Hi there, folks! Hope you are staying happy and healthy, despite the situations! Don't let the darkness consume you, and know that we are all banded together in this dark time. I'll be here to make sure you have something awesome to read, so enjoy!
Also, I have new pictures for SAKIII placed on my DeviantArts page. Go check them out!
Gummi Ship Swiftwing
As the ship of Team Keybladers flew through deep space, they encountered asteroids and enemy encounters that were in their path. They did get some rewards out of destroying both villains and blowing up small asteroids and some crystals, even gaining materials and Gummi blocks for later. They even found something called a Treasure Sphere, which they had to create circuits by shooting gears into place that led to unlocking them, giving them more stuff to collect. They brought the materials and blocks into their storage space on their ship using a tractor beam system that was installed into the ship.
"There is so much more to do and gather now than ever before in space!" Sora stated, examining the few Flourite and Mythril shards they got from all they did so far, making their way to the nearest world.
"The rules of world travel have changed quite a bit compared to our previous times." Goofy noted.
"As fun as it is, need I remind you that we still need to actually go save worlds, right?" Asuna reminded the two, as well as Donald, who was the one piloting the ship.
"We know, we know." The three boys answered simultaneously.
"We're almost to the next world, already." Donald pointed out, seeing the world from where they were.
Just then, the door to the Switch Chamber opened up, revealing Kirito and Yui as they came out of the training room setup. Yui looked a little worn out from whatever happened in there, while Kirito looked a little anxious.
"You doing okay, Yui?" Asuna asked, "Was your father giving you a hard time?"
"I wasn't giving her a hard time!" Kirito defended, "Yui wanted me to train her with using a sword, so I did."
"It's true. Papa was helping me." Yui agreed, but added, "Although, he did see a lot of flaws in my swordplay…"
"So he was being very hypercritical of you, then." Asuna understood, glaring at Kirito, "Would it kill you to be a little nicer of a teacher, Kirito?"
"I don't know how I was doing anything wrong." The black swordsman stated, "I was noticing how her form was off several times, and her reaction and combo swings were not fluid enough. I wasn't trying to be mean to her."
"Even so, compliment her from time to time!" Asuna argued, standing up while holding Yui, "She's not as skilled as you and I, so I would very much appreciate it if you treat her like she's a newcomer to a game, okay?"
"Yes, ma'am…" Kirito sheepishly answered, rubbing the back of his head as he bowed down in defeat.
"Don't worry, Yui. I'll train with you next time, okay?" The mother assured the daughter.
"Thanks! I'll get use to using my Keyblade." Yui assured them, then to Sora, she added, "And I would very much like it if Sora also taught me, too!"
"R-Really?" Sora asked, surprised, but smiled eagerly as he answered, "Okay, sure. I kinda self-taught myself a long while back, so I wouldn't mind teaching you some tricks I came up with." Yui looked happily at this.
"Why can't we train Yui, too?!" Donald squawked, indicating himself and Goofy.
"Because we don't use swords like they do." Goofy answered, chuckling at this.
"Yeah, speaking of which, I have been wanting to ask something, Goofy." Kirito started, "Is there a reason why you prefer using a shield instead of a sword? It is kind of unusual to fight with just a shield."
"Oh, I just don't like to use all them other weapons, that's all." Goofy answered, producing his shield, "If ya ask me, I prefer not to fight if possible."
"That's odd, considering your position." Asuna stated.
Sora did recall something that happened a long while back. During his Mark of Mastery exam, one of the worlds he ended up in had King Mickey, Donald and Goofy all as musketeers, and they all used fencing rapiers. So to say he didn't like using those weapons was a bit strange.
"I mean, we've fought together for me to get use to your fighting style of combat." Yui stated, looking to Kirito, "There's no problem with it, right, papa?"
"Of course not!" Kirito answered quickly, not wanting to be ridiculed again, "I guess everyone has their own special weapon to use. I bet we'll be facing a lot of those kinds of fighters in the future, right?" The others nodded in agreement to this, glad to see he didn't criticize anything.
(Insert 'Adamas Amalee ver.', TV version)
Music intro
(Rushing through black darkness, glittering shards of light pass by. As music starts, the three main Keyblades suddenly shoot forward like shooting stars, circling around from a distance, then crossing one another, shining brightly, forming the logo of the series.)
I'm trying to understand it but it's making me numb
(Left half of Sora's serious face, the other half hidden by the teeth of his Kingdom Key.)
This swirl of karma leaving such a bitter taste on my tongue
(Right half of Asuna's determined face, the other half hidden by the Lambent Light's teeth.)
'Cause I know the pain and sorrow, it has only begun
(The upper half of Kirito's face, with glaring eyes, the lower half hidden by the Elucidator's teeth.)
Who-o-oa, Who-o-oa, Who-o-oa
(Flashing through the faces of each hero; Donald, Goofy, Yui, Mickey, Riku, Leafa, Kairi, Axel, and Kayaba.)
Now I'm surrounded by my enemies, but luck's on my side
(In the dusty fields of the Keyblade Graveyard, the camera pans around the circle of the six main heroes as they ready their weapons.)
So I shatter through the walls and change the course of the tide
(In the same field, the camera pans the opposite way around the six other heroes as they ready their weapons.)
Can't stop this surging fate like a volcano set to break, Take a breath until you're set to
(Allies of the multiple worlds they will or have visited pan across the screen, finally ending with the silhouettes of the four Lost Princesses of heart, with the one in the center opening her hands to reveal a bright light.)
face that voice of fear. That god of death that's always looking down on you
(Philia stands on a lone green hill, staring at a card with the picture of Castle Oblivion on it. She feels a hand behind her, and looks to see Flair and Hinata standing behind her, giving assuring smiles, with Tinkerbell coming out of her pocket, and Samson giving a thumbs up.)
"Do you believe yourself?" I won't stop til I've won
(Maleficent and Dr. Temna stand together, with Pete and Tears next to them, and a swarm of Heartless and shadowed foes ready to strike.)
A glimpse of that bright future that's just begun!
(Xehanort's maliciously smirking face appears, as he and fifteen others float together in a circle. Screen splits in half as half of Heartless Oberon and Gouxus take the screen, their eyes shining from yellow to violet.)
Shining like a diamond, The emotions in your heart reflect like crystal
(The six heroes team up together, taking down Heartless, Nobodies and Unversed that come across their path with their weapons, skills and magic.)
As we vow an oath that will ignite your light and mine - And we will rise!
(A Demon Tower nearly falls on top of the six, but they get away, with Kirito, Asuna and Sora in the air, performing Soul Bursts and Keyblade transformation, creating Cloud's Buster Sword, Asuna's SAO Lambent Light, and Sora's twin guns, unleashing a sword beam, ice spears, and magic shots as one.)
So many times I've gotten back on my feet to make it to this moment
(A group of dark energy orbs shoots down the trio from a cliff above, hitting them into the ground. The attack comes from Xehanort, Heartless Oberon, and Gouxus.)
It's time our prayer that's waiting in the dark. Is set free so light the spark and let it shine!
(Sora, Asuna and Kirito get back up on their feet, shaking off their injuries, and raising their Keyblades as they charge forward, beams of sunlight shining upon each of them as they all take a leap at the Organization XVI, with their friends, the other heroes, including Roxas, Xion, Recon, Terra, Aqua and Ven, joining them from behind.)
Song ends.
The signal within the Swiftwing indicated they had finally reached the next world. From their viewpoint, they could see a kingdom on one part of the world, a large forest that divided the top and bottom part of the world, with some sort of canyon in one part, and a large town by a lake on the bottom part of the world.
"So this is the next world." Sora understood, as Yui booted up the communication crystal. In a second, Mistress Gretinal appeared as a hologram from it.
"I see you've reached the next world, the Kingdom of Melromarc." Gretinal noticed, seeing which world they arrived at.
"Melromarc?" Kirito echoed, looking to the world.
"This world has a bit of a history you should know about." Gretinal explained, "You see, this world is plagued by monsters summoned from Waves of Catastrophe. To fight this, four people from other worlds appear to take up the mantle as legendary heroes, utilizing unique weapons for each of them to use. They are the Sword Hero, the Spear Hero, the Bow Hero, and the Shield Hero."
"Another feller who also uses a shield, too?" Goofy asked.
"Probably a lot different kind of fighter than you, Goofy." Kirito pointed out.
"However, darkness plagues this world, and not just from monsters, but within the hearts of very many." Gretinal warned them, "And right now, the Heartless are causing great trouble, and causing distrust in many."
"Then it's up to us to stop them!" Sora declared, rising up and pumping his fist.
"See that you do." Gretinal answered, her expression serious, "But do not be fooled so easily. This world will test on your trust in others, and how you sense the darkness in others."
"Right. We understand." Asuna understood, "Let's be on guard when we arrive there." Everyone gave reassurance at this, as they entered into the teleportation device, and descended down to the world.
When they arrived, they found themselves in a sort of medieval-era town, the buildings definitely looking like European-style of that era. They were in an alleyway, and stepped out into the cobblestone streets, where they saw some stalls selling miscellaneous foods and accessories.
"This kind of reminds me of towns in Aincrad." Kirito stated, looking about.
"It does look that way, doesn't it?" Asuna agreed, "Look, there's even a castle over there, and a church, as well." From high above, they could see a large white castle with mahogany red roofing. In another area, they could see a massive church-like structure, which had a silver cross on top of it, which looked kind of odd. However, they assumed it was just due to it being another world.
"It's pretty nice, here." Goofy noted, seeing the stalls about town.
"The church kind of gives me flashbacks to my Mark of Mastery exam." Sora recalled, "There was a world that had a cathedral, too. What was it called again…Notre Dame?"
"You visited the Notre Dame Cathedral during your Mark of Mastery?!" Asuna gasped in shock, "That's a place I wished to go to when I was a child. I was so shocked at when it burned that one year when I was twelve…"
Suddenly, there was an explosion nearby, with the sounds of a group of people combatting. "There's trouble!" Donald realized.
"Let's go see what it is." Sora told the team, and they raced over to the source of the fighting.
"When they arrived, they saw a soldier suddenly collapse, his body fading into darkness, and his heart transforming into a Soldier Heartless. They looked at the remaining survivors of the fight against the Heartless, and saw four individuals surrounded, three young men, and one woman.
The first male looked like he was in his mid-teens, with a handsome face, blue eyes, and mid-length black hair with bangs that were at chin-level. He wore a coat that looked similar to the one Kirito wore back in SAO, but it was black, white, with gold-trimmings, a black chestplate, a spiked shoulder guard on his right shoulder, blue pants with black armor on his lower legs, blue boots with gold-colored soles, a blue scarf around his neck and went down his back, and a sword in one hand that matched the color of his attire.
The second was also around the same age as the sword-user, though he looked younger. He had gold eyes and short, curly light-brown hair. His attire was more of a tunic, lighter than the swordsman, brown and white leather, with a a green open vest and classic grey armor protecting his left shoulder, side, and waste. He had white pants, and brown boots with armored toes, and fingerless gloves with armor on the backhand side, going up his lower arms. He also carried a bow in his hand, which he held at the ready.
The third was the oldest of the group, in his early twenties. He had orange eyes and long blonde hair that he held in a ponytail. He wore a red and white tunic with gold trimmings, and silver and gold-trimmed armor that made him more of a traditional knight compared to the the other two. He also are a red cape that went all the way down his back. As for his weapon, he carried a spear in both hands.
The person wielding the spear was very protective of the woman, who was around the same age as the others. She had green eyes, semi-long red hair, held in a loose ponytail that was held by a gold and jeweled hairband. She wore silver armor with red jewels embedded into them, with a chestplate that hugged her figure, a purple top underneath, a frilly black skirt, black leggings underneath her armor boots, detached black sleeves underneath armor for her arms, and a cape that went down her back, with a decorative choker around her neck.
The Heartless surrounding them were Soldiers, Armored Knight, and Bizarre Archers on top of some crates nearby.
"These monsters just won't stay down." The archer spoke up.
"We're using all the attacks we can, but they don't seem to do anything to them." The swordsman stated.
"Sir Motoyasu, please tell me you can defeat them!" The woman pleaded to the spear user.
"Of course, Myne! We can defeat the devil's spawns!" He assured her, striking back an Armored Knight, making it skid away, only for two others to appear in its' place to overwhelm him. His confidence faltered at the failed attack.
"They're in trouble!" Donald noticed, "Let's help them out!"
"Agreed. No more Heartless taking any more lives!" Asuna responded, and the three leading heroes produced their Keyblades, with Kirito deciding to use his new Dark Repulser Keyblade he got from the last world to help him here. Like moths to flames, the Heartless sensed the Keyblades, and turned to face the six new opponents, prepared to fight them.
Fighting the group of Heartless was rather simple for the group, overwhelming them with their skills and magic. Kirito did learn his Keyblade had a combo boost to it, giving him improved combo in attacking. As for his Shotlock, he learned that at its' maximum potential, he was able to split the Keyblade into light-form versions of Dark Repulser and Elucidator for a moment and perform Starburst Stream, though it the attack sent waves of energy with every slash at the targets he locked onto, ending with a cross slash that had him shoot through all enemies, defeating the Heartless easily. In moments, the Heartless were defeated soundly.
As soon as it was over, the six were close to one another as the four they just rescued wandered over, the one carrying the spear rushing a bit towards Yui. "I'm so sorry, little girl!" He apologized, cradling his staff under his arm as he knelt down to place one of Yui's 'delicate' hands into his own, "To think you ended up fighting those ferocious monsters instead of me brings me terrible grief. You needn't to fight those again."
"B-But I don't mind!" Yui defended, perplexed at the demeanor of this guy.
He ignored this as he glared at Kirito and Sora, demanding, "You! Why are making this girl fight those monsters?! She's obviously too young to be on the battlefield like this!"
"We aren't making her do that!" Sora defended.
"Besides, she was doing a heck of a lot more than you were." Kirito bluntly stated.
"Who do you think you are?!" The young lady demanded angrily, "Do you have any idea who you are speaking to?! This is Sir Motoyasu, the Spear Hero!"
"So you're one of the heroes here?" Sora asked. The young man named Motoyasu looked rather pompous at his title as the Spear Hero.
Kirito didn't see any reason to praise his name as he responded, "Well I'm Kirito. This is Sora, Asuna, Donald, Goofy, and Yui."
"Yui. So that's your name." Motoyasu realized, looking down at the little girl, and walking towards her excitably, "Gosh, you are such a cute little girl."
'I get it. He's a lolicon…' Kirito understood, as Asuna stepped in between Yui and the Spear Hero.
"Back off, creep!" She growled, "That's my daughter you're swooning over!"
"D-Daughter?!" Motoyasu echoed in shock, looking from Asuna to Yui, questioning how she could have a daughter. Donald approached to Asuna's side, glaring at him as if to dare pursue Yui or the questions that were on his mind.
"I hate to admit it, but we would've been done for if you hadn't arrived." The bow user stated, approaching Kirito and Sora with the swordsman, as Goofy joined the boys, "My name is Itsuki. I'm the Bow Hero."
"I'm Ren, the Sword Hero." The swordsman introduced himself, "Tell me how you were able to fight off those monsters so much better than us? You guys do know, don't you?"
"Those monsters are called 'Heartless'." Goofy explained, "The only way to defeat them is with the power of the Keyblade."
"Keyblade?" Ren echoed, looking at Kirito's weapon for a few seconds, then asking, "May I examine that weapon of yours?"
"Sure." Kirito answered, knowing he could take it back if he stole his Keyblade from him.
Ren took the weapon off of Kirito, holding it up, then looking to his sword. After a few seconds, he stated, "That's strange…I can't copy the sword like I can with others."
"The Keyblade is a very special kind of weapon." Kirito answered, taking the weapon out of Ren's hand, "And not everyone can wield it. Only a very rare few can use it."
"But with the power of our Legendary weapons, we can copy any weapon as long as it's the same kind of weapon as our own." Ren pointed out.
"Just who are you guys?" Itsuki asked.
"Well…" Sora started, about to make something up.
"We're travelers from a different continent." Asuna started up, making the story instead, "We've come to this land due to the Heartless appearing around here, and are trying to stop them. Do you have any clues as to when they started coming around?"
"They've been plaguing my father's kingdom just recently." The woman spoke up, approaching Asuna, "They've been appearing everywhere, and have been attacking our soldiers left and right."
"Your father's kingdom?" Yui echoed.
"That's right!" Motoyasu replied eagerly, "Her adventurer's name is Myne, but she is really the princess of Melromarc."
"My name is Malty S. Melromarc." She introduced herself, making her hair flutter with a brush of her hand, "My father is the king of Melromarc, so you should show respect."
"S-Sorry!" Sora apologized, standing in salute, along with Goofy. Kirito saw the two boys, and decided to do it, as well, though mentally not showing any respect for the woman. In fact, he could feel something about this woman that he really did not like.
"So, why don't we get back to what you were saying before." Asuna spoke up, keeping Yui away from Motoyasu as she and Donald joined their friends, "You said the Heartless have been attacking the soldiers of your kingdom recently, right? Any idea of where it started?"
"Absolutely. It's all that damn Naofumi's fault!" Motoyasu growled, "He's the one setting those monsters loose!"
"Naofumi?" Donald echoed.
"He's the Shield Demon who has stolen my little sister!" Myne explained, her expression going from serious, then to sympathetic as she stated, "He had brought nothing but bring constant trouble to my father and I, showing no respect to the hierarchy. He even sexually assaulted me when he first came to this world! It was so mortifying what he did to me, it haunts me!" She shed tears at this, while Motoyasu comforted her.
"That's awful…" Asuna sympathized for Myne's abuse, as did Donald, Goofy, Sora and Yui. Kirito, on the other hand, eyed her suspiciously. The way she was crying was more dramatic than actually real. Those were crocodile tears she was shedding.
Deciding to continue off from where Asuna left off, Kirito turned to Ren and Itsuki and asked, "So you're sure that it was this Naofumi that was controlling the Heartless?"
"Without a doubt." Ren answered.
"There was someone who even came to our kingdom who told us he was the one." Itsuki explained, "He said his rage against the kingdom was the reason why the monster you call the Heartless were attacking us."
"We were setting out to hunt him down before those things showed up." Motoyasu finished up.
"Then…let us join with you." Sora suggested, "If this guy is responsible for the Heartless, then it's our responsibility to stop him."
"We would very much appreciate it." Itsuki responded.
"Oh, come on! We can take this!" Motoyasu argued, "Those guys got lucky with that batch, but we can beat them next time! Besides, I certainly do not want this little girl to fight again!" He was indicating Yui at this last sentence.
"Excuse me, but it's not your call on whether she chooses to fight or not!" Asuna retorted angrily, "It's up to her parents to allow this, meaning Kirito and me!"
Motoyasu looked from Asuna to Kirito, then to Yui, and asked, "How do the two of you have a child? Just how old are you?"
"She's our ADOPTED daughter!" Asuna got in his face angrily, "And you NEVER ask a girl her age so carelessly!" She looked to Myne, and asked, "How can you even like this guy? Seriously?!" She walked away angrily, making sure she kept Yui away from Motoyasu.
"Wait, I'm sorry, miss!" Motoyasu called to her, about to chase after her, but was stopped by Myne clinging onto his arm.
"Don't bother with her." She told the Spear Hero, glaring at the two girls, "They don't look like they'll be worth your time." She narrowed her eyes as she glared at them, then at the boys. Sora, Donald and Goofy felt like they were in a bit of a tight situation, while Kirito looked back at her for a second, then chose to follow Asuna and Yui.
Moments later, the group of heroes were at the gates leaving outside the town, where a pair of horse-drawn carts waited for them, as well as soldiers who guided them and fought with them. Ren and Itsuki explained the situation to them, and that the six would join in the hunt for the Shield Demon.
"The six of you will be in the second wagon, along with the Sword Hero and the Bow Hero, under Princess Malty's orders." One of the soldiers explained, "Since the six of you are not registered civilians of Melromarc, we are to take precautionary actions until we know we can trust you."
"Fine by me." Kirito understood, looking to Ren and Itsuki, who were nearby, "We'll handle any Heartless that get in your way, okay?"
"We'll fight with you guys, if that's okay with you." Ren responded, "We want to see just how you guys are able to fight the Heartless."
"Then, we can fight them, even without your help." Itsuki followed, "We don't want to completely rely on you guys. After all, we were summoned to this world to protect it."
"Sure. We understand." Goofy responded.
"Protecting the world is your duty. And stopping the Heartless is ours." Sora stated.
Everyone got into the carts, and they rode along the road as quickly as possible. Goofy even joined the soldiers, trying to be the pleasant guy he was, though it was a bit of a failed attempt.
According to the information they were given by the soldiers and Heroes, the Shield Demon Naofumi, along with two slaves of his named Raphtalia and Filo, had kidnapped the second princess of Melromarc, Melty. According to resources, they knew they were trying to flee the country, and make it to another country called Siltbelt. They closed all the gateways towards the land, and were pretty sure that they wouldn't take the main road. So once they reach the mountains near the border, they would make it on foot to catch up with them.
"So…is Naofumi the Shield Hero?" Sora asked.
"Technically, he was." Ren responded.
"Was he really that bad of a guy?" Yui questioned them.
"He constantly took the glory for saving others we already saved." Itsuki explained, "And he created some sort of cheat shield, because he is way too powerful for a guy who only uses a shield."
"Maybe he trained differently compared to you guys." Kirito assumed, "Everyone has their own way of getting experience and skills. He probably found a way to get stronger better than you guys."
"Yeah, but how?" Itsuki demanded, "He never gave us a straight answer. He really hated all of us."
"But why?" Sora asked.
"Because he said he was falsely accused by the king, and was always cleaning up our messes." Ren answered, causing Itsuki to look to him incredulously, "I'll admit that I did screw up badly, as did Itsuki and Motoyasu one point or another in the past, but it still doesn't excuse him for what he has done before."
Sora, Donald and Yui looked to each other, concerned. Meanwhile, Kirito and Asuna listened to the conversation silently, Kirito specifically looking for details.
"Talk to me." Asuna whispered in Kirito's ear, "You know there's something wrong about this."
"Yeah, I'm pretty sure." He answered in a quiet tone, "For one, I definitely felt darkness within that princess's heart."
"I kinda had that same feeling as well." Asuna admitted, "I just feel like she's a sick person who is using her position and looks to get what she wants."
"She certainly pulled the wool over Motoyasu's eye. And even these two guys." Kirito noticed, "While I want to believe Itsuki and Ren, since they seem more open to debating than that other hero, we should still be on guard. Remember Gretinal's message; This world is to train our trust and sense the darkness. Right now, I don't know who is in the right or wrong here. What we do know is that the guy they call the Shield Demon, Naofumi, is in the center of all of this conflict."
"Agreed. So let's seek him out and see if he really is the one controlling the Heartless." Asuna decided, giving a serious expression.
Suddenly, the horses whinnied, and the carriage came to a jagged halt. "What's going on?!" Itsuki questioned the rider.
"It's those monsters again! They've just suddenly appeared!" He answered.
"It's the Heartless!" Goofy called to the others.
"That's our cue!" Sora answered, as the team got out of the carriage, readying their weapons to fight. Goofy, Motoyasu, and Myne were already out of the cart, ready to fight the group of Heartless, which were more Soldiers, Bizarre Archers, and a new kind of Heartless which looked like muddy brown, pudgy, flightless giant birds with stubby necks, wings that looked like three-pronged blades, and powerful looking legs.
"What's with the birds?!" Kirito questioned, looking to Yui, who activated the scanner over her eye.
Examining it, she answered, "They're called 'Choke o' Break'. They may not fly, but they have sharp wings, strong feet, and a deceptively long reach!"
"Looks more like a possessed Filolial." Motoyasu stated, "I swear, if Naofumi does anything like this to Filo, he's gonna suffer for it!"
"Let's focus on the fight at hand." Kirito told him, and they went to work.
Fighting alongside the heroes of this world, the other six could see their potential in a fight. They had some skills that did some damage to the enemies, probably more effectively due to the power of the Keyblade. They were all skilled in fighting with their weapons, from Motoyasu and his spear, Ren and his sword, and Itsuki with his bow. As for Myne, she had skills in magic, mainly fire magic. The only downside they had was their inability to work as a team, with the six other heroes, or each other.
As for the new Heartless, the Choke o' Break, they were definitely good with kicks and spinning their bodies with their blade wings out. However, their most deceptive move was shrining their legs, and causing their necks to shoot their beaks out much further than predicted, like a lance. This fooled the heroes a couple times, but they ended up getting the hang of it.
"Best to get this taken care of fast!" Kirito growled, "Soul Burst: Second Form!" Kirito raised his Keyblade upwards, and a silhouette of his old self appeared, before diving into his weapon, which shined and transformed into the Elucidator's classic form. He twirled it, and took his fighter's stance, making it shine before unleashing a Sonic Leap Sword Skill that made him shoot straight at the Soldier nearby, slashing it hard. He quickly continued his assault with his reaction speed, even destroying enemies Motoyasu and Ren were trying to take down, the latter thoroughly amazed by his ability with the blade. Kirito didn't even need to unleash his final attack before they were all gone.
Kirito reverted his weapon back to normal, as Ren approached him. "What kind of skill was that?" He demanded, "That skill…I've never seen anything like it."
"It's called Soul Burst." Kirito answered, "It's a power that is tied in with the Keyblade. Basically, I called forth my previous skills from a long time ago. They're skills I used before I gained the Keyblade."
"You know, I'm starting to think that weapon is a cheat like Naofumi's shield." Motoyasu compared, "How are so damn strong?"
"My Keyblade isn't a cheat." Kirito retorted seriously, "Your weapons are just as powerful as it. The only difference is that I learned and trained my butt off. I had to, with all the life-or-death battles I had to go through."
"Well, it's not like we've been through easy fights, either." Motoyasu stated, "We had to fight against the Waves of Catastrophe, and their requirement isn't level one fighters, either…"
'Level one?' Kirito echoed as Motoyasu continued to speak about the dangers the heroes had to deal with, with unnecessary bravado and needless stories of lone villages and damsels in distresses that he claims to save, 'So there's a leveling system in this world, meaning they might be similar to Players in SAO. Wonder what their levels are?'
He noticed a glint on the ground from the last Heartless he slain, and went to pick it up. It was a rosario of sorts, and it had the symbol that was on the church near where they were before.
"What's this?" He asked, looking at the rosario, then holding it to the two heroes.
"That's the symbol of the Three Heroes Church." Ren answered first.
"Three heroes?" Kirito echoed.
"Yeah. The people there worship us three heroes."
"Just the Spear, Sword, and Bow Heroes?" Kirito asked, "It doesn't care about the Shield Hero."
"The Shield is a demon!" Myne retorted, approaching the young man, "Anyone who even thinks of worshiping him is a sign of heresy, and will be judged thusly."
"I see…" Kirito responded, mixed with nerves and concern.
"That is why I wish for that Demi-human over there to not fight so much like him." Myne pointed to Goofy, who noticed the attention, and looked confused. "Using only a shield in battle is a sign of him trying to imitate the demon." She stated loudly for the others to hear, "Surely, he can use other weapons more suited for the dog he is?"
"But I prefer fightin' with a shield." Goofy pointed out, not really offended by anything she said.
"Yeah. In fact, one of my Keyblades can transform into a shield, too." Sora added, switching his Kingdom Key to the Hero's Origin, "It's pretty useful in a fight, too."
"Besides that, we're from a different country, so we have no reason to switch up our fighting styles just because you guys hate the Shield Demon." Asuna finished, "Don't judge how we fight just because it reminds you of someone you hate." Myne looked irritated at be talked back so much by these random warriors from another country.
"Let's deal with this after we find Naofumi." Itsuki told the others, "The more we stand here, the further he's gonna get. Unfortunately…" He looked to the carriages, which were now horseless, with only the soldiers remaining, "…It looks like we'll have to walk from here on. Siltbelt is to the east of here, so that's where we should start making our way that direction."
"That's a good start as any." Ren stated, looking towards the mountains near their position, "If we're right, they wouldn't take the obvious path. They might take to the mountains."
The three heroes and Myne led the other soldiers towards the mountains. Heartless did intervene as they climbed, but they worked together to handle them as best as they could. However, it seemed to the six heroes that those of this world were now sort of distancing themselves from their group, not even supporting them in the fights. Even when they were healed by Cure, only Ren was kind enough to give a thanks. Everyone else didn't care.
"I don't get it." Sora spoke up, putting his Keyblade away, "Why are they so distant to us all of a sudden?"
"Did we do something wrong?" Goofy asked.
"It's probably Kirito's fault." Donald assumed.
"Don't blame daddy for anything!" Yui argued.
"Motoyasu and Myne definitely seem to be more distant to us than the other two Heroes." Asuna noticed, looking to Kirito, "Do you think she's influencing them?"
"Well, I can tell she is quite manipulative. She is definitely someone we should watch out for." Kirito answered, "However, I'm pretty sure those other three guys are just jealous of us."
"They're…jealous?" Sora echoed.
"They're suppose to be heroes of this world, thinking deep in their hearts they are able to take on any foe and win because they were given powerful weapons and labeled as saviors. However, once we showed up, we seem to show them up in every which way."
"That is true." Asuna agreed, "They did call our Keyblades 'cheats'. They can't unleash magic as sufficiently as we do, or use the same kind of skills we can."
"There were a lot of Players like that in SAO, as well as other VRMMO games." Yui pointed out, "They see someone who was able to obtain something they can't get, and their jealous can lead to factions breaking apart or even PKing."
"But they don't have to be jealous of us." Sora stated, "That does nothing to forging bonds with each other's hearts. I don't deny that I haven't felt jealousy from time to time. I still remember how jealous I was during those early times of our first adventure together, and how you guys seemed to be REALLY skilled at using your Keyblades. Your swordplay was so amazing, I knew I couldn't keep up with you guys, even now."
"Sora…" Asuna muttered, feeling bad that he felt that way.
"But…I realize I have my own strengths that you guys can't do." Sora continued, smiling at all of them, "And if they aren't enough, I always have all my friends to back me up. So there's no reason for me to be jealous of you guys, because we each have something only each of us can do, but together, we can do anything!"
Kirito, Asuna, Donald, Goofy and Yui all looked to Sora, then each other, and smiled happily. "I could only wish I had your optimism and faith, Sora." Kirito stated, rubbing the back of his head.
"He's always been like that." Donald pointed out.
"We're always smilin' together because of him." Goofy chuckled.
"You do tend to rally others to support you, even if you don't mean to." Asuna stated, looking to the others that were wandering on ahead, "I could only wish it worked for them."
"Hey, what're you guys doing?" Motoyasu called back to them.
"Oh, sorry!" Sora apologized, before looking to the others and saying, "Let's try winning them over. I know those three guys aren't completely bad." He raced up the mountain hill after the others, with Donald, Goofy and Yui behind him.
"It's not them I'm really worried about." Asuna stated, looking to Myne, who gave a sneaky glare at the two of them, "I'm more worried about what she might say next." Kirito nodded in agreement, before chasing after their friends.
Getting around the mountain was a bit of a challenge, and while it was tedious at times, the knights and country's heroes were definitely keeping an eye out for the Shield Demon and his party.
Meanwhile, the six heroes discovered special materials that they realized were on the list of things they could bring to Resolute Oasis. There were special rocks and lumber that were slightly showing some magic aura to them. Stopping to grab these things did cause their group to be distant from the others, but they used the opportunity to transport the materials to the Gummi Ship secretly from the eyes of the others. They didn't bother waiting for them this time around.
After what felt like an hour of walking, darkness started to take form in the skyies above them as they found themselves walking down the mountain a bit, towards the topside of a ravine. They could see a large rock with one lone tree on tip of it. The other side of the ravine was very far, with a cliffside that was much higher than where they were standing, save for one area, which only had a narrow, naturally-formed bridge that started from one of the lower parts of the cliffside they were standing on.
The six heroes raced up from behind as they noticed the group had came to a halt to gather around something, or possibly someone. They couldn't see who it was from a distant, due to the darkness, but as they got closer, they suddenly noticed the person had suddenly disappeared, but not before exiting through a familiar black portal of sorts.
"Was that…?" Asuna started, as Sora dashed down the hill to join the army and heroes.
As soon as he was within earshot of the three heroes and the princess, Sora asked, "Who was that?!"
"The person who tipped us off before." Itsuki answered, a little concerned, "He said that Naofumi's group came this way."
"He also said something quite interesting, as well." Ren added, glaring at the group of six, "He told us that should you guys get involved, you would side with the Shield Demon."
"What?" Donald questioned in confusion.
"But why would we choose to side with him?" Yui asked.
"You tell me." Myne approached them with a look that showed she was planning something, "How do we know you guys are not with the Shield Demon? For all we know, you could've been brainwashed."
"And how could we have been brainwashed?" Asuna questioned, "Your logic makes no sense!"
"It's obvious, isn't it?" Myne smugly stated, "The Shield Demon has a special shield that can brainwash his targets just by speaking to them. The Three Heroes Church has proven that to be true!"
"Really?" Goofy asked.
"I don't know." Donald replied.
"Let's backtrack a moment ago, here." Kirito stopped the conversation, getting in between the two groups of heroes, "We would like to know who that person was that you guys were speaking to first. What did he look like?"
"That's not important!" Motoyasu retorted, "We're the ones questioning you on whether you guys are really with Naofumi or not!"
"I just need to know who he was." Kirito spoke up louder, "Is there any harm in telling us who he looked like?!"
Motoyasu growled, about to retort, but Itsuki intervened by answering, "I don't see how it could benefit you, but we do know the guy had blue hair and wore a black coat."
The six heroes looked to one another, surprised. "The black coat definitely means…" Sora started.
"The Organization!" Donald, Goofy and Yui answered simultaneously.
"And if the guy has blue hair…" Asuna followed up.
"…That might possibly be Saïx." Kirito finished, looking to the princess and the three heroes, "Listen, that guy is bad news. If he's involved in all of this, then there's no doubt it's not something you should follow."
"So you're basically saying NOT to follow where Naofumi is going." Motoyasu falsely understood, "Is that what you are implying?"
"N-No, that's not…!" Asuna started.
"Cease your ramblings!" Myne ordered loudly, pointing at all six of them, "You have just given us further proof that the six of your are involved with the Shield Demon. You six are obviously heretics who are aiding in his actions to ruin the kingdom!"
"Wait, what?!" Sora gasped, "We're not doing any of that! We've even been helping you guys fight off the Heartless!"
"He's right. What would we gain from protecting you guys?!" Kirito demanded, "Our weapons are the only ones truly capable of stopping them."
"You are right about that. But that makes you even more suspicious." Itsuki pointed out, "Your guys's weapons are the ones capable of stopping those monsters. For all we know, you guys could've been controlling the Heartless."
"That's absolutely ridiculous!" Donald squawked angrily.
"The Heartless are controlled by those with darkness in their hearts!" Sora angrily defended, "There's no way we're the ones controlling them!"
"But do you have any proof that you aren't the ones controlling them?" Ren asked, "You have better knowledge of them, whereas we never saw them before until recently."
The six heroes suddenly realized that Myne, the three heroes, and the small army had them surrounded with their backs to the cliff. And from the looks of it, they didn't look like they were in the mood for arguing any further.
"The Shield Demon is without a doubt controlling the Heartless, and you six are allied with him!" Myne declared, pointing a downward finger at the group, her body only slightly emanating a dark aura, "Whether you are brainwashed by his shield, or joining with him as heretics, it does not matter! If we kill all of you, that will be one problem solved to save this country. The kingdom of Melromarc will be safer without you!" The three heroes, along with the military, readied their weapons, prepared to fight them to the death.
"We shouldn't fight with one another!" Sora exclaimed, "That's what the Organization wants!"
"Sora, I think you're speaking to deafen ears." Kirito grimaced, readying his Keyblade.
"Yui, I am sorry about this." Motoyasu apologized, gripping his spear tight, "I promise we won't kill you. I will free you from Naofumi's control." Yui looked really irritated at his misplaced reasonings.
Sora's group was looking both hesitant and prepared to fight off the distrusting group of soldiers and heroes. Things were about to happen when suddenly, there was a screech from the other side of the ravine, followed by something that shot out from one of the highest parts nearby, landing heavily far from the left of the six heroes, close to the soldiers and Ren. Everyone turned to see what it was, and saw a large Heartless.
It looked very much like a rat, though there were some features that looked very possum-like. It had a muddy brown body, with a dark red on its' back and all four legs, a gold, four-pointed star on its' back, and yellow jagged lines outlining the red parts, and on its' front arms. It had sharp buck teeth, two whiskers on each side, rounded ears, white beads around its non-existent neck, and the Heartless emblem on its' chest. Its' front paws had three long talons, and the back ones were more flat and curved, design for more standing than attacking. The oddest part was its three tails, the central one longer than the others, and they were wrapped around a sphere containing dark purple smoke.
It screeched as it charged at the army, who scattered as Ren tried to charge forwards with a lightning blade attack. The Heartless barreled right through Ren, sending him flying towards Itsuki and Motoyasu, who were stunned at its' sudden appearance.
"What's with this rodent?!" Motoyasu demanded.
"It must've been summoned by those six!" Myne claimed, scared at the sight, but trying to keep a cool head, "Those cowards would rather let that thing kill us!"
"It's attacking us, too!" Sora defended as Yui analyzed the Heartless.
"It's name is Goetria!" Yui told the others, "From what I can tell, it tends to snatch things of great power with its' tails, or even contain them inside the orb it forms onto its' back."
"It steals stuff with great power?!" Donald questioned, looking at the orb onto its' back, as did the majority of the group. Kirito was the one who saw what was within the smoke that was shifting about within the sphere. He only saw it briefly, but it was not an item he saw. It was a pair of sleeping faces. Young, female faces.
"There are a couple of girls in there!" Kirito noticed.
"Say what?!" Asuna questioned incredulously.
"It took people?!" Goofy questioned.
"Then we just have to free them!" Sora declared, as the six of them prepared to fight the Heartless.
They charged at one another as the Heartless made a leaping swipe at the group, causing them to scatter. Asuna thrusted her Keyblade at the face of the Heartless, who flinched from the attack, while Goofy and Donald struck with melee and magic together. Sora, Kirito, and Yui all raced towards either side of the Heartless, trying to get a better look at what was within the capsule. Sora hopped onto the Heartless's back to get a close look at who was within.
Kirito was right. There were two girls, probably around the same-looking age as Yui; around ten years old. One looked like a blonde-haired girl in a frilly white and blue dress. The other was a dark-blue haired girl that wore a frilly dress that was a variety of blues and white, and it looked much fancier than the other.
"Hold on! I'll get you outta there!" Sora declared, slamming his Keyblade on the container. However, he was jerked off at the Heartless suddenly jumping high, causing Sora to hit the ground. It landed far from the group, close to the three heroes and Myne.
Motoyasu suddenly noticed the faces within the capsule, and recognized them. "That's Filo! And Princess Melty!" He gasped, causing shocked faces among the others.
"Wait, weren't those the names of one of Naofumi's slaves and the princess he kidnapped?" Asuna questioned, hearing the names from a distance.
"I don't get it. Why are those two inside that thing?" Itsuki questioned, taking a leap back and letting loose an arrow to damage it.
"If Naofumi is the one controlling the Heartless, why would he allow them to be captured by that monster?" Ren wondered out loud, defending the army by unleashing a lightning slash that did very little damage to the Heartless. It turned and swatted at him, which he backed off from the attack, forcing to retreat.
The Goetria turned and galloped towards the six leading heroes, with Asuna and Donald unleashing Water magic in the face, damaging it. It came to a halt, and its' spiraling pupil eyes flashed as the orb on its back glowed. It stood up on its hind legs, and swiped its claw in the air. What was the point of that? It channeled magic that unleashed a slash of water that blasted Donald and Asuna.
"It can use Water magic?!" Yui questioned, "My analyzer didn't tell me that!"
"Guess that's something that wasn't added into the information." Kirito stated.
Sora focused himself as he switched to his Shooting Star Keyblade. "Shotlock: Diving Barrage!" He shouted, and he magically vanished and reappeared high above the Heartless, his Keyblades suddenly transformed into twin guns, and his clothing changed colors. He then started spinning downwards as he fired the guns repetitively, creating blue lines that spiraled downward, and energy bullets rain down upon the Heartless's body and the capsule. He fired the attack several times before he came out of his Shotlock, backing off.
"Nice, Sora!" Asuna stated, charging forward as she unleashed several stabs with her Keyblade, followed by a series of Blizzard spells. Goofy and Kirito joined midway through her assault, damaging it further. The Goetria retaliated by making the sphere glow again, and unleashing a tornado of wind that surrounded its' body, forcing the others to back off.
"It can use Wind and Water magic?" Asuna questioned, "I didn't expect it with the kind of body it has."
"I don't think that's it." Kirito answered, "There seemed to be more to it."
"Hey, did you guys notice the orb glow before he used magic?" Goofy asked, getting surprised looks from the others.
"Oh, yeah! The Goetria does capture things with great power." Yui recalled, seeing it unleash another slash of water with its claws, and dodging to one side, "What if it can use those powers to its' advantage?"
"It can use the power of whatever it has captured?" Asuna questioned, looking to the heroes, "Do those two know magic?"
"Come to think of it, Filo can use Wind magic." Motoyasu realized, looking to Myne, "Does that mean your sister is able to use Water?"
"Yes, she can." The princess answered, looking down, her eyes shadowed. In a couple of seconds, a malicious smirk formed, as she came up with a story, and declared, "So that's it! The Shield Demon is using my sweet sister and one of his slaves to empower this beast!"
"Seriously?!" Motoyasu gasped, "He's using my sweet Filo and the princess to power up that thing?!"
Myne raised an open palm, unleashing fire arrows at the capsule repetitively. "In order to save them from being used by that monster, they and that sphere must be destroyed!" She declared.
"Say what?!" Ren gasped, questioning the logic behind such a statement, "But one of them in there is your sister!"
"I don't care!" She barked back, "It's better for her to die than to be used by that Shield and his monster!"
The Goetria turned to Myne and Motoyasu, screeching at them, causing them fear. Itsuki and Ren both looked pretty startled by the presence of the Heartless, but steeled themselves as they prepared to fight the Heartless. However, there was a blast of ice from behind it, and it turned to see Kirito standing there, his palm out as he had donned the Soul Armament of Snow Villers, amplifying the power of his Blizzard magic. "Your fight is with us!" He called out, "Leave them out of this!" Sora, Asuna, Donald, Goofy and Yui all came together to join his side, prepared to face the Heartless.
The Goetria turned to face them, screeching at them. All of a sudden, a dome of dark energy encompassed the area, blocking out the army, the three heroes, and Myne. This left the six to face the Goetria with no interference.
"I bet we can destroy that capsule to save to girls." Goofy suggested.
"And that can weaken the Heartless, too." Kirito added.
"Then let's make that our top priority!" Sora declared, "Everyone, let's go!"
"Right!" The others shouted in response.
The six went to work, with Kirito, Goofy, Asuna and Donald playing decoy for the Heartless, while Sora and Yui mainly focused on attacking the capsule containing the girls. While it was effective, the Heartless was definitely not making it easy for them. Sure, it had its own attacks, which were basically charging at them, leaping at them to create shockwaves, and slashing with its' claws. However, it was the magic attacks that covered more ground, such as razor-sharp blades of water shot from his claws, and whirlwinds that it could erupt from around itself or underneath the others, making them flail in the air.
Sora used his Hero's Origin Keyblade to block a charging attack from the Heartless, and felt the weapon surging with energy, like back in Twilight Town. "Formchange: Counter Shield!" He shouted, and his Keyblade transformed into the shield form, while his clothing gained a yellow hue to it.
"His weapon became a shield, just like they said before!" Itsuki noticed.
"Those heretics are showing their true colors even further." One of the soldiers stated, "They worship the Shield Demon, and try to fight like him!"
Ren and Itsuki looked to them, and saw that all the soldiers had a look that disturbed their very hearts. They chose not to be reasonable with they way the six fought. They felt that if they could paint Naofumi as more of their enemy, then they would use these people as scapegoats to further their faith. They even started to emanate a dark aura for some reason.
The Goetria's eyes flashed, feeling the darkness from outside the cage. It then made the capsule glow, despite the cracks that were forming on it from the attacks the heroes created on it. It then suddenly vanished and reappeared in the air above Asuna and Goofy, who turned to see it land on top of them, hurting them painfully. I then leapt up, and instantaneously vanished to reappear above Sora's position, this time in the air in front of him. He placed his guard up, blocking the diving attack with his shield. It leapt up over him again, vanishing and reappearing over Yui and Donald's position, landing down upon them and damaging them.
"So fast!" Kirito noticed, watching as it vanished and reappeared over Asuna and Goofy again, who were able to get out of the way of the main impact this time, though were still blown a bit from the attack.
"It's just like that quick step move that Filo seems to do!" Motoyasu recognized, seeing it vanish and reappear over Kirito, who reactively pushed himself far from the landing point and the shockwaves. It kept doing this a few more times, targeting each of the groups until it came to a halt in the center of the battlefield.
"I got 'em!" Sora declared, charging forward as his shield with a more prominent look from its standard, sparking with blue energy. He then shot forward and unleashed the Wrathful Flurry technique, summoning multiple large fists from his shield, and damaging the Goetria relentlessly.
"I'm on it!" Kirito shouted, readying his Keyblade, "Soul Burst: Snow Villiers!" His Keyblade summoned the silhouette of Snow, who dove into his Keyblade. The weapon shined, and transformed into ice dust, that formed the bear emblem on his back, and gloves on his hands.
He charged forward as the Goetria leapt backwards to avoid the close-range attack, though getting itself close to Yui and Donald. Kirito retaliated by unleashing his amplified Blizzard spell one after another, the attack becoming stronger and stronger as he fired it. The Goetria had its' whiskers frozen, but it rose up and slashed at Kirito with a water blade. He sidestepped the maneuver, and knew he was distracting the Heartless with his presence.
"Yui! Donald! Get it!" Kirito shouted.
"Let's go, Donald!" Yui cheered, charging forward and unleashing a Whirlwind spell onto the capsule.
"You got it!" The duck answered, using his Fire spell to damage it even further. They charged in together after using their magic, leaping up at the capsule. Yui unleashed Fan-Fair, while Donald brought his staff down like a hammer. Their combined attack finally made the cracks on the capsule to connect and create a chain reaction until finally, it broke apart. The Goetria shrieked as the capsule exploded from its' back, causing the dark mist within to dissipate into the air, and the two young girls to fall from the back. Donald caught the blonde-haired girl, while Yui grabbed the dark-blue haired girl.
"Yes, we saved them!" Asuna cheered.
"Are they okay?!" Sora called out to the pair.
"I think so." Donald answered.
"They're unconscious, but they should wake up, soon!" Yui explained.
"The Goetria looks very weakened with the loss of those two." Kirito noticed, seeing the Heartless was panting from exhaustion.
"Donald! Yui! Get those two over here!" Asuna called out to the two. They struggled to pick them up nicely, not being the strongest out of any of the others, but thanks to Goofy rushing over, they brought the two girls towards the cliffside.
"Let's hit 'em with our best attacks!" Sora told Kirito, who nodded in agreement. Both did have charged up their attacks, prepared to unleash their stronger moves, and were free to unleash them, now that everyone else was out of the way.
Kirito focused himself, feeling the great amount of power that came from using his Blizzard spell over and over while in his Soul Armament. He pulled back his fist, shouting, "Blizzaza!" He shot a large ball of icy energy, hitting the Heartless, and creating massive spikes of icicles that punctured and froze the oversized rodent in its' place.
"Go, Sora!" Kirito called out.
"Right!" Sora answered, tossing his shield upwards, which transformed right before their eyes into a glowing chariot, complete with reigns that attached itself to a glowing pegasus. Sora jumped onto the chariot, and snapped the reigns. The pegasus started flying Sora about, raining thunder bolts from the sky down onto the battlefield as he did so. He guided the pegasus so it would circle about the Goetria, raining lightning bolts down onto it. After a few seconds, his Finishing move died down, and the pegasus and chariot faded away, reverting the Hero's Origin Keyblade back to normal.
As Yui and Donald kept close to the two girls, the other four surrounded the Goetria as it weakly rose up again. It looked at all of them, seeing it was outclassed. It then dissipated the dome barrier surrounding the battlefield, and leapt away onto the higher rocks, before bounding over to the other side, and vanishing into the trees.
"It's getting away!" Sora cried out, wanting to race after it.
"Hold on!" Asuna stopped him, turning to Donald and Yui with the young girls, "We have to make sure those young girls are still with us. And also…" She looked back at the original issue that they had before the Heartless showed up; The army, the three heroes, and the manipulative princess.
"Filo!" Motoyasu cried out, about to race towards the young lady. However, Kirito got in front of him, spreading his arms out. This ruffled the Spear Hero's feathers as he growled, "Get out of my way, you devil!"
"So I'm a devil, now?" Kirito questioned, readying his fists, "Seems to be you are being manipulated by one." Motoyasu gritted his teeth, not liking the disrespect he was giving to Myne.
At the cliffside, the two girls were starting to come around, and they opened their eyes. "Are you okay?" Donald asked them.
The dark-blue haired girl looked up and around, then answered, "Where am I?"
"You were encapsulated by a Heartless." Yui explained, "Don't worry. We saved you."
The blonde-haired girl sat up straight, then got onto her feet as she asked, "Wait, where is Master?"
"Your Master?" Yui echoed.
"Young ladies, I hate to break this to you, even though you just woke up…" Asuna spoke up, walking backwards towards them, her Keyblade out at the ready, "…but I'm afraid we're in a bit of a complex situation." Donald helped the blue-haired girl up as she and the other girl noticed the situation they were in.
A couple of the soldiers charged at Sora and Goofy, who blocked their attack, and pushed them away from them, hesitant to fight back. Motoyasu tried to strike down Kirito with his spear, but he grasped the handle closest to the blade, preventing him from trying to attack him more.
"Filo! Don't worry! I'm here to save you!" The Spear Hero called out to the blonde-haired girl, "You as well, Princess Melty!"
"My dear sister~!" Myne called out to the blue-haired girl, in a sweet voice that was clearly fake to those who knew her true nature, "Do not worry. We're here to save you from that Shield Demon and the cohorts here that have come to steal you away from us!"
"Yeah, right! That's a big load of crap!" Kirito growled at the princess.
The girl named Melty looked up at those who were helping her right now, to the ones who were defending against the army, to the army itself, as well as the heroes and Myne. However, one look at her older sister, and she looked frightened.
"Mel, are you okay?" The blonde-haired girl asked.
"I'm sorry you suddenly woke up to this, but the fact is that we're trying to save you two." Asuna explained, looking back at them, "Please, trust us!"
Melty looked at Asuna, then to Yui and Donald, then answered, "Okay, I trust you. Please, help us!"
"If Mel trusts you, then so do I!" The other girl stated eagerly.
Donald, Yui, and Asuna smiled at her, then the latter called out, "Kirito!"
"Right, hold on!" Kirito answered, delivering an icy punch into Motoyasu's gut, causing him to fly right into any oncoming soldiers. He then shouted to everyone, "We're clearing out! Get over the bridge!"
Sora and Goofy backed away from the soldiers, and ran away from them as they charged after. Asuna, Donald, Yui, and the two girls took the lead as they hopped down to the lower area that the bridge was at.
"Mel!" The blonde girl called out, and she created a puff of smoke that consumed her body. When she reappeared, she had transformed into what looked like a large, fat bird, almost owl looking, with white feathers, with pink ones around her chest, on top of her head, and on her wings.
"Whoa!" Asuna gasped, not expecting that.
"Get on, Mel!" The bird-girl called out, and Melty hopped on.
"Thanks, Filo!" Melty thanked her.
"Can you get Yui and Donald onto your back?" Asuna asked.
"Of course! Climb aboard!" Filo answered, and the two shorter characters hopped on, as Goofy and Sora hopped down to join them.
"Whoa! Where did this bird come from?!" Sora gasped.
"I'll explain later!" Asuna answered, "Where's Kirito?"
"He's on his way!" Goofy answered.
Up on the higher part, Kirito found himself blocked off to join the others by a circle of enemies. He looked at the state of his situation, and grimaced. "You have nowhere to run!" Myne called out, "Surrender and die for the sake of the kingdom, and the Church of the Three Heroes."
"I got a better idea." Kirito answered, "Advance Burst: Shiva Sisters!" He summoned a magic circle with his crystal, and out came the sister Eidolons, who came together to form a motorcycle. Kirito hopped onto it, revving the engine as a warning to the terrified group.
"What the hell?!" Motoyasu gasped, "Since when do motorcycles exist in this world?!"
Kirito spun himself around, and charged straight at Myne and the soldiers around her. She panicked and dove out of the way, falling to the ground as she did so. Some of the soldiers got buffered and knocked out of the way, taken down by the charging vehicle.
"Kirito's coming. Let's go!" Asuna told the others, and she led the others across the stone bridge, Filo carrying the three shortest characters.
They were almost to the other side as Kirito drove down another path to reach the bridge. He started crossing it as Ren and more soldiers joined his side. "Better take this bridge out…" He told himself, and he used his motorcycle's magic to create a steep ice ramp, while freezing the other half of the stone bridge. He drove up the ramp, and made sure to slow down enough to hit the part of the bridge he froze up with his back wheel. Due to the ice, it caused the bridge to break apart much easier upon impact, causing it to crumble as he barely got over the bridge to join the others, skidding to halt.
He turned around to see the ice ramp vanish, with only Ren standing there at the edge of the fallen bridge, looking surprised at what just happened. "Hey, Ren!" Kirito shouted to the Sword Hero, getting his attention, "I trust you and Itsuki a hell of a lot more than anyone else there, and I know you're smarter than them. Here!" He dug into his pocket, and pulled out the Church of the Three Heroes rosario, tossing it to him. It fell to the ground at his feet, and he looked at it. "I bet that's a big clue to who's really pulling the strings!" Kirito finished, "Figure things out on your end!"
"Wait, Kirito!" Ren called out, "Don't run!"
Kirito narrowed his eyes as he answered quietly, "We don't have a choice, right now. Let's go."
"Okay." Asuna answered, walking over to him as she hopped onto the back of the motorcycle. Sora and Goofy gave themselves a running start as they ran ahead, with Filo and her passengers onboard. Kirito revved up the engine on his ride, and drove off with them, leaving Ren to pick up the rosario, then look onwards at where the group had left.
After ten or twenty minutes of fleeing, early of which Kirito's Advance Burst reverted to normal, they found themselves in a small clearing with some rocks good enough to sit on. They stopped there to catch their breath after what they had to deal with, with Filo reverting to her human form again.
"That was tough…" Sora sighed.
"Waaaah…! I can't believe those guys!" Donald squawked angrily, "Why did they have to attack us like that?!"
"And after we were bein' friendly and helpin' them." Goofy whimpered.
"It's not our fault." Kirito sighed, "It's that princess that was messing with them. She's a real piece of work."
"I can't believe someone of that royalty could be so cruel and manipulative!" Asuna sneered, then looking to the other princess, she added, "No offense to you."
"None taken. My sister has always been a bad example." Melty answered, standing up and looking to the six, "I know this is a little belated, but thank you for saving us from that monster, as well as from my sister. I'm Melty Q Melromarc, second princess of Melromarc Kingdom, as well as its' crown princess."
"And I'm Filo." The blonde-haired girl greeted, "Mel is my friend. Thank you for saving us!"
"It's no problem." Yui answered, "My name is Yui. These are my papa and mama, Kirito and Asuna. That's Sora, Donald and Goofy."
Asuna noticed something, and asked Melty, "You said 'crown princess', right? So that means you're next in line instead of her?"
"Yes. My sister, Malty, has been spoiled and pampered for the majority of her life, leading her to become selfish and manipulative." Melty looked rather saddened by this as she said it, but added, "If she were to take me back there, it's more than likely she would've killed me."
"I get it. She wanted to be next in line to the throne so bad, she would kill her own little sister." Kirito understood, "I could tell she would do that without hesitation. That explains a lot of what she had planned."
"So, how did you guys end up captured by that Heartless?" Sora asked.
"You mean that rat monster?" Filo asked, "We ended up running into it while we were running!"
"We were making our way to Siltbelt when one of my mother's Shadows, her spies, appeared." Melty started.
"Your mother?" Donald echoed.
"Does that mean she's the queen?" Goofy asked.
"Yes. She wished to meet with the Shield Hero, that is to say Naofumi, so we started to make our way there. Then suddenly, dark creatures appeared to try and stop us. We were able to fight them off, but Filo and I ended up separated by Naofumi and Raphtalia. We ended up encountering that massive monster and…well, I can't remember much of what happened then."
"It's okay. We have an understanding of what happened." Asuna understood, "What I don't get is why is everyone thinking this Naofumi kidnapped you. Is he a bad person?"
"No!" Filo cried out, "Master is really kind! He raised me since I was an egg, and took care of me, and defended me. Especially from that creepy Spear Hero. And he's even helped so many other people, so he's not a bad person!"
"And the kidnapping?" Sora asked Melty.
"It was all a lie. They set it up to make everyone believe I was kidnapped by them." Melty answered, sitting down as she looked sad, "I believe the Church of the Three Heroes, as well as my sister, were behind that setup."
"That's horrible…" Donald stated.
"Seems like we've heard nothing but horrible things about the Shield Hero." Sora muttered, looking to the others, "I can't believe so many people want him to be the bad guy. Why is that?"
"From what I know from the three heroes, it seems they're jealous of his power." Kirito stated, "The Church sees him as a demon for their own religious beliefs. As for Myne and the other royals, I'm not too sure. But one things for sure; Naofumi practically has the entire country against him. He obviously doesn't have it easy."
The others looked a bit sympathetic towards Naofumi's condition in all of this. Finally, Sora stood up and declared, "Then, let's go find him and help him! He doesn't have a whole lot of friends, right? Then we should be there to help him out, and find who's really behind the Heartless attacks!"
"Really?!" Filo asked eagerly, "You'll help my Master out?!"
"Of course." Sora answered, thumping his chest.
"Hooray! Hooray!" Filo jumped with joy at the prospect of them helping out. Sora looked pleased at cheering the little girl up.
"Well, it's not like we have any other choice." Asuna stated, "We're here to stop the Heartless, so we gotta find the mastermind behind it all."
"Right. And if Naofumi's in the center of this conflict, then we gotta go and protect him from whoever's framing him." Kirito stated, looking to Melty, "I hope you don't mind our assistance, princess."
"No. I would very much appreciate your assistance." Melty answered, standing up again, "Also, I would like to ask that you call me 'Melty', if that is okay with you, sir."
"Just as long as you don't call me 'sir'." Kirito answered.
"Very well." Melty understood, looking to the group who saved them, "Sora, Kirito, Asuna, Donald, Goofy, Yui…please help clear the Shield Hero's name." The six nodded in response, agreeing to aid them in this endeavor.
Suddenly, Donald saw something and shouted, "Look!" They looked towards where he was pointing, and saw something. There was a mixture of red and orange flickering from the distance.
"Is that sunrise?" Goofy asked.
"No. It's way too early." Melty answered.
"I think…" Asuna saw it and gasped, "It's a fire!"
Suddenly, fireballs shot clear over the field, and rained down upon the clearing near them. The heroes looked startled, until they recognized the fireballs. Flame Cores.
"Heartless from the sky?!" Sora gasped, and getting his Keyblade out, "It's like Thebes all over again!"
"Where did they come from?!" Filo questioned.
"Guys, you'd better stay back!" Asuna told the two girls, as the six readied for battle, "You're still recovering from that time captured by the Heartless!"
"Not like we're getting a break…" Donald complained.
"Let's stop complaining and defeat them!" Sora declared.
The six charged, taking on the Flame Cores as quickly as they could, all the while noticing the flames coming down the mountain towards them. They did notice something at a couple points; fireballs raining onto the mountain from a distance. It wasn't totally distracting the heroes from the fight, but it did draw some concerns.
More Flame Cores, including more Soldier and Choke o' Breaks appeared, making it even more difficult for the heroes. Fortunately, Filo and Melty ended up joining them midway.
"Zwei Aqua Shot!" Melty shouted, unleashing a blast of water from her hands, dousing the Heartless Asuna was fighting. She stopped and turned to see Melty standing there, but saw Filo in her bird form, leaping over her to help Sora, shouting, "Zweit Tornado!" With a swish of her wing, she unleashed a powerful tornado that sent the Heartless flying.
"Nice one, Filo!" Sora cheered.
"Hey, I can use whirlwind, too." Yui added, unleashing her Whirlwind spell, "Sora, go!"
"Right!" Sora answered, leaping onto the whirlwind, sending himself flying high, glaring at one Choke o' Break Heartless, unleashing his Airstepping technique to get in close and smack it hard before it could make a move, sending it crashing into the side of the clearing, destroying it.
Kirito cleared out the remaining Flame Cores with his Shotlock: Starburst Stream. However, as he did so, he noticed some small fractures of flames that emanated from the ones he defeated. They converged together to form a small, magic orb made of flames. "What?" Kirito questioned, questioning what it was.
Sora and the others noticed the clearing had no more Heartless. However, as he looked about, he noticed Filo was glowing a windy, green energy. "What's happening?" She asked, looking down at herself, seeing the energy suddenly take form as a windy magic orb.
Asuna also noticed Melty had a blue aura around her, which was even surprising her, as it took form as a watery magic orb. "What is this?" Melty asked, cupping the orb in her hands.
Suddenly, Kirito, Sora, and Asuna's Keyblades jerked their hands upwards, their tips pointing towards the orbs they each saw. The fire orb suddenly shot into Kirito's Keyblade, making the teeth and shaft emanate a fiery glow. The wind orb flew right into Sora's Keyblade, making the teeth and shaft encased in a gusty aura. The water orb shot into Asuna's Keyblade, consuming the teeth and shaft in a watery energy.
"What is this?" Sora questioned, looking at this new power, "Is this…magic?"
Kirito looked at the fiery blade he had, and swung it, creating a fiery slash. "My attack is now a fiery slash." Kirito recognized, seeing the flame die out from his teeth.
Sora swung his Keyblade, creating a wind-imbued slash of his blade, while Asuna's thrust created a water-imbued thrust. The magical energy from each of their weapons also died afterwards.
"Hey, I know what that is!" Donald realized, "That's an Elemental Strike!"
"Elemental Strike?" Sora asked, looking to him.
"Yeah! Your attacks can now be fused with magic, unleashing physical attacks that are of a different element." Donald explained, "Sora, you have Galestrike. Asuna, you have Aquastrike. And Kirito, you have Flamestrike."
"So, they are physical attacks that are imbued with an element." Kirito understood, looking to Asuna and Yui, "ALO has similar techniques like that, too."
"Yeah. Like your Savage Fulcrum and my Neutron Skills." Asuna recalled.
"I don't know what just happened, but it seemed like we powered your weapons up with magic, right?" Melty asked as she and Filo got into the center of their group.
"In a way. Thanks for that." Sora thanked them.
"You're welcome, although I have no idea how I did it." Filo stated.
"Hey, we should get going, shouldn't we?" Goofy asked, looking to the forest fire that was coming their way. The smoke was now on top of them.
"He's right. Let's get out of here before things get worse for us." Kirito told the group, who nodded in agreement, and took off through a path through the forest.
"If I recall correctly, there is a town to the south of here." Melty stated, "I'm pretty sure we can find some information about Naofumi and Raphtalia if we head there."
"So, did those Heartless start the forest fire?" Sora asked, looking back on the scene.
"Maybe, but I believe it was more planned than randomly ignited by them." Asuna answered, "We saw fireballs, maybe some fire arrows, igniting the forest."
"Seeing as where it came from, I bet that army and that princess were involved with it somehow." Kirito assumed, "They wanna smoke us out, or just kill us altogether."
"Would they really go that far?" Yui asked, looking to Melty.
"Knowing my sister during this time…I have to assume she would. She'll probably even blame Naofumi for the fire, too."
The six heroes looked to Melty and Filo, then to the path ahead. It was clear somebody was dead set on making the Shield Hero the villain. And they were the ones using the Heartless to set him up. And what's worse, thanks to that princess, they were labeled as the ones who were controlling the Heartless, and were Naofumi's villainous allies. With everything set against the six of them, they had to find a way to protect themselves, save Naofumi and his friends, stop the Heartless, and find out who the real mastermind was behind all of this. Things were just chaotic and dark for them.
Next Time on Sword Art Kingdom III:
Raging Shield! Clear Naofumi's Name!