Link holds the sword aloft, then turns it upright and holds it high.

"You did it, Link!" Aloy exclaimed.

But Link remains in that position.

"Hey, Link!" Aloy called.

"He's remembering," the Deku Tree rumbled. "He's remembering that Princess Zelda stood there one hundred years ago and planted that sword into its pedestal."

They quietly stare at Link as he still stands there as if frozen in a pose. He next moves lowering his hands to stare intently at the blade. He swings it about for a bit and with a flurry sheathes it.

"I was worried as you were trying to pull that sword out," Aloy said as she walks over and clasps his shoulder. "I was a second away from shoving you away from that sword. But you did it!"

Link smiles warmly at Aloy as he pats her hand.

"What you just saw, young boy, happened where you stand one hundred years ago," the Great Deku Tree said. "After you were seperated from the sword, the princess thought to bring it here, where she knew that it would be safe under my watch. She continues to fight, trapped deep within the confines of Hyrule Castle. Her heart cascades with faith that you will return. She has a smile like the sun . . . I would do much to feel its warmth upon me once again. That blade has a name . . . It is the Master Sword. When used against Calamity Ganon or those tainted by his Malice, it will become suffused with holy light . . . At such times, the true power of the sword will manifest . . . but be warned. Do not rely too much on its power. If you wield it without need, its power will be exhausted and it will no longer be of use to you . . . Should this happen, you must wait for the sword to recover. It was your partner a century ago . . . Use it with care . . . And wield it bravely for the one who waits for you."

The Great Deku Tree goes silent. Link takes out the Sheikah Slate and tells Aloy that they must go to Robbie and buy ancient arrows. During the past month as they were in search for more Sheikah Shrines, they also had to use arrows as well. Aloy had also used the last of her elemental bombs that she would launch from her sling or blast sling, though she favored her bows more. She also used up her tripwires and ropes in dealing with enemies as well. Her rattler on the other hand, she used the least, even though it is a Lodge Rattler, which launches sonic blasts.

"Those arrows are amazing," Aloy said respectfully. "They're as powerful as tearblast arrows, of which I still have the two left. I've been saving them for the Calamity Ganon."

Link selects the Akkala Ancient Tech Lab and they warp to it. Inside, are Robbie and Jerrin as expected.

"We met your son, Granté," Aloy told them. "He's in a place called Tarrytown."

"Tarrytown?" Jerrin said. "Never heard of the place."

"That's because it was recently built," Aloy explained. "It's south of here on a peninsula within a lake also called Akkala."

"Hm, yes, I see," Robbie mused. "We've been to Lake Akkala before and know of that place. Hm, yes. Hopefully Granté will come to visit us sometime. Yes. Hm."

Link then tells them that they have come to buy ancient arrows. Due to the materials needed and their expense, they can only get fifteen each. This even after selling off the last of their regular, fire, ice, shock, and bomb arrows in order to cover the expense of the ancient arrows.

"I was hoping that we could get more," Aloy said to Link after they leave to go outside while examining an ancient arrow, then puts it away and looks at Link. "So we go to Hyrule Castle now?"

Link states it so as he takes out the Sheikah Slate and brings up the map for the warp ring upon any activated shrine that will take them closest to the castle. During that time, they also managed to activate the Central Sheikah Tower, and even scout out the area near Hyrule Castle for more Sheikah Shrines. But after studying the map and brainstorming on their options, they settle on the Mirro Shaz Shrine near the Woodland Stable because there will not be as many enemies judging on the direction and manner that they wish to assault Hyrule Castle.

With Aloy clasping the other side of the Sheikah Shrine, the duo warp to the Mirro Shaz Shrine. Once there, they walk up to Woodland Stable and past it as they stare at Hyrule Castle looming across the river, especially at the Calamity Ganon as it envelops the entire castle in Malice. They can see its boar head flying around within it.

They walk down the road leading away from Woodland Stable. That is when they spy an enemy camp in a grove of trees as they can see a monster platform with a chest upon it. They hear the squeaking squawking sounds of Bokoblins talking.

"Let's do something about them before they discover us," Aloy said.

The duo crouch low and sneak in through the forest and finally spy their target. There are three Bokoblins, two black and one silver. Next to a log are two soldier broadswords, a soldier's shield, and a dragonbone Moblin club.

"Arrows on the black ones?" Aloy whispered, and Link agrees.

They take out their respective arrows and take aim at the black Bokoblins, then release. The black ones shriek loudly in their dying throes but the silver one is merely wounded as it was not hit directly, showing it to be of a tougher constitution. Aloy rushes out with her spear and stabs the silver Bokoblin through the throat as it is rising, severing its carotid arteries, jugular veins, larnyx, trachea, and vertebrae all in one firm stab. The silver flops back down and does not get back up.

Aloy and Link check about the place. Link takes the weapons and the shield, even though the Hylian Shield is nearly indestructible, since he is low on other weapons after breaking the ones he originally had in his possession over the past month. And he wants to save the Master Sword for the Calamity Ganon. Link also checks out the chest and finds a topaz. He next notes a beehive hanging from a tree branch nearby. He takes out his Sheikah Slate and creates a cube bomb, then throws it at the tree with the nest. He detonates it, knocking the tree down and killing the bees to take the honeycomb.

"You really wanted that honey, didn't you?" Aloy jibbed, and Link tells her that it is full of nutrients and can be added to foods.

They leave the forest and continue onward down the road to eventually enter a ruined town. The land on their rightside is broken and piled up, with ruined buildings and tree stumps atop it.

"It looks like the land reared up and destroyed the village that was atop it," Aloy noted.

Further down, they hear shouting and the clash of steel. That is when they see two Hylians fighting off two black Bokoblins, both armed with spiked Boko clubs, but only one of them has a spiked Boko shield. Aloy and Link take out their melee weapons, a soldier's broadsword for Link, and rush into the fight. Aloy skewers the black Bokoblin through the chest with her spear and Link rushes the other to knock it down and wound it. Aloy pulls her spear out and the man she had come to the aid of skewers the Bokoblin through the other side of its chest. The woman that Link came to the aid of also does the same to the Bokoblin now lying on the ground after having been knocked over by Link. Both Bokoblins die and the battle is over.

Aloy and Link regard the Hylians. The woman has white hair in a low ponytail and the man has dark blonde hair.

"You got a way with a sword, don't you?" the woman said to Link. "I'll admit I was maybe in a little over my head there. Thanks." The woman then gives Link a spicy meat stew, then humphs. "I'll get 'em next time for sure! We're all right . . . We should count ourselves lucky for that."

"Thank Hylia that Mina is safe," the man then said greatfully. "I knew it wasn't smart to go treasure hunting in these parts."

"Yeah, well, we'll be on our way now," Aloy said.

Aloy and Link continue walking ever closer to Hyrule Castle. That is when a rock comes flying and hits Aloy, but thanks to her Shield Weaver, she is unharmed. They look to see an Octorok off to one side and Aloy is quick to take out her war bow and take aim, then releases. The Octorok is killed by the ensuing explosion. The duo continue along until they encounter the decrepit stone bridge that crosses over the river, along with one of those huge leaning pillars towering near it and across the river. Also across the river is a mobile Guardian. Link tells Aloy that he got this one as he takes out a soldier's bow, then crosses the bridge. The Guardian takes notice of him and marks him with the telltale red beam, but Link is quick to shoot and hit it directly in the eye so that it ends up exploding to leave a pile of parts that he collects.

Aloy joins him on the other side and together they walk up to one of those five massive black and yellow pillars covered with large glowing purple red spots that surrounds and leans toward Hyrule Castle.

"We should try and climb that thing," Aloy said. "Who knows, maybe we can use it as a vantage point to glide into Hyrule Castle."

But before they can do that, they notice a Guardian Skywatcher nearby and this time it is Aloy who decides to get rid of it as she takes out her war bow. She targets it and destroys the mechanical enemy. The duo start climbing the strange structure. It is a steep climb as the structure is leaning at a fifty or fifty-five degree angle. It is of Sheikah construction for it is made from the same materials as the shrines, with the yellow arranged in the patterns and constellations as on the shrines. It is the yellow parts that they have difficulty climbing over, but the black part they find unexpectingly easy to climb over. The duo continue their climb ever upward until they finally reach the top.

The Calamity Ganon attempts to fly toward them as if having finally noticed them. It roars, and it not only sounds terrifying, but feels as such. It is a burning searing feeling, of a hunger for death and destruction.

"The Calamity Ganon!" Aloy gasped as a shiver goes down her spine.

It disappears as a bright light suddenly shines from the upper part of the castle in spite of the cloud of Malice about the place.

"Is that . . . Princess Zelda?" Aloy gasped with a wry expression.

Link tells her that it is.

"So . . . for one hundred years while you slept," as she turns to look at Link with an awed look, "she was battling that monster?!" Then turns to look back at the castle. "I'm never gonna complain about my battle with Hades ever again!" Then in a more relaxed tone. "That light now shows us where we have to go exactly . . . So," as she tooks at Link, "can you use Revali's Gale as many times as you can to get us as close to that castle as possible? Also, in as little time and battles as possible?"

Link verifies it so and Aloy looks back at the Castle.

"Then we confront the Calamity Ganon and defeat it. Simple, no? But far from easy, judging from what we just saw of that thing . . . And then what?" As she looks at Link. "Will I get to go back home . . . ? Or will I be stuck here forever?"

Link smiles gently and tells her to try to not think past that and think only of the problem that lies before them.

"You're right," Aloy sighed. "I need to focus on what we need to do. Speaking of which." As she stares intently at the Castle with her focus on. She sees the coloration of machines. Machines such as Guardians, Skywatchers, and even the Turret variety. There are even various enemies about the place, especially the forms that belong to Lynels.

"Damn, that place is filled with enemies. And some of them look to be ready to cut us down if we glide over there. I'm going to have to snipe the ones I can." As she takes out her sharpshot bow.

She first targets a decaying Guardian on the shoreline below on the other side where the Castle is. The ancient arrow flies the long distance and hits the decaying Guardian, causing it to explode. She next targets a Guardian Turret up on the wall above where the Guardian was. She is worried that the arrows might not hit it, but those worries disappear as it too is reduced to wreckage.

"Okay," Aloy said as she puts her bow away, "now that those have been taken care of, we can go over there now." She crouches down near Link while facing Hyrule Castle. "Do your thing, Link."

Link takes out an enduring mushroom skewer and even offers Aloy an extra one that he has on his person as well. Aloy eats it and already feels as if she has more endurance. Link crouches next to Aloy and the tendrils of air rise around them. They both jump high and fly ever upward after whipping out their respective paragliders as Revali circles around them. The duo are high in the air and glide toward their destination. They glide all the way to the upper area just past where that Guardian Turret had been. From there, Link uses Revali's Gale to get them higher still, even managing to avoid getting shot at by another Guardian Turret. Upon landing, Link takes aim and shoots another Guardian Turret. He uses Revali's Gale one last time so that he and Aloy glide ever closer to their target.

They land near the entrance to the Sanctum: the place they know where the Calamity Ganon awaits them.

Aloy and Link stare intently into that interior. It is circular with red tapestries hanging from the wall. There is a balcony with two sets of stairs on either side leading up to it, with the throne within that balcony. Aloy can feel the overwhelming evil eminating from that interior. A feeling that not even Hades gave her.

"This is it, Link," Aloy said with an uneasy tone. "When we go in there, we will be in for the toughest fight ever. A fight not only for our lives, but for the lives in this world as well. Are you ready?"

Link nods with a grim expression.

"Let me check my ancient arrows," Aloy said as she searches her satchel, seeing her two remaining tearblast arrows in there amongst them. Link then thrusts out his supply of ancient arrows toward her.

"Wha-What're you doing?" Aloy asked. "You'll need those!"

Link tells her that he wants her to have his arrows instead as he wants to focus on using the Master Sword on Calamity Ganon.

"A-Are you sure?"

Link tells her gently that it's okay, and that he trusts her aim. Aloy is stunned by this and gingerly takes his share of the ancient arrows and stares at them for a moment. She closes her eyes for a moment, then opens them to gaze firmly at Link.

"I thank you for your confidence in me, Link. And don't worry! My arrows will be hitting their mark!"

She tucks those ancient arrows into her satchel with the others, then takes a deep breath.

"Okay, let's do this!"

Link extends his hand to Aloy and she takes it; together they walk into the Sanctum hand in hand. Once inside, they look around.

"There!" Aloy yelled as she points upward at the topmost part of the high ceiling.

It is a huge black beating heart with reddish purple spots on it.

"Is the Calamity Ganon in that?!" Aloy exclaimed as she reads the heart with her focus, but cannot see anything inside it as it seems to be blocking her focus.

A bright light shines from within that black heart and that familiar voice in their heads, calling their names.

I'M SORRY . . . BUT MY POWER ISN'T STRONG ENOUGH. I CAN'T HOLD HIM . . .

A blue beam of light shoots out of the heart and flails wildly about the place, almost hitting the duo as it burns a line throughout the Sanctum. The beam stops and more blue beams shoot out of the heart, then stop as smoke comes out of the now pale red spots on the heart, which starts shuddering. The heart bursts with a squelching sound as something huge and grotesque falls out of it to crash before Aloy and Link with a loud thud, raising smoke and dust that obscures their vision. The floor suddenly gives way and the duo begin falling into a pit below with the monstrosity. They manage to whip out their respective paragliders and glide down to the interior below, dimly lit only by the reddish purple glow of constellations about the walls and floor of the room beneath them.

Aloy gasps and almost loses her grip on her paraglider as she is struck with horror at the grotesqueness of the massive form down below that is the Calamity Ganon as it moves around searching for them. Its footfalls a loud thump. Aloy scans it with her focus, reading it as, Calamity Ganon, but cannot scan anything else of it.

The Calamity Ganon is massive and made of Malice shaped into the form of a spider, with yellowish pieces of Sheikah technology adorning it. One of its appendages is shaped like a normal arm and hand, though with longish nails. The rest of its appendages are a pair of Guardian's legs; a thick and muscled arm ending in a huge hilt that has a massive orange sword blade; a hand bearing glowing blue blades for nails; a glowing blue scythe-like blade; a pair of glowing blue pincers; a glowing blue spear; and a laser cannon.

The duo land before it and the abomination finally takes notice of them as it turns its metallic skeletal head that is surrounded by a forest of a red mane toward them, glaring at them with horrible red eyes that glow like twin suns that seem to pierce their souls. Worse than its appearance is the sheer rage and hatred that Aloy can feel radiating from it. Like a person looking at insects or other invertebrates that deeply offended them. Never had Aloy felt both awed and scared. Words fail her but not her thoughts.

This . . . ! This thing is far worse that Hades . . . ! Hades was an invention to reset a potentially unliveable world, but this . . . this thing . . . is a true monster!

The Calamity Ganon rises then opens its grotesquely wide mouth and bellows a roar at them that sends a chill down Aloy's spine that almost causes her to lose her courage as she can feel its bloodlust, it joy over finally being able to kill Link and herself. It then swings its massive orange sword.

Their attention is next turned to above as the chamber is suddenly brightened by blue light, also getting the Calamity Ganon's attention as well. Blue balls of light fall like a storm of rain upon the abomination, causing it to squirm and squall in pain.

"Let me guess! Those were the Divine Beasts!" Aloy called to Link with satisfaction.

The storm of light stops and the smoke clears. The Calamity Ganon lies motionless for a moment, then slowly gets up to regard the duo and emits a roaring shriek of rage. Link takes out the Hylian Shield and Master Sword, it's blade glows. Aloy has her sharpshot bow out with one of her last tearblast arrows nocked and ready to release.

"Let's take this monster down!" Aloy shouted defiantly.