to think carefully on her words before saying,
"The witch cult. They cut my horn when I was fighting them. If it wasn't for Roswaal-sama, I would be dead."
"...do you think that maybe I was involved in you losing your horn?"
"It is a possibility but I'm not too sure."
"Right. Gluttony's abilities make it hard to remember me before the whole mansion incident."
"True. Some things don't make sense in my memories. The first clue for me was me having one horn."
"How come?"
"Our clan usually have two horns instead of one. Those who are born twins have one horn each."
"Makes sense."
Ram continued to explain her history, hoping that somehow she can remember something of Rem yet she wasn't able to. The only thing that made sense was the moment before she lost her horn, something stopped her since she wanted to keep something safe. It was clear now that it was Rem since it would make sense she would want to protect her own sister. The two talked for a moment before returning to their maid duties with Rem more motivated than anything to surpass her sister.
Rem recalled these events and with a high motivation, she managed to get Lye all to herself by using every inch of strength she could muster both from her body and from the oni powers, somehow gaining the upper hand on the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony for a brief moment. Lye was surprised at first, seeing how strong Rem has gotten without her usual morning star. This made the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony even more interested in the girl, wanting to eat up the new memories she had made since their last encounter.
"YOU ARE GOURMET! YOU WILL MAKE QUITE A FEAST! WE SHALL PREPARE YOU NOW~TSU!"
As Lye did his best to eat Rem's memories, Garfiel interfered by having his right hand grow into its beast form and surprise attacking Lye. The sin Archbishop of Gluttony was too focused on trying to eat Rem that he left himself opened for an attack, allowing Garfiel's beast form right arm to give a fatal blow by slicing Lye's stomach. This caused the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony to panic due to him not wanting to be killed in such a way.
'We need to use Solar Eclipse. We can't let Louis be alone. We can't let Roy fight them all alone.'
Lye quickly used his Solar Eclipse and quickly thought of a name that would not only help him get through this fight. Lye pulled a name out and quickly he was filled in with memories, allowing him to survive the wound he received from Garfiel before quickly using the new skills set he had gained from this new person to push both Rem and Garfiel back. As he does this, Julius and Ricardo both jump in and use their swordsmanship skills to protect the two from getting hurt. Lye looks at the two and smiles, wanting to continue battle though it is unsure whether or not it is Lye that wants to continue fighting or the name he pulled out that wants to continue fighting. As the group were holding their own with Lye, Roy and Elsa clashed weapons with an intense strength coming from the two. As both sides were clashing with everything they had, Roy started to mock Elsa.
"We know what you have done. Momma is not proud of the daughter she raised. You are a failure of an assassin."
"My My, I don't remember you being this talkative before."
"We have always disliked you. We saw you annoying, now you are just a traitor."
"Hm. Why should I care of what you think? I made my choice and so far, it seems to be paying off."
"Is that so?!"
Roy quickly tries to eat Elsa's memories and name yet the ex-assassin managed to avoid this, having been aware of Gluttony's ability thanks to her time with the assassin organization and thanks to the warning by both Sora and Subaru. As she dodged the attack, she looked at Roy with a disgusted facial expression.
"How dare you try to pull that crap on me?"
Roy looked at Elsa with a blank facial expression, a bit thrown off by how different Elsa sounds at this moment. The two glared at each other for a moment before continuing their fight with the two giving it their all to kill the other. While the two were clashing weapons, Roy uses his Lunar Eclipse ability to catch Elsa off guard, managing to destroy one of her knives. This forces the Bowel Hunter to use her spare, knowing that Roy is putting more effort in killing her than usual She gained her distance for a moment before charging at him with caution, knowing that she needs to be careful since one fatal wound could mean the end of her.
"We see that you are not being reckless. Why is that? Could it be that we scare you? Do you not take us seriously? Or do you not have the curse doll anymore?"
"I do not need to answer you, filthy dog!"
Elsa continued on her offensive with much aggression but at the same time being cautious of Roy. She knows that without her cursed doll, she is at a disadvantage since all Roy needs to do is go all out with his trump card and she would lose right there.
'My My Sora Dear, you have left me in quite a position...then again, I haven't had this much fun in years.'
Elsa smiled has this was the fight she was craving for, something to make her fight harder to see the opponent's entrails. The two continued to give it their all with Elsa having a sinister smile in her face as she speaks to Roy.
"Once I kill you, I will open you up and see just how a Sin Archbishop's bowels look."
"Ha! We will not give you the chance, disgusting woman!"
Roy disliked this and quickly had Lunar Eclipse to make sure that Elsa doesn't get the upper hand on him. With Roy's strength and speed boosted, he started to gain the upper hand to the fight, forcing Elsa to keep a distance to avoid getting killed. With both killers bringing in their counters to counter the other's counter, Elsa is still in a disadvantage since one deadly hit could kill her. She continues going on the defense side, hoping to eventually find an opening yet Roy's Lunar Eclipse kept him from leaving himself open to the Bowel Hunter.
"Seems like we are going to win."
"So it does."
Elsa continued to deflect every attack as best as she could yet she eventually lost her footing, causing her to leave herself open. Roy noticed this and was about to use this opportunity to end the Bowel Hunter until all of a sudden a small blonde girl jumps in between the two and barely was able to block off the attack. Elsa looked and noticed that it was Felt, having somehow joined in on the fight and saved her life.
Roy was surprised by this and quickly tried to attack but all of a sudden, he felt Otto's fist connect with his jaw, sending him flying a few feet away with his jaw somewhat hurting. Elsa looked at was surprised that Felt and Otto both are helping her. Felt and Otto both looked at Elsa and could see that she was surprised, something neither one would ever think they would see. Otto quickly looked at Felt and was annoyed at her for having randomly jumped in the middle of the fight.
"Felt-sama! That was reckless!"
"I don't care! I can be useful if I do something!"
Elsa looked at both Felt and Otto before looking at Roy, seeing the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony annoyed by this. She quickly got up and stood in front of the two, knowing that Felt and Otto combined can't do anything against Roy. She looked at the two and had a genuine smile before saying,
"Thank you. Now allow me to handle him."
"Just try not getting yourself killed, there won't be a second time saving you!"
Elsa nodded at what Felt said, knowing that she isn't being hundred percent serious in her claims yet she accepts that. Elsa grabs the last two remaining weapons she has and sets herself in her fighting stance before speaking to Roy, noticing him starting to approach her.
"My My, seems like you can still stand for a pathetic Sin Archbishop."
"We do not appreciate that tone from a traitor. We will feast upon you and those two who joined the fight."
"I will not allow you to get anywhere close to them."
Roy looked at Elsa with a curious facial expression, seeing that this is the rarest moment to see since for the first time she can see Elsa wanting to protect something. This made him want to eat Elsa even more, feeling like the memories she provides will satisfy him. The two waited for a moment before the two charge each other with Roy having activated his Lunar Eclipse to make sure he overpowers the Bowel Hunter. As the two killers were clashing weapons, Felt and Otto both looked from a distance with the merchant trying to figure out how to help the Bowel Hunter.
'I can't do much and I can't ask Felt-sama to do something either. We would just get killed easily. There has to be something to help Elsa-san...wait, Elsa-san?'
Otto paused himself for a moment, surprise that he actually is trying to help the Bowel Hunter despite having been afraid of her for a long time. He thought about it for a moment before moving that thought out of his mind, knowing that he needs to focus. He looked at the fight between the two and was aware that Sora had taken some curse Elsa had that allowed her to survive many dangerous foes and deadly attacks that would have killed her thanks to Elsa and Sora having discussed this during one of their training sessions.
Having this information in hand, he can see how disadvantaged Elsa is against her opponent. As he was analyzing the situation with everything he had, everyone in the entire city noticed someone speaking which stopped every single fight. Roy and Lye both stopped their fight along with their opponents, everyone hearing a voice speaking with a hopeful tone.
Sora, Subaru, Emilia, Beatrice, and Reinhard quickly went through the city in search of their other allies with many heartless appearing in front of their path. Subaru and Sora quickly used their keyblades to take them down with Sora seeing just how strong Subaru has gotten in one year. The two wiped out a bunch of heartless with Beatrice assisting Subaru on a few occasions, wanting to help her contractor out. As they push through the city, the group take a moment to rest.
"How are you holding up, Rein?"
"I'm alright Subaru. You are the one doing the work alongside Sora."
"True. Master Sora and I should be good, I just hope our other allies are alright."
"They should be Subaru. Have faith in them."
"I do Master, I'm just worried is all."
"There is no need to worry, I suppose. Betty is here to comfort you."
Beatrice approached Subaru and held his hand, wanting to make sure she comforted her contractor. Subaru smiled and appreciated this before turning his attention towards Emilia, being attracted towards her looks. Sora looked at the card Xehanort gave him and was a bit skeptical on it, having a feeling that this card would lead them into a trap. Even so, Sora knew that he would still be able to handle whatever Xehanort threw at him and his group. He looked at Reinhard and the others, noticing how calm they were during this dire situation.
This caused him to smile for a moment before finally relaxing with the others for a bit. He sat down and just listened to Subaru giving Emilia compliments while Emilia blushed and looked away all the while calling him an idiot. Sora smiled at this and relaxed before they finally decided to keep on moving. As they continue moving, they encounter Wilhelm and Theresia as the couple worked hard to take on a large heartless on their own. Sora looked and was surprised at how both Theresia and Wilhelm were working together, managing to cover the other's flaw.
Reinhard saw this as well and smiled has he saw how well his grandparents worked together despite his grandmother being at her youth while his grandfather was passed his youth strength and speed. The five watched as the two managed to take down the large heartless on their own with their strength. As the two beat the heartless, a swarm of nobodies appear in an attempt to attack the two while they are recovering.
Sora and Reinhard both reacted to this with Sora pulling his Kingdom Key and Reinhard pulling his secondary sword to swiftly take down the nobodies in less than a minute. Once the two were able to finish off the remaining enemy forces, Reinhard looked at his grandparents and quickly asked them if they were alright.
"Honored Grandmother, Honored Grandfather, are you two alright?"
"Yes grandson, your grandmother and I are alright."
"That's good to here, honored grandfather."
Reinhard bowed at Wilhelm before he turned his attention towards his grandmother, completely thrown off by the fact that they look like they are the same age. Theresia looked at her grandson and was happy to see just how much he grew up. She played with his hair for a moment while making a comment on how big he has gotten.
"I remember when you were a little baby boy. You were so cute! Now you have grown into a fine young man. You even share your father's looks."
"...thank you, grandmother."
Reinhard was unsure on how to respond to what his grandmother said yet he knew that it was a compliment none the less. He nodded at her grandmother before Wilhelm quickly asked his grandson on how things went with Greed.
"With the help of Sora and Subaru, we defeated the Sin Archbishop of Greed. It's mostly thanks to Subaru that we had a chance."
Wilhelm looked at Subaru and patted the boy in the head, impressed by how the boy was the key in killing Greed. Subaru was unsure on how to take this, yet he had a smile with Beatrice and Emilia both enjoying this moment. The group looked around for a moment before starting their search for the others. The seven of them walked around the city for a good while until finally they caught up with Anastasia and her group of mercenaries.
"Anastasia, good to see you are alright."
"Keyblade Master. I appreciate the concern. It is good to see you all alive again..." Anastasia had a moment to pause when she noticed Theresia in the group. She crossed her arms with uncertainty since she looks a lot like Reinhard. Theresia notices this and was unsure on what to say but before the conversation could be drawn about her, Anastasia looked at the Emilia camp members to say to them,
"I should inform you that the demi-human boy and the merchant are assisting the leader of Iron Fang and the blue haired maid in taking on Gluttony."
"Wait Gluttony..."
Sora spoke and quickly put in the pieces that Rem, Garfiel, Ricardo, and Otto are all fighting against the one who took Rem's memories. Subaru was tempted to go out and help the four yet Sora stopped him.
"No, allow me to go and take care of Gluttony. Stay here with the rest."
"Wait Master, I want to help out. Especially against the bastard who harmed Rem."
"I know but right now protecting Emilia should be your top priority."
"Yes but-"
Before Subaru could finish his sentence, Sora patted him in the arm before preparing to leave on his own.
"Sora, we could help you out has well."
"Don't worry about me, Reinhard. Protect your grandparents. Allow me to protect the rest."
"Understood. Just do be careful."
Sora nodded at the Sword Saint before starting his path in searching for his other allies, worried for their safety. Subaru looked sad by this yet both Emilia and Beatrice went to hug him in order to help ease his worries. He smiles and thanks the two before turning back his attention to Anastasia, curious to know what the little merchant girl is up to.
"What is the plan now?"
"Well my mercenaries helped get me this object that should broadcast to the entire city. The plan is to get everyone's hopes up."
"Ah, so bringing everyone back on their feet with some hope."
"What seems to be the problem, I suppose?"
Anastasia stood silent for a moment before responding in a blank facial expression.
"We haven't gotten someone to be the speaker."
"Ah, I see. Well who volunteers to do this? Why don't you volunteer, Anastasia?"
"I'm but a simple merchant. Of course I have influence but mine comes from a different place. This situation does not apply."
"Makes sense...well then we can have Rein do it. He is the Sword Saint, so he is bound to motivate people."
"That is true."
Anastasia knew that Subaru was right on this since Reinhard has a lot more influence than she has yet before she could turn towards him, Reinhard had spoken his mind in the matter.
"I understand why Subaru but I fell more comfortable if you do it."
"Why? I'm just an apprentice Keyblade Wielder. I'm not the Sword Saint or the Keyblade Master."
"That may be true but you were the one who helped defeat Greed. You also were there to help defeat the White Whale and Sloth. That makes you qualified to make the speech."
"Th-This has to be a joke, right? Me, give the speech?"
Subaru looked at the others and saw that they seemed to be looking at him like he should be the one to give the motivational speech. Emilia and Beatrice both looked at Subaru with a smile, showing their support for this idea.
"Emilia-tan, Beako, what do you two think?"
"You should do it, I suppose."
"I agree, you should do it."
Subaru was at a stand still by this since the girl he loves and the spirit he cares for are both in support of this idea. He was still uncertain to do it yet seeing the two people who treasure him believe that he can do it, he goes towards Anastasia and decides to do it.
Elsa, Felt, Otto, Roy, Lye, Rem, Garfiel, Julius, and Ricardo stop on their tracks as they hear Subaru's voice.
"――Uhhh… so um… can everyone hear me properly? Mic-test mic-test, one-two one-two."
"I-Is that Subaru?" Otto asked in a curious tone.
"Sounds like you guys can hear me, that's a huge relief. So, first of all, sorry for doing a broadcast all of a sudden. I probably scared you, huh. Considering the circumstances, most of you must be on edge about what I'm going to say. But don't worry. This isn't the Witch Cult broadcasting to you now. Please know that first."
Lye and Roy both were annoyed by this yet they were curious to hear what the person making the broadcast will be saying.
"Next, I have to apologize for getting everyone's hopes up, because the threat of the Witch Cult hasn't gone away yet. We were able to retake the City Hall, but they're still holed up in the Control Towers. Those guys' demands, and the danger of the city sinking beneath the water are still in play. Please understand that as well. Where are you listening to this broadcast right now? Maybe you're in one of the refuge shelters, and I'm sure there are those who didn't manage to escape into the refuge shelters as well. Everyone must be filled with anxiety, right? I can understand what it's like to be afraid and wanting to curl up into a ball. And I guess you're all thinking "Who is this random guy toying with everyone's hopes at a time like this?" I'm… just a nobody."
Sora continued to run with everything he had in hopes of finding Rem and the others, worried for them yet he stopped at his tracks for a brief moment to notice the last thing his apprentice said. This made him recall that Subaru still has issues accepting himself, making a mental note that he needs to help his friend with this issue.
"Like everyone else, I'm just being tossed around by fate, getting crushed under the unreasonable circumstances, and so scared that my legs can't stop shaking. That kind of guy. Even the job of doing this broadcast… I only accepted it after making a huge fuss. And I still think that the burden is too heavy for me. Honestly, there are others who are more qualified to talk to everyone like this. I'm sure there are. But here I am, talking to everyone. So many people greater than I am told me that I should do it. That it won't be totally pointless. But, can you hear me trembling? Speaking in front of people isn't my strong suit. I'm not good with words, and I don't have the charisma to lead anyone. I'm weak, helpless, and even here, in such an important position, I can't help but want to run away... I don't know what I can do… what I really want is just to plug my ears, hold my head, hide in a corner by myself and wait for someone else to fix everything for me...But, since I can't run away, I'll fight. That's just the kind of guy I am. Let me ask you again. Everyone listening to this voice, where are you now? Have you escaped into a refuge shelter? Are you hiding inside your house? Are you trembling alone? Are you with someone? Are you with the person most important to you? Or, even if you're next to an unfamiliar face, is it a face that you have grown to know over the past few hours? It's a pretty arbitrary request, and it may be difficult, but please don't be alone."
Julius and Ricardo both look at each other with Julius recalling every fight he has fought alongside dogman and with the dogman seeing Julius has a new person due to Roy eating Julius' name yet he still sees a great man standing before him. Felt and Otto both look at Elsa, although she is still a scary person, the two can tell that she is changing into someone better. Elsa looks at the two and has nothing more than respect for the two. Out of obligation and out of her own free will.
"When a person is alone, they'll just start coming up with lame ideas. I know that from experience. Trust me. So please don't be alone. Stay with someone. And―― And if you can, look at the face of the person who's with you. Whose face do you see now? Is it someone important to you, or a stranger who you've spent these past few hours with? Or maybe it's a friend. …But most likely, it's a wretched face. A face that's about to cry, a face that's in distress, and I imagine it probably isn't smiling. No, perhaps there is someone out there who is putting up a strong face, forcing themselves to smile so as not to worry the people around them. If there is, then that's an amazing person. If someone you care about is smiling this way, you should be proud of them. But now, with that in mind, compare it with the smile you know. Is this acceptable to you?"
"No it's not." Sora says.
"It ain't acceptable." Rem says while thinking about Ram, Sora, Emilia, and everyone else she got to spend time with since she woke up.
"It is not acceptable." Julius says with his mind being on Anastasia.
"No!" Felt shouts as she is starting to feel the motivation of Subaru's speech.
"No it isn't, kid." Old Man Rom speaks as he looks up at the sky, listening to Subaru's speech.
"I can't accept this. I will now accept this. I also have people I cherish. Friends I hold dear. And I cannot forgive whoever put that pained, sorrowful expression on the faces of the people I love. I don't want you to force yourself to smile. You kidding me? Quit joking around. I want to raise my voice and shout that the smile of the girl I know should be way cuter than this... I don't want to keep losing. It'd be too pathetic to give up here. There's no way I can allow it. They are the ones in the wrong. Even if you are too weak to do the right thing, to strike down those in the wrong, you should at least know what is right. And when you know that you are right, there is no way you can allow yourself to lose to those who are wrong. At least, I don't intend to surrender and bow to those guys. I want to run away, but I can't run away. I want to cry, but I can't cry. The enemy is strong, but I don't want to lose. And so, I'll fight. I know I am weak, and stupid, but still I will fight. They are wrong. They are wrong to have made the people I care about look like they're about to cry."
Emilia and Beatrice look at Subaru with awe in their eyes, Beatrice amazed by how moving her contractor is being while Emilia could see just how inspiring her boyfriend is. Although she is slowly getting a grasp on love, she knows that she feels warmth in her heart when hearing Subaru be the hero.
"So, fight. I will fight. ――And I want you all to fight. Don't get me wrong. I said I want you to fight, but I'm not telling you to pick up a stick and fight them. In fact, please avoid doing anything so reckless. I don't want you to mob up and spill blood fighting against the Witch Cult. What I am asking you to fight for is to not look down. Staring at your feet isn't going change anything. Your gaze isn't going to bore a hole in the floor, and even if it does, that won't fix a thing… So please, lift your face and look ahead. If you look around you, surely, you'll meet someone's eyes. Like you, this is someone who is afraid and wants to run away… but, just like you, this is also someone who doesn't want to lose."
Crusch and a few soldiers from the city heard this part and quickly started to give everything they got against the Witch cultists attacking them. Crusch smiled has she heard Subaru, knowing that the boy is doing a great job speaking as she begins to think about the people she has fought so hard to protect.
"There is the person you cherish, there is the person you are looking at now, and, if you add yourself to the list, that's already three people. There should be more depending on where you are. If you can see that you are not alone, then that's enough. You are not alone. That in itself is powerful, don't you think? I don't want to see saddened expressions on the faces of people I love. And I don't want the people looking at me now to see a miserable expression in my eyes. I'm not the only one who's so vain, weak, and stubborn, am I?"
'No, you are not.' Felix thought of this as he watched Subaru make the speech, feeling himself with hope that someone like him could protect his lady. He looked at his sword and smiled has he was getting motivated to go and fight off the remaining witch cult alongside the others who are fighting at this very moment.
"Please, help me believe this. I may be weak and hopeless, but I can't give up just yet. I'm not the only coward who hates to give up… please, help me believe it. Or...am I the only one? Who believes...even now, we can still fight...am I the only one?"
"Yer not, Captain!" Garfiel spoke has his fighting spirit increased thanks to his captain.
"I'm not, am I?"
"You are not, Subaru-san." Otto spoke with confidence in his voice, knowing that even he can do something to help push back the Sin Archbishops of Gluttony.
"You guys are still fighting, aren't you? You haven't been swallowed by weakness, have you?"
"Not even close!" Felt shouted once again with Elsa agreeing with the little girl's statement.
"If you are with someone important to you, hold their hand and believe in them. If you're with someone you don't know, give them a nod and assure them you'll do your best together. Because neither you nor that person have been crushed by defeat or are about to give up fighting. And as long everyone goes on fighting, I will fight to the end as well. I will fight―― I will fight, and win. My name is Natsuki Subaru. I am a Keyblade Wielder and spirit-arts user. I'm the one who defeated the Sin Archbishop of Sloth of the Witch Cult and just recently defeated the Sin Archbishop of Greed of the Witch Cult with the help of Keyblade Master Sora."
Sora heard this and quickly smiled has he started to take down heartless that appeared in his way with Kingdom Key. As he takes down the heartless, all he can think of is how proud he is of Subaru, how he has grown strong over the course of a year.
'Don't you worry Subaru, I will make sure to protect Rem, Garfiel, Otto, and Ricardo from the threat that is the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony.'
Sora quickly ran into an alleyway, trusting his heart that he will find his allies before its too late.
"My colleagues and I will do everything to take care of the remaining Witch Cult in this city! So, please believe in us and fight on. Hold onto the hands of the people precious to you and cast away the cowering part of yourself that wants to surrender. And...Leave the rest to me!"
Otto, Felt, and Elsa nodded at this before returning their attention to Roy, knowing that the fight will resume yet this time with the three having a strong will to win. Rem, Garfiel, Julius, and Ricardo also felt a strong sense of strength from Subaru's speech. The four of them turn their attention towards Lye with Rem being the one to speak.
"You are not leaving here alive!"
"We will not fall here. We will eat you all then we will find this Natsuki Subaru. He must be gourmet!"
"My amazin' self ain't gonna let ya hurt cap'n!"
Garfiel quickly charged at Lye with everything he had, wanting to make sure that he kills him to make sure Subaru is safe. Lye notices this and quickly uses Solar Eclipse, knowing that Garfiel is much more threatening than he looks. He quickly pulls a name and to his surprise, he choses the original Rem's name and memories. This causes him to look at Garfiel and smile at him while easily evading the demi-human's attacks.
"C'mon Garf, you seem to be lacking."
"Da Fuck!"
Garfiel steps back for a moment, thrown off by the way Lye was speaking. He recognized the way he was speaking yet he felt a disturbance by this as well. Lye looks at the group and smiles before charging at them with everything he had, forcing the group to work together. Meanwhile both Otto and Felt stand back as they watched Elsa and Roy both approaching each other.
"Mama will be pleased when she hears of your death, Elsa Granhiert."
"My My, are you underestimating me that much, Roy Alphard?"
The two looked at each other, both ready to finish this fight. They waited for a brief moment before quickly charging at each other with both their weapons out and ready to kill. The two gave it their all with Roy attempting to use Elsa's weakness of wanting to kill people through their bowels to leave herself open for an attack. He quickly allows his bowel area to be open in hopes of having Elsa attack there yet she didn't. Having had a year to practice, she knows that killing there would be fatal for her, especially against someone who knows her main route in killing people. The two continue to give it their all until Roy with his Lunar Eclipse ability activated, he manages to break one of Elsa's blades which allows him an opening to eat her yet Felt had quickly used her divine protection to move fast enough to stab Roy in his left arm. As she does this, Otto pulls out his emergency knife and quickly throws it to Elsa.
"Elsa-san! Use this!"
Elsa turned towards Otto's direction and notices the knife he threw at her. For a split second she was completely stunned by the way Otto referred to her, not knowing how to feel yet her mind was able to quickly regain focus as she grabbed the knife and used it in combat. Although it is a basic weapon, she was still capable of using it to its full potential, having been experienced with all types of knives. Felt quickly backs away from the fight, allowing Elsa to continue her one on one fight against Roy. As the fight was getting intense between the two, Otto and Felt both worry for Elsa's sake since they can tell that she is starting to struggle against the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. Felt and Otto were prepared to assist Elsa once again but before they could, someone stopped the two by having a hand on Otto and Felt's shoulders.
"Don't worry you two, I got this."
"Huh? Sora-san?"
Otto and Felt turn to see that Sora as arrived at the scene, ready to help them out. Felt quickly jumped and gave the Keyblade Master a hug. Sora looked at Felt and smiled before patting her in the head. Otto looked at Sora and was genuinely surprised he was there instead of being with Subaru.
"You okay there, Otto?"
"Y-Yes Sora-san, just a bit surprise you are here."
"Well I realized that you all might need my help. So I'm here now."
Otto smiled at hearing this and quickly told Sora about the two Gluttonies, giving the Keyblade Master a good idea of what trouble the group is in. He quickly pulls out Kingdom Key and starts approaching the fight between Elsa and Roy. As he does that, he turns and notices Rem and the others doing their best to hold off Lye. This prompts Sora to quickly gain the attention of Roy first before getting Lye's attention. Sora jumps in the middle of the fight and quickly manages to land a strong hit to the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony's chest, sending him flying towards a wall. Elsa looked and was completely surprised to see Sora, showing a shocked expression at first before changing it to a warm smile since she was overjoy to see the Keyblade Master once again.
"Sora Dear, it's good to see you again."
"Elsa, glad you are okay."
"Have you been worried about me?"
Elsa says in a flirty way which causes Sora to get slightly embarrassed for a moment before returning focus on Roy, seeing that he is able to get up and approaching him in a threatening manner.
"We will be eating you now, Keyblade Wielder."
Elsa looked at Sora and asked to see what is the plan now, knowing that Sora wouldn't just enter a fighting without some kind of plan. Sora stays silent for a moment before telling Elsa, Felt, and Otto to follow him. The three nod and quickly follow the Keyblade Wielder towards the other group and their fight. Rem and Garfiel both go on an offense with everything they got, forcing Lye to be on the defensive side for a bit before trying to eat Garfiel first, having been the closest one to him. Julius noticed this and quickly managed to stop this, forcing Lye back for a moment before turning his attention towards the knight.
"You are annoying! You are not gourmet! We will kill you now~TSU!"
Lye charges towards Julius in incredible speed, ready to kill the greatest knight yet before he could kill him, Sora managed to stop this by getting in between the two. As he deflects this attack, Sora quickly hits Lye's face with enough strength to send him flying towards a wall similar to how Roy was sent flying into a wall. As Lye is pushed back, Sora looks at the group and asks them if they are alright. Rem and Garfiel were both extremely happy to see Sora here with them. Ricardo and Julius were both happy to see the boy once again, feeling like they might catch a break from the fighting. Lye took a good look at Sora and could tell that he was someone familiar. He searched in his mind on who he is until he came across Rem's memories once again, seeing that this was the important Keyblade Wielder that helped destroy the White Whale.
"You are Sora-kun, the greatest warrior! You are gourmet! YOU ARE VERY GOURMET, SORA-KUN~TSU!"
"Don't you dare call me that!"
Sora looks at Lye with anger in his eyes, having such hatred towards the Sin Archbishop of Gluttony. Sora quickly noticed Roy approached the group, forcing him to quickly move towards Roy before throwing him towards Lye's direction. Lye noticed this and quickly managed to catch his brother, helping him avoid taking damage. As the two sin archbishop of gluttonies stood side by side, they look at Sora to see how mad he looks.
"You harmed Rem and took away her memories...you keep hurting people...I won't let this happen anymore. I won't let anybody else lose their memories or be forgotten by this world!"
Sora charged towards the two, surprising them has he begins the fight with Sora landing a few attacks on the two gluttony duo. Lye and Roy realized that they both need to use Solar Eclipse if they want to survive this fight. As they both activate Solar Eclipse, the two chose random people that are capable of holding their own against someone like Sora. The two quickly charge at the boy, beginning the real fight with both sides giving it their all. As the two sides were fighting, Otto and the others stepped back a bit to avoid getting hit by any of Sora, Lye, or Roy's attacks. As they step back, Elsa looks at the fight with some concern in her mind. She knows that Sora is strong yet she can't help but feel like he isn't fighting like he usually does. This causes her to have her remaining weapon ready in the case she needs to step in.
'Sora Dear, please be careful.'
The group watched as Sora deflected each attack with ease yet his mind was focused on Lye, knowing that he is the one he needs to take down in hopes of restoring Rem's memories. As his focus is on Lye, Roy takes this as his opportunity to land a hit on Sora, managing to stab him in the arm. Sora was completely thrown off by this and quickly tried to cure himself yet Lye landed a powerful kick to his gut, sending him towards the group with his arm bleeding. Sora got up and cured himself using Cure before looking at the two gluttonies, both of the smirking at him.
"We see you fit to be a delicious meal." Roy says with him drolling.
"We have prepared you for our feast. You are the most gourmet we have ever met, Sora-kun~TSU."
"Shut...up..."
"What is the matter, Sora-kun? Do you miss her? The real her~TSU?"
"Stop speaking like that! You are not Rem!"
"Ah, so you do remember~TSU."
"It is rare for this to happen."
"Agreed but that is what makes him pure gourmet~TSU."
The two gluttonies discussed a little bit on how it is rare to find someone who remembers the person they hate despite eating both memories and name yet what they didn't notice was Sora being engulfed by a large dark ball. Elsa, Rem, and the others all worried for Sora but before they could do anything, the dark ball surrounding the Keyblade Master had gone away within a few seconds. During those few seconds, Sora could only feel the failure he was for letting Rem's condition. This only reminded him how he failed to protect Kairi, causing him to be forced to abuse the power of waking to save her which only caused the two to be torn apart. All this caused the large shadow created by Sora's enormous light to engulf him and cause him to go into his rage form.
"S-Sora..."
Rem spoke with Elsa and the others all extremely worried, not knowing what happened to the boy with the key. Roy and Lye both noticed this and quickly activated their ability once again, preparing themselves for the fight ahead.
"We shall enjoy this dinner~TSU!"
The two charged at the Keyblade Master in his rage form, having little to no idea just how powerful Sora has gotten now.
Author's note:
I do have random posting schedule for this story, so apologizes. Since we are at the end of this arc, I might as well give some input on things.
1. I'll try to get Wattpad caught up with some interesting drawings (at some point).
2. After Arc 5 ends, I will be taking a little break since I don't want to burnout.
3. I will be doing another crossover, not sure what but I'll think of something fun with other Kingdom Hearts characters like Roxas, Kairi, Terra, Xion, etc.
4. Regarding the story, for those curious Subaru's strength is around KH2 Sora at the mid point (probably during the battle against the 1000 heartless) without Beatrice's assistance. With her assistance, he is much stronger.
Hopefully you all enjoy what I have in stored in the next chapter.