Chapter XXX: Darkness Clashes as the Light Draws Closer

Nightshroud: Yay! My reviewers are back! I'm sure you both had perfectly good reasons, so sorry if I seemed like I was blaming you, but I just felt discouraged without reviews. But anyway, on we go. Oh yes, I'm glad everyone like Kurama! He will be back soon. I already though of a really exciting part after our heros leave Twilight Impasse. I decided to have a world revisited and boy, is it going to be great! Well, I'm sure you want to keep reading, so onward we go!
"Ugh, you."

Voldo smirked. "What, unhappy to see me?"

Kai frowned. "I could do without."

Voldo licked his claws and grinned evily. "Don't tell me you're afraid."

"Actually, your appearance just disgusts me. Now let's say we remedy that."

Kai pulled out his Soul Eater and got ready. Voldo hunched down and got ready as well.

"Then let's go."

Kai ran at Voldo and slashed, but Voldo leaped over him, and kicked him with both feet. Kai was knocked to the ground, but blasted Voldo with Dark Aura as Voldo tried to claw at him. Voldo backed aways a bit, and began to crawl quickly along the wall, throwing thunder bolts at Kai.

"Dark Shield!"

Kai deflected the spells, then hurled Soul Eater at Voldo.

"Dark Raid!"

Voldo leaped from the wall as the sword crashed into it. Then he pounced on Kai, who struggled to hold Voldo back as he came inches from clawing and biting Kai's face. Kai planted his feet in Voldo's chest and tossed him over his head. Voldo regained balance in midair and hurled a ball of static lightning at Kai. Kai tried to block with his sword, but the blast shocked him and made him stagger back. Voldo ran at him, but Kai summoned a ball of dark energy into his right hand and said, "D-Shot!" (D as in Darkness)

He let go of the dark ball and kicked it with his right foot, causing it to explode and shoot forward as dozens of bullet-like blasts. Voldo put up his arms in defense, but the bullets blasted him backward to the ground. Kai jumped and cut down at him, but he blocked with his claws, then threw the blade to the side and kicked Kai back.

"Thunder Fall!"

Bolts of lightning crashed all around Kai, striking him to the ground. Voldo snickered and pounced on Kai's back before raking his claws into Kai's back. Kai cried out, giving Voldo sadistic pleasure in hearing his pain. Kai flared up with darkness, causing Voldo to get thrown off. Voldo threw a lightning bolt, but Kai dived to the side, then shot forward at Voldo. Voldo parried with his claws, then kicked off Kai and landed a few feet away. He charged a ball of lightning into his hands and hurled it at Kai.

"Thunder Orb!"

"Dark Aura!"

The two attacks collided, sending off a blinding explosion. Voldo removed his claws, shielding his eyes, in time to see Kai dash forward and slash across his chest. He jumped away and staggered back as dark mist began to seep from the cut. Voldo bared his teeth and backed away.

"No...how...how could I LOSE!"

He turned and vanished through a dark portal. Kai sighed with relief and made his way through the next door.

"So it ran off, huh?" said Sommelier, swishing the wine in his glass.

"Yes," said Dr. Veinslay with a sigh. Sommelier crossed his arms and sighed.

"And I suppose I'll have to halt our like defectee's progress while you hunt it down."

"Think you can handle it?" asked Veinslay.

"Ha! Worry more about getting your little failure back then me."

Veinslay frowned, then sighed and said, "Good luck, Sommelier."

He then vanished from the room. Sommelier stood and adjusted his tie.

"Well, I guess I'm on."

Kai blinked as he found that he had just exited the gate of a large German style castle. He looked ahead and saw a rather out of place forest of thorns in front of the castle. In a clearing in there, he could make out the figures of undoubtedly another princess, namely Aurora, and a tall woman in a dark robe, Maleficent. Kai ran to the thorns, and stopped short as Armored Knights and Soldiers appeared. An Armored Knight slashed at him, but he blocked and stabbed through it. He jumped back as a Soldier kicked wildly at him.

"Dark Aura!"

He blasted a few Heartless in front of him, then jumped forward and cut through a Soldier before stabbing an Armored Knight. As more charged towards him, he placed his hand to the ground.

"Shadow Wave!"

He sent off a dark shockwave that blasted through the Heartless. With them out of the way, he carefully navigated his way through the thorns till he reached Aurora and Maleficent. Maleficent turned her attention away from Aurora and smiled in her wicked way.

"Ah, your scent. It's just like Riku's. Oh how wonderful! Another child trying to escape his heart steeped in darkness."

"Save it," said Kai, brandishing Soul Eater. Maleficent threw Aurora aside and held her staff up in the air. A cloud of darkness formed above her and dark lightning struck around. Kai defended with Dark Shield, then slashed at her. She staggered back, then swung and knocked him away with her staff.

"It would seem that this form is not strong enough to defeat you. Then let me show you the wondrous power of darkness!"

She raised her staff up, and the orb at the end began to glow green. Her body errupted in green flames, and her body shot up and changed to form a huge black dragon.

"Oh joy," said Kai sarcastically.

The dragon shot a burst of green fire from its mouth. Kai flipped backward to avoid the attack, the suddenly winced as the claw marks in his back from Voldo burned. He looked to his right and was suddenly thrown to the side by the dragon's tail. He groaned and struggled to get up, dazed from the attack. The dragon grinned and snapped its mouth at him. He put up his sword to block its attack, then leaped up and slashed at its neck. It roared and shook him off. He dived to the side as it pounced at him. It shot another blast of fire, tossing its head about so as to spread it farther. Kai ducked and dodged to avoid the flames. The thorns all around caught on fire, and soon the whole thorn forest caught on fire. The dragon laughed as Kai realized that he was trapped inside a burning inferno. The dragon raised its head high, then shot at him. He jumped to the side and hurled Soul Eater at it.

"Dark Raid!"

The darkness empowered sword flew and stabbed the dragon in the heart. It gave a horrific scream before it collapsed to the ground, then vanished in a flash of light. The thorns disappeared as well, till all that was left was Kai and Aurora. Kai helped her up, and she smiled in thanks. She healed his wounds, then placed her hand to his heart, and there was a white flash as another seal broke.

"Thanks," said Kai.

"It's the least I could do," said Aurora.

Everything turned white, and Kai made out the faint outline of a door. As he went through it, he found himself back in the castle. He ran up the stairs, half expecting to see Voldo there. He was surprised to see an Organization member there. He had black hair, slicked back except for one hair that hung in front of his face. He had a triangle shaped beard, coming to a peak at his lips. He had thin upside down triangles underneath his grayish blue eyes. He wore a black tie, a black suit vest, white buttoned shirt, black pants, and black boots.

"Well, it seems my opponent has arrived," he said, standing up.

"Who are you?" asked Kai harshly.

"You're quite the rude one," he said amused. "My name is Sommelier, and since you caused some difficulties with our Heartless experiment, I now have to dirty my hands fighting you."

Kai pulled out Soul Eater and smirked. Sommelier gave one last sip from his wine glass and stood up.

"As you wish."

Nightshroud: Kai faces Sommelier! That one's going to be a good fight, but for now we must turn to a climactic part is our story. The foru must now face Bankotsu, lord of the castle! This is going to be good! Review and make me feel special!

Next chapter: Bankotsu: The Will of Fire Burns On