Crimson Mask: Chapter 4: Howls of the Mask
By
Squall Morpheus Leonhart

The chaos began with the explosion after explosion. Soon dragons: Tiamats, Ruby and Blue, Grendels and T-Rexes attacked. Every single type of monster of the Island Closest to Hell was there. All the guests that couldn't fight were gone and all that remained was the Gang, Edea, Cid, Laguna, Kiros and Ward. Cid finally shown everyone why he became Edea's knight; saber in hand, he spilt a Grendel in half.

"Focus on the Tiamats, they are the strongest," commanded Seifer as he gutted a Grendel with Hyperion.

"Roger," yelled everyone else.

No one noticed a man watching the battle with great interest. He was on the highest platform on stage in the shadows. He wore a thick black cape and a black ensemble. In his hand was the Lionheart, on his face, a scar between his eyes. His eyes of quicksilver, lined with crimson, glowed as he smiled evilly.

The Gang handled the Tiamats as the others took the other dragons. Running toward a Grendel, who was intent to slice Irvine in half, a black wolf tackled the small dragon. Irvine turned to thank the wolf but gasped as he saw its face. The wolf turned and jumped, its claws bared as it struck a Tiamat in neck. When the blood flowed out, the wolf drank its fill to gain the dragon's life energy as it did with the others it killed.

Edea used her guardian, Leviathan's Tidal Surge to flood and drown the land dragons. Rinoa used Siren's, her own guardian, Silent Rhapsody to silence the airborne dragons. Soon with the combined forces of the humans and wolf, only one Tiamat remained.

Quistis performed her Shockwave Pulsar as Irvine used pulse shot. Then Zell followed with My Final Heaven. Selphie performed Full Cure as Seifer delivered the deathblow.

"Fire Cross," he yelled, "Black Destiny."

He cast a fire spell then followed it by jumping in the air and slashing downwards. Soon he did a sideswipe slash. The fire spell in the process did not go out but lingered until the second slash then intensified into a fire tornado. After the Tiamat disappeared into oblivion, the watcher clapped. Everyone turned to look at him. In the eyes of the wolf, fury laced itself around its crimson eyes.

"Bravo, bravo, if I do say so myself. She wasn't kidding when she said you were the best. Pity the Lionhearted wasn't here, but at least the Crimson is," laughed the watcher, "isn't that right Crimson?"

The watcher pointed to the wolf, which began to change into a man with a katana in hand. He was dressed in the same outfit when he killed the fugitive in the alley. The crimson mask covered his entire face, two black lines ran down from the where the eyes were to the chin end of the mask, curving to meet the pointed end. Squall unsheathed the katana, as everyone gasped as they saw a wolf became a man. Squall spoke in a dark emotionless tone, "Why are you here, Ares?"

"I'm here to get what was truly mine," said the watcher, Ares, as he jumped to the ground.

"Squall," asked Rinoa, shocked, surprised to see the new comer in the light of moonlight.

"No, Ares is my name, and as for him let's just say I stole his precious sword," responded Ares, "and when I did it was drenched in blood but he took my sword." Ares pointed to Squall. "The sword that is rightfully mine. The sword that when merged with this blade with be able to summon the gods of the Ragnarok here. Hyne cannot save you from that."

"Hyne, however, made sure that these two blades were given to his direct line of descendants. Griever will not be summoned to destroy the world, the same with Shiva, Bahamut and Diablos," said Squall fiercely as he gripped the katana tightly.

"No, but once I kill you, they will," spoke Ares as he finally attacked Squall.

Squall dodged as the others tried to come near him but it was futile, an invisible shield cast by Ares blocked their way. Ares jabbed Lionheart as Wolfheart parried. Soon all was silent except for the clangs and sparks flying made by the two sister swords. Squall may have been trained with the gunblade during SeeD, but no one knew he secretly trained with the saber and katana as well.

Then Squall turned the tide and became aggressive by launching his Limit Break, Wolf Howl. He pounced on Ares like a wolf and struck down before slashing again at his side over and over again. Soon his finale, something he doubted even Seifer could survive, Crimson Strike came. Crimson Strike was a strong dive then continuous strike at all enemies, graceful and controlled as it ended Squall slashed his katana both up and down, right to left. A cross blazed as his eyes, underneath the mask, and blade turned crimson.

Ares, however, survived and performed his own break, Abyss. Abyss consisted of a diagonal strike to the left and then followed by a slash downward in the center of the victim, after that, a thrust into the stomach. During the downward slash, Squall's mask split and fell as Ares rammed into his stomach. As the mask fell, everyone except Cid and Laguna gasped. Kiros and Ward did not know about Storm Chaser's true secret, expecting Laguna to tell them in the near future.

Squall groaned as Lionheart was extracted but he did not fall or collapse. Instead he stood and held Wolfheart in place as he continued to fight. His powers as an Ancient would not let him die that easily. Squall attacked Ares in the shoulder and pierced the cape as the katana went through his back. Squall's eyes did not turn sapphire like they did when he and Seifer fought no they turned crimson.

Wolfheart's black blade glowed white as Squall did another Wolf Howl. This time the finale was Silent Destruction, a strike like Rough Divide but repeated not once but five times. As the final strike was delivered, spikes of ice formed from the ground and pierced Ares. Squall was no longer in control of his actions; his mind chanted kill, kill, kill as his anger took control.

'Ares is the one responsible for my mother and brother, he will die,' thought Squall angrily.

Laguna pounded on the shield three times and after the third pound it was gone. Ares dropped Lionheart and grabbed hold of a passing Tiamat. Then all too soon, he was getting away. Squall in anger; focus all of his energy and the ones he took from earlier into a huge flare and cast it on the Tiamat, who survived. Squall threw Wolfheart at the disappearing dragon.

Laguna was at Squall's side after he thrown the sword, he placed a hand on Squall's shoulder as he began to shudder and collapse to the ground. Blood still flowed through his gut wound. Squall screamed Ares's name whilst he pounded his fist on the grass before him as the katana fell back to the ground and pierced the ground, reflecting Squall's image as he shuddered once more.

"Let me go, Dad," said Squall, trying to get up.

"No, you need to heal and rest," protested Laguna, kneeling next to his fallen son.

"That's right, Crimson. Even the Elite of Elite, the Best of the Best are still vulnerable," said Cid.

Squall gasped, "You know where to find me," he said as he faded into the night.

Laguna knew where he was going and stood. Kiros and Ward nodded and prepared to get a car ready for them.

Edea questioned Cid, "You knew about this, why didn't you tell me?"

"He is on indefinite leave, he is still a SeeD but he has something he must do," said Cid to his wife.

"Where is he going," asked Selphie.

"To the Sorceress Memorial, where we are going," stated Laguna, calmly, walking to the Palace, "are you coming or not?"

AN: Short but it had a good fight scene don't you think? Next one should be soon as it is the one where Raine and Squall's brother are waking but what of Squall? I'll let you think about that. As for Edea and Raine being sisters, well let's just say I need someone to truly need to understand the responsibility of the Leonhart line. I kept forgetting to say this but what is it with me and longhair guys? As for Squall's black hair, well let's just say as he grows it longer it turns darker and makes him sexier. Another thing, Squall is 5'10" because I would think he would grow it bit more after the war and I don't like anyone to really tall compare to their mate. A hint of the coupling or should I say couplings.

Special Thanks to:
Redrum (You just have to wait and see…)
GG (I'm happy you like it so far and I hope you like this sword fight too)

Here's your quote

Don't try to fool me, I know you
Squall Morpheus Leonhart
2002