Part Thirty Six

Rage of the Keyblade Master

Lunatic Pandora

Adel's Chamber

Sora wasn't the kind of person to feel such pure hate towards one living being. As the Keyblade Master he didn't have it in his heart to truly hate anyone. He didn't even hate Xemnas or Xehanort. He felt pity for them but not hate. Unlike this time however. Sora gripped his Keyblade until his knuckles turned white. His cobalt blue eyes were narrowed to slits.

He wanted to kill this monster. Leon, Cloud and Baralai stood alongside the Keyblade Master as Adel moved out of her chamber and hovered in front of them. Her bestial features were drawn back into a grin as she opened her arms and two large fireballs emerged from thin air. A guttural laugh bubbled up from her chest as she watched Baralai call forth Leviathan.

"This child is delicious. Such power within..." Adel hissed. Sora snarled in rage when Riku let out a scream of pain.

"Let him go! Give Riku back!" Sora screamed.

"I'm afraid I cannot oblige child." Adel laughed. "The darkness in his heart is feeding my power. I've never tasted a sweeter morsel."

"I'm gonna make you regret ever waking up." Sora promised heatedly.

"Then come child and show me what you're made of." Adel threatened.

"What about Riku?" Leon called to Sora. "If we hit her we might hurt him."

"Just concentrate on getting Adel." Cloud said.

Baralai ordered Leviathan to block off the incoming fireballs. The snake curled around the group and hissed when the fire slammed into his body. As the smoke billowed up Sora jumped forward and slashed at the Sorceress. Adel moved away from the boy but he managed to cut into her leg.

She scowled at the human child before raising her hand and unleashing a bolt of lightning towards Leon and Cloud that sent both men sprawling. Baralai ordered Leviathan to attack the Sorceress while he cast two Cura spells on the men. Sora attacked again by jumping towards Adel and driving Ultima into her lower torso.

The red haired woman roared it outrage before bringing one talon close to Riku and absorbed his life force into her own body. Riku screamed out, his mismatched eyes glowing with his inner Sorcery that was now being used to feed Adel. Baralai turned his white magic on the silver haired boy and cast a Cura spell.

If he could keep Riku alive while Sora took on Adel then there was a chance the boy could still be saved. Leon charged forward with Lionheart. He sliced into Adel's arm while Cloud avoided another attack by jumping into the air and bringing his blade across Adel's chest. He managed to avoid hitting Riku.

Adel yelled out as Cloud cut into her flesh. It would seem that these humans possess greater strength than she originally thought. She would have to show them her true power. Draining more life force from the boy embedded into her chest she moved towards Baralai and called forth a powerful Firaga spell to hit the Guardian Force with.

Leviathan roared against the fire attack but he dashed forward and sank his fangs into Adel's thick right arm. The Sorceress howled in pain before raising her other hand and bringing it down across Leviathan's face. The GF let go of the Sorceress and fell to the floor in a heap.

"You will not defeat me. The boy will die with me." Adel scowled as she drained Riku even more.

"I'll bury you!" Sora yelled.

"You're efforts are wasted boy. Once Ultimecia uses Time Compression nothing will matter." Adel roared angrily.

"Then I'll fight her too!" Sora yelled back defiantly.

Baralai quickly cured Riku as best he could after his GF retreated back into his mind. Sora attacked again along with Leon and Cloud. They couldn't afford to fully assault Adel as long as she had Riku in her grasp. The Sorceress started gathering up her energy for her ultimate black magic attack while Sora moved away from her to prepare for the attack.

Leon and Cloud moved to either side of the chamber while Baralai cast another Protect and Shell spell on his friends. Adel raised her hands and grinned as she called forth her Ultima spell. The ultimate black magic spell gathered above her body to form a thick black sphere.

Light shot out from the sphere and began to form around the darkness. The dark bubble began to build in size and Adel laughed as the darkness settled on her open hands. Sora, Leon and Cloud were the first to feel the effects of the dark magic spell. Adel threw the sphere towards them and Sora was encased in thick blackness.

He tried to breathe against the pain his body was inflicted with but it did no good. He saw Leon, Cloud and Baralai nearby all struggling against the darkness. It was as if his body was being torn apart by the darkness and he couldn't escape it or even scream. When the Ultima spell ended Sora was lying on his stomach at Adel's feet. He could hear her laughing above him.

Leon, Cloud and Baralai had been thrown across the chamber. The blond swordsman gritted his teeth against the pain of the spell. After battling against Sephiroth Cloud was used to high level attacks like this but that Ultima spell packed a lot of punch and left him winded because of it. He felt his heart clench in his chest when he saw blood dripping down Leon's face from a cut in his head. Baralai yelled out when he tried to move his legs. He had broken an ankle upon being thrown across the room.

"What a pathetic display." Adel laughed. "Next to Ultimecia I am the most powerful Sorceress alive."

"I wouldn't bet on that bitch." A voice drawled from behind Sora. Adel turned towards the doorway and scowled when she saw a tall blond with piercing green eyes.

"Seifer?" Leon murmured.

"In the flesh." Seifer winked at him. "How about I kick this bitch's ass?"

"You will regret those words boy." Adel snarled.

"Let's test that theory shall we?" Seifer challenged. Behind him Squall and the other SeeD and Rinoa emerged from the chamber.

"Hyne what is that thing?" Zell squeaked.

"I believe that is Adel." Ienzo muttered.

"Are you guys ok?" Roxas approached Baralai, Leon and Cloud.

Seifer raised his hands and released bolts of purple energy towards the red haired Sorceress. She roared when the magic hit her body. Seifer had a triumphant smirk on his face as Adel staggered back towards her capsule. She narrowed her golden eyes at Seifer then started to absorb more of Riku's life force. Sora staggered back to his feet and gripped his Keyblade tightly. He yelled at everyone else to stay back as he approached the red head.

"I can end this boy's life quickly. His life is mine to control." Adel snarled. "Would you sacrifice the one you love?"

"Sora..." a pained gasp murmured. Riku's eyes were focused on Sora. "Stop...her..."

"Riku." Sora whimpered.

"Say goodbye to you lover." Adel laughed as he grabbed Riku's arms and pulled him away from her body.

"No!" Sora screamed just as Adel used her magic to drain Riku's life and power into her own body.

Riku tried to scream but all strength had left his body. He couldn't even move his limbs. He felt a clawed hand embed itself into his stomach and Adel was laughing in his ear. He locked gazes with Sora and his heart broke when he saw tears gathering in those beautiful eyes.

He hated it when Sora cried. Riku forced a smile on his lips, letting Sora know that things would be ok moments before Adel drained the last of his life force. The Sorceress stared at the lifeless doll in her arms then she tossed him aside with a smirk.

"Riku!" Baralai crawled to his side. He searched for a pulse after casting a Cura spell.

"Is he ok?" Leon choked. The migraine was only getting worse.

"Oh no..." Baralai whispered in shock. "He's dead."

"Riku..." Sora asked in a childlike voice. He fell to his knees beside Riku. "Riku..."

"Sora...I'm sorry." Leon murmured sadly.

"No." Sora said forcefully.

"This is not happening." Roxas hissed and he placed Riku's head in his lap. "I'm not gonna let him die."

"Oh and the puppet has his strings snapped." Adel laughed. "His darkness will sustain me now."

"I am going to kill you." Sora said in a voice that was deadly calm.

"And what can you possibly do to me little boy?" Adel snarled.

Sora said nothing. Instead he charged towards the Sorceress with his blade held high in his hands. Adel didn't have time to move when Sora jumped up and embedded the Ultima blade into her chest. Bringing his hand back he summoned up a Firaga spell and slammed his hand into the wound he had made.

Adel tried to force the boy off of her body but he held on with all his strength. All he wanted was for her to die. She killed his Riku. She smiled as she drained his life. She deserved to burn in all the hells that ever were. He had never hated anyone as much as he hated her.

"Come on Axel, don't let me down now." Roxas pleaded as he felt the fire spreading throughout his body.

Just channel my magic into Riku. You can do this Roxy.

"Just let the fire spread." Seifer murmured. "It'll work."

"Everyone else get out of here." Squall told the group behind him.

"But what about Sora?" Quistis cried.

"I think he's got things under control." Squall replied.

"Come back Riku. Sora's gonna be lost without you there." Roxas whispered. Placing his hand behind Riku's head he brought his lips down onto the other boy's.

Sora was blinded by his rage. He used another Firaga spell and allowed it to travel into Adel's body. He was going to burn her from the inside out. Adel was screaming in pain. How could this be? How could one child have this much power? She couldn't lose, not now, not when everything was falling into place. She tried to push the boy off but he held on fast. Sora pulled out the Keyblade then brought it down across Adel's chest again. Blood splashed across his face and chest.

"I will not die!" she screamed out.

"Don't bet on it." Sora screamed as he drove the blade in deeper until it stabbed right through her black heart.

Sora fell back when Adel's body began to convulse violently. The Sorceress was screaming as fire blasted out from her mouth, nose and eyes. Her blood was boiling up and she staggered back towards the capsule she emerged from. She was trying to breathe but she fell to her knees. She spat up more blood and her body continued to convulse. Finally she let out one more primal scream then fell onto the floor. Blood began to pool around her head.

"Holy Hyne..." Squall breathed. "You killed her."

"I..." Sora didn't know what to say. He reached up and felt the blood coating his skin.

"Sora?" a gasp called out. The Keyblade Master turned around to see Riku sitting up.

"What happened?" Riku groaned.

"Riku!" Sora cried then he threw his arms around the boy's neck. "You're back." He sobbed. "You're ok again."

"Yeah but what happened? Oh god Sora you're bleeding!" Riku cried when he saw the blood coating Sora's face.

"It's not mine." Sora shook his head frantically.

"Long story short he kicked the crap out of Adel." Cloud interrupted. "We need to leave here now."

"You don't need to tell me twice." Riku muttered.

Everyone moved out of the chamber, leaving the corpse of Adel behind. No one noticed the apparition of a tall woman staring down at Adel and then smiling. They beat Adel but that didn't matter anymore. Ultimecia smiled as she cast the spell she had been waiting for.

"Time Compression." She hissed.