Final Fantasy Frontier 65 (Patreon)

Though the interior of the Temple of the Luminous Dawn was similar to other Temples, having a main hall, a central prayer chamber, and multiple ancillary chambers that served as residences, dining facilities, and a place to bathe, the Cloister of Trials found underneath was an ancient, twisting labyrinth filled with so many Pyreflies, they formed a mist-like condensate that made it difficult to see more than a few meters.

"This place is super creepy..." said Rikku, causing Andrew's brows to rise as she elected to hide behind him, grasping the sleeve of his right arm.

"What are you scared of?" asked Andrew, remarking, "You were capable even before you got your hands on Dressphere tech. With it, there aren't a lot of Fiends that could pose a serious threat to you. Not with the three—make that four of us around."

"It's not the Fiends I'm worried about..." muttered Rikku, looking around cautiously.

"She's afraid of ghosts," said Paine, her voice flat and monotone as she walked with her arms crossed, wearing a disinterested look as she added, "Pyrelies form mist in areas where many people have died. Their negative sentiments and lingering emotions get absorbed by the Pyreflies, forming spectral Fiends that are impervious to most physical attacks and cast the Doom Spell the moment they appear. If you don't defeat them quickly..."

Making a cutting gesture across her throat with her right thumb, Paine punctuated her explanation by stating, "That's it. You join the ranks of the dead..."

"How can you be so nonchalant about something that could kill you in an instant!?" exclaimed Rikku.

"It's not instant," retorted Paine, rolling her eyes as she said, "So long as you defeat them quickly, the curse will dissolve on its own. You can also just run away. Doom is proximity-based, so the curse will disappear if you move away from the caster. Besides..."

Staring up at Andrew, Paine added, "As long as you're wearing the 'Lucky Underwear' this guy gave us, Doom can't affect you..."

"Oh, yeah, I completely forgot about that," said Rikku, releasing her hold on Andrew's sleeve and immediately becoming more bubbly. Andrew had commissioned a Master Weaver from Ul'dah to incorporate the effects of various Ribbons into custom undergarments for each of his women. As a result, they were impervious to most negative status effects, and, due to the effects of the Ribbon from FFIX, they even enjoyed 50% resistance to most elements and outright absorbed Wind/Water damage.

Chiming into the conversation, Lenne, speaking through Yuna, said, "Even if the Fayth of Alexander has been destroyed, this Temple is still hallowed grounds. It's unlikely we'll encounter any Fiends."

As they had been wandering spacious corridors and down angular flights of stairs for more than twenty minutes without encountering any Fiends, it wasn't difficult for the group to accept Lenne's words as gospel. However, while Rikku was relieved, a frown marred Andrew's face as he was mainly there to do battle and keep the girls safe.

Noticing the change in Andrew's expression, Lenne remarked, "That isn't to say the Cloister is completely safe. When we came here long ago, my Guardian and I were pitted against Lord Alexander's thirteen Knights, the Knights of the Round. Only by besting them can one earn the qualification to summon Lord Alexander."

Adopting a sad smile, Lenne revealed, "When my Guardian and I took on the challenge, we only managed to reach the Third Knight. It didn't occur to us that one would be a skilled Mage. If not for Lord Alexander showing us mercy, returning us to the surface, and mending our wounds, we might have been eliminated by his powerful Flare magic..."

"Now you're speaking my language," said Andrew, punching his right fist into the palm of his left hand. He knew he still had a long way to go after witnessing the battle between Beatrix and Cloud. A battle against thirteen powerful knights was exactly the kind of challenge he was looking for. He didn't want to interfere with Yuna's, Rikku's, and Paine's growth, but since there were thirteen Knights and only four of them, Andrew was certain he would have the chance to act, maybe even show off...

"Then, what are we waiting for?" asked Yuna, placing her staff into her Item Box, grabbing Andrew's hand, and pulling him along in high spirits...

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After hours of exploration, completing several puzzles that involved redirecting light with mirrors, the group reached the massive circular antechamber proceeding Alexander's ostensibly preserved Chamber of the Fayth. Thirteen doors marked with Roman numerals were present, six on each side of the chamber, while the thirteenth, positioned across from the entrance, was guarded by a 5m tall statue of a Knight in silvery-white armor, wielding what looked like a Holy Sword with a cross-shaped guard, white edge, and deep blue core covered in glowing runes.

Demonstrating that it wasn't just a statue, the pitch-black void behind the Knight's mask lit up with two fiery, azure-blue eyes as it stated, "Though who seeketh Light's grace, welcome to the Final Trial of the Great Aeon of Light, Lord Alexander."

Stepping forward, with staff in hand, Yuna confidently asserted, "I am Yuna, daughter of the High Summoner, Braska. I seek Lord Alexander's aid to defeat the evil that has plagued Spira for the past thousand years."

"And you will have it," said the statue, raising its more than 3m long sword and tapping the tip against the ground forcibly as it added, "Assuming you are found worthy..."

In response to the statue's words and actions, the first of the twelve stone doors began to open, dislodging a thick layer of dust. From within, a 3m tall statue adorned with silver, purple-trimmed armor emerged with an enormous cleaver, dragging the tip and edge across the ground as the presumed final Knight stated, "May the Light guide you to victory," before a cylindrical barrier formed around the area designated for fighting.

No sooner had the barrier formed than the cleaver-wielding Knight, its helmet adorned with a long red fleece, charged forward with terrifying momentum, aiming its oversized cleaver at Yuna. Fortunately, while it was primarily a support Dressphere, Songstress had a higher Agility modifier than Warrior. Thus, even without the need for an assist, Yuna evaded the surprise attack by leaping away and swinging her staff, modified to house five Materia. One of these was a Mastered Ice Materia, allowing her to unleash multiple icy tendrils that impacted the Knight, freezing parts of its body.

As it wasn't a ghost/specter-type enemy, Rikku wasted no time in going to Yuna's aid, leaving behind a bluish-white trail as she leaped through the air and embedded her circle-ringed daggers into the space between the Knight's helmet and breastplate. The space appeared empty at a glance, but as Rikku's daggers pierced it, they found purchase, sinking deep into the shadowy mass forming the Knight's flesh and body.

Flipping backward as the Knight tried to backhand her, Rikku shouted, "It has a physical body underneath...!"

"Heard...!" responded Paine, charging toward the Knight while holding her hybridized, skull-motif katana in a reverse grip with her right hand. It was an unusual way to wield such a large weapon, but despite possessing few visible muscles, she had more than enough Strength to pull it off, sliding under the Knight's attempt to cleave her in twain before slicing at its right knee, making use of the Armorpiercing property of her weapon to leave a gash in its armor that leaked shadowy mist and Pyreflies...

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Seeing that the girls had the situation well in hand, Andrew floated a few meters above the ground along the periphery of the 50m wide, coliseum-shaped battlefield. His entry into the world of Final Fantasy XIII and his union with Etro had granted him more than mere access to her Goddess-tier pussy. She didn't wish for him to die, so while she couldn't make him immortal due to his lack of a Heart, she granted him her knowledge of the Spells and Abilities associated with her world. It was kind of a cheap way to gain power, but, well, it wasn't the first time a Goddess had given him a boon he didn't necessarily deserve...

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Though it was forced to take a knee due to Paine's attack, the cleaver-wielding Knight wasn't out of the fight. Runes lit up across the surface of the cleaver, causing it to catch fire as he swept it with tremendous force, unleashing a wave of flames that spread across the entire battlefield.

Countering the attack completely, Yuna cast NulBlaze across the entire party, veiling them in an aura that could prevent fire-elemental damage for a single attack. This garnered her the attention of the cleaver-wielding Knight, but this left it open to Rikku's sneak attack, the small and athletic Al Bhed abruptly leaping onto its back and burying her daggers into the gap between its helmet and neck on both sides. This time, however, she unleashed ice from the left and electricity from the right, courtesy of the Materia embedded in the dagger's ring-shaped blade guards.

As bluish-white, electrically charged energy surged from its visor, the first Knight crumpled, landing on its knees before landing heavily on its face and stomach. Most would have assumed it was defeated right there and then, but Paine's experiences in a place called the Den of Woe had made her a lot more cautious. Thus, while it wasn't exactly honorable to strike a fallen foe, she flipped through the air, stabbing her sword into the Knight's back using a skill called Armor Break, dealing heavy damage and reducing its physical resistances.

Indicating that Rikku's sneak attack hadn't defeated it, the shadowy mass making up the Knight's physical form burst forth from the gaps in its armor, spreading out like water as a tremendous amount of Pyreflies were released from within. At the same time, the silvery-white Knight guarding the Chamber of the Fayth stated, "Well done," before stating, "You will be given an hour to recuperate, retreat, or prepare for the next battle. Speak to me if you would like to proceed earlier..."

Following its words, the wisps denoting the taller Knight's eyes vanished like extinguished flames. As they vanished, so too did the barrier keeping the group trapped within, allowing them to withdraw at the cost of never being allowed to return.

"I say we skip the break and move on to the next~!" exclaimed Rikku, flexing the tiny bicep of her right arm with an excited grin. She was a little worried before the trial commenced, but now that they had defeated the first Knight with relative ease, she was warmed up and keen to continue.

"That's fine with me," said Yuna, looking to Paine to see what she had to say. In response, the ashen-haired Warrior gave a curt, approving nod as she stated, "We should continue while the momentum is in our favor..."

Gazing up at Andrew in turn, prompting Rikku and Paine to do the same, Yuna asked, "Is it okay if we continue? Or did you want to face the next Knight yourself...?"

Adopting a smile, Andrew replied, "You three should continue until you're satisfied. Besides, while it's not as exciting as when I fight myself, I'd be lying if I said I wasn't enjoying the view."

Though Paine crossed her arms and Rikku rolled her eyes, remarking, "Of course, he would say something like that," Yuna adopted a radiant smile, causing her cousin to feel exasperated by asking, "Then, shall I change to the Thief Dressphere as well~?"

"You look amazing no matter what you wear," replied Andrew, punctuating his statement with a playful wink. He was tempted to say she looked best in her birthday suit, but as there was a non-negligible chance Yuna might accept his words at face value, electing to fight naked, he spared Rikku, Paine, and Lenne the indignity of seeing their future Queen sprint around in the buff...

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