Breath rapid, lungs burning, the adventurer rushed through the damp alleyway, death itself chased him. It wore a purple robe and wooden facemask with no image or even eye holes. How he could see him, the adventurer wondered, but what made him flea truly was his demons, appearing in flashes of black that materialized from nothing. What misfortune brought me to this? The adventurer thought in fear as their pursuer calling forth even more of the demons.
"You can't escape me." The pursuer said as the came ever closer to their target.
"Why are you doing this?! Aren't you supposed to be a hero now?! Answer me Core!" These words were his final, as when he rushed the corner, he ran right into his pursuer Core, who jabbed his hand through the man's chest. Gripping his heart and breaking it.
"I'm not Core... I'm not anyone important." They said, removing their hand from the targets body. The lifeless corpse falling down and forming a puddle of their own blood.
"Very good Core, or do you prefer your serial number? K39?" Spoke the vipore tongued voice of Spoiled.
"Either is fine by me Master."
"I think this test is proof enough it's time to show Daybreak and all those hero's it's time they take her war preparations much more seriously. And remember, your priority is to retrieve the child, I don't care what you do with the birth mother."
"Yes Master." Core said with a bow. "I will gather the others."
Core sat at their desk within Daybreak. The paperwork was endless, but expected. The simple day to day work flow became routine fast but they had their field missions. Given their expertise with darkness and affiliated powers hey we're sent when an unknown negative energy was discovered. "At least all those years are going to some good use." Core muttered to himself, the latest reports on the front lines were looking worried. The number of casualties was climbing, as we're the enemy forces. More soldiers had to be selected and while hey we're not in short supply he found it distasteful to send out so many to their deaths. But if Core knew anything it was that war cost lives. Plain and simple.
With a sigh Core signed of on yet another deployment sheet. This time over fifty thousand as a start and more with extra supplies by week's end. Core wished to be out there, fighting, truly atoning for all those years he spent tying to destroy the realm of light. Reality itself. How foolish he was in blinding loss. Another mail delivery was delivered to his office, interrupting his reflection. He waved the delivery person. Or pony, Rather, given they were equine, a goodbye before sorting out the latest news and requests. A single file was labeled as urgent, and with rehearsed ease opened he files contained within.
What he read was worrying.
King Core, it is with great concern that I inform you trace amounts of void energy as well as some darkness. Upon investigation we discovered a base set on this world experimenting with boh heartless and void, we could not confirm this however the beings outside match they typical design of most pureblood heartless, only with horrifying mutations. Locals on this world known as Central City, have stayed clear of the place and even the local heroes of this world can't enter.
Those who attempted have either been deathly injured or have yet to exit, not even our own troops can enter the building. We request your assistance on the matter and please ask you attempt to gather Intel on the facility.
"Hmm. Pretty bold of them to set up shop so far into our own territory and claim it as their own. This spells trap all over it, but it's also gotta be a cover up. A distraction from the real attack here. Question is what?"
Getting up, Core placed all the extra documents to the side and looked up the location of this world, finding it. He began preparing to head out when, to his surprise, Luna, either Zeke's, Ben's or the many of Cript's came up to him.
"Hello Core." They said calmly.
"Luna... Which?"
"Ben was my husband first. To make things easier the others all agreed that given out marriage to Ben first and his affiliation to Nothingness, ruling it and all, we would go by Nobody names."
"Oh so the normal names but mixed around then with an X in it?"
"Yes. Mine is now Alxun."
"That... Sounds pretty cool. But why are you here then Lu- Alxun?"
"To Shadow you, of sorts."
"Hm?"
"As you know, I have a strong affiliation towards the sleeping worlds, but also to darkness, given past experience. I was hoping to learn a thing or two from you and then, one day, show Ben he doesn't have to worry so much. Even if he will still always worry I hope it will at least ease his mine some."
"So a miracle then?" Core said, he and Alxun sharing a laugh. He still felt that name strange, but it would take time for him and her to get used to it.
"Perhaps, but we both share a strong bond to the darkness. For reasons out own we let it consume us so the pain of out Hearts would numb. Hearing and reading about Drezke and looking into it has shown me one thing. Darkness and light can and do co-exist. Darkness can protect light when it is weak, and light can help darkness grow stronger."
"A codependent relationship?"
"Symbiotic more like it." Alxun stated with a smile.
Core gave a smile. Perhaps I can make use of all that research after all. Core thought, hope bringing some light to his past wrongdoings. "Alright then Lu- Alxun. As of O'Day, you are my disciple of darkness. We will show them all that darkness is not evil by nature."
Alxun gave a bow. "Of course, Master."
Core chuckled. Nobody has called them Master in an eternity. "Well then student, our first mission shall be an investigation."
"Investigation?" She asked.
"I got a report and request to investigate some heartless on a world far from the front lines that have void tainting them."
"How far from the front lines?"
"Too far. No idea how they could have slipped passed the barriers. But this whole thing writes trap all over itself. If they aren't too difficult you take out the heartless and I'll deal with the base in question."
"Understood." Alxun said. Summoning her keyblade and even a well made replica of Ben's Frozen Pride. Thought it's design looked more akin to a moon.
"A shield? And a replica of Frozen Pride at that. How?"
"I always did prefer a shield to accompany me and my blade. As for how it was The Admin Lord who made this for me actually. Said something about putting his true talents to use in this war."
"Interesting. Well, let's put it to the test." Core said. Summoning their own Keyblade, Kingdom Key.
The world in question was far more science based than magic but it's science took a turn for something on par with magic or the supernatural with how a single explosion of energy changed all of its inhabitants. Or at least a minority.
The suspected base in question was a single building more towards the main cities outskirts. Here heartless of both pure and emblem variants crawled about. A clear taint from void caused their bodies to mutate and malform. A shadow now had two extra heads, was twice the normal size and eyes covering all three of its heads. A dark all now had two tendril arms with razor like claws at the ends. And even the simple soldier now carried a massive broken, jagged and poisoned sword imbedded into it's right arm while the left was a shield. The alterations were clearly forced.
"Experimenting." Core said. "I remember doing similar to some heartless when I took the void symbol from John. The results I got were more basic but nearly identical."
"How strong are they compared to the originals?" Alxun asked.
"On my test not that much. What it did do, surprising, was up the intelligence of the emblem heartless, and increase the hp of the purebloods. Hear tests look incomplete but much more advanced than what I got. Spoiled must have made these."
"Spoiled rich? The one from Zeke's world?"
"Yeah. She was my former prodijay. Clever, smart, venomous. She had potential in everything i wanted at the time. Huge mistake."
"Best rectify it soon. How much of your research and such does she have?"
"All of it." Core hissed.
"Shit. So what's out move?"
"Hmm?" Core thought over, more than countless life times of strategy and tactics played through his mind on how to go about this. Many ending in injury or casualty, so all those were out. "What type of dark based abilities do you have?"
"Abilities, it's Dark Dash, Dark Scan and Darkness Harvest."
Quickly thinking them over, Dark Dash was very akin to a normal Dash Dodge move, but depending on the individual either immediately warped them the distance or something similar with the same effect, puts them into a small ball of darkness and rapidly moves them. Both keep the user from taking damage while using it. Dark Scan, much like it's standard variation shows your enemy hp, but also their weaknesses and when/where to attack to deal the most damage. Darkness Harvest is a leaching ability that when a successful block is met the enemies that hit it will lose some health, given to the blocker. A very useful ability. "Those will be useful. Alright, I'll get one someplace we can test it out in isolation to see how well you'll do against multiple." Core said, Alxun nodding as he got ready.
Core placed the tip of his Keyblade to the soil, taking a deep breath. Searching the area, one was a bit away from the others. The Darkball. Taking his chance, Core made his move. "Relocation." He said, his Keyblade activating as darkness pulsed from its blade, to the tip, into the earth and outstretched its way to the heartless he targeted. The beast was grabbed by black talons and pulled into the ground. "I sent it to the Keyblade Graveyard. Let's go."
“Right.” Luna said, opening a DTL under the two to the Keyblade Graveyard. The two were some distance from the void tainted heartless. “So, I attack and if it’s too much you’ll jump in and help.”
“Yes. Now, remember, while it should have a similar enough attack patterns but those tendrils will be new, and likely fast and high critical hit rates.”
“Alright then.” Alxun said, raising her keyblade.
Using Dark Dash, Alxun managed to get in close enough to use Dark Scan.
HP: 2,000/2,000
Weakness: ???
Crit ATT Time: Not Detected.
Not detectable? Alxun thought, confused. Must be the void in it.
With no identifiable weakness, Alxun charges a dark spell. “Dark Pulsation, Ice!” She cast, darkness pulsating from her keyblade then cloaking it in dark ice as suddenly it shot out towards the Dark Ball. The dark ice impaled the Dark Ball and proceed to expand with each pulse. There was five pulses, five growths of the ice spike, turning it into an ice bolder. When the magic wore off, the now frozen ice ball hit the ground, breaking the ice ball free and letting Alxun get another scan on its HP. Only 1,980. Less than she had hoped.
“That void alteration must have really boosted it.” She said, placing a hand over her heart, in its grip was her Wayfinder. “Best see how this works.” She said, the Link magic working so she was linked with Ben. Their energy flowed into her and she began sparking Nothingness Thorns along her body and Keyblade. An ethereal outline of Ben’s No Name appeared from the Grip of her Keyblade and around her weapon. She began sparking the Nothingness Thorns like Lightning.
“If void is keeping me from dealing proper damage, it’s time to use it’s opposite.” Alxun said, rushing at the Heartless and slicing it clean down the middle. A Flash of Nothingness and Darkness blew out from the impact that dissolved the void tainted heartless. It’s drops were normal, save for one item. Picking it up, Alxun’s Assistant identified it.
Crystalized Void Shard.
Synthesis Material. Used for infusing Void within. Ulike normal Synthesis materials, this can be brewed for herbal remedies to boost Void based abilities or even gain them.
Variations:
Crystalized Void Rock
Crystalized Void Chunk
Crystalized Void Stone
Crystalized Void Ore
Crystalized Void Bone
Crystalized Void Artifact Shard
Crystalized Void Ashes
Crystalized Void Blood
Crystalized Void Mothers Hair
"Interesting." Alxun hummed as Core came up.
"Good job. With Ben's D-Link it makes a perfect counter for the void mutations. How much longer is your D-Link good for?"
"About three hours." Alxun said. "If I convert normal Mana to D-Link Mana five, and I have some Balloon letters and other D-Link restoration items."
"Impressive. You think like a soldier."
"Taught like one too. Was learning these things from the guards long before all this. Let's head back then."
With a nod the two opened a DTL back to Central City and with Alxun dealing with the Heartless, very well thanks to the D-Link with Ben, Core rushed for the building. He reached the door, locked. "Either a big bomb or empty. I'm betting on Empty." Core said to themselves as tapping the lock with their Keyblade opened the door, inside was completely dark, and Core missed the chance to dodge as another's foot suddenly impacted his stomach, tossing them back a distance.
Core had become used to having a X-Blade body, this meant a dulled sense of pain to anything or anyone under a certain power level… that kick hurt.
“Whoever you are, you’re strong.” Core said, jumping back up to their feet. The slow clap of the attacker echoing from the doorway.
“Well, well, well, well, well. It’s about time I met you.” Core tensed up. That voice was… Walking outside the building was… Him. Dressed in his old purple robes and blank wooden face mask. “I’ve been looking forwards to this encounter.”
“How… what are you!?”
“What is the question. But you’re me, and I’m you, and you left a good student to take over your work.”
“Spoiled… she cloned me? But how are you that strong? The factory was only ever able to make them as strong as the base materials and memories of the cards.”
“Originally yes. My older brothers all were far, far weaker than I am, but I was able to be made stronger. Far surpassing the you of the memories that make up my heart. If you want to call it that.”
“Jeez. Was I always that intimidating?”
“Everything I am came from you as the foundation. Your student just built a far superior structure around it. I am Core Number K38. But just K38 is fine.” They said, summoning forth a copy of Core’s old Keyblade. Dark Heart. “Now then, let’s test just how well you taught your prodije.”
"I never taught her everything." Core said, disbanding Kingdom Key… and summoning the X-Blade.
The two rushed in, the clash sent out a shockwave that upturned the soil, leveled the nearby building and broke windows and set off car alarms all the way through the city. Alxun was mid way through the enemies when the shockwave hit. She was tossed aside like a ragdoll for quite a distance by the impact.
Breaking the clash, the two entered a dearly dual, Core attempting to end this fight quickly with a fast, powerful blow, but K38 dodged with exact speed and agility. To even a trained eye, all one could make out were gusts of wind and sudden impacts to the ground below. Deep gashes and craters in the upturned soil.
Alxun got herself back up, her D-Link abruptly ended by the shockwave. Looking up she saw the two slowed down enough to see Core take injury by the copy, a deep gash across their chest. Core managed to grab the copy by their clothes, dragging them into an impairment on the X-blade. "Core!" She shouted.
"Hehehe. It looks like there is room for improvement." K38 said as their body began to turn to ash.
"What are you here? What is Spoiled planning?" Core demanded.
"I'm a disposable test. A semi failure. Managing to injure you tells her all she needs to improve on. You taught her well but she has far exceeded what you were capable of with her new allies."
"Nexus?"
"Who else? This world held data and resources valuable to experiments. It's a world where the lines of science and magic cross so naturally they are basically the same. Why else do you think Nexus and Spoiled took interest here? The sights? No, they are after what this world calls Meta Humans. They hold the ingredients needed to perfect my siblings." K38 said, the last of their body turning to ash. "This war is only beginning Core, I injured you today, but tomorrow my siblings might just be able to kill you." The copy said, the last of them now ash in the wind.
"Core?" Alxun said, Core floating back down to the ground. His wound bleeding but not blood, light and darkness. Slowly it began closing.
"My past has finally come to haunt me." He said simply. "I'll be facing this head on…" they then smiled. "At least, for the first time in so long… I won't be alone."