The trio zipped quickly and carefully down the cliffside onto the main road expediently making their way to the site of the meteorite crash. A big plume of dark smoke continued to rise from the center of the crater as they approached. The crater was almost thirty feet in diameter, but the inner ten feet was giving off so much smoke that nothing could be seen beyond that. Just as they were approaching thirty feet away from the crater, five huge purple tendrils shot out from the ground in the crater reaching a height of almost thirty feet. Zack stopped his bike immediately as Kunsel and Luxiere did the same.
"What the hell is that?!" Luxiere exclaimed.
"This must be the "alien" Tseng was talking about" Zack remarked keenly observing their newest foe.
"What are we going to do about it?" Kunsel asked already knowing the answer.
"Need I answer that?" Zack said drawing his buster sword.
"I was afraid of that" Luxiere gulped looking at the huge tall long purple tendrils snaking around.
Without hesitation Zack leaped off his bike within the tendrils' range. They immediately struck at him as he jumped three times in succession flipping back three more times avoiding being swept off his feet. When he finally landed preparing his next move, a sixth tendril snaked out of the veiled smokey center trying to catch Zack off guard. Kunsel dashed in with his soldier sword and did a focused strike stabbing the tendril causing it to quickly retreat leaving a wake of dark purple fluid. Then it began countering with another tendril only to be foiled by Luxiere using a lightning bolt spell stunning it for a moment allowing Kunsel to deliver a strong overhand cut forcing the tendril to retreat back to the center.
"Don't pat yourselves on the back yet, something tells me this thing is just getting warmed up" Zack said focusing his buster sword on the now six huge flailing purple tendrils.
"What the...!" Kunsel exclaimed.
"Shit-!" Luxiere yelled.
Without warning, another half dozen of smaller tendrils snaked out of the veiled center two each grabbing Zack, Kunsel, and Luxiere dragging then off the ledge into the air over the crater. Before it could decide what to do with the three soldiers, Zack quickly twirled his buster sword slicing right through these smaller tendrils cutting through them like salami. A high shrieking scream pierced the air from the veiled center as Zack harmlessly dropped to his feet now, less than fifteen feet away from the smokey center. Zack looked up and could still see Luxiere and Kunsel being slung above him like rag dolls, but before he could take another action four of the bigger tendrils came flying towards him.
"Let go of my Soldiers you hideous thing!" Zack shouted as he dodged the first round of swipes while trying to keep an eye on how his companions were doing. Both Luxiere and Kunsel were struggling to get free as now they had two thicker tendrils trying to restrain their movement. Kunsel was able to make a deep cut into one causing it to lower him some, but the other began wrapping around him to restrain his sword arm movement. Luxiere was able to stab another big tendril doing the same to him as well, but Luxiere was being dragged to the center where the smoke cleared revealing a sinew magenta colored mass of flesh covered with tens of sharp tooth mauls waiting to bite anything unfortunate enough to get too close.
"Ok you freak! You've asked for it now!" Zack said focusing his attack on all the other tendrils flailing at him.
In a flash, Zack unleashed a flurry of quick successful slashes hitting the four huge limbs attacking him carving through each one that passed by to counter leaving the putrid ooze of dark purple alien blood being slung all over himself and the ground causing them to retreat
"Um Zack! A hand here please!" Luxiere cried out seeing what the alien creature had planned for him.
Zack glanced over Kunsel's way as now he had managed to weaken the two smaller tendrils enough to lower him to the ground where he could plant his feet. Suddenly Kunsel grabbed his sword with both hand and with a bright green flash, Kunsel swung his sword from the ground up in an upward crescent motion severing the two smaller tendrilx and completely cutting through one of the bigger tentacle limbs like butter. More of the alien bloody substance sprayed from the gaping wounds of the creature. The scream crescendoed into a louder higher pitched chorus of screams. Zack quickly dashed to the center realizing Kunsel was holding his own preparing to striking the center mass of sinew. Just as the tendrils were about to deliver a now struggling Luxiere who just dropped his sword to the center of its mass revealing the numerous mouths on its body, Zack jumped in the air wtih an upward swipe and multiple downward and horizontal flashy strokes striking the mass several times with a ceremonial style cut he had mastered during his first soldier training long before.
The creature dropped Luxiere as he quickly flipped while falling to land on his feet regaining his bearings. The creature let out an ear-piercing scream which caused Zack to stop his assault and cover one of his ears. Kunsel and Luxiere began doing the same as the tendrils continued wildly swinging in the air.
"Luxiere!" Kunsel shouted deftly retrieving Luxiere's sword.
"What!?" Luxiere shouted back ears still ringing.
"Your sword!" Kunsel quickly tossed it to him.
"I owe you one!" Luxiere remarked gratefully.
"You owe me more than one!" Kunsel pointed with his blade as he waved it menacingly at a passing tendril got uncomfortably close.
The creature redoubled its efforts despite the major injury Zack had inflicted and focused all of its tendrils big and small desperately trying to strike or grab the attacking and Luxiere went back on the defensive deflecting the smaller tendrils snaking from every angle. Zack too was finding he too a bit overwhelmed cutting down countless smaller tentacles seemingly regenerating in a sudden blitz. The bigger tentacles were coming back in for another series of swipes and strikes forcing Kunsel and Luxiere to separate and retreat. One bigger tendril slammed into the ground moments where Kunsel once stood had he not quickly dodged out of the way.
"Lightning Empower!" Luxiere shouted as two more big tendrils tried to grab him again. Quickly, he swung his sword in a counter clockwise motion as the blade began buzzing with electricity. He leaped into the air completing a forward flip then as the other big tendril enclosed on him, he executed an "X" slash with a bright blue flash cutting a deep gash leaving it paralyzed from the electrocution.
"Time to end this!" Zack said finishing another series of his powerful ceremonial cuts.
"Ifrit! Come on out!" Zack shouted making a series of gestures as the symbol appeared in mid-air with a bright flash. Within seconds Ifrit appeared from his realm Seeing the -alien target. The flame demon took a stance and rushed slashing the mass fleshy sinew with its claws and two of the large tendrils summoning an onslaught of hellish flames incinerating the creature to a pile of ash. Once the central massed was roasted to a crips, the other tendrils shriveled up like a dead vine as Ifrit disappeared back to his realm.
"Is everyone alright?" Zack asked looking at his companions.
"Where the hell did this thing come from?!" Luxiere exclaimed.
"Jenova must be calling out to her or its friends" Zack surmised darkly
"This thing can call reinforcements from deep space?!" Kunsel asked a bit shocked.
"Yea, that's why we have to destroy these things wherever we see them" Zack explained looking at Luxiere.
"Wished I had a summon materia that powerful" Luxiere sighed.
"Even a summon materia is limited to the power of the summoner" Zack reminded him.
"Shall we continue?" Kunsel asked as he began walking back towards his bike.
"Should be another ten minutes away from Kalm by bike Zack nodded.