Chapter 19:  Mythril Cup: Round 2

Seryl smiled as he heard footsteps walking toward their room.  "Looks like we are about to be summoned."

The man grunted, still sitting in the corner.  "Yeah, ugh, I hear it too."

"Are you…up for it?" Seryl watched the man carefully, looking for any signs of weakness.

The man struggle to get up and finally used the bed for support.  "Yeah…"

Seryl picked up his scythe and shrugged.  "I don't know….  Maybe you should remain here for the first match, you would only hinder our progress."

"Mr. Seryl and…his teammate?" a female voice called from outside.  "You two are up."

"Well? Make up your mind, I do not have all day."

"I said, I'm…fine," the man growled, getting to his feet.  He got his sword and began walking toward the door.  He turned to Seryl, "Well? Make up your mind, I do not have all day."

Seryl laughed quietly and followed his companion into the corridor.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Are you hyperactive or something?" Yuyami watched as Cloud paced back and forth.  The blond stopped, brow furrowed.  "You worried about the tournament?"

Cloud shook his head.  "No that's not it, I'm sure we'll do fine."

"Then, what?"

"I just feel…I don't know.  Anxious?  To see something, or someone?"  Cloud shook his head again and scratched the back of it.  "Whatever it is, I don't like it…" He continued his pace.

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

As Seryl and the man walked outside, the crowd cheered.  Seryl sneered.  He had nothing but contempt for the blithering mass of humans that plagued many of the worlds.  The man beside him also glared at the crowd.  Now that he was above them, he saw that they were nothing more than idiots.

"Ladies and gentlemen, boys and girls, may I introduce to you, Seryl and his…um, teammate…"

The crowd cheered again while the two stood there, emotionless and waiting for their opponents.  "And, their opponents will be none other than…"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"I wonder how Jessed is doing?" Dariel wondered aloud.  "Do you think he's fought yet?"

Heyral shrugged.  "We don't really know anything right now.  Apparently, this whole tournament is based on the element of surprise."

"I wish we could know what happened," she said.  "What if he got hurt?"

"Don't worry, babe," Heyral smiled.  "No one can get hurt in there."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

Seryl watched in amusement as the demon came walking into the arena escorted by a black man with a gun on his arm.  The demon ought to provide some sport to this affair, he mused.  I don't know about the heavily muscled, psuedo-machine, but we should have no difficulties.  Unless…

"May I introduce to you, Vincent and Barret!!"

Vincent coolly gazed at his opponents and noticed Seryl.  This is the maniac who attacked Sora in Salom, he thought.  It's too bad I cannot inform the others of his involvement in this tournament, but I can take him out right here.  He turned to Barret.

"This guy on the left," he said, nodding toward Seryl.  "He's the one everyone's searching for."

Barret looked at Seryl and adjusted his gun-arm.  "Dat scrawny lil punk?!"

Vincent shook his head.  "Whatever you do, do not underestimate his power.  He is extremely dangerous."

"I'm extremely dangerous too," Barret said with frown.  "An' I say I'm gonna beat em down to the $@#&($@ ground, an' thas that!!"

Vincent sighed and looked at Seryl's teammate.  He didn't know who he was, but if he was working with Seryl, he would have to be dealt with also.  There was something very familiar about his movements and gestures, however, and Vincent watched him closely.  He also looks like Seryl, Vincent noticed.  Black hair, crimson eyes…

"Hey vamp, those guys kinda look like your cold ass," Barret noticed aloud.  "They even stand there without blinkin, or talking or anything too.  What's the deal?"

Those creatures are you, or at least…

Vincent shook his head.  He had no time to deal with Chaos and what his opinion was on the matter.  Right now he had to focus on the task at hand.  "There is no "deal".  It is merely coincidence, nothing more."

"And now this round of the Mythril Cup will begin!!"

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Where did u acquire a weapon such as that?" Orlandu asked as Sephiroth shined the Masamune. 

Sephiroth stared at the blade, his Mako-infused, green eyes returning the gaze in the reflection.  "I've had this ever since I can remember.  As I grew, so did it, although it has long since surpassed me."  He looked at Orlandu.  "What manner of weapon will you be wielding?"

Orland smiled and picked up a bundle of rags.  Unwrapping it, he revealed one of the most beautiful swords Sephiroth had ever laid eyes on.  With a jeweled hilt and a pearl white blade, it was definitely a treasure worth envying.  The blade was so sharp that it looked like it cut the air around it and the metal it was created from…

"Glows," Sephiroth noticed.  "Your weapon glows with the timing of a heartbeat..."

"Yes," Orlandu responded.  He turned the blade, letting the light reflect off it.  "This sword is called the Excalibur, and whoever wields it is united with it until death."

"A sword of that caliber will definitely be an asset in our upcoming matches," Sephiroth said.  "We don't know who's in this tournament."

^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^

"Which one a these ^$*&$&@ you want?" Barret said as their two opponents stood there, waiting for them to make the first move.  "I'll git the leftover &$#^@."

Vincent brandished his Death Penalty and pressed the button for the two sickles to emerge.  "As I said before, do not underestimate them, especially Seryl, who I will be fighting."

Barret turned to Vincent and yelled, "Why the %@*$ you git the stronger one, vamp?  You think I can't handle em'?"

"Fine, do what you wish."  Vincent aimed at the Seryl's teammate and let off a shot.  The man dodged it by gracefully cart wheeling away.  He then began running at Vincent with his sword.  Vincent looked to Barret who was shooting non-stop at Seryl and waited.  As soon as the man got close enough he swung his sword and Vincent brought up his rifle, made of the one of the hardest materials around, coincidentally, Mythril, and repelled the attack.  He then swung his gun back at the man, with the sickles aimed at his neck, but he jumped and avoided the attack.  This move confirmed Vincent's suspicions of the man's identity and he began to talk as they fought.

"We've fought before, haven't we?"  He swung his gun-scythe at the man but he cut quickly to his left and began running.  Vincent followed closely behind and smirked when he saw the man was going straight toward the barrier surrounding the arena.

The man didn't stop running, however, and, instead, he jumped toward the barrier and pushed off into a back flip that landed him behind Vincent.  Vincent eyes widened as he felt five feet of sharp, cold metal ease into his back and emerge out of his abdomen.  The cheering in the crowd stopped with a hush and everyone leaned forward at once, as if they were one creature.

The man leaned forward, with his sword still in place, and whispered to Vincent, "Yes, we have fought before, my friend.  Too bad this will be the last."

Ha ha, the last of him…

Can't release it until I confirm if it's really him, Vincent thought.  "Sh, Shadow…"  He looked over to Barret just in time to see his friend being thrown into another side of the barrier by the force of Seryl's scythe.  He's just toying with him, he thought with a grimace.

We'll see who toys with whom…

"Yes, I used to be called Shadow," the former ninja said with a maniacal grin.  He pushed the sword in deeper, reveling in Vincent's attempts not to show his pain.  "But now, that name no longer fits.  I'm now like you, my friend."

"What…do you…mean?  He struggled to keep Chaos back until he got all of the information he needed.  "…just…like me?"

The man laughed.  "Oh why would I start telling you my evil plans when you're not going to die.  That kind of stuff only happens in plays.  Just expect this same scenario to occur once we're out of here."  He pulled the sword out and watched as Vincent fell to the ground.

You can't hold me back forever…

I know dammit, Vincent thought with a grimace.  He tried to get up but his legs wouldn't support him.  What did you mean before when you said they are just like me?

Oh now you would like to listen…?

Seryl walked over to the man with a big grin on his face.  "Well that was easier than expected, huh?"  He nudged Vincent's body with his foot and laughed.  "The great demon couldn't even put up a fight…"

He dares…?

"Ha ha, yes I guess Vincent couldn't live up to the hype, so to speak."  He began walking toward his gate with his sword on his shoulder.  Seryl laughed at this and began walking toward the gate with the man.

No one insults me…

"Ladies and gentlemen!!"

…and lives…

"Boys and girls!!!"

...to tell…

"Please applaud the winners of this match!!

…the tale…

"Seryl and his teammate…"

The man suddenly vanished in a puff of black smoke and sparks and reappeared in the room where Phil was announcing the tournament with a megaphone.

"My name…"

It's time…

"…is…"

…to…

"…Reeper…"

…awaken…

Vincent got up slowly and looked around.  His thick black hair, suddenly longer than usual, fell in his face covering all except for his crimson eyes.  They were glowing intensely and he couldn't hold back the sadistic grin that appeared on his face.  Thick, gray veins appeared on his uncovered arm and face.  Demonic wings sprouted from his back, a deeper purple than the night sky.  The moon turned blood red as wickedly curved blades emerged from his wrists, reflecting the crimson glow of Luna. 

"Uh, I don't think it matters what your name is now, freak! Look!" Phil yelled pointing at Vincent.  But Reeper already new what had happened.  Just as some animals can sense the coming earthquake, so had Reeper sensed the coming of…  Of what?

"Perfection," Vincent answered, right next to him.  Startled, Reeper swung his sword at Vincent.  With the same cruel smirk, Vincent caught the blade in his metal claw and squeezed.  The blade bent and became useless to Reeper.  Instead of trying to fight, he teleported out into the arena and looked for Seryl but he was nowhere to be found.

"That's because he abandoned you…" Vincent appeared in front of him and looked around in mock sincerity.  "Ssseeerrrryyyllll, oh Sssseeeerrryyyylllll."  He shook his head and laughed.  "Nope, see just like I said.  He would have came by now."

Reeper backed away with panic written on his face.  "You know I can transform too, right?"

"Oh yes, ha ha.  The information you didn't want to tell me because I wouldn't be dead, right?"  Vincent bared his teeth, which had become elongated and sharp.  "First of all, my friend, you haven't had the power long enough to even touch the level I'm on.  Second, even if you did have your most powerful form, I'd rip you to pieces."

The kids in the crowd were crying and being crushed in their mothers' bosoms as people in the crowd looked on with morbid fascination.  Vincent gestured toward them with a smile, "You see that?  They're my adoring fans, and they came to see blood.  Transform if you think it will do any good."

Knowing he had nothing to lose, Reeper began his first transformation.  He cried out in pain as spikes began ripping through his skin and forming armor.  His red eyes rolled back in his head and he began to spasm uncontrollably.  Falling to the ground, he writhed as the transformation began nearing completion.  Two swords, made of what looked like bone, were embedded in his back.  Getting up, he unsheathed them and smiled.  His whole body was covered with spikes and bone that looked like nothing could penetrate it. 

"Now we'll see what this "weak" demon can do," Reeper said jumping toward Vincent.  The ex-Turk simply smiled and stabbed the attacking demon in the heart with his blade.  With the blade still embedded in him, Vincent hoisted him over his head and held the twitching Reeper there. 

"Now do you see, you fool?" Vincent threw the demon into the barrier and watched as he slumped into unconsciousness.  "And that's all she wrote…"

"The, the winner of this match is…Vincent," Phil yelled, his voice wavering.  Instead of bursting into the usual applause and cheers, the crowd was utterly silent at the scene they had witnessed.  Vincent frowned when he saw the crowd start to spin around and blur.  Vincent fell to the ground and, as the moon turned to its original pearl white, Vincent changed back to his human form.  I'm…I'm not even in control of myself, he thought desperately.  What just happened?

You won and you have me to thank human, that's what happened…

Vincent didn't know what to say next.  None of this makes sense he thought as he succumbed to the inky darkness of unconsciousness.