Wow, I've hit the 50,000 hit marks already? Man time flies by. And thank you fellow readers who've been patiently waiting for the next update. As a result, I'll do Naruto's side of this Forging of Blades Arc as his body pays the consequences for having "too much power". Will he live to see a new day? Or will he fall to his demonic opponent? Find out in the newest chapter of Shinobi L'Cie: Storm of the Revolution!
By the way, I've reintroduced the Stagger status from the XIII and XIII-2 versions of Final Fantasy. It is called "Stagger energy" in my fic.
Naruto's L'Cie Status
Commando Level 2: Blitz, Ruin, Lifesiphon (in game it recharges one full ATB gauge, but in the fic, increases Naruto's reaction time after slaying an enemy), Powerchain (Usually when an enemy's "Stagger energy" is zero, deals massive damage.)
Ravager Level 1: Libra, Thunder, Water, Sparkstrike, Aquastrike, Fire
Medic Level 1: Cure, Accessory Slot, Esuna
Sentinel Level 1: Provoke
Chousen (Japanese for Defiance symbolizing Naruto's nature to defy logic, reason, common sense, etc. Also connected to his true powers) Level Unknown: Duel Wield (Ability to wield two weapons at once), Rasengan, Unknown (Revealed in this chapter)
Powers of Cosmos (The power to wield Zantetsuken without Odin, but this power will be no more after this chapter fellow readers)
Weapons: None
Accessories: Mythril Mail-Armor made of Mythril that slightly increases one's defensive abilities (Sentinel Role)
Disclaimer: Fan of Fanfics21 does not own Naruto or Final Fantasy XIII or Final Fantasy XIII-2 or the Balrog from the Lord of the Rings series or any characters referenced from other companies and their respective owners
He remembered this sensation; the sensation of falling always had its own meanings depending on whom and what you are. If you had wings, it would symbolize the biggest gamble on your life if you couldn't master the ability to fly. But for those who lived their whole lives on the ground in combat or those whose wings were torn in the air, it meant your demise. To Naruto, it reminded him of when Jiraiya tossed him down that ravine towards the Pulse Vestige and the awakening of Lightning. How his own soul was broken into fragments and scattered through time and space. To him, it felt like a long half remembered dream…
He could reminisce later; he had a demon to slay. As he fell, he saw the wakizashi given to him by Mifune falling down further ahead; he reached out and grabbed it, channeling chakra into the blade as its cutting length extended as he continued to free fall after his enemy. The enemy was a Balrog, a demon from a completely different dimension that was made of shadow and flames. The air around that foul creature was hot, burning as it annoyed his skin as he drew in close and landed on its chest and began stabbing it. The demon roared in anger as it tried to shake the boy off of it as it crashed into one of the tunnel's walls, completely dislodging the small opponent as it took its chance to slam its massive hand against him.
This made Naruto crash into the walls as well as he quickly recovered and ran down it while following the falling demon and began his assault. He threw Water and Thunder spells in junction as he threw a few Ruin spells to keep the creature's Stagger energy balanced and decreasing speed slow, bidding his time to go all out with his demonic foe. The Balrog was getting annoyed at the quenching of its flames, the assaults of thunder, and the strange offensive magic as it fell, it struggled as it constantly attacked every part of the walls of the tunnel as the rocks began caving in, forcing Naruto to leap onto its chest again, but this time, it was prepared.
The Balrog grabbed Naruto in its clutches as he struggled to break free as he casted Water and Thunder right into the demon's face hoping it would be forced to release him. It didn't work, instead, the Balrog slammed him against the walls as it too crashed into them, forcing the demon to let go of him. Naruto recovered as the Balrog twirled in the air as he latched onto its horns and proceeded to try and kill it by stabbing it in the skull. The Balrog screeched in pain as they reached the end of the tunnel, if anyone at the end of the tunnel was there, they would be caught in awe at what they saw from a distance. A demonic creature banished from the heavens into the depths of hell as it would fall into a lake and disappear into the Abyss as a hero from legends past would continue his battle with the creature till the end of time.
"This is gonna hurt!" Naruto thought as he realized they were going to crash into the lake as they indeed crashed, creating a massive explosion of water to rise with steam coming out as Naruto was rendered unconscious from the impact, unknowing being carried out by the underwater currents with the Balrog as well. Little did he know; the powers of Cosmos were starting to react violently inside him, gaining the attention of Shinryu residing inside the boy's Heaven half of the mindscape as he looked at the small power of Cosmos with interest. "Interesting, it seems the Goddess of Harmony's powers have begun to react towards Magatsu Arashi's chaotic powers. Now the Cipher's own L'Cie crystal and the crystal of Harmony are now in conflict due to him being part of the boy's own L'Cie powers. If my theory is correct, the Descendant of Cipher will suffer from crystals growing inside his body, looking for a way out due to the releasing energies from the conflict. An extremely painful and rare condition…" the dragon mused, clearly wondering what will happen next with interest in its eyes, wondering if Naruto will overcome this situation in some impossible way.
As Shinryu watched from inside Naruto whose body was dragged towards land by an armored figure, he twitched as he regained conscious as he sat up as he hugged his body in unbelievable pain. "Argh, what's…happening?" he asked himself as a voice answered him. "Your powers are going out of control." This made Naruto turn to see the armored figure around his age looking at him. Naruto immediately got up and got into a stance as the armored figure held his hand up. "Wait Storm, I'm not here to fight you." The figure replied making Naruto's eyes narrow. "Who are you? And how do you know me?" he demanded as the armor figure sighed. He pulled off his helmet to reveal…"Because we are two sides of the same path." Naruto replied surprising himself.
"No way…so this is the version based off Lightning during the time she was a Warrior Goddess huh? Nice armor by the way." He complimented. "Yes, though my creation was to do Lightning's job until she regains her lost powers again…that and Etro is quite lonely in Valhalla." The new Champion of Etro replied with a wry smile on his face. "You can say she and I can get along just fine, though she's quite curious of our culture right now ever since Gran Pulse had been changed over the years." He finished recalling his lectures to the lonely goddess of how table manners, eating with chopsticks, and even reading scrolls work. To him, it made him feel like Iruka-sensei at the time. And that was one big headache as the goddess would ask questions even he didn't dare cross the line answering. "By the way, call me Tempest okay?" he asked as Storm nodded his head. (A/N: Now from here on out, Naruto will be called Storm through the chapter)
"Sure, but aren't we supposed to be dealing with a certain problem?" Storm asked getting Tempest's attention. "What kind of problem exactly?" he asked as Storm pointed to a massive black slimy creature coming out of the water. "That." Storm replied depanned as Tempest placed his helmet back on and summoned his Gunblade. Storm looked at the blade and was marveled by its beauty, the craftsmanship was beyond human capabilities. He sensed something familiar with it and he finally recognized that blade…It was Lightning's when she served as Etro's Champion before her defeat at Nione's hands many years ago. How could Tempest acquire the blade if Nione stole her powers…unless?
"Focus on the enemy Storm!" Tempest called out, snapping the Shinobi L'Cie out of it as he saw Tempest fighting the slimy creature and cursed himself for distracting himself at the design of the blades and realized he no longer had the wakizashi Mifune gave him. "If only I had a sword damn it!" Storm mentally swore as he casted Libra on the thing and was surprised it the Balrog in a weakened form. Most of its former powers and strengths were removed after falling into the lake it seems. Though it would still absorb Fire spells to heal and regain its lost flames. "Looks like I'm a Black Mage for this fight…Tempest, Slash and Burn!" Storm called out as Tempest shifted into Paladin as Storm shifted to Ravager. "Let's do this!" Tempest shouted as the two incarnations of Lightning's legacy began their assault on the Balrog.
Storm focused mainly on using Water and Thunder spells as Tempest used his blade and performed an elegant dance of steel as he gracefully avoided the Balrog's swipes and snarls as he landed successful blows on the demon. The Stagger energy was building up nice and slowly as the Balrog began to relight itself in flame as Tempest was forced to jump back. "Shit, did we run out of time?" Tempest cursed as Storm shook his head. "No, it just relit itself, but it's still weak. We need to build up the Stagger energy even more!" he replied to his divine counterpart who nodded. "How about getting another ally into the fray eh?" Tempest asked as Storm nodded as he pulled out the magatama necklace he acquired and grabbed the glowing icy blue one. "Hey hero, it's show time, so come on out!" Storm called out as a massive chunk of ice appeared in front of him and it exploded as Snow Jr. appeared.
"Did someone say they needed a hero?" Snow Jr. asked in his usual demeanor as Storm just merely pointed at the Balrog. "Sweet…It's like one of those bosses from video game Snow showed me. Bring it on!" he shouted as the three Narutos shifted to Relentless Assault with Tempest as the Paladin (Enhanced Commando Role) and Storm with Snow Jr. shifting into Ravager. "I say it's time to cool him off guys!" Snow Jr. commented as he casted Blizzard and Water spells as Storm followed up with his own Water spells along with a few Thunder ones in his arsenal. The Balrog used its arms to shield itself from these attacks as they only protected him from the front as Tempest attacked the creature from the back making it difficult. The Balrog unleashed a savage roar as it released all the flames in its body into a wave of fire that singed the two L'Cie as Tempest was immune to the attack as he shifted to Knight and used Immortal. "Note to self, avoid that attack." The knight mused as the two L'Cie glared daggers at him for not warning them in time.
That's when they noticed the Balrog's body was emitting a red aura as they realized the Stagger energy was at its peak. Storm and Snow Jr. unleashed a barrage of Water spells in synch as the demon's body was engulfed in a golden aura as they shifted to Aggression with Storm as the Ravager, Snow Jr. as a Commando, and Tempest in his Paladin role respectively. Storm furiously casted his Thunder spells as quickly as he can as Snow Jr. gave the Balrog a nasty uppercut as the creature was launched into the air as Tempest leapt after the demon as dealt a series of slashes and landed gracefully as Snow Jr. launched a series of Ruin spells on it. The Balrog's flames died out as it crashed into the ground, but Tempest decided to play juggle with Snow Jr. by using Launch as he and the miniature "Mr. Hero" delivered their slashes and punches respectively as Storm shifted into Commando and casted a barrage of Ruin spells to keep the Balrog in midair.
Storm noticed something was wrong with the Balrog, he realized that the Stagger state it was in was almost over with. "Get ready for it to revert back to normal guys!" he warned as he casted another barrage of Ruin spells at the demon. Snow Jr. smirked as he joined in on the Ruin spell contest as Tempest smirked under his helmet and leapt into the air again and dealt his usual slashes, but this time, when the Balrog was about to recover from its Staggered State while in midair, Tempest used Smite as it made the Balrog crash violently into the ground with incredible force as it roared in savage agony as its body became still.
The battle was going well for the Narutos as they cheered in victory…until Storm doubled over suddenly as parts of his body began bleeding. "What the hell?" Snow Jr. said, looking over at his electric counter-part with concern. Tempest ran over to Storm and started to examine the wounds and from the sound of his voice, he was surprised. "Cosmos' powers and his L'Cie powers are in conflict. They're creating crystals within his Chakra Network and they are trying to escape. Right now they're bursting out of his skin, and so fast…" he said while muttering the last part to himself, examining the wounds very closely as he saw various types of crystals were indeed, coming out of Storm's skin. They also radiated some sort of power in them. Tempest suddenly turned towards the supposed-to-be knocked out Balrog only to see it running into the tunnels, away from the L'Cie and one knight.
"Damn it, we have to stop it before its flames truly relight themselves! If we don't make it in time, it might reach the surface and who knows what it will do!" Tempest cursed as Snow Jr. looked between the tunnel and Storm. "You take care of Storm; I'm going to buy you guys' time and try to stall it before it finds a way out." He replied as he pulled out a Eidolith in the shape of an icy blue heart and crushed it in his hands and started running, throwing it in front of him as the Shiva Sisters came forth from a sphere of icy cold water as they followed their summoner as they transformed into Gestalt Mode which was in the form of a motorcycle as Snow Jr. leapt into the air and landed in the seat and drove off after the Balrog before Tempest could even reply.
"Damn it Snow Jr. One of these days your self-sacrificing nature you got from Snow will get you killed." Tempest muttered in annoyance as he looked at the unconscious Storm whose face was twitching from some twisted dream. He was muttering something in unconsciously, Tempest removed his helmet to get a better hearing and the words he heard sent a small chill down his spine.
I am the bone of my crystal
Those words were no ordinary words. Those were incantations or an aria of some sort. Whatever it was, if Storm completed it in some shape or form, it would unleash a spell of devastating power depending on the length of it, something that might be useful depending on situation or location. He wondered what was going on in Storm's head right now, but he had to focus on reducing the crystal's growth on the body before Storm dies from the inside out. He observed the crystals up close and noticed that they were falling off, one by one but the crystal fragments still emitted an incredible amount of energy in them. "Could it be…Storm's body is producing crystals similar to the ones that are used to make L'Cie?" Tempest thought as he picked one up and observed it with his own eye, recognizing the similarities between the "infant" stages of an L'Cie's Eidolith before it takes on a unique shape like a rose like Lightning's Eidolith or an apple shaped one like Vanille's Eidolith. Tempest looked at his former self, realizing why Etro sent him to keep an eye on Storm after he and Lightning were separated in the mines. "I swear I always attract trouble no matter where I am or what I do…" he grumbled in place of all other Narutos out there.
*Storm's subconscious*
It was dark, he didn't know how long he was trapped in the darkness nor did he see any kind of exit anywhere. He walked, wondering which way to go as he found a familiar being with his back turned to him. A man with tanned skin, white hair, and a red coat while wearing some sort of skin tight black armor definitely brought back memories. He was that man that had "helped" him regain his strength to take on Shinryu once again after he was defeated by the Doom spell. "Who are you?" he asked the man who turned at the sound of his voice. "Hmm…Not sure I can recall my name, but call me Archer…Naruto Uzumaki." The man replied as said boy raised an eyebrow.
"You know about me, but how is it that I don't know who you are?" he asked as Archer snorted. "Well you were well known for being a hard-headed idiot most of the time." He replied as Storm glared at the man with annoyance in his eyes. "Are you going to insult me or are you here for something else?" Storm grumbled as Archer smirked. "Just here to help wake up some locked memories, it's under my Master's orders after hearing what happened to you." He replied as Storm looked at him confusingly. "So what are you a butler or something?" he asked as Archer's face twitched at the suggestion. "No, I am a Servant. A Heroic Spirit summoned under a magus in a battle for the Holy Grail. You were involved in a few of them yourself Naruto. Plus I also taught you my special Projection abilities and made your own version of my Reality Marble." He replied as Storm looked utterly confused.
"Heroic Spirit, Servant, Holy Grail, Reality Marble? Now I'm completely lost." Storm replied to the man in red as he sighed. "Should have known, your memories were tampered with so it's no surprise there that you've forgotten everything, looks like I'll have to do it the hard way then…" Archer mumbled under his breath as Storm looked confused as he saw the strange look on Archer's face, and it wasn't a good kind. "What are you do-argh!" he couldn't finished his question as Archer grabbed his head and mumbled two words. "Trace…On!" the man spoke as Storm felt a foreign energy enter his body as something switched inside of his brain. Images of some sort of ability was flooding in his head, images of creating swords out of thin air, various types with their own unique abilities, histories, and specialties. It was hurting his head; these memories were overflowing as everything around him was fading away.
"Looks like I was only able to awaken your ability of Gradation Air or Projection as its most commonly called and your Jewel Magecraft skills. But the rest is up to you to remember. Good luck Naruto." Archer called out from the darkness as it consumed him.
*Real world*
Storm's eyes opened, feeling a headache as he sat upright and held his head in pain as he heard the sounds of armor clinking towards him. "How long have I been out?" he asked Tempest who had his helmet off. "For a few good 10 minutes. How's your body?" he asked as Storm groaned, "Like Lightning went all-out on me…" he grumbled as Tempest chuckled at the thought as Storm noticed the crystal shards around his body. "What are these crystals exactly?" he asked as Tempest shrugged his shoulders, "Beats me, they came out of you. I'm guessing Cosmos' powers are in conflict with your L'Cie powers for some reason and these crystals were born as a side effect. But that's just a theory." He replied as Storm collected the crystals and pocketed them away. "These could be useful later, by the way, where's Snow Jr.?" he asked.
"Well after you fell unconscious, the Balrog regained conscious and started running off, he's stalling for time. Are you ready to get going?" Tempest asked as Storm nodded. With that, Tempest refitted his helmet and from his chest, pulled out an Eidolith and summoned Lightning's old Gunblade she had when she was serving Etro and tossed it into the air and slashed it, summoning Odin in all of his glory. Two things happened right off the bat, one was that Storm felt his body react to the blade as images of some sort of blueprint was etched into his brain and he noticed that the Odin that Tempest summoned was different from the one Lightning had. "What kind of Odin is he Tempest? I've heard from Light that there were a variety of Odin's but I only heard of Twilight Odin." He asked as he felt Tempest smirking under that helmet.
"He's Odin Aesir, an evolved form of Odin and a powerful version and is technically your summon." He replied as Storm looked at the Eidolon in surprise and awe. "Really? But wait, I didn't find her yet." Storm replied as Odin Aesir and Tempest looked at each other and chuckled, much to the Shinobi L'Cie's confusion. "Well, you actually did find her. But you don't recall because of Nione's influence during your hunt for Tsunade," That made Storm frown at the mention of the man, "-one of the regular untamed Odin's responded to you and had somehow undergone the evolution. Which is this big guy here." He finished patting the Eidolon.
Storm was getting confused, he didn't recall being influenced by Nione other than the time when he and Lightning were…"You've got to be kidding me…Lightning was her?" he asked as Tempest just merely nodded and was thankful for his helmet covering his face. His expression underneath looked like he was going to lose control and burst out laughing at any time. "Well yeah, I was actually pretty surprised by that to." He lied with a straight face, knowing everything due to being inside Valhalla and seeing through Etro's eyes. "Great, now what, do I get to own some super dangerous weapon next?" Storm asked him sarcastically as Tempest shook his head no.
Storm looked at Odin Aesir and noticed the difference between the Odin that Lightning had. While her Odin was white and in black armor, this one had a red traveler's coat and its left eye was covered in an eye patch. It wielded the trademark Zantetsuken in its right hand but instead of a shield in its left, there was a spear. "Is that…" Storm muttered looking at the two weapons as he felt his eyes twitch in pain after looking at the weapons before it stopped. "Yup, that's Gungnir in all of its glory. Compared to the original which is lost to all but the true Odin, this one follows the ability of never missing its mark like the original." Tempest replied. "Nice, but now let's ride!" Storm declared as Odin Aesir entered Gestalt Mode, transforming into an eight legged horse that neighed in a dignified way as the red traveler's coat wrapped itself around Storm as the Zantetsuken blades and Gungnir vanished as he hopped onto the horse's back.
Tempest summoned a regular Odin as it too entered Gestalt Mode as the two warriors rode on, finding their frosty counterpart and see if he was alright. They found a trail of ice indicating he was battling the Balrog with the Shiva Sisters, stalling for time, this made the two twin paths of Lightning to proceed to go even faster to find Snow Jr. as they found themselves in the same massive hallways where the Balrog first let itself known, and right now Snow Jr. and the Shiva Sisters were in the fight for their lives. "Come on girls, just a little bit longer until back up arrives!" he shouted to the twin frosty girls as Stiria and Nix nodded as the Balrog's flames were starting to light up again. "Hey, need a hand hero?" Storm asked in a semi-mock tone as Snow Jr. turned and waved at the two. "Hey guys! Ready for some action?" he asked as Storm leapt off Aesir as Tempest followed suit as the two incarnations of Odin returned to the Eidoliths the pink rose for Tempest and the blue rose one that came to Storm as he placed it near his L'Cie brand as it was absorbed into it, with the red traveler's coat disappearing from his body.
As he and Tempest ran towards the miniature Snow, Storm felt something was wrong with his head but decided to ignore it. "Thanks for the help girls; let me and my bros here will handle the rest!" Snow Jr. called out as Stiria waved at him as Nix blew him an icy kiss before dismissing themselves. "Always a flirt, aren't you girls?" Snow Jr. chuckled as Tempest shook his head. The Balrog regained their attention by unleashing a savage roar as Snow Jr. huffed. That was when Storm casted Cure on him, "Try not to go overboard hero, don't want you dying on us." He said as Snow Jr. scratched his cheek sheepishly. "That's nice and all but we have an enemy to deal with." Tempest growled as he got into his stance with gunblade in hand as Snow Jr. got into his own stance as well.
What happened next was unexpected for both parties, "Trace…On!" Storm shouted suddenly with his right hand outstretched as he looked like he was holding some sort of invisible weapon as the crystals from inside his body and the ones in his pocket reacted to the words as they escaped and gathered into an object. Words were ringing in Storm's head as they held a nostalgic part inside of his memories. He desired a weapon, and right now he wanted a gunblade, so the energy inside of him as parts of his body opened up, creating wounds in his arms much to the surprise to the other Narutos as crystals escaped from his body as those and the crystals inside his pouch merged and transformed into a crystal version of the Blazefire Saber Lightning was known for wielding. "Let's dance!" Storm shouted as he got into his stance as no one noticed how his eyes were glazed over, as if possessed by something.
That was when the Balrog charged at them; making the three Narutos dodged it as the demon crashed into a support pillar causing the entire mine to shake violently at the loss of one of its support pillars as a massive pile of rubble fell onto the creature. It broke out of the rubble and was in pain, but it could still put up a fight. Storm casted Libra on the Balrog and noticed its status had changed from the last time it was fought. Its defenses halved all attacks save for Ice and Water spells which were its weaknesses at the moment. "Relentless Assault guys, Tempest use Ruin, Snow Jr. let's cool him off!" he shouted as he pulled off his headband as a massive surge of magical energy erupted from his body as his eyes became as hard as diamonds. The release of his headband showed how serious he was as the mines shook under the very pressure from the massive surge of power.
The Balrog started by gathering flames as it created a whip of fire and swung down where Tempest was standing as he dodged it and casted Ruin right back at the demon, Snow Jr. and Storm began with casting Blizzard and Water spells respectively from a distance as steam began to form from the Balrog's skin as it turned towards them, knowing that they are trying to weaken its flames. "He does not look happy." Snow Jr. commented as Storm ran towards the Balrog despite his protest as the demon swung its whip at him only for Storm to dodge as he slashed at the hand with Aquastrike, causing the Balrog to snarl at the boy with annoyance as it began to use its left hand to smack the boy, only to be hit in the face by a Ruin spell by Tempest. "Hey ugly, over here!" the knight taunted, distracting the Balrog as Storm slashed at the hand holding the whip with another Aquastrike, soaking the hand as the whip faded away.
Snow Jr. ran up to the Balrog and delivered his own Froststrike right into its chest as the demon was forced back as Tempest slashed at its left hand. The Balrog roared in anger at the annoyance from the three warriors as the trinity leapt away to observe their work. Right now the Stagger energy had just grown past the initial levels and was a quarter full until the creature entered the Stagger state. Its left arm was cut and the right arm was currently dosed and slimy like as the ice on the chest from Snow Jr. was already melting. They needed to weaken the other arm as they noticed the right arm was now limp. They knew what they had to do; they used Paradigm Shift use the Delta Attack formation as Snow Jr. became a Sentinel who got the pleasure of pissing off the enemy as Storm was the Ravager as Tempest shifted to his Paladin role.
"Hey, you're so ugly, that when your mama sees you, she cries in her sleep!" he taunted as the Balrog's attention focused purely on Snow Jr. with absolute hatred burning in its eyes. One type of taunts that works no matter what is when it's an insult to one's mother, and man, the Balrog was downright pissed at the moment. If he were to cook him, it would be burnt extra crispy right now. The Balrog charged at Snow Jr. completely ignoring the other two as it tried to deliver divine retribution for the insult to its mother, as it unleashed a furious blow of claws and fire upon him who was merely using Steelguard at the moment. "Sweet, looks like I get to work on my Steelguard after all." He said jokingly as Storm and Tempest mentally groaned at that line.
Storm focused only on casting Water spells with a few Thunder spells into the mix while adding a few slashes from Aquastrike as Tempest's ability Armor Piercer took effect as he slashed at the creature's distracted back while breaking through its physical defenses. The Balrog was blinded by pure rage as Snow Jr. continued to taunt and block its attacks, making a few jokes just to keep it focused on him as the Balrog decided it had enough. Tempest noticed this in an instant, "Tortoise now!" he shouted as they all shifted into the strongest defense Paradigm as the Balrog's body became outstretched as the entire area was consumed in flames. The heat was unbearable to the three Narutos, Snow Jr. was able to withstand it while Tempest was immune to it, but Storm barely pulled through as the flames soon died out and the Balrog was missing, they heard stones crumbling as they heard the Balrog's roar as they saw the pathway it went.
"Shit, that fucking bastard got to the surface, but it's at the summit, we have to-"Tempest froze, as he turned away. "I have to return to Valhalla, Etro is in danger from the Nero, the Caius-Naruto…Sorry." He apologized as he began fading away. "One more thing, Storm…" he called out, getting his attention, "To end this, you must sacrifice one source of power to awaken the right one to end it." He said cryptically as he disappeared for good. Storm looked at Snow Jr. and could tell the wannabe hero was exhausted, even with his healing abilities it wouldn't be enough. "Head back home hero, this is my fight and I have to be the one to finish it." He said to his icy other who shook his head. "No way, a hero doesn't turn tail from a challenge!" he stubbornly replied as Storm glared at him. "Listen, this was my fight before you came in, and this is how it should end, plus I don't want to explain to everyone in your timeline how you died being reckless." He shot back as Snow Jr. winced from that.
"But you might die if you take that thing alone!" he countered as Storm snorted. "Who said I was alone, even when they are not here, my friends, family, and loved ones are always by my side even in my darkest hour. With them cheering me on, I won't lose." He replied calmly and in a determined tone as Snow Jr. looked at him with shock and then understanding. "Alright, you win. I'll be cheering for you, so go kick that things ass!" Snow Jr. replied as he faded away, leaving a trail of snow petals in the air as they fell gently onto the ground. With that, Storm's crystal Gunblade broke into pieces as it turned to dust as he walked out of the entrance as he noticed it was night outside already as he noticed a ruined castle at the top of the summit. But he noticed something was wrong, where was the Balrog?
He got his answer as he heard wings flapping as he looked up to see the Balrog flying in the air roaring in savage fury as it threw fireballs at him immediately. "Odin Aesir, come forth!" Storm called out as he dashed and proceeded to summon his Eidolon by crushing its Eidolith and throwing it in front of him as his unique summon came into existence and entered Gestalt Mode as he hopped on and the traveler's cloak covered him as they got away from the explosion of flames. The Balrog roared in anger as it gave chase in the air as Storm summoned Odin's Gungnir into his hand as he looked at his aerial foe.
"Forgotten time, be reborn!" he declared as he held Gungnir up high as lightning danced in the heavens above as they fell upon the flying demon with vicious fury. The Balrog roared in anger at the skies as he gave pursuit as it threw balls of flames that exploded around the cloaked rider that missed or were blocked by Ullr's Shield as the benefits of Protect and Shell took over the boy. He threw Gungnir at the creature as another Gungnir appeared in his hands as he threw more and more, each hitting their marks on the creature's body. The Balrog roared in pain and anger as the spears faded away from its body as its flames became hotter than ever before as they were truly relit much to Storm's annoyance. "Not kidding around, huh?" he asked out loud as the chase continued as the two enemies were heading towards the top of the summit.
He held Gungnir into the air again as sparks of electricity danced from its tips as it traveled to the clouds as a barrage of thunder fell from the skies upon the Balrog as he threw the spear at his desired target: the wings. The Gungnir soared through and following the powers of the original Gungnir, it reached its mark as the Balrog screeched in pain as its wings were painfully torn from its back as it fell in smoke and flames up ahead in front of Storm and Odin Aesir. With that, Storm exchanged Gungnir for the trademark Zantetsuken blades as they drew closer to where the Balrog fell as it stood on its legs as it roared in savage fury, the flames on its body burning brighter and hotter than ever before as it charged at them. Storm had his Eidolon charge forward, cloak and cape flowing in the wind as they drew closer to their fiery enemy as time began to slow down.
The Balrog didn't focus on the eight-legged horse, but at the rider on top of it instead. With its fiery claws, it aimed at the young boy as the horse transformed into a warrior as the cloak that the boy wore was now on this giant warrior's body as he held its claws right in front but realized something, where was the boy? The answer came from behind as the boy wielded two twin massive curved blades as he let out a roar of defiance as he spun, the blades cutting through its blazing hide with incredible cutting power as the Balrog let out an agonizing roar as it decided to make sure both of them were burned to ashes for their insolence. "Aw crap!" was the only thing the boy could say as everything around them was consumed in flames.
The flames were hot, but Storm felt his body was being shielded as he felt someone cradling him in their arms when it was his summon that protected him, "Aesir…" he muttered as the Eidolon placed him down gently and he could see in its eyes an apologetic look. "Don't worry, I'll finish this guy off for the both of us, take care big guy." He replied to the unspoken apology as the Eidolon nodded as he dismissed himself, leaving his summoner alone to the demon of shadow and flames. He looked at his enemy that roared in savage triumph of eliminating his summon and began to charge at him. Storm didn't have a plan and the castle might be a good place to start hiding as he ran towards it with the Balrog right behind him.
"Let's dance big guy!" he taunted as he was being pursued, the Balrog roared as it threw a massive fireball at him as he ran on the sides of the mountainside with his chakra helping him run on them as he casted a barrage of Ruin spells at it as he flinched slightly in pain as he felt his chakra network being invaded by the crystals growing from the conflict between his L'Cie powers and Cosmos' powers. He then recalled what Tempest told him and realized what he meant. "Trace…On!" he shouted as he gritted his teeth in pain as his wounds reopened as the crystals escaped from his body and blood pouring out of them as the blood-soaked crystals forged another crystal replica of the Blazefire Saber, but this time he created a second crystal replica for him to use Duel Wield as he shifted the weapons into gun mode and started firing at the creature as he continued running.
The Balrog merely raised its arm to protect itself from the projectiles but noticed something was wrong with its arm, there were crystals growing on it as it painfully peeled them off its burning flesh as its prey escaped into the ruined castle. No matter, in the end, the child would be dead before daylight rises.
Storm gasped in pain as he still held his crystal Gunblades in his hands. The pain of creating them through his body was taxing on him as he tried to figure out a way to get rid of Cosmos' powers. "Damn it, for powers of Harmony, it's not helping me at all! I need to get rid of it somehow, but who could…Shinryu!" he realized as deep inside of his mindscape, the Dragon of Ruin heard him call out to him. "What is it, Descendant of Cipher?" the dragon asked, clearly interested in what his ally and summoner wanted. "I need you to get rid of Cosmos' powers for me! You can take them, but I also need you to help jumpstart something inside of me." He replied as the dragon's curiosity grew. "Oh? What is it that could possibly be inside you that might defeat a Balrog?" the dragon asked as he felt the boy had a plan. "It might be something due to this Projection ability or whatever that some guy named Archer awoke inside of me. Look for the foreign source, both inside of my chakra and Crystarium systems and see if you could fully awaken it, because these crystal replicas of Light's Gunblade might be connected to that ability!" he mentally replied as he cut off the connection.
Shinryu grew interested in the mention of the alias known as Archer and recalled a certain war for an all-powerful wish granting artifact he heard of from that clumsy man from the Fifth Legend Gilgamesh while traveling the Rifts. There was this one ability from that world he was told of, where a man was able to alter reality within a miniature World Egg as its power was that known as Infinite Creation of Swords, he wondered which Archer was it, and how it was connected to the boy. It didn't matter, as long as he gained some power while staying with the boy, so be it. The massive wyrm flew deeper inside of his summoner and found the boy's L'Cie Crystarium System. Deep down inside the dragon's heart, he had a feeling that it was connected to that unknown Role the boy created during his fight to tame his power. He found it, but it was blocked by Cosmos' powers as the massive dragon grin at the chance of gaining more power.
He willed it, and the energies of Harmony were absorbed into him as he gained more power. He looked at the unique Role and its crystals and noticed that a few were glowing; one that allowed him to wield two weapons at once and another was that attack that defeated him in battle. But the third one was completely new and it was actually two ability crystals clumped together and there were two branches in that Role's tree. One was quiet as the other one was faintly glowing, but Shinryu knew that the clumped one was the one responsible for the boy's weapons to be crystal-like in appearance, he split the clumped crystal into two as they still shone brightly as the connection with the boy reopened. "Thanks Shinryu, now the pain has subsided, but the crystals are still inside of me. You have any idea what it is?" he asked, and the dragon noticed his voice was tense. The wyrm looked at the Crystarium System and the boy's chakra network and noticed how the two have almost completely merged into one. He reported his findings to the boy and mentioned something else, "By the way, you can summon the crystals in a less painful method this time, they will still come out of your body, but in a different, and less painful manner than last time. Plus, they seem to be imbued with either massive amounts of chakra or magical energies. If you live long enough you might want to experiment with them." Shinryu spoke as it closed the connection as it went to lounge in the boy's mindscape again, waiting for an interesting show to start.
In the real world, Storm was busy dodging the Balrog's massive burning sword when Shinryu told him about summoning crystals and in a much less painful method as part of the bottom his coat was cut even though he dodged it. He narrowed his eyes as he deflected the creature's blade with lots of effort, knowing he's being pushed back. As the Balrog made a swipe, Storm leapt into the air right towards the creature as he prepared to slash its face with his two blades as the Balrog quickly reacted and slashed at him. He deflected it with the blade in his right hand as it soon broke into shards as his cheek and right shoulder had blood coming out from the attack. "So this is what happens after completely dodging it?" he muttered as he held his right arm out as crystal energy escaped from his palm and created another crystal replica of the Blazefire. He shifted to Sentinel and used his enhanced agility to dodge the slashes as streaks of flames followed it, making it more dangerous.
Storm blocked a diagonal slash with his blades as he felt the full brute strength of the Balrog as his crystal blades broke and he was thrown into the wall from the impact, leaving a crater in its wake. Blood dripped from his forehead as he fell on the ground, hearing the Balrog heading towards him slowly, taking pleasure of torturing him. He got up and he smirked as he created a plan as he felt the special Role he created had unlocked a unique ability. "Paradigm Shift: Chousen…" he muttered as a list of abilities in his head popped into his head. He leapt up to the next floor level, standing on the rails as the Balrog leapt after him, and Storm muttered something.
I am the bone of my crystal
With that, a bow and arrow made of crystal were forged; he drew the string as the arrow was filled with massive amounts of energy inside of it as he unleashed it upon the Balrog. The energy was so intense that a pillar of light broke through the ceiling and the entire area shook from the power. When the light died down, the Balrog was on its knees as its arms were coated in crystal. "That arrow had enough power to kill any ordinary L'Cie whose defenses are the worst. Then again someone like Fang or Snow should be able to withstand the blow. But then again you're a demon and they are on a different level." Storm spoke up as he noticed the crystalized flames and realized what he could do to defeat this creature. The Balrog got up and unleashed a savage roar as Storm leapt through the hole in the ceiling as the Balrog began to search the castle for the boy as it lit the massive main torch, causing all other torches in the castle to light up as it searched through the castle, burning anything else in its wake
Storm was waiting above the hole on another set of railings on a balcony where the whole ended at as his eyes turned to the corner as he leapt away just in time to avoid the demon's blade from behind, "You move fast for something in a massive body." He commented as he leapt away again as the Balrog landed where he just stood, which was near the hole as its massive weight made it sink into the hole with both arms trapped. It roared in anger as it struggled to break free as Storm crossed his arms, this time creating two different weapons…crystal replicas of Hope's weapons.
Earth is my body
And fire is my blood
He infused them with chakra as he threw them as they bounced off the Balrog's body and then made two more crystal boomerangs.
I have witnessed the story of the crystal legends
He threw them as they followed their crystal brethren in an elegant dance that made them look like a mirage as they all collided against the Balrog in an explosion as more of its flames began to crystalize. He charged forward with his arms crossed, creating two crystal replicas of the Blazefire again.
Unknown to Light
He then crossed them behind his back as they transformed into crystal replica of the Zantetsuken blades Lightning wielded.
Nor known to Darkness
He leapt into the air, charging the crystal Zantetsuken blades with both chakra and magic as he swung down, creating a V slash mark on the demons chest as the blades dispersed; he leapt away in time as the Balrog was engulfed in an explosion while Storm held his left arm in pain. "Damn, there goes my arm." He muttered grimly with an expression to match his tone. Through the flames and embers, the Balrog stood its chest and flames on its body frozen in crystal as it broke pieces of as it slammed Storm downwards towards the lobby area as he sat up with a smile as the Balrog landed a few yards in front of him. "You are one powerful and worthy opponent there, Balrog. Merciless to your enemies and from what I am seeing in front of me as you wait, have a sense of honor like a true warrior." Storm spoke up as the demon snorted as he stood up, "But I'm not going to die easily, Balrog. Go easy on me as much as you want, but take a few more of these weapons with you." He finished.
*Fate/Stay Night Soundtrack: Emiya-Kenji Kawai version*
Storm then created a crystal bladed version of Hope's boomerang and threw it onto the rope holding a massive bell that is hung over the main torch, causing it to fall as the flame was put out, and as a result all other flames were instantly put out as the Balrog looked around. It couldn't sense the boy, did he flee? That was then, moonlight poured from the hole in the ceiling as it moved slowly showing the boy, kneeling down like a loyal knight. It looks like any lunar deity in this world is not on his side.
Withstood pain and loneliness to create cherished and unbreakable bonds
He recalled Iruka-sensei, old man Hizuren Sarutobi, Sasuke, Sakura, Kakashi-sensei, all of the other fellow rookies, Lightning, Kushina, and his twin sister who was finding her way back to him through her journey in time and memory. The Balrog roared in savage triumph as it charged.
Yet, even in the depths of the Void I shall continue to shine
He felt it, the bonds from his friends, family and loved ones encouraging him to end this battle once and for all as the Balrog drew closer with its blade.
As my life begins anew in the…
That was when the other half of his soul, the one he gave up to save his sister's life resonated and realized that she had awoken Serah from her slumber and inherited her power. He was now even more determined to end this and complete his Focus so he could see her again and be reunited in open arms of joy.
Fabula Nova Crystallis
He finished it, the aria he had chanted is now complete as he looked up with a smirk as an illusionary flame encircled around them as they were engulfed in a bright light. When it died down, the Balrog looked shocked as it was in a pitch-black void as small lights floated in the air as various colored crystals of all shapes and sizes floated aimlessly in the void. The Balrog sensed something behind it to see Storm standing a good distance away from it with a smirk on his face as blood drifted from his forehead. A small light landed in his outstretched hand as it transformed into another crystal Blazefire Saber as he held it to his side. "As you can see, what you a facing is the power of the crystals, the source of the entire world of Fantasy. These crystals are the very thing that will serve as your prison for eternity." He explained as he held the crystal Gunblade in front of him. "Throw aside your fear and take me on!" he challenged, one that the Balrog accepted as it drew its massive blazing sword as they both charged at each other, unleashing their war cries as one thing made it final:
After this fight, only one will be left standing.
Like it? Hate it? Anyways, after this arc is done there will be some romance time between Naruto and Lightning. That's a promise, see ya!