Crisis Core: The Female SOLDIER

16

"Is that Angeal's face...?" Zack exclaimed as he crouched down, having entered the reactor mere minutes ago before he was attacked by a sahagin-like monster, taking it down quickly. It was when he inspected it did he recognized the features on its head.

"It appears Genesis isn't the only one who can be copied," Sephiroth announced as he and Sera walked towards Zack, having encountered the same mutated creatures before Zack had arrived.

'That would mean Angeal is now on their side," Sera thought, biting her lip.

Nothing was said for the moment, all three of them lost within their own thoughts before Sephiroth suddenly spoke up.

"The company training room," Sephiroth began, causing Zack and Sera to look up at him. "During the times when we were not training you, Sera, we used to sneak in there for fun, when the 2nds were out... Genesis, Angeal, and I."

"You guys were pretty tight, huh?" Zack commented.

Sephiroth only shrugged. "Humph, I wonder..." He replied, recalling the last time the three of them were there.

The three of them were at Junon, on top of the Mako Cannon built by Shinra, overlooking the ocean as the sun slowly set, turning the sky a light orange hue. Genesis was sitting at the base, reading his book as usual with his best friend, Angeal leaning beside him. Sephiroth stood more towards the end of the cannon, soaking in the sun's rays as they all listened to the quotes read out by Genesis.

"Infinite in mystery is the gift of the goddess, We seek it thus, and take to the sky,

Ripples form on the water's surface, The wandering soul knows no rest."

Sephiroth opened his eyes, a slight smile on his face as he turned to walk towards them. Beside Genesis, Angeal opened his eyes as well, as though waking up from a light nap as he lifted his head as Genesis's quoting comes to an end.

Sephiroth stopped a distance away. "LOVELESS, Act 1," Sephiroth announced, his sword, Masamune, in his left hand.

Genesis lifted his head up to look at his other friend and smirked, snapping the book shut as he pocketed it back into his coat. "You remembered." He said, standing up from his seat as Angeal looked towards him.

"How can I not, when you've beaten it into my head?" Sephiroth smirked back, tapping a finger to his head in emphasis before swinging his sword, an invitation to battle.

Angeal and Genesis accepted the invitation eagerly, Angeal grabbing his sword as Genesis lifted his own to his head like a prayer.

"Don't take Sephiroth lightly," Angeal warned Genesis.

"Humph, noted..." was all Genesis replied before the three dashed towards each other, initiating the fight.

Genesis and Angeal double teamed Sephiroth, swinging their swords at him only to be effortlessly parried by the hero. The two of them continuously tried to attack Sephiroth, only for their strikes to be blocked and parried by Sephiroth who simply smirked almost arrogantly. Both Angeal and Genesis standing a distance away from Sephiroth on opposite sides, the two of them dashed towards him simultaneously, swinging their swords at the same time only for both to be blocked by Masamune single-handedly. The three of them fought, their movements graceful and flawless, it was almost like a dance.

Sephiroth jumped back, dodging a strike from Angeal and Genesis twirled in the air only to be thrown back by Sephiroth as Angeal rushed forward. Among the three of them, Sephiroth was the strongest, and they all knew that.

But it didn't stop the other two from fighting him. It only seemed to egg them on.

Sephiroth and Angeal's swords met, sparks erupting between them. "Ha!" Sephiroth let out a laugh, "Is that the best you can do?" he taunted almost mockingly. He forced Angeal back, causing him land next to Genesis.

"All hail Sephiroth, eh?" Angeal commented, and Genesis stretched his arm out, blocking him. "Angeal, stay back," he ordered. "I'll take Sephiroth alone."

"Genesis..." Angeal trailed off, surprised.

Taking a step forward, Genesis lifted his sword up, running a gloved hand along the blade. The blade began to glow, thrumming with magic. "The world needs a new hero."

"Humph," Sephiroth scoffed, staring at Genesis with amusement. "Come and try."

"So smug... but for how long?" Genesis ran forward, continuing the fight.

He swung his sword at Sephiroth, with more force than before only to miss and he dodged when Sephiroth swung his own blade at him. Genesis's blade clashed against Sephiroth, the sheer force behind it, causing flames to burst out around the two. The two men grinned, deciding to take it up a notch and Genesis leaped back before rushing towards him once more parrying each other with more force than the last, sending each other skidding back.

This was no longer a friendly sparring match between two friends, but a battle of the strongest to see who would attain the title of 'hero.'

The two of them took to the air, continuing to fight, striking each other with their swords before they separated, still airborne. Genesis, his competitive grin now contorting into a look of irritation, still unable to land a hit on Sephiroth, and changed his tactics to magic, sending out multiple balls of fire towards him only for them to miss or be broken to smaller piece with a swing of Sephiroth's sword. Genesis brought his hand into a fist, and the flames that went past Sephiroth suddenly changed direction, now rushing towards him like locked on missiles, all of them gathering towards Sephiroth as he cut them before he was engulfed by the sheer number of it, enveloping him like a flaming cocoon before it exploded into a miniature sun.

Genesis grinned, a look of complete victory on his face and uncaring of the fact he may have just harmed his friend as he was about to send another blast at him only to be stopped by a hand on his arm.

"Stop!" Angeal ordered. "You'll destroy us all!" The fight had now gotten out of hand.

But Genesis simply shot a beam at him, sending him back down on the ground out of his way.

"That is no way to talk to a hero!"

As Genesis simply watched him fall, he snapped his head up to see the miniature sun sliced open by Sephiroth. He sent Genesis some of his powerful strikes, the strikes shearing through the cannon like melted butter, cutting it to pieces. The two of them landed back down on the ground, Sephiroth standing on one of the cut off pieces as it slowly descended, cutting off Genesis view before Genesis leaped back as the area he was standing was suddenly sliced to pieces, revealing Sephiroth once more as he leaped back on the cannon in a graceful manner. The continued to fight as they moved back further, Sephiroth slicing off pieces of the cannon with each strike of his sword. Genesis engulfed his sword in magic once more, the blade glowing brighter and the two dashed forward, preparing to end it once and for all.

"Enough!" Angeal suddenly got in between them, a training sword in one hand as he blocked Genesis's magic enhanced strike and Sephiroth's own with his Buster Sword in his other from the back.

"Angeal..." Sephiroth started, surprised.

"Out of my way!" Genesis growled, no longer able to take losing against Sephiroth so many times, and summoned a blast to strike at his best friend for getting in the way. But Angeal's training began to snap from the pressure against Genesis sword, and a piece of it broke off, slashing it across Genesis's shoulder.

"Genesis!" Genesis dropped to his knee, clutching onto his shoulder as the simulation halted and shifted back into the training room due to the damage. Sparks and the crackling of electricity appearing at several parts of the room.

Genesis lifted his head up slightly. "Just a scrape," he grunted, standing up straight once more. "I'll be fine don't worry." He went to pick his sword back up, before moving past them, quoting once more as both Angeal and Sephiroth looked at him.

"Even if the morrow is barren of promises, Nothing shall forestall my return."