The sky cracked like shattered glass. A pulse of darkness spread outward from the Tyrant Tusker, warping the very air as the creature let out a guttural, ear-splitting roar. The massive beast's new form towered above the trees—twice its original size. Its six arms now stretched unnaturally, the joints gnarled and twitching. Glowing molten-red tusks curved like scythes from its armored face. And on each of its hulking shoulders, two cannon-like growths began charging with an eerie, pulsing hum.
The ground trembled beneath the warriors' feet.
"This is… not gonna be easy," Skuld muttered, gripping her keyblade tight.
"Nothing about this fight has been easy from the beginning," Helios replied, spinning Bríon na Lú once before bracing his stance. "But this… this is going to be a problem."
Without warning, the Tyrant Tusker's chest swelled.
BOOM.
A shockwave of raw darkness exploded outward—Abyss Roar. The air rippled, and magic in the area destabilized violently. Aqua's magical orbs blinked out mid-air. Helios attempted to cast Firaga—and the spell fizzled into sparks. Even Skuld's blade flickered under the pressure.
"It disrupted the magical energy in the air," Aqua said through clenched teeth. "Our magic won't work right for the next few seconds!"
That was all the monster needed.
The Tusker charged.
Its arms struck down like sledgehammers. Helios leapt forward, spear braced to intercept, while Aqua and Skuld flanked left and right.
Clang.
Helios blocked one arm, but the sheer force rocketed him backward. He flipped midair, bouncing off a tree and landing in a three-point crouch. "It hits harder now. We need to shut those cannons down."
Aqua nodded. "Then let's try something new."
With her magic unstable, Skuld switched to Zephyr Talons, the twin wind-imbued claws glowing with electric-blue streaks. She shot forward like a bullet, activating Hurricane Rend and dashing in rapid zigzags across the battlefield.
"Let's see you keep up," she whispered.
She struck from above, then below, weaving between the Tusker's attacks. Her claws carved clean lines into its armored skin, sending wisps of dark mist bleeding out. Her speed increased with every step, using Stormfang Execution to create a tiny whirlwind all she could manage without magic around herself as she sliced through one of the monster's forearms.
But then—
WHAM.
The creature's elbow spun unnaturally, backhanding her in midair. Skuld hit the ground hard, coughing.
Aqua raised her hand, but Skuld lifted a thumb. "Still good…"
Aqua observed the rhythm. Every 15 seconds, the Tyrant Tusker's Abyss Roar destabilized magic. But between those intervals…
Boom. Crackle.
Aqua lunged forward, Tidal Scepter glowing. The water orbs returned—Hydrosurge—and wrapped around two of the Tusker's legs. She fired Blizzard Lance arrows from her bow form, nailing one of the cannon joints.
With the interval timing right, she let loose Compound Blitz: a Wind + Blizzard arrow that spiraled midair and struck the core of its right shoulder, freezing it over with a jagged white bloom of frost.
"Nice shot!" Helios called out.
Sensing the opening, Helios vanished in a burst of light.
He reappeared behind the Tusker, his Light Spear gleaming. Aqua's shot had disrupted its anti-magic shout buying him some time to unleash one spell.
"Freezing Gale," he whispered.
The spell surged—ice and wind forming a razor-sharp cyclone. It blasted into the creature's spine, staggering it.
Without pause, he summoned a second spell—Terra Ignis—a fusion of Earth Breaker and Firaga. The fire-coated rocks burst from the ground like magma spikes and erupted against the frozen cannon shoulder.
BOOM.
The first cannon shattered.
The beast roared, reeling backward. Its molten tusks flickered. One down.
From the treeline, John Smith gritted his teeth. "Musket's barely doing anything, but I'll keep its attention off you."
He fired at the creature's glowing eyes, forcing it to shield itself with one massive limb. Pocahontas, nearby, pulled a second arrow taut, wind swirling around her. She focused.
"Guide me."
She released. The arrow curved mid-flight, slamming into the Tusker's leg joint and knocking it sideways. The beast stumbled.
Darkness erupted from the Tusker's back.
CRASH.
A dark portal tore open, and from it emerged a new beast—a Dark Hollow Fang, panther-like, silent, and made of black smoke and jagged armor. It leapt at Pocahontas.
"Watch out!" Skuld shouted, sprinting between them.
She used Skybound Phantom, vanishing in a blur of feathers and wind. She appeared mid-air and slashed downward with a spinning storm strike, pushing the creature back into the trees.
"Focus on the big one!" she yelled. "I've got this!"
As the battle turned chaotic, Pocahontas stepped forward, hands trembling.
"This land… it's angry," she whispered.
Leaves swirled. Wind howled. Vines slithered up from the earth. The forest answered.
A glowing emerald aura formed around her. Her hair floated, eyes glowing faintly.
Roots rose from the soil and grabbed at the Tusker's remaining cannon, halting its charge. The Heartless screeched, writhing as it tore the roots away. However more and more vines and root emerged to hold down the beast.
Helios looked over, stunned. "She called the land…"
"All right," Aqua said, sweat on her brow. "Let's end this with one massive attack."
Helios nodded. "On your mark."
Skuld appeared behind him, cut and bruised, but smiling.
"Let's finish this ugly thing."
Aqua fired three arrows—Stormcaller Arrows—lightning-infused, chaining between the creature's legs. It stumbled.
Helios blinked forward, spun Bríon na Lú, and thrust into its core chestplate—then teleported again—Solar Drive—reappearing on its back.
Pocahontas let loose a final wind-enhanced arrow into its exposed heart.
Aqua transformed her bow into the Tidal Scepter, activated Maelstrom Veil, and struck the ground.
A tidal wave of light-infused water surged up and crashed down on the Tyrant Tusker, knocking it to its knees.
It collapsed.
Smoke. Silence.
But then… it twitched.
Its body pulsed again.
A dark mist rose from its body.
It wasn't over yet.
Helios sighed, "See Skuld this is all your fault. Never ever talk about the last anything while fighting. If you do there will always be one more."