From The Abyss, We Shine Brightest [Kingdom Hearts x Dark Souls 3 Crossover]

Chapter 2 - Where Am I?

"What are you doing?!"

Eraqus asked the creature in front of him, but received only a series of incoherent grunts in response. Then, the creature swung its sword toward the Keyblade master, executing a slow, sloppy swing that Eraqus easily dodged by stepping back. However, the creature persisted, advancing toward the master, delivering blow after blow as its skeletal feet stumbled with each step.

Eraqus, in turn, calmly dodged the attacks, his body moving reflexively thanks to decades of training and combat experience, while hundreds of thoughts raced through his mind. 'Where am I? How did I end up here? What hit me? What happened to Terra and Ventus? Moreover, what is this thing attacking me?'

Tired of the attempts of the being in front of him, Eraqus tried to summon his Keyblade with a subtle movement of his wrist, but widened his eyes slightly at the lack of the familiar magical heat and metal in the palm of his hand. The master did not let this shake him, knowing such distractions had no place in the midst of combat. He raised both hands and waited for the next attack.

The being, dressed in rags, seemed oblivious to his enemy's change in attitude and delivered a vertical blow, intending to split his opponent's skull in two. However, the attack never reached its destination. Eraqus moved in a blur, grabbing the being's wrist with his right hand and its robes with his left before effortlessly flinging it over his head and slamming it into the ground with enough force to crack the gray tile beneath his feet.

Eraqus raised both hands again, stepping back as he assumed a fighting stance. He raised an eyebrow in confusion as he saw the creature disappear into blue particles without a trace. Eraqus prepared for some kind of pain as the particles approached at high speed but was surprised when they disappeared into his chest with a faint buzzing sound.

Assuming a more relaxed stance, Eraqus analyzed his surroundings. He found himself in a cemetery within a rocky passage covered in ruins.

Old, dusty tombstones, with their names erased and falling apart, surrounded him on both sides. Gray, toppled ruins lay in the dirt passage in front of him, degraded by the climate and the passage of time. In addition, dry, crooked trees adorned the group of tombstones, casting gnarled shadows across the walkway. Meanwhile, sunbeams shone faintly, piercing through the cloudy sky and illuminating the place where he stood.

Seeing that there were no enemies nearby, Eraqus focused on the apparent problem—his Keyblade. The master tried to summon his weapon again, but no matter how hard he tried, the blade did not appear. Eraqus felt the blade responding to his call, but it was as if something prevented the two from meeting; the master just could not say what it was.

"This is quite troubling; I stopped being an inexperienced student a long time ago to have trouble summoning my Keyblade. Am I getting old? By the heart of the world, I hope not. Grandpa Cecil would laugh at me if he saw that," Eraqus spoke, lowering his hand with a defeated sigh, but chuckling lightly as he remembered his grandfather.

Then the Keyblade Master tried something different; he extended his hand towards a set of tombstones to his right and cast a spell. "Firaga!" However, nothing happened. The master grumbled in frustration, gritting his teeth before trying again. "Fira!" Unfortunately, he received a similar result as before. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Eraqus closed his eyes and whispered. "Fire!"

To his surprise, a medium-sized fireball shot out of his hand and flew toward the tombstones, creating a small explosion followed by a shower of fragments.

Eraqus attempted to do the same with Thunder and Blizzard, and smiled in satisfaction as he got the desired result. Leaving the destroyed tombstones behind, the Keyblade Master advanced through the mysterious and decaying ruins.