Chapter 04:
"You three are lucky because you are assigned to the central tower." The man who was supposed to give Seifer's group's assignment declared as they walk towards the said building. "We're gonna use this for-um.special purposes." He managed to say. Seifer looked at him straight in the eyes. "Just tell us what to do." He urged. "Well, this tower is monster infested and I want you to clear all the floors immediately." The man ordered them. Rinoa looked from the foot to the very top of the tower and she couldn't believe what she saw. "There are at least eleven to twelve floors in this building." She estimated, "and if we have to clear each of it, then we'll hardly make it to the shore in 18:00 hours." "Excuse me, but we're not monster exterminators," Seifer said while gritting his teeth. "We're SeeD candidates, didn't you know that?" "Well, if you don't want it, then you can go home now. We have nothing to talk about." The man returned briskly. "Uh oh. That means failing the field exam." Rinoa thought. "Um, sir, we'll do it!" she told him. Seifer looked at her and sighed. "Fine! We don't have a choice, anyway." "Good. Now go and after that, return here to your post and secure the place from outsiders." The man instructed them. "Wait," Raijin speculated. "I thought there were Winhill specialists in here. If it's monster infested, where could they be conducting their studies?" The man looked somewhat skeptical. "Oh, yeah, they're in the basement- Don't go there," he warned. Just do what I'm telling you. Otherwise." he didn't continue. "Otherwise what?" Seifer put. "Nothing, Just don't go there. It's none of your business." Seifer, Rinoa and Raijin followed the man inside. He asked them to check every place before he himself went down the stairs to the tower's basement. "Huh, I think there's something fishy happening down there," Seifer observed. "Let's just obey what he says," Rinoa told him She knew that a single mistake could ruin her chance of becoming a SeeD. "So, where do we start, captain?" ***** ^-^ ************** ^-^ ***** "Woohoo! Six down and four more to go!" Raijin gushed though he felt tired. "There are only for hours left for us before the meeting time," Seifer reminded his group while checking his watch. "We could finish all the floors in 3 hours then we'll have one full hour to go back to the east shore." Then he checked everyone's conditions. "Are you all still fine?" From the 1st floor up to the 5th, they had encountered dozens of Blitz, tri- faces, wendigos, creeps, mesmerizes and other sorts of monsters. Some of them had been easy to take down, others took of some time before their KO's because of their varying levels. Rinoa looked at Seifer and Raijin. "These 2 really had changed since that Ultemecia catastrohe, more especially Seifer." She thought happily. "Now he's beginning to learn to control himself a bit," If everything turns out to be fine, she's so sure that they will all make it. "I'm still alright but I've already had one of my remedies," Raijin told everyone as he inserted a hand in his pocket and took out a bottle of potion. "And I think I still need to refuel myself, you know." He twisted the cap and took in every drop of it. Seifer then turned to Rinoa. "I'm still okay. As far as I can remember, I've already used one of my remedies and another one of my potions during our last battle. That Abadon actually ruined my junctioning." She reported. "How 'bout you?" "I'm fine, Rin, thanks" Seifer said warmly, making Rinoa's cheeks turn to a slight crimson. Raijin forced a cough. "Now, c'mon let's go! We have no time to waste." He pumped in his team mates. "Alright, cap!" Rinoa and Raijin exclaimed in unison. ******** "Die, Vysage, die now!" Seifer repeatedly shouted while making his attack. "It's really tough, Seifer!" Rinoa cried. Raijin tried to blind I but it missed. In return, the ugly creature 'silenced' him. Rinoa aimed her blaster edge carefully and fired a shot. It did only a measly 400 damage to their opponent who seemed to be very much alive. And there it was this visage who threw another spell on all of them. Seifer wasn't affected because 'poison' was junctioned to his status defense. However, Raijin and Rinoa weren't so lucky. "It's poison!" Seifer realized too late. He couldn't take it any longer. He breathe hard and quickly summoned Diablos, who fortunately sent the monster back to hell. "Rinoa, Raijin!" he immediately rushed to them and gave each a dose of his remedies. Rinoa sat up straight and blinked. "Is it over?" she asked her companions. "Yes, Rin. We've cleared all the floors. Now is the time to get back." Seifer encouraged. "Aw, that was close. I thought I'm gonna get busted!" Raijin remarked after he had recovered. Rinoa stifled a giggle. "Yeah, a little too close I think." "We should better hurry. I don't wanna be late." Raijin got up and walked towards the stairs. Seifer had helped Rinoa to her feet and went after Raijin. As they were making their way out of the 7th floor, they heard unusual noises from the walls. "What was that?" rinoa asked. "Monsters, maybe." Put in Raijin. "Impossible. I'm sure we have checked every corner of the area before we left,." Seifer said. "Help me! I'm in here!" a voice cried from nowhere. "It wasn't a monster." Rinoa realized and rushed to the direction where she thought she heard the voice. But before she could get any further, Seifer stopped her. "Wait. This must be a trap. We should better be careful." "But somewhere in there needs our help, Seifer!" Rinoa persisted. "We must do something." "Okay, but I'll lead the way." Seifer declared drawing out his hyperion. He silently walked through the narrow hallway. As they came closer, the irregular bangings from the walls got louder and louder. "How come somebody had been here after we've checked all the rooms?" Seifer wondered. They reached the end but the only door in there was the fire exit. "Help me, I'm here!" the mysterious voice continued to shout. Seifer looked to his left and noticed an iron vault slightly covered by a large metal locker. He quickly ran towards the vault and kicked it until the door flew open.
"You three are lucky because you are assigned to the central tower." The man who was supposed to give Seifer's group's assignment declared as they walk towards the said building. "We're gonna use this for-um.special purposes." He managed to say. Seifer looked at him straight in the eyes. "Just tell us what to do." He urged. "Well, this tower is monster infested and I want you to clear all the floors immediately." The man ordered them. Rinoa looked from the foot to the very top of the tower and she couldn't believe what she saw. "There are at least eleven to twelve floors in this building." She estimated, "and if we have to clear each of it, then we'll hardly make it to the shore in 18:00 hours." "Excuse me, but we're not monster exterminators," Seifer said while gritting his teeth. "We're SeeD candidates, didn't you know that?" "Well, if you don't want it, then you can go home now. We have nothing to talk about." The man returned briskly. "Uh oh. That means failing the field exam." Rinoa thought. "Um, sir, we'll do it!" she told him. Seifer looked at her and sighed. "Fine! We don't have a choice, anyway." "Good. Now go and after that, return here to your post and secure the place from outsiders." The man instructed them. "Wait," Raijin speculated. "I thought there were Winhill specialists in here. If it's monster infested, where could they be conducting their studies?" The man looked somewhat skeptical. "Oh, yeah, they're in the basement- Don't go there," he warned. Just do what I'm telling you. Otherwise." he didn't continue. "Otherwise what?" Seifer put. "Nothing, Just don't go there. It's none of your business." Seifer, Rinoa and Raijin followed the man inside. He asked them to check every place before he himself went down the stairs to the tower's basement. "Huh, I think there's something fishy happening down there," Seifer observed. "Let's just obey what he says," Rinoa told him She knew that a single mistake could ruin her chance of becoming a SeeD. "So, where do we start, captain?" ***** ^-^ ************** ^-^ ***** "Woohoo! Six down and four more to go!" Raijin gushed though he felt tired. "There are only for hours left for us before the meeting time," Seifer reminded his group while checking his watch. "We could finish all the floors in 3 hours then we'll have one full hour to go back to the east shore." Then he checked everyone's conditions. "Are you all still fine?" From the 1st floor up to the 5th, they had encountered dozens of Blitz, tri- faces, wendigos, creeps, mesmerizes and other sorts of monsters. Some of them had been easy to take down, others took of some time before their KO's because of their varying levels. Rinoa looked at Seifer and Raijin. "These 2 really had changed since that Ultemecia catastrohe, more especially Seifer." She thought happily. "Now he's beginning to learn to control himself a bit," If everything turns out to be fine, she's so sure that they will all make it. "I'm still alright but I've already had one of my remedies," Raijin told everyone as he inserted a hand in his pocket and took out a bottle of potion. "And I think I still need to refuel myself, you know." He twisted the cap and took in every drop of it. Seifer then turned to Rinoa. "I'm still okay. As far as I can remember, I've already used one of my remedies and another one of my potions during our last battle. That Abadon actually ruined my junctioning." She reported. "How 'bout you?" "I'm fine, Rin, thanks" Seifer said warmly, making Rinoa's cheeks turn to a slight crimson. Raijin forced a cough. "Now, c'mon let's go! We have no time to waste." He pumped in his team mates. "Alright, cap!" Rinoa and Raijin exclaimed in unison. ******** "Die, Vysage, die now!" Seifer repeatedly shouted while making his attack. "It's really tough, Seifer!" Rinoa cried. Raijin tried to blind I but it missed. In return, the ugly creature 'silenced' him. Rinoa aimed her blaster edge carefully and fired a shot. It did only a measly 400 damage to their opponent who seemed to be very much alive. And there it was this visage who threw another spell on all of them. Seifer wasn't affected because 'poison' was junctioned to his status defense. However, Raijin and Rinoa weren't so lucky. "It's poison!" Seifer realized too late. He couldn't take it any longer. He breathe hard and quickly summoned Diablos, who fortunately sent the monster back to hell. "Rinoa, Raijin!" he immediately rushed to them and gave each a dose of his remedies. Rinoa sat up straight and blinked. "Is it over?" she asked her companions. "Yes, Rin. We've cleared all the floors. Now is the time to get back." Seifer encouraged. "Aw, that was close. I thought I'm gonna get busted!" Raijin remarked after he had recovered. Rinoa stifled a giggle. "Yeah, a little too close I think." "We should better hurry. I don't wanna be late." Raijin got up and walked towards the stairs. Seifer had helped Rinoa to her feet and went after Raijin. As they were making their way out of the 7th floor, they heard unusual noises from the walls. "What was that?" rinoa asked. "Monsters, maybe." Put in Raijin. "Impossible. I'm sure we have checked every corner of the area before we left,." Seifer said. "Help me! I'm in here!" a voice cried from nowhere. "It wasn't a monster." Rinoa realized and rushed to the direction where she thought she heard the voice. But before she could get any further, Seifer stopped her. "Wait. This must be a trap. We should better be careful." "But somewhere in there needs our help, Seifer!" Rinoa persisted. "We must do something." "Okay, but I'll lead the way." Seifer declared drawing out his hyperion. He silently walked through the narrow hallway. As they came closer, the irregular bangings from the walls got louder and louder. "How come somebody had been here after we've checked all the rooms?" Seifer wondered. They reached the end but the only door in there was the fire exit. "Help me, I'm here!" the mysterious voice continued to shout. Seifer looked to his left and noticed an iron vault slightly covered by a large metal locker. He quickly ran towards the vault and kicked it until the door flew open.