PROJECT D
Chapter Twelve
There was an ominous feel in the air, lightning flashed overhead folloed instantly by the deafening roar of thunder. The light rain grew slightly heavier, and the waves grew larger. We stood on a ship, in the middle of an ocean with the one of the
most dangerous people to have ever lived. The wind howled and the ship rocked along.
I stood facing Sephiroth, fully aware that Cloud was doing the same thing. In Sephiroth's hand was the Buster sword. He tossed it onto the deck in front of him with a smirk.
"Get away from him." Cloud snarled slowly as he drew the fully assembled Tsurugi from his back.
Sephiroth stalked slowly away from Zack, at which point i began circling around towards the fallen warrior, slowly drawing my blade from my back. "I am most forutnate to find you two together, now i can take out two birds with one stone."
Sephiroth said as he stopped halfway between Zack and Cloud.
"Forget him, this is between you and me!" Cloud growled back. I checked Zack's pulse and was releived to find it was still there, weak as it was. I quickly began pouring healing magic over him.
"Indeed." Sephiroth said to Cloud as he sank into a battle stance.
As the last of Zack's wounds healed i turned back towards Sephiroth. "Actually i think you'd best be ready to fight both ways." I said.
"Stay out of this!" Cloud said to me as the rain grew heavier. Now it came down in heavy sheets soaking everything in seconds.
"Alright." I said hesitantly.
For a moment the two fighters faced off. Then Cloud sprang forward with a veritcal chop which Sephiroth blocked with ease before shifting into an offensive stance and lunging under Cloud's defensives but the younger warrior stepped over with
one leg avoiding the hit, then brought his blade around for Sephiroth's head but the masamune flicked up knocking the hit wide in a spray of sparks. The two twisted slamming their blades against each other, putting brute strength against brute strength, then Cloud broke off and spun around with a slash for his foes feet forcing Sephiroth to leap backwards digging his feet into the deck skidding to a halt before springing back at Cloud with an under-handed slash which Cloud blocked,
but the force of the blow sent him rocketing into the air over the ship, then the silver haired warrior flew into the air after his pray and struck repeatedly with the masamune knocking Cloud higher and higher into the air. I frowned as i saw a sudden flash of bluish energy in the sky, then Cloud came hurtling down landing on the deck with a heavy thud.
"Alright i'm stepping in now!" I exclaimed as i looked to the skies. I almost instantly spotted Sephiroth, then hurtled a blast of lightning at him forcing him to move sideways. Again and again i hurled bolts of lightning at him keeping him from
landing again.
Cloud stood and said "You don't have any materia, how are you doing that?"
"No idea!" I replied as i ceased fire, then drew my sword...again.
Sephiroth landed with a frown and said "All you did by keeping me in the air was delay the inevitable."
Cloud did not grace him with an anwser, instead he came forward with a flurry of slashes which Sephiroth blocked with a fluid grace that astonished me. My swordplay was good, but not nearly that good. In seconds Sephiroth began to retake the advantadge with several deadly thrusts, each one nearly ending Cloud's life, but the blond swordsman managed to block the blows before he leaped back and spirit flames surrounded his blade. He rushed forward and slammed his
energy charged blade into Sephiroth's defenses again and again actively pushing him back before Sephiroth seemed to glide away across the deck swinging his blade back and forth sending thin blades of spirit energy flying at Cloud who despite his best efforts cold not block them all. Cloud was thrown backwards with blood pouring from a gash on his chest. With a battle cry i rushed forward with diagonal strike moving from right to left but Sephiroth met the attack with brutal
force sending my sliding back several feet before i leapt through the air spinning aroundd to add power to my next blow, but Sephiroth brought his blade up sending me flying back. Cloud dashed in under me and pulling a second blade from the Tsurugi and swinging both blades in an offensive flurry.
"Damnit!!" I cursed as i landed. I looked towards the battle to see Cloud desperately blocking Sephiroth's attacks, but i could see the wounded man was slowing down. I quickly channeled some healing magic into him mostly healing the gash
on his chest. Cloud mixed his blades together again and brought the full power of the Tsurugi down on Sephiroth knocking him back a few feet.
"Know your place!" Sephiroth snarled as he lifted into the air, then he summoned a magical wind ripping hundreds of planks free of the deck and sending them all right at me. I had no time for magic, so i brought my blade around in an effort
to deflect the attack, but there were to many. Dozens of planks slammed into me and i was pulled into the air by the assualt before falling back to the deck with a pianful thud. The attack had not been critical, but i was already developing a number of nasty bruises.
"SEPHIROOOOTH!!!!!" Cloud roared as he leapt through the air at Sephiroth, who brought the boards back around pummeling Cloud from the side sending him crashing into the side of the bridge with a solid impact. I took this chance to rush
forward and leap at Sephiroth driving my blade against his as he turned towards me, then with a surge of energy he sent both me and Cloud hurtling hundreds of yards up into the air. I fought to right myself, but that was impossible. Suddenly Sephiroth came flying up with a quick slash of the masamune which i blocked with a magic sheild, though the force still sent me flying, i was stillable to see Sephiroth attack Cloud who not only blocked but counter attacked as well, then Sephiroth was flying at me again. With a grunt i hurled a bolt of lightning which he deflected with his sword before moving beneath me where he quickly attacked, but i was able to block, then he flew over towards Cloud and struck hard from above.
Cursing i sent another bolt which caught Sephiroth in the chest as he turned to attack me again. Seeing my advantadge i hurled three more bolts, each of which slammed into his chest sending him spiraling towards the water while me and
Cloud fell back towards the ship. I used the last of my magic to soften our landing, then watched as Sephiroth recovered and circled around back into the air, then hurled a thin blade of energy which cut the ship in half right across the middle.
"Oh shit." I said with a groan. It was then as the two halves of the ship tipped into the water that i noticed Zack and his weapon slipping towards the water. I dashed over but a streak of lightning flew from Sephiroth's palm and caught me in the chest. Instantly my muscles burst into wild spasms, and my brain felt like it was on fire, my heart felt as though it had been stabbed. I was only faintly aware of the bolt lifting me up into the air, then flinging off to the side where i fell, barely
conciouss, into the water with a wet splash. On board, Zack woke up.
