Upon reaching Wutai, the transports came to a halt, and the cadets disembarked. Raith and Mira immediately began issuing orders, directing the cadets to their assigned positions.
"Ren, Zack, you're to assist in evacuating any civilians near the fort," Raith instructed. "Move quickly and stay safe."
Ren and Zack nodded, heading to their designated area. The fort appeared in the distance as they went, with the sounds of fighting and the smoke from the fort visible.
They moved through the streets, searching for civilians who might need help. As they made their way through, a sudden, massive explosion erupted from the direction of the fort, causing both cadets to look back in alarm.
The ground shook violently, and a blinding summoning circle appeared in the sky. From the circle, Ifrit, the fire demon, descended, causing the earth to tremble and sending shockwaves through the streets.
In the midst of the confusion, Zack's sharp eyes spotted a small figure huddled behind a pile of debris—a little girl, her face streaked with dirt and tears.
"Ren!" Zack called out urgently as he rushed towards the girl. "I see someone who needs help!"
Upon seeing the terrifying demon, Ren instinctively unsheathed her katana, ready to defend. Though she was nervous, she stayed calm and collected. Zack, on the other hand, continued towards the little girl.
He quickly knelt beside the girl, his expression gentle and reassuring. "Hey there, it's okay," he said soothingly. "We're here to help you. Can you come with us? We'll get you to safety."
Suddenly, Ifrit's fiery eyes locked onto Ren and Zack, the air crackling with impending destruction.
Ren froze, her hands trembling as she gripped her katana, watching Ifrit unleash a torrent of flames directly at her. Despite her calm demeanor and focus, the sudden attack surprised her, causing her to fail to act. In a split second, Sephiroth appeared before her, using his Masamune to deflect the attack with ease.
"Leave," Sephiroth commanded in an angry, low voice. Despite his composed exterior, the intensity in his tone conveyed his frustration, anger, and concern.
Ren stumbled backward, her eyes wide with shock as she watched Sephiroth deflect the attack with no effort. His face showed an anger she had never seen before. She remained paralyzed, unable to move or respond to his command.
"For fuck's sake," he muttered as he launched toward the demon in front of him.
Sephiroth's movements were fluid and precise, a deadly dance of power and grace. He wielded his Masamune with incredible speed, each strike landing with perfect accuracy. The fire demon roared and lashed out with fiery blasts, but Sephiroth dodged and countered effortlessly.
He leaped high into the air, bringing his sword down with a powerful strike that sent a shockwave through the ground. Ifrit stumbled, the force of the blow causing cracks to appear in the earth.
Despite being frozen in place, Ren watched Sephiroth's movements and strikes in awe. His movements were almost otherworldly, every motion a testament to his strength and skill.
"Ren! We need to go now!" Zack yelled as he carried the little girl securely in his arms.
Ren nodded as she started moving with Zack, occasionally looking back. The fight was so fierce that the whole of Wutai region could hear the horrifying sounds the demon was creating.
Amidst their retreat to safety, Ren noticed something—another enemy, Wutai resistance fighters, creeping up behind Sephiroth with their weapons ready to strike.
Ren's heart pounded in her chest, a wave of new concern washing over her. The thought of Sephiroth being ambushed, of standing by and doing nothing, was becoming unbearable.
It's not like the First Class SOLDIER needed her help. It's Sephiroth, for fuck's sake.
In clear disregard of the orders given to her, she began running towards the enemy.
"What the hell are you doing?!" Zack exclaimed, watching his fellow cadet running back.
Ren just offered a smile, gesturing for him to get the girl to safety.
She intercepted the attack with a swift, decisive motion, her katana clashing against the enemy's blades. The force of her counterattack sent the Wutai soldiers stumbling back, their surprise evident. Sephiroth turned, his eyes narrowing as he saw Ren standing between him and the attackers.
As Ifrit was about to attack Sephiroth when his attention was not on him, Genesis's sword clashed with the attack, deflecting it with ease.
"I see the new cadet has some guts," Genesis said with a smirk. "It's certainly not every day you see young cadets disobeying orders."
At that moment, Sephiroth's eyes met Ren's. His expression hardened, but he didn't have time to argue. The Wutai soldiers were regrouping and launching another assault.
Ren and Sephiroth moved in unison, their blades crashing heavily against the enemy's. Fighting alongside Sephiroth gave her a new wave of reassurance and confidence.
Together, they drove back the Wutai fighters, their combined strength overwhelming the resistance. As the last of the attackers fell, Genesis continued battling Ifrit, filling in for Sephiroth.
Angeal watched from above after his attack on the fort was somewhat successful. He couldn't stop them from using Summon materia in time. His eyes landed on Ren with Sephiroth, prompting a smirk to appear on his face. Cadets disobeying rules will always be interesting.
Genesis, on the other hand, was having a little too much fun with the demon, dancing with him and dodging the attacks.
"Aww, is the summon too hard for you, Genesis?" Angeal teased as he watched his friend dodge attacks.
"You can't fight fire with fire, Angeal," Genesis replied, sarcasm was evident in his tone.
As Genesis danced with fire, enjoying the fight, Sephiroth delivered one final, devastating blow with his Masamune, which brought the demon down. Ifrit let out a final, echoing roar before collapsing and disappearing into a cloud of smoke and embers, turning back into its materia form.
"Way to ruin the fun," Genesis said with slight annoyance as he sheathed his sword. He picked up the materia and tossed it to Sephiroth.
Sephiroth didn't respond but caught the materia that was thrown to him.
As the fight ended, Sephiroth's eyes landed on Ren as he approached her. He watched her intensely, his expression conflicted with many emotions.
Ren stood at attention, her heart pounding in her chest. The intensity of Sephiroth's gaze was almost unbearable.
"You disobeyed orders, Ren," Sephiroth stated, his voice cold and controlled, though he struggled to hide his emotions.
"You will report to me as soon as we return to Midgar. We will discuss this situation further."
"Yes, sir," Ren replied, her voice steady despite her fear. She knew she had made a mistake, but she also knew she couldn't stand by when she saw the danger approaching him.
Sephiroth's expression softened just slightly as he looked into her eyes.
"Thank you" he said, his voice holding a rare note of sincerity. He just couldn't help it.