Disclaimer: Same as chapter 1. I think you know that by now. I hope you're all being honest with your reviews! By the way, I hope this chapter is good! Please read and review! (Sprouts wings and flies off)





The Final Fight Begins





As the figure floated up into more clear view, Murray, Bentley, Peppy, and Slippy ran up to Link and the rest of the leaders standing around the side of the pool paralyzed with fear.

"Hey, where's....." Slippy started to say but was silenced as he saw the shadowy figure start to emerge from the flames toward the arena.

"What the...." Peppy asked in a fearful tone.

"Zeramon!" Murray answered in a cowardly tone.

Oh no!" Bentley added.

It the arena, the seven swordsmen readied their swords. The figure landed on the arena on the far side, causing the whole area to shake. The demons head was now visible. The same demon that had threatened Carmelita. He his black trenchcoat stretched down to his heels. He was dressed completely in black. His sword sheath was strapped to his back.

"Sly, that's him!" Carmelita said fearfully.

"Huh?" Sly asked puzzled.

"He's the one that said he'd kill us." Carmelita added.

"Not while were here!" Falco said cockily.

"Be careful!" Krystal warned, but Bill dashed right at the greatest swordsman in Lylat, his sword ready to strike his heart. Zeramon drew his swords in the blink of an eye and hit Bill with the side of the blade that wasn't sharp, sending him sliding back across the arena in a cloud of dust.

"Foolish man." Zeramon said to Bill's friends. "Only a fool would attack me!"

"You bastard!" Katt cried as she jumped into the air toward Zeramon. Zeramon jumped in the air toward her and spread his wings. Katt swung her sword at him as the got close to each other, he disappeared in a blur right as the sword was about to make contact with his head.

"Where in the-" Katt tied to say, as she landed but was cut off. Zeramon appeared behind her and sliced her back over 100 times in 30 seconds. The slashes he made appeared to be just flashes of light. Katt collapsed with a surprised and pained look in her eye. She hit the ground next to Bill, struggling against the pain of her eat-up back.

"No! Katt! Bill!" Fox cried. Zeramon just laughed manically at his easily won victories.

"GET HIM!" Falco screeched as he too dashed at Zeramon, swinging his sword wildly. Zeramon blocked the blade with his sword and a blast of energy from his swords blade blew Falco back to the other side of the arena. He landed next to cat, crying out and rolling around in pain. Something was being sucked from their bodies, but they didn't know it yet.

"You move in on the left, and I'll take the right." Krystal said to Fox.

"Got it!" Fox assured her. The both dashed at Zeramon from both sides. He merely executed a spin attack like Link and sent Fox across the arena to where the others lay. Krystal managed to jump above his blade and give him a small cut on the cheek. He simple healed it in a tiny cloud of black magic.

"That's... impossible." Krystal said as she let her guard down to say something. Her biggest mistake. Zeramon did Yusake's spirit gun technique, which he stole from him, to blow her back to the group lying on the floor.

"How..." Yusake asked in denial at seeing Zeramon use his technique.

"Hey, why ain't Sly and Carmelita making a move against him?" Bentley asked.

"I think there making a plan." Murray replied.

"But Zeramon is faster, stronger, and more skilled than they are." Capt. Falcon complained.

"Still, he appears confident. Too confident. Perhaps we can use that to our advantage." Kurama said calmly.

"How? What? You are insane!" Peppy argued.

Soon even Link and Robin and their friend s were arguing.

In the woods, the bad guys cheered at their leader.

"Yes, No more Fox! Scales cheered.

"No more Krystal!" Ganandorf added happily.

"This guys the best!" Raleigh added.

"Way to go Zeramon!" Mz. Ruby said to herself.

"Now we can rule Lylat without havin' ta worry bout dem!" Muggshot said.

"YES!" Clockwerk replied.

"Hey, Cooper and his girl next! Lets watch!" The Panda King silenced them. They once again poked their heads out of the woods.

In the arena, Sly and Carmelita ran over to their friends.

"Oh my God!" Carmelita said as she observed Katt's back. It was covered with large cuts. Blood was pouring from them. Sly tried to comfort Bill, but he was out cold. He then tried to help Fox.

"Sly... You .... and Carmelita must stop him." Fox said before continuing to clutch his chest were Zeramon had cut him. HE was in the same condition as Falco.

"Go.. We'll be..okay." Krystal said to Carmelita.

Sly and Carmelita stood up, anger clearly visible in their eyes.

"Your gonna pay, you son of a bitch!" Carmelita cried.

"We'll take him together. It's the only way to beat him." Sly said. Before Carmelita could reply, Zeramon held his hand up and she was sucked into his arms a she dropped her sword. He squeezed her so tight against his chest it hurt her.

"He must have used some tractor beam move." Carmelita though, but her thoughts quickly changed as Zeramon held the blade of his sword against her neck. She was a hostage!"

"Hey, you big coward, fight us both!" Sly said.

"Hmm, If I were you I'd treat me with much more respect. You wouldn't want anything to happen to your little foxy-woxy would you?" Zeramon smile evilly.

"No, let her go! This is between you and me! My ancestors the one that struck you down, not hers!" Sly replied fearfully, yet bravely.

"Yes, this is between us." Zeramon said as he shoved Carmelita toward Sly who caught her in a hug. " But, since I HATE your family, I think I'll make this interesting for me and torture to you." He said a single word and 6 black hands reached out of the blade of his sword. The hands invaded his friends body, stealing their spirits and trapping them in his sword.

Carmelita's eye's rolled back in her head and she collapsed into Sly's arms. She appeared dead, as did the rest of his friends.

"NO! CARMELITA! SPEAK TO ME!" Sly cried as he shook her, tears of anger and fear rolling down his cheeks. His heart began beating faster and his energy began growing stronger as he looked up at Zeramon. He sat walked over and Laid Carmelita down next to the others, who also appeared to be dying. He ran at Zeramon in a blur with his sword drawn.

"He's quick, just like his ancestor." Zeramon thought as he caught Sly's hands on. Sly pushed one way and Zeramon pushed the other. Sly seemed to be winning, since Zeramon's feat were sliding back a little bit.

"He's gotten stronger." Zeramon observed. In the blink of and eye, he punched Sly's cheek sending him back, but Sly kept his balance and landed on his feet ten yards away from the dak lord. The dark lord then spoke.

"Hold it, Cooper! You may want to see this." He said as he held up his sword. Six spirits were trapped in the blade. His friends and loved one were INSIDE the Taznagolon.

"So, I see you really do have the sword of doom." Sly observed as tears of anger continued to pour down his cheeks. His energy continued to grow stronger by the second. Neither Zeramon nor Sly noticed it, but the six other swords had turned into golden magic dust, and were floating toward Sly. Something was happening, and it wasn't Zeramon's doing.

"That isn't all Cooper. Watch." Zeramon looked at all the leaders up on the edge of the pool. HE then looked directly in to each ones eye except Link, Zelda Capt. Falcon, and the Mario's, who'd went to search the forest thirty minutes ago. His eyes glowed even brighter, and when he was done, there souls were also sucked into the Taznagolon. The group returned a few seconds later to find Yusake and his friends lying in a heap. Along with the others that had stayed, including Bentley, Murray, Robin, and Marian.

"NO! You had no right! Leave them out of this!" Sly cried, even though he just stood there. The rain began to pour harder and lighting began to flash.

"You have one hour to defeat me Cooper, before your friends forever trapped in the Taznagolon. He then looked at Sly. He was standing up straight like he was charging up something.

"Better hurry!" Zeramon laughed.

Sly still didn't move but began to howl out in pain. He was changing.

"No fight left in ya? "Zeramon taunted cruelly. "I'll guess you friends will be more if a challenge than you. Zeramon flew up to attack Link and the other leaders who were still standing. The army had retreated back into the valley, so he and the others were alone. Link ad nth others tried to fight. Zeramon just played with them, cutting them only a little and letting them run a little ways before cutting them again. They were just skeet to him. Rabbits. Deer.

Sly continued to just stand there, tears continued to pour down his face, burning with anger. He was grunting in pain, but was talking still trying to say soem thing to Zeramon, but only he heard it .

"You...won't win..." He cried. " You...had...no...right...I'll-" he didn't have time to finish. Blue lightning struck his swords and his the golden dust that was the other swords were sucked into his sword. Then a blue energy explosion came from his body and the swords, engulfing everything in a sea of pure energy.

Zeramon turned around and saw a figure in the center of sea. The energy swirled into a vortex and began to get sucked into his sword. The whole time Sly was screaming in pain and anger.

The woods, the bad guys lost their breath, blinded by the explosion and the vortex being sucked into Sly and his sword. Then it hit Zeramon. He'd pushed his luck with the only thing that could destroy him. The Excalibur was returning.