Chapter 7
"I have been waiting to finally go all out on you." Peringo said wielding his massive Axe. Funny how much larger the weapon looks once it is wielded. Peringo stood behind Cloud on a skyscraper looking over the city of New Bodhum. The streets where busy it seemed to be rush hour.
"It's time for the semi- Finals Cloud, I hoped you studied." Zack said jumping right beside Peringo Buster sword already drawn. "Don't worry if you fail Retakes are on Fridays" Zack Joked to his friend.
"And if I manage to pass I'll be one step closer to finishing my training." Cloud said legs still dangling over the edge of the building he was on. Cloud looked up into the sky, his eyes closing as he enjoyed the feeling of the sun on his face.
"Come on Cloud let's get this started." Peringo practically begged, gone was the man who was amazed by the peaceful life styles, and easy going attitudes. Now stood a warrior whose blood is heating for a good fight. Cloud was always nervous when they sparred; it was almost as if training with a feral beast. Not to mention the fact that Peringo was somehow physically stronger than anyone he ever known. Not even Sephiroth can absorb the man's blows with his axe.
Getting up from the edge Cloud now stood facing His two opponents. "Remember the rules guys, No holding back, no fatal wounds." Zack said as Cloud drew his fusion sword.
"With that said and done." Peringo said before charging with a mighty yell. Cloud was quick to meet him, raising his blade to lock up with the taller man. But Cloud didn't stay locked, He watched as Zack jumped from behind Peringo, the buster sword cleaving where Cloud stood a second before. Cloud didn't have time to plan out his next moves as he was pursued by Peringo. The warrior from the future swinging his massive Axe with one hand in wild but accurate and wide strikes, forcing our blonde hero to roll out of the way. Cloud defused his blade using the thinner blade to block Zack's strike in front of him while switching the other blade in a reverse grip to block Peringo's axe.
Cloud spun sweeping a leg from under Zack before refusing his blade with enough momentum to cause Peringo to take a few steps back. Cloud pressured Peringo constantly defusing and refusing his blade to throw the younger warrior off with speed and power strikes. Peringo took a leap back to bring in a powerful overhead strike only to find Zack's blade catch his weapon, and for Cloud to be a few meters away from the side.
"I thought you're supposed to fight me not each other." Cloud said taunting the two.
"Seems like all the training with Sephiroth has paid off, you move just as quickly as he does now." Zack said.
"Yeah too bad you're not as sneaky." Cloud said quickly turning in time to catch Peringo mid leap and judo throw the man over the edge. Cloud didn't have time to see if the man was able to recover as he found himself on the receiving end of Zack's Lucky star boosted assault. Forced on the defensive Cloud tried his best to Deflect and parry, barely making it in time to counter Zack's assault. Locking blades Zack managed to slip a punch into Clouds gut with enough force to send his legacy flying.
Cloud back flipped with the momentum and landed on his feet with a skid. He watched as Zack easily closed the distance with a single bound. Cloud quickly spun around building momentum with him as he raised his blade to meet Zack's. Once the blades connected the Ground beneath Cloud caved in causing a huge dent on the floor while the two friends shared the same smile. With two Lightning quick strikes Cloud disengaged from Zack. Zack landed a few feet away to watch as Cloud gathered energy into his blade. Reacting quickly Zack rolled to the side to avoid the Blade beam that came his way and in retaliation used a flame materia in his glove to launch a fire ball At Cloud. Cloud hid behind his blade avoiding the heat. Looking over his blade Cloud couldn't find Zack.
"Get your head out of the Clouds Cloud!" Zack said out loud.
Cloud turned in time to raise his blade to absorb the blow, but since he was off Guard Cloud was sent flying, over the edge. Worried for his friend Zack ran over to the edge to see Cloud slow his fall by stabbing his blade into the side of the building and work his way down.
"Peringo Cloud's heading your way keep him busy while I set something up for our blonde friend." Zack said into the com attached to his glove. Reaching into his back pocket Zack pulled out a red materia. "Let's see if you manage to avoid this."
Cloud landed on the Ground with as much grace as Sephiroth, looking to the top of the building to see if Zack followed. Ignoring the Crowds gossip and the few who recorded him. Cloud was beginning to wonder what was taking too long until he heard someone screaming. Cloud turned to see people move out of Peringo's way as the tall man dragged his Axe through the ground with no resistance. Cloud brought his guard up waiting the man's strike.
Peringo brought his axe up successfully delivering all of the force behind the weapon upon Clouds blade. The fusion sword left Clouds hands and embedded itself to the sky scraper behind. Peringo quickly dropped his Axe which dug into the ground as he engaged Cloud in Hand to hand combat.
Peringo continued his assault until Cloud raised a fist aiming for his face, out of instinct he raised his arms to block only to find Clouds other fist punch him in the Diaphragm. Skidding a few feet back Peringo tried to catch his breath. 'Shigure Soen Ryu Form 5 Samidare' Cloud thought to himself as he prepared himself to perform Lucky star. Pounding his own chest Peringo charged back at Cloud hoping to interrupt the spell. But too late Cloud completed the spell catching Peringo's fist with little effort.
Moving in a blur Cloud produced several quick jabs that sent Peringo flying back bruises forming on his body. "Come one Peringo is that all you got." With that said he watched the son of Fang start glowing red with a strange aura. Cloud found out about this ability a few days ago learning it was a magic inherited through his father. Cloud visibly frowned.
Peringo charged Cloud with the same speed as before making it easy to avoid his punches. Cloud countered with two quick jabs to the body and delivered a powerful uppercut, only for his punch to be blocked by Peringo's chin. Surprised that his Lucky star enhanced punch had no effect Peringo had enough time to deliver his own uppercut. The force of the blow sent Cloud flying into the air but the smaller man recovered mid air. Looking around he noticed he was heading towards his sword. Adjusting his body Cloud landed on the handle of his blade watching as Peringo quickly went back to recover his own axe.
"Don't want to stick around for him to come back." Cloud said dislodging his blade and running faster than ever before to escape Peringo.
Peringo recovered his Axe as some people actually stayed to watch the exchange, "Sorry about the damages" He said before running after Cloud, but quickly falling behind. "Zack he's escaping me, I believe he is heading north."
"I know I'm waiting for him, my trap is ready but I will need you to keep him busy so I can activate it. Until you arrive I'll keep him busy." Zack replied.
"Understood, he has Lucky star activated it should run out soon." Peringo informed Zack. Sure enough Cloud appeared the glow of lucky star fading. Cloud was breathing a little heavier than normal.
"So Peringo put you through the ringer huh?" Zack joked before leaping forward.
Cloud reacted by jumping away to the top of a short building. "You can say that. The skill he inherited from his father is crazy." Cloud said before dodging a lightning bolt that was sent courtesy of Zack. "I'm just glad he can only keep it up for five minutes." Cloud leaped towards Zack engaging in a few moments of combat before forcing Zack back.
"Just like our lucky star." Zack said before twirling his blade around a reddish brown materia glowing in one of the holes. Cloud recognized Zack's move spinning his own blade a materia of the same color glowing from within the blade.
"Meteor shots!" Zack shouted.
"Meteor rain!" Cloud shouted.
Both SOLDIERs summoned Meteors that collided in the space in between the two. Dust and smoke rising from the broken debris that came from the remains of each Meteor taking out the other. Cloud covered his eyes to shield them from the debris. Looking into the smoke he saw Zack charge straight at him the buster sword glowing. Cloud knew he could not out run it, so he prepared to survive the incoming assault. Zack charged with the confidence of a seasoned warrior.
Zack came at Cloud with a Barrage of power strikes that our friend could barely keep up with. Cloud arms grew heavy from absorbing the blows until the final slash came disarming him. With his sword out of hand Zack replaced the buster blade on his back before continuing his assault with hand to hand. Being forced back Cloud managed to block or parry away the blows before having to role away as Zack dropped some miniature grenades. Trying to catch his breath Cloud heard some clapping.
"Wow I through my best moves at you and you still avoided getting hurt. But you didn't do enough." Zack said before activating a red orb using hand motions to activate it.
Cloud noticed the ground beneath his feet starting to Glow in a strange magical symbol. Reacting as fast as he can he ran towards the edge of the large circle. Cloud was almost out until a bright light caused the entire area to explode.
Peringo finally caught up in time to watch the light show by Zack, "Looks like you didn't need me to set up you apocalypse materia."
Zack was now on his knees panting. "I had to use almost every move in my book, Octaslash, rush assault, and Meteor shots. Just to lure him into the Apocalypse spell." Zack said as the Light started to die down.
"It looks a bit over kill, "Peringo stated noticing the damage the spell has done to the area in the city. The spell died down to show nothing but rubble with in a large circle.
"Might have been but Cloud is a sneaky bastard. Avoiding my strongest spell last second." Sure enough you can see Cloud just out of the circle's perimeter getting up and dusting himself off before heading towards his blade.
"You know if that hit it would have killed him." Peringo stated as Zack started to activate a green materia that made all of his bruises fade away and replenish his stamina.
"I also taught Cloud Healing wave so he might have survived it otherwise." Holding the Green materia in his hand, knowing his friend has the exact same type of materia. Watching as the blonde regained his weapon before pulling out said green materia to recover.
"You think he can hold out longer against us." Peringo said a little nervous.
"Ohh yeah, we used all of our tricks and he still has enough to perform a few more crazy moves. If there is one thing for sure it's that Cloud has more stamina than both of us combined. He just needs someone to push him to his limits." Sure enough they saw Cloud glow a bluish flame around his body.
"Well fuck here he comes." Peringo said as they watch Cloud leap towards them a glow in his sword as a single swing of the blade launched a tornado at them. Zack and Peringo did their best to with stand the attack but not only was the wind very strong, the debris it picked up from the previous attack was a pain to avoid. Eventually both warriors were hit by some rubble knocking them back against a building nearly destroying it. Before either one could get up Zack Cloud approach swinging his blade forward only for all the blades to disengage surrounding the two.
"Well shit." Zack said before Cloud unleashed the force of Omnislash V.5 Cloud hit the ground causing an explosion within the space of the attack. Causing both Zack and Peringo to collapse unable to move. Cloud was barely any better holding himself up with his blade as his friends lay unable to lift their own bodies up. The world around them seemed to flicker before they stood inside a virtual training room. The weapons disappearing from the warriors side as Cloud joined the others in lying on the ground exhausted.
Sephiroth soon walked into said room flanked by Lightning Who managed to push away her anger and came to watch Cloud train only to be amazed from the fight show on the simulation, wanting to join in the fight herself.
"The technology here is amazing allowing one to use their abilities without their weapons or materia." Sephiroth said amused at the three younger warriors. "Well it seems Cloud has passed our little pre test starting tomorrow we should up is training to prepare for next week's test against the three of us.
"Ahh great more fun." Cloud said completely exhausted.
"Make that the four of us Sephiroth, I want in." Lightning said, causing Sephiroth to smirk
"I will have to test your strength then, let's find another room so I can test your might." Lighting smirked excited to face the man that pushed Cloud to his limits single handedly.
Cloud sat up, "I hope he manages to kick her ass out of that test."
Zack laughed, "Well I think she will fight tooth and nail to get a chance to make the next test hell."
Their was a loud rumble as Peringo shot up to a sit up position. Holding his stomach he looked at the other two, "I don't know about you guys but I'm hungry."
Zack Gave Cloud a look that was mimicked by the blonde before the tow both chuckled. Getting to their feet the three left the training room looking for a place to eat.