Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

Helios stepped out of the swirling Dark Corridor and into the familiar dusty streets, the scents of broken stone, fire, and divine energy filling his senses. But it wasn't the serene city he remembered. The sky above trembled with residual energy. The air was tense—heavy with the unmistakable charge of a battle between two powerful beings.

BOOM.

An explosion thundered from the direction of the Coliseum.

Looks like today would be another loud day in Thebes again.

Helios didn't flinch. He instantly recognized the two energies. Instead, he sighed and rubbed the bridge of his nose. "Why am I not surprised..."

In the distance, citizens were already fleeing. Spectators in white robes ran down the marble roads, their panicked voices echoing across the rooftops. Helios leapt onto a crumbled archway, letting his light energy momentarily surge through his body to reinforce his strength. From there, he vaulted to the top of a nearby building and sprinted along the edge of the city, heading straight for the chaos.

The Coliseum had seen better days.

Inside, two forces clashed like gods reborn.

Sephiroth stood in the center ring, Masamune in hand, his long silver hair flowing like ghostly fire behind him. He moved with flawless grace, the impossibly long sword a silver streak through the air—blinding fast, yet never wasted.

Across from him, Kurai, her cloak of shadow fluttering, was a queen of darkness incarnate. The Shadow Sovereign gleamed in her grip, black and purple energy radiating from the blade's core. Darkness coiled at her feet like a tide answering her will.

The audience stands were empty now, blown apart from collateral damage. Even the gods had seemingly left this fight alone.

CRACK. BOOM.

Masamune struck.

Kurai ducked under the initial arc, the sheer wind force tearing nearby pillars apart. She flicked her Keyblade up and sent a wave of crushing gravity in Sephiroth's direction. The arena floor cratered beneath his feet.

Sephiroth vanished—teleporting above her with no sound, no warning—and came down like a thunderclap.

Kurai jumped and met him mid-air.

Darkness exploded from the impact, cascading like waves over the ruined coliseum. Masamune clashed against the jagged teeth of the Shadow Sovereign, sparks and void-light flaring with every blow.

Helios leaned on the cracked outer wall, watching with a critical eye. "She's actually keeping up with him… damn I might need to train more."

Sephiroth's bladework was surgical. He danced on wind currents, phasing through shadows, then striking with ruthless precision. Kurai responded not with finesse, but with total command of her element—walls of darkness, teleporting clones, chains that erupted from the ground.

But Sephiroth was relentless.

He raised a hand—six orbs of crimson shadow flared to life.

"Shadow Flares, huh? Would that work on her?" Helios murmured, eyes narrowing.

The orbs flew out, homing on Kurai like guided missiles. She spun in mid-air, and the Keyblade drew a black line in the air. The moment the orbs struck, they were swallowed whole into the dark line—Kurai's shadows bursting outward in retaliation.

She countered with a wave of binding tendrils. Sephiroth slashed through them, then teleported behind her and swung.

Kurai ducked—and the arena wall behind her exploded from the missed blow.

From the dust, Kurai surged forward, chaining her attacks now. Every strike of the Shadow Sovereign was wild but backed by an oppressive force of pure darkness. Darkness deeper than any Helios had ever seen radiated with each motion, creating aftershocks in the air.

Sephiroth caught her wrist with a single hand. He then threw her into a pillar and slashed at her but Kurai faded into darkness and reappeared in another location.

His eyes narrowed. "You've improved."

"Flatter me after you're dead," she spat, teleporting before the man and kicking him in the chest.

He slid back—but his expression never changed. He raised his other hand.

Firaga Wall.

Columns of red and white-hot flame erupted around him. Kurai backed off just in time, spinning her Keyblade into a defensive guard. The fire pulled at the air like a vacuum—consuming light, dust, debris.

Then—he struck again.

Sephiroth descended like a comet, blade-first, intent on crushing her from above.

Kurai held her ground.

She raised one hand, shadows spiraling into a dense, swirling shield above her.

CLANG.

The impact shook the very earth beneath the Coliseum. Masamune cracked through the surface of her defense—but not all the way.

They separated again.

Both landed lightly on opposite ends of the ruined battlefield, breathing hard but steady.

Helios watched in awe. "They're not just fighting. They're really trying to kill each other."

Darkness gathered above.

Sephiroth lifted both arms—summoning a swarm of meteors that floated around him like satellites.

Super Nova.

The sky glowed red.

Kurai's eyes narrowed. Her hand glowed with deep black energy—an answer forming.

A silence passed.

Then—

The sky fell.

Meteors rained down, each one capable of leveling mountains. Kurai didn't dodge. She walked through the storm, darkness peeling off her in waves, absorbing the blasts. Her body flickered in and out of existence, teleporting through the barrage with precise micro-jumps, shadow warping around her.

With a defiant scream, she raised the Shadow Sovereign—and slashed downward, sending out a single pulse of absolute black.

It expanded—colliding with the last of the meteors and neutralizing them mid-air.

Dust fell like snow.

Both warriors stood still, their energy slowly settling—but their intent as sharp as ever.

Neither showed signs of backing down.

Sephiroth's cloak billowed in the wind. "Look like you were right when you said you're not like the others."

Kurai grinned, blood at the corner of her mouth. "Because I'm stronger than you."

Helios exhaled. "This is going to get worse before it ends."

He stepped down from the wall and made his way toward the arena—slowly.

The sound of blade and darkness echoed around him like distant thunder.

And the fight between titans continued.