Chapter I: The Final Duel
Squall gripped the handle of his gunblade tightly, staring at the warm blue glow of Lionheart's blade. Why did he have to fight…? Was it really necessary…? Squall shook the thought off his mind. He had no time to think – Seifer was running straight at him, gunblade raised and prepared to strike. Squall swiftly raised Lionheart to block Seifer's horizontal- slash, still unable to focus. If they did have to fight… why did it have to be in this field… the special field… with Rinoa watching…? Everyone else watching didn't worry him, but Rinoa only made him nervous; would he make himself look like a moron? What would she think of him? Squall snapped back to reality, just in time to block another blow that could very well have cost him his life. Squall forced himself to focus on the fight. Shifting his weight from his back leg to his front leg, Squall started to fight back rather than just defend himself from Seifer's steady attacks. He knew that one of them would die in this fight – Squall couldn't waste his time thinking of anything else. He switched his stance quickly, whenever Seifer did, so that he would be able to block, parry, and attack correctly. But it was then that Seifer did something Squall didn't expect: he ran. Squall whirled Lionheart slightly as he sprinted after him in pursuit.
Watching from afar, Zell looked around at everyone else's shocked face. "WHAT!? The hell's Seifer think he's doing!?" he yelled out loud, just as Raijin turned to face him. "That just ain't like Seifer, ya know? He'd never run from a fight, 'specially not against Squall, ya know? He's gotta have somethin' up his sleeve." To which Fujin answered whole-heartedly "CORRECT." Irvine, watching from their magical cell suspended in the air, sighed, knowing that they were right. If Squall didn't watch his guard, they might not ever see him again.
Squall was losing him. Seifer slowly pulled ahead every step they took. Squall dashed harder, pushing himself to his limit. To his surprise, Seifer stopped and turned around, holding out his hand to cast the Fire spell, an evil smirk on his face. Squall recognized the situation and tried to stop himself from running, but it was too late. The Fire spell hit Squall with so much force he was flung to the ground, dropping Lionheart, wincing in pain. Seifer closed his eyes to savor the moment, raised his gunblade for the strike, and slashed.
He missed.
Seifer jolted his eyes open in surprise, slashed again.
Again, Squall dodged it, rising to his feet.
Seifer's eyes flashed with anger, and he slashed at Squall again and again, not caring whether he hit or not. Squall managed to block most of them, but one struck him, leaving a large gash in his right shoulder, and it was incredibly painful – it stung and bled, leaving Squall's right arm weak. He began to slash back at Seifer, blocking his attempts at the same time. Squall slashed hard upon Seifer's left shoulder, leaving a large slash on him. Seifer awoke from his anger, letting out a short yell of pain, beginning to fight less recklessly. Seifer blocked Squall's efforts to slash at him again, and jammed his elbow into Squall's stomach fiercely, knocking him back. Squall, stumbling backward, began to think again… Rinoa… does she think I'm stupid? I must've made a fool of myself… I should have seen that coming… I've been letting everyone down… all of them…
Just then, adrenaline coursed through Squall's veins, as he prepared to use Renzokuken. Squall felt the pain from his wounds and bruises vanish, as he tried to concentrate all his energy on this one attack. He dashed forward, slashing downward, to the left, to the right, upward, downward again, and then at a slant, bringing Lionheart from a low right angle to the upper left angle triumphantly.
Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. The last slash, blocked.
Squall, in surprise, stopped momentarily, but did not recover in time. He felt Seifer's gunblade pierce his chest, thrusting through his body. Squall opened his mouth slightly, letting out a groan in pain, and when Seifer pulled his gunblade out of Squall's body, he dropped to his knees, clutching the wound on his chest. Blood soaked his shirt and jacket, covering his hands. He felt a sense of nausea, and choked it away, but no sooner did he do this, than did his world shatter and darkness collapse around him. He fell to the ground, lifeless.
Rinoa dropped to her knees in the magical cell suspended in the air, buried her face in her hands, and cried.
Squall gripped the handle of his gunblade tightly, staring at the warm blue glow of Lionheart's blade. Why did he have to fight…? Was it really necessary…? Squall shook the thought off his mind. He had no time to think – Seifer was running straight at him, gunblade raised and prepared to strike. Squall swiftly raised Lionheart to block Seifer's horizontal- slash, still unable to focus. If they did have to fight… why did it have to be in this field… the special field… with Rinoa watching…? Everyone else watching didn't worry him, but Rinoa only made him nervous; would he make himself look like a moron? What would she think of him? Squall snapped back to reality, just in time to block another blow that could very well have cost him his life. Squall forced himself to focus on the fight. Shifting his weight from his back leg to his front leg, Squall started to fight back rather than just defend himself from Seifer's steady attacks. He knew that one of them would die in this fight – Squall couldn't waste his time thinking of anything else. He switched his stance quickly, whenever Seifer did, so that he would be able to block, parry, and attack correctly. But it was then that Seifer did something Squall didn't expect: he ran. Squall whirled Lionheart slightly as he sprinted after him in pursuit.
Watching from afar, Zell looked around at everyone else's shocked face. "WHAT!? The hell's Seifer think he's doing!?" he yelled out loud, just as Raijin turned to face him. "That just ain't like Seifer, ya know? He'd never run from a fight, 'specially not against Squall, ya know? He's gotta have somethin' up his sleeve." To which Fujin answered whole-heartedly "CORRECT." Irvine, watching from their magical cell suspended in the air, sighed, knowing that they were right. If Squall didn't watch his guard, they might not ever see him again.
Squall was losing him. Seifer slowly pulled ahead every step they took. Squall dashed harder, pushing himself to his limit. To his surprise, Seifer stopped and turned around, holding out his hand to cast the Fire spell, an evil smirk on his face. Squall recognized the situation and tried to stop himself from running, but it was too late. The Fire spell hit Squall with so much force he was flung to the ground, dropping Lionheart, wincing in pain. Seifer closed his eyes to savor the moment, raised his gunblade for the strike, and slashed.
He missed.
Seifer jolted his eyes open in surprise, slashed again.
Again, Squall dodged it, rising to his feet.
Seifer's eyes flashed with anger, and he slashed at Squall again and again, not caring whether he hit or not. Squall managed to block most of them, but one struck him, leaving a large gash in his right shoulder, and it was incredibly painful – it stung and bled, leaving Squall's right arm weak. He began to slash back at Seifer, blocking his attempts at the same time. Squall slashed hard upon Seifer's left shoulder, leaving a large slash on him. Seifer awoke from his anger, letting out a short yell of pain, beginning to fight less recklessly. Seifer blocked Squall's efforts to slash at him again, and jammed his elbow into Squall's stomach fiercely, knocking him back. Squall, stumbling backward, began to think again… Rinoa… does she think I'm stupid? I must've made a fool of myself… I should have seen that coming… I've been letting everyone down… all of them…
Just then, adrenaline coursed through Squall's veins, as he prepared to use Renzokuken. Squall felt the pain from his wounds and bruises vanish, as he tried to concentrate all his energy on this one attack. He dashed forward, slashing downward, to the left, to the right, upward, downward again, and then at a slant, bringing Lionheart from a low right angle to the upper left angle triumphantly.
Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. Blocked. The last slash, blocked.
Squall, in surprise, stopped momentarily, but did not recover in time. He felt Seifer's gunblade pierce his chest, thrusting through his body. Squall opened his mouth slightly, letting out a groan in pain, and when Seifer pulled his gunblade out of Squall's body, he dropped to his knees, clutching the wound on his chest. Blood soaked his shirt and jacket, covering his hands. He felt a sense of nausea, and choked it away, but no sooner did he do this, than did his world shatter and darkness collapse around him. He fell to the ground, lifeless.
Rinoa dropped to her knees in the magical cell suspended in the air, buried her face in her hands, and cried.