The seven members of the strike team boarded Naboris. When they entered the body of the Divine Beast, they heard Urbosa's voice. "Well, well, well. You all certainly know how to keep a lady waiting."
"Sorry," Link said. "Things were urgent everywhere."
"It might have been for thebest," she said. "The monster here knows what you did to its siblings. Since you taught it fear, I have been able to keep it from controlling Naboris as fully as it did. I haven't been able to stop it, but I have slowed it."
"That's good," Riju said.
"Riju. So you're helping Link. And I see you brought some more help," Urbosa said. "Good thinking. Though given that you found your sword, it might end up being overkill."
"One can never be too prepared," Dedue said.
"True enough," Urbosa agreed.
Link took out the Shiekah Slate. "Let's do this."
However, before he could use it to activate the controls, Flayn grabbed his shoulder. "Wait. Do you feel that?"
"I sense it too," Shez said. "Last time I felt this was the Blood Moon."
"Should we wait for morning?" Dedue asked.
"Unfortunately, that's not an option," Urbosa told them. "I won't be able to exert any control over Naboris during the Blood Moon. It will be free to attack Kara Kara Bazaar, or Gerudo City, unless you stop it now."
Sure enough, they felt Naboris shake and tilt as it stood up. Link looked at the others. "Get ready. Three...two..."
He activated the control unit, and stepped back as the Blight Ganon formed.
It, like the others, formed a mask, though this one was surprisingly tall and sharp-edged, almost like a wide blade. Orange constellation-like patterns covered it, save for the single blue eye in its center. A mane of long, red hair drooped down on either side of the mask, covering most of its torso and extending down to where it ended with no legs. Twin appendages formed arms, each ending in piece of Sheikah tech. Together, each arm sparked to life with a glowing, blue shield forming in the left arm while a long, hooked sword appeared in the other.
The blight in Naboris was far smaller than the others, slightly larger than the size of a man's head and torso, though it still floated a few feet above the ground, giving it a taller appearance.
"I have to admit, I'm a bit disappointed," Shez admitted, as he changed form and his second sword appeared in his hand.
The Blight Ganon charged at Link. It was fast. Link could barely keep up with it. Shez tried attacking it as well, but even with Shez's aid (and Shez was no slouch himself), they were still having trouble with it.
Flayn blasted the Blight with her light magic while it was busy with Link and Shez, but it wasn't nearly effective enough. The Blight darted out of Link and Shez's reach, then fired a Guardian blast at her from its eye.
It never hit her; Ingrid deflected it with her Mirror Shield. Shez then leapt at the Blight, slashing at it with his swords, but it quickly dodged out of the way and tried retaliating.
Dimitri was the one to save Shez; he threw his Ancient Spear at the Blight, hitting it perfectly in the eye. It was sent reeling, but it recovered too quickly for the others to take advantage.
The Blight Ganon changed tactics, dashing around and trying to cut Flayn down. Dedue interposed himself, blocking the Blight with his shield, and Ingrid slashed at it with her Ancient Sword.
But it wasn't effective enough. The Blight quickly changed direction and shoulder-checked Riju, knocking her to the ground and causing the Thunder Helm to fall from her head. Dashing out of the way of Link's retaliatory strike, it threw a huge blast of lightning at the two of them.
Riju had no time to don the Helm. Instead, she shoved Link out of the path of the lightning, absorbing it all. She screamed in pain, but she managed to throw the lightning back at the Blight.
It wasn't clear how much damage it did, but it was clear the Blight didn't like that.
Flayn cast a healing spell on Riju, and she stood back up.
"I have an idea!" Link said. "Can we force it to attack us in melee range?"
Riju put the Helm back on, and created a shield against lightning. While it tried its Guardian beam, Link and Ingrid kept deflecting its blasts back at it.
The Blight charged at Dimitri, but Shez threw his spear back to him, and he deflected the first blow. The Blight didn't get a second before Shez was on top of it. With the two of them, they were able to keep it busy.
Link quickly told Riju what he needed her to do, as he shot a Fire Arrow at the Blight. He meant to bait it into attacking him.
Instead, it went for Flayn, Dedue, and Ingrid. Link instinctively knew they wouldn't be fast enough to deflect its blow.
But before it could cut one of them down, its blade hit a bubble of solid golden light. The Blight looked past them, and everyone followed its gaze.
There, they saw Mercedes in the air, flying and surrounded by golden light.
The Blight tried to charge her, but shadowy tendrils caught it, keeping it from moving. It turned again to see Hubert behind it.
The tendrils held it in place for just long enough. Shez reached it first, cutting through its blade arm with the sword in his left hand. It broke through the tendrils to escape Shez's range, but it forgot about Link.
That was its last mistake. Calling on as much of the Master Sword's power as he could, he bisected it diagonally. It fell to the ground in two pieces, which dissolved in seconds.
"Perfect timing!" Urbosa said, her ghost appearing in person. "You all certainly didn't disappoint!"
"That was too close," Ingrid said. She looked at Mercedes. "You can fly now?"
Mercedes looked at herself. "Apparently. I didn't realize I could until just now."
"Can you also fly, Hubert?" Dimitri asked.
"No. But it seems that I can travel very quickly through unbroken, natural shadows," Hubert said. "We were the only ones who could get to you safely."
"Thankfully, we were enough," Mercedes said.
Ingrid's shoulders slumped. "Great. I guess we weren't needed here after all."
"I wouldn't say that," Urbosa said. "You made excellent bait for the Blight's attack."
This didn't seem to improve Ingrid's mood. "I'll tell you what, Ingrid," Urbosa said. "I will teach you everything I can about fighting. It won't be easy, but you won't be caught unprepared by an enemy like this again." She turned to Dimitri and Dedue. "I would make the two of you the same offer, but I'm utterly hopeless with a spear or an axe. I apologize."
"It's all right," Dimitri assured her.
"So, Calamity Ganon is all that's left?" Urbosa asked. "Did you know that our histories state that Ganon once adopted the form of a Gerudo?"
"No, I didn't," Link said.
Her lips formed a flat line. "Yes. Whether it was originally one of us, or if it was just a disguise, I don't know, and I don't care. I have always considered that to be a stain on my people's history—and it is one that I intend to see wiped clean."
Link didn't have any thoughts on this, but the Fódlani seemed to understand her feelings.
"Good work with the family gift, Riju," Urbosa commented. "I think it won't be long before you won't even need the Thunder Helm."
"Really?" Riju asked.
"Tell me what has been going on with the Gerudo since the Calamity," Urbosa said.
"Maybe we should leave them to it," Flayn said to the others in the Company, and they left to give the two some privacy.