Mission 70: Eliminate the Deserters

Mission 70 in Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days sends Roxas and Axel to Beast's Castle to eliminate another group of Deserters.

Summary
''Rare Heartless called Deserters have surfaced in Beast's Castle. Team up with Axel, find them, and eliminate them at once.''

Objectives

 * Pursue and defeat the Deserters!
 * Caution! A powerful enemy is near!

Story summary
Roxas and Axel are sent to Beast's Castle to eliminate a group of Deserters.

Mission walkthrough
Grab the all-important Slot Releaser from the chest behind the entrance point in the Ballroom and enter the Entrance Hall. The Deserters benefit from the protection of a Barrier Master. Lock on to the Barrier Master and eliminate it first, using Blizzard and Aero magic to dispatch it more quickly. Then begin eliminating Deserters by hitting them with Fire spells.

The Deserters attack when one falls. During the first few counterattacks, when there are more Deserters, run away from them until they resume "deserting." Continue killing them and running away until there are only five or so left. By then, their retribution won't be so bad. Continue killing them as they gather around Roxas to finish them off.

On the way back to the corridor, an Invisible appears in the Ballroom. Thank goodness there's only one, because these creatures are tougher to eliminate then most bosses! Note that it is possible to RTC if the Invisible is still hanging around. Staying aerial for a good portion of the time helps avoid most of its attacks, such as its rain of purple orbs and its shockwave attack. Performing the shockwave leaves it stunned for several moments thereafter, which is great time to hit it with a Limit Break or Fire spells. When it vanishes and its sword begins crisscrossing the room, use Dodge Rolls to avoid it.

Challenge Mission
This mission is a little tricky, as not only do you have to deal with the Deserters, but the columns in the Entrance Hall can get in the way of your Lock On, and the Barrier Master is also a nuisance. The best thing to do is to have powerful Aero magic, take out one of them, then nab the rest as the run over to strike you. Ignore the Invisible, as trying to defeat it will just waste time. Alternatively the Extreme Ring can help you defeat the Deserters faster with Limit Breaks after you use magic against Barrier Master to disable its barrier despite the risk it carries, but still equip Auto-Life just in case to help in case you get hit once.