Chapter 21: Rivalry
Rocks flew up from the ground, flying around in the dust flowing through the air.
Sora coughed, struggling to see through the debris.
He didn't know where he had come from, but the giant Organization member simply walked up and attacked him right when Riku left.
"So, Keyblade Wielder, how tough are you? Really?" the man with auburn hair asked.
Sora glared up at him.
"I won't give up to you!" he yelled, throwing his Keyblade and hitting Lexaeus square in the face. He barely even blinked. The brunette growled in frustration.
Lexaeus stared at him, a slight smirk taking over his features. Soon, the ground rumbled causing Sora to stumble around.
The big man slammed his weapon to the ground, cracking the earth in the process. Sora dodged just in time before the ground swallowed him alive.
He ran at Lexaeus and swung his Keyblade, Lexaeus simply swept an arm out which successfully made the younger boy fly off to the side and land with a thud, along with a sickening crack sound.
He screamed out in pain as he met with the ground and lay there.
"Guess your time is up." Lexaeus said menacingly, going to stand over the boy.
"I beg to differ," a silver-haired boy stated, standing not too far behind Lexaeus.
"R-Riku." Sora stuttered out. Lexeaus turned around with a scowl.
"Y-You again?" he yelled.
Riku, he defeated him once under Xehanort's possession, there was no guarantee that it wouldn't happen again. But Lexaeus could not show this boy his fear.
"Take a step. Go ahead. I'll smash this worthless boy into oblivion." Lexaeus threatened, holding his Skysplitter high above Sora.
"And what will that do? Minus the fact that you'll fuck up one of your own members?" Riku said smugly. "I mean, with you just being in the same world as Sora has messed his brain up."
"You don't know that." Lexaeus answered, shaking his head.
"Oh I don't?" Riku asked with the same smug expression. "Where has Roxas been?"
"In the castle as usual." Lexaeus responded.
"Has he now? How about at night?" the silverette challenged.
"I assume sleeping. Of what relevance are your questions?" Lexaeus yelled, becoming angry.
"Hmm… I'm done here. See ya never, Big Guy?" Riku said turning away to leave.
"Wha-" was all Lexaeus got to say when Sora threw his Keyblade into Lexaeus head with a satisfying crack. Riku then summoned his Soul Eater to fly backwards, stabbing Lexaeus through the abdomen as he had before.
Lexaeus gasped, seeing the black swirl around him.
"Again?" he said in disbelief.
What a failure he was.
Dinner was quite awkward the next day in the Castle That Never Was.
Axel sat next to Rexial who was across from Roxas. The two glared at each other intensely.
Zexion and Tryxel were missing from the table altogether, no one had seen them all day.
Xigbar, Saix, Larxene, and Marluxia chuckled at Axel and Roxas while Xaldin, Vexen, and Luxord ate quietly.
Xemnas surveyed the table with discontent.
"Where the hell is Number 5, 6, 9, and 15?" his voice was eerily calm.
"No one has heard from them all day, Superior." Saix commented, quietly.
Xemnas growled.
"Whenever I try to have a decent family meal…" he grumbled, digging into his food.
"Hey, Rex, how about we go get dessert after this?" Axel asked, casually glancing over at Roxas for a brief moment.
"Sounds good." Rexial answered as Roxas started stabbing at his food.
"What's wrong, Roxas." Axel emphasized his whole name, "trying to make up for your loss of backstabbing?" he taunted, taking a bite out of his pork chop.
Rexial looked back and forth between them disapprovingly. She was slightly confused as to what was going on.
"Oh no, I think you've actually done enough for the both of us." Roxas spat back at him.
"You'll never win against me. I told you to never test it, you're too damn ignorant to listen." Axel shrugged.
That did it.
Roxas lunged across the table at the redhead. Rexial jumped out of the way just in case they hit her.
Axel pushed Roxas off of him, throwing him into the table. Roxas hooked his leg out to trip Axel to the ground. Axel then grabbed Roxas' ankle, twisting it hard. Roxas whimpered and seemed to weaken.
"And another thing, about altering your healing, it's never really healed." Axel said.
"ENOUGH!" Xemnas yelled. "Number 8! Number 13! To my office, NOW!" he demanded, disappearing.
Axel scowled at Roxas and disappeared in a portal as well leaving Roxas to struggle to get up and summon one.
Once they were gone, all eyes landed on Rexial.
"What?" she asked, they all turned away and she got up to leave as well.