King of the Sky
Chapter X
The Prison of Elders part III
Sora's throat felt dry as he stood there, staring up at Xôlak in all his rotten and decomposing glory.
Neither had bothered to move, aside from Chirithy vanishing before the Light Collector could set his eyes on him.
Sora flexed his fingers as he felt Xôlak's eyes traveled up and down him and even through him. As if he could see Sora's Light and was admiring a new trophy.
THUMP!
Sora flinched as that sound echoed out through tainted air.
THUMP! THUMP! THUMP!
The sound came again from all around. The sound of swords, beating against the ground in tune.
Sora swallowed as he glanced around, out of the corner of his eye and saw Hive Knights and Wizards. Twelve of each, slowly coming out to surround them.
Sora summoned the Kingdom Key as they all spaced themselves out evenly around the spawning pool and the Wizards, or perhaps Witches, since some appeared more feminine this time around, all held their hands together as if in prayer and the Knights stood on ether side of each, with swords held in both hands as they continued beating them against the ground in time.
"What are they doing?" Sora thought aloud and with concern. Especially when Xôlak started laughing and stepped forward until he was just within the pool.
"Knowing the Hive, it's probably some evil ritual of doom" Chirithy commented with obvious fear.
Sora flinched and fell into a defensive stance as Xôlak raised his hands out to his sides, his sword in a reverse grip. His followers continued as they were until Xôlak then began chanting in that pain inducing language of the Hive and green flames erupted in his clawed hands and in the hands of his fallowers as they too chanted, with swords still beating.
Sora grimaced as he felt the stifling Darkness surging with new power "oh heck no! There's no way I'm just standing around and waiting for this to play out!" he yelled as he let the blue power engulf him and he shot up and out of the ring of Hive.
Or at least that was plan…
BANG!
"Gah!" Sora yelped as a barrier of Darkness appeared in his way and sent him back with explosive force.
"Ow" Sora moaned, once he stopped rolling from the blast and got beck to his feet, shaking the black liquid from his hair. He then looked up to see the smoky and ethereal dome of shadows, now surrounding them, before they disappeared from view again "oh come on" Sora muttered as he looked back to Xôlak and held his Keyblade at the ready.
The Light Collector just laughed at Sora before bringing his sword in and holding it up with both hands as green fire spread down to it and his Knights did the same.
They then drove their blades into the ground and a wall of green fire, burst up from the ground between the Knights' swords. The Wizards and Witches screamed as they held their arms out and embraced the flames. Molding them into an impenetrable wall that no living being dare cross.
That wasn't the full extent of it though, as reality seamed to warp, making the pool they were standing in appear to almost grow in size, until it was three times as big.
"Whoa!" Sora yelped as he felt a sense of vertigo and had to fight to keep his balance. He quickly got himself under control again and held his Keyblade at the ready as he stared down Xôlak, who pulled his, still burning, blade from the ground and leveled it at Sora.
"Well…this should be interesting…" Sora commented with an uncertain smile, which Xôlak answered with an unnerving chuckle.
BANG!
Sora's eyes widened as he stared at the blade that was now planted firmly where he had been standing only a fraction of a second ago.
The Light Collector had moved with a speed that belied his size. Had it not been for Sora's own inhuman speed and reaction time, he wouldn't have been able to dodge.
More chuckles wafted out from between Xôlak's exposed teeth, as he lazily pulled his sword from the ground and began slowly walking towards Sora.
The Guardian in turn, backed away slowly as he drew his pistol and began firing into the massive Hive.
Xôlak simply ignored the shots fired at him, as they just bounced off his armor.
Sora yelped as his back made contact with the wall of flame behind him but he dare not glance back as the Light Collector continued his approach.
Sora showed no fear though, as he simply frowned up at Xôlak "ok, no guns then" he muttered as he holstered the weapon and held his Keyblade at the ready.
Xôlak brought his sword in for an overhead swing and, to the Hive's surprise, Sora caught the blade with his own. The ground trembling and cracking underneath them both while Sora held strong. The only indication of strain from the Guardian was a small grunt.
Sora then quickly shifted to the side and let the blade hit the ground as he hooked Kingdom Key on it's edge and let Flow Motion envelope them both, allowing Sora to spin around and up the blade to Xôlak's arm, where he launched off into a spinning attack.
Xôlak grunted as the Keyblade cut into his armor and he backhanded Sora away.
The Guardian grunted in pain himself as he went flying but quickly oriented himself to land on his feet, back in the center of the pool.
"Careful! There's so much Darkness in here that I might not be able to rez you" Chirithy warned.
Sora blinked at Chirithy's warning though. The fact that he could resurrect hadn't even occurred to him until now. He had just been fighting as he normally would.
Sora quickly shook those thoughts from his head though. It wouldn't change anything here anyway and he had more important things to worry about.
Sora turned his attention back to Xôlak, to see the Hive studying his hand where Sora had cut him. Almost like he was admiring a work of art.
The Light Collector then turned his three eyed gaze back to Sora and gave another laugh as he began rolling his shoulders and cracking his neck.
"Looks like he's getting serious now" Sora muttered to himself as he held Kingdom Key at the ready, and Xôlak started walking towards him again, at a slightly quicker pace.
Xôlak then lunged at Sora, who dodged out of the way and called down a thunder spell.
Xôlak only grunted though, as he swung his blade horizontally at Sora, who blocked it with the Keyblade. His feet skidding in the black fluid they stood in.
The Light Collector once again showed a speed and agility that his body should not possess, as he quickly brought his blade around from the other side and Sora grunted as he tried to block that one as well, but Xôlak gave him a swift kick, sending Sora flying back into the wall of flame.
"Gah!" Sora yelped in pain as he bounced off the wall of fire but quickly rolled to the side as Xôlak gave a leaping strike.
The Guardian quickly planted his feet and jumped like a missile, right at Xôlak's head.
The Light Collector brought his blade up to block and strike Sora back down though, and would have had him, had the Guardian not blinked out of existence before the strike could hit.
"No way!" Sora yelled as he reappeared behind Xôlak and gave a strong slash to his back, causing the Hive to stumble forwards and twist at an odd angle to black Sora's next hits.
Xôlak quickly regained his bearings though and the two began trading blows. Matching each other, strike for strike, parry for parry.
The size difference made for quite the display as they fought on equal footing.
Sora found and opening though, as Xôlak pulled his blade back from one of Sora's parries and the Guardian hooked his blade on Xôlak's, allowing him to be pulled along with the backswing. Sora than quickly ran down the blade and arm and gave a slash to Xôlak's head.
The Light Collector gave a small roar of pain, before grabbing Sora and tossing him to the ground, where he then gave an underhand swing with his sword, sending Sora sailing through the air.
"Ow" Sora groaned as he placed a hand on his bruised and bleeding chest and pushed himself to his feet.
He then looked up to see Xôlak run a hand over his face and look at it, as he rubbed the blood between his claws. He then looked to Sora with a chuckle before taking his blade in both hands and kneeling as he plunged it into the ground with a roar and a dome of green fire, covered him.
"Oh on, why do I feel like I've seen this pattern before?" Sora thought aloud as he held his Keyblade at the ready and started scanning the area for more enemies.
Chirithy seized the moment to re-appear and heal Sora "he's probably summoning minions. You know, typical bad guy stuff. Is it getting darker in here?" Chirithy rattled nervously. His voice braking with digital noise.
SSSRRREEEKKK!
Right on cue, a Thrall, burst up out of the pool, followed shorting by it's brood mates.
Something was different about these Thrall though. Something was just wrong…Or at least more wrong then Hive in general.
These ones looked even more frail if possible. Holding their brittle arms close to their chests like mummies, as they shambled closer to Sora. Their bodies glowing in a sickly white aura.
Sora narrowed his eyes at the new enemies while Chirithy Transmatted out "ok" Sora muttered as he ran in and took a swing at one.
Sora's eyes widened though, as the Thrall exploded before his keyblade even made contact, sending Sora flying back.
The Guardian quickly oriented himself though and plunged his Keyblade into the ground to stop himself before he hit the wall of fire.
"Ok, how is that fair" he muttered as he looked up to see more of the sickly Thralls, pulling themselves up, out of the pool and closing in on him.
Sora then drew his pistol and briefly dispelled his Keyblade to reload before aiming both at the mass of Hive.
Bullets, fireballs, ice shards, water jets and lightning, all rained down on the Thralls, who began erupting in a chain reaction, as Sora made sure to space out all of his attacks to hit as wide an area as possible.
In no time at all, the Thralls were all dead, leaving only him and Xôlak, still in his dome.
Sora smirked as he spun his pistol on his finger and blew the smoke from the barrel.
His revelry was short lived though, as Xôlak suddenly burst from the dome of fire and was glowing with a new, sickly green aura of power.
"Oh come on" Sora groaned as he holstered his pistol. He had definitely seen this pattern of fighting before, he just knew it.
Sora smirked though as he watched Xôlak basking in his new power and prepared to knock him down a peg as he lifted his Keyblade to the sky, calling down the thunder.
Sora's smirk quickly disappeared though and his eyes widened as only the weakest variant of that spell, stuck the Hive, to little effect.
"Uh oh" Sora muttered with a sheepish smile as the Light Collector chuckled at him.
BANG!
"Gah!" Sora grunted as he blocked a downward swing from Xôlak. However, unlike last time, his knees buckled under the force and a crater was formed beneath him.
Sora gasped as he was suddenly kicked back into the flaming wall behind him and coughed up blood.
Sora waisted no time though and quickly Air-stepped away before he could be impaled.
Sora skidded a little as he came to a stop on the opposite side of the pool and fought his broken body for balance "what the heck?" He muttered with pain in his voice.
His eyes widened though, as Xôlak charged him with incredible speed and Sora quickly cast Cure so Chirithy wouldn't have to expose himself, before rolled out of the way of another swing and parried a downward strike, only to be batted away.
All the while, Sora couldn't help but think, why?
Why hadn't he charged up enough to cast Thundaza?
He knew that he had killed more then enough of those exploding Thralls to cast it, but he didn't feel the usual surge of power he got from fighting, nor could he feel the power needed to activate Second Form.
In fact, whereas before, he felt MORE power then usual, upon slaying a Hive, he now felt almost none.
"Chirithy, what's going on? Why am I not building up power?" Sora asked as he dodged another swing from the empowered Xôlak.
"I don't know! I'm still not even sure how that other Light of yours works!" Chirithy answered with distress in his voice, as Sora was forced to block another downward strike.
This one, oddly had less force behind it though, as Xôlak laughed.
Sora immediately prepared for Xôlak to pull something, but what happened next shocked him even more.
"Isn't it obvious Light" the Light collector spoke in a guttural but discernible voice and Sora looked up at the Hive's face with wide eyes, before they broke apart.
While Sora stood by the wall with his guard up, Xôlak stood in the center with his sword held loosely at his side.
"look around you Light" he said while gesturing around them with his free claw "I am a lesser god of the Hive pantheon. And this ring of fire is my church! And all death within it, is tithed to me!" he proclaimed while holding his arms out wide in presentation.
"it is a small sliver of my burgeoning Throne World, born of the Light I slew at the battle for your moon, and brought forth into this realm" Xôlak continued while running his talons over the dead Ghosts that hung from his neck.
Sora's eyes briefly fell to the Ghosts as he thought he saw a shimmer in then, but he quickly refocused on Xôlak as he chuckled darkly.
The Light Collector's eyes burned hungrily into the Guardian "and soon, with your immense Light added to my collection, I will finally have the strength to free myself and my brood from this place and take my place by my King's side" he finished with dark laughter.
Sora audibly gulped before giving a nervous chuckle "is it too late to say I fallow a different religion?" he joked sheepishly.
BANG!
Sora narrowly dodged the sudden, downward strike from Xôlak "but you do fallow our religion Light" the Hive said before jumping back himself to dodged Sora's retaliatory strikes "though you do not know it and profane it with resurrection, you fallow the way of the Sword Logic. Taking from your fallen foes and making yourself stronger. And in so doing proving your own right to live" he finished as he parried a few strikes from Sora, before knocking him away with a horizontal swing.
Sora grunted as he dug his feet and Keyblade into the ground, digging trenches before coming to a stop. He then pulled his blade from the ground and flung it at Xôlak like saw blade, laced with Solar flames.
Xôlak tried to bat the spinning Keyblade away with his sword, but the Kingdom Key detonated in a burst of Solar flames, and by the time Xôlak was done batting the flames away, Solar rounds were digging into his head and body.
Xôlak grunted as Sora fired his Golden Gun into the Hive's body and his green aura dimmed.
"Look, I'm all for religious freedom and all that, but what you're selling, I'm not buying" Sora quipped as he spent his last rounds and re-summoned his Keyblade.
Sora then took a deep breath and his pupils dilated as time seamed to stand still for him. His mind focused in solely on Xôlak as he felt a power that he had been saving up since his first fight with the Vex, surge forth.
Everything shot back into motion as Sora suddenly jumped up and flipped before hanging suspended in mid-air and aiming his Keyblade at Xôlak. The tip glowing with power as a reddish gold orb, made of beams of light, formed around it. Twenty four beams of Light then shot out radially from the Kingdom Key and homed in on Xôlak.
The Hive's eyes widened as he beheld Ragnarok in all it's destructive glory and he attempted to dodge them, but the beams corse corrected. Swarming and peppering him from all sides with powerful explosions.
While he was disoriented by the beams, Sora dashed in and delivered a strong strike to his head, knocking Xôlak back, fallowed up by more strikes to his gut, shoulder and legs.
Xôlak was somewhat in a state of shock as the tide of the battle shifted and he was now the one coughing up blood and being driven back into the wall of flame.
One thing burned through the shock though…
Excitement!
The Light Collector had not been pushed this hard in centuries and he was loving it!
The Hive regained his footing and parried Sora's next strike as he reached up with his bloodied claw and grabbed Sora in it and tossed him away.
Xôlak then laughed as he basked in the pain "YES! GIVE ME MORE!" he yelled before slamming his blade into the ground and summoning his dome again.
Sora groaned as he got back to his feet and Chirithy healed him "oh come on. This again?" he said as he drew his pistol again and waited for the Thralls to emerge.
And indeed more come. MANY more.
So many Thrall had climbed up that Sora would soon barley have space to stand.
Sora groaned as he tried to think of a plan, but then felt a tingling sensation in his hand.
"Here, use this" Chirithy advises and Sora dispelled his Keyblade and glanced down to see a grenade in his now free hand.
Sora smirked as he crouched down "thanks bud" he said before using his High Jump and flipping in the air while charging as much Light into the grenade as he could and tossing it down where he had stood, now infested with Thrall.
The chain reaction of explosions was massive and took a large number of the Thralls out, but more kept coming.
So, when Sora landed he re-summoned the Keyblade and tossed it out, sending it orbiting around him like a spinning blade of death. At the last minute though, the blade was enveloped with Solar flames and he summoned the Golden Gun to his now free hand while he held is normal pistol in his left, now also gold and burning.
Sora smirked as he spun the two guns on his fingers and scores of Thrall began dying as they drew too close to his Keyblade and as he fired in all directions with his duel, flaming pistols.
The last of the Thrall died as Sora's guns ran dry and he quickly reloaded his pistol before summoning his Keyblade back. All the while, Sora breathed heavily with fatigue.
"Um, Sora, aren't you forgetting something?" Chirithy said nervously.
"What?" Sora asked with a raised eyebrow before stiffening at the sudden explosion of power behind him and he slowly turned to see Xôlak standing up, glowing with even more power then before.
"Oh…right…" The Guardian deadpanned as he remembered. The more he killed, the stronger Xôlak became.
Xôlak laughed as he jumped at Sora and he just barely air-stepped away in time to dodge the EXPLOSION that detonated from the impact of Xôlak's sword with the ground.
He didn't have time to dodge the next attack though, as Xôlak moved with blinding speed to Sora and sent him flying up into the air before smashing him back down as he fell.
Sora felt indiscernible pain as all the bones in his body turned to powder.
He had walked right into Xôlak's trap and was paying dearly for it.
In spite of the pain though, Sora's mind went into overdrive with adrenaline.
He was about to die and he couldn't cast cura, nor could he let Chirithy out to heal him.
Sora's mind froze up on Chirithy in that moment as time seamed to stand still.
With him gone, Chirithy would be left exposed.
His friend would die!
The thought that he couldn't be revived here, never even crossed his mind. All he knew was that he had to MOVE! He needed to do something.
Before ether he or Chirithy could think to do anything though, something else answered Sora's cry for help.
Something deep within the recesses of his heart that he only ever let out when he was most desperate.
Something that would have sent Chirithy into a panic had he not been to preoccupied with Xôlak, but Sora didn't hesitate to grasp that power with both hands and wrestle it into submission as he unleashed it.
Xôlak was too caught up in the moment to notice the change as he brought his blade down, only for his eyes to shoot wide in disbelief as Sora caught the blade with his bare hands.
Correction, they weren't bare, as Xôlak soon leaned, and all stared in disbelief as black shadows and miasma, coated Sora's hands.
BOOM!
Xôlak found himself suddenly flung back by some force. He was too stunned to tell exactly what though. At least until his mind finally caught up with him along with the numerous cuts that now adorned his armor and his missing right shoulder spike.
He then looked up as he got back to his feet and bore witness to something he never thought he would see a Guardian wielding.
Darkness.
Sora was crouched, uninjured as he held his Keyblade at the side and a clawed hand to the ground. The Keyblade and him, both covered completely in pitch black Darkness that clung to his body and flowed off in wispy streams. A purple flame pattern, going up his legs and on his shoulders, with a heart on his back with flames rising around it. His eyes, unblinking and glowing solid red with rage as a red aura, pulsed menacingly around him.
Xôlak had no time to even think, as Sora gave a primal and monstrous scream, and then dashed at the Light Collector with more speed then even he could track and proceeded to absolutely WRECK Xôlak, with impossibly fast and brutal strikes.
Xôlak broke out of his stupor quickly though as he felt Keyblade and claws, digging into flesh and he attempted to block and parry, but he simply couldn't keep track of Sora. His darkened form, teleporting around and vanishing with pure speed, with each attack.
Eventually, Xôlak gave a roar of his own and slammed his blade into the ground, sending out a wave of green fire and knocking Sora back, but the Guardian simply jumped back up with a yell, as he took from his own life force to empower himself.
Meanwhile, Chirithy was now in full blow panic mode!"Sora, calm down!" he pleaded but Sora didn't listen. Instead, charging right back at Xôlak while dragging his Keyblade along the ground, sending up sparks as well as black and red fluid, before teleporting to dodge Xôlak's downward swing and close in on his opponent.
Chirithy's panic was only minutely abated by the fact that Sora was now overwhelming Xôlak, while he tried to make sense of what was happening.
How did this happen!? Is this what Toland was talking about when he said Sora had Darkness in him? Chirithy pondered as Sora carved red streaks of Darkness through the air and Xôlak, as he teleported around the Hive, until finally, Xôlak swung his blade horizontally, sending out another wave of green fire and knocking Sora back again.
Xôlak collapsed to one knee while coughing up black ichor, and Chirithy chose that moment to appear, before ether he, or Sora could recover.
"Sora, you need to calm down!" Chirithy pleaded desperately and sounding on the verge of tears, while blocking Sora's path as he got up "we can fix this! I can- who!"
Chirithy was cut off by Sora grabbing him in his clawed hand and dashing to the side.
Chirithy's first thought was panic, as he flashed back to Anti-Sora. But that thought was quickly banished though, as he noticed that he wasn't being squeezed to death. In fact, Sora's grip still felt as gentle and caring as ever, if laced with Darkness.
Chirithy's eye then widened as Sora erected a red sphere of Darkness around them, to block a wave of green fire, heading right for them and noticed the trail of green flames, leading to where he had been floating.
Chirithy then looked to his Guardian's face and his unblinking, red eyes "you're still in there, aren't you?" he asked and, to his astonishment and relief, Sora nodded.
Chirithy honestly couldn't believe it. Sora, while definitely having blown his top, was still in control. He wasn't a mindless beast, nor had he given in to the Darkness he was now using.
Chirithy was broken from his thoughts again, by Sora teleporting away from a leaping strike from Xôlak and Chirithy could practically feel the words Sora wanted to tell him but couldn't, as he glanced down at his Ghost.
Chirithy still wasn't comfortable with all of this, but decided to trust his Guardian and Transmatted out, leaving Sora free to fight.
Though fight might not be the right way to describe it, as Sora erected another barrier, causing Xôlak's strike to rebound and Sora teleported underneath him, where he then gave a leaping strike, sending Xôlak into the air.
Sora immediately teleported above Xôlak and became and whirlwind of death, too fast for the eye to track, before sending Xôlak crashing to the ground, fallowed by a ball of Darkness, that exploded upon contact.
Xôlak's screams of agony fell on def ears as Sora then dived down at him while spinning like a drill.
Xôlak managed to dodge the initial hit, but he wasn't prepared for the pool of Darkness that rose up from the point of contact or the orbs of Darkness that rose around Sora, and began shooting out beams in all directions as Sora continued to spin like a top.
The spheres of Darkness then exploded, sending Xôlak flying and bouncing off the walls of flames, and then sprawling on the ground.
As this happened, Sora landed on the ground and the shadows lifted off of him. Leaving him back to his normal self and completely unfazed "not so fun on the receiving end, huh?" he taunted while rolling his shoulder.
"Sora! You're ok!?" Chirithy called, happy and somewhat surprised that Sora wasn't bothered by what happened.
Sora just chuckled lightly in response "of corse I'm ok. This is me you're dealing with after all" he joked as he got ready for Xôlak to make his next move.
The Light Collector now looked as ragged as a Thrall though, as he took ragged breath while pushing himself back to his knees, using his blade for support.
"beautiful" Xôlak wheezed as he forced himself to his feet "that was beautiful" he said with more clarity as he stood up and began laughing "MAGNIFICENT! I must have this power!" he yelled hysterically as he lifted his blade up again and drove it down into the ground.
Sora yelped as flames surged down from the blade and into the ground, causing reality to shift, as the pool drained. The black fluid, falling into a crevasse to oblivion.
Sora then looked back to Xôlak as he laughed "I care not if I risk true death by bringing my Throne World here! I will have your Light, and your Darkness! And with it, my power will rival Oryx!" he proclaimed as green flames enveloped him and power flowed up from the crevasse and his wounds mended.
Sora gritted his teeth as he started pulling at his hair "oh come on! More of this!" he yelled with exasperation, as he and Chirithy both had flashbacks to their fight with Anti-Sora.
Chirithy perked up at the memory though"hay Sora! What if we try that thing again!" he asked.
Sora arched an eyebrow in confusion for a moment, before realization hit him "oh that, but I can't use Oathkeeper!" he said.
"Do you need it?" Chirithy asked and Sora tapped his foot.
"I don't know, maybe not. But even if I don't, we'd need more Light, and only way we could get more here is…" Sora trailed off in though, before his face lit up and he snapped his finger "I got it" he exclaimed.
Sora didn't get the chance to explain his plan though, as Xôlak gave a roar and the flames dissipated.
Xôlak then dashed across the gap between them and Sora grunted as he blocked the strike. His feet digging ruts in the ground.
Xôlak was definitely stronger, but he hadn't recovered completely from Sora's rage fueled onslaught, so it looked like they were back on even terms.
Xôlak was pressing Sora with far more furry and determination now though, as he unleashed more green flames, to leap from his blade to Sora.
The Guardian didn't so much a flinch though, as his eyes burned, not into Xôlak, but rather what he was wearing.
His trophies from Guardians past.
Sora smirked as he pushed himself back and aimed his Keyblade at Xôlak and fired a beam at him.
The Light Collector brought his blade up to block but wasn't fast enough as the beam made contact with the Ghosts that hung around his neck.
Nothing happened though and Xôlak chuckled "is that all?" he asked.
Sora's smirk never left his face though and soon, even Xôlak began to realize why, as Light burned into his neck and he looked down to see the dead Ghosts' eyes, glowing brightly.
BOOM!
"NO!" Xôlak screamed as the Ghosts around his neck, suddenly exploded as the Light escaped and rushed to Sora. And as they went, one word, resound though the space the Light occupied. The last wish of the Ghosts.
REVENGE!
Sora opened his arms wide to embrace the Light as it flowed into him, and as the last of it took refuge within his heart, Sora flexed as the Light of Second Form, took hold.
Sora then crossed his arms over his chest like an X, as he brought the two Lights within him togather once more, before throwing his arms out, as Solar flames burst forth. This time they didn't turn silver though.
Instead, the Kingdom Key turned solid gold while the Golden Gun formed. This time, the barrel sorted while the bottom elongated until it was the same length as Sora's Keyblade, and grew into a thick, one sided blade with a bird's wing, etched into the sides.
Sora smirked at a stunned and enraged Xôlak as he held his Golden Keyblade and Gunblade, at his sides "you never extinguished their Light, and now, together we'll end you with it!" Sora yelled as a Solar scarf, formed around his neck and trailed behind him, and sixteen stars, representing each Ghost and Guardian killed, appeared on his back, surrounding a golden heart.
Xôlak roared with rage, as he leaped at Sora, who crossed his blades to catch the downward strike with ease.
Sora then pulled the trigger of his Gunblade, while sending a supercharged fireball out from his Keyblade. The blast from both, disorienting and burning Xôlak, while propelling Sora's weapons with the recoil and slicing through some of Xôlak's blade, while sending him back.
Sora then charged forwards, leaving a trail of fire in his wake, before giving a double, upwards slash at Xôlak, firing off twice as he did. Once to give more momentum to his swings and a second time as it finished to hit Xôlak.
The Light Collector yelled in pain as he brought his blade around and traded blows with Sora, but the Guardian was far to fast and dexterous with both weapons, especially with the recoil powering his strikes, allowing Sora to block and retaliate to every strike with ease and move between each like flaming water.
Sora then dashed to the right with an explosive shot from his Gunblade, to avoid a downward swing, while leaving flaming trails in his wake, everywhere he went.
Sora then switched his Keyblade to a reverse grip and started spinning on his toes with his arms out, while firing off both weapons to build up speed and send flaming death in every direction.
Xôlak was forced to back up quickly and even then he still get hit far more then he would have liked, as Sora continued to move towards him, backing him up to the crevasse he'd opened.
Sora then leaped up and twisted in the air as he finished his spin and switched his Keyblade back to a normal grip as he brought both down in an overhead swing.
Xôlak dodged the slash but couldn't dodge the explosion that fallowed, sending him over the gap and back to the other side.
Sora waisted no time as he switched both weapons to a reverse grip and blasted himself to Xôlak again, leaving a trail of fire though the air.
Sora then dodged a horizontal slash, by firing his weapons again, sending him into a backflip, witch he used to slice into Xôlak's head and take out his right eye.
Xôlak screamed in pain while gripping his empty socket, as Sora landed behind him and proceeded into another spinning attack.
Xôlak managed to fight through the pain and block Sora spin. The Guardian only gave an unimpressed huff though, as he held the blade there with his Gunblade and hooked the teeth of his Keyblade on Xôlak's sword, before firing off a blast, letting the recoil pull the Key and shattering Xôlak's sword.
The Light Collector just stared in shock at his broken blade as Sora reverse gripped his weapons and blasted into a backflip and upward slash that sent Xôlak stumbling back.
Sora then landed a little ways back as he returned his weapons to a forward grip and crossed them so each was over an opposite shoulder while crouching down, before blasting himself forwards and taking out Xôlak's legs, sending him crashing to the ground.
Xôlak coughed up ichor as he lay their in pain and shock. He simply couldn't believe he was about to fall after coming so far and finally getting his own Throne World.
BANG!
Xôlak looked up at hearing those explosions and saw Sora, in the air above him and coming down on him. And in those last moments, Xôlak actually felt a sense of justification.
He hadn't been wrong like his brothers had said.
The Light was strong.
And with those last thoughts, Sora plunged both blades into Xôlak's blackened heart and unloaded into him, causing his body to explode in a brilliant burst of Solar flames.
The supernova, combined with the area's destabilization do to Xôlak's death. A true death, with his Throne World bleeding into the world as much as it was. Caused the pool to shrink once again as the crevasse disappeared and the Solar explosion grew, and the Hive that had been preforming the ritual were consumed in the Solar flare with their master.
A/N- Wow! Sorry for the long wait and the cliffhanger. I actually started writhing this as soon as I finished the last one but I just couldn't finish it.
Anyway, we're finally done with that one. Before anyone starts pointing fingers though, I want to say that Xôlak, while definitely powerful, was weaker the Crota, so Sora's still got tougher enemies to fight in the future.
But that's enough out of me. Please leave your thoughts and hopefully the next one won't take as long.