Chapter 48: Brothers in arms
Reinhard, Felt, Old Man Rom, Garfiel, and Otto all five quickly go around the city and save a couple of citizens from both the heartless and the Witch cult. Reinhard and Old Man Rom work together to take care of the witch cultists or heartless while Garfiel, Felt, and Otto make sure the citizens are alright before sending them off to go find a safe place to hideout. While they were going around the city, the group managed to take a small moment to rest.
"How are you two holding up?"
"My amazin' self's aight."
"Yeah, I'm also alright Reinhard-san. How are you and your friend doing?"
"We are alright, though I would wish for Felt-sama to not be in the battlefield with us."
Reinhard says this as he was watching Felt and Old Man Rom speak, having a bad feeling that something could happen to his lady. Garfiel and Otto both looked at each other for a brief moment before nodding, both of them understanding Reinhard's fear.
"It is understandable that you would want Felt-sama safe, being that she is a young girl and a royal candidate yet you must also keep in mind of her own choice, Reinhard-san."
"Ya, she ain't some defenseless lil' girl, she's strong'n her own right."
Reinhard looked at both Otto and Garfiel before turning towards Felt, understanding their point that his lady is capable of herself yet he still feels the need to protect her. He looks at his Dragon Sword Reid for a moment before speaking his mind in regards to what his two allies had told him.
"You both make good points, Felt-sama is capable but as her knight, I just want to protect her from any danger thrown her way."
Otto and Garfiel both nodded in understanding, Garfiel knows how the Sword Saint feels since he is the Shield of Sanctuary while Otto also understood this since he wishes to protect his friends despite him being weak. As the three continued a small conversation regarding the situation they find themselves, they all hear screams coming from a hallway nearby. Felt and Old Man Rom both approached the three boys with their weapons ready.
"We should check that out."
"Agreed."
Reinhard nodded at what Old Man Rom said and quickly the group headed towards the hallway only for something to hit Otto, Garfiel, and Old Man Rom. Reinhard was able to grab Felt and move out of the way in order to avoid the attack.
As Reinhard landed on his feet from jumping away from the attack, he set Felt down before the two watched a heartless with the main body being a decrepit, black coffin with pale gold lining while being surrounding by a large silver chain, has two large, silver nails driven partway into it and has a small hole near its top where a single, glowing yellow eye peers out.
"What the hell is that?"
"Seems like a heartless. Don't worry Felt-sama, I will protect you."
Reinhard looked at the Leechgrave for a moment before trying to pull his main sword only to see that the heartless is not worthy of the Dragon Sword Reid. This disappointed him since he wished to use his main sword yet he understood that this heartless isn't too big of a threat for him. As Reinhard was going to pull out a basic sword he brought with him, Garfiel and Old Man Rom got back up and went to face off the Leechgrave only for a couple Tentaclaws to appear out of nowhere to attack the pair.
"Da fuck!"
"Careful boy!"
Old Man Rom quickly moved towards Garfiel's position before hitting away the Tentaclaw that was attempting to attack Garfiel from his back while he was distracted. Garfiel noticed this and quickly turned towards the one Tentaclaw trying to attack Old Man Rom.
He got in between the two and managed to take down the Tentaclaw in one hit. As he does this, another Tentaclaw attempts to attack the demi-human boy yet an explosion happens nearby. He looks at the aftermath of the explosion to see that it was powerful enough to take down the Tentaclaw. After seeing this, he looked to see that Otto had assisted him.
"Thanks bro!"
"No problem bro!"
The two nodded at each other before Garfiel returned his focus on the Tentaclaw that was on his left side while Otto went to be by Reinhard and Felt's side. As the merchant went where both Felt and Reinhard are at, Reinhard had his secondary sword ready for battle. He asked Otto to protect Felt for him before he started to approach the large heartless.
"Let me show you the power of the Sword Saint, heartless."
Reinhard had his secondary sword to glow with mana, prepared to take down the heartless in one hit. The Sword Saint waited until both Garfiel and Old Man Rom jumped out of the way before using The Swordplay of the Astrea Family to finish the Leechgrave. Garfiel and Otto were both completely stunned by this attack.
"Th-This...is the power of the Sword Saint..."
"Tis's amazin'!"
Otto and Garfiel were both stunned by this, surprised by the power demonstrated from the Sword Saint. The two watched with a critical eye on how the Sword Saint was easily able to finish the large heartless in one hit. As the heartless had disappeared, the group looked around to make sure that there aren't any heartless nearby. As they looked, a corridor of darkness appeared for a moment before Saix walked out to reveal himself as the next obstacle.
"You again!?"
Garfiel spoke in a hostile manner as he hasn't seen the Organization member in over a year. Reinhard looked at Garfiel and Otto to see that they are hostile looking towards Saix, making him aware that he should tread carefully. Before he could do something, Felt and Old Man Rom walked towards Reinhard to check what was going on.
"What is going on here, Rein?"
"Felt-sama, Valga-san, please step back. There is one of those Organization members here."
Felt and Old Man Rom both noticed what the Sword Saint said and quickly got their weapons ready for a fight. Reinhard approached his two allies and asked them in a calm fashion, "Do you all need some assistance with him?"
"No, me and bro here'll take 'em on our own!"
"You should probably go on without us, Reinhard-san. Garfiel and I can handle him."
"Are you sure? I can provide some assistance."
Garfiel and Otto both looked at each other before nodding in unison, agreeing on something before they both turned towards the Sword Saint with Otto being the one to respond.
"Reinhard-san, allow us to handle this. The citizens of Priestella need your help."
"Ye can trust us."
Reinhard looked at the two boys and can tell that they are motivated and determined to face off the Organization member. Although he wished to help them, he nodded at the two boys before telling Old Man Rom and Felt that they should get going.
"But we should help them."
"I know Felt-sama but we must let them fight. We also must help other citizens in case they are in need of assistance."
Felt stood silent for a moment before nodding at Reinhard, seeing how determined Garfiel and Otto were when they prepared themselves for a fight against Saix. As Felt, Old Man Rom, and Reinhard were leaving, Old Man Rom patted Garfiel in the back before wishing him good luck on his fight.
As they head towards a hallway leading towards another area that could have people in need of help, Reinhard and Old Man Rom both noticed that Felt was calling for help.
"What the?"
"What are you doing?"
The two had turned towards their back side to see that Heinkel had somehow captured Felt under their nose. He was holding his sword on Felt's throat while giving his own son a serious look.
"You will be protecting me while the Witch cult bastards are here, otherwise this dirtbag will never see the light of day again."
"You little piece of shit!"
Old Man Rom tried to get closer yet Heinkel looked at him with disgust before moving his sword closer to Felt's throat.
"Not so close, you monster. If either of you do something stupid, she dies."
Old Man Rom was angered by this and was going to tell something to Reinhard, wanting to blame the boy but has he looked at the boy, he could see anger in his eyes but also disappointment.
This made Rom understand that this isn't nowhere near Reinhard's fault and can see that he is torn since he wants to save Felt but also wants to help any citizens that are in danger. He turned towards Reinhard and patted him in the shoulder before saying,
"Don't worry kid, I can go help the citizens of the watergate city. I'll go get the other three we recruited months ago to assist me, just protect Felt for me."
Reinhard looked at Old Man Rom with a surprised look as he did not expected the big man to trust him with Felt. This caused him to smile before giving him a nod, understanding that he as to protect his lady.
"I will not fail, Valga-san."
Old Man Rom nodded at Reinhard before going off on his own, preparing to face any threat on his own should it come to it. As Old Man Rom left, Reinhard turned towards his father and began to follow him towards one of his safe places in the city. While they were leaving, someone in a hood was watching them from the rooftop and got ready to follow the trio.
A few months ago:
Garfiel was practicing his punches on his own since Sora, Subaru, Rem, and Beatrice went with Otto to help his old homelands and to clear his name. While he was on his own in the field training, Petra and Frederica both arrived.
"Garf, you wanted to see me?"
"Yes sis, I wanted to ask ya somethin."
"What is it?"
Garfiel quickly went towards one place in the field before pulling out two shields, catching the attention of Frederica and a curious look from Petra. Garfiel put one of his shields on before trying to give the other one
"Here. Can you please train with my amazin' self, sis?"
"Garf, you know that I'm working right now."
"I know, so I ask Ram and...new mom...if they can cover for ya."
Garfiel was still very thrown off to have a new mother figure, fearing that he would end up getting hurt but after having spent time with Subaru and his parents, he got close enough to want to have someone to look up to.
Frederica noticed that Garfiel is still very hesitant when calling Naoko as mom, even she is very uncomfortable in saying this yet she did accepted being a part of the Natsuki family though both Garfiel and her kept their last names in respects to their parents.
"Are you okay Garf?"
"My amazin' self's good, just wanna keep trainin'n well yer't only one I got't train here."
Frederica looked at the shield Garfiel was trying to hand him over, having fond memories of when the two were playing back before she left Sanctuary. She turned towards Petra and asked if she could step back a few feet to avoid getting dirt on her maid uniform. Petra nodded and walked a few feet away just as instructed while Frederica put on the shield.
"You know Garf, I'm still the superior fighter."
"Don't care sis, My amazin' self'll win th's time."
Frederica smiled before the two siblings started their training session with Garfiel going on the offensive first. Frederica was not surprised by this and quickly dodged all of her brother's attacks with ease before trying to hit his face. Garfiel waited for this exact moment to happen before quickly managing to dodge the attack while at the same time he landed a hit on his sister's chest.
'Got ya now, sis.'
Frederica was sent back a few feet away with her free hand holding the area Garfiel hit while Garfiel stood standing proudly. Frederica was surprised by this as she didn't expect to be hit by him. She looks up and nods at her brother with respect before speaking to him,
"I might have underestimated you a bit, Garf."
"I've gotten stronger, sis. Thanks't Master'n Cap'n, I'm fightin' smarter."
"I'm proud to hear that, Garf. That means I will have to take this more seriously."
"Sounds fun, sis."
Garfiel hit both his hands knuckles together before getting himself into his fighting stance, preparing himself for whatever his sister will throw at him. Frederica waited for a moment to get her bearings before charging towards her brother, prepared to beat him.
Garfiel smiled at this before blocking each of her attacks, using Sora's teachings to pay close attention to his opponent's movements. As Frederica was giving it her all to trick her brother into make a wrong move, Garfiel waited for a moment before managing to change the fight to his favor.
"Got ya now, sis!"
Garfiel quickly landed another hit on Frederica yet the one thing he didn't account was that his sister was ready for this attack. As she took in the pain of the hit, she used her shield to hit Garfiel across the face. This caused Garfiel to lose his balance to recover while Petra cheered for Frederica to win. The big maid smiled at the little maid before quickly landed a few hits on her brother, forcing Garfiel to think of some kind of plan to change the fight back to his favor.
'Grr. Can't lost't my sis like th's!'
Garfiel continued to receive a couple of hits before finally finding a way to block off Frederica's finishing blow. As he used his shield to defend himself, he quickly was able to turn the fight in his favor by using Subaru's technique of grabbing some dirt from the ground and throwing it to his opponent.
Garfiel did this which gave him the advantage to land a couple of hits before eventually preparing his finishing blow. As he swings his hand to end the training session, he feels something grab his leg, something long, yellow, and very soft fur.
"What-"
Garfiel looked down before he ends up getting pulled from his leg, causing him to lose his balance and to fall onto his back. As he fell, he could feel his back hurting from this but before anything could happen, he was caught off guard when he received a random hit to the face.
"You should really learn to fight much better, Garf. You may be stronger than me but I'm still more skilled."
"I know sis."
Garfiel got up and cleaned his dirty clothing for a moment before looked at his sister and bowing with respect, something she did not expected since each time he would lose, he would always throw a tantrum.
"Thank you sis for'th's tranin' session. Th's was fun."
"Um...no problem Garf."
"How are you two holding up?"
Both Garfiel and Frederica noticed the question and quickly turned to see Ryuzu there with them, surprising them since they weren't expecting her walking around at this time of the day.
"We'r doin good granny, wh't' brings ya out here?"
"I wanted to check on you two, Young Garf. I watched from a distance with Young Petra your dual."
"What'd ya think 'bout it, granny?"
"You have really matured Young Garf, normally you would be angry but you are not angry about it."
"Yes, it seems Garf is turning into a proud adult."
Garfiel just smiled it off before giving Sora credit for teaching him to not be angry when losing a sparring lesson. Having recalled his match, he had let his guard down and Frederica with her tail managed to get the best of him, making him realize where he needs to work on. He turns towards Frederica and thanks her for the training session before heading towards the mansion with Petra telling Garfiel that he did pretty good.
Garfiel turned towards Otto and quickly asked him if he can provide cover while he goes and faces Saix face to face. Otto took note of this and nodded, knowing that he isn't physically able to fight.
"Don't worry Garfiel-san, I will provide cover."
"I trust ya."
The two nod at each other in unison before Garfiel slowly approaches Saix, having been waiting for a chance to fight the Organization member for a third time. As Garfiel was preparing himself for combat, Saix just gave the demi-human boy a look before summoning his Claymore.
"Seems like my amazin' self'll kick yer ass th's time."
"Hmph. You were not strong before, you are not strong now."
"Let's see 'bout that!"
Garfiel and Saix both charged at each other, both ready for a fight. Otto looked at his bag and could see that he only has three fire crystals left, meaning that he needs to use these wisely. Otto looked and waited for his moment to help, seeing Garfiel being able to clash with Saix. As the two were giving it their all, Otto started to think to himself.
'I know this fight will be tough, Garfiel-san, but no matter what I will help you...brother.'
Otto smiled as he sees his spiritual brother fight off against a more powerful version of Saix since the Organization member started to glow, alerting the two that he is in a stronger form. Garfiel smiled at this with excitement and quickly hit his fists together before charging at his opponent.
"Tis'll be fun...N'th's time'll beat yer ass!"
Garfiel went for an attack only for Saix to block it off with such ease, not impressed that the demi-human thinks that he stands a chance. Garfiel was going attack after attack but at the same time he wasn't going all out, wanting to save his trump card just like his sister and his master had taught him.
Saix continued to block for a moment before swinging his Claymore towards Garfiel's face in order to end the fight yet to his surprise Garfiel was able to block it off.
"Hmm. You have gotten much stronger than expected."
Saix jumped back yet Garfiel did not allowed the Organization member to gain his distance from the fight, going on an aggressive offense. Saix noticed this and quickly blocked off each attack, having taken notice that his opponent's strength had increase.
As Saix and Garfiel continued to fight, Otto waited for a moment before participating in the fight by casting Dona. As he casted an earth spell to hit Saix, Garfiel took the opportunity to hit the Organization member just has he was distracted.
"Take th's!"
As Garfiel managed to land a powerful hit on Saix's chest, sending the Organization member flying into a building. As Garfiel did this, he turned towards Otto and nodded at him a thanks, thanking him for the assist. He landed on his feet and started to approach the building he sent Saix flying while keeping his guard up.
As he was getting closer and closer, he noticed a bright light of power which caused him ton instinctively jump back. As he gained some distance, he heard Saix speak before an explosion occurred on the pile of rubble.
"I call on the moon's pale light!"
As the explosion occurred, Saix was on his berserk mode with four claymores floating around him and his body was glowing blue with his eyes glowing yellow. Both Otto and Garfiel noticed this, causing Otto to be engulfed with fear while Garfiel had some excitement in his eyes, ready to face a more powerful version of Saix.
"Now'th's a challenge for my amazin' self!"
Garfiel got himself into his fighting pose and waited until his opponent did the first move, that being Saix going into the air for a moment before sending his four claymores around the area.
As they hit the ground, each one began to explode which forced Otto and Garfiel to gain their distance from the Claymore to avoid getting caught by the explosion. As they avoided the explosion nearby, Garfiel looked at Saix to see him closing in while hitting ground with his claymore, creating both craters and explosions.
'Shit! Better be careful.'
Garfiel thought to himself as he realized that Saix's berserk form is much tougher than before, forcing him to rely on strategy rather than strength. Saix got close to Garfiel before creating another four claymores out of thin air before using them to increase his explosive attacks. Garfiel realized this and quickly moved his arms towards his face to cover himself a bit in hopes of not being taken down by the attack.
"Ul Dona!"
Otto shouted as he used another bit of mana he still had in store to assist Garfiel by creating a rock wall to protect the demi-human from Saix's attack. The Organization member noticed this and quickly hit the wall, causing it to explode with Garfiel being caught by some of the impact.
Otto watched with a bit of worry for Garfiel's safety, causing him to grab one of the red crystals from his bag, preparing to use it. As he prepared to use it, he noticed Garfiel still standing proudly with the demi-human boy taking off his battle damaged loincloth, showing off his muscles.
'Hmm. Impressive.'
Otto smiled as he can see that even though Saix as gotten much stronger, Garfiel as yet to have given up. This made the merchant proud of his brother, prepared to use his red crystals in the case he needs to help his bro again. Garfiel and Saix both had a stare down for a moment before both warriors charged each other.
"I ain't gonna lose!"
"..."
Saix stood silent while he closed in on Garfiel, prepared to land a powerful hit onto his opponent. Garfiel noticed this and quickly dodged the attack, just barely avoiding the hit. As he avoided it, Saix's claymore hit the ground which caused a powerful explosion to occur near the demi-human boy. Garfiel using his skills managed to move away from the impact just in time to see one of the claymores floating to be sent towards him.
'I gotta be ready for this fight. He ain't gonna beat me th's time!'
Garfiel with his resolve strengthened, he dodged a couple of Saix's deadly and fatal attacks before going on the offensive. As Garfiel with an increase in his strength landed a powerful hit on Saix's face, Garfiel looked to see his opponent unfaced by the attack. This left Garfiel dumbfounded for a moment before quickly dodging a couple of attacks, paying attention to the Organization member's attacks. This went on for a moment before Saix finally landed a clean hit on the boy, sending him flying into a building.
"Oh no you don't!"
Otto quickly pulled out his red crystal and threw it directly at Saix, not liking how he managed to land a deadly hit on his bro. Saix noticed this and quickly send one of his floating claymores towards Otto's position. The Claymore weapon and Otto's red crystal clashed for a moment with the crystal exploding. Otto saw this and waited for a second before seeing the claymore still moving towards him.
"Ahhhhhh!"
Otto barely dodged the claymore, feeling it the wind it produced hit his face for a moment before feeling the impact of the explosion from the claymore when it hit the building behind him. Otto got up and was prepared to run until he noticed Garfiel getting up from some rubble, showing that his left arm was bleeding yet nothing too bad that he can't use it.
He looked at Saix with anger in his eyes, remembering the feeling of his first encounter with Saix back in Sanctuary when he was easily being humiliated. He looked at his hand and was tempted to use his transformation yet something Ram said to him a year ago stopped him.
("Now I don't mean for you to abandon all rationality and transformation, in fact I will mention that your transformation makes you even weaker than when you are thinking. You become a bigger target and your weapons are slow. Stay in human form, focus on your opponent, and fight without thinking.")
'My amazin' self'll become a target should I use that transformation...meanin I'll use it as my last resort.'
Garfiel nodded at himself before charging at Saix without any hesitation, prepared to deal with whatever his opponent will throw at him. As Garfiel was closing in, Saix teleported up onto the sky and started to quickly throw his four floating claymores to the ground to create four large explosions.
As one of the claymores was heading towards Garfiel's direction, the demi-human boy jumped head on towards the charging claymore and quickly managed to grab the holder before throwing it back to Saix.
"Take th's back, asshole!"
As Garfiel send the claymore back towards Saix, the Organization member noticed this and quickly tried to dodge it only for it to blow up on him. Garfiel and Otto both cheered for a moment on Garfiel's efforts only to see Saix charging at the demi-human boy with immense speed.
"Crap..."
Garfiel tried to dodge the attack yet he wasn't fast enough to, having felt a powerful blow to his chest before being sent towards the ground in immense speed, creating a crater.
"Garfiel!"
Otto shouted in fear of his friend and brother, causing him to pull out another red crystal, ready to use it.
Meanwhile, Priscilla and Al were both continuing to hold their own with Vanitas while Sirius gave herself a moment to recover from a deadly hit from the Organization member. As both Priscilla and Al were catching their breath, Vanitas looked at the two with disgust before shooting a dark fireball towards the knight. Al noticed this and was prepared to take the attack yet Priscilla kicked him in the helmet before jumping away, causing the two to dodge the attack.
"Now that was interesting to see. So you do care for your lacky."
"Hmph. Aldebaran is my dog, nobody is harming my own pet but me."
"Princess..." Al was conflicted with hearing Priscilla addressing him as Aldebaran once again yet he was still grateful that she saved him. He got up and quickly increased his threatening aura which got Vanitas' attention.
"Hmm. Are you actually going to put up a fight or is that aura of yours just some bluff?"
"Don't underestimate me. I've dealt with lots of shit in this world, I won't be losing to some punk like you."
"You are quite prideful, Aldebaran."
"The name is Al!"
Al charged at Vanitas with anger underneath his helmet, prepared to give his best attack that he believed would do the finishing blow. As he was closing in, Sirius returned to the battle and started to throw fire at everyone, forcing Al's attention to change. As Sirius was throwing fire at the three, Al and Priscilla both reunite in one area only for Priscilla to fall on one knee.
"Princess? What's wrong?"
Priscilla looked angrily at Al for a moment before looking at both Vanitas and Sirius with that angry expression, hating how weak she feels. Just as things seem to be brim, three bells appear on top of both Al and Priscilla before a green circle surrounds the pair, restoring their strength, stamina, and healing all wounds. The two looked at their left side to see Sora, Rem, Subaru, Beatrice, and Julius arrive to the scene. Sora went to help Priscilla on her feet and to his surprise, she accepted the offer.
"I appreciate your assistance, Keyblade Master."
"Yes Bro, it seemed like we were at our limit."
"Don't you worry, we can handle the rest here."
"Now hold on, I know the world brought you to me, but I will not allow you to take away my chance to fight."
Sora looked at Priscilla and could tell that she did not appreciate him taking over for her, making him see that if he tried to push Priscilla to get to safety, she will only retaliate and be even more stubborn. He crossed his arms and thought for a moment before turning towards Sirius and Vanitas' direction, seeing the two having their fight. He stood silent for a moment before nodding at Priscilla, allowing her to continue her fight.
"I will let you face Vanitas with my group, I will handle the Sin Archbishop of Wrath."
"Wouldn't it be more fitting to have someone fighting by your side?" Priscilla asked with a curious facial expression.
"I would but something about her isn't right...I don't know who is immune to her abilities, so I don't want to risk it. I should face her alone, but I know I will have all of your strengths with me."
Priscilla stood silent by this and normally she would be annoyed by something like this but having seen Sora defeat the Sword Saint a year ago with this mindset, she allowed it for the Keyblade Master. She nodded before telling Al to follow her to help Subaru and the others, leaving Sora to mentally prepare himself to face off Sirius once again.
'I better have The Sin Archbishop of Wrath away from everyone to avoid losing anybody with whatever her power is.'
Sora approaches Subaru and the others to alert them that their job is to beat Vanitas while he takes care of Sirius. Subaru was the first to speak out about his master wanting to face The Sin Archbishop of Wrath on his own.
"Master Sora, you shouldn't be the only one fighting off Sirius on your own. Allow any one of us to accompany you in this fight."
"Yes, allow me to join you, Sora." Rem says this as she agrees with what Subaru said.
"I know but her ability is very tricky, and I have no clue which one of you would be unaffected by it. Besides, Vanitas requires all your attention without me. Just trust that I have all of your strength with me."
Rem, Subaru, Beatrice, and Julius were hesitant about this yet they nodded at the Keyblade Master, understanding that he can hold his own and will be okay. Sora smiled at them before turning his attention to Sirius and Vanitas' fight, Kingdom Key in his hand. He waited for a moment before jumping into the fight, surprising both Vanitas and Sirius.
As Sora joined in the middle of the fight, he quickly turned towards Sirius and hit her in the stomach, sending her flying into a building nearby. This caught Vanitas off guard and was even more surprised when Sora just focused on Sirius rather than him. Before he could do anything, he heard someone yell out Fira. This caused Vanitas to turned towards the attack that was approaching him and easily deflected it away.
"Seems like I got your attention, asshole. Time for some payback."
Vanitas looked directly at Subaru, slightly annoyed to see the fake keyblade wielder despite Subaru having proved himself to be worthy of the Keyblade. Before he could do anything, he noticed Beatrice and the others joining in along with Al and Priscilla.
"Hm. Seems like you are pathetic enough to have others to help you out."
"Don't talk to Subaru's Betty in such disrespect, I suppose!"
"Hahaha. That's just pathetic, a little girl has to defend you."
"Do not disrespect Beatrice-sama or Natsuki Subaru."
Vanitas looked to see Rem defending both Beatrice and Subaru, having his curiosity grow since he recalls that Rem is not the same one from before. He pointed his keyblade at the blue-haired maid before speaking.
"Why do you fight for them? They literally mean nothing to you, empty shell."
"...maybe, but they have been helping me, taking care of me. Although Natsuki Subaru does stink, he is still my ally."
"Hey! Was that necessary?!"
"You sadly do have the horrible witch's scent, I suppose."
"Not you too, Beako!"
Julius and Al both chuckled at seeing this while Priscilla had no thought about it, only rage towards Vanitas. The organization member was annoyed by this, making him start the fight by charging at the group. Julius quickly charged at Vanitas and barely managed to counter his attack with the help of his quasi spirits. Rem and Al both charged together to assist Julius with Al feeling disturbed inside due to him fighting along side an Oni like Rem.
'I hate this. I hate this very much...but to protect the princess...then it is a needed sacrifice.'
Al and Rem closed in on Vanitas before landing a hit on the Organization member's sides, both warriors proud for a brief moment before seeing that Vanitas was a mirage of himself once again.
"This is honestly annoyed as fuck!"
Al was frustrated by this with Julius aware of this ability from his opponent meanwhile Rem was surprised. They all looked around to find Vanitas only for the Organization member to appear near Rem, prepared to take down the oni maid. As he is closing in, Priscilla jumped in between the two and blocked off the attack.
"You will not be striking this maid down in such an underhanded way."
"You are pretty annoying!"
Vanitas pushed Priscilla back before going into a dark sphere, making Al and Priscilla alerted of an impending attack headed their way. The group sticks together and waited until the dark versions of Vanitas start popping out one at a time to attack the group.
Julius and Al both went charging in first with Al somehow being able to dodge each attack without even trying while Julius' strength was able to destroy the shadows in a few hits. Beatrice used Al Minya to the best of her ability to push back any Vanitas shadows charging at them with Rem taking any that are too close to Beatrice or Subaru. Subaru took this opportunity to think carefully on what his move should be.
'Although we are able to at the very least take down the shadows of this bastard, who knows how long before they start to overwhelm us. I could use the invisible providence but the more I use it, the more it feels like my soul is tearing itself apart. I may have had Beako help me with this but I already used all of the times I can do this without the penalties up.'
Subaru thought and thought for a bit before making his final choice, knowing the risks of using invisible providence yet he had to take the hit. He focused his mind in creating his version of the unseen hand, knowing how dangerous it is for him yet he needs to contribute in some way.
As he summons his invisible providence from his chest and barely manages to reach Vanitas' sphere, somehow being able to enter it and punch the Organization member out. This surprises Vanitas due to how unexpected the attack was while Subaru feel to the ground, vomiting from the experience.
"Are you okay?"
"Don't worry Beako...I'll be fine...as long as I got that prick...I'll be okay..."
"Don't do stupid things like that, in fact!"
Beatrice hit Subaru in the head as she realized what he had done. As Subaru's back of his head hurt, the two noticed Vanitas walking towards the group. Although he was wearing a mask, they can tell that he is very angry. Al and Julius were the first two to go and fight off Vanitas only for the boy to summon a large amount of unversed to attack the two, forcing them to focus on the unversed.
"Don't worry, I can handle this dog on my own."
Priscilla spoke with a new found strength, this time she believes that her good luck will help her out in defeating Vanitas. Rem assisted Subaru in getting on his feet before using a potion she had been given by Sora prior to having arrived to the watercity gate of Priestella. This helped restore Subaru's strength, giving him the strength to return back into the fight.
"Thank you for that, Rem."
Rem gave Subaru a nod before the two along with Beatrice returned their focus on the fight, seeing Priscilla holding her own against Vanitas. They all watched on how Priscilla was able to keep up with the aggressive Vanitas for a bit until the Organization member was starting to summon a large amounts of fireballs. Rem, Subaru, and Beatrice all joined in to help Priscilla push off the attack with Subaru casting Reflecta to shield them all.
"Nice try asshole but we aren't going to lose here!"
"My, you sure talk a lot for a fake keyblade wielder. Allow me to rip that pride off of you myself!"
Vanitas charged towards the group in rapid speed only to be stopped when Rem with her oni powers on full display charges towards him and clashes. The two were able to counter the other's attack yet they were both send flying on the opposite directions. As Rem was falling, Beatrice used her yin magic to have the oni maid move slowly in the air to gain enough time to land safely.
As this was happening, Subaru with all of his magic power from the keyblade summoned Thundera to hit Vanitas. A powerful lighting bolt shot down from the sky and managed to hit the Organization member only to reveal that it was a mirage once again.
'Damn this asshole is quite persistent.'
Subaru and the others all looked around until Beatrice spotted Vanitas teleport on top of Subaru. The boy turned towards Vanitas and quickly shouted to Beatrice, "Beako, E.M.M!"
"E.M.M?"
Vanitas questioned this for a second, yet he pressed on and tried to kill the boy with one slash only to realize that his attack had no effect on the boy. This confused him for a bit, causing him to throw a barrage of fireballs directly towards the boy only for none to hit him.
"Hmm. Seems like your usual tricks won't work, asshole. Now brace yourself! El Shamak!"
Subaru with covers the area in a black smoke, causing Vanitas to not be able to sense anything which does catches him off guard. While this was going on, Subaru's barrier created by Beatrice had lifted which allowed him to run towards his opponent with keyblade in hand.
He got closer and closer to Vanitas until he was close enough to swing his keyblade, ready to hit and to his surprise he connected. Vanitas was sent flying out of the black smoke with minimal injuries.
"I guess I better go all out now...you have earned my wrath!"
Vanitas engulfed himself with darkness, embracing that power inside of him while Julius and Al managed to finish off the unversed, both returning to the group to face off Vanitas.
As Subaru and the group do everything they can against Vanitas, Sora manages to get Sirius into an isolated place to have a safe area to fight. The two look at each other with a serious look before Sirius started the fight by throwing her chains all around the area before aiming them towards the Keyblade Master.
Sora prepared his defense and deflected each attack with ease, having been strong enough to defend himself until he noticed the Sin Archbishop of Wrath charge at him with hate in her eyes.
"You wanted to keep me from my love! You wanted me to believe he was dead so that whore with the silver hair can have him! I will not let you leave this place alive!"
Sora could feel an enormous amount of hatred coming from the Sin Archbishop of Wrath, making him warry of her for a moment before regaining his focus. He dodged every single attack from close range, not giving his opponent the opportunity to land any hit on him.
As he dodged each of the chains targeted towards him, he quickly managed to jump far back to gain some distance in order for the Keyblade Master to use Blizzaga on Sirius. The Sin Archbishop of Wrath had noticed this and expected this as well. She increased her fire attack before throwing it towards Sora's attack.
"I will not fall for this again! I will beat you and reunite with my love, Petelguese Romanee-Conti...I will burn you and send you to your death!"
Sirius' attack and Sora's attack clashed with their fire and ice countering each other. As both of their attacks had been countered by the other, the two fighters charged at each other with Sora and Sirius ready to give it their all to win. Sirius desires to win in order to get to Subaru, who she confuses for Petelguese, while Sora desires to win this battle for the safety of his friends and the innocent people of Priestella. The two clashed for a briefest of moments with the two being on equal strength until Sora glowed for a moment to reveal that he is in his second form with his color scheme being similar to the one of his second journey.
"I won't be holding anything back, Sirius Romanee-Conti."
"Yes, call me by my beloved's name! Yes! That's the respect I want! Now stand still! Beg! And then die a hellish death!"
Sirius laughed for a bit before throwing everything she had towards the Keyblade Master, wanting to kill him as soon as possible so she can go see Subaru. Sora knew this and quickly fought with all he had, being able to outsmart Sirius in a few attacks and dodge a couple until he finally found his opening that allowed him to gain the advantage.
'I have to beat her here and now...I can't let her get away or she will harm my friends!'
Sora was able to draw all of his strength from his allies just by thinking about them, giving him enough power to change the fight into his favor. The Keyblade Master gave it his all, pushing Sirius back far enough to the point where she was unable to keep up. After a barrage of attacks, Sora managed to use all of his power in one attack, hitting Sirius and sending her flying a couple of feet away.
Before Sirius could recover, Sora with all of his strength threw his keyblade directly at the sin Archbishop of Wrath, knowing that this was his one and only chance in ending the fight. As the keyblade hits Sirius, she is out of balance for a moment but before she could regain her focus, Sora jumped high and summoned his keyblade back to him before coming down with one final attack.
"This is for my friends!"
Sora sliced Sirius through the front side with all of his strength, managing to provide the finishing blow as Sirius fell on her knees and could see that she is disappearing. Sora looks at the woman who was crying with sympathy as he reverted back to his normal attire.
"I'm...sorry but you were going to harm my friend."
"I know. I know. Just...take care of him...he is...he is...the most important thing to me. The witch ruined him, blinded him! But maybe with you...things might be...different..."
Sora looked at Sirius and nodded with respect, although she was talking about Petelguese, he did not wanted to show disrespect to his opponent. Sirius noticed this and had a normal calm smile before accepting her death. As she disappeared from the world similar to how the Organization members would disappear once they were defeated, Sora closed his eyes in respect for a moment before preparing to head off to help the others with Vanitas.
As Sora was about to leave, he sensed that something was not right. He turned towards his back to see a girl with long and transparent platinum hair with only a white cloth covering her petite body. He stood silent for a moment before pulling out his Keyblade.
"Who are you?"
"You are interesting. You defeated Cardinal Sirius. You are not from this world."
"..."
Sora was silent as the petite girl was speaking with a soothing voice yet underneath the soothing and magic voice, he can tell that she should not be taken lightly. He can feel an important aura from her, making him wary. The girl looked at Sora with a curious facial expression since she was interested in the weapon he was holding.
"Is that a Keyblade?"
"Wait...are you aware of the keyblade?"
"Yes. Many years ago, two others had the keyblade but they have not returned. I only know the name of the weapon but not what it does."
Sora took note on one important detail the petite girl said, that two others had arrived to this world years ago. Going from what Wilhelm had told him in the aftermath of the attack on the capital, the two people this girl was probably mentioning was Eraqus and Xehanort. Before he could say anything, he sensed an immense power of darkness which caught his attention.
"You are busy with the intruders. I will not halt you any longer. Before you leave, could I have your name?"
Sora paused himself for a moment before looking at the petite girl with a proud smile.
"My name is Sora, the Keyblade's chosen one."
"Sora, that is a nice name for a pure hearted boy. I will be eagerly awaiting our wonderful reunion."
"Wha-"
Sora was cut off when he saw the petite girl disappear as if she was never there before, leaving the Keyblade Wielder confused. He was unsure on what to think of the petite girl yet he managed to regain focus as he can feel Subaru going into a formchange. As Sora was running towards the location of the rest of his group, the petite girl watched from a distance with a smile on her face.
Julius and Subaru both charged at Vanitas with everything they got only for Vanitas to easily to knock the two away with just one hit. As this happened, Rem with her full oni powers jumped towards the Organization member with everything she had yet much like her two allies, she was knocked away with ease. Al and Priscilla both noticed this and knew that they have to fight in a specific way if they don't want to be easily taken down.
"What is the plan, princess?"
"Hmph. Just follow my lead, Aldebaran."
"...it's Al, princess."
Priscilla goes and charges at Vanitas with Al behind her, ready to protect his lady. As the two are closing in, Priscilla creates a fireball and throws it to the Organization member just as he was about to attack her. Vanitas blocks off the attack yet he noticed Al using this opportunity to attack him from his side. Vanitas quickly attempts to move the fireball towards Al's position only for something to hit his back.
He looks to see Beatrice having used a weak version of Minya to distract him long enough for Al to land a strong hit. As he lands a powerful hit, Julius with his glowing sword takes this opportunity along with Subaru to get back up and to attack the Organization member.
"This time we got you!"
Subaru and Julius closed the gap and managed to land their own powerful hits on the Organization member only to realize that yet again he is using his mirage technique. Subaru looked around quickly and saw that yet again he is in danger as Vanitas closed in towards the boy. Subaru could feel that he has little time and prepares to block the attack yet something inside of him prompted the boy to use invisible providence once again, being the only thing that will protect him from being killed.
'This is too many times using that cursed power...but this is a do or die situation, I have to gamble my chances.'
Subaru allowed his body to once again summon the darkest of abilities, praying with all of his might that this doesn't kill him. Just as Vanitas was about to hit Subaru with a fatal hit, Subaru was barely able to summon his invisible providence which connected with the Organization member's mask. The hit was powerful enough to break his mask and send him flying away with Subaru falling to the ground with his eyes starting to bleed for overusing such an ability.
"Got you...prick!"
Vanitas landed on his back with Beatrice and Rem both approaching Subaru the moment they saw his eyes starting to bleed. Julius, Priscilla, and Al all three noticed this but kept their focus on Vanitas, knowing that he is still a threat.
Beatrice with her magic assisted in healing her contractor while scolding him in overusing the sloth witch factor. Rem helped Subaru get up before turning her attention to Vanitas as he is starting to get up. The group all looked at the Organization member as they can see his mask cracking until finally it revealed his face.
"What...?"
"What is the meaning of this, I suppose?!"
"This is..."
Vanitas looked at the group and smiled evilly as he can tell that they are surprised he looks like Sora and shares his hairstyle.
"What do you think?"
"I do not like what I'm seeing but that will not stop us from beating you."
"Are you sure about that? You all don't have the power to take me down, let alone face me now that I look like that foolish boy."
Subaru was silent for a moment before walking in front of the group with his keyblade in hand and in his other hand he is holding the little hand of his spirit. As Beatrice and Subaru were standing side by side, the boy points his keyblade at Vanitas while saying to him,
"You may look like Master Sora but that doesn't mean we won't win. Together, we will kick your ass and make sure to finish it here and now!"
As Subaru finished speaking, he started to glow before revealing that he is in his second form with his attire being similar color scheme to Sora's color scheme in his second journey. Once he formchange, he charged towards Vanitas while Beatrice created a bunch of purple icicles all around the Organization member to cover Subaru. Vanitas looked at the boy and smiled as he was interested to see how the fake keyblade wielder will be now that he is using a formchange ability.
"Let's see what a fake like you can handle with that ability."
Vanitas charged at Subaru just as the boy was charging at him. Julius and Al both prepared to assist Subaru until Priscilla stopped the two.
"Princess?"
"Knight, Aldebaran, allow the boy to fight. He can handle this."
"Are you sure princess?"
"Do I hear disobedience?" Priscilla says in an angered tone.
"No princess."
Al backs down while Julius looks at the fight with caution, preparing to join in the moment Subaru is in any danger. As they watched, Subaru was holding his own as he blocked every attack Vanitas threw at him. Eventually Vanitas teleported behind Subaru to strike him down yet Beatrice with her purple icicles began her bombardment on the Organization member, protecting her contractor.
"Annoying little-"
"I know I can be quite annoying, I suppose. But I won't let you hurt Betty's Subaru!"
"Thanks Beako!"
Subaru took this opportunity to charge at Vanitas as he is on the defensive side, confident that this time he will be able to beat his opponent. As Subaru closes in and goes for an attack, Vanitas attempts to use another mirage attack but Beatrice was well aware of this. She turns towards Rem and alerts the oni maid where Vanitas will appear next. Rem quickly charged at the direction Vanitas is going to appear and just as he appears, the oni maid lands a powerful face punch.
"Nice try but that won't work again!"
Vanitas was sent flying for a moment before he quickly teleported onto the ground to gain his balance yet he was force to quickly go on defense as Subaru was bombarding him with a powerful offense. As Subaru was pushing Vanitas back a bit, Rem joined Subaru and started to attack with everything she had. For once in the fight, Vanitas shows a slight bit of concern as he is barely able to hold on to the combined forces of Subaru and Rem.
'I better get out of here before-'
His thought was interrupted when he felt an attack hit him from behind, giving him an opening for Rem to punch Vanitas in the gut while Subaru using all of his power he has to slice the boy through the chest. Vanitas was completely stunned by this final hit, causing him to drop his keyblade as he noticed he was disappearing.
"What? But how?!"
"It's because he has gotten stronger, Vanitas."
Vanitas noticed the voice and quickly turned around to see Sora approached him, which only made him mad.
"Hmm. How did he get this strong?"
"I trained him to use all of his strength in one hit, you must've assumed his attack wouldn't have done anything which is why you didn't put up some defense."
Vanitas looked angry as he started to think of his mistake of underestimating Subaru and assuming his attack wouldn't have been fatal. As he was angered by this, he watched Sora stand side by side to his apprentice. Vanitas could only glare at the two before closing his eyes and smiling.
"That was my fault for not taking this fight seriously. Oh well, seems like I will return to you and Ven's shadow."
"Wait, before you leave, why do you share the same face to Sora?" Julius asked which was a question many had. Vanitas smiled at this and quickly responded,
"I'm the piece of Ventus's heart that was taken away. He was the piece Ventus needed to be whole again. He defines me, the same way that Ventus does. We are brothers who, together, make a greater whole."
"Then as I asked before, why won't you stand by our side?" Sora had asked with a bit of anger in his voice. Vanitas noticed this and all he did was smile.
"Just like I told you before, I am darkness. I have been standing by your side, I'm the shadow that you cast. How much closer can I be?"
Sora just stared at Vanitas, remembering everything Ventus had said and how Vanitas responded to it back in the Keyblade Graveyard. Before he could say anything, Subaru stepped into the conversation.
"How is that being close to someone? If anything, being a shadow of a person is the worst. You aren't something original, just a pale imitation."
"Hmm. The false keyblade wielder giving some actual life advise...ha! That's funny."
"Whatever, I beat you now so acknowledge me by my proper title."
"And what might that be?" Vanitas asked with a curious look. Subaru noticed this and smiled before holding his keyblade high above his head proudly.
"Natsuki Subaru! Apprentice to Master Sora, Emilia's one and only knight, and contractor of Beatrice!"
Vanitas looked at Subaru with some annoyance before starting to laugh, leaving everyone confused.
"What are you laughing at, pathetic dog?" Priscilla asked as she was annoyed by Vanitas laughing.
"Hahahaha...oh nothing...just laughing at how I lost to a pathetic fool...hahaha...then again I was a bit of a fool to let myself be beaten by this fool...hahaha!"
Vanitas continued to laugh for a bit before finally having disappearing, leaving the group a bit off by this since they noticed the Organization member having the last laugh before dying. They stood silent for a moment before Julius turned towards Sora to ask him,
"What happened to the Sin Archbishop of Wrath?"
"I managed to defeat her."
"Meaning?" Priscilla asked in a curious tone of voice.
"She won't be coming."
Priscilla put away her sword and held her fan near her face, feeling pride for the Keyblade Wielder. This made her want to have Sora by her side even more but for now her attention is helping the city of Priestella. Al and Julius nodded at Sora with respect for having managed to take down another sin Archbishop. As Subaru was about to say something, he felt a darkness enter his heart similar to when they had killed Petelguese.
'The hell? Why did I felt this thing enter my heart?'
As Subaru was thinking this, his mind focused on another matter, saving Emilia from Regulus. He looked at his master and asked on how they can save Emilia.
"We have to hurry and save her before that jerk does something to her."
"Don't worry Subaru, we will get Emilia back."
"Of course you will, with my assistance."
Everyone was alerted to this new voice that joined their conversation. They all turned towards the voice with weapons in hand. As they look, they see that the person now joining them is Xehanort, which makes Sora extremely hostile.
"Xehanort!"
"Now, calm yourself. I'm here as an ally."
"Bullshit you are! After the way you treated Master Sora back in the Capital, what makes you think we will align ourselves with you?!"
"Because unlike you all, I have a score to settle with Regulus."
They looked suspicious at the old Keyblade Master, Subaru and Sora both being hostile towards Xehanort. Rem looked at Xehanort carefully and was feeling a bit off, as if she has seen him before yet she just brushed it off and started to speak to the old man.
"You say you can assist us in getting Emilia-sama back from the sin Archbishop?"
Xehanort looked at Rem, impressed that the oni maid is back to her usual role despite having her memories gone. He closes his eyes and smiled before responding to the blue haired oni maid in a calm gesture,
"I can, I know how to defeat him."
"Okay but what makes you think we will trust you?"
Xehanort looked at Rem with his smile still on his face, having predicted that this would come down to. He already knew that they won't just easily trust him which caused him to bring up some points that would get them to trust him this one time.
"Regulus Corneas, the Sin Archbishop of Greed. He has an ability that allows him to survive any attack, regardless how threatening it is unless the attack transcends time."
"How would you know?" Julius asked with some suspicion.
"Let's just say many years ago, I face him and managed to stop whatever he was up to. Back then, he was tough to defeat but now that I have knowledge in defeating this kind of technique, he will not leave here alive."
Sora, Subaru, Julius, Al, Rem, and Priscilla could see that Xehanort is not joking in wanting to take down Regulus, feeling his dark aura when mentioning that he won't leave the city alive. The group looked at each other for a moment before have a small discussion about the next thing to do.
"Can we even trust him, Master?"
"It is something I'm against yet we need all the help we can get if we wish to defeat Regulus."
"We? Don't involve me in this."
"What do you mean, Priscilla?"
"It means that this matter doesn't concern me. Come on Aldebaran, we have things to do."
Priscilla starts to walk away from the group to leave with Al apologizing before joining her, leaving Subaru, Beatrice, and Rem angry with Priscilla for not assisting them. As Priscilla and Al were about to leave, Priscilla turns towards Sora's direction and speaks in a respectful manner,
"You are strong enough without my assistance. I have faith you'll defeat this next Sin Archbishop, that is what I command the world to do for you."
Sora was left silent for a moment, surprised at what Priscilla said yet he had a smile on his face, seeing that although Priscilla did not assisted them, she still as faith that they will succeed. All he could do was give her a nod, gaining a genuine smile from her before she left the group. As Al and Priscilla leave the area, Sora turns towards both Rem and Julius.
"I need you two to check on Reinhard and his group, they might need some help getting all the people of Priestella to safety."
"Wait Sora, are you sure?" Rem asked with some concern yet she received a headpat by Sora while he was reassuring her.
"I have Subaru and Beatrice to help me in saving Emilia. After we defeat Regulus, we will meet up and retake the city back together."
"Alright."
Rem nodded as she understood that Sora will be alright meanwhile Julius gave a simple nod to Sora, having faith in the boy before leaving with Rem to find Reinhard and his crew along with finding any citizens in need of assistance. As the two head off, Julius looks at Rem and asks her if she will be okay.
"Don't worry Julius-sama, I will be alright."
"I just want to make sure."
"Thank you for your kindness."
Rem gives a respectful nod to the knight which he just nods back before the two focus on looking for their allies and looking to help any people in need. As they left the area, Sora and his group turn towards Xehanort with Sora leading the conversation.
"We can take on Regulus on our own, Xehanort. I do not trust you."
"Hm. I expected this and I will respect your wishes but I will leave you with a warning." Xehanort pauses himself for a few seconds as a corridor of darkness creates itself from behind him. "Regulus is mine to kill, I will not let anybody else take his life."
As Xehanort finishes his sentence, he walks away into the corridor of darkness, leaving Sora and his group. With just Sora, Subaru, and Beatrice all three on their own, Subaru begins to question on where Emilia could be to which Beatrice answers.
"If what the Sin Archbishop of Lust said was true, then she is probably in the church, I suppose."
"That is true. Master Sora, think that we can beat this bastard with just our strength."
Sora looked at Subaru for a moment before looking at the wayfinder of Kairi's, having looked at it whenever he is in a situation where he needs her strength. He holds it near his heart and closes his eyes before calling for some strength.
'Kairi, please, give me some of your strength. I have to save Emilia, not just for Subaru's sake but because she is my friend as well.'
Sora stays silent for a moment before putting the wayfinder away, feeling some strength in his heart before turning to his apprentice and nodding with confidence.
"Don't worry Subaru, we will beat the Sin Archbishop of Greed and save Emilia."
"Alright Master Sora, I'm counting on you."
The two boys nodded at each other before the three of them left the area. As they were leaving, a mysterious figure looked at the crew for a moment before taking a look at a book. He was interested by what the book told, surprised by the content.
"Interesting, so all of this came true. That's pretty interesting. Makes me curious if I can change things with a little influence."
As the mysterious figure closes the book, he notices a petite girl from a distance. The two met eyes for a moment before she disappeared. All the mysterious figure can think about was a single name before he created a corridor of darkness to leave.
'Pandora.'
Author's note:
1. Yes, Pandora is coming into the story now. She will play a major role in this story.
2. Yeah, Sirius is dead. This is one out of a few changes for this arc.
3. Also for those curious on how Beatrice is able to cast high class magic, Subaru and Sora during the one year time skip between arc 4 and arc 5 created a lot of ethers just in case. She does not like using them but since it is a life or death scenario, she uses them. Subaru had managed to convince her that this is an alternative way of getting mana if they are in a dangerous situation where Beatrice needs to act.