As the villagers gazed up at the towering city that loomed over their small village, Vanitas couldn't suppress a chuckle, reflecting on their predicament. His eyes were drawn to the sky, where Kingdom Hearts traversed the rift, illuminating the castle like a beacon.
"Fascinating, but it's time to get to work," Vanitas declared before leaping into action.
He soared down into the village, crash-landing through a rooftop, unleashing panic among the villagers—though he wasn't fully to blame for their fright.
Shaking off the dust, Vanitas peered through the hole he had made, witnessing heartless mercilessly stealing hearts from the villagers.
Without hesitation, he summoned his keyblade and charged into battle.
{10 minutes ago}
"So this world is overflowing with magic and grimoires," Roxas said, his excitement palpable as Xion nodded in agreement. "Absolutely!
This realm is saturated with mana zones rich in magic and home to formidable mana beasts that are a real challenge for ordinary folk," Vanitas replied, a confident smile on his face.
Roxas and Xion sparkled with enthusiasm, shouting, "That's SO COOL!" "When do we get to go on our adventure?" Xion inquired eagerly.
"You've got it!
I've got a mission for both of you and Alex, if he's around. You'll each be teamed up to explore different kingdoms and raid their dungeons in search of magic relics," Vanitas explained with purpose.
"Two out of the three kingdoms are corrupt, and one more than the other, but I have faith in the strongest among you." "Roxas, you'll pair up with Xigbar and Xaldin to head to the Spade Kingdom. Xion, your partners will be Zexion and Demyx, and you're off to the Heart Kingdom. Alex will team with Saïx and Luxord for the Diamond Kingdom."
"What about the rest?" Xion pressed, curious about their roles. "They'll support me with reconnaissance or in battle when I need to use my fusion drive forms," Vanitas replied thoughtfully. "Additionally, you'll encounter heartless during your travels.
The three of you possess keyblades to gather hearts for Kingdom Hearts, and if you choose to help others and become heroes, that's entirely up to you.
But as for me..." Vanitas conjured a dark corridor. "It's time to make my entrance," he said, stepping into the portal. {Present} As the dust settled, a hooded figure emerged from the wrecked home. Villagers, gripped by fear, were left in the dark about what was happening.
Is this man responsible? Could he be a magic knight? Who is he?
Without uttering a word, the hooded Vanitas called forth his keyblade, seizing the attention of the heartless wreaking havoc in the village.
With effortless precision, he cast a spell—"Gravity"—crushing the heartless and rendering them comically flat before they vanished, releasing the stolen hearts into the sky.
The villagers stood in awe as they beheld the spectacle, some reclaiming their hearts while others succumbed to their injuries.
"Hello, I am Vanitas," he introduced himself.
The crowd fell silent, waiting for more. "I lead a group that combats these creatures of darkness. I apologize for my late arrival."
He removed his hood, revealing his features, which eased the tension among some villagers. One approached him—a sister? he mused.
"Thank you for rescuing us. I'm Sister Lily, a water mage assigned to this church in Hage Village," she said with a bow.
"No wonder Asta wants to marry you," Vanitas murmured, eyeing Lily.
"What did you say?" she asked, puzzled.
"Just contemplating the next location of these creatures," he replied as he turned to leave the villagers.
"I must depart," Vanitas stated, feeling a gust of wind swirling around him.
He crouched down, their confusion evident as he whispered "Aeroga," then launched himself into the air, cracking the ground beneath him and sending several villagers stumbling back.
Soaring toward the Clover Kingdom, he left a brilliant trail through the night sky.
"Did he say Asta?" a villager wondered, watching Vanitas disappear into the distance.