On Today's Episode: The trinity begin to revisit the worlds they've been to in hopes of finding a way into the Organization's stronghold and, thus, finding Marie. They drop in on one of Lei's training sessions, only to hear rumors of a mysterious figure in a black cloak skulking around. To add to this, some of the members of the Indomitable Fist have survived despite losing their master, and are planning to revive the school to take revenge on Lei. Can the trinity take care of both problems at the same time?
For Today's World: And the second half of the adventure begins! We're returning to the Imperial China chapter of Live A Live, but since we covered the entire chapter back in episode 2, this is gonna be a mostly original tale.
Episode 14: Mastering the Art
"I wonder how Lei and everyone in town is doing?" Nick wondered as the trinity landed in Imperial China to check things out.
"Knowing Lei, she's probably training her keester off on the mountain," Maylin quipped. "After all, she's gotta keep it up if she's gonna take over the Earthen Heart school someday."
As they crossed into Wong Village, they quickly noticed a hooded figure running through the crossroads.
"Oh, great, that's all we need to deal with right now," Haruka groaned.
"Hey, get back here, you weirdo!"
The trinity all turned back towards the village gateway just in time to see Lei charging after the hooded figure.
"Oh, hey, you guys," Lei gasped. "Sorry, but I ain't got time to talk right now. I've gotta catch that freak!"
"That's actually why we're here, too," Ellen quipped. "Let's head off after them."
The group all made their way up the forest trail towards Mount Inspiration, occasionally stopping to fight some errant Heartless along the way. Nick did notice that familiar Heartless they'd already encountered in this world seemed to have gotten stronger, no doubt due to the Organization's machinations.
Before their landing, Nick had come to the terms that they'd unintentionally be helping Organization XIII with their plans to create Kingdom Hearts from the hearts stolen by Heartless. But Nick also knew that he couldn't stand there and do nothing while the Heartless ran roughshod.
Eventually, after climbing up the forest trail and reaching the peak of Mount Inspiration where the Shifu's grave rested, Lei sighed in frustration.
"Damn it, looks like they got away," Lei groaned.
"So, how come you're after somebody from Organization XIII?" Haruka wondered.
"And that would be...?" Lei asked.
"The weirdo in the black hood," Nick responded. "Basically, one of the bad guys."
"I knew there was something up with that guy!" Lei proclaimed. "There's been some rumors in the nearby villages about a stranger in black. Some people think he's trying to reform the Indomitable Fist after everything that happened with them."
"But Ou Di Wan Lee is toast," Maylin quipped. "I don't think even his toughest mooks could possibly be as strong as that guy was."
"So, basically, if they ever try, we can wipe the floor with 'em like we did last time," Nick stated. "We don't need another Indomitable Fist running around. Those guys were enough."
"I must have lost that guy when I saw you again," Lei admitted.
"...sorry about that," Sophia sighed.
"Hey, don't worry about it," Lei answered. "Let's just keep looking for him."
The group all headed towards the opposite forest trail that would take them back down the mountain and towards Yunfa Village, but Nick stopped in his tracks when he noticed something was off.
After looking around and not seeing anything in particular, he turned back towards the split rock to see somebody standing there, draped in a black coat.
"Ah, finally decided to show your face, did you?" Nick taunted as he summoned Starlight to his hands.
Much to his surprise, though, the hooded figure grasped the edge of their cloak before ripping it off to reveal that same girl in a blue dress that they'd seen in the realm of darkness.
"H-Hey, it's you again," Nick gasped.
"You can calm yourself now," Lavenza responded. "I assure you, I am not with the Organization."
"Then why were you wearing their fashion?" Nick wondered.
"Sometimes, it makes it easier to blend in," Lavenza admitted. "As for why I am here..."
("Rivers in the Desert" by Lyn Inaizumi plays)
Lavenza summoned her magical grimoire and opened it, its pages flipping rapidly as her body began to glow with an aquatic blue light.
"I am here to test your conviction," Lavenza proclaimed as she aimed her book towards Nick. The pages flipped again, and Lavenza summoned one of the many Personas she held in her Compendium to cast a Mabufudyne spell, surrounding Nick with a small vortex of ice crystals.
"Oh, jeez!" Nick shouted as he raised Starlight to cast Reflect on himself just in time, as the ice crystals all converged and exploded upwards into an iceberg. Thankfully, Nick's Reflect barrier held just long enough to save him from getting frozen.
Nick stood his ground as Lavenza summoned another Persona, this time to cast Maragidyne, causing a geyser of fire to shoot out from underneath him. Nick just barely had time to jump away before the fire could roast him.
Seeing his chance, Nick rushed towards Lavenza, noting that she always had to flip to a new page to summon a new Persona. This gave him the chance to strike, slashing at Lavenza four times before finishing with an Explosion that sent Lavenza dancing backwards.
Seemingly unfazed, Lavenza skimmed to a new page and instead summoned a new Persona to cast Maziodyne, causing a series of wicked-looking violet-blue lightning bolts to start dropping down from the sky and force Nick to start moving lest he get zapped.
The lightning bolts were following him, so Nick decided to try something, leading the bolts in one direction before lunging towards Lavenza.
Much to her surprise, Lavenza hadn't expected Nick to try that, as she was mostly used to more strategic fights where her combatants simply stood in their spots and issued attacks, much like the Phantom Thieves she had known. So, before she could prepare herself, Lavenza had gotten zapped by her own spell, leaving her vulnerable so that Nick could start attacking from behind.
However, Lavenza was able to recover and dance away before Nick could finish his combo, this time summoning a Persona that cast Magarudyne, the spell flinging dozens of neon-green wind blades towards Nick as he ran around.
Nick swung Starlight to parry whatever wind blades he could while dodging the ones he couldn't parry until he saw an opening, at which point he rushed towards Lavenza again. This time, though, she raised her Compendium in defense.
As Nick approached anyway, he felt that familiar sensation of time slowing down around him and the teeth of his keyblade sparkling, indicating he'd learned a new ability.
Nick stopped in his tracks and jumped a step back, twirling Starlight in his hands, before then lunging forward with a powerful thrusting strike that actually pierced through Lavenza's defense and sending her stumbling backwards.
Once she'd regained her balance, Lavenza closed her Persona Compendium and smiled at Nick.
"It is just as I predicted," Lavenza stated. "Your conviction is truly unshakeable."
"I guess I'll take that as a compliment, because I have this odd feeling that you weren't fighting me with anywhere close to your full power," Nick chuckled. "And if you were going full force, I get the feeling I'd probably have been annihilated."
"As I said, I was merely testing your conviction," Lavenza explained. "You were recently faced with an impossible choice, but you never wavered in your beliefs. That takes true strength."
"If anything, I'm lucky I have such amazing friends to back me up when I can't keep myself aloft," Nick admitted.
"You know, when I look at you, your conviction reminds me of my own Trickster," Lavenza sighed.
"The Phantom Thieves of your universe, right?" Nick responded. "The ones Igor is trying to find a way to save?"
"Y-You know of my master?" Lavenza gasped.
"We found his research station in Lost Jerusalem and figured out what he's been trying to do," Nick answered. "And, well, we've been searching for him because we have reason to believe he knows something about Organization XIII's true goals."
When Lavenza sighed in resignation, Nick couldn't help but feel he'd crossed a line and tried frantically to apologize, but Lavenza simply smiled and waved.
"It is not you, Nick," Lavenza stated. "...ever since our original universe was erased by Yaldabaoth, my master has... changed. He is too singularly focused on recreating the world that was lost, even when it may be beyond even his great power."
"From what we saw in his research data, Igor's probably frustrated because he feels like he failed in his duty," Nick noted. "Which most likely means he's just laser-focused on making sure that doesn't happen again. And really, I'd do just about anything for my friends, so I kinda see where he's coming from."
"You know, you are very much like Joker in many ways," Lavenza admitted. "You would do anything for your friends, you never waver from your beliefs even in stressful situations, and you both have the uncanny ability to turn your bonds into great strength. Maybe you will be able to succeed where we have failed and save this world."
Lavenza walked up to Nick and placed what appeared to be a glowing blue bookmark in his free hand.
"If ever you waver, look at this and remember that I am rooting for you as well," Lavenza proclaimed as she leaned forward, stood on her tiptoes, and kissed Nick on the cheek before re-opening her Persona Compendium and casting a spell to teleport away in a flash of blue light.
Nick stood there, absorbing everything Lavenza had told him, even as the rest of the trinity came back up the trail.
"Jeez, did we just go in circles trying to find that weirdo?" Maylin groaned.
"Oh, hey, Nick, is everything okay?" Sophia asked.
"I think so," Nick responded.
"Did you find the hooded creep?" Lei wondered.
"I did, but they pulled a fast one and vamoosed," Nick answered, still unsure if he should tell them about Lavenza. "Maybe we should head towards one of the villages and see if they saw anything."
However, just as the group was about to head back down the trail, a loud rumbling started shaking the entire area.
"W-What the hell?!" Lei shouted. "What the heck's causing the entire damn mountain to shake?!"
Nick jogged over to the edge of the nearby cliff to see what was causing it, and the cause broke free from the opposite mountain with a thunderous crash, revealing itself to be an absolutely gigantic Heartless.
This Heartless was a large blue dragon with a long curled tail and twisted yellow spikes lining its back, and its wings were actually long five-fingered hands with ornate webbing between the fingers, each finger sporting a short white claw and decorated by a swirling pattern. The creature's underside was lined by two rows of three gold cymbals, its lower jaw is large, jagged, and yellow, its upper jaw was blue, and its eyes were glowing yellow with blue-green "eyebrows", white hair visible around its eyes and mouth that formed "tusks" on the sides of its mouth, two bent red horns sprouting from its head, and a Heartless emblem on its chin.
The Storm Rider roared loudly before twirling around and soaring over the mountain peak before slowly descending across the trails.
"Oh, no, that thing's heading down the mountain, towards the villages!" Lei exclaimed.
"That means we'd better get our butts back down there with all of the speed!" Ellen exclaimed as the trinity all summoned their keyblades so they could charge back down the mountain trail and hopefully beat the Storm Rider to the village.
About halfway down the trail, though, a trio of Assault Riders appeared in front of them alongside a group of both Nightwalkers and Neoshadows.
"Okay, that's a lot of the big ones," Ellen quipped.
"I think Yohane might be suited to ripping these things a new one, huh?" Nick replied as he brought out the Sunshine Charm.
"Watch and be amazed, Lei," Maylin chuckled as she and Haruka vanished from sight.
Nick held the Sunshine Charm into the air. "Give me strength!" Nick exclaimed.
("Genjitsu Mysterium" by Aqours plays)
A large, navy-blue magical glyph erupted from the Sunshine Charm, expanding rapidly until it completely surrounded Nick, before descending down to the ground, materializing Yohane by his side in a flash of blue light.
Yohane looked around before noticing Nick and smiling brightly, pulling out a magical harp even as the Heartless continued to approach them.
One of the Assault Riders galloped towards them, but Yohane strummed on her harp and sang a few notes that completely stopped the Assault Rider in its tracks, allowing Nick to slip behind it and whack it a few times to get rid of it.
As different Heartless approached, Yohane continued to strum on her harp and sing a variety of short songs, each with a different effect, ranging from binding the enemy in their spot so Nick could attack, to drawing enemies in closer and allow Nick deal with multiple targets at once, to even a passive song that kept Nick's energy up.
After a while of this, only two Assault Riders remained on the field, and Nick and Yohane both nodded to each other and decided that now was the time to end this.
Yohane played a longer melody on her harp, and this caused another magical glyph to appear, summoning her wolf friend Lailaps to their side.
Yohane gestured to Nick as she jumped onto Lailaps, Nick doing the same so they could both ride the rather large wolf.
Lailaps nodded as she charged through the Assault Riders before turning around to do it again, leaving a trail of magic behind her with each movement. After about five passes, Lailaps skidded to a stop and roared loudly, the magic created by her charges erupting into a swell of power that easily destroyed the two Assault Riders.
Yohane jumped off Lailaps and strummed one last tune on her harp before winking to Nick and vanishing in a flash of navy blue light, reforming into the Sunshine Charm in Nick's hands.
"Wow, you guys have really learned a lot since the last time we saw each other, huh?" Lei quipped.
"Slowly but surely, I'm getting better than I was on my first adventure," Nick chuckled.
"Um, pardon me for interrupting, but I think I saw somebody heading towards the village," Sophia answered, pointing back towards the trail. "I don't think it's another Heartless, so..."
"Wait a minute, I recognize that uniform," Lei gasped. "That's somebody from the Indomitable Fist school!"
"Wait, those losers?" Maylin wondered. "I thought we knocked down that stupid 'school' of theirs after we put Ou Di Wan Lee in his place!"
"And that's what worries me," Lei admitted. "We'd better hightail it to Yunfa Village and make sure they're not pulling anything scummy."
It thankfully didn't take them too much longer to run the rest of the way down the Mountain Trail and into Yunfa Village, where a bunch of muscleheads wearing a karate gi imprinted with a blood-red fist were trying to intimidate the locals.
"Why won't you ruffians just leave us alone?" one villager gasped. "You've already caused enough trouble, especially after what you did to the Shifu and his school!"
"Oh, don't be like that, granny, we're only here to offer protection," the punk laughed. "You saw that big dragon thing flying through the air, right? We're only trying to keep you from getting flattened by that thing."
"As if I'd deign to listen to the gang of thugs who murdered the Shifu and two of his best students!" the villager shot back.
"Hey, karate boy!" Nick shouted, catching the punk's attention.
When the acolyte noticed the group standing there, he couldn't help but sneer. "Well, well, if it isn't the little lady who took up the Shifu's moniker," the acolyte taunted.
"If you know who I've been taught by, then you know what I'm capable of," Lei retorted. "Now get out of this village."
"Oh, like I'd be scared of a little firecracker who's only pretending to be the Shifu," the acolyte laughed. "You may have been his disciple, but you only had a few days with him before died."
"If you remember correctly, I'm the one who finished off Ou Di Wan Lee," Lei countered.
"You just got lucky, didn't you?" the acolyte quipped. "Our master clearly wasn't fighting at his best. That's the only way he would lose to a bunch of gutter trash like you."
"Jeez, deluded much?" Maylin quipped.
"How about we see if your bite is as vicious as your bark, little lady?" the acolyte bellowed as he bum-rushed the group, only for Nick and Lei to both punch the ground hard enough to rumble the immediate area and cause the acolyte to stumble briefly, allowing them to go on the offensive.
Lei struck first, dancing around with snake-like movement before unleashing a sliding kicks, while Nick attacked with a trio of upwards spinning strikes from Kingdom Key.
Before the acolyte could recover, Lei then did a backflipping somersault kick to the acolyte's jaw, while Nick performed a dance-like spinning punch combo.
Nick and Lei alternated between these series of strikes for a couple rounds before deciding it was time to move in for the finale, flash-stepping around the acolyte while dealing as many blows as they could, before Nick jumped into the air, taking Lei by the hand so he could toss her into the acolyte and she kicked him directly in the back of the head, sending him tumbling.
"You wanna run your mouth now?" Lei laughed as she and Nick high-fived each other.
"I-I assure you, this isn't over," the acolyte growled as he retreated, his other fellow acolytes following.
"Oh, thank you so much, miss Lei," the elderly woman gasped. "Those monsters have been harassing us recently, just around the time those strange people in the black cloaks showed up."
"Wait, you saw that creep?" Maylin gasped.
"Yes, they appeared to be heading towards the Indomitable Fist school," the elderly woman answered. "It has been empty since the Shifu passed, but if those ruffians are out and about, I fear they may be trying to start up their brutish ways again."
"And if that freak in the cloak is heading there, that's even worse news," Haruka stated. "We'd better hurry."
"Here, take this with you," the elderly woman stated, handing Nick what appeared to be a glowing piece of paper, no doubt a page from the Pipo Storybook. "I have a feeling you will need it."
They all headed out of Yunfa Village and towards the site of the Indomitable Fist School, which had overgrowth surrounding it due it its abandonment.
"I'm sensing quite a few of them in there," Ellen noted. Perhaps due to her time steeped in darkness, she could sense dark intent from an individual when they were close enough. "Sounds like we've got a bit of a problem in there."
"Hey... um... I have a question," Lei wondered, catching the trinity's attention. "Do any of you think... that I would be a worthy successor for the Shifu? I mean... you heard what that thug said, I'm nowhere near the Shifu's level yet. I want to be, I really do, even if just to show the Shifu that he wasn't wrong about what he saw in me... in Hong... in Yun..."
Lei looked past the Indomitable Fist School, towards the setting sun. "Maybe if I'd been a bit stronger and not so goddamn hard-headed back then... maybe Hong and Yun, at least, would still be alive..." Lei cried. "They... they're supposed to be here... they..."
Before Lei could start breaking into a crying fit, Nick gently put his hand on Lei's shoulder.
"If you want my honest opinion, you're already well on your way to surpassing him," Nick answered. "Remember what we said before we left last time? I'm pretty sure the Shifu would want you to surpass him, to make sure the Earthen Heart style is in good hands."
"And nobody's an instant expert, even prodigies like you and the guys," Maylin admitted. "I mean, look at me, it took me a good couple years to finally get a handle on this whole magic thing."
"I know it's frustrating you, but you don't need to be perfect right away," Haruka stated. "This kind of thing takes time and effort, and you're already leagues ahead of where you were last time."
"I wasn't here for most of their journey, but I know for the fact that Hong, Yun, and especially the Shifu would be very proud of how far you've come, Lei," Ellen answered.
"Just keep doing what you're doing, keep improving your craft, and you'll be at the Shifu's level before you know it," Sophia added. "Maybe you might surpass him faster than you think. You just can't give up."
Lei looked back at the trinity and smiled, finally drying the last of her tears.
"Thanks, you guys," Lei quipped. "You really know to cheer someone up. Now let's get in there and stomp those Indomitable Fist jerkoffs before that dragon thing crashes the party, shall we?"
There were no arguments there, but before they could storm the complex, a corridor of darkness appeared in front of the entryway, thus allowing another member of Organization XIII to step out of it.
"Oh, you decided to show yourself after all," Maylin quipped as she summoned Counterpoint to her hands. "Saves us the trouble of hunting you down."
"I'm not in the mood to play around, so out with it," Nick growled as he summoned Zero/One. "Where the hell is Marie?!"
No. 2 turned around, gauging his opponents before pulling his hood down to reveal a tall, feline-like figure with light gray fur and red-brown stripes, thick black eyebrows, and brown eyes with yellow pupils, the fur on the sides of his jaw resembling a short beard.
"...Marie? Nope, never heard of her," Alister Azimuth chuckled.
Suddenly, a group of Nobodies materialized around Azimuth. This new Nobody was a humanoid creature with light grey skin dressed in a primarily purple bodysuit with pointed shoulders, with only its white chin and neck visible, the rest of its body being covered by its suit and the purple cap it wore, also sporting a black eye patch over the cap.
"Great, a new challenger," Lei quipped as she prepared herself.
That was when Nick noticed that Azimuth wasn't there anymore, having snuck away in the confusion.
"Oh, man, did that big furry dude give us the slip?!" Maylin shouted.
"Let's take these things out and focus on the bigger problem," Haruka stated.
With that, the trinity all summoned their keyblades and set to work attacking the Snipers.
The Snipers all brought out bulky automatic crossbows and started firing laser bolts at the group. Lei stuck to the side and started striking at the flank of one of the Snipers, not sure if she could deflect lasers.
Nick stood his ground as another Sniper opened fire on him, but he raised Oathkeeper to parry the bolt and send it flying back into the offending sniper, destroying it instantly.
"...huh. Guess they can't take it," Ellen chuckled as she used Dark Break to pogo-bounce off of a trio of Snipers.
Another Sniper aimed its crossbow towards Nick and fired a much larger bullet towards Nick, only for it to split into five lasers as it got close to him.
As Nick tried to dodge to the right, he suddenly got an idea, hoping this would work.
Before the lasers could hit him, Nick warped around to behind the laser bolt and kicked it back at the Sniper, repeating the process a few more times to finally take it down.
"Okay, that was cool," Lei giggled as she kicked another Sniper down into the dirt, destroying that one as well. "How'd you do that?"
"...not really sure, honestly," Nick admitted. "Probably something I can only do with my keyblade."
Suddenly, a bunch of Indomitable Fist acolytes had burst out from the doorway to the school, no doubt having been drawn by the noise from the Snipers.
"Well, well, if it isn't the girl who deluded herself into thinking she's the Shifu," one acolyte cackled.
"Um, excuse you, she was trained by the Shifu to be his successor," Maylin retorted. "And I'd stop talking smack if I were you, or..."
"Or what?" another acolyte laughed. "Little girl's going to squeak at us?"
The acolytes all started laughing uproariously, until Lei stomped the ground with enough force to create a small tremor around them, an intimidation tactic she'd learned from Hong. That quickly shut the acolytes up.
"I'll do much more than just 'squeak' if you don't vacate this place right now," Lei growled. "Remember, I was trained by the Shifu, and even if I still have a ways to go before I'm at his level, I'm more than enough to put all of you little punks in your place. So... what's it gonna be?"
"You really think we're scared of you?" the lead acolyte cackled. "We number at least a hundred. You really think you can take us down all by yourself?"
"And who said she's fighting all by herself?" Ellen taunted as the trinity all aimed their keyblades towards the acolytes.
Just as the acolytes were all getting ready to throw down, a loud roar shook the skies, followed immediately by the Storm Rider crashing down directly on top of the building, obliterating it thoroughly before flapping its large wings, unleashing a storm of lightning bolts to destroy what remained.
The acolytes, naturally, all fled in terror, dispersing in random directions while the Storm Rider stared down the trinity.
"Guess they were all bark and no bite in the end, huh?" Haruka chuckled.
"I'll go and round up those thugs, okay?" Lei stated. "You guys just take care of this thing before it decides to go after the villages!"
Lei ran off to chase after the acolytes, leaving the trinity to face down the Storm Rider.
The Storm Rider quickly took off into the sky again, flying just higher than the building it had crushed, before gliding forward and dropping explosive spheres from its undersides, forcing the trinity to scatter in different directions.
"I think we need to find a way to bring that thing down so we can actually start attacking it," Maylin quipped.
"Why don't we try attacking the horns on its head?" Ellen offered. "They don't look as rigid as everything else on it."
"I shall assist as well!" Sophia proclaimed as she ran in the direction of the Storm Rider in hopes of baiting it into attacking.
The Storm Rider took the bait and dipped down lower before flying towards them again. Sophia brought out her yo-yos and started slashing them at the Storm Rider's horns as it passed by, and this caused the beast to list slightly to the left from its damage.
Not wanting to deal with that again, the Storm Rider took off into the air again, spreading its wings to fire a barrage of lightning bolts towards the trinity.
"All right, this is getting annoying," Nick groaned. "Sophia, you wanna go Limit Form and bring this beast down?"
"Oh, of course!" Sophia laughed as she ran over and hugged Nick from behind so they could merge into Limit Form.
Once transformed, Limit Form Nick wound up for a second before throwing Super Yo-Yo in a Strike Raid as the Storm Rider passed by. It only took a few more throws to crack its horns and cause the gigantic dragon to collapse to the ground, leaving its head wide open.
"All right, everyone, let's riot!" Limit Form Nick exclaimed as everyone moved in to attack, Maylin pelting it with Blizzara spells from afar since she had a feeling lightning would be ineffective, and Limit Form Nick even going the extra mile and using an Ars Arcanum on the remaining horn.
However, before they could deal what would have hopefully been the finishing blow, the Storm Rider picked itself up and flew backwards, its damaged horn regenerating, before soaring over the area and dropping bombs again.
"We need to take it out before it destroys the entire forest!" Haruka exclaimed.
"Then let's try to lure it down here," Ellen quipped.
Much to their surprise, the Storm Rider landed on the ground of its own volition, its bulk crushing more of the building as it swung its head to create a "tunnel" of two long series of electric walls that essentially boxed the trinity in.
"Wait, what's it doing now?" Haruka wondered.
"Oh, jeez! Everyone, get close to its feet, and hurry!" Maylin shouted as everyone followed her instructions and ran close to the left foot of the Storm Rider.
It turned out Maylin's instincts had been spot-on, as the Storm Rider had charged lightning energy between its horns to fire a massive electric beam across the lightning walls that sparked with intermittent shocks. Luckily, over here by the beast's feet, they were safe.
The Storm Rider fired the electric beam one more time before dispelling the lightning walls and taking off into the sky again.
Lightning bolts began to drop from the sky at set intervals, keeping the trinity on the move until they could find an opening to attack the Storm Rider.
After enough dodging, Limit Form Nick noticed something when the Storm Rider flew low to the ground before charging them again.
Seeing his opportunity, Limit Form Nick ran towards the Storm Rider and slid underneath its belly. When it was just far enough along, Limit Form Nick lashed out with a Slapshot to knock the Storm Rider upwards, then whacked its belly with a flurry of strikes, ending with an upwards stab that knocked the Storm Rider up and away.
Limit Form Nick struck a confident pose as the Storm Rider crashed into the ground head-first with a sickening crunch. The beast thrashed about for a few seconds before it went limp and dissolved into wisps of darkness, a large heart escaping into the sky.
"And that's how we take care of business!" Haruka laughed once the area was calm again.
"Yikes, what happened here?" Lei asked as she ran back to rejoin the trinity. "Looks like there was a party."
"Well, that big dragon thing kinda broke the building, so we had to break its face," Maylin chuckled.
"I'm more concerned about why there was a giant dragon sleeping in the mountains," Haruka admitted.
"I remember something the Shifu taught us during our training," Lei answered. "He said something about mighty dragons that once crossed our land and left a great web of paths. They were supposed to have a lot of power, and were the source of many gifts to both man and nature. I'm guessing one of those hooded weirdoes you guys are fighting must have disturbed one of those dragons and turned it into a Heartless."
"The Organization just never quits, do they?" Nick quipped after he and Sophia split off from Limit Form.
"If creeps like them are in the neighborhood, then maybe I really do need to step up my training," Lei admitted. "I can take care of those Indomitable Fist jerks no problem, but these guys sound like they mean business."
"Remember, just try not to compare yourself too much to the Shifu, okay?" Ellen asked. "You'll be a brilliant successor, I know it. And I know he'd want you to get your rest on occasion, too. It can't be easy, this training you're going through."
'Nah, it's definitely pretty tough," Lei chuckled. "But I have to push myself as hard as I can, even if just to make the Shifu proud. And besides, Hong and Yun are watching me, too. I can't let them down again."
"Just keep at it, and you'll surpass them soon enough, I know it," Sophia stated.
"I guess this means you all have to get going again, huh?" Lei wondered. "You chasing those guys in the black coats?"
"Yeah, Organization XIII is pretty bad news, so we've gotta hit the road," Maylin answered.
"You know, that sparring offer's still open for whenever you come back," Lei chuckled. "You definitely look like you've learned a lot since last time, and I'd love to match wits with you once I've learned a lot more, too."
"Maybe next time we're in town, I'll take you up on that," Nick quipped.
"Can you handle the Indomitable Fist?" Haruka asked.
"Oh, please, they're nothing without their leader," Lei laughed. "As long as they're scattered like they are, I highly doubt the Indomitable Fist will rise again."
"Not as long as you're protecting everybody," Sophia proclaimed.
Lei couldn't help but blush at the praise as she waved goodbye to her friends. Once they'd teleported back to the Gummi Ship, she raced down the path back to Yunfa Village, just to make sure that nothing had been damaged by either the Indomitable Fist or the Storm Rider.
Nick and Yumi looked around the mysterious castle roof they'd found themselves on, knowing that another member of the Freaky Monkey Five was waiting for them.
"I think I have a feeling what kind of monkey we're gonna see here," Nick quipped.
Just then, a large yellow monkey bounded onto the roof, dressed in absolutely gaudy clothes that resembled a mix between ninjas and geishas, giving the monkey a sumo wrestler appearance.
"...okay, I stand corrected," Nick stated.
"All right, who are you?" Yumi asked, readying her gadgets.
"Ooh, dearie, haven't I seen you on TV somewhere?" Monkey Yellow laughed.
"Well, maybe..." Yumi giggled, knowing she was an idol herself.
"Well, well, I really do hate you super cutesy types," Monkey Yellow chuckled as he spun around in place.
"Is that so, then?" Nick taunted. "Well, you must just love yourself, then."
"Ah, quite sure of yourselves, are you?" Monkey Yellow chuckled. "To be fair, I've seen plenty of girls prettier than you, ya know."
"What was that?" Yumi growled, twirling her Stun Club. "Excuse me, but have you seen my ratings lately?"
"Oh, have you seen your waistline lately?" Monkey Yellow cackled as he sidestepped around Nick and Yumi, ready for the battle that would inevitably erupt. "Why don't you check those ratings again after the paparazzi gets a shot of that?"
"Hey, her waistline's just fine as it is," Nick countered. "And the paparazzi shouldn't matter. Those idiots really have nothing better to do with their lives."
"Ah, but I guess it doesn't matter, does it?" Monkey Yellow quipped. "Doctor Specter has tasked me with taking care of the both of you right here and now."
"Well, come on, then, let's see what you've got!" Yumi shot back.
Monkey Yellow advanced on them both. "Oh, watch yourself, dearie, you're startin' to lose that cutesy image," Monkey Yellow cackled.
Nick summoned Uber Sheep to his hands and Yumi twirled her Stun Club before both of them pointed their weapons towards Monkey Yellow.
"Underestimate us at your own peril," Nick and Yumi proclaimed.
Monkey Yellow started the battle by constantly hopping up and down while moving slightly forward each time, his massive bulk enough to create shockwaves with each stomp. Nick jumped off of Yumi's shoulders and blasted Monkey Yellow from above with a Thundara spell, leaving him wide open for Yumi to get close and start whacking him with her Stun Club.
However, Monkey Yellow didn't seem to be taking any damage from Yumi's hits, a realization that Monkey Yellow took advantage of to barrel forward and shoulder-tackle Yumi towards the edge of the roof.
Nick quickly cast an Aero spell to lift Yumi away from the edge before slipping in to start attacking Monkey Yellow. Though he still didn't seem to be taking damage, Nick did notice that the light on Monkey Yellow's Pipo Helmet had turned from blue to yellow, usually a sign of progress.
"Okay, so he's just flinch-proof because of all that fat," Nick groaned. "That's... FUN."
"Actually, I think I might have an idea on how to get around that," Yumi chuckled, gesturing to the Morph Gear strapped to her wrist.
Nick blasted Monkey Yellow backwards with a Fira spell so that Yumi had room to transform.
"Morph Gear Transform: Miracle Ninja!" Yumi exclaimed.
A bright green flash of light enveloped Yumi for a few seconds, and when it cleared, she was now wearing a heart themed forehead protector and yellow ribbons in her hair, a fuchsia ninja dress with fingerless gloves, loose sleeves, and a big red ribbon on her back with pink orbs, ninja themed sandals and socks, along with black over the leg pieces above her knees. She was also holding her Stub Club in reverse grip like a ninja would with their kunai.
"Ooh, that's more like it! Let's fight, ninja to ninja!" Monkey Yellow laughed as he barreled forward to attack Yumi, only for her to start striking at Monkey Yellow in a swift series of multi-hit spinning attacks that seemed to actually get through his rock-hard defenses.
After a few more seconds of this barrage, in which the light on Monkey's Yellow's Pipo Helmet changed from yellow to red, Monkey Yellow made a mighty leap and landed on a sloped ledge near the top of the rooftop.
"Time for my Secret Ninja Attack!" Monkey Yellow proclaimed, throwing out maces from his pockets that slammed into the ground all over the roof. Yumi quickly noticed that some of the maces were on long chains that led back to Monkey Yellow. Seeing her opportunity, Yumi jumped onto one of the chains and started running along it, something she knew she could only do in Miracle Ninja form, before reaching Monkey Yellow and swiping at him with her Stun Club, dealing the final blow and sending Monkey Yellow catapulting down the slope and back to the rooftop in a daze.
Yumi performed a ninja pose and summoned two clones of herself that rushed out to strike the dazed Monkey Yellow and capture him. Once Monkey Yellow had been captured, the Specter TV satellite stationed on the very tip-top of the castle fell apart and exploded.
"And that's that," Yumi quipped as she dropped out of her transformation.
"Cute ninja getup," Nick stated.
"Oh, you," Yumi giggled.
Meanwhile, inside Specter's secret base, Specter watched as another transmission spot went dark due to Monkey Yellow's defeat.
"They've taken out Yellow, too," Specter growled. "Tomoki, what do we do now?"
When Specter got no response, he looked over to Tomoki, who was admiring his reflection in his pocket mirror.
"...jeez, where is your mind at lately?" Specter wondered before activating a transmission. "Hey, Pink, can you hear me?"
"Aw, I can hear you just fine, Specter baby."
"Listen up, those pesky humans just captured Yellow," Specter stated.
"Ugh, you mean that fat little... I-I mean, Monkey Yellow? Yeesh, well, it serves him right, always showing off and trying to outdo me. I swear, the next time I see him, I'm going to... uh, whoops, was I thinking out loud again? Hehehe, I really gotta stop doing that."
"Listen up, then, I've got new orders, Pink," Specter proclaimed. "Whatever you do, you cannot let those humans get past you."
"Oh, baby, come on, I've got a rehearsal after this, you know that!"
Naturally, Specter didn't take that too well.
"...did you seriously just call me 'baby'?" Specter growled. "Just who the heck do you think you're talking to?! I JUST GAVE YOU A DIRECT ORDER!"
Tomoki glanced over at Specter, wondering what he was so upset about. Pink was always like this.
Back on the Gummi Ship, while Haruka continued to pilot the ship back towards Grace Field House (which now apparently looked like it was on fire), Nick reflected back on his encounter with Lavenza, still unsure if he should tell the others about her.
However, thanks to Lavenza, he at least knew something new about Igor and what his own plans were.
Nick couldn't help but ponder what Lavenza had meant when she said he'd reminded her of Joker. Were they really that similar?
Guess all he could do was wait and see.
To be continued...
On the next episode...
Maylin: Holy crapbaskets, Grace Field House is on fire!
Haruka: Did the demons get too impatient and/or hungry?
Nick: Nope, I think that's the kids making their escape.
Ellen: Well, then, let's get down there and help them beat feet! They've been cooped up in that place long enough!
Nick: We might have a... slight problem with that.
Maylin: Oh, great, the Organization's here, too. Can't they just leave us alone for once?!
Sophia: We can't let whoever that is get anywhere near the kids.
Nick: Well, then, let's go and assist that breakout next time on Kingdom Hearts: Key to Her Heart re:Verse II, "Search and Rescue"!
Nick, Maylin, Haruka, Ellen and Sophia: May your hearts be your guiding key!