Chapter 40: The third event Battle Skill.

Sitting around the fire as usual was Quistis' homeroom class. Kuro was reading a Bleach manga book, Hei was teaching Kiako how to sharpen a blade with a smooth stone and cloth they both stood by the fire. Aerith went out for a walk with Avalon, Cloud and Tifa were playing the slapping palm game, you could hear an occasionally "Och!" from Cloud as Tifa slapped his palms. Seifer was swinging his gunblade wildly as if practicing. Squall and Rinoa were making out and Utada, Yuna and Fira sat against a landslide spike and stared up at the night's sky.

" I can't believe the garden year is almost over." Utada said watching a shooting star.

" Me either it's like it just got started." Yuna said bowing her head low and hugging her knees.

" Yeah." Utada said running her glove through the grass.

" So whatchya gonna do for the summer?" Yuna asked.

" Not sure..." Utada replied examing a single blade of grass.

" How bout you mr.keyblade master?" Yuna said leaning over to Fira nudging him.

" uh..." Before Fira could answer Seifer shouted out harshly cutting him off.

" YO... the Battle skills event is up and I'm competeing in this one." Seifer said pointing to himself.

" There are Five participates in this event." Cloud explained.

" Let's put in those who didn't participate yet." Tifa said jumping up and pulling down her skirt. " So that means, me, Utada, Seifer, Kiako and Hei."

" You five okay, that concludes tonight's meeting then. Tifa, Kiako, Utada, Heihachi and Seifer will compete in the next event." Rinoa said clapping her hands together. Everyone gave a positive nod then retired to their tent.

(The next morning)

" Good Morning participates, welcome to round three of the Garden Games. So far it's a tie between all three Gardens." Edea nodded as she announced. " This next event shall be worth five points more than the orginal events. Each group will submit five or less fighters to take on a limitless amount of heartless for 3 minutes whom so ever destroys the most heartless in that ammount of time wins. You have the option of forfeiting in the middle of the fight if you are too overwhelmed by the heartless." She explained.

" Now without further adieu!" Edea said with that three portals opened before the stage. Only two member from the Esthar Garden was going into this event." It took everyone by surprise, on Galbadia's end they had Reno, Rude, Yazoo, Kadaj and Loz. They all stepped into three different portals teleporting them to three different spots that looked exactly the same like the Great Maw at Hollow Bastion.

" Ready!"

"START!"

Suddenly appearing out of dark puddles were Neo Shadows popping up out of nowhere. They wiggled around and rushed the Balamb's five all at once from all sides. Seifer sliced one out of mid air, Kiako drew her kunai and also sliced out of the air. Tifa rushed into the crowd trying a low kick sweeping three of them off of their feet. Hei drew his samurai blade and sliced through the heartless in flight from Tifa's attack. Utada jumped up high slamming her blade into the ground clearing out afew heartless with a rose colored shockwave making them disappear.

(Sidelines)

" Looks like their doing pretty well." Kuro said with her arms crossed. "Wonder if they can make it through the full three minutes."

" They'll do it." Fira said as he drank a bottle of cola.Suddenly all of a sudden the crowd on Balamb's side grew defly silent everyone opened their eyes wide to see whom it was on the Esthar's side as the two hooded SeeDs revealed themselves. It was Sephiroth and Xemnas.

" What!" Avalon said jumping up. " SEE SEE HE'S A TRAITER I KNEW IT!"

" Noway." Cloud said as everyone stared up at the screen watching Sephiroth and Xemnas take out loads of heartless. The heartless count on the Esthar side was rising at an abnormal rate. While Galbadia and Balamb's heartless count was going up probably seven or eight every ten seconds or so.

" They can't possibly compete with that." Kuro said her fustration over Sephiroth's betrayal almost tempted her to explode.

(Back in the bout)

Kiako placed her hands together in a handseal. " Tajuu Kage Bushin no jutsu!(Mass Shadow Clone Jutsu)." She shouted. She produced over one hundred shadow clones they all took on one heartless at a time but didn't last for more than thirty seconds as the heartless' numbers and strength increased by the second. Tifa was running low on HP and being swipped from side to side by Heartless as they knocked her back. Hei wasn't doing so well on his side either for every heartless he destroyed one from behind would swipe him one good time catching him off gaurd. Seifer was using his gunblade hyperion as a crutch as heartless jumped forth striking him with out retaliation from him. Utada sliced through and had a small lead over the heartless she stopped to cast Magnet but the Heartless took her quick pause to their advantage and jumped on her. Just before one of the Heartless were gonna slit her throat the horn sounded and the Heartless disappeared.

" What..." Utada said standing up onto her feet. They all stood up to see a portal that would take them back to the Calm Lands which wasn't so calm right now. They walked through and spotted their teammates then walked over to them.

" The results are, Galbadia came up with 1048 heartless destroyed, Balamb 756 heartless defeated and Esthar garden a NEW RECORD OVER 7599 heartless defeated! The winner by a landslide is Esthar garden!" Edea announced. They looked down in defeat as the ladies went wild over Sephiroth and Xemnas.

" Sorry." Kiako said as her cat ears drooped low.

" Like Fira san said it's all just a game not to worry Kiako chan." Hei said placing a hand on her shoulder. She looked back and gave him a smile. "Thanks." Hei nodded with a slight smile. Tifa sank her body into Cloud's chest as they kissed.

" You were great." Cloud said.

" Really?" Tifa asked blushing.

" Really." Cloud said nodding with a laugh.

" Way to go Utada you lasted the longest." Yuna said patting her on the back.

" Yea I wish we woulda won though." Utada said peering at Fira whom was staring at the Esthar team. She walked over and slapped him over the head with her sword sheath. " Fira... what happened to my props for surviving that long against thousands upon thousands of heartless?" He rubbed behind his head with a smile.

" Oh sorry... Nice work out there." He responded nodding. " All of you."

" Thanks Fira san." Hei and Kiako said at the same time bowing their heads alittle. Utada rubbed under her nose feeling alittle important. Tifa gave a thumbs up and Seifer merely sat down as Kuro pointed to him.

" WHAT HAPPENED SEIFER! YOU WERE JUMPING ALL OVER YUNA AND AERITH WHEN THEY LOST WHAT HAPPENED TO YOU MR.WINNER?" Kuro said poking him with her staff.

" Err...They cheated." Seifer said stomping.