Dodge Slash, Wind Blast, Iron Scraps, Sirocco, Scale Strip, Zeta Flare, Demonic Surge, Cosmic Ray… The group used each of their skills and techniques against the Fallen inside the castle, hardly caring who they used them against.
And these weren't mere monsters they faced. The group was confronting the most powerful Fallen among their ranks, those tasked with protecting every corridor and room of the castle. Not even the Sentinels, or the Guardians, or even the occasional Inacor wandering around could stop the group and their unwavering resolve.
Even so, on some occasions, they would look around to see which direction to move, at which point they would notice the Gothic style of the pillars and walls that surrounded them, as well as the few pieces of furniture found in the castle.
After navigating the castle's labyrinthine corridors, the group reached a large chamber with a huge circle bearing a five-pointed star painted on the floor. A pair of metal and stone doors, adorned with demonic motifs, stood atop a staircase, blocking their path. The room also featured several archways surrounding the circle, each with a portal, except for one that was in ruins.
“What could this place be?” Makoto asked, looking around.
Kairi approached a board at the foot of the stairs with an inscription on it.
“The existence of the servants guards access to their master.” Kairi read the text on the tablet.
Eve looked at the portals that surrounded them, approaching the remains of the ruined arch, reading an inscription on it.
The Necromancer.
After some thought, Eve deduced that this ruined archway was connected to Shaft, which had been destroyed in the past. Then she noticed the text on the other archways.
The Enchantress.
The Sorceress.
The Snake.
The Mad Genius.
Rena crossed her arms after reading the texts with her eyes closed.
“There’s no doubt about it,” Rena said. “If we want to move forward, we must defeat his servants once and for all.”
“Okay, and I guess separating would be a really bad idea, right?” Edea asked.
“That’s right. We must use everything we have if we want to defeat them,” Nina said.
“Well then. Who do we go after first?” Priere asked.
Kairi turned her gaze toward the portals. The question now was deciding in what order to face them.
“It doesn’t matter who we start with. They’ll all be a tough nut to crack,” Airy said.
“Okay, Kairi. It’s your decision,” Rena said to Kairi.
Kairi sighed, thinking about what decision to make this time.
[Note: Each of the four sections will be written separately. There is no canonical order to the succession of sections.]
Upon crossing the threshold into Morrigan's chambers, the group found themselves in what appeared to be the interior of a typical ancient theater corridor, whose walls were adorned with statues of women in various poses.
Without saying a word, and after proceeding through the corridors, the group arrived at what appeared to be a vast amphitheater with a large stage at the far end. The place seemed abandoned, but as the group began to descend the amphitheater's stairs, the girls were startled to see ghosts appear, seated in the seats, their ethereal gazes fixed on the amphitheater's stage.
“Does anyone else think this is getting really creepy?” Edea asked, looking at the ghosts.
“I doubt they’ll do anything to us,” Nina said, waving a hand in front of one of the ghosts, which remained unmoved. “I think they’re just spectators.”
“And who do you think they’re going to see in this place?” Makoto asked.
“To us,” Kairi said, walking towards the stage.
After looking at each other for a moment, the group followed Kairi onto the stage, looking around after she got on it.
“I was waiting for you, Princess of Hearts. Or should I call you Daughter of the Phoenix?” A voice sounded from behind the stage curtain, which then rose to reveal what lay beyond. The succubus Morrigan stood with her arms crossed, her gaze fixed on them.
“Looks like you’ve finally arrived,” Morrigan remarked, looking at Kairi. “I always thought you’d never come here for your own safety.”
Kairi frowned, looking at the succubus.
“As long as Dracula is alive and on the loose, I’ll never be safe. So I intend to end this with my own hands,” Kairi said.
Morrigan shook her head, her eyes closed for a moment.
“Poor child. Do you remember what I told you the first time we met in Radiant Garden?” Morrigan asked. “I suggested you return to the dark hole where you’ve been all these years and never come out again. Unless, of course, you wished to suffer the same fate as your mother. And you know what happened to your mother, don’t you?”
Kairi glared furiously at Morrigan, drawing her Keyblade and pointing it at the succubus.
“Well, I think it will be a pleasure to meet you with Mom, don’t you think?” Morrigan said with a wicked smile.
Kairi and the others prepared to fight as Morrigan spread her wings, standing with one foot in front of the other, arms and palms outstretched.
Rena fired her arrows at Morrigan, but Morrigan dodged them by moving from side to side. Nina used her magic against the succubus, but Morrigan also evaded her spells.
Smiling, Morrigan snapped her fingers, and the amphitheater was filled with Bats and Giant Bats, as well as Bat-Men who flew down upon the group.
"Okay, this is starting to get more complicated than we thought!" Edea said, invoking the Hunter profession, firing arrows at the flying enemies.
Several Batmen landed on the ground, swarming Makoto and Eve, who defended themselves with their abilities against the Fallen. At the same time, Nina and Airy used their magic to hold off the remaining flying enemies attacking them.
In that situation, Priere and Rena stayed close to Kairi as she entered her Chocobo Form. Having no idea what she could do, they preferred to use a balanced form to face her until they knew how to deal with her.
Morrigan raised her hands upwards, at which point she was surrounded by bats before pointing her hands at Kairi and the others, sending the bats flying like projectiles towards them, forcing them to dodge the bats.
Rena fired several arrows at the Succubus, but she dodged them by moving to the sides before extending her hand towards them and launching a burst of energy in their direction, forcing them to dodge the attack.
Priere also lunged at her, but despite missing some blows due to her enemy's agility, she managed to strike her powerfully with her baton, pushing her back. Morrigan responded by pointing her wings at her, extending the finger bones forward like spears, though fortunately, all three evaded the attack.
Kairi unleashed a Firaga attack against the Succubus who, despite taking the full force of the blast, began spinning like a top, generating a small whirlwind around her as she advanced toward them. As Rena and Priere retreated, Kairi stood firm, blocking the attack with her Keyblade.
“Damn, this woman is a tough nut to crack,” Priere said before launching herself at Morrigan, using her baton to strike her hard, managing to push her several meters away from the impact.
But the Succubus summoned her bats and sent them at Priere, taking the full force of the attack. Fortunately, a powerful arrow from Rena created a gust of wind that scattered the bats attacking Priere. Kairi took advantage of the distraction to strike her several times with her Keyblade until Priere retaliated by spinning again, forcing her to dodge her dizzying attack.
After stopping, Morrigan pointed at Kairi and began unleashing energy blasts in her direction, forcing her to use a magic shield to repel the repeated attacks. These were interrupted when a mana arrow struck the Succubus. But at that moment, she responded to the attack by extending the sharp fingers of her wings against the elf, who narrowly avoided them.
“Come on, I expected better from someone who claims to be the daughter of the Phoenix,” the succubus said, mocking Kairi. “Is all you can do to defend yourself? Show your full power. Or… do you really think you can defeat me in such a pathetic way? Or is it that you don’t want to face your mother’s killer?”
Those words reached Kairi's ears, causing her to frown for a moment.
“Shut up,” she said in a low voice.
“I don’t think you can order me around. Actually, I should be thanking you. You and your friends. You’ve given me the opportunity to… enjoy this encounter. And believe me, I’m going to enjoy it like never before.” Morrigan said with a smile as she teased her with her fingers.
Without another word, Kairi lunged at the succubus, attacking her with the Keyblade with ferocious ferocity, forcing Morrigan to retreat in the face of the sudden aggression. Priere seized the opportunity to unleash a barrage of batons at the succubus, while Rena fired several fire arrows, but Morrigan responded by using the whirlwind to defend herself against the attacks.
After repelling the attack, Morrigan generated several aftershocks around them, soon launching energy orbs at the three and forcing them to dodge. Rena began firing her arrows at them, but the illusions vanished with each shot, while the Succubus continued her attacks.
Realizing it wasn't easy, Rena raised her bow, summoning a massive orb of light in the sky. An instant later, luminous arrows began raining down on the replicas, which vanished upon impact, revealing the true Morrigan. But Morrigan dodged the arrows and extended her hand to unleash another energy blast at her, though Rena reacted in time to shield herself with her bow.
“I have to admit, your ability is quite powerful,” Morrigan said. “But don’t think that means you’ll be able to defeat him easily.”
Rena glanced at the Succubus, noticing how she prepared to attack again, just as Priere approached her with her staff. But then the Succubus moved aside, avoiding both of their attacks, and used the opportunity to launch her bats at Kairi. Kairi quickly stopped the attack with a Thundaga spell before countering with a Blizzaga spell, managing to strike Rena with the ice.
The Succubus removed the ice from the spell, preparing to attack just as she saw Kairi access her Ifrit Form, launching a powered-up Firaga attack, forcing Morrigan to dodge the attack, a situation taken advantage of by Rena to fire a powerful mana arrow, which hit her squarely.
Kairi launched an attack against Morrigan, her attacks powered by the flames of the Ifrit Form, causing serious problems for the Succubus with her blows.
“Rena, now!” Kairi shouted.
Rena raised her bow, summoning a huge orb of light in the sky, an instant before luminous arrows began to fall upon the Succubus, managing to hit several arrows upon her.
At the same time, Priere summoned several batons which she floated in front of her in a circle, while extending her hand towards where the Succubus was before launching a huge laser at her, forcing her to rise to avoid the destructive attack.
Just then, Kairi leaped and landed on Morrigan, unleashing a powerful fire attack worthy of Ifrit's Inferno attack. The succubus crashed to the ground, her body covered in burns from Kairi's flames.
Morrigan struggled to her feet, staggering as if she were losing her balance with every step she took, gasping for breath.
“No… I won’t let… a child… defeat me just like that…” Morrigan gasped until she began to feel herself being enveloped in darkness. “What? Am I… disappearing?” Then she fell to her knees, staring at her hands. “My lord… I’m sorry… I couldn’t fulfill your dream…”
At that moment, Morrigan disappeared into the darkness, leaving no trace of her existence.
Kairi took a deep breath as she returned to her normal state.
“You will no longer terrorize the dreams of others, Morrigan…” Kairi said as she looked where the Succubus had been just moments before.
“Thank goodness this is over now,” Edea said, approaching her.
Apparently, the rest of the group had managed to finish off the Fallen who were ravaging the theater.
“I hope I don’t have to see so many bats together in one place for a long time,” Makoto said, rubbing her hair. “I think one got tangled in my hair.”
“The castle is infested with Fallen. So it’s possible that the same thing will happen again,” Eve said.
Nina nodded, just as they suddenly began to hear applause from the ghostly spectators who were watching them as she slowly faded away until the place was completely empty, except for the group itself.
“All we would have needed was to bow to them at the end, as if this were a play,” Airy said.
“In a way, we are all playing a role in this whole story,” Rena said.
Upon crossing the threshold into Salome's chambers, the group found themselves in what appeared to be the interior of a large library, with the walls of the corridors covered by shelves filled with books.
“There are a lot of books here, no doubt about it,” Nina said, looking at the books on the shelves. “Although I don’t recognize half of the books here.”
“They are probably the kind of books that are best left untouched,” Airy said.
The group advanced through the corridors of books until they reached a large square room surrounded by bookshelves, whose ceiling rose several meters high from the floor.
“Welcome, Daughter of the Phoenix.” The group looked around at the sound of that voice, until they turned their gaze upwards, finding the witch Salome riding on her flying broomstick while reading a book, until she put the book down on the shelf.
“I must admit it. You and the others possess more courage than most people could ever have. Normally, people like you would think twice about coming into the lion's den.” Salome began to descend until she was floating near them. “But clearly, you are not ordinary people.”
Kairi looked seriously at the witch.
“As long as Dracula is still standing, you will try to finish me off, so I intend to settle this matter right now,” Kairi said.
The witch shook her head. “Listen carefully. Ever since we met in Agrabah, I’ve always thought you were an extraordinary case. I never expected you to be able to acquire Shiva’s power at that time. Furthermore, I never thought that power was linked to your Phoenix blood, but rather something more related to your abilities as the Princess of Heart.”
Kairi looked at Salome seriously, taking out her Keyblade and pointing it at the witch.
“But you haven’t faced a real witch yet, miss. And believe me, this will be the last time you face one.” Salome smiled devilishly.
Kairi and the others were preparing to fight while Salome settled herself on her flying broom, holding on with one hand.
Nina launched one of her spells in the form of an ice wolf that ran towards Salome, but a circular shield appeared in front of her, blocking the attack. At the same time, she made a gesture with her hand, summoning a large fireball that flew straight towards the group.
The group split up to avoid the fireball that ended up hitting one of the bookstores with a loud explosion of fire, but they barely suffered any damage from the flames.
“Seriously, they don’t burn?” Nina asked.
“They are books of arcane arts. They cannot be burned so easily,” Salome replied calmly.
The witch snapped her fingers, and dozens of Catmen, Legionnaires, and Skeleton Soldiers began appearing in the library, immediately attacking the group.
“Great, we were few and the grandmother gave birth!” Makoto said, clenching her fists.
The girls had to scatter to face the enemies that had appeared on the scene, with Priere and Makoto facing the Fallen with bare blows, while Rena, Eve, and Edea, with the profession of Time Maga, used their abilities to hinder the enemy.
On that occasion, Nina and Airy stayed close to Kairi as she entered her Chocobo Form. Having no idea what the witch could do besides float on her broom, she preferred to use a more balanced form to face her until she knew how to properly confront her.
Salome raised her hand, forming an orb of light which she immediately launched at Kairi, forcing her to jump aside to avoid it, but seeing how the orb of light began to move after her, she had to use her magic shield to block the attack.
At the same time, Nina cast one of her spells at the witch, sending fiery claws in her direction, but Salome placed another barrier that blocked the spell. However, she had to move aside when Airy attacked with a Blizzaga from the side. Taking advantage of this opportunity, Nina summoned a powerful thunderbolt that struck the witch, who, despite being hit directly, withstood it without difficulty.
Kairi also seized the opportunity to unleash a Thundaga attack that struck her directly, demonstrating that non-frontal spells could bypass her magic barrier. But Salome charged her barrier with magic and flew towards her, forcing Kairi to dodge the attack before she could be struck by it.
After the attack failed, Salome summoned several icicles as large as a person and launched them at Kairi and the others, but both Nina and Airy used their fire magic to stop the icicles mid-flight.
“This woman really knows how to use magic,” Nina remarked, invoking a wave of polar cold against Salome.
The witch quickly extended her hand toward the magic, unleashing a large fireball that stopped Nina's spell, and then launched an orb of light at Airy, who was forced to fly to try to escape the attack. Following this, Salome summoned several lightning bolts that struck around her, nearly hitting Kairi, who used her magic barrier to block the attack.
“Come on, is this all the Daughter of the Phoenix has to offer?” Salome asked. “I expected more from someone who is not only an Esper, but also a Keyblade wielder, like a Princess of Heart. It seems that if your mother had been a master of magic, you wouldn’t have inherited that mastery.”
Kairi frowned upon hearing the witch's words.
“And what do you know?” Kairi asked. “You’re nothing but a witch.”
“Yes, a witch with more knowledge of magic than you, it seems,” the witch remarked. “But at least I can test how my magic can compete with someone like you, young lady,” Salome said as she adjusted her hat.
After those words, Kairi threw her Keyblade at Salome, who easily dodged it. But without warning, Kairi teleported to her Keyblade, positioning herself behind Salome, and used the opportunity to unleash a powerful Blizzaga attack, surprising her with the impact on her back. Salome responded with a fireball aimed at her, though Kairi narrowly dodged it in mid-air.
Then the witch began launching orbs of light that headed toward Kairi, who had to raise a magical shield around herself to avoid the attack. But while Salome was distracted by her, Nina and Airy cast fire spells at her, forcing her to move to the side to avoid the flames.
“Has anyone ever told you that you are truly annoying?” Salome asked the two before throwing icicles at them.
Nina and Airy flew in different directions to avoid the witch's ice attack. Kairi took advantage of this to summon Ramuh Form, using her dazzling speed to move around and attack Salome with powerful electrical blasts, giving the witch serious trouble as she tried to use her magic against her. But every time the witch cast a spell, Kairi instantly leaped to another location using her electricity, managing to evade each of her attacks.
After several failed attacks, Salome raised her hand, summoning dozens of lightning bolts that began to fall from the ceiling to the floor, not only forcing Kairi, Nina, and Airy to dodge the lightning, but also causing more problems than necessary for the others who were facing the Fallen that were in the place.
But that didn't stop Kairi. She raised her Keyblade and began gathering all the lightning bolts around her, using the electricity to stay airborne. The witch suspected she was going to do something and tried to stop her, but both Nina and Airy unleashed fire and ice spells from opposite sides, striking and halting her, giving Kairi enough time to prepare her attack.
When she was ready, Kairi unleashed the largest and most powerful lightning bolt she could summon upon the witch, striking her directly and slamming her hard to the ground as she screamed in pain from the force of the attack. When the attack ended, Kairi, Nina, and Airy all landed on the ground, keeping their distance from the witch, who slowly began to rise.
“Ugh, I certainly didn’t expect that,” Salome said, standing up, her broom in pieces. Then she felt darkness begin to emanate from her body, staring at her own hand. “Hmm… It seems this is the end for me.” Then she looked at Kairi. “From one sorceress to another, I’m very impressed with your mastery of magic, and not just your control over the power of the Eidolons…” Salome sighed deeply. “Had things been different, it would have been an honor to have been your mentor…”
At that moment, Salome's body disappeared without a trace.
Kairi breathed a sigh of relief as she returned to her normal state.
“Maybe, but I already have a teacher, Salome, but thank you…” Kairi said as she looked where the witch had been just a moment ago.
“My God, this is crazy,” Makoto said.
Kairi watched as the rest of the group approached, for they had already defeated the Fallen that were ravaging the place.
“Magic against magic. That was something worth recording,” Eve said.
“I just hope the Fallen sorcerers don’t cause too much trouble in this place,” Edea said.
“Who knows? We don’t know what awaits us in this place,” Nina said, looking at the bookshelves around her. “So many books on magic, and so little time…”
“Focus, Nina. We still have things to do,” Kairi said.
Upon crossing the threshold into Medusa's chambers, the group found themselves in what appeared to be the interior of a large stone cavern with a distinct Greco-Roman style, barely illuminated by torches hanging on the walls.
“Greco-Roman style… why am I not surprised?” Makoto remarked, scratching his head.
The group advanced through the stone tunnels, following the only possible path. Eventually, they reached a large hall that resembled a ruined Roman coliseum, filled with numerous statues of warriors in various poses.
Rena sensed something moving among the shadows of the statues, alerting the others that they weren't alone. The group tried to follow the figure at all times, until Kairi sensed danger and jumped aside, pushing Edea out of the way just in time to avoid a red laser beam that flashed by, incinerating the ground.
“Very skillful, daughter of the Phoenix.” The group looked at the speaker, who revealed herself to be Medusa, gliding across the ground, armed with a sword and shield. Most striking about her was the robotic visor she wore, glowing with a reddish light.
“I must admit it. I didn’t expect you to come to my lair, knowing that I still hold a grudge against you for the loss of my sight. And now, because of you, I can no longer paralyze or petrify anyone!” Medusa said furiously, brandishing her sword angrily.
“Hey, that was the gargoyle’s doing, not us,” Edea said. “By the way, nice glasses.”
“Courtesy of Master Brain, with a few extra additions,” Medusa said, and Kairi looked at the burned line on the floor.
“You should already know that if we want to face Dracula, we must finish you off, shouldn’t you?” Kairi said, turning her gaze back to Medusa.
The hair/snake heads hissed as Medusa glared at them furiously.
“And you seriously think you can defeat me? Believe me, if we had faced each other on Olympus instead of sending Ifrit as Shaft decided, you wouldn’t have made it past that day. But let me tell you something. I have never lost a hand-to-hand fight, and even though I can no longer paralyze or petrify you, I intend to make your corpses adorn this place.” Medusa said, her voice cold.
Kairi looked at Medusa seriously, taking out her Keyblade and pointing it at the snake woman.
“Believe me, when I’m done with you, you’ll wish I could turn you to stone,” Medusa said, smiling maliciously.
Kairi and the others prepared to fight while Medusa readied her sword and shield, her snake hair hissing fiercely.
Makoto charged at Medusa, throwing a direct punch, but Medusa used her shield to block the attack, raising her sword to slash Makoto with her next move. Fortunately, Makoto saw it coming and jumped back to avoid the sword strike.
Medusa immediately struck her shield several times with her sword. But what seemed like a mockery turned out to be a sign, as the place began to fill with Legionaries, Stone Giants, and Stone Men who started to surround the group.
“Couldn’t they at least stop summoning henchmen for once?” Priere asked, seeing the Fallen appear.
Priere quickly began attacking the Stone Giants, while Rena and Eve fired arrows and projectiles of all kinds at the Legionaries and Stone Men, while Nina and Airy used their magic to damage as much as possible the enemies that were appearing in the place.
Kairi prepared for the confrontation using Chocobo Form, hoping to get an idea of how to face Medusa there. Fortunately, both Makoto and Edea, using the Knight profession, stayed by her side for the fight.
Medusa's lenses glowed, and she immediately fired a laser from her eyes that first hit the ground but then began moving toward the girls. Fortunately, the three of them moved out of the way before the laser reached them.
Kairi leaped at the snake woman, attacking with her Keyblade, but her attacks were repeatedly blocked by her enemy's shield, while simultaneously launching several slashes at her. Fortunately, Edea anticipated this and blocked Medusa's attacks with her own shield, immediately retaliating with one of her own attacks that knocked Medusa back after striking the shield.
Makoto used that opportunity to hit her in the face with her tonfas, but she didn't notice Medusa's snake tail, which hit her legs, causing her to fall to the ground, turning to the side to avoid the whippings of the tail, noting to herself not to lose sight of the snake woman's tail.
Kairi began casting the Blizzaga spell against Medusa's body, hoping the cold would affect her enough to allow for an easy attack, but the snake woman blocked the icy spells with her shield. Medusa then responded to this attack by using her glasses to fire a laser at Kairi, forcing her to use her magic shield to block it.
“You’re not doing too badly. Perhaps you do deserve to have been named Guardian of the Light for that stupid war,” Medusa said, halting her attack on Kairi. “But even if you use the powers granted to you by your ‘daddy’s’ blood, you’re no match for me. And be grateful I can’t petrify you.”
Kairi looked coldly at the snake woman after listening to her.
“And this is coming from the woman who let herself be blinded by an old man.” Kairi mocked her.
“Believe me. When I’m done with you and your friends, that gargoyle will pay dearly for her audacity. And believe me, I intend to enjoy it as much as what I plan to do to you right here.” Medusa said, her snake-like hair hissing angrily as she glared at Kairi.
Medusa lunged at them again, this time with far more aggressive attacks. Her movements were precise and lethal, forcing Kairi, Makoto, and Edea to constantly defend themselves against the onslaught of the snake woman's sword and shield. They also had to contend with attacks from her serpent's tail, which tried to catch them off guard.
Edea managed to block an attack from Medusa's sword, but Medusa elbowed her in the face, knocking her to the ground. While Edea was recovering from the blow, Medusa lunged at Makoto, exchanging blows for a few seconds before the snake woman knocked her away with a tail swipe to the side.
Taking advantage of having separated the two allies, Medusa confronted Kairi, who decided to transform into Titan Form to increase her offensive capabilities. Kairi's increased strength was at least enough to block Medusa's repeated attacks, while simultaneously launching powerful attacks of her own, attempting to break through the snake woman's defense, or at least her shield.
Medusa finally managed to disarm Kairi, sending her Keyblade flying through the air. Kairi laughed triumphantly as she raised her sword to deliver the final blow.
“Goodbye, little princess,” Medusa said before lowering her sword.
Without warning, Kairi kicked Medusa's body, surprising her with the tremendous force she possessed as she sent her flying several meters back. Enraged, the snake woman activated her lenses, firing a laser at Kairi, who had to roll to the side to avoid it, quickly summoning her Keyblade.
However, Medusa fired another laser in her direction, but fortunately, a barrier appeared in front of her, blocking the attack. Kairi turned her gaze to Edea, who had created the barrier that protected her, and immediately launched a Radiant Flash at Medusa, hitting her directly despite her using her shield to protect herself.
Taking advantage of the opportunity, Makoto leaped to her side and began repeatedly striking the snake woman with her fists and tonfas, catching her off guard and giving her no time to counterattack with her shield or tail. Finally, she delivered a powerful right hook to Medusa's face, shattering the special visor she was wearing.
Taking advantage of this opportunity, Kairi launched herself with all her might at Medusa, striking her with the violence of an earthquake that sent her flying against the wall with great force, breaking part of the wall with the impact, which caused some rocks to fall to the ground next to Medusa when she fell to the ground, her sword and shield having been sent flying by the blow.
After this, Medusa struggled to her feet but began to lash out blindly around her, roaring with anger.
“Damn you! You and all your kind!” Medusa screamed as she blindly attacked all around her, her blindness preventing her from seeing the darkness beginning to envelop her. “Come here! Come closer! I intend to tear off every limb one by one until nothing remains of you! I will destroy you all, I swear!”
Medusa eventually disappeared, consumed by the darkness while being consumed by her own rage, her screams being replaced by a deathly silence.
Kairi took a deep breath, looking at where Medusa had been a moment ago.
“You’ll never do anything to anyone again. So suck it up, and get lost,” Kairi commented.
“He was such a sore loser,” Rena remarked.
Kairi turned her gaze to the rest of the group, which had managed to eliminate the Fallen that infested the place.
“That snake finally got what it deserved,” Edea said. “I still remember the first time it paralyzed me in that coliseum.”
“At least all these people who ended up suffering at Medusa’s hands can rest in peace,” Nina said, looking at the statues around her.
“I don’t know about you, but I’m tired of being in this place for so long. I feel claustrophobic in here,” Airy commented.
Kairi said nothing, simply staring at the statues of Medusa's previous victims, hoping that this would never happen again.
After passing through the portal that led them to Master Brain's domain, the group found themselves in a setting that was radically different from the original castle's atmosphere. The place looked more like a futuristic laboratory than one of the castle's rooms.
“Are you sure we’re still in the castle?” Airy asked, looking around.
The group advanced through the corridors of the place following the lights on the floor and the walls that seemed to act as guides, until they reached a room that was dark, but apparently very large.
“I must congratulate you on getting this far.” Master Brain’s robotic voice echoed in the darkness.
Several spotlights began to illuminate, revealing much of their surroundings, and with the last pair of spotlights, a large robotic body with a single eye-viewer appeared, standing in front of them. There seemed to be something behind the robot, but the light didn't reveal it.
“Master Brain…” Kairi said, looking at the robot.
“Honestly, what were the odds of you and yourselves making it here alive?” Master Brain asked, crossing the robot’s arms. “You’ve proven yourselves capable of overcoming any challenge. Oh, how I long to study your bodies!”
“Forget it. The only thing you’re going to study is how we destroyed that robot when we’re done with it,” Priere said.
“By the way, where are you? I’m tired of having to deal with you using other people’s bodies,” Eve said. “I suggest you show yourself right now before we neutralize that unit as well.”
Master Brain laughed at that moment. “Oh, you really want to see my true self?” The robot observed them. “Well, if you insist… just look behind this unit.”
At that moment, the spotlights in the room illuminated what was behind the robot, revealing a huge cylindrical glass tank filled with liquid with a huge brain inside, with an eye on the front of the brain, staring at them.
“Ugh! And I thought it couldn’t get any more horrible!” Edea exclaimed, startled.
“Now I understand the reason for 'Master Brain',” Rena said.
“At least we know where to direct the attacks,” Makoto said.
“You poor fools. Don’t you understand?” Master Brain asked, his voice echoing throughout the room. “This entire place is my body. I have complete control over this place. And believe me when I tell you that you won’t leave here alive.”
At that moment, Kairi pointed her Keyblade at Master Brain's true form.
“No matter how smart you are, you’re not going to stop us, even if you’re able to control the whole place,” Kairi said.
Master Brain laughed. “Believe me, I’ll have fun experimenting with your remains. I could even create a Fallen in your image who would be loyal to Dracula.”
Kairi and the others prepared to fight while the robot in front of Master Brain also prepared to fight.
Eve was the first to attack, using Hornet Sting and launching a missile at Master Brain's real body, but the robot jumped and deflected the projectile to the side, causing it to explode out of range. At the same time, the robot extended its arm, firing several lasers at the girls.
The group had to split up to avoid the robot's fire, while Nina cast a spell that caused a massive thunderclap to strike the robot, sending it hurtling downwards. Priere used this opportunity to rush towards the robot and strike it with her baton with tremendous force, shattering it into pieces that rained down all over the area.
Despite that, Master Brain laughed, and another similar robot landed in front of Master Brain, ready to fight.
“Oh, seriously?” Edea asked.
At that moment, several metal tentacles with different weapons, such as saws, cannons, or needles, began to appear from the ground or the walls, catching the girls off guard.
“Tentacles? Seriously?” Rena asked.
As the tentacles began attacking the group, the group counterattacked. Rena and Edea, using their Hunter skills, began firing arrows at the tentacles, while Nina and Airy used their magic to damage the more distant machines, and Makoto and Priere focused on destroying the mechanical tentacles with their bare hands, mainly those closest to them.
At that moment, Eve stayed by Kairi's side, who took on the Chocobo Form, hoping to find some way to damage Master Brain despite the obstacles.
The robot controlled by Master Brain lunged at Kairi, but she used her magic barrier to block the robot's direct attack, while Eve used Extreme Blade to slice the robot in two and destroy it.
Unfortunately for them, Master Brain simply summoned another robot that was already prepared to face them.
“Any ideas?” Kairi asked, preparing to face the new robot.
“I’m scanning Master Brain’s outer form. Hopefully, I can locate some kind of weak point in its structure. I highly doubt that crystal is as fragile as it appears,” Eve said.
The robot began firing lasers from its hands, forcing Kairi and Eve to move to avoid the attack. Eve took advantage of this to send Moby and Remy to strike the robot hard and try to distract it while she looked for a way to damage Master Brain. Kairi used this opportunity to launch a Thundaga attack that damaged the robot enough for Eve's drones to destroy it.
After this, as soon as another of Master Brain's robots appeared, Kairi threw her Keyblade at it. The robot dodged the attack, but then Kairi teleported behind it and struck it hard, knocking it to the ground. The robot got up, pointing its arms at Kairi, but this time it didn't fire, confusing her. Instead, the robot lunged at her, forcing her to jump over it to avoid the attack.
Eve saw that this reaction was quite curious, and as soon as she realized that it did not attack Kairi when she was right in front of Master Brain, she focused on continuing to investigate the pond to see if she could figure anything out, while Kairi kept the robot distracted as best she could.
Finally, Eve's scans paid off, leading to the answer of how to defeat Master Brain.
“Kairi! I’ve figured it out!” Eve exclaimed just as Kairi leaped to where she was. “That tank is connected to that platform, and at the same time, that platform has those three nodes connected to the ground. They must be powering the entire place while simultaneously granting Master Brain control. If we destroy them, we could seriously harm Master Brain.”
“I see, but I doubt our attacks will do any damage,” Kairi said, thinking about what had happened to the robot a while back. “Although I do have an idea.”
Kairi lunged at Master Brain's robot and began striking it repeatedly while dodging its physical attacks. Then Kairi finished off the robot, sending it flying into one of the nodes. The violent impact electrocuted and overloaded the node, causing an explosion that destroyed it.
“You are very clever. But don’t think you’ll be so lucky next time,” Master Brain said, frowning.
At that moment, as another robot descended to fight, electric spheres began appearing near Master Brain and flew toward Kairi and Eve, forcing them both to move to dodge the attacks. Simultaneously, the robot lunged at Kairi, forcing her to block each of its frontal attacks.
Eve launched a drill spear at the robot, managing to distract it long enough for Kairi to knock it away with a powerful blow. Despite this, the robot pointed its arms at both of them, beginning to fire lasers, forcing them to move to avoid the blasts while simultaneously dodging the electric orbs that Master Brain was sending at them.
Kairi then launched herself towards the robot, managing to hit it as hard as she could, sending it flying towards another of the nodes, causing its damage and subsequent destruction when the robot crashed into it and exploded.
“You will pay for that!” Master Brain exclaimed, sending dozens of electric spheres at Kairi and Eve.
Eve raised a barrier around herself and Kairi to block Master Brain's attack until another robot appeared, this time seemingly stronger than the previous ones, breaking through Eve's barrier in one blow.
“Kairi, that unit will surely be stronger than the others. I highly doubt a simple defense can stop it, and attacking it relentlessly would only expose us to attacks from both sides,” Eve said.
“In that case, we will have to overcome their attack,” Kairi said, and without wasting any time, she summoned her Alexander Form.
The robot lunged at Kairi, raising its arm to strike her. Kairi used her Keyblade to block the blow, withstanding the onslaught thanks to the increased defense of her current form, eventually pushing it back. She quickly raised a magical barrier around herself to block another wave of electric orbs launched by Master Brain.
Eve began firing every weapon she could muster at Master Brain's crystal in an attempt to distract him and draw his attention to herself while Kairi faced the robot. The giant brain responded to her attacks by sending out dozens of electrical spheres, while simultaneously causing mechanical tentacles to emerge from the ground near the Nasod and attack her with whatever weapons they were equipped with. Fortunately, Eve managed to evade each of her rival's attacks without difficulty.
Meanwhile, Kairi was exchanging attacks with Master Brain's robot, using her own defense to repel the mechanical enemy's attacks while slowly pushing it back with each strike. But she knew that this way she wouldn't be able to send it flying unless she destabilized it, and if Master Brain found out what she was trying to do, he would move his robot elsewhere to launch his attacks against Kairi.
Seeing an opening, Eve generated a large spear and hurled it straight at the robot. The impact caused the robot to lose its balance and wobble, giving Kairi the opportunity she needed to knock it away with a powerful blow, but it wasn't enough to prevent the robot from reaching the final node. At that moment, Kairi pointed her Keyblade at the ground in front of the robot, sending a beam of light that momentarily illuminated the area before triggering a powerful explosion that pushed the robot backward, finally colliding with the node and causing both to be destroyed in a massive blast.
That damage caused an alarm to start sounding, while all the tentacles that Master Brain sent against the group began to malfunction and act erratically.
“Can you tell me what you’ve done?” Edea asked, seeing how the mechanical tentacles were acting.
Kairi did not respond, staring intently at Master Brain, who was frantically looking around, with electricity appearing all over the glass as cracks began to appear in the glass itself.
“Damn you all!” Master Brain exclaimed. “If I go down, I'm taking you with me!”
Rena then turned her gaze towards the road they had come by, her eyes widening as she saw what was happening.
“Kairi!” Rena exclaimed, pointing to the exit and showing how huge metal doors were slowly beginning to close.
“Let’s get out of here, hurry up!” exclaimed Kairi.
The group began running for the exit as the room filled with smoke and sporadic explosions, escaping before the door closed. But the danger wasn't over. More metal doors began descending from the ceiling, threatening to trap the group inside the place that seemed about to explode. The group picked up speed as fast as their legs—or wings—would carry them.
The group soon reached the portal through which they had arrived at the location, the location about to be closed also by a metal door, but the group managed to pass through the door, appearing again inside the portal room.
“Are you all okay?” Eve asked.
At that moment, a loud explosion was heard, and the whole place shook for a moment.
“Yes, I think we’re all fine,” Makoto said, glancing around.
“Okay, we can definitely cross 'fighting a giant brain' off the list,” Edea said, scratching his head.
Kairi took a deep breath as she returned to her normal state, her hands resting on her knees.
“Now that Master Brain is finished, I hope I never see any more of his machines around here again,” Priere said.
“Yes, I’ve had enough machine problems for a long time now,” Nina said.
At that moment, Airy looked at Kairi.
“Well, what do we do now?” the fairy asked the girl, who remained silent, staring at the ground.
