Part 2 – Showdown
The two lonely youngsters stood there, distraught. Wrapped up within their own entwined thoughts neither was going to say anything. Seifer was back and there was nothing they could do about it. This was a freak of nature—Seifer's evil soul died a long time ago, it couldn't still be alive within him. It shouldn't be alive anyway. They could both feel him deep inside, mocking them endlessly. Rinoa backed away from Squall as she heard a hideous cackle inside her head that made her bolt towards the Training Centre in a fashion that left Squall bewildered where he stood. He followed her every footstep as his curiosity was binding him and directing him to pursue. The galvanised metallic door flung open with the force of ten men as the young Rinoa leaped towards them. It was raining—mixing with the soil to make it muddy underfoot and difficult to catch breath in the strangling humidity.
Through the dense vegetation and the fallen trees stood Rinoa, face to face with Seifer as if he was an ally, standing stationary with only a stare separating them. Squall walked quickly over to Rinoa and carefully nudged her out of the way to face Seifer himself.
"What do you want?" Squall fired the question towards Seifer yet there was no answer.
"What's the matter? Can't you hear me or have you just lost your pathetic voice?" The fire that burned furiously in Squall's eyes was one that Rinoa had never seen before. His eyes were filled with the fire of rage. Pure rage.
Squall stood up straight and stared at Seifer who had a satanic glaze covering his eyes that shut out all emotion being directed towards him. This looked like Seifer, but did not seem to be the same young man that carried the same name. At a moments notice, Seifer leapt at Squall bearing his own Gunblade going in for a deadly blow. Quick to think, Squall pushed Rinoa out of the way causing her to collapse on the muddy earth and drew his own Gunblade. The clash of cold steel sparked through the rain-soaked air as the two blades collided. Rinoa scrambled across the floor and escaped the fury between these two men—Rivals; fighting once again in an endless chain of battles that never seemed to subside—She stood there watching the slashes cut mercilessly through the air. Seifer brought his blade swiftly down and caught Squall's left arm causing it to bleed profusely.
"NO!—" Rinoa screamed at the top of her lungs to try and get them to stop. They were going to fight to the death no matter what she tried to do.
Squall's left arm was torn and his infamous black jacket was shredded like the flesh that sat beneath it—he didn't care about that. All he cared about was protecting Rinoa for Seifer for one last time. It was his duty to do so. The fight carried on and for on brief moment Seifer let down his guard and Squall dived in with his Rough Divide just like he did before he got his scar. Seifer saw this coming but was not quick enough to completely dodge the blinding speed of Squall's blade as it flew towards him as it caught him on the chest as he fell to the floor.
Seifer scrambled to his feet and dragged the tip of his Gunblade across the floor. The evil smirk had washed from Seifer's face and had been replaced with a grimace of pain and anger. Rinoa surveyed the scene and stood up clutching the rings around her neck and looked blankly behind Squall. Seifer glared at Squall and the beautiful young woman standing behind him. Gasping for breath, the two men just stood there, fearless and ready to finish what had been started. A sudden boost of adrenalin coursed through Seifer's veins as he stood up straight like a cobra and raised his right hand to Squall's face. Two words were whispered from Seifer's mouth and travelled through the air.
"No...Mercy" These two words made Squall freeze with fear as it all came back to him. The two painful words he heard before Seifer struck him with the sharpness of his sturdy weapon creating the scar on his face and on his memory; smearing his face with blood and his soul with hatred.
An inferno started to appear in Seifer's hand but Squall could not move; he was paralysed with terror. The fire spell sped towards Squall and knocked him to the ground with tremendous force that sent him light-headed unable to withstand the heat. Rinoa rushed forward, overcame her fear of Seifer and took Squall in her arms. Seifer swung his gunblade fiercely around in circles as two separate blade protruded from his own and went flying towards each of the two youngsters. Rinoa leapt back dropping Squall on the floor and quickly cast her own magic. She quickly drew protect for Squall himself and cast it on the helpless man forgetting about herself. As soon as the magic was cast she slumped to the floor as Seifer had finally struck his fatal blow, to the wrong person.
Wide-eyed and unable to believe what has happened, Seifer just stood there as he watched Squall stumble over to Rinoa, taking her into his ever embracing arms and crying with every last ounce of strength that he had in his body. Seifer took a few steps towards the two people and the only thing he could do was say the two words that he would ever say with compassion
"I'm...sorry..." A tear came to his devil-red eyes and dropped to the floor with all the other raindrops.
"...Rinoa..." The unholy echo of Seifer's voice as he called out her name broke Squall's heart has he jumped up and lunged his Gunblade deep within Seifer's torso.
"...I've told you once before. You harm a hair on her head and I'll harm you...permanently..." The bitterness in Squall's voice was only matched by the sorrow in his heart. His gunblade dropped to the floor still impaled in Seifer's lifeless corpse. Squall walked over to the body of his beloved and kissed her on the forehead with his tears falling from his cheek onto hers, he wept continuously for hour and hours holding her head close to his heart. Never wanting to let go. He took his torn jacket on and wrapped it around her shoulders and carefully laid her on the floor beside him. He stroked her cheek once more with his hands and closed his eyes.
"...Goodbye...Rinoa..."
"...I'll never forget you..."
"...I promise."
