Oh, yes. Yet another demonstration of how stubborn Elena of the Turks could truly be. In order to protect her, I needed her to get away from the battlefield. She was already injured…I could tell, due to the fact that I could smell blood when she hugged me, not to mention the stream of blood that trickled down from her cheek...on top of that, she had felt heavier. As though she was struggling to hold herself up.

Normally, I would have allowed her to battle, but I couldn't if she was injured.

"Hahahaha…if you run now, then I'll find you later. You and all of your kind in your company will meet the sticky end that I've prepared for-…" the arrogant bastard had begun. I had interrupted him, by ordering Elena to run once more.

"Elena, RUN!" I had yelled. I wasn't going to let her remain here while she was hurt. She tried to obey, but stumbled, collapsing to her knees. Damn…I hadn't taken into account the fact that she was struggling to stand as she was, so how in the world was she supposed to run away? This could be more difficult than I expected. I thought for a moment, never taking my eyes off of the stranger. "Alright, Elena…do me a favour and don't get involved…I'll take care of him."

"Oooh! I'm scared! Someone save me!" he cackled, obviously trying to provoke me."Ah, I forgot to introduce myself: I'm-…"

"I don't care who you are…"

"I'm sure that you do. Leader of an anti-ShinRa group-..."

"Oh? How nice for you…"

He seemed annoyed by this…either because I continued to interrupt him, or because I didn't seem to be as impressed as he had hoped. Either way, his eyes seemed to narrow at me, and pointed the long, thin blade of a long sword at me.

"I really don't appreciate being interrupted like that, you know. In fact, I find it rather rude…" he hissed angrily.

"…Is that so? That's such a shame. It's funny that you should say that, as I find the fact that you're trying to kill one of my…friends…-"

"You seem hesitant in saying that. I think you're lying about your…relationship…with that blonde brat."

"R-…relation-…?" I spluttered, taken aback at his choice of word and yet not wanting to show him that I was actually thinking about his words. "No…you talk as though you want a fight…I just hope you realize that no one will be able to hear you scream back here. Even if they did, they'd be too busy to care." I'd grown up in this town, so I knew what people were like.

"Hmph…the look on your face suggests that you wish to fight me…but is that really the truth? Do you realize that your defeat is inevitable, and the very idea of you attempting to battle me is…laughable? Your attempts at victory would be futile, Sir. My blade is not this clean for no reason! My god, no. Do you realize how fast this blade can move? How quickly it cuts through the air or…through skin? I am a master swordsman who is unbeatable. My movements are so fast that not even a blur can be seen…and my sword is so fast and so sharp that it cuts through flesh without gaining so much as one drop of blood upon its surface. That, dear sir…is an extremely fast strike. Still confidant? I believe not. Am I right?"

He was beginning to remind me of an annoying villain from a movie…he could have used this time to go for Elena, or make a sneak attack…but instead, he had chosen to monologue. However fast he was in speed, he lacked in intelligence it seemed. I was about to make a snide comment, but then I realized that I would be no better than he by doing so. Besides, I couldn't protect Elena from this…psychopath by talking. It was far too late for words now that his intentions were clear.

During the silence that I had been using to think, a smug smirk had appeared on the man's face, and had begun to grow.

"Wait a second…wait. I think I know who you are…and if I'm right, you…and your little blonde play-thing are finished."

I felt my eyes narrow, and my blood boil when I heard this.

"What… did you call her…?" I hissed. This guy was really pushing his luck now. He was heading the right way for several serious injuries. That is…if he were lucky enough to survive.

"You're Vincent Valentine, aren't you? Carrier of the Chaos gene…and more importantly: you're an ex-Turk…". A sadistic, gleeful smile appeared on his lips as he asked me this, as though he was a large cat who had cornered a particularly helpless mouse.

"And if I am…?" I demanded, hating myself for talking to this man when I could be destroying his very existence…erasing his life…

"Well, well…here's a tricky choice: destroying a Turk – even if an ex-Turk – for the greater good…or…using the creature inside of you to my advantage…? I've heard it's powerful. Such power could destroy lots of ShinRa workers, you know…"

I had no time to be wasting with this fool, and I didn't particularly want to dirty my hands with something as foul as his blood…but I couldn't allow him to walk away unscathed. Not after this.