Final Fantasy VII: Lifestream - Book 2: Aftermath

FORTY-ONE

Hitting my right glove switch, I used my suit's acceleration to try to get an advantage, and although I did manage to score a few minor hits, Rosso just shrugged them off, the sight and scent of her blood making her even crazier than she already was. Quickly crossing my weapons in front of me, I blocked a burst of gunfire, then laid into her with a string of rapid slashes while Kunsel let loose with a blast of lightning from his materia. Rosso stumbled a little but barely slowed down, and she sliced me across the arm before I could get away.

I let out a little gasp, then gritted my teeth and answered with a cut of my own, followed by a searing fire spell. Rosso snarled, then slashed at me again, but this time I caught it, my light daggers slamming loudly against her steel blade. The fight took the three of us all over the room, and I could feel the sweat beading on my skin and the sizzling pain on the back of my forearm where she'd gotten me. And as my speed boost wore off, I struggled to stay on the offensive.

Shoving Rosso away, I put a little distance between us and hurled a wave of blazing orange energy at her with my light daggers, then ran in with a flying spin kick that I hoped would put her flat on her back. But she was incredibly fast, recovering sooner than I'd anticipated, and she hit me with a curving shockwave of red energy that hurled me halfway across the room and straight into the wall.

Pain exploded inside me as my back slammed into the metal, and I cried out before falling onto my hands and knees. When I looked up, I saw Rosso dashing toward me, her bladed weapon already descending toward my neck. But then Kunsel was there, sliding effortlessly in front of me to stop her attack in its tracks. He stood in between us, shielding me and driving her back with his sword.

I rolled to my right and sprang to my feet, my own weapons ready as I returned to the fight. I slashed again and again, energy building up inside the light daggers, but even with as much pressure as Kunsel and I were putting on her, Rosso barely even looked winded, and her sheer speed allowed her to hold her own even though she was outnumbered. We had to try something different to even the odds somehow and beat her, and as I continued to fight, raining blows upon Rosso and dodging or deflecting her attacks, I thought of a plan.

My suit hadn't quite finished recharging yet, so I had to buy a little more time. I blasted Rosso with more fire magic, then nailed her with a chain of quick kicks. She recovered quickly, though, slicing at my leg as I slammed my foot into her side, but Kunsel knocked her weapon aside before it could cut open my calf and nicked her on the arm. She drove us back with a rapid burst of gunfire, then swept her weapon in a tight arc in front of her, sending another shockwave toward us. Kunsel and I barely managed to jump out of its way.

Rosso didn't even give us a chance to breathe, though. She charged, swiping at me with a dizzying flurry of five spinning slashes while also blocking Kunsel's attacks at the same time from the other side. She cut viciously at him, looking to slice his stomach open, but I was faster this time, rushing in and knocking her weapon aside with a high backhand strike that sent her arm out wide. I followed it with even more magical fire, forcing her back, and Kunsel took the opportunity to throw an ice spell from his second materia along with it.

Then I smirked, knowing my suit's power had finished recharging, and hit my left glove switch. The glowing orange grid appeared around me for a moment, and then it rippled and disappeared, taking me with it. Rosso growled and fired at me, but I was already moving, slashing at her from first one side and then the other as Kunsel continued his own assault to keep her distracted and off guard.

"Where are you, girl!?" Rosso snarled. "Too cowardly to face me in a true fight? You only prolong the inevitable!"

I didn't answer, not wanting to give away my position, and instead I kept attacking, hitting her once or twice, then moving away when she struck back and going at her again from a different direction. She sent out another shockwave and another, but I kept moving and stayed well ahead of them. Kunsel did, too, and between us, I knew we were finally starting to wear her down. When my invisibility was almost up, I sliced at Rosso one more time, then moved away, getting myself into position for what I had in mind, my weapons charged.