FANTASY TOURNAMENT

Chapter 3

Cloud sat by Tidus's bed in the hospital listening to the soft bleeping of the machine measuring Tidus's heart rate. How could he have done this to his best friend? A tear rolled down his eye. He looked up at the TV screen which was showing the show itself. The presenter was about to announce the next battle.

"Well what an interesting fight there folks! Cloud has won putting him into the quarter finals! So who's still left to fight?" He turned around to face the computer screen again. The names flashed up:

YUFFIE VS. SELPHIE

SQUALL VS. RENO

VINCENT VS. AURON

RIKKU VS. TIFA

SEPHIROTH VS. RED XIII

"Now let's reveal who'll be fighting who, and where they'll be fighting!" There was a whirring sound as the computer screen flashed white. It finally cleared and reveled: VINCENT VS. AURON

ICE ARENA.

"There we have it then! Would the contenders please step through this door behind me and prepare for battle!" Vincent and Auron got up and walked towards the door. Vincent and Auron were often very quiet and talked to nobody but themselves, although Vincent would sometimes talk with Cloud. Vincent checked his belt. He had a pistol and a long knife tucked in his pocket. Auron was doing the same. He had two small but long katanas clipped to his back.

"So it's come to this. I'm going to have to fight Auron." Vincent thought "I can't let that put me off. I need the money… Lucricia…" They stepped through the door and found themselves in an icy plain. It wasn't snowing but there was a fine layer of snow and ice that was easy to slip up on. They carefully walked over to opposite corners. Auron looked at him from behind his dark glasses and glared.

"This is it." He said in his deep, gruff, voice. The bell rang and Auron pulled out his katana's and swung them in front of him. Waving the heavy swords around as if they were feathers. Vincent leapt up and almost glided over to Auron, drew out his pistol and fired three times. Auron swung his left hand up and knocked the bullet out of the way with the katana. He rolled to the left and the other two bullets missed him. Vincent would have to be careful. He only had one clip for his pistol and only seven bullets left in that. Vincent brought out his long knife and brought it down in an ark which Auron blocked with his right katana. He swung his left one round and slashed Vincent across the chest. Vincent leapt back. He had underestimated Auron's fighting skills. Auron kneeled down and swung both his katana's around like a spinning top. Vincent leapt back again trying not to get in the way of Auron's rotating blades. Vincent timed his jump and leapt up over Auron and landed on one of his katana's. The weight caused brought the sword down to the ground and Vincent back flipped to avoid the other katana coming round. Vincent took his chance and slashed at Auron's face. Auron drew his head back but Vincent's knife made a long cut down his face. The blood dripped down Auron's cheek and he hastily wiped it away. He twirled around but slipped on some ice under his left foot. He fell flat on his face and Vincent seeing his moment took out his pistol and fired four times. Auron pulled out his left katana and parried two of the bullets. One of the others hit the ice right next to his left foot. The last one sunk straight into his left side hitting one of his ribs. Auron gasped and jumped up swinging his katana as he came up.

"3 bullets left." Vincent thought. "Better be careful." Vincent jumped at Auron again and sparks flew off as his knife grinded next to Auron's katana's. The two were fighting to push the others weapon the other way. Vincent couldn't beat Auron in a fight of strength. He pulled his knife away and Auron's katana's went crashing into the ice. Vincent ducked down and stabbed at Auron's feet. He missed and jumped back to avoid a kick from Auron. His katana's were stuck in the ice and he was trying his best to pull them out. Vincent took another swing at him but Auron vaulted over his katana's and landed on the other side. Vincent took out his pistol and fired his last three bullets at Auron. Auron stepped to the side and dodged one bullet. He finally yanked his katana's out of the ice and parried another bullet while doing so. The other bullet hit Auron in exactly the same place as before driving the last bullet deep into his rib. Auron yelled and swung his katana's around in a wild fury. Vincent tried to evade the strikes but failed and was sliced down his chest across the left cheek and up his right leg. Vincent fell to the floor. Blood staining the snow from Vincent's wounds. He staggered up and tried to fire his empty pistol. He dropped the gun and held his knife in front of him. Auron jumped at him swinging his katana's. Vincent parried the first one but the second knocked the knife from his hands. The knife plunged into the snow just a couple of meters form Vincent. Vincent leapt for it but Auron swung round and kicked him in the chest. Vincent crashed into the snow. He slowly got up and looked at Auron. Auron was holding his katana's in front of him.

"I'm sorry Vincent." Auron said. "But this is how it has to be. I need that money to…"

"No. I'm sorry." Vincent said. Auron raised his eyebrow in confusion. "I didn't want to do this. But I have no choice." Vincent put his hands into his red jacket and pulled out to Mac's. "I'm sorry" He whispered and pulled down the triggers. Bullets came flying at Auron at an amazingly fast speed. Auron tried to parry the bullets but his hands were shot and he dropped his katana's. Vincent watched as bullets hit his friend, he watched as the blood and bits of bone spurted from his chest. The empty bullet casings clinked as they bounced off the icy floor. The guns clicked as the ammo ran out. Vincent dropped the guns and stared and the bloody mess that was Auron's chest. The bullets had shattered Auron's glasses and Vincent could see Auron's milky white eyes. Auron's mouth let out a final breath and fell forwards face first into the snow. Vincent fell to his knee's and cried. He had killed his best friend, and all for a load of gil. The megaphone above the door they came in through crackled. "Well there we have it! Vincent is through to the quarter finals!"