A/N: Guess who finally finished the next chapter of Final Fantasy Vs? That'd be me. Sorry for taking so long...with everything going on in my life, it's hard to find a proper time and good enough muse to write something. But I pulled it off, so here it is! Enjoy!?
Chapter X: The Guns of Hell and Demons – Irvine vs. Vincent
Upon taking his seat and giving his greetings, DiZ noticed there was a change in the atmosphere, both metaphorically and visibly.
The biggest indication in change was the order of seating; up until now, the off-worlders had all sat in their respective party, and then next to those they were particularly close to. Now, although the majority retained that, the order had changed up. And the second indication was the body language some individuals gave.
The most obvious one involved Irvine, Selphie, Tifa, and Zell. The sharpshooter SeeD, in somewhat of a daze, came to greet and take a seat to his girlfriend. However, before he got too close, Selphie called out to Zell and pulled out the seat on her right side for him. Irvine, confused, made as if to move to the remaining chair, but then Quistis came to occupy that one, dividing her attention between strange looks at Irvine and somewhere longing glance in Saïx's direction. The sharpshooter decided to sit around his remaining SeeDs farther down, but was then surprised to see that he had chosen to sit right in front of Vincent Valentine. The two glared challenging at each other, but said nothing. Meanwhile, Tifa (next to Valentine) absolutely refused to look in the opposite direction, content to talk with Cloud and Aeris. Zell constantly tried looking over to her, but every time he did Selphie would pull him back into their conversation and flirt shamelessly to him, apparently trying to make it obvious to Irvine.
Meanwhile, Paine was openly glaring at Riku; yet whenever he looked her way the Gullwing would instantly turn her attention elsewhere. Riku smirked during these instances, and then quickly went back to talk at Sora. Speaking of which, the Keyblade master was being awfully quiet for someone who was known to be hyper and talkative. Riku tried getting him to say what's wrong, but Sora refused. And whenever Yuffie would look down the table, waving and smiling, Sora would return it, but it was more nervous and forced. Moreover, Rikku and Yuffie – when not waving at Sora – were once again swooning over Demyx. Unfortunately, Zexion also wanted some of Demyx's attention; he took an opening in the conversation whenever he found and opening, and sometime outright "stole" Demyx from his fans, much to their chagrin.
Some very serious stuff must have occurred when I wasn't watching, he thought to himself. I hope this doesn't bear any effect on the Tournament. It would be terribly dreadful if everything I've planned were to be disrupted, especially so early. Just then, he noticed Larxene, Axel, and Marluxia – the later two apparently helping out the first – exit the kitchen area, followed by a contingent of Nobodies pushing carts full of steaming food.
"Maybe a little food will make everything better…"
xxxXXXxxx
"This food is going to make everything better!" Larxene announced as she oversaw her culinary creations, taking in a sampling whiff as she passed them by. "Better for us three, at least!" She turned to Axel and Marluxia, who had been in there helping with dinner.
"I must say it again, Larxene," Axel said. "This is simply sheer genius! I would have never thought of something this sinister."
"What can I say? I'm good like that."
"Well then, is it time to go and serve dinner?" Marluxia asked, twirling a rose between his fingers. The Nymph nodded.
"Once the food is all loaded onto the carts." She snapped her fingers, and dark portals opened up to allow the Nymph's servants, the Ninja Nobodies, to emerge. This variety of Nobody looked much like the Dusks, however, they were black instead of gray with their faces resembling masked ninja, and they carried weapons; in their right hand they held katana like blades, and in the left they all held three knives, much like Larxene. "You heard me! Get that food ready!" With a nod, the Ninja Nobodies went about their task like bolts of lightning, blurred forms that went from counter to serving cart. "Remember guys, the plates with the pink flower petals go on the first two carts. Those are the 'special' dishes for the off-worlders and Sora." With the meals loaded, the gang of Nobodies exited the kitchen. Everyone momentarily disregarded whatever was concerning them as the carts were rolled in.
"My, my, such wonderful spread you've made!" DiZ commended Larxene. "It looks absolutely wonderful."
"And actually edible," Zexion added, gaining a bit of laughter from the group. The Nymph sneered at him, and then said,
"Dinner is served….although some of you don't deserve it." With a snap, the Ninja Nobodies took off, quickly setting the food in a matter of moments. Upon finishing, much to the awe of many, the Nobodies lined up, bowed, and the disappeared into darkness.
"Amazing…" Auron said quietly. "What exactly are those creatures? I've never seen anything like the before."
"Yes, Kimahri would also like to know…Kimahri has faced many of their kinds in Training Ground."
"I was wondering when this would come up," DiZ said, relaxing back in his chair. "Everyone, those creatures you saw are known as Nobodies. They are "born" when a person loses their hearts to the darkness, and their bodies and souls are twisted. Lacking a heart, they feel incomplete, and therefore seek it out. However, they will take any heart they can obtain, simply to feel whole again."
"That's so sad," Rinoa said, looking distressed.
"Please, don't worry yourselves," DiZ replied reassuringly. "Most Nobodies do not go hunting for hearts anymore…my Organization has subjugated and gained dominion over a vast number of them. We spend a good part of our time hunting down those that are left, protecting the peace."
"How did they manage that?" Quistis asked. "I've faced off against a group of wild ones, and they were pretty powerful…not the kind of creature that's easily controlled.
"Oh, it's nothing, really. The Organization can control Nobodies because the members – excluding Sora and Riku, of course – are Nobodies themselves." Most off-worlders gave looks of shock, their gazes turning upon the black coated individuals, who appeared not to be paying any attention to the conversation.
"How can that be," Cid said. "When they look like normal people?"
"That is because the hearts of their original forms were much stronger than that of normal people. This, sadly, was only a cosmetic difference; they too lacked hearts, and therefore could not feel emotions, though they could fake it well enough that they seemed like anyone else."
"Is that still the case?" Cloud asked.
"Nope, we've solved that problem," Axel answered. He, Larxene, and Marluxia took their seats. A few began to start eating their food.
"How is that?"
"After being created by the follies of my assistant Xehanort…" Riku slightly cringed at the named. "…the first six of the Organization were born. Together, under the leadership of Xemnas, the Superior and Nobody of Xehanort, they "recruited" the remaining seven members, and sought out to regain their hearts by more sinister means."
"Unfortunately, their plans included Riku and me!" Sora said with a grin. "Together, we took them down before they could cause more trouble then they had to. DiZ helped too, but sacrificed himself in the process."
"Thanks for reminding us…" Every Organization member muttered in unison.
"So, if you all were eliminated," Lulu said slowly. "How are you all here now?"
"Like Sora said," DiZ answered. "I had sacrificed myself in foiling Xemnas's plans. However, I had known that would probably be the case. So I secretly crafted a machine that, upon my death, would use stored DNA to reconstruct a body for me. Technically, this is and is not my body."
"And then the Wise One resurrected us," continued Vexen. "An amazing feat, if I say so myself. Using both advanced technology and arcane magic, DiZ retrieved our souls from the darkness, reconstructed our bodies, and even gave us back our hearts, making us whole."
"Which is why we serve him," Xaldin finished. "Without him, we'd still be wandering in the darkness. Despite most of our…questionable dispositions…" He glanced towards, Axel, Larxene, and Marluxia,"...we are loyal to Ansem the Wise."
"Speak for yourself!" Axel muttered.
"Um, excuse me," Aeris said. "But I have a question."
"Yes, Miss Gainsborough?" DiZ asked.
"You said you had reconstructed the bodies of you and the Organization. Is that how you brought me and Sir Auron back to life, as well?"
"Precisely, my dear. After conceiving the idea of the Vs. Tournament, I quickly set about trying to bring you two back to life. It was a challenge; trying to calibrate the machine to access the spiritual planes of other words was quite a feat, but eventually I succeeded."
"So, this body isn't my real body?"
"No, it is not. However, it works just as well as your previous body, and you have been given a second chance at life as well."
"You mean I won't have to return to the Lifestream!?" Aeris asked excitedly.
"And I the Farplane?" Added Auron.
"Not at all…for the sake of the Tournament, and as a gift to you and your friends, you can now go back to leading a normal life. Well, as normal as possible."
"Thank you very much!" Aeris thanked happily. A simple nod was the only expression of gratitude from Auron, but it sufficed. "I don't know how I can repay you for this!!!"
"Just perform your best when it comes your turn to fight. Now, I think we've chatted long enough. I'm quite famished, so I believe it's time to eat."
"FINALLY!!!" Zell exclaimed, instantly attacking his food with little tact. Everyone followed suit – if not as vigorously, the previously absent tension quickly returning – enjoying their food and conversation. Everyone except for Riku, who stared down at his plate questioningly.
"Hey, Zex," He whispered, leaning over to the Schemer. "Is it just me, or is there something weird about this food?"
"You mean other then the fact that Larxene made it and it's probably poisoned?"
"Yes, something other then that. It smells…wrong. Something is off here." He picked up one of the pike petals and examined it. "And these…Larxene had a flower like this. She was talking to Irvine, and then he suddenly ran off. She was holding one right afterwards…right before he went all crazy."
"And your point?"
"Larxene is up to something, and I think is had something to do with the food."
"I'm telling you, poison," Zexion said absently. Riku rolled his eyes, and then pushed his plate away.
"Larxene, I thank you for making dinner for us, but unfortunately I do not have much of an appetite. I'm not feeling quite well. If you would please excuse me…" The Twilight Knight rose from his seat, and disappeared into a corridor of darkness after clearing the table. Larxene kept a straight face as he walked away, but the moment he was gone she cursed up a storm.
"Calm down, woman!" Axel whispered. "So he didn't take the serum, it's not that big of deal. We still have all of the other unlucky saps."
"But he knows that we're up to something – not that I care that anyone besides DiZ knows – and knowing him, he's gonna try to screw up my fun!"
"Let us not neglect tending to the flowers while anticipating the weeds," Marluxia said distantly. "When Riku interferes, we will deal with him. But until then…we will have our fun."
The Flurry, the Nymph, and the Assassin all smirked to themselves as they watch the off-worlders devour their meals, unaware to the trouble they were getting themselves in.
xxxXXXxxx
"Now that dinner has been served," DiZ announced after take his throne. "It's time for the final Tournament match for today." The participants again forgot their current problems as they waited, hoping the King would call out their name.
"The combatants for the next match of the Vs. Tournament are…Irvine Kinneas and Vincent Valentine!"
"Now that's what I'm talking about!!!" The sharpshooter SeeD leapt up form his seat, yelling. He turned to face Vincent, who was sitting with his head down and legs and arms crossed. "What did I tell ya? I knew we'd be facing of sooner or later!"
"So you predicted our match," the ex-Turk said. "A flash of ESP isn't going to help you defeat me." He walked up Irvine and stared him in the face; from behind his hair, his eyes glowed red. Irvine didn't flinch, but it did send a shiver down his spine. This guy's a freak! He thought.
"Will the fighters please step forward and enter the arena?" DiZ asked after a moment. The two gunners gave each other one final steely glare, and then made their way down the red carp to the separate doors. The opened up, and Vincent and Irvine disappeared into the shimmering light.
xxxXXXxxx
"Well, ain't this a cheery place?" Irvine said upon coming to and viewing his surroundings. He was in the middle of a grungy, makeshift town in the middle of a desert. It was a dreary, desolate place, made even more so by its desertedness. Looking into the sky, Irvine was surprised to see a large golden tree-like structure towering above. "Now there's something you don't see everyday…"
"Are you going to spend your time gawking," said a voice form behind. "Or are you going to fight me?" Slowly, Irvine turned to face Vincent, standing a few feet away.
"If by "fight" you mean wipe the floor with you, then yes, that's what I plan of doing."
"Your less-that-witty remarks do not amuse me. Let's just get this over with, okay?"
"Kinneas, Valentine, are you two ready?" DiZ's voice echoed in both gunners' minds.
"Yes," Vincent said simply.
"Somewhat," Irvine replied. He turned to his opponent. "What do you say we start this off like an old-fashion shootout? We stand back to back, take ten paces, turn and draw?"
"I don't care what we do. I just want to get this done as quickly as possible." Vincent turned on his heel, and Irvine strode up and did the same.
"DiZ, do you mind?" The SeeD asked into the air.
"Not at all. One…" The combatants took their first step forwards silently, their boots crunching into the dirt. With each slow count, Irvine and Vincent further away from each other moved away from each, fingers itching to pull their triggers.
"Six."
"Irvine," Vincent said suddenly. "Tell me…have you ever faced of with a demon before?"
"Seven."
"A strange question…yes, I have faced off against a demon, of sorts. Diablos, the Guardian Force of Darkness."
"Eight."
"Interesting…was it a challenge for you?"
"At that point in time, yeah, it was."
"Nine."
"Why do you ask?" Irvine and Vincent halted as they waited for the final count.
"Ten!!!" Irvine barely took that last move; he quickly spun around and reached for Exeter. But when he completed his turn and fired, he was shocked to find that Vincent was nowhere to be seen.
"Why do I ask?" Vincent's voice came from nowhere. "Because, my friend…" The sharpshooter SeeD whipped his head around in every direction, but couldn't find his opponent anywhere. Suddenly, he felt the barrel of Vincent's Cerberus pressed against his back.
"…you are about to behold the worst demon you have ever seen!!!" Irvine cried out in pain as three bullets were fired into his back. They were backed with energy, so the SeeD was sent flying into a pile of junk, further damaging him.
"Sunuva…!" Rising to his feet, Irvine quickly snatched up his hat, his gun, and face Vincent. The red caped gunman wore a slight smirk on his face. "I have to admit, that was pretty good. But you won't be gettin' a chance like that again, bucko!"
"We'll see…" Vincent hissed, and without warning flung a Thunder spell at Irvine. The SeeD dodged it, only to be assaulted by a hail of bullets from above. He managed to dodge those and pop off a few rounds of his own. However, Vincent spun around in the air to evade, the bullets passing harmlessly through his cape. The ex-Turk touched ground, and then took off with blinding speed.
"Get back here!" Irvine called, and took chase. It was all he could do to keep up; Vincent seemed to move in a blur. And I don't even sense a Haste spell! Is he really that fast?! Eventually, Irvine was able to catch up. He and Vincent traded shots while strafing around each other; none of the SeeD's bullets landed, but Vincent managed a few more, causing Irvine to stumble and fall.
"Got you!" He yelled. Vincent skidded to a quick halt, and then attempted to pounce upon his prey. Irvine yelped and moved his head aside just in to evade being impaled through the head. The SeeD spun around on his back, dealing a kick to Vincent and getting up onto his feet.
"Aero!" He yelled, outstretching his hands. Vincent gave a surprised grunt as he was sent flying through the air by slicing winds. Irvine loaded Exeter with Demolition Ammo, and took aim. "Take This! Limit Break: Canister Shot!!!" A grenade flew from the barrel straight for its target. Knowing an attack was coming, Vincent quickly righted himself and drew upon magic.
"Protect!" He called, erecting a mystical bubble around him. Irvine watched the grenade connect, holding onto his hat as the bright and fairly large explosion went off in the air.
"Woo-whee, that's nice!" He whooped triumphantly. His smiled widened as he saw Vincent fall to the ground, the shards of his failed barrier dissipating. "So, Mr. Tall Dark and Scary, ya still think you wanna face me?"
"Don't get cocky, boy!" Vincent spit acidly. "You have yet to witness even a portion of my strength!" Rising to his feet, the ex-Turk's eyes once again shone that eerie red.
xxxXXXxx
"Something with Vincent's not right." Cloud said suddenly.
"You got that right!" Yuffie exclaimed. "He should be wiping the floor with that wimp right now."
"No, it's not that." Although I have to agree you have a point. "The way he's acting…he's not himself, not quite."
"Don't tell me he's gonna go berserk like Riku!" Zell said almost instantly, earning him a dark glare from the Twilight Knight.
"I can't confirm that something like that won't happen, but I can assure you that it won't reach such a point . Vincent isn't a normal man...by any means." As Cloud and the other were talking, Marluxia leaned over to Larxene.
"You didn't already active the inhibition potion, did you?"
"I couldn't if I wanted to," she replied. "Vexen told me that it'd take a little time for the serum to integrate itself into their bloodstreams. That, as well as effect and potency, would vary from person to person. The watch is supposed to alert me when it syncs."
"So the serum must be having an immediate effect on Valentine, causing him to become more sinister."
"That was trait change that was listed…but it's not the full extent by any means." She smirked. "Just a little more time, and then when it syncs…" Larxene couldn't help but give a quiet, sadistic giggle as she fingered the watch.
xxxXXXxxx
"Dammit!" Irvine cursed. "This guy is a demon!"
The sharpshooter SeeD was finding this fact out the hard way. After Vincent had come back from Irvine's Canister Shot, the ex-Turk had become totally relentless. Knowing that Irvine would have to keep distance to place an effective attack, Vincent doggedly worked to keep the space between them relatively small. It was all Irvine could do to stay away from Vincent's claw. Eventually, Irvine managed to lead his opponent into a junkyard. It provided ample cover; however, Vincent was still on a rampage, refusing to let up on Irvine in any way. He'd unload an entire clip (with purpose), quickly reload, cast a spell or two when Irvine popped up, and then returned to shooting when Irvine retreated, ensuring that he remained pinned down in one area.
"If I don't think of something now, I'm done for!" A trio of bullets whizzed by Irvine head as he finished his thought.
"Come on out and face me!!!" Vincent yelled.
"Okay," the sharpshooter said quietly, charging up two spells. "But I won't the only one coming out…" Once fully powered, he complied with Vincent's demand. "Protect!" A magic wall appeared around Irvine as he sprinted out from behind his covered and began strafing around his adversary. Vincent, still in his unusual state of bloodlust, didn't register this until he unloaded a barrage of bullets that harmless flew away. Irvine used the momentary shock to cast his second spell, Blind; a cloud of black smoke appeared around Vincent, getting into his eyes. After firing off a few shots, Irvine pulled out his Friend Card and threw it into the air. "Now take this!!! Rinoa, you angel, do your thing!!!"
"You got it!!!" Forming from the glowing card, the sorceress quickly detached her Shooting Star weapon and tossed it to Irvine before landing next to him. The sharpshooter took a knee and inserted the chakram into a special slot he crafted within Exeter. Rinoa stood behind, placing a hand on his shoulder. Finally, both began charging their Limit energy, Rinoa channeling hers into Irvine. The Shooting Star began spinning around, tiny bolts of excess energy surging out from it.
Vincent, vision clearing, only had time enough to look up before his opponents were ready to launch their attack, calling out in unison.
"Limit Break: Angelic Shot!!!" Irvine pulled the trigger, firing the energy imbued chakram. It spiraled towards Vincent, and sliced him right through his midsection. And that wasn't all; using her sorceress powers, Rinoa willed her Shooting Star into the air and back upon Vincent, hitting him six more times before recalling it and disappearing in a bunch of glittering lights. Irvine rose to his feet and with smirk walked over to his opponent. Vincent lay face down on the ground, his red cape spread out over his body. He tried getting up, but Irvine firmly planted his foot on his back, forcing the ex-Turk down again.
"Get off of me, maggot!!!" Vincent spat grudgingly. He reached for Cerebrus, but again the sharpshooter intervened by squeezing off a shot that sent the pistol a few feet away.
"Sorry, buddy, but you ain't getting that back anytime soon." Irvine pointed Exeter right at Vincent's head, making sure to keep his boot firmly planted. "Wanna give up now?"
"The only thing I want to do," The ex-Turk hissed. "Is to make you shut up and beat you into a bloody pulp!!!" Without warning, Vincent's cape flew out from under Irvine, sending the SeeD onto the ground. Like a crimson ghost, the cape streaked around while Irvine rose to his feet.
"Any tricks ya got won't stop me! Eat lead!" The SeeD emptied a full clip, but was disheartened to find that the bullets that managed hit the flowing red cape simply passed through it, the hold it made quickly fixing themselves. "I stand corrected…argh!!!" Irvine suddenly found himself tightly encircled by Vincent's cape. He waved his arms wildly to get it away from him, yet his attempts were futile; the next thing Irvine knew, he was being attacked, slashed from all direction. Disoriented, he couldn't tell how long the onslaught went on before the ghostly form flew away from him. It settled a distance away, and fell upon the ground near where the Cerberus lay. It then slowly lifted up, revealing Vincent himself rising to his feet.
"That," he said in a sinister voice. "Was only a mere fraction of my power." Turning to face the injured Irvine, Vincent held up his glowing Friend Card. "I'll show you even more with some help of my own. Come on out, Yuffie."
"You won't get me again!" Irvine yelled, firing three shots at Vincent. It was at that instance that the glowing light in the ex-Turk's hand leapt from his hands in front of him. Yuffie quickly materialized, and easily deflected the three projectiles with her Conformer shuriken.
"It'll take more then that to take the likes of Vinnie down, let alone me!" Staying her weapon, Yuffie put her hands together; the index and middle fingers of her hands up were, those of her right clasped with the remaining three fingers of her left. Irvine felt her energy suddenly spike, and was about to attack when he notice a large red ring at his feet. "Ninja Skill: Fire Veil!" Irvine cried out as a large column of flames burst forth from the ground. He was launched high up into the while being severely burned. The sheer heat of the flames dazed him; everything was spinning to him. However, his vision was clear enough that he could see Vincent appear before him, seemingly standing atop a trail of fire, totally unharmed by the inferno.
"This is the end for you, maggot!!!" Vincent said, holding up his Cerberus, which was slowly wrapped in fire. "Limit Break: Waves of Phlegethon!"
Pulling the trigger, flames in the semblance of crashing waves bore down upon Irvine. The column of fire around the two gunmen also rose up and flowed down like water, forcing the SeeD to the ground before the inferno dissipated. Vincent, 'standing' atop a platform of fire, floated down to stand next to Yuffie, whom was breathing heavily from the stain of sustaining her Fire Veil, and to such a degree.
"I understand you wanna win," she said, taking a seat. "But did you really need to be that hard on the guy, Vinnie?! I mean, Waves of Phlegethon is among your strongest Limit Breaks, next to your transformations!"
"He – and everyone else who thinks they can stand against me - must learn that there isn't hope." Vincent words were like ice, but he spoke as if it were a widely known fact. This made Yuffie shudder. "And please, don't call me Vinnie. You know I detest it."
"Cloud was right," the ninja said as she began to fade away. "There is something wrong with you…" Vincent looked down on his friend as she melted into nothingness, but quickly dismissed her comment and returned his focus upon the battle.
"So, it seems you're still alive," he said, noting that Irvine was still conscious. Exeter lay just out of his, his clothes were in tatters – but still mostly intact – his hat was now nothing more than ash, and his hair was now hanging freely. With a scoff, Vincent walked to him and kicked Irvine onto his back. He stomped on the SeeD chest, and then aimed his gun at his head. The SeeD tried moving, but the damaged he had suffered, along with the foot on his chest, prevented that. "Sorry, buddy," Vincent said mockingly, with an evil sneer. "But you're not getting up anytime soon. Wanna give up now?" Somehow, Irvine managed a smirk of his own, and even a chuckle.
"That's low…taking my lines. Can't you…think of anything…original?" Vincent pulled the trigger, and three shot erupted from the barrel. Irvine shut his eyes, even though the bullets stuck the ground next to his head.
"I'll give you another chance. Give up now," He leaned over so that Cerebrus was in the center of Irvine's forehead. "Or die."
"How about…option three?" Irvine said. Vincent cocked an eyebrow.
"And that would be?"
"…This. Stop!!!" Irvine held up his hand and cast the spell he had been charging. Surprised, Vincent stumbled back and dropped his Cerberus as the spell hit him, the magical numbers appearing around him.
"Why you…!" He began, and was about to take as step forward before the spell took its full effect. He could nothing but watch as Irvine easily rose to his feet.
"Shucks! It seems that my hat and hair tie were incinerated by you last attack!" He said, walking over and picking up his gun. "And my clothes are all in shambles! The ladies certainly wouldn't come to me looking like this." With a smile, he dusted himself off and walked over to stand in of the frozen Vincent. "You though you had me there, didn't ya? Well, I'm sorry, but while your attack did make a mighty fine dent, it's still only a dent. I've faced worse then that before." Irvine put some distance between then, keeping his back turned. "As a fellow gunman, you should know never to let anything drag out. One shot, one kill, and you're done. By forgetting this rule, you practically handed me the victory. From the moment DiZ started counting our duel, I've been secretly Drawing the Stop spell from you, storing it up and waiting for the perfect moment to cast it. And from the looks of it, it's gonna hold for another few minuets or so. Enough time for you to witness my full power!"
Vincent felt a sudden change in the atmosphere, a sinister air forming around him. What is going? He thought as he watched his opponent. To check, he tried moving his hand. He could only twitch his fingers, but it was a sign that the Spell had already started to lose its power. He returned his attention to Irvine, who was still standing with his back turned. The sinister atmosphere continued to deepen, and Vincent noticed that the sky had begun to darken. Energy began crackling and black smoke rolled in around Irvine as he slowly lifted a hand into the air. Slowly, he called out:
"Diablos, Guardian Force of Darkness and Shadows, I command thee, lend me your strength!" The smoke rose around Irvine, swirling above his hand and forming into a ball of violet black energy. It entered Irvine's body, and the sharpshooter became engulfed in a similar colored aura. Slowly, the SeeD turned around to face the stationary Vincent. The look in his eye was unusually malevolent, as was the quiet laugh he gave. Behind him, Vincent could barely make out a pair translucent of demonic wings, formed of the aura, flapping about.
"You one unlucky son of a gun…there've only been a few individuals who've ever made me use this form." The voice that spoke was Vincent, but at the same time it was not; another voice, a low, dark and sinister tone accompanied him. It sounded ethereal, like that of a higher being. Vincent ascertained that it was that of Diablos. "Well, I reckon it's about time that we finish this farce of a battle. I'll release you from my spell…" Irvine lifted his hand, and Vincent felt the bonds holding time around him slowly slip away. "…but just remember that the moment I do, you're T-Rexuar meat!"
"Just…try it!" Vincent managed to work his mouth. Struggling against the bonds, he gradually lifted Cerberus up a small ways. Irvine laughed once again at his efforts.
"You asked for it," he said, and then snapped his fingers, completely eliminating the effects of the Stop spell. Yelling ferociously, Vincent's arm snapped up and he pulled his trigger, firing three shots. Irvine made no attempt to move, only smirked.
"Futile." Like an otherworldly spirit, Irvine transformed into a mass of black smoke that quickly dissipated, the bullets passing harmlessly through it. Vincent's eye widened in surprise, and quickly looked around to find his opponent; in vain, as the entire area was shrouded in shadow and fog. "I'm behind you."
A pointless warning; Vincent had no time to react as a full clip was emptied into his back. Now, he had been hit a few times before by Irvine's Exeter, and had shrugged those off; however, these projectiles were far more powerful, a lot more than Vincent could handle. The ex-Turk fell forward with a cry of pain. He remained on his feet, however, and quickly spun around in an attempt to attack once again. But when he did, Irvine was no longer there.
"Gravity!" The SeeD called out, his voice echoing. A heavy force immediately bore down upon Vincent, forcing the ex-Turk onto his knees. The tell-tale done of darkness appeared, further increasing the gravity within it. Vincent struggled to fight the spell and get onto his feet, but it was a waste of strength; he was pushed down to his hands.
"What's the matter, Vincent!?" Emerging from the shadows, Irvine looked down upon his adversary. "Just a while ago you were wiping the floor with me! And now look at you, on your knees like groveling whelp."
"Shut…up!" Vincent spat. The spell increased in intensity, bearing down twice as hard as before. The space within the dark dome also began to warp, twisting and pulling at the ex-Turk's body.
"What happened to this demon I was supposed to be facing, Vincent? Right now, I'm the closet to anything such as that." Irvine entered the dome, gazing down disapprovingly. He stomped down on Vincent's back, forcing him all the way onto the ground. "Get up, Vincent!" He yelled, Diablos's influence beginning to take dominance. "Show me this demon you've spoken of! Let it out, and show me its strength!"
Upon hearing these words, the forces within Vincent began to stir wildly, more strongly than ever before during this match. His Limit energy rapidly shot up through the roof. Irvine noticed right away, as Vincent, little by little, began resisting the Gravity spell, lifting himself off the dirt. Irvine increased his power, but this seemed only to enrage Vincent more. The ex-Turk rose to his knees, to his feet; ever so slowly did he rise. Finally, with an almost inhuman cry, he stood straight up with his head back. Irvine only had a short time to cast Protect before a wave of energy bust forth from Vincent's body in a dazzling display. When the light finally died away, Irvine opened his eyes to find Vincent standing still, Cerberus in hand, the vicinity free of smoke and darkness. Tendrils of aura danced around his body like living tentacles, sometimes lashing in Irvine's direction. His Limit energy…it's off the charts!!! Irvine thought. He's even broken my area of influence!!! Damn it, this isn't good…the Junctioning is beginning to wear off. Slowly, the sharpshooter SeeD reloaded Exeter. Vincent did nothing. I have to end this now. If I don't, then there's no way I can win!
"Are you ready…" Vincent said suddenly, lifting up his bowed head. His eyes were glowing red bright than ever before. "…to die?"
"Sorry, but the only one dying here will be you. In this form I'm referred to as the "Dark Messenger"…my bullets are invitation to Hell."
"You know nothing of Hell!" Spat Vincent. "Allow me to educate you!!!" Leaving an energy streak behind him, Vincent dashed Irvine, unloading a full clip at him. Irvine held up his hands, and used the Gravity spell to cause the bullets to veer off-course. Vincent leapt forwards and attempted to skewer his foe with his claws, but Irvine deftly moved to the side. The two gunmen then became locked in close combat; like whirlwinds they stepped and maneuvered around each other, dodging punches and kicks as well as whizzing bullets. Irvine was able to remain on equal footing with Vincent, even at his now insane level of power. But of course, with every passing moment, he could feel his footing slipping away as the Junctioning slowly wore down, while Vincent just seemed to be getting stronger, faster, more unrelenting. Damn, this isn't good! Irvine thought. All I need is one moment…
"I've got you!" yelled Vincent. He slashed Irvine across the chest, and then fired three empowered blast from Cerebrus. Irvine barreled into a junk pile, coughing up a little blood upon impact. Vincent grinned maliciously as he saw the dark aura around the SeeD disappear. "It seems that none of your invitations were able to reach me, 'Dark Messenger'. Doesn't matter…I didn't really need one, I've been to Hell many times before."
"Then I guess…you wouldn't mind…another visit!?" Irvine managed to get out. Suddenly, his hand shot up. "Fira!" A ball of flames appeared and sped towards Vincent. Glaring, he simply shifted his head to the side, letting the spell whiz harmlessly by. It hit something, another garbage pile
"Oh, it seems you missed." He said, aiming Cerberus at Irvine. The SeeD chuckled.
"What ever made you think…I was aiming for you?"
"What are you…" Vincent began. He stopped when a shadow fell over him. Turning, his eyes widened as a giant stack of old broken cars leaned over towards him. Immediately he dashed to the side, just in time to escape being crushed. "You little punk, I'll kill you!" Vincent screamed at Irvine, how now stood on his feet. He fired his gun again, but before the bullets even came too close, Irvine suddenly disappeared.
"You're too slow," came his voice from behind, as well as the sound of a gun cocking. Disregarding this, Vincent turned and attempted another hit with his claw. Instead, he merely caught air. "So slow, that you never realized that when you turned and dodged the cars, I cast Haste upon myself and Slow on you." As Irvine said this, Vincent suddenly began feeling the effects of the spell; everything around him was normal, but his movements were extremely slow. Too slow to even react when Irvine suddenly appeared before him, Exeter's barrel right in his face. "Over the course of this match, you've evaded nearly all of my attacks…" His smirk grew.
"Betcha can't dodge this one. Limit Break: Hyper Shot." Exeter's barrel glowed with a bright white light, and launched a beam of powerful energy surging forth. Vincent was consumed in the dazzling the explosion that occurred; Irvine stood just at the outskirts, smirking. After the light died down, Irvine watched in somewhat surprised as Vincent's body still stood, or at least appeared to be. Still Slow, Vincent fell backwards at a snail's pace, his entire head swathed in smoke. "Tch…so much for you. Even in defeat you're too slow for me." Irvine said, turning on his heel and slinging his smoking rifle over his shoulder. Awaiting the match to be called, he began slowly walking away. "From now on, I'll take the title of 'Demon'!" He said to himself.
xxxXXXxxx
"Hmm…it seems that this match is over." Marluxia said as her watched the ex-Turk falling. Just as he did, however, Larxene's watch gave a tiny beep. With an evil smile, she slid her hand up her sleeve.
"I doubt that," she said simply. Already having the activator set, she pressed the button, and thereby triggered the inhibition serum within Vincent.
xxxXXXxxx
"…I'll be taking the title of 'Demon!"
"No…you…won't…"
Irvine froze in mid-step, and his heart nearly stopped. Suddenly, a massive pulsation of power washed over him. "It can't be…" He breathed, it coming out visible as the temperature suddenly dropped. Turning around, Irvine could only look on in shock as he viewed Vincent. The ex-Turk's head was still smoking, but he had stopped falling; his arms dangled, his feet were planted and his upper body was seemingly suspended parallel to the ground. As if pulled by a string, Vincent eerily pulled himself up, coming upright and ending slightly hunched with his arms hanging in front of him. Irvine, who had been since struggling to contend with the astonishment, managed to muster enough courage to reload Exeter and fire. Vincent made no attempt to move. He didn't need to, for as the bullets came near his let his Limit energy flare, disintegrating the projectiles. Irvine afterward simply lowered his guns, unable of doing much else.
"Limit Break." Vincent hissed an in unnatural, distorted voice. "Chaos: Level Zero." More than before, his Limit energy exploded. Irvine was nearly blown away by it. The smoke cleared away from Vincent's face, but it was no longer exactly his. Surrounded by energy, Vincent began transforming, into a more demonic version of himself. His gun changed as well, into the Death Penalty. Raising said weapon, Vincent fired three shots at Irvine. They struck the SeeD, two in the shoulders and one the chest, with enough power packed to send him flying. Irvine hit the dirt hard, but managed to rise to his feet. Sadly, this is all he had time to do.
A sudden sharp pain, emanating from his abdomen, overtook Irvine. He lurched forward a bit, coughing up a good amount of blood. Unable to speak, the SeeD could only look down in horror as he saw Vincent standing before him…with his arm sticking through him. The area around said arm glowed with white light. The transformed Vincent lifted his head to look up into Irvine's eyes.
"Irvine Kinneas…" he said. "…Die." Twisting his arm, he wrenched it out of Irvine's gut. The SeeD gave a short cry of pain, and fell down to his knees. Where his midsection used to be, there was a hole, from which tiny orbs of light escaped, making said hole bigger.
"I guess…I wasn't much of a demon after all…" Irvine managed with his last moments, before he completely faded away. Vincent, taking in a deep breath, looked himself over. I feel different…he thought. I have much more power than I've had before…where did it come from? It feels…more demonic… Before he could get a chance to properly ponder this, the world around him began to slip away into the particles of sparkling light, and eventually he too was taken up into the calming, restorative warmth.
xxxXXXxxx
Irvine and Vincent emerged from the arena at the same time. There was applause and cheer given, but this time no one got up to greet anyone. Reaching the seated off-worlders first, Vincent smirked at his party with his arms folded.
"What, I don't get mobbed with praises?" No answer came as they all just glanced at each other. Vincent put his clawed hand upon his chest. "I'm hurt." He said sarcastically. Irvine soon walked up behind him, lowering his hat to hide his eyes and attempting to push past him. However, Vincent caught his arm, causing Irvine to flinch a bit.
"Can I help you, hombre?" He asked, giving a little glare. Vincent waited a moment before speaking.
"Yes..." Letting go of the sharpshooter SeeD's arm, he offered up his hand. "I want to thank you for a good match, and showing me I'm not the only one here who is worthy of the title 'Demon'." Everyone sat in silence for a moment, surprised at the sudden turn around in personality. Cautiously, Irvine took hold and shook it.
"You're welcome, partner." A grin slowly crossed his face, a little bit of his pride returning. "Of course, I'm nowhere near your level...but hey, it doesn't hurt to be in the same class." Together, the two gunners took their seats, at which point DiZ spoke.
"Vincent Valentine, I congratulate you on your victory and advancement in the Tournament. I hope you'll continue to perform well in the second round."
"It's a honor, DiZ. And I assure you, you get no less than my best."
"I'm glad to hear that," said DiZ, who rose from his throne. The Organization stood as well, out of respect. "Now, it's getting late, and I have more work to attend to. You are dismissed." The sage king exited through his special door, and everyone broke from there. Vincent stood and quite quickly strode towards the dorms.
"Hey, wait up!" Yuffie called, leaping over the couch to reach him. Vincent stopped walking, but didn't turn around.
"Yes, Yuffie?" He asked slowly. The ninja girl, pausing for a moment, placed a hand on Vincent's shoulder.
"Well...me and others...we...just kinda wanted to know if..." Another pause. "..If you were feeling alright after your battle." Vincent stood silent for a while, causing Yuffie to begin worrying. It was only made worse as he suddenly clasped her hand, removing it slowly from him. However, to top everything off, he looked over his shoulder at Yuffie. And smiled at her.
"I'm feeling fine." He said. "Actually, I'm feeling better than fine." With a turn on his heel, he entered through the doorway before him, leaving a confounded Yuffie standing there alone.
Watching from a distance Laxrene, Marluxia, and now Axel watch this take place. From beneath the Nymph's sleeve, the watch began giving multiple bleeps.
"Slight tight, fools," She said with another of her vile grins. "Tomorrow, the fun truly begins..."
A/N: The time has come. Next chapter, insanity will be the name of the game as Larxene and her cohorts unleash their plot. Vincent was already affected, but have we seen the full extent of the inhibitor potion's power upon him? And who will be the next victim? You'll just have to wait and see to find out!