Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Helios didn't miss a beat, summoning his Dark Form to cloak his identity further. His silhouette darkened to an inky black, with glowing amber eyes piercing through the veil of shadow. Helios then stepped out of the swirling dark corridor and into the vast expanse of the Crystal Cave. The soft hum of the glowing crystals around him echoed faintly, casting shifting blue and purple light across the chamber. His senses were on high alert; the eerie stillness wasn't a sign of safety—it was the calm before the storm.

Before he could take another step, a voice broke the silence.

"Well, well. Look who decided to come back." Braig's casual drawl echoed through the cave, but there was a sharp edge to it, a predator's menace lurking behind the feigned cheer. He stepped into view from behind a tall crystal formation, his arrowguns hanging loosely in his hands. "I gotta say, didn't think you were dumb enough to show up at the scene of the crime."

"As if," Helios quipped back, mimicking Braig's signature phrase with a smirk. The mockery made Braig's grin falter ever so slightly, his expression darkening.

Dilan and Aeleus appeared next, flanking Braig. Dilan's long spear gleamed in the crystal light, while Aeleus's axe rested over his shoulder, its blade sharp enough to cleave the air. Dilan glanced at Braig, then at Helios, his voice calm but firm. "So, you were right. The criminal did return."

Braig tilted his head, his gaze locked on Helios. "I thought you were smarter than this," he said, taking a slow step forward, his tone low and warning. "What's your game, pal? Why come back here?"

Helios tilted his head mockingly, his shadowy form rippling like liquid darkness. "Are you sure you want me to answer that… here?" His voice was calm, almost taunting, and his glowing eyes flicked meaningfully toward Dilan and Aeleus.

Braig's smirk wavered, his sharp eyes darting to his companions. For a fraction of a second, the calculation in his gaze betrayed him. He didn't want Helios to speak. Not now.

In one fluid motion, Braig raised his arrowguns, the barrels gleaming faintly in the light. "Guess I'll just have to shut you up!" he snapped, firing a barrage of glowing projectiles.

Helios raised his Keyblade and cast a Reflect spell. The shimmering barrier materialized just as the shots reached him, deflecting them back toward Braig in a shower of light. Braig dodged effortlessly, his grin returning as he twirled his guns.

Dilan and Aeleus took this as their cue, springing into action. Dilan lunged with his spear, its sharp tip slicing through the air toward Helios, while Aeleus charged, his massive axe poised to crush anything in its path.

Helios's senses, honed from sparring with Sephiroth, kicked into overdrive. He sidestepped Dilan's thrust, the spear barely grazing his shoulder, and spun to block Aeleus's downward swing with his Keyblade. The force of the axe sent a shockwave through his arms, but Helios held firm, twisting his body to redirect the blow to the ground.

Braig's voice called out from behind, "Hope you didn't forget about me!" A series of energy shots fired from his arrowguns, aimed squarely at Helios's blind spot.

Helios leapt backward, flipping through the air as the shots struck the ground where he'd been standing. The crystals trembled from the impact, sending shards scattering. Mid-flip, Helios hurled a Blizzard spell toward Braig, who rolled out of the way with a fluid motion, laughing as he fired back.

Dilan was on him again, spinning his spear in an elegant arc that forced Helios to focus. The two exchanged a flurry of attacks, sparks flying as the Keyblade clashed with the spear's shaft. Dilan's precision was relentless, each strike aimed to exploit a potential opening. Aeleus joined in, his heavy axe sweeping toward Helios in punishing blows that required split-second reactions to evade.

Braig, ever the opportunist, used their relentless assault to his advantage. As Helios parried a strike from Dilan, Braig's shots rained down from above, forcing Helios to dive away. His movement was fluid but constrained—every time he tried to counterattack, Braig's well-placed sniping forced him to stay on the defensive.

"You guys are pretty good at this," Helios quipped, his voice tinged with sarcastic amusement as he narrowly avoided another axe swing. "Almost like you've done this before."

"Save the compliments," Aeleus growled, his massive frame towering over Helios as he swung his axe again.

Helios ducked under the blow, his instincts screaming as Braig's next volley of shots streaked toward him. He twisted his body, the projectiles grazing his Dark Form and dispersing harmlessly into the air. Summoning his magic, Helios unleashed a Thunder spell that crackled through the cave, lightning bolts arcing toward all three of his opponents.

Dilan raised his spear, grounding the energy into the metal with a grunt, while Aeleus shielded himself with his axe. Braig leapt out of the way, grinning. "Close, but no cigar," he taunted.

The battle raged on, the cave trembling with every clash. Helios found himself forced to rely on the instincts he'd honed during Sephiroth's brutal training sessions. He wasn't faster than Braig's shots, but he could sense them, his body reacting just in time to avoid the worst of them. Dilan and Aeleus worked in perfect unison, their attacks alternating to keep him off balance. Every time Helios thought he saw an opening, Braig would snipe from the shadows, forcing him back into defense.

"You're good, I'll give you that," Helios muttered under his breath, deflecting a blow from Dilan's spear before countering with a sweeping slash of his Keyblade. Dilan dodged, and Aeleus's axe was immediately there to fill the gap, crashing toward him with devastating force.

Helios rolled to the side, his dark form flickering as he cast Aero to shield himself from Braig's next attack. He was buying time, waiting for an opportunity to turn the tide.

Finally, it came.

As Dilan thrust his spear forward, Helios sidestepped and twisted his Keyblade, locking the weapon in place. Using the leverage, he flipped over Dilan, landing behind him and hurling a Dark Firaga toward Aeleus. The flaming projectile forced the axe-wielder to retreat, creating a brief gap.

Helios raised his Keyblade, ready to unleash a second spell—one powerful enough to turn the tide completely.

But before he could act, a sharp crack echoed through the cave. Braig's arrowgun fired, but not at Helios. The shots struck Dilan and Aeleus squarely, knocking them unconscious before they even hit the ground.

Helios froze, his Keyblade still raised, as Braig stepped forward, spinning his guns with a casual flourish. "Alright, that's enough of that," Braig said, his tone light but carrying a dangerous edge.

Helios lowered his weapon slightly, his glowing amber eyes narrowing. "What's your game?" he asked, his voice cold.

Braig shrugged, holstering his guns with a smirk. "Relax, pal. We need to talk, just you and me. No need for the peanut gallery."

Helios glanced at the unconscious forms of Dilan and Aeleus, then back at Braig. The tension in the cave was palpable, but Helios nodded slowly, his dark form flickering as he dismissed his Keyblade.

"Alright it's about time anyways," he said. "Let's talk."