Chapter 42

CHAPTER 7 SOMETHING YOU COULD NEVER IMITATE “ANGER…AND HATE…REIGN SUPREME!” Sora charged as Xemnas ranted, only to be immediately repelled by the Ethereal Blades. But in the instant of distraction he created, Riku darted in and landed a blow on Xemnas. Then bolts of energy, spiked like white thorny vines, hemmed Sora and Riku in, all but trapping them. “Now what, Riku?” Sora gasped out, still recovering from the charge, as they stood back-to-back. “Just fight however you want. I’ll cover you.” “Oh, so you get to be the only one who looks cool!” Sora retorted, but Riku was already making another dash for Xemnas. Before Riku’s eyes, Xemnas vanished—and then two of him appeared, as if he’d split and replicated himself. Sora rushed the one who was farther away. Now he and Riku were both engaged one-on-one, embroiled in a bitter struggle. “Can you…truly trust Riku?” Sora’s Xemnas asked. It had never even occurred to Sora not to. “Why wouldn’t I?!” With a burst of strength, he threw Xemnas back. The other Xemnas was trying a similar tactic. “Riku… Aren’t you jealous of Sora?” Rather than bothering to respond, Riku simply slashed at Xemnas’s neck. Xemnas seemed to laugh, slipping away as Riku tried to mow him down. Sora and Riku came to a stop in nearly the same spot, both with grim expressions. “What is controlling your hearts now?” the Xemnas twins said. “Sora, Riku—can you say for certain that there are no delusions lurking within your own hearts?” “Shut up!” Sora retorted. There’s more than just rage and hatred in people’s hearts. Why can’t Xemnas understand that…? The two figures of Xemnas let out a high, terrible laugh and fused back into one. “On your guard!” Those bright thorny vines spat from his hands again. Sora dodged them and hurtled around behind him. “Take this!” Sora’s attack sent Xemnas into the air. Riku was there to deal another blow, knocking him higher, but Xemnas regained his balance, brandishing the glowing red Ethereal Blades—or so they thought. This time, the red lights were projectiles raining down on them. “Augh!” There was no avoiding them. Sora braced himself. Riku moved swiftly to deflect the bullets. “C’mon, stay with it.” “I am!” Seeing the sweat on Riku’s forehead, Sora glared up at Xemnas, who was watching them from where he floated above. Swinging the Keyblade with all his might, he sprang toward him. The strike connected, but Sora couldn’t quite right himself, and just before he could land, a burst of thorns caught him. “Sora!” Riku ran to his aid, but the barbs ensnaring Sora drew him higher. As he struggled, the vines twined around his hands to restrain him. “Fools…,” Xemnas murmured, and Riku rushed at him—but a wall of light blocked his path, and he couldn’t get close. “Ri…ku…,” Sora groaned through clenched teeth. “Sora!” Riku flung back Xemnas before he could get too close and jumped up to slash through Sora’s bonds. But Xemnas slid in again, lifting his right hand to blast thorns at Riku from close range. Riku pinned Xemnas’s hand under one arm and pushed him back with the other. And in almost the same moment, Sora, freed from the vines, plummeted to the ground. “Real smooth, Sora.” Riku landed a second later and helped him up. “Yeah, yeah. Thanks, Riku!” Sora gave him a sheepish grin and closed the distance to Xemnas, swinging the Keyblade with all his strength.