8. The Unknown Dressphere
The king behemoth stood thirty feet high, walking on all fours as it moved across the cavern floor. Its horns were long and sharp, teeth like daggers as it swiped a massive tail. Its skin was dark yellow, mane dark green and mangy. As it stood before Paine, Leblanc, and Logos, it gritted its teeth, giving a roar.
"...Eh, heh...! Eh, heh, heh...!" Leblanc said weakly.
"Such a large beast...!" Logos said, gripping his revolvers tightly. As he and Leblanc stood in fright, Paine gave a smirk, warming herself up.
"Finally...," she said with relief. She raised her sword, pointing it at the creature. "A worthy opponent appears. I've been waiting for a good fight. Don't die too quickly, okay?" Paine asked. The king behemoth sneered, two lesser behemoths appearing at its sides. "You guys handle the small fry. The big one's mine!"
Paine boldly rushed into battle, sword pulled back as she readied a strike. The king behemoth roared, rushing forth at great speed. As Paine squared off with the king, Leblanc and Logos dealt with the knight and rook. Logos shot at one of them as Leblanc cast magic at the other. As the giant king behemoth swiped its paw, Paine parried, counterattacking.
"Power Break!" she shouted, swinging her weapon. The yellow beast let out a snarl, feeling the strength leave its body.
"Die, you maggot!" Leblanc yelled, casting thundaga with an elegant fling. As one of the behemoths absorbed the attack, Leblanc went pale. "YEESH!"
"Don't let up! Press the attack!" Logos exclaimed. He steadily took aim, firing his guns.
As he and Leblanc pecked away at the underlings, Paine fought against the main creature. The fiend lowered its head, heaving its massive horns her way. She narrowly managed to dodge, returning with a slash to its gut. As the monster took damage, Paine followed up, jumping in the air.
"Excalibur!" she shouted, her sword suddenly imbued with the power of holy. As her black sword glowed bright white, she brought her weapon down hard, cutting the beast's chest open. It gave a shrill cry, raising its head before crashing to the floor. As the ground shook from its weight, Leblanc killed her foe as Logos finished up with his. As the three behemoths lay dead, Leblanc and Logos celebrated as Paine stood stoic.
"Kya, ha, ha! That's what you get when you mess with the mighty Leblanc!" Leblanc said.
"Well done, everyone. We work surprisingly well together," Logos said.
"Hmph," Paine remarked, turning to them. "...Guess you're right."
Just then, something caught Paine's eye. A shiny gold chest, resting amidst some rocks near the dead behemoths. She moved toward it, Leblanc and Logos following suit.
"Ooooh! Treasure, huh? I call dibs!" Leblanc said.
"Me too," Logos added.
"Hush. I killed the strongest of those beasts. The spoils are mine," Paine said.
As Leblanc started to pout, Paine knelt down, opening up the chest. Inside, a shining gray sphere lit up Paine's eyes. She picked up the item, holding it out as she carefully inspected it.
"...Hmm. A sphere," she said.
"Does it unlock the door we found earlier?" Logos asked.
"I doubt it. From what I've seen, this looks more like a dressphere. And here I thought we'd found them all," Paine said.
"No kidding? What's this one like?" Leblanc asked.
"Dunno. Too bad Shinra's not around to identify it," Paine replied.
"Shinra?" Logos asked.
"This kid from the Gullwings. He was precocious, but good with identifying dresspheres and the like," Paine said.
"So what? He's dead?" Leblanc asked.
"No. But I'm no longer a part of the Gullwings, so I couldn't impose," Paine said.
"Whoa! Not a Dullwing anymore, eh? Congratulations!" Leblanc said with a toothy grin. "How's about entering a real organization and joining the Leblanc Syndicate? You'd fit in just fine, and we've got a space to fill after dear Ormi's death."
"Heh," Paine replied, amused at the thought of joining the same syndicate she used to fight. "I'll pass. But thanks for the offer." Leblanc shrugged.
"Your loss, chick," she replied.
"Actually...," Logos said, eyeing the glowing sphere. "I believe Lucil was studying dresspheres recently. She may be able to identify this."
"What do you mean? Dresspheres were Shinra's innovation, right?" Paine asked.
"I don't know. But in talking with her, I discovered Lucil's interest in technology. She may be able to help us find out what this sphere is for," Logos said.
The three began their march back through the cave, finding it now mostly free of fiends. They left the Den of Woe, returning to Youth League headquarters soon after. Upon entering Nooj's tent, they reported their success to the faction's leader.
"Well done, everyone. With that king behemoth dead, the monsters surrounding the area should lessen," he said.
"It was our pleasure, boss! Anything for my Noojie-Woojie!" Leblanc said lovingly.
"We found this, too," Paine said, showing Nooj the glowing gray sphere. "It was hidden in the cave's depths. I can't be sure, but I think it's a dressphere."
"I suggested we consult Lucil," Logos said.
"Good idea. She's been into that sort of thing lately," Nooj said. "This is a great discovery. If it turns out to be a dressphere, it could grant you great power, Paine."
"...Maybe," Paine replied, slightly shy.
"Hey! Why just her? I could wear the damn thing, too, ya know!" Leblanc said.
"Hmm. I doubt it. It would be too tight a fit for you," Paine teased.
"Whaaaaaat?!" Leblanc replied, gritting her teeth.
"That dressphere's not all we found, though. We also discovered a giant stone wall with a locked door," Paine said.
"Oh?" Nooj asked, adjusting his glasses.
"It appeared to be some kind of ruin. Perhaps a Yevon temple, though the markings were different...," Logos said.
"Looked pretty fancy. I bet there's some good loot in there," Leblanc said.
"Hmm. Interesting. And here I thought we'd unearthed every square inch of that foul cave," Nooj replied. "Paine... were you... alright? Going in the den?" he asked gently. Paine weakly smiled.
"...Yes," she replied softly.
"I'm glad. I'm sorry to have sent you there again. I know it stirs bad memories for the two of us, but those fiends had to be dealt with," Nooj said.
"Don't worry about it," Paine replied shyly. As she and Nooj shared a brief moment, Leblanc perked up.
"H-Hey! What about me? You were worried about me, too, right, Noojie...?" she asked, sidling up close to him. As Nooj shyly scratched his head, Paine raised a brow.
"...Oy. Quit clinging to his arm, dammit," Paine replied, prying her off. Leblanc gave a cringe, the two starting to argue once more. As Nooj and Logos shared a light smile, the group settled down after a successful day's mission.