Something wasn't right.
Sightings of puppet fighters had greatly decreased in the days following Steve and Alex's recruitment. Most of the Smashers took this as a sign of good fortune, as their ever-growing numbers had appeared to intimidate what remained of their enemy. Others, such as Fox and Samus, didn't think so. They believed the clones were regrouping, rethinking their strategy, and learning that head-on attacks were ineffective. They'd warned their friends to be on the lookout for anything suspicious, but nothing had seemed to draw their attention recently.
"Both Galeem and Dharkon had hundreds of soldiers under their command," Shulk explained. "While we weren't even a hundred strong. Perhaps the puppets are creating more of their kind to match us?"
"It doesn't matter to me," Cloud answered, unfazed by the former's statement and adjusting the Fusion Sword strapped to his back. As useful as the Buster Sword was, it felt nice to have a change of equipment in case the unfortunate happened. "They should know by now that sheer numbers aren't enough to beat us. If I were them, I'd study my enemy. Learn from them. Adapt to match their skill."
Shulk could recall that several of the Smashers have had difficulties with puppets in the past; enemies who could counter every move and anticipate actions. But they were ill-prepared for outside assistance. Yet still, Galeem had reduced countless souls to enslavement. Shulk knew the puppets shouldn't be underestimated. Without the influence of their master, who knows what they could be capable of?
"We've been on patrol for an hour, and nothing," reported Cloud. "Let's head back to base and-"
"Uh… hey, Cloud?"
"What?"
"Is it just me… or is the sky brighter than usual?"
Cloud turned skyward. Sure enough, the air had gone from a sapphire blue to a surreal glow. It almost reminded him of the time… wait, what was going on over there? Were those… voices?
"Come on," he told Shulk, the two swordsmen hurrying down into a plain surrounded by jagged rocks. He could already hear other Smashers in the distance, and it sounded like they were getting ready for a fight. Drawing their weapons, Cloud and Shulk raced to join the others. The former easily identified the present fighters: Mario, Samus, Mewtwo, Zelda, Pit, Bayonetta, Pikachu, Greninja, King K. Rool, Richter, Bowser Jr., the orang Inkling, Sonic, Banjo and Kazooie, Rosalina with her treasured Luma, Pikachu, and Erdrick. They weren't alone, either: a large squad of puppet fighters stood before them. A female Mii Brawler clone in black protective gear stepped forth.
"Your time has come to an end, Super Smash Brothers. This is the day you shall fall."
Pit resisted the urge to roll his eyes. "Yeah, you all say that, and then it doesn't happen, so…"
The puppets were unfazed by the angel's comment. Three more Brawlers surrounded a Gunner in western attire, who pointed his weapon at the fighters and held a Bob-omb in his other hand. Two copies of Zelda and Cloud stood beside each other, weapon and magic in hand. A Duck Hunt copy growled while a Link clone drew its sword. The former was wearing a button with a lightning bolt symbol: a Screw Attack. A Roy clone and three Mr. Game and Watch clones stared down K. Rool and a Sheik copy struck a pose. A Wolf copy uncurled its claws, twirling a blaster expertly. A Robin puppet stood with sword and book in hand, commanding two Mii Gunners, a Brawler, and a Swordfighter; all of them in white business attire.
A giant Ridley snarled at the fighters while an equally-large Bowser clone growled in response. A Mii Brawler dressed in yellow cracked his knuckles, a grey Kirby clone peeking out from behind him with angry eyes. A Zero Suit Samus puppet held a Freezie in one hand and pointed its blaster at Zelda. Despite their display, the Smashers were unamused at their enemy. "When will you guys ever learn?" Sonic asked mockingly. "No matter how many guys you throw at us, we pound 'em to bits!"
The lead Brawler smirked. "Who said anything about us destroying you?"
"Huh?" Bowser Jr. blinked. "Uh, that's what you always do."
"Well, not this time. Should you best us… he will finish the job."
"Wait…" Shulk lowered the Monado. "Who's 'he'?"
"What, you don't remember? Has his defeat been so inconsequential to you that you have forgotten him? For months we have been hiding, searching for a way to awaken him from his dormant state, distracting you so that you would be too preoccupied to see the full picture."
"What are you talking about?" Zelda demanded, her palms alight.
"You know exactly what I'm talking about," snapped the puppet, noticing the sky's glow. "Ah… and here he comes. To cleanse you. To reclaim his world. To command us into battle once again and embark on a journey to bathe every universe in everlasting light!"
That didn't sound good to any of the Smashers… and several of them were finally putting the pieces together. "No…" whispered Cappy atop a shocked Mario's head. "You can't… you can't possibly mean-"
The sky flashed with light… and as swift as a comet, a deity exploded into view after emerging from lightspeed. A gleaming, bright core surrounded by angelic wings. Floating white hands emerged from the clouds, forming up on both sides of the entity. And at the sight of its majesty and tranquility, only shock, disbelief, and horror flashed across the Smashers' faces.
Galeem.
"Super Smash Brothers," he spoke calmly, yet commandingly. "I am the one responsible for your summoning. The state of reality is in dire condition… and only I have the power to correct it."
"No…" whispered Shulk, taking a step back. "Not him. Not again!"
"Galeem…" Zelda uttered. The star-like core flashed in response. "You recognize your creator?"
"W-we beat you!" Pit gasped. "We made you see the balance!"
"Me? Vanquished by the very beings I conjured?" he repeated. "I find that impossible to believe. For eons, I have clashed with my eternal foe: Dharkon, the living embodiment of darkness. You have impeded my progress in defeating him for the last time. I may be a benevolent being… but even my patience goes so far."
"I don't know how you came back…" Sonic spoke sternly. "But you made a big mistake coming to us again. We beat you before, and we will do it-!"
"Cease this insolent nonsense, Sonic the Hedgehog," the god interrupted. "Only a being of my liking can truly defeat me and place me in a dormant state. I would have proposed mercy on you… but your words and actions require a different means."
"He doesn't remember us," Pit whispered to his friends. "How is that possible?"
"Does it have something to do with the puppets reawakening him so soon after we defeated him?" Zelda pondered. "Perhaps it was a factor they missed?"
"Maybe they purposefully left that part out," Shulk guessed. "So that Galeem would be our enemy again."
"And this time…" Mewtwo added. "…Kirby is nowhere in sight."
Samus was already in the middle of a solution. "To anyone who can hear this transmission, head to my coordinates immediately! Repeat; get over here as fast as you can!"
"Excellent," Galeem mused. "It seems appropriate to finish all of you in one fell swoop. But even I will not stoop to such barbaric levels. My loyal, obedient minions…"
The Master Hands and the puppets turned to their master, the latter group bowing before him.
"Attack. Show my creations the error of their ways before I dispose of them… and replace them with more superior beings."
"It will be done, Lord Galeem."
The puppets all shot for the Smashers without hesitation, the hands floating in to support them from the air. The Smashers charged forward to meet the clones in combat, seeing them as a distraction from the sudden revelation that Galeem had returned. He'd be dealt with soon enough…
Mario engaged the female Brawler hand-to-hand, the two of them throwing a variety of punches and kicks that were equally matched. The Zero Suit Samus threw her Freezie at Zelda, who used Nayru's Love to deflect it with a prismatic shield. Erdrick and Shulk engaged the copies of Zelda and Cloud while Sonic countered the Duck Hunt clone's Screw Attack with his own spinning strike. Bowser Jr. flew overhead, bombarding some of the Miis with cannon shots. The Gunner rolled away from a blast and returned fire, several of his shots grazing the Clown Car and forcing the prince to duck inside for cover.
Pikachu darted across the ground, blasting lightning at every clone he came across. He managed to zip away from the giant Bowser clone's foot and raced toward the Duck hunt copy, lobbing an Electro Ball at it. Before he could close the distance, the little Pokémon was forced to evade laser fire from the Mii Gunners. His eyes sparkling with electricity, he dashed right for them and collided with them in a spinning ball.
Cloud rushed up to the giant Ridley and Bowser clones, dodging a claw and leaping off the former's tail. Spinning in midair, he launched two Blade Beams into each of their open mouths, staggering them. Richter kept the Link clone at bay with every strike of his whip, lashing out at the Brawlers that came after him. Mewtwo fired psychic blasts at the nimble Game and Watch copies, levitating to keep up with them. The Roy puppet raced through the area with its Clown Car in its kart mode, Bowser Jr. hot on its heels. The prince readied to toss a Mechakoopa at his target… until he noticed a Bob-omb sailing towards him.
With a loud blast that shook the air around him, Bowser Jr. yelped as his kart was sent spinning out of control. The prince wrestled with the steering wheel and fought to get the vehicle under control, the screeching of tires echoing in his ears. With a roar from his exhausts, the kart sped after the Roy puppet and zoomed past Rosalina, who flicked her wand to deflect laser blasts from the Wolf clone. Growling, the fake mercenary lunged at the woman, who simply snagged it with anti-gravity and slammed it facefirst into the ground.
Shulk traded sword strikes with the Link puppet, kicking its shield to knock the puppet away. Before he could follow threw, the puppet threw a whirlwind-conjuring boomerang and forced Shulk to use his Speed Art to escape… but this put him right in the path of the Robin puppet, who blasted him with Arcfire and sent the boy sprawling. Samus traded laser fire with the Mii Gunners, one of whom shot a missile out of the air. Another used its absorbing vortex to absorb a Charged Shot, redirecting it at an unsuspecting Mario. Knocked onto the ground, the plumber barely had enough time to roll away from the female Brawler's stomp: a move that cracked the rock beneath it. Flipping towards the mustached hero, Mario's opponent kept up the offensive until Pit jumped into the fray, slicing at the clone with his blades.
The Brawler clone nimbly sidestepped each swing, backflipping away and nailing the angel in the chin with its foot. Shrugging off the blow, Pit swung again only for his blades to meet that of the Swordfighter clone, who parried the strike and forced the angel to defend against the ensuing swings. Pit's wings flashed blue from his goddess' assistance, and he launched into the air, hoping to gain the high ground.
His opponent wasn't about to make that easy for him. Leaping after the angel, the Swordfighter slashed at the surprised angel and caused him to crash to the ground. Pit swiftly vaulted backward, avoiding three bright shurikens that embedded into the rock. His opponent touched down and lashed out at the angel, who struggled to keep up with the clone's movements.
King K. Rool barely flinched as a Brawler's fist made contact with his belly, thrusting out his chest to bounce the copy away. Flipping mid-roll and landing on his feet, the Mii shot towards K. Rool and unleashed a vicious onslaught of blows, moving too quick for the reptile to keep up. K. Rool fell to one knee and swiped at the Mii, causing it to leap off his head. In its place, its Kirby clone companion sprinted towards the crocodile with an angry face. A splash of water cut it off, forcing it to divert its attention to Greninja, whose water blades clashed with its Cutter sword. Nearby, Bayonetta traded shots with the Zero Suit Samus clone, pirouetting away from a Paralyzer whip strike and summoning a demonic fist from below. Knocked upward from the attack, the puppet was left stunned. Bayonetta sprouted butterfly wings and ascended… only for the puppet to zero in on the witch with a dive kick, intercepting her approach and grounding her.
The Giant Bowser puppet roared as its red scales were splatted with orange ink, its attacker swimming through an orange sea. Popping back out to unleash another burst, the Inkling slid underneath its tail, jumped over a fist, and sprinted from a blast of flame. The girl lobbed a Splat Bomb at the beast's face, only for a fireball to blast it to bits. The giant Ridley screeched at the shocked squid kid, raising its pincer-like tail menacingly. The appendage moved to run through the Inkling's chest before an egg splattered on its face, making it both grunt in annoyance and turn to its oppressor. Banjo and Kazooie fired off another six shots before the bear dashed in and slammed Kazooie onto the giant Ridley clone's foot, urging a piercing shriek of pain.
"Quit that yelling, ya big ugly freak!" snapped Kazooie, pecking the puppet in the eye and flying away when the puppet chomped at her. The Sheik clone kicked at Erdrick, evading his sword and hitting him from the sides. The hero wasn't the only one struggling with his opponent; the rest of the puppets, bolstered by the hands and the looming presence of their god, were starting to overpower and overwhelm the Smashers with unimaginable ferocity and aggression. The Master Hands took their shot at the Smashers, raining down bombs and finger bullets that sent them flying, scattering, or both.
Richter, Erdrick, and Samus stood firm to protect their friends from the enemy force, waiting for the puppets to close in. However, a barrage of finger bullets from the Master Hands blew them back, sending the three fighters crashing near their allies. Everyone lay in an exhausted heap, fighting to catch their breath.
"Something's wrong…" groaned Shulk. "They shouldn't be that strong!" Rosalina and Mario were already back on their feet, but everybody else seemed down for the count. Zelda and Mewtwo were struggling, glancing up at the lord of light looming in the sky above. Pit had to use his bow to keep himself upright, turning an eye to Galeem. He remembered their first encounter when he believed victory was assured only to be vaporized literally seconds later. The last thing he wanted now was a repeat of that scenario… but he knew it was coming once again. Would the others be too late? Maybe they could do what Kirby did to rescue them… unless Galeem had some precautions in place for the second time around.
"You have done well, my followers," spoke the entity. "Your work here is done. Now, witness as I cleanse this impurity and bathe this universe in an everlasting light." With that, the entity's core began to shine and glow as bright as the sun, causing everyone down below to wince. Shulk and Cloud were unsure if it was because of the brightness… or the knowledge of what was about to happen. The Smashers' faces were drenched in nervousness, uncertainty, and fear, and Shulk didn't need the vision to tell him what was to come. The question now was; how would the balance be restored n-
Suddenly, Galeem froze. His charging attack abruptly ceased, the very air around him now appearing fractured. He made no move, as did the hands around him, but both the Smashers and the puppets both noticed this pause.
Banjo, Kazooie, and the Inkling made noises of surprise while Sonic just stared in suspicion. "Hey, what gives? Where are the beams?"
"Master Galeem?" spoke the female Mii Brawler in confusion. "Why did you stop? Our enemies are moments away from destruction! This is not the time to hesitate!"
The Smashers looked at each other with curious eyes. Was Galeem regaining his memories, remembering what his creations had shown him? Or did he have a sense of deja vu and suspect something was amiss? All eyes turned to the lord of light… just in time to see his core grow dark and cracks spreading across his wings.
"What?!" the Brawler clone gasped in horror. As the puppets were just as frozen as their master, the left side of Galeem's body started to slide away… before his entire form broke apart like a shattered window pane. Both halves decomposed and sunk to the ground, the lord of light going dormant once again. "No! No! NO!"
The hands surrounding Galeem were disintegrating away, depriving the puppets of their reinforcements. The hands vanished in black-gold wisps one by one until the sky was empty. The puppets took a horrified step towards their master- or what was left of him- as his shattered form descended gently to the ground.
"Impossible!" screamed the Brawler clone. "H-how can this be?!" The Smashers were already thinking that same question, trying to comprehend just what in the multiverse had just happened. Galeem had returned but was mysteriously vanquished just as quickly as he reappeared. Banjo was scratching his head and Pikachu's face was in a confused expression. It was Pit that broke the long silence.
"Hey! There's somebody back there!"
Faint as it was, there was a speck in the sky; a speck that looked suspiciously like a figure. Cloud walked to the front of the peck, squinting to get a better view of the stranger. Who could have such power as to strike down the maker of all things in a single blow?
"You…" It seemed the puppets had caught wind of the stranger as well. "Do… do you have any idea what you have just done?! Our plans; ruined! The resurrection ritual; for naught! Our master; dust! Our revenge; denied! Who… WHO DO YOU THINK YOU ARE?!"
Cloud felt something off in his heart. That figure… was it him, or did it look familiar?
The figure made no reply to the puppets, even as Cloud moved closer to investigate. That's when he began to make out noticeable features: a black coat, waves of white hair… and an impossibly long blade. And eyes that seemed to stare into Cloud's own.
Cloud's blood immediately turned to ice as everything came rushing back to him. A burning village. Liquid mako. Cold eyes of an innocent soul. His mind snapping in two. The ear-ringing sound of clashing blades. A haunting promise. And the name behind it all…
"Sephiroth…"
Anything a fellow Smasher replied to that whisper was lost. For a moment, nothing existed but the two of them. The angel spoke nothing as gold dust swirled around him, but words were not required for communication. His mouth lifted in a welcoming, expectant smile, his eyes gleaming with delight. Cloud, on the other hand, had his teeth clenched in anger and his hand gripped tightly on the Fusion Sword. His eyes glared at the angel with annoyance, his expression asking the angel a silent question.
But the other's expression gave Cloud all he needed to know; the only thing he needed to know. He denied Cloud any further response by bringing back the eerie voice that refused to leave Cloud's mind.
"I have been waiting for this moment. Now, I shall give Smash despair."
He raised his hand above his head, calling forth a dark torrent of clouds that blackened the sky. Cloud didn't need to look back to see everyone's reaction: they had to know Sephiroth meant business. The puppets, however, were already underestimating him.
"You shall pay for defying our master! DESTROY HIM!"
As one, the enraged puppets charged at the fallen angel, oblivious to his full potential. Sepiroth wasted no time demonstrating that to them, snapping his raised arm downward and summoning lightning to crack the sky. As Cloud expected, the puppets were undeterred by the intimidation attempt. But he knew Sephiroth was expecting that as well. He was already levitating to the ground, his arm-length blade glinting in the sunlight…
He struck in a flash, slicing through the puppets like paper; staggering some and instantly eliminating those who looked like they couldn't match him in a fair fight. His sword cut down most of the Mii clones instantly, save for the female Brawler copy commanding the troops. The giant clones came at him next, but Sephiroth's only reaction was a sly smirk. With swift slashes and unpredictable acrobatics, he evaded the Bowser and Ridley clones and struck them from everywhere until they collapsed, unable to continue. Sephiroth stabbed through the Ridley clone's torso, hearing its wail of agony before it vanished in a bright blast.
"Who is that guy?" the Inkling pondered. "He's tearing those puppets up like they're nothing!"
"And he snuffed out Galeem as if he was a light bulb!" added Shulk. "You think he could be on our side?"
"Uh… I'm not so sure," Pit replied. "Check out Cloud! Doesn't he look ticked off to you?" The swordsman's expression of anger was still present; an expression that intensified when Sephiroth ran the Masamune through the Zelda clone and vanquished it effortlessly. The Link clone was dispatched just as fruitlessly, as well as more puppets that were still arrogant about their triumph over him. Erecting a honeycomb-shaped barrier to block a strike from the Sheik puppet, Sephiroth redirected the attack strength back at the clone. One by one, he finished off each puppet, no matter what tactics they tried to use against him.
Soon, only the female Mii Brawler was left… and despite trying to hide it, the Smashers could tell it was afraid. Sephiroth could know as well, as he smirked at his final victim. "There is only one god in this world…" he announced as he approached. "And I am that god. Whatever excuse that was for a deity can summon all his followers, but none will prevail. Not even you."
"You… you DARE?!" The Brawler clone lunged at Sephiroth with a flying leap, but the dark angel nonchalantly sidestepped and snapped his fingers. Dark energy leaped from his hand and connected with the clone, and it fought to land perfectly. Upon touchdown, the clone noticed three violet orbs surrounding it, making it blink in confusion. "Wh-what is this?!" No sooner did it speak did it shove the thought aside, charging for the angel once again. Sephiroth easily evaded each punch and kick thrown his way, blocking other strikes with the flat of his blade with nothing but a smile on his face.
"You remind me of someone," he spoke calmly during his defense. "Someone strong. Someone fierce. Someone who refuses to back down. You may not be that someone…" Snagging the clone's arm, he spun and tossed it away. The Mii puppet landed flat on its back, failing to notice the violet orbs pulsing with dark energy as it struggled to stand.
"But you will fall just as easily."
The Smashers saw a look of horror on the puppet's face just as the orbs violently detonated, obscuring both it and its pained scream in a field of smoke. From it, the soul of a young woman emerged, capturing the interest of both Sephiroth and Cloud. It flew off into the heavens, and the angel smiled again. "Ah, Cloud… it seems you have failed your friends. How tragic."
Cloud didn't reply, but the Smashers swore they heard a growl leave his throat.
"And you think new ones will ease this pain? A shame they will not do so. But worry not…" Sephiroth turned to face the swordsman, the smile never vanishing. "I know the perfect gift to make it better."
With an enraged cry, Cloud shot forward to meet the one-winged angel blade-to-blade. Once they connected, his eyes locked with his enemy's. "I'm not gonna let you do to this world what you did to mine!"
"And so, once again… it falls down to you, Cloud."
As the two darted about and lit up the air with sparks from each strike, the Smashers stood in confusion. There was no doubt this Sephiroth figure was to Cloud what Bowser was to Mario or what Ganondorf was to Link. Galeem and the puppets were dealt with, but now they had another problem. This stranger had utterly decimated Galeem in a single stroke, so bringing him down would be a challenge.
"Samus!" The group turned to see another batch of fighters coming their way. Chrom was at the front of the pack with Eleven, his blade at the ready. "We received your call for assistance! What's happening?"
"Everyone be wary," warned Mewtwo. "I sense a powerful force nearby."
"Powerful force?" repeated Ike. "All I see down there is Cloud and… wait, who is that? And why's Cloud fighting him?"
"We think he's a bad guy," Pit answered. "Turns out Cloud's not a big fan of him."
"If he's that powerful force, we could be in big trouble," muttered Mega Man. Terry just adjusted his hat and cracked his knuckles. "No problem! There's just one of him against all of us!"
"Except there is a problem!" Erdrick countered. "Galeem was here with more puppets and his hand army!"
"Wait, what?!" gasped Marth. "Galeem?! How?! We-"
"Those puppets must have kept us distracted long enough to bring him back," snarled Snake. "They had a plan this whole time!"
"Yeah, and he sent that plan up in smoke," added Sonic. "Whoever that guy is down there, he chopped Galeem in half like a tomato! Almost as if he was a lightbulb, not the entity of pure light!"
"Whoa…" uttered Captain Falcon. "So this guy means business."
"Seems like it," added Joker. "If he took out Galeem like he was nothing…"
"That is rather troubling, isn't it?" Bayonetta said. "But then again, who here hasn't defeated gods?"
"Pushover," mumbled Dark Pit. Beside him, Greninja stood in a ready stance and Incineroar pounded a palm. Corrin and Link readied their weapons, training their eyes on the duel down below. "I can take him."
"Apparently, Cloud thinks so, too," the Inkling added. "But even he can keep it up for so long."
"Then, what are we waiting for?" Shulk announced, activating the Monado's energy blade. "Let's go!" Following his lead, the Smashers broke into a sprint towards the duel. Nearby, Cloud deflected two strikes and jumped over a third, coming back down with a strong slam that Sephiroth floated away from. Perching himself atop a rock, he sliced it in two and send the severed chunk Cloud's way. With little time to block or dodge, Cloud instinctively winced and raised his arms…
…until a bolt of blue light blew the boulder to bits.
Cloud opened his eyes to see the gathered Smashers, smoke rising from Mega Man's cannon. Sephiroth turned to the group not with irritation or annoyance in his eyes, but rather with delight. "So, your new allies offer themselves in your stead, Cloud. This ought to be interesting…"
Cloud just frowned and readied the Fusion Sword again.
"Whoever you are…" Marth announced. "You may be useful to our cause. Stand down and we can talk things through." Sephiroth appeared intrigued at the prince's offers… only to chuckle and shake his head. "A pity. I come here with a cause of my own… and I fear that you have no place in it. So, who wishes to die first?"
Marth and Snake charged at the dark angel from the right and left respectively. They jumped at the dark angel from opposite sides, yet a single sweep of the Masamune blade easily repelled their assault. Marth was the swiftest to recover, but Sephiroth easily deflected his fast swipes and strikes. Weaving away from a horizontal sweep, Sephiroth swung for Marth's side. As anticipated, the prince successfully blocked, but himself open on the other side, where Sephiroth struck him with the pommel of his blade. With the prince stunned, a well-placed kick sent him to the ground.
Hearing something behind him, Sephiroth spun on his heel and flashed his blade… leaving the cleaved half of Snake's rocket launcher on the ground. Before the soldier could equip himself with an alternative means of attack, a smack with the flat end of the Masamune downed him. Sephiroth turned to his next opponent, who suddenly bombarded him with electric shocks and quick movements.
Pikachu darted this way and that, smacking the dark angel with his tail and headbutting him wherever he could. Quick to adapt, Sephiroth lashed out in a sweeping circle and forced Pikachu to withdraw. In his place, Incineroar pounced at Sephiroth like a raging predator, tackling him to the ground. Sephiroth just placed his feet on Incineroar's chest, throwing him over. Although he landed clumsily, Incineroar scrambled on all fours and lunged again in a blazing fury. All he met this time, though, was the sharp steel of the elongated weapon. One yowl and several severed furs later, the fire Pokémon retreated with a snarl.
Rosalina flicked her wand and fired several Star Bits at Sephiroth, who simply weaved around each one and countered with his own projectile: a blast of dark energy that blew back the woman from the cosmos. The Luminary and Erdrick charged in her stead, the former drawing near with a downward slash. Summoning the same honeycomb barrier from earlier, Sephiroth threw the hero's attack back at him as soon as the sword connected. As for Erdrick, he blocked three sword strikes, ducked beneath a shield swipe, and kicked the hero in the side before slashing him away with an upward swing.
"You're mine, broody!" growled Dark Pit, leaping in with spinning blades. Sephiroth retreated from the assault and deflected each of the following strikes with one hand behind his back. The smile on his face returned: these fighters were proving to be more entertaining than he thought. Sooner or later, he would grow tired… but for now, toying with them seemed adequate enough. Snapping his fingers, Sephiroth struck Dark Pit with a purple flash and summoned three violet spheres around the false angel. When he turned to look at them, a strong kick knocked him away with a pained grunt.
Corrin and Joker bounded into the air, diving for Sephiroth. As before, a single upward stroke, fluid as the water, was enough to counter the approach and make them hit the dirt facefirst. "I don't suppose any of you are suitable enough to provide a true challenge?" No sooner than he spoke did he feel the wind around him begin to stir. "Ah… that's more like it."
A blue whirlwind kicked up rapidly around Sephiroth, hitting him from various directions. Lashing out his blade, Sephiroth caused the source of the storm to slide underneath the weapon and stand before him. Sonic hopped over the following jab that punctured the earth, landing expertly atop the blade and blowing a taunting raspberry at the dark angel. Taking no time to see his opponent's confused expression, the hedgehog flip-kicked him in the face before running off. In his place, Banjo and Kazooie hopped in and pounded Sephiroth with fists and beak alike. All it took to dispose of the annoyance was a swipe that nearly decapitated Kazooie… until she popped her head out of Banjo's pack. As they jumped away, a splat of orange paint landed on Sephiroth's face, causing him to wipe it off in confusion.
The Inkling sprinted for the dark angel, laying down paint on his black coat. She dove into the orange sea and popped up to continuously ambush her enemy with repeated shots. Having enough, Sepiroth grabbed the Inkling by the neck and slammed her to the ground. Pinning her beneath his foot, he rose the Masamune blade, light glinting off its edge…
"Tell me what you cherish most," he spoke calmly. "Give me the pleasure of taking it away."
Something rammed Sephiroth from behind, causing him to stumble. As the Inkling swam away, Link banged the Master Sword against the Hylian Shield and twirled the weapon in his grip. Sephiroth was rather unimpressed; a fruitless defense that a coward hides behind? He felt insulted just by looking at it. Link rushed him and Sephiroth put up a solid defense against his attacks, even leaping away from a thrown boomerang. When his blade merely scraped his opponent's shield, Sephiroth turned to an alternative solution. Just as he did for the black angel, he snapped his fingers and struck Link with dark energy just as he was drawing back an arrow on his bow. But instead of hovering around him, these ones immediately detonated on Sephiroth's command, inflicting great damage on the hero.
"Oh, cr-" A series of following explosions told Sephiroth that the black angel realized the danger too late. Two down, more to go. The man looked for his next target… only for four of them to attack him at the same time! Mewtwo flew in and swung out his tail, with Sephiroth jumping away from the attack. Leaping over the Pokémon, Sheik executed a three-sixty attack that barely grazed Sephiroth. As she withdrew, Terry surprised the man with a flying kick that wavered his defense. Capitalizing on this, Chrom struck with his sword and landed a hit. However, the strike only fazed Sephiroth, who faced the Smashers and spoke a single word.
"Pathetic."
With a wave of his arm, a single wing coated in black feathers erupted into view and surprised everyone. "It is time for you to know your place." Before his foes could reply, Sephiroth hopped into the air and allowed his wing to carry him upward. Both Bowser Jr. and King K. Rool were rising to meet him, cannons at the ready. They opened fire at the angel, who elegantly weaved away from the cannonballs and darted at them with black feathers fluttering behind him. He slashed at Bowser Jr.'s Clown Car and sent it careening out of control, following up by cutting K. Rool's propeller in half. Without its support, the crocodilian was sent dropping to the earth like a stone. A plasma bolt whizzed past Sephiroth's face, prompting him to look at the ground and use his Masamune to swat Samus' shots out of the air. When the bounty hunter fired a missile, Sephiroth simply grabbed the projectile and flung it back at her. Barely dodging the ensuing blast, Samus was thrown to the ground.
"What?!" gasped Pit in half-surprise, half-jealousy. "I have two wings but can't fly on my own, and that guy can with just one?! That's it! He's going down!" Holding up his bow, the angel fired off rapid light arrows that homed in on Sephiroth, but the dark angel evaded and deflected as many as he could. Pit's wings flashed a bright blue before he shot into the air, his goddess guiding him to reach the man. Both angels met with clashing blades, both of them trading strikes in the air. Pit was forced to withdraw when Sephiroth unleashed a spinning slash, quickly countering with an arrow shot that sent Sephiroth to the ground. Captain Falcon was sprinting to meet the man, his fist glowing with light.
"FALCON-!"
Sephiroth met the racer by jabbing at him with the Masamune blade, interrupting his attack. As the man stumbled, Sephiroth fully touched down and held his blade out to the side, allowing the sun to reflect off its length. The smile returned. "I am almost disappointed…"
A greatsword took him by surprise for a moment, but he recovered just as swiftly to face this new foe. Ike's sword clashed with Sephiroth's, the two warriors going back and forth for a bit. After parrying a blow and drawing Ike's sword to the ground, Sephiroth unleashed an advancing flurry of slashes that staggered the warrior and flung him back. He crashed against a small rock, his face contorted in pain. Sephiroth smiled and shook his head at the blue-haired swordsman. He reminded him of Cloud, in a way…
A blue bolt of light connected with his side and made him flinch, drawing his attention back to his opposition. Mega Man and Shulk were charging at him, the former opening fire with his Mega Buster and the latter holding the Monado at his side. Sephiroth maneuvered the Masamune blade with one arm, easily blocking and deflecting the shots. Holding his other hand out, Sephiroth began to channel swirling energy within it; an orb that sparkled and shimmered with raw, untamed power. As soon as they drew near, Sephiroth cast the energy as a small sparkle of light, one that Mega Man slid underneath and Shulk jumped over, both weapons poised to strike. Their efforts were futile, as Sephiroth savored the looks on their faces just before that energy was unleashed.
With a massive blast that shook the ground, Mega Man and Shulk were swallowed up by the Gigaflare. In their place stood a huge wall of smoke that glowed with purple light. Sephiroth turned away, believing that these new fighters were no longer a threat. But he appeared to have underestimated their persistence. Bayonetta and Greninja appeared out of thin air as Sephiroth strode away from the blast cloud, zeroing in on him. It didn't even take a second, as Sephiroth easily disposed of them with a single swipe that sent them sailing.
They were starting to get tiresome. He had come here because of Cloud, following him to this place. His fight was with him, not them. Perhaps a message was in order. And he had already chosen his means of delivering one.
Mario stood ready to fight as the smoke cleared, fists balled and face stern. Sephiroth didn't bat him an eye before he charged full speed toward him. Mario's face lit up in horror…
…and soon, everyone else followed when they saw a pair of shadows amidst the dust. Sephiroth stood ominously with his blade held high… with Mario dangling limply on the other end. Pikachu covered his eyes, Pit held a hand to his mouth in disgust, and several other Smashers looked on in distraught. Something like that shouldn't be possible in this world: if a Smasher was defeated in battle, they'd turn into a trophy and await revival. If Sephiroth had found a way to bypass this, then…
Mario himself was expecting pain the moment he saw the blade lunge right at his chest… but strangely, he wasn't feeling anything. The plumber dared himself to open his eyes… and much to his surprise, the sword hadn't even touched him! It had just grabbed ahold of one of his overall straps, making it appear as if he was impaled. Boy, he was glad to see that! He'd hate to feel how it was for real…
But somebody didn't have that pleasure, as it turned out.
Cloud charged at Sephiroth, prompting his archenemy to spin around and block the strike, taking an unfortunate Mario along for the ride. Both men looked each other in the eye, memories of their previous encounters flowing like rivers in their minds. Sparks flew from the grinding blades as Cloud seethed with anger and Sephiroth smiled again, taunting him. The two separated, the Masamune's momentum flinging Mario aside. While he tumbled to the ground, Cloud engaged Sephiroth with ferocious strikes and swift movements. At blinking speed, Cloud dodged a slash from his enemy and struck from above, but this move was nothing Sephiroth couldn't defend from. Pushing Cloud back and closing the distance, Sephiroth used his current momentum to try and catch Cloud off-balance.
Cloud just shoved his enemy away, who lifted himself into the sky. Cloud was eager to follow, launching upward with a blue aura surrounding him. Charging his next attack, the Fusion Sword met the Masamune blade again with a loud clang. Again, Sephiroth pushed away, gaining more distance from Cloud. Annoyed as he was that Sephiroth was toying with him, Cloud saw an opportunity.
Training, experimenting, practicing… whatever it was one would call his actions, Cloud had been searching for a variation of sorts. In the past, his powerful Omnislash could be unleashed after absorbing the energy of a Smash Ball or by letting that same energy within him build up over time. He could feel it within him now, so this moment felt like the perfect time to jog Sephiroth's memory.
Shooting after Sephiroth like a rocket, Cloud split the Fusion Sword into six individual blades. Five of them circled the airborne duo like a perimeter, the other hovering above Sephiroth. Dashing to the first blade, Cloud sped to Sephiroth and struck across his form. Repeating this action with the other blades in quick succession, Cloud moved as a blur and slashed Sephiroth dozens of times with each weapon, the dark angel struggling to keep up the flurry. For the grand finale, when Sephiroth was stunned from the assault, Cloud grabbed the blade hovering above his enemy and slammed down hard, sending Sephiroth rocketing to the ground. His energy spent, Cloud plummeted as well.
One by one, each blade, aglow with blue light, embedded themselves into the earth. Cloud landed among them, snatching the Fusion Sword from the air and holding it to the side. Using his wing to softly descend, Sepiroth touched down behind Cloud, facing away from him. The wing went limp, black feathers dripping off its form.
"Stay where you belong," Cloud announced, turning to Sephiroth with the sword held firm. "In my memories." He had demanded this of Sephiroth before, and he already knew what the response would be. The haunting reminder of a torment that would remain with him for years to come, as it was in the years before.
Sephiroth looked over his shoulder, a pale eye staring into Cloud's. Then, his answer came, the phrase like a ripple in a pond.
"I will never be a memory."
Cloud hated to admit this, but Sephiroth was right. No matter what Cloud did, he would never be truly rid of him. After all that Sephiroth did to him… he'd live with it forever, whether he defeated Sephiroth or not.
"THERE! There is the one who vanquished our master! ATTACK!"
Both fighters were attracted to the enraged voice that screamed just beyond the hills. A small force was already charging toward them, demanding vengeance for their creator. Two tiny R.O.B. clones surrounding a larger one, three Sheik puppets, a giant Mii Swordfighter in tribal garbs followed by a K. Rool clone, another Swordfighter accompanied by a Zelda puppet, and a Robin clone alongside a Sheik copy. Without batting an eye, Sephiroth turned to them.
A rainbow-like light began to surround his form as he folded his wing in on himself. The puppets closed in on him in seconds, their attention solely on Sephiroth with no regard to anybody else. Once they struck, Sephiroth revealed himself and swung his blade across them.
"Return to the planet."
Then, all turned white for his targets. Seconds passed before the group recovered their wits, stunned from the strike. They looked around for their opponent, only to see that he had ascended before their eyes into something greater: an angelic-like form with seven wings, one of them darker in appearance and shape than the rest of the luminous limbs. Light shone from behind the shape of Safer Sephiroth, catching the puppets by surprise and awe. Safer Sephiroth silently raised his arms, calling to the cosmos beyond.
Far from the planet where he had transported himself and his victims, the bright streak of a comet sailed through the blackness of space. It traveled faster than the speed of light, puncturing through a planet like a bullet through glass, shattering it into space rocks without a sound. The comet connected with a distant star, plunging into its core and igniting the celestial body as a whole.
The star erupted and burst outward with light, mute as a mouse in the infinite vacuum. The released energy of the supernova expanded out into space, its waves reaching another nearby planet. Within seconds, the blast waves tore the planet asunder and scattered its pieces through the system, instantly eradicating all that stood upon it…
…or almost all.
Sephiroth reappeared in the quiet valley, the puppets who had just ambushed him now nowhere to be found. The Smashers all surrounded him, Cloud among them. He felt pity for them; most of them had no idea of the vast, astronomical power he possessed. They were wary, yes, but Sephiroth saw conflict on their faces. An inner conflict on whether or not to continue the outer battle.
"Sephiroth, was it?" spoke the swordsman in blue. "Do you have any idea what you've just done?"
"Why should I?" he calmly responded. "Was that the thing you loved? Were you devastated upon me stealing it from you?"
"Hardly," replied the one who was holding a double-handed sword in one hand. "Long story short, that thing was the boss of those warriors, like the ones you just… whatever it was you did to them. The rest are gonna be pretty unhappy about that. And they will stop at nothing to bring you down."
"Let them try," he told him. "Whatever their numbers are, they underestimate my skill. To face me is to consult with defeat… or worse." They appeared unconvinced by his words, as the next to speak was the black angel with the bow. "Yeah, you say that now, but just wait until you see one of those things that look like you! Just how are you gonna compete with a copycat that knows your every move and has the same powers as you?"
The white angel coughed into his hand, prompting the black one to shoot him a look before continuing. "Look, what I'm trying to say is, you're underestimating these guys. We may not have given you such a hard time, but Spiky Hair here has. And if he can get the upper hand on you, then so can his lookalikes. What would you do if had to go up against an army of those?"
He spoke the truth. Cloud had proven to be a… rather difficult opponent at times. And Sephiroth wouldn't deny that the SOLDIER-material swordsman had bested him repeatedly, despite certain ailments Sephiroth had afflicted on him. Facing several of that exact same figure simultaneously… Sephiroth couldn't help but feel as if that was overwhelming. And if those false images loathed him for the destruction of their so-called commander, then that scenario could come sooner than he would have preferred.
Cloud looked conflicted the most. Of course he was. After all, this was his mortal enemy his new allies were talking about here. Sephiroth could only imagine the difficulty and struggles Cloud was having about letting him join. Hate and confusion alike burned in his sky blue eyes, even as Sephiroth's gray orbs were nothing but silent.
"It appears I have thrust myself into a conflict even I do not fully understand," Sephiroth spoke calmly. "If these warriors are as numerous as you speak, and if they are as skilled as you, then perhaps assistance is indeed suitable."
He saw Cloud resist the urge to flinch at this. He expected the swordsman to object, to deny, to strike, even. But idle he remained, glaring at Sephiroth with that fire in his eyes… before he stabbed the Fusion Sword into the earth.
"Do not make me regret this," he hissed through his clenched teeth.
Sephiroth smiled one last time. "I shall not… as long as you do not fall at their hands."
He did not examine Cloud's reaction to that (no doubt that the man's presence would haunt him no matter where in the multiverse he went), looking upon the bright horizon instead. A horizon that reminded him of his actions and what was to come from them. Whatever was to unfold from here… was sure to be entertaining.