Chapter 5
Sora vs Cinder Part 2
(Clash of Light and Darkness)
The storm raged violently over the two combatants, as everyone watched in total awe. Seconds later, Sora charged at Cinder, only to get punched in the stomach by her, but he quickly recovered and fought back with all of his strength erupting like a volcano on the horizon. He was blasted back, and the Maiden of Hellfire started unleashing a deadly Burning Barrage upon him, which leveled more of the mountain side. However, Sora recovered, then struck back at Cinder, sending her crashing into the ocean below again. The battle continued again, this time it was far more intense than before, as the explosions were like countless other stars going supernova as they clashed, and the walls of reality were very close to collapsing if it continued even further. Both were now exchanging blows with each other, and they both knew that this was now truly a fierce battle that would ultimately decide the outcome of who would be on top, even though the gods above saw Cinder as nothing but a pure devil. Far away, Sora's friends and family watched in awe, but Vegeta was truly in total shock, even as Trunks joined him.
"He's gonna be fine, Dad. If I know Sora, he's not one to give up that easily, much like Goku isn't," he said.
"That's right. I choose to believe in him, just like Trunks is," added Goten.
Soon, Beerus and Whis arrived, and asked if Bulma had any more treats for them.
"You should probably do what Beerus says, or else it's goodbye Realm of Light," hissed Compa.
She nodded towards her and raced off to get the sundae, just as Sora and Cinder continued their fierce battle.
(For the second round, go and play Riddler from the album Oceanborn by Nightwish)
"Please, dig in, Lord Beerus and Whis. The sundae's all yours," said Madoka.
"Thank you, Madoka, Goddess of Fate," replied the God of Destruction.
"[Verse 1]
Riddler, Riddler ask me why
The birds fly free on a mackerel sky
Ask me whither goes the wind
Whence the endless tick-tick stream begins
Make me guess if the Earth is flat or round
Set a quessing if fantasies are unbound
If tales aren't just for children to see
That it's peace if sleep walks with me
[Chorus]
As you wish
For kingdom come
The one to know all the answers
You think you dwell in wisdom's sea
Still, sweet ignorance is the key
To a poet's paradise
Challenge the Riddler and you will see...
[Verse 2]
Riddler Riddler ask me why
All mothers beneath the Earth and sky
Hold their children's hands for a while -
Their hearts forever... yours and mine
Make me wonder what's the meaning of life
What's the use to be born and then die
Make me guess who's the one
Behind the mask of Father and Son
[Chorus]
As you wish
For kingdom come
The one to know all the answers
You think you dwell in wisdom's sea
Still, sweet ignorance is the key
To a poet's paradise
Challenge the Riddler and you will see...
[Bridge]
For nature hates virginity
I wish to be touched
Not by the hands of where's and why's
But by the Oceans' minds
[Chorus]
As you wish
For kingdom come
The one to know all the answers
You think you dwell in wisdom's sea
Still, sweet ignorance is the key
To a poet's paradise
As you wish
For kingdom come
The one to know all the answers
You think you dwell in wisdom's sea
Still, sweet ignorance is the key
To a poet's paradise
Challenge the Riddler and you will see…"
At last, Sora dropped to his hands and knees, despite the fact that he still had to go on and fight Cinder, who was truly gaining the upper hand.
"I have to admit, you really have improved, even more so than I have, Cinder. But even still, you really are a hopeless fool I need to defeat again," he said, breathing heavily.
"Surely, you can't seriously be begging for mercy now, Sora. Not that it would actually do you any good in that regard. I have to commend you in that regard. BUT I WILL NEVER STOP UNTIL YOU ARE NOTHING MORE THAN DUST, ASHES, AND ATOMS! AND THEN I WILL MAKE EVERYONE ELSE SHARE THE SAME FATE AS YOU WILL!" remarked Cinder.
Aiden was growing even more impatient than before, even as Sephiroth appeared behind him and rested his hand on his shoulder.
"The time is almost upon you, my son. But fear not, the great Beerus is no threat to me, for I will show him that even a god like him can give in to despair," he said.
But when Cinder heard that name, she was stunned.
"No! The almighty Lord Beerus, God of Destruction!? Why are you here? And why are you eating a strawberry sundae during my battle with Sora?" she gasped.
"In case you didn't know, Cinder. All I want is to make sure that I am fully satisfied, until I have a banquet that's made in my honor. However, I have no need to just intervene and reduce you to nothing with my Hakai right now. I did that once with Zamasu, but then I realized that the one that took over Goku's body and joined his immortal counterpart to destroy all mortals in every reality would leave me with far too much to deal with. And if you even think of so much as ruining my sundae, then I will have no other alternative but to turn you into nothing in a heartbeat, and I'd rather not confuse combat dust for sprinkles, do you understand?" remarked Beerus.
"Going by what Beerus said, Bulma, it's better if we all stay by his side, otherwise you'll be killed as well, and that would most certainly make Vegeta enter a new state that's similar to Gohan's Beast transformation," smirked Leafa.
"So tell me, Sora. Which limb should I start with, or would you rather I turn your heart to ashes after I rip it out of your chest?" Cinder asked menacingly.
"It doesn't matter what you do, Cinder. But if you were wise, I'd suggest that you leave quietly and learn to get better control of your new form, just like how Frieza did after he attained his golden form. I know that you got brought back from death, so I'd really hate to see you waste it without a good reason," remarked Sora.
"You can't possibly accept that someone like me will listen to your stupid prattling. I'm no longer the same Cinder you think I am, and when I destroy you, your precious Team RWBYS will most certainly follow suit, and then everyone else will share in your fate, just like they shall," she snarled.
"Yeah, well you should've figured something out a bit sooner. You see, I've actually discovered that you have a weakness that's very much apparent with Frieza, and I have a feeling that Goku would see it too. Your new form may be powerful, but it's actually making you grow even weaker by the minute, and when it runs out completely, that's the end of it. It might not be affecting you just yet, but you'll soon see it after a while. Your longing for vengeance will lead to you failing yet again, and right now there's no Salem to punish you for it, just because you're aware that she's no more after I saved her from the darkness. You see, your shadow form is actually burning through your body, the likes of which it can't fully adapt to, unlike how I've been able to adapt to my other drive forms, soul drive forms, and formchange abilities. So when you came to Canterlot to try and kill me off for the sake of vengeance, you actually started to grow weaker and weaker, even though I have the power of all four maidens flowing through me. So when you came here, you should've learned how to use that new form as a bit of regulation, rather than picked a fight with someone who already beat you before, until you were severely punished by Salem when you asked Jinn about what we were going to do next, until finally, she sent you off on a suicide mission that you would never come back from," he explained.
"IF YOU REALLY BELIEVE THAT I WAS SENT ON A SUICIDE MISSION, THEN YOU ARE THE ONE WHO WILL DIE BY MY HANDS, JUST AS I TOLD YOU BACK AT VACUO BEFORE YOU KILLED ME!" roared Cinder, and she charged at him with all of her hatred.
But Sora quickly charged back, and began fighting the evil woman with all of his heart, and then began forcing her back without hesitation.
(The second round continues, so go and play the song Slaves on the Run from Knights Call by Axel Rudi Pell for this fight)
"Working all day and all night in the heat and the storm
The sun turned black on the day they were born
The king gave 'em no reason to carry on
But torture and pain for those who remained strong
Runnin' in circles and almost blind
But not the only one of its kind
Slaves on the run
Even heaven cries
Slaves on the run
Another someone dies
Slaves on the run
Even heaven cries
Slaves on the run
Another someone dies
Someone dies
The slave drivers' tool are swords, whips and chains
There's an easy way out of this dangerous game
They're cryin' out for mercy on their way
Too late for them to recognize another day
Runnin' in circles and almost blind
But not the only one of its kind
Slaves on the run
Even heaven cries
Slaves on the run
Another someone dies
Slaves on the run
Even heaven cries
Slaves on the run
Another someone dies
Another someone dies
Slaves on the run
Even heaven cries
Slaves on the run
Another someone dies
Slaves on the run
Even heaven cries
Slaves on the run
Another someone dies
Another someone, someone dies
Slaves on the run
Slaves on the run
On the run"
But the moment Cinder struck at Sora, the punch barely phased him, causing her to recoil in shock and terror, until she was punched hard in the chest, causing her to recoil in shock. Of course, Beerus and Whis began arguing about which strawberry was the last to go, until Rei had heard enough.
"Cut it out, you two. You really are starting to sound like me and Usagi whenever we start arguing with each other, and it's actually making me feel like I just want to go supernova," she sighed.
"QUIT YOUR BLATHERING, YOU HOT-HEADED IDIOT!" screamed the God of Destruction, sending her flying back.
"Rei!" cried Usagi, rushing to her side.
"Are you okay?" she asked.
"Yeah. I'm okay. I guess, I kind of deserved that one from Beerus," groaned Rei.
Sora attacked Cinder furiously, and the Maiden of Hellfire barely blocked his blows, sending her falling towards the water.
"Ka-me-ha-me-HA!" he shouted, sending a wave of blue light at her.
Cinder caught it, hoping she could send it back, but the power started to become almost too much for her to handle. Everyone was surprised to see that Cinder was down, but Sora was exhausted from using his power. Then he saw Cinder crawl out of the water after spitting out salt-water, and began to breathe even more heavily.
"You see, I told you. You're already running short on fumes, Cinder. Now, I suggest that you leave now, and you can live to fight for another day," he said.
This made Cinder grow even more angry.
"I'll be here for a rematch. I swear it," Sora added.
"CURSE YOU! WHY!? WHY!? THIS CANNOT BE HAPPENING! I AM CINDER FALL, THE MAIDEN OF HELLFIRE!" exploded Cinder.
Her rage had caused her to destroy the assault shuttles her soldiers had come on by sending large boulders at them to crush them into dust, as she dropped to her knees, while Sora landed near her. But as the Warriors of Light recovered, Weiss noticed something.
"DARLING!" she called, and summoned the Arma Gigas to deflect a shot that was directed towards him by Aiden.
"What!?" gasped the Son of Cinder.
"BLASTED ICE QUEEN! YOU WILL PAY FOR RUINING MY CONTINGENCY PLAN!" yelled his mother.
She unleashed Dark Terra Flare against her, but Sora interccepted it and took the blast for the fencing priness, sending him crashing to the ground, badly burned and wounded all over.
"NOOOOOOOOO!" shouted Ruby, activating her Silver Eyes.
Sora quickly braced himself, but Cinder took the full brunt of it, causing her to recoil.
"You have interfered for the last time, Ruby Rose! I should've just gone for your head, just as Salem did with your mother all those years ago!" growled the evil woman, and was about to attack her when Yang punched her back.
"NEVER TALK ABOUT HER LIKE THAT AGAIN, YOU BITCH!" she shouted.
"THEN YOU WILL SHARE IN RAVEN'S DEMISE, YANG!" Cinder shot back, and kicked the brawler away.
"You're gonna pay for that!" growled Blake.
"No, it is all of you who will pay for my death! I have waited too long to make Sora's death all the more painful, until I ground him into dust like a gravel maggot! And once he's gone, I will destroy you all, and then go back and prevent Sora's birth with my own hands by killing King Regis and Queen Selena! Then I will do the same with all of your parents in the past, so that evil will win, and good will die!" she gloated.
But then she looked up at Kirito.
"Oh, but I actually have something better planned for that. I believe the honor of your deaths should fall on Kirito's shoulders. I know for a fact that somewhere deep inside of his heart, he hates Sora so much, he too wishes that he had never met him, so this might actually be a very moment for me to see Kikuma with my own two eyes. That way he can be free from his shadow, and after that, both he and Asuna can live a life of true luxury, alongside their precious Yui. After that, I will take Kikuma from him, and then give him flesh and life with the power of darkness at my command," grinned Cinder.
"Grr… DON'T YOU DARE LISTEN TO THAT IDIOTIC DAUGHTER OF A BASTARD, KIRITO! IF YOU SO MUCH AS KILL SORA THE SAME WAY I WOULD WANT TO KILL KAKAROT, ASUNA WILL NEVER EVER FORGIVE YOU, DAMMIT!" yelled Vegeta, just as he watched the Dark Knight land near the Keyblade Master.
"Sorry, Kirito. I guess in the end, even though Weiss tried to make a difference, I really screwed it up big time," grunted Sora.
"Hey, don't worry. You did your best. Now it's my turn to pick up the slack," assured Kirito, after he joined his friend.
He glared back at Cinder, who was about to goad him into finishing her hated enemy off for good with a stroke of his Keyblade.
"If you honestly believe that I will just outright kill Sora, then you got another thing coming, Cinder. He's the reason he keeps pushing me to improve myself, and I have to give him that same kind of push. He even reminded me that starting to act too much like Vergil, Barret, and a handful of other people who are like me is what gives me the drive to move on, and to let go of my past. That's why I've finally found my closure with Sachi, and many other people who didn't survive the game of life and death, Sword Art Online, which turned into Hell on Earth, rather than a paradise made up of nothing but data. Also, I have no interest in joining the ranks of Niflheim's empire, because I refuse to serve a side that's only meant for one thing, and that one thing is losers like you. So I've decided that I will make you pay for hurting my friend, even though my heart actually belongs with Asuna. She's the one who helped me realize that if I continued to play the lone wolf, then I would end up becoming just like Akihiko Kayaba, Sugou Nobuyuki, the Shinkawa Brothers, Quinella, and another Vassago who was not like the Son of Sephiroth and Nehelenia, but was also another enemy I was forced to eliminate in another world created by the organization RATH. Also, about Kikuma. You're not gonna get the chance to see him with your own eyes. He'll only appear when I see someone die, or has been brutally tortured or ravaged by someone that I hate immensely. And if you so much as try to turn Asuna to ashes, you will also regret it," Kirito explained firmly.
"How dare you say that to me!" gasped Cinder.
"Think about it. Do you really believe that I would actually serve someone who is just as idiotic as Goku and Vegeta's oldest enemy Frieza?" he asked sharply.
"Well, I have a feeling that Kirito is actually very angry that he allowed his friend Sora to get brutally beaten by Cinder, even though Aiden failed to terminate him," said Trunks.
"You may be right, Trunks. But I think it's best if you watch and observe, even though the other you gave Kirito his Saiyan Soul Drive after we fought that imbecile Zamasu," replied Vegeta.
"Hey, Silica, could you come down and help Sora get to a safer haven? Also, don't even bother about Aiden, because I have a good idea to make sure that he doesn't actually screw this up big time," he called to the beast tamer.
"I'm on my way, Kirito!" replied Silica.
"YOU GODDAMN LITTLE TWERP! I WILL END YOU HERE!" shouted Cinder.
She attempted to blast her into dust, but Kirito deflected the attack right back at Aiden, who was caught off guard and turned into nothing but dust and ashes.
"AIDEN!" she howled, and her darkness erupted even further.
"Even though he was with Sephiroth, I see now that he truly was too much like Cinder and Frieza combined," scoffed Chelsea.
"Well, at least we still love you, Sis," Panty said kindly to her, taking her right hand with her left.
"That's right, but let's not forget that Panty and I still love both Cody and Lex after they helped us out in stopping Arkham, just so the final blow could be delivered by Lady," added Stocking, taking Chelsea's left hand with her right hand.
"And I love you as well. Even though you may have your differences, we will always be family," she said proudly, until they pulled each other into a group hug.
This time, just like before, it took over her being.
"Thank you, Kirito. Now to heal Sora," she said with relief.
Pina used her healing breath to heal Sora's burns and wounds, and he even drank an elixir to patch himself back up, and be returned to full strength.
"Thanks, Kirito. Now, go and give Cinder one from me, will you?" he said.
"Don't worry, Sora. I'll be sure to give that monster a little payback of my own, and then I will see to it that she never again causes trouble for both you and everyone else. But, if push comes to shove, then you'd better be ready to stop her in case she actually tries something that might get us all killed," replied Kirito.
"Alright, then good luck, buddy," grinned Sora, and he quickly hurried back to his other friends with Silica and Pina following after him.
"Huh… Should've just killed Kakarot while I had that chance," muttered Vegeta.
"What was that, Vegeta!?" demanded Bulma.
"Nothing!" he cried.
"You're damn right it better be nothing," she replied
"Oh boy. Never expected to hear Bulma say that to you, Best Buddy," grinned Goku.
"Oh, shut your piehole, Kakarot. And don't call me 'Best Buddy' again," scoffed the Saiyan Prince.
"Vegeta…" growled his wife.
This put Vegeta in his place at once. He knew better than to make Bulma threaten to file for a divorce again, which in turn would leave poor Trunks feeling heartbroken.
"Go get her, Kirito," Trunks called quietly to the Black Swordsman of SAO.