Here we go. The final battle, the last stand. I'm tempted to throw in another plot twist and make this even longer, but to tell the truth I'm running out of inspiration (and motivation, to tell you the truth) Although it does make me a little bit sad, this was my first major work on this site, it is time to draw it to a close.
I'd also like to tell you that I am insanely happy that I have over 100 reviews! I never, even in my wildest fantasies, dreamed that I would ever write something that popular.
THANK YOU ALL SO MUCH!
Standard disclaimers apply.
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Two Worlds, One Soul
Chapter XII.V – Final Round…Fight! – Part II
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"This is it, Orois. Your time has come!"
With that proclaimation, the thirteen heroes ran out of the horrific room and dashed down the gleaming metal corridor.
Guards threw themselves upon the heroes in endless waves, but they were instantly thrown aside like leaves in a hurricane. They would not allow themselves to be slowed by such minor foes.
Lloyd led the pack, the fiery red and icy blue of his blades swirling around him in a nimbus of deadly power and skill. None of the guards could stand against him, no matter how many of them came at him. Beside him was his father, and his image would have put Akroma to shame. The feathers from brilliant his wings cut into the guards like razors, and his sword formed a shell of gleaming lethal steel that shredded all who opposed him.
Of course, all such perfection is not meant to last forever.
Lloyd came skidding to a halt outside a vault-like door set into the wall, with no warning whatsoever. As the laws of physics dictate, Kratos remained in motion for only a brief instant before his advance was abruptly halted when he slammed into his descendant. Then Yuan hit Kratos, and Sheena hit Yuan, and Zelos hit Sheena (in the most perverted way he could), and so on and so forth until the entire company was in a pile on the cold chrome floor.
Aaron, Kyle and Genis untangled themselves first and went to help sort out the knot that was Lloyd, Kratos, Zelos, Yuan and Sheena. Sam helped Presea and Colette to their feet and then went to find Raine and Regal among the throng. When all was sorted out, Genis and Presea looked at each other, Genis blushed, and they both shrugged and decided not to comment.
"Lloyd…" Sheena and Kratos nearly growled.
"Look, I'm sorry about the lack of warning, but we need to stop here." Explained the Eternal Swordsman, a sheepish grin on his face.
"I thought Orois was the priority right now." Said Yuan.
"Yeah, aren't we just wasting time here?" said the Terrans, more or less together.
"I was just thinking…" Lloyd began.
"Thinking? You? Hahahahahahahahaha!" said Genis, clutching his gut. He trailed off. "Oops, sorry, I thought that was the punchline." He shrugged, grinning. The company laughed, and Lloyd fumed.
"AHEM!" said Lloyd. They stopped laughing. "I was just thinking," he glared pointedly at Genis, " that it might be dangerous for you to go into battle with those." He indicated Aaron's cleavers, Kyle's golf clubs, and Sam's garden tool. "So I thought we'd make a stop at the armory."
The silver door hissed open to reveal the greatest treasure trove of weapons that they had ever laid eyes on.
Instantly five makeshift weapons clattered to the floor from nerveless hands, shortly followed by lower jaws. The entire group moved into the room, marveling over the amazing cache of weapons of extremely high caliber.
As Raine sung the praises of several objects that apparently bore close resemblance to ancient artifacts from Symphonia, Aaron went into a respectable imitation of Ruin-mode over a large rack of assorted Japanese weaponry. Kyle and Sam backed nervously away, shaking their heads almost sadly.
"I don't know him, I swear." They both said.
Eventually, Kyle chose a long scimitar made of some strange black metal. The sharpened edge was golden, and there were intricate runes etched in gold along the length of the blade. Its hilt was wrapped in red cloth, and the handguard was gold, too.
Sam came over from a weapons rack in the back of room with a staff. It was four feet long, a slim rod of silver capped with a golden dragon's claw. Clutched in the talons was a diamond-like crystal that shimmered with an inner light that reflected all colors of the rainbow.
But it was Aaron's selection that really blew them away. It appeared to be a plain sword, with no special ornamentation. The katana was enclosed in a simple black lacquered metal sheath, and no jewels were set into the hilt. But Aaron had found it on a golden shrinelike plinth along one wall, spotlighted and giving off an aura of power and grandeur.
"What the heck? I assumed you'd go for the one over there with the dragon-shaped hilt and the rune-covered blade, not something as plain as that!" exclaimed Kyle.
"This is special. I can tell." Said Aaron.
"How so?" asked Regal, intrigued.
"I don't really know…somehow, I can feel a great power emanating from the sword…and something more. Something…I have no words for it. A…consciousness. Like the sword has a purpose, and knows it does…It feels something going on, and wants to be used to stop it…" Aaron said. Suddenly, he felt that he shouldn't be holding this blade. He wasn't worthy. "This sword was used by a great man once…" he murmured.
"Draw the sword." Said Lloyd.
Aaron drew the blade smoothly from the sheath. When they saw the blade, the terrrans knew instantly why Aaron had gotten those feelings from the blade.
"Sakabato…" said Aaron, in awe.
"No, not just sakabato…" said Sam.
"Kenshin's sakabato!" murmured Kyle.
"Dude, what's up with that sword?" said Zelos.
"Well, that just blew the moment." Said Sheena, rolling her eyes and punching the philanderer.
"Who's Kenshin?" asked Colette.
"And why is a reverse-bladed sword so important? Or useful, for that matter?" asked Raine.
"I can't see it as being very effective in combat." observed Presea.
"Allow us to clarify." Said Aaron. "Himura Kenshin was a man who lived in a country called Japan a long time ago. As we already told you, he was the target of a similar Jinchu that Orois has declared on Kratos by a man named Enishi."
"Kenshin fought with a sakabato, a reverse-bladed sword, to uphold his vow not to kill, taken after he mistakenly struck down his own wife." Continued Sam.
"After a fight with a man named Seta Sorijou (sp?), Kenshin's original sakabato broke. He went to its maker for a new one, only to find that the original swordmaker was dead, and his son would never make blades of war again." Added Kyle.
"It was discovered, however, that the master had made one last sakabato before he died. It was the greatest of the three, and offered as a god-sword in a temple." Said Sam
"Um, what? Greatest of the three? You only mentioned two!" said Genis.
"I can probably answer. It seems similar enough." Said Sheena.
"Carry on." Kyle nodded.
"A swordsmith generally makes several swords at one time. Occasionally, one of the blades will come out incredibly flawless. When this happens, the sword is declared 'shikuchi' (I know that's wrong, but I don't have the manga to go by. Correct me!) and will never be drawn. It is placed in a temple as an offering to the gods."
"Thanks, Sheena.' Said Sam.
"No problem."
"Anyways, Kenshin was given this sword to save the swordsmith's son, and he used it ever since. What I think I was feeling was…I don't know…some of kenshin's spirit in the sword. He had this thing; 'With this sword, at least those with sight can be protected'. He wielded his post-war sword to defend those who couldn't defend themselves. I know Kratos would likely be defending me, but I suppose that the sword wants to prevent another person suffering from Jinchu, like it ended Enishi's."
"So you'll take the sword?" asked Yuan.
"Though I don't feel I'm worthy, yes. I'll take it. In Kenshin's name, I'll help stop Enishi again!" he said, and sheathed the blade again.
Suddenly, Lloyd spoke up. "Hey! Where's Kratos go?"
Everyone spoke at once. "Orois."
Yuan said something in a language that they suspected hadn't been spoken in thousands of years. It didn't sound nice.
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They ran down the hallway as fast as their legs would take them. Guards were cut down swiftly and without mercy. They all knew they had to get to Kratos as fast as they could. His life might depend on it.
"Damn him, damn him, damn him!" shouted Yuan. "Why does he always try to take on this guy alone? He needs our help, but he's too damn proud to admit it!"
"No." said Lloyd. "He doesn't want us to get hurt for his sake. This is his personal battle, anyways." Nevertheless, he poured on more speed.
"Hey guys! If you have wings, why the hell are you running? We'll catch up! Go!" yelled Sheena.
Immediately the chrome walls were awash with light as purple, pink, orange, and golden wings flared into light and carried the angels up and away.
"I realize this isn't quite the time, but I still think it's funny that his wings are purple!" said Aaron, overloudly.
They laughed, and a ringing rebuttal came from down the hall, in the form of "I heard that!"
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Eventually, they arrived at a dead end. Just as they arrived, they caught a glimpse of purple-pink feathers vanishing upwards, but nothing more
"Huh? What's going on here?" said Aaron.
"Where'd they go?" said Sam.
"We checked all the doors on the way here, there's no turnoffs…" said Genis.
"Perhaps there is a hidden switch?" said Presea.
"Let's look!" said Sheena.
After a few minutes of searching, Regal noticed a small symbol etched in the metal of the wall at eye height. He pressed it, and there was a rumbling noise. Suddenly, the floor panel began to rise.
"There must be some sort of elevator mechanism hidden somewhere!" said Raine.
"Look, the ceiling's moving too!" said Genis. And so it was. The pod, as it appeared to be, was rising up a shaft into another level of the fortress.
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As they climbed, they became aware of a noise beyond the quiet humming of the elevator. It seemed to be music, very soft, but getting louder.
"Jeez, I hate elevator music!" said Aaron.
"I don't think that this is your average elevator music, Aaron." Said Kyle.
"Huh? Why"
"Listen! Don't you recognize it?" asked Sam.
They listened, and as it grew louder, Aaron's face lit up in recognition. "Fatalize!" he exclaimed.
"Elaborate?" queried Presea.
"'Fatalize' is the battle theme for your fight with Abyssion." Said Kyle. "Though why it's playing now is rally beyond me."
"I'd assume because of that?" said Regal.
They turned and looked. They had reached the top, and now were in a larger, more furnished lookout/office/command center. A large circle of black carpet with Orois' insignia on it protruded from one wall, with a desk and several computer screens coming down from the ceiling and up from the desk. On an expanse of unadorned silver flooring in front of a large window was 'that'.
Orois was battling with Lloyd, Kratos, and Yuan, while Colette appeared to be charging up Judgement off to the side, if the spell-circle and crystal feathers flying up around her were any indication..
Orois was in the center of a storm of steel, his knives flying at insane speeds to deflect every blow. Even the combined efforts of the three angels could not break his defenses. They saw him as more of flashing afterimages than true motion. They saw Orois flowing to the side to dodge a swing from Yuan while shunting Lloyd's slashes toward Kratos so both were forced to back off as not to kill each other. They saw Orois hook Yuan's weapon with one dagger and rip it from his hands, spinning it toward Lloyd, who ducked , then lunged low. Orois jumped over Lloyd, one boot smashing him into the ground as the other cracked Yuan's head back. Kratos lunged with a Super Lightining Blade, which Orois dodged, sliding around Kratos to push him into the oncoming lightning bolt.
"He's insanely powerful…" Sheena said.
But so were four angels, and now their friends had come to aid them. Yuan leaped up as the bolt came down, and it twined around his arm, not harming him at all. Lloyd rose, crouching, and Yuan landed on his shoulders. Lloyd sprang up, and Yuan leaped again, heading for Orois' back as he dueled Kratos.
"Spark Impact!" he cried, and slammed his fist into Orois' back. Orois was pounded to the floor, and a bolt of raw power on par with Indignation slammed into him. He screamed, completely engulfed by the beam.
"It's his amplification field! We can use it against him!" cried Raine.
The bolt faded, and Yuan crouched atop a smoking Orois, panting. Abruptly, his eyes blanked, and he fell backward. Sheena rushed in, grabbed him, and hurried out.
"I'm all…right. Used…too much…mana. Give me…a minute…I'll be…fine." said Yuan, his voice a whisper.
"The field must function by drawing mana from your opponents to increase your own power and speed! That's how he's beating the crap out of us!" Raine exclaimed as Regal, Presea and Zelos joined the attack. Orois' mutant exspheres had restored his strength and he was up and fighting again. Colette unleashed Judgement, which slowed him enough for Regal and Zelos to buy Lloyd and Kratos an opening in the assassin's defenses. "And it's just a side effect that it increases the power of our own spells."
Suddenly, the air was felled with black light and flying people. Orois had unleashed his equivalent of Outburst.
"Now! Everyone at once! Take him down!" called Yuan.
"No! Stay out of this!" Yelled Kratos.
"Kratos, you couldn't take him alone last time!" Shouted Genis.
"And he's even more powerful now! Let us help!" Called Sam.
Kratos staggered back in the face of a flurry of blows, but shouted in the reprieve granted by three beams of flame (Amplified Fireball) from Genis, "Just don't get in my way."
Sheena paused a moment, leaping back to the terrans. "I would hang back a bit, it I were you. Don't go in while he's full strength. No offense, but you're not a capable as we are."
"I understand. None of us wants to die here." Said Aaron. Sheena nodded, and flipped back into the fray.
Kratos' words were all they needed to hear. Every melee fighter immediately rushed in and instantly began to push the assassin's defenses to the limit. He was constantly pressed form at least three sides by relentless assault. Lunge in, three attacks, low tech, mid tech, high tech, retreat. Orois was actually receiving wounds now, as it was too much for even him. Every now and then, a spell activator was cried out, and all combatants jumped back, and Orois was struck with an overcharge version of a spell. Slowly, Orois was beginning to wear down. His attacks were slowing, his reaction times decreasing. Unfortunately, this made him draw mana from the combatants all the more, to fuel his insane regenerative powers.
"Now?" asked Kyle.
"Agreed." Said Sam.
"I feel like I should be saying some noble, but I'm fresh out." Aaron grumbled.
Kyle brought out his scimitar from its sheath on his back, and Sam twirled her staff. Aaron drew the sakabato with more than a little reverence.
The three ran foreward just as Genis unleashed Super Spread, whose blast tore Orois' blue-black robes to tatters and pasted in to the ceiling for a good minute. Unfortunately, it was too much for the little mage. He collapsed, his mana overused. To the surprise of some, Presea broke off her attack on Orois to pick up Genis and get him out of the immediate area so Orois' field couldn't drain the little remaining mana from his body.
As Orois' body fell, Sam rushed up beneath him and wound up in a stance a pro baseball player would have envied. "Take this, bastard!" she swung with all her might, the crystal leaving a brilliant trail of light. A sickening crack filled the air as the dragonstaff slammed into his side. He spun, crashed, and slid, and as he staggered to his feet, Kyle was waiting. He took advantage of Orois' weakness, and was actually able to match blows with him for a few minutes. He saw an opening, and took it. He slammed his scimitar into Orois' undamaged side, the golden blade biting deep into ebon armor. Orois staggered, Kyle cried out "Regal! NOW!"
Before Orois could even react, Regal was there. "Crescent Dark Moon!" Three arcing crescent kicks sent Orois sailing skyward, assisted by a triple blow by Yuan, Zelos, and Kratos, each floating slightly higher than the next. At the top of the arc, almost touching the ceiling, waited Lloyd. By he wasn't alone. Gripped by the waist was Aaron, sakabato drawn and gleaming blue-silver in the shadows of the arched ceiling. Orois peaked, and began to fall.
"Lloyd, now!" said Aaron. Lloyd, following the on-the-spot plan, released the young man. Said young man instantly positioned himself in the manner that his sword's former master had so many times.
"Ryutsuisen! DRAGON HAMMER STRIKE!" The impact blasted Orois twenty feet down to the floor in a nanosecond. The steel shattered in the blast, and everything went still. Aaron staggered from the pit, swooned, swore, and fell. Sheena caught him, and carried him away to Raine. She knelt over him, staff already glowing with healing power.
Kratos warily approached the hole in the floor. Coughing, he waved his hand to dissipate the black smoke that rose from the crater. Wait…black smoke?NO!
"On guard! He's still alive!" he cried.
"Heh heh heh…Too late, Kratos…" said Orois. They whirled. There stood Orois, bleeding, cut and battered, but still very lethal and very much alive. He stood behind Lloyd, one black-gloved hand clamped over the youth's mouth, the other holding a dagger to Lloyd's throat. "Now is the true Jinchu! Feel the agony, Kratos! Despair! Suffer! DIE!"
"NO!" The ringing cry came not from Kratos, but from Lloyd. His brilliant golden wings flared open, the razor-edged crystal shredding through cloth and shearing flesh. Lloyd leapt, spun, and the Material Blades flew from the ground and into his outstretched hands. They floated out before him, and glowed. It grew brighter and brighter, until the Eternal Sword floated before him.
"Now! Unleash your full power!" Lloyd's voice echoed. "FACLON"S CREST!"
Genis' kendama was out up in an instant. "INDIGNANT JUDGEMENT!!"
Feathers flew around the four angels in a hurricane. "ULTIMATE JUDGEMENT!"
"Crescent Dark Moon!" "Fiery Infliction!" "Ray!" The three combined for a never-before-seen Hi-Ougi. "LUNAR WRATH!" A crescent moon symbol appeared above Orois, and it burst into blue flames. It crashed down onto Orois, the irony of it all hurting just as much as the strike itself.
"Come on, Sam, let's join the party!"
"Right with you, man!" Power flowed from the crystal on the staff, and Sam cried out the words that came unbidden to her lips "Sunfire Storm!" A vortex of fire flowed from the dragon claw and engulfed the assassin.
Kyle too, felt sense of power welling up inside him. He channeled it down into his blade and brought it up over his head. With a cry of "Vorpal Slicer!" he made a massive overhead slash that sent a shockwave out that sent Orois flying.
"Combo time! SOLAR FLASH!" they called. Kyle seemed to get a speed burst, and made eight rapid slashes at 45 degree angles that sent more blades of wind that blasted Orois up into the air... where the air apparently exploded around him in a blinding blast.
"Ready, Sheena?"
"Go, Aaron!" Sheena summoned every last one of the summon spirits, and Aaron charged forward and leapt into the air, aiming for the black figure suspended in the column of holy light from Ultimate Judgement. He trusted the sword to remember what he was about to do. "KUZU-RYUSEN! NINE-HEADED DRAGON!" When talking about the battle later, it was sworn that behind Aaron could be seen the shade of a red-haired samurai performing the same attack.
As he made each stroke, a different Summon Spirit poured their power into the blade.
"Ichi! – Gnome! Ni! – Sylph! San! – Undine! Shi! – Efreet! Go! – Celcius! Roku! – Volt! Shichi! – Luna! Hachi! – Shadow! Kyu! - Origin and Maxwell! SYMPHONIA DRAGON STRIKE!"
Orois was hit with more power that he had ever thought possible.
Aaron's final stike, his strength enhanced by two Summon Spirits and the spirit of the greatest samurai who ever lived, blasted Orois through the reinforced glass window, and sent him sailing to the ground outside.
Orois was in agony. Every single nerve screamed as he struggled to rise. He knew this was the end, whether Kratos came to finish him off or not.
And in a flash of blue feathers, he had. His worst enemy towered over him, his eyes full of wrath. Instantly, the point of Kratos sword was at his throat. "You bastard. You tore apart my family, forced me to relive killing my wife, and you almost killed my son. If you like torture so much, you'll love where your going next." And in one swift stroke, Kratos removed Orois' head.
Lloyd settled to the ground next to his father. "It's over, isn't it?"
"Sometimes, son, it's never over." Said Kratos solemnly.
The severed head on the ground offered no response.
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You know, I could easily end it there. But, I'm not. There's an epilogue coming up, and then this thing's come to a close. By the way, I'm trashing Heart Sword and Soul. I've realized it takes a very good author to write a self-insert that isn't completely lame, and I'm just not there yet. Don't worry, I'm not trashing it so much as recycling it. I'm rewriting it without the self-insertion part.
A thank-you to the people whose personas I borrowed and abused for the sake of this story. I pray you are satisfied with the result.
- ZZ
