The smoke in the Tarrey Town just barely began to clear, however no one had moved towards the Goddess Statue as the menacing voice had instructed. Everyone remained in place, not uttering a single word.
"It seems as though you people didn't hear me right..." the voice called out again. This time, however, a purple with a hint of pink light began to shine through the smoke directly on top of the Goddess Statue in the center of the town. "I said: Everyone. Gather. Around."
Zelda's eyes grew wide as she stared at the now fading light. That couldn't have been malice... There was no way, it wasn't possible. Whether it was possible or not, it was the only conclusion Zelda could come to. She opened her mouth to speak up, to warn everyone of the dangers of not listening, however she felt a small tug on the bottom of her Hylian Tunic. Zelda looked down to see old lady Monari looking back up at her. The old lady shook her head, before calling out in a weakened voice: "For those who love this town and wish for it not to be covered in the Calamity Ganon's power, I suggest you follow the voice's orders."
The voices of the townspeople murmured through the smoke, whispers of the Calamity and other fears traveling through the mist before one by one, those who lived in Tarrey Town began stepping forth towards the Goddess Statue. Zelda watched as Rhondson, along with Hudson who had come to find her, began walking away from her towards the Goddess Statue.
"Princess," old lady Monari whispered. Zelda crouched down to the elderly lady's level. "Whatever you do, do not, under any circumstances give yourself away. Stick to your hidden name, no matter what. Promise me this."
Zelda's green eyes filled with worry and fear. Zelda began to shake her head, however the elder took Zelda's hand into her own with pleading eyes.
"Princess, please, I beg of you. You and the Champion are Hyrule's last hope if Calamity Ganon is to make his return! You must promise me this! Hyrule cannot withstand against another Calamity!" Monari said in despair. Zelda noticed the dread yet hope in the woman's eyes. She was one of the last remaining Hylians that had witnessed the Calamity, and she was putting her faith in Zelda for a second time. Zelda steeled her resolve. She must not fail them again.
Zelda nodded in agreement as she stood. Monari, with a shaky smile, nodded in return. Monari turned her attention to a shadow behind Zelda.
"Grante, watch over the princess," Monari said before turning away, now heading towards the Goddess Statue. Zelda turned in surprise to see a young blonde-headed Sheikah standing behind her, his face confident yet nervous drops of sweat fell down his face. Grante's hands moved towards his bag, pulling out what seemed to be a grey Hylian Cloak.
"Put this on, quickly!" Grante said, shoving the cloak into Zelda's hands. The smoke was clearing even faster than before. Zelda quickly put the cloak around her shoulders as she lifted the hood over her long golden hair. Grante nodded as he grabbed her wrist, pulling her towards the Goddess Statue to join the rest of the village residents.
As the smoke cleared, the murmuring continued as the townsfolk awaited what was to come next.
"Now then..." the menacing voice called out. "Please direct your attention up towards me, if you people would..."
Zelda, along with the rest of the townsfolk, looked up to see three lanky looking bodies, two of them hanging off the Goddess Statue, one standing on top of the statue's head. The men wore thin, tight looking maroon colors as they held on tightly to their sickles. Zelda looked on towards the figure standing on top of the Goddess Statue, staring directly into the all too familiar white mask and upside down eye of the Yiga Clan. What were Yiga doing all the way out here in the Akkala Region?
"The Yiga..." Grante muttered under his breath. "They had been following Link for ages. You would have thought after he had defeated their master they would have backed off, but they only ever sent more powerful Yiga to assassinate him. They had never entered the town before, though..."
"Now then..." the Yiga clansmen at the top of the statue said. "We have a few questions for the bunch of you. Whether you have heard or not..."
The Yiga clansmen jumped off of the Goddess Statue, landing on the nicely shaped wooden planks that surrounded the Goddess Statue. "Our Lord of Destruction and Hatred, Calamity Ganon, had been destroyed but only a mere two months ago. It was a devastating loss... believed to have been caused by the one and only despicable Hylian Champion known as Link. I'm sure you've heard the name. Us Yiga believed it to be the end of the Calamity..."
The Yigaman put his hands to his mask as he crouched to the ground, mimicking distraught in front of his audience of Tarrey Town. However, after moments of silence, apparently for the loss of Calamity Ganon, the Yigaman rose with opposing excitement.
"HOWEVER! NOT ALL HOPE IS LOST DEAR CITIZENS! THE CAlAMITY WILL INEVITABLY RETURN! FOR AS YOU SEE, THE MONSTERS HAVE NOT DISAPPEARED, AND NEITHER HAS CALAMITY GANON'S MALICE!" The Yigaman screeched as the two Yiga behind him, still hanging on the Goddess statue, rose their sickles high in the air. Zelda's eyebrows furrowed in fear and anger. Is this what the Sheikah Monks had been trying to warn them of? If this was the case, why in the name of Hyrule would they shut the Divine Beasts down?
"Alas," The Yigaman said, returning to his calm, business-like nature as he paced back and forth in front of the Goddess Statue. "One fact still remains true: the Hylian Champion has effectively beaten the Calamity, and as much as we despise admitting it, he would beat it again if Ganon were to return."
"So why even bother, then!?" Grante shouted towards his rejected Sheikah brethren. The Yigamen stopped pacing for a moment, his back turned to Grante before his neck snapped dangerously far in order to view the young Sheikah researcher. The Yigaman laughed.
"AH! Why if it isn't one of my disgraceful Sheikah cousins! Why bother, you ask? Well if you remember...'' the Yigaman said slowly. The Yigamen stood as still as a statue before a puff of reddish smoke filled the air, the Yiga disappearing. Grante's eyes darted around before the Yigaman puffed in front of Grante, causing the Sheikah man and hooded Hylian girl behind him to back up in surprise.
"We are the descendants of the Sheikah that wished to continue our research back in the days when we were scornfully and wrongfully REJECTED by the Hylian royal family! Once Calamity Ganon had perished, the Yiga noticed the Malice had been left behind by Calamity Ganon. It must've been a sign, a sign he has yet to be completely defeated. So we did what any Sheikah inventor descendants would do: we researched, and found a way to HARNESS THE POWER OF THE CALAMITY!"
The Yigaman raised his hand into the air. In an instant, puffs of purple and pink malice like clouds formed around the Yiga's hands.
"That's impossible... No one can control the Calamity's Hate..." Zelda muttered under her breath. Unfortunately, it was just loud enough for the Yiga to hear. The Yiga's neck snapped towards Zelda's direction, who was just behind Grante.
"You would normally be right, girly," The Yigaman said, nodding a bit at Zelda's statement. "However, it seems when the Calamity was defeated, the malice had become... docile. Anyone with enough hate can control it as long as it's master isn't there to control it himself. And believe me... we Yiga have enough hate in our hearts for the Hylian Champion..."
The Yigaman began to walk away slowly from Zelda, who had been holding her breath in. She had not meant to attract so much attention to herself. Thankfully, the Yiga seemed to have not recognized her. Or so she had hoped.
"However, there is one other we despise even more than the Hylian Champion," the Yigaman said slowly. "She was believed to be dead long ago. Rumors stated that her power kept the Calamity at bay, but none of us would have guessed that her power may have actually kept her alive all this time. We believed it to be false, until just this morning... one of our own Yiga assassins set to follow Link in the Akkala Region noticed a familiar, golden haired girl, following Link. Everywhere. He. Went."
Zelda's eyes grew wide with shock. The Yiga had been watching them this whole time? Ever since they arrived in Akkala? But it had only been a day!
"And now comes the part where you townspeople come in!" the Yigaman said happily. "You all know who Link is! In fact, he was just here a moment ago; he left to go talk to the old man in the lighthouse. Though I'm pretty sure at this very moment, the Hylian Champion is either fighting for his life... "
The Yigaman paused for dramatic effect. Zelda's eyes grew dangerously wide as her breath became heavy, desperately awaiting the Yigas next words. The Yigaman tilted his head towards Zelda's direction before uttering his next words.
"Or dead."
Zelda held her breath. She had to stay calm. There was no way Link would lose to simple Yiga assassins. Zelda, with difficulty, managed to get her breathing under control before the next words of the Yigamen.
"Now, tell us, people: where is Princess Zelda of Hyrule?"
"She died years ago in the Calamity," an old woman's voice came from the crowd. Monari, slowly walking through the crowd appeared in the Yigamans wake. The Yiga tilted his head in question. He slowly raised his finger, aiming it towards Zelda.
"Then tell me, old lady," he asked menacingly, his white mask aimed down towards old Monari's eyes. "Who's the new girl?"
...
"I don't know what girl you're talking about!" Link called out as he rushed the Yiga Blademaster, the Master Sword raised high and ready to strike. Although Link's speed was almost inhuman, before the glowing blade could make contact, the muscular Yiga vanished in a puff of red and grey smoke. Link cursed as he looked around, trying to pinpoint where the Yiga would appear from. However, Link couldn't help but look down at the Master Sword. The sword only ever began to glow when the Calamity's influence was around. It had never begun to glow when a simple Yiga was around. Something was wrong.
"Now's a better time than any to begin talking again," Link couldn't help but mumble towards the sword as he prepared himself for any attack. Link's eyes darted around, still trying to locate the Yiga. Link's ears twitched at the barely audible slivering sound of a Yiga appearing. Link turned, slashing vertically as he did, blocking an incoming air slice from the Yiga Blademaster's Windcleaver.
"You seem to be having a bit of difficulty, Hylian Champion," the Blademaster said from a distance away. "Why don't you try a bit harder. I guarantee you I'm different from all the other Blademasters you've encountered."
Link frowned. What could he have meant by that? He couldn't help but glance at the glowing Master Sword again. The Yiga wasn't bluffing. something definitely was different. As much as Link wanted to take his time with the Yiga in order to determine what was so different, his eyes darted towards the still smoking Tarrey Town a distance away. He didn't have time for this.
"You should know better than to take your eyes off your opponent," the Yiga's voice, almost in Link's ear. Link's pupils dilated as they darted back to where the Yiga Blademaster was, however the Yiga now stood only a inches away from Link with his arms and the Windcleaver raised high. Link barely raised the Master Sword in time to block the attack. Link felt his legs buckle at the force of the attack, bringing him to a knee as he held back the force of the attack.
Link gritted his teeth as he angled the Master Sword, allowing the Windcleaver to slide off the blade. Link took the split second opening to slash at the Blademasters knees, however with incredible speed, the Yigaman was already meters away. The masked face of the Yiga shook in disappointment as Link stood from the ground he had been forced to crouch onto.
"There it is, Hylian Champion! Your one, fatal weakness," the Yigaman called out to Link in a much more threatening tone. "Your attacks are all non-fatal. No matter how far the Yiga pushes you, no matter how often we try to kill you, no matter if we attack your precious Princess Zelda... you will not kill. Even now as your so-called friend is in danger, you still refuse to attack with murderous intent. You could have tried to stab me in the abdomen, but alas, you went for a swipe to my legs. I promise you, if you don't fight to kill, Champion, I guarantee you will die in this fight."
Link eyed the Yiga Blademaster down before glancing yet again at the glowing blade of the Master Sword. Link took a deep breath before locking on to the white mask of the Yiga challenger.
"Fine, then..." Link said calmly.
In a blue flash, matching the speed of the Yigaman, Link was now on the offense as he cleared the distance between himself and the Blademaster. The two traded blows, one blow after the other, the sound of the Master Sword and the Windcleaver clanging against each other as sparks flew. Link dodged and weaved past the attacks of the Yiga's blade as its owner simply blocked any incoming attack from the Master Sword.
As the battle raged only a few meters away, the door to the Akkala Tech Lab flew open as a small Sheikah Researcher angrily stepped out.
"I AM TRYING TO RESEARCH HERE! WHAT IS ALL THIS RUCKU-" Robbie began to shout, however his throat instantly dried as he witnessed the blurring colors of blue and maroon darting and weaving around, locked in battle.
"Would you look at that, Champion!" the Blademaster called out between blows towards Link as they flashed around. "We have an onlooker! Maybe if I kill the balding one, you'll actually try to truly fight me!"
Link gritted his teeth in fear and determination as aimed a stab right at the Yigamans shoulder. The Yigaman sighed as he easily dodged the attack with a lightning fast sidestep, returning the gesture with his own stab. Link barely had time to react as the Windcleavers blade zipped past his cheek. Link took a few steps back, his back to the Akkala Tech Lab as he stood in a defensive stance. The Yiga once again shook his head.
"I had reason to believe if pressured enough, the Hylian Champion would finally show his true power. However that heart of yours is weak. This is boring. Tell me who the girl is and I'll spare the old man. I'm done with this battle," The Yigaman said.
"Link..." Link heard Robbie call from behind him. Link took a breath as he felt blood trail down his cheek. Link grit his teeth yet again. What was he supposed to do?
"Tell me Champion! Or I'll kill the girl regardless of your answer!" The Yigaman said. Link grinned as he stared at the center of the Yigamans upside down eye.
"You were going to kill her either way, weren't you...?" Link said under his breath as straightened himself. The Yiga lowered his head just a bit, acknowledging Links question. Link chuckled just once, knowing exactly what the Yigaman meant by the gesture.
Suddenly, in a flash of green light, powerful winds began to circle Link as he prepared to go on the offensive yet again. This time, however, the gaze in Link's eyes were different than before. The Yigaman, seemingly excited as he felt the winds slam against his body, prepared a defensive stance. For the first time, a red gleam had appeared in Link's eyes as the powerful winds circled upwards, creating a pillar of gales.
"Wonderful, Link... you truly are amazing!" the Yigaman yelled. "Using the power of the winds to ensure my air slices would get misdirected if I aimed towards the shitty lighthouse they call a lab! Truly magnificent!"
Link squinted in frustration. He had hoped the Blademaster wouldn't have noticed. He hadn't used Revali's Gale just for show. Link knew the Windcleaver could create air slices that could travel a distance and still cut, however those slices were still just wind. If the Blademaster had chosen to still attack Robbie from a distance, the air slice would have been sucked into the gales.
Link sighed. It didn't matter, all this meant was he would have to keep the Blademaster focused on no one but himself. Link raised the Master Sword skyward as the gales continued to spiral. The blade began to charge with bluish skyward energy, shining brighter the longer Link held it high.
The Yigaman watched as the green gales and purple lights flashed around Link. So this was the true power of the Hylian Champion... The Yiga Blademaster smiled under his mask. It seemed as though the time had come to show his true power as well. The Yiga raised his blade high, though unlike Link, the blade was held with two hands instead of one. Link watched, anticipating any move the Yigaman would make. However, nothing could have prepared Link for what was to come next.
Purple and pink clouds began to form around the Yiga's blade and body, as if being released from the Blademaster's soul. Link's blue eyes grew wide with fear. Was the Blademaster truly manipulating the Malice of the Calamity Ganon? Malice formed around the Blademaster as he too was now prepared to charge, pink flames now erupting from the Windcleaver's long, curved blade.
"Yes, Hylian! It is true! We Yiga have learned to use our anger towards the followers of the Hylian royal family in order to manipulate the remains of the Calamity's Malice!" the Yigaman called out as Link continued to hold the radiating Master Sword high. "Is that fear I see in your eyes!? Yes, Champion! Fear the Yiga's might with the Calamity's power! We shall use this to restore the Calamity to its full power!"
Link, taking a deep breath, focused his eyes on the Blademaster yet again, the red intent gleaming once again. Robbie watched as the green gales and holy blue light of Link and the Master Sword challenged the blackish-purple and pink light of the Yiga Blademaster, his spectacles darting between the two titans.
"Jerrin!" The little researcher screamed as he ran back inside the Akkala Tech Lab. "TAKE COVER!"
The pillars of wind and malice faced each other down as Link and the Blademaster prepared the charge. Link closed his eyes, feeling the power of the Master Sword coursing through him...
Master, the time is now.
Link's eyes shot open as he and the Blademaster charged at each other with unmatched speed. Link leaned the Master Sword downwards before raising it into an upward slash, slamming against the pink flaming Windcleaver that had been brought down by the purple clouded Yiga Blademaster. The force of the two blades' impacts shook the ground around them, Goddess energy and Calamity energy battling for control.
The Yiga pulled the Windcleaver away as he now sliced at Link, aiming for the blue Champion's torso. Link, however with amazing agility, backflipped over the blade. Time seemed to slow as Link landed to the ground. With lightning speed, Link darted into a furry rush of blows, slicing the Yigaman's chest anyplace he could reach.
The Blademaster cried out in pain as he slashed at the now up close and personal Link. The blade grazed Link's blue tunic, tearing the tunic down the center. Link grinned as he jumped away, snapping his fingers as lightning crashed down onto the Yiga Blademaster from Urbosa's Fury.
"Sure, you may have the power of the Calamity, at least a fraction of it," Link called out to the Blademaster, "but while that may help your strength, that means this holy blade right here affects you much more."
Link held up the glowing Master Sword. "This sword was meant to wound and seal Calamity Ganon and its Malice, the same Malice that flows through your veins!"
Link, grinning as the Yiga Blademaster took a step back, couldn't help but notice the power of the Master Sword waning. The words of the Great Deku Tree rang in his ears:
Do not rely on too much on its power...
Link became stoned faced. He had to finish this now. Once again, the final burst of Revali's Gale since its first use in the Domain circled around Link, now with his paraglider in hand. Link soared into the sky before releasing the paraglider, aiming the Master Sword into a stabbing motion as he plunged. The Yiga Blademaster watched helplessly as Link crushed him, the Master Sword stabbing into the shoulder of the Yiga.
The Yiga screamed as purple smoke and pink fire billowed from the shoulder wound. The Yiga fell to the ground as Link backflipped off, landing only a short distance away. Purple light shone from the Yiga's shoulder as their body was cleansed of the Malice. In a puff of clouds, a smaller, thin cloudy version of the pig-like Calamity rose from the Yiga's shoulder, roaring before evaporating into thin air. The Yiga's Malice was no more.
Link stared up at where the miniature Calamity Ganon had disappeared from before looking down at the now bleeding out Yiga Blademaster on the ground. Link aimed the now flickering weakened Master Sword at the Yiga Blademaster, who was holding his deeply gashed shoulder.
"Leave. And take your friends in Tarrey Town with you." Link said threateningly as blood pooled down his cheek and forehead. "The random girl I'm travelling with is no concern to you, I promise. The only threat to you... is I, the Hylian Champion."
"Curse you... curse you Hylian Champion..." The Yiga Blademaster said as he crawled away, blood pooling from under his mask. "We will kill you. I promise you that..."
In a puff of red and black smoke, the Yiga vanished. The moment the Yiga disappeared, Link crashed to the ground, the Master Sword falling to his side. Link looked down at the purple hilted sword as the light faded away until the blade was dull. Link sighed. So the Yiga were experimenting with malice now, huh? Link looked up at the sky above him, watching the clouds slowly pass over.
That most certainly, was not a good sign.
...