{ A/N: Thx for the reviews, I'll give some answers at the beginning of chapter 04.}

Chapter 03 - Sephiroth X Silva X 2 Challenges

"He's nothing!" Sephiroth cried.

"You dare to refuse to my order? That's too bad for you." The figure pulled out a big sword and jumped down the stairs.

"Should we be impressed now?" Sephiroth asked with a bored look on his face.

"Watch what you say boy, I don't hesitate to kill kids."

"Help! I'm scared," Sephiroth mumbled sarcastically.

Marcel, Edea and Silva grinned.

The man bit his lips angrily. /What an annoying brat. I should shatter him into pieces. /

"Do you even know who I am? I'm Duke B. Rambert, the best sword fighter in the world!"

"Sorry, but what was your name again?" Sephiroth asked, still with no emotion on his face.

Duke's face went red with anger as he clenched his fist tightly. "You damn creepy bastard! I'm the leader of the entire party army and there's no one who can beat me in a sword fight!"

Edea, Sephiroth and Marcel sweatdropped. /What a wannabe. / They thought simultaneously.

"Well, I guess you'll settle this with Mr. Spinach-head. I'm going to search for Marlik."

Silva shouted, already leaving through a nearby door.

"Leave this ridiculous arrogant ass to me and go search for Pegasus," Sephiroth said to Edea and Marcel, as he pulled out the Masamune and took a step forward.

"Roger, but please don't kill him," Edea replied before she went upstairs with Marcel.

"I'll try," Sephiroth promised and lifted the Masamune up to his shoulder, getting into battle position.

/I can't believe it. What they're talking about? These arrogant idiots, I will show them that anyone who laughs at me will be punished./

"You'll die by the blade of my Ventcour." Duke screamed as he rushed towards Sephiroth, while activating his aura and raising his sword.

"We'll see about that," Sephiroth whispered and blocked the first strike from above with his own blade.

While the swords were plunged together Sephiroth took a step aside, kicking Duke in the hollow of his knee.

Sephiroth took his chance as Duke faltered. He removed the Masamune from Ventcour and slammed the handle of his sword in Duke's stomach. Duke gasped and curved in pain.

Sephiroth didn't wait for him to recover. He switched the Masamune to his left hand and punched Duke hard in the face with his right fist.

Duke's nose bled, as he dropped his sword and fell to the floor,

"What's up with you? Didn't you say that you're the best? In fact I'm getting bored here." Sephiroth mocked and laughed.

"You dirty little asshole," Duke got up and grabbed his sword. He disappeared within a second, which alarmed Sephiroth. /Where did that bastard go? /

"Hah! Take this! Southern Cross!" Duke screamed as he appeared above Sephiroth and slammed his sword down.

Sephiroth jumped to the left as the blade barely missed him. A blue, spear-shaped glow was left where the blade had sliced through the air. /Huh? Is that Nen? /

Sephiroth sensed a danger from his left and ducked down as Duke sliced Ventcour through the air horizontally, leaving another spear-shaped glow.

He noticed that the two glowing spears formed a cross. /Uff, if I hadn't ducked, it would have chopped my head off. Wait, what the hell is this weird guy doing?/

Duke moved Ventcour directly in front of his face and kissed the blade. Sephiroth's eyes widened in surprise when suddenly the cross exploded in blue energy.

'Wham!'

"Arrgh!" The Masamune slipped from his hand as the shock wave hit him, causing him to bang hard against the wall.

"Hahaha, prepare yourself for your end!" Duke disappeared once again.

/Fuck it, how does he do that./ Sephiroth grabbed his head and forced himself to stand up.

"Got you." Duke appeared in front of him, the tip of Ventcour pointed at his throat. "Any last regrets or wishes?"

Sephiroth's face went cold as ice as his eyes emitted hatred and mercilessness.

"Pff, you're too confident baka! Shadow Flame!!!" Sephiroth raised his hands and transformed his aura into huge black flames. The flames emerged from his hands and hit Duke, causing him to let go of Ventcour as he tried to cover his face. He yelled in pain and hastily stepped backwards.

/Aaah...it hurts! Damn it, that annoying brat has got more dirty tricks than I thought. Although my In confused him, he's still calm./

While Duke stepped backwards to escape the flames, Sephiroth slowly walked forward with the Shadow Flame still emerging from his hands.

"Hey, don't you feel anything weird happening?"

/What? What does this brat want? Wait...what's on earth is THIS??? Can it be.../

Duke's mind started to get mixed up as his face showed nothing but panic. "I...I'm losing my aura......... it's disappearing??? I'm getting weaker and weaker??? What the HELL are you doing to me brat?"

Sephiroth grinned like a demon. "Edea asked me to spare your life, but in order to spare my own life, I guess I can't obey her request."

Duke gulped as his faced turned pale.

"See, my Shadow Flame not only hurts the opponent, it also absorbs the opponent's aura and adds it to my aura."

"It's...... it's a horrible technique........." Duke breathed heavily.

"Ha, I'm not surprised you think of it like that. Wait till you see in which form I can transform, thanks to absorbed aura."

Duke – being too weak to keep himself standing on his feet - fell on his knees

"Now, watch my final form." Sephiroth whispered as he crossed his arms over his chest. The Shadow Flame from his hands surrounded him, its colour suddenly changed to a shining white. A white light emerged from the flickering flames and filled the entire hall.

"Now.........DIE!"

"Aaah... Arrgh! NOOO!" Duke screamed in fear.

'BOOM!'

Duke was shattered in the huge explosion.

Silva had reached a large balcony when he spun at the sudden voice.

"I waited for you, Silva." A large man wearing a very big purple cape, with blond-white streaking in his hair, stood at the balustrade, his back turned to Silva.

"Marlik, you knew I was here?"

"Of course. The aura of every being is different. I can separate all living beings by examining their auras."

"That's a very unique ability." Silva replied calmly.

"Ah yes, so don't you think that it is a pity to kill me?"

"It is a pity, but a mission is a mission. Also, it's pretty obvious that you are the mastermind behind this revolution."

"What revolution?"

"Don't play around with me. You most certainly know what I'm talking about."

"Have you any proofs?"

"I don't need them."

Marlik turned around to face Silva.

"Then we must fight... I guess."

"Yeah."

"Beware of me Silva, I don't give up easily."

"I never expected you to." Silva said as he went into his battle position.

Marlik detached his cape and threw it on the floor.

"Hyaah!" Marlik attacked first with a fast kick, which aimed at Silva's stomach. Silva jumped over Marlik and tried a blow on the neck, but Marlik dodged fast and stepped three steps backwards.

"Too simple," He grinned.

"Seems so, then take this." Silva created two huge nen bombs in his hands and threw them on Marlik.

'Whoom!' The bombs crashed onto the floor near Marlik, who had just materialised golden wings on his back and flew off from the balcony.

"Follow me if you can," Marlik laughed coldly.

"Tss, he only tries to buy time." Silva jumped over the balustrade and chased Marlik through the garden.

End of chapter 03