So I ordered Devil May Cry May greatest hits (box set including 1-3) for the PS2 off of www.gamestop.com last night. It should get here withing a week. Oh how I hate the American mailing system. Mind you I made this purchase because I always wanted to get into the Devil May Cry series, and since 4 is out (and I still don't own a PS3 or 360), I felt now would be a better time than ever to jump right into it. Somebody will have to tell me though whether or not DMC4 is a let down compared to the first 3.
That being said, here's your new chapter. I think I'll slow the pace down to a chapter every few days now since I didn't realize how much I had posted already. I have to say I'm quite surprised to see I've already posted past Agrabah. Happy reading!
Take XII: Cloud’s Darkness
Sera fell hard on the ground. He shook his head for a moment and looked up to examine his surroundings. He was in what looked like a battlefield, as if a war had just taken place here. Sera picked himself up and trekked across the aftermath of what seemed like a very recent battle. The ground was disturbed, trees and plants were dead, there were fires. Sera walked through a fissure, sucking his gut in, walking sideways to fit through. Upon reaching the end of the fissure, Sera saw a wide opening like the ground had been split by an earthquake.
Sera stepped onto a small ledge and felt the powerful gusts of wind almost knocking him down. As he began to sidestep he saw two dark figures fly through the air and collide, fly back leap off the walls of the crater and collide back into each other. The sound of metal rang every time they collided. Sera’s eyes widened and he summoned the Keyblade to his hand.
One of the figures landed on the wall and ran down it to the ledge, leapt off from the bottom and slashed upward at the other figure, sending him flying above the crater. Sera looked upon the attacker. His long silver hair draped beneath his shoulders. Sera gazed in shock at the long katana in the warrior’s hand. He wore a long, black coat that opened to reveal his chest with two buckles crossing it. A shining shoulder piece sat on each shoulder.
The other warrior ran from the crater and jumped a great length, sticking his sword straight down at the other. The warrior with the silver hair extended a long black angel wing on his right shoulder and leapt back out of the way. The other warrior landed on his knees and slowly rose-it was Cloud!
The man with the long silver hair gripped his sword tightly and held it the long blade straight up in front of his face. “Just give in to your darkness Cloud…”
Cloud leapt for the silver-haired warrior and swung at him twice, singing his blade horizontally, back-and-forth. His opponent back flipped away from the blade and swung his own, sending a shockwave at Cloud, disrupting the ground first, throwing Cloud off balance so he couldn’t dodge. Cloud flew through the air and landed on the side of the crater. The silver haired warrior walked forward a few steps then leapt into the air and landed in front of Cloud. He reached his blade up and swung down to finish Cloud.
“Cloud!”
Sera leapt into the crater and charged the silver haired warrior, extending his arm to first block his long blade, then reaching back his leg and kicking him back.
Cloud rose to his knees, surprised to see Sera there, “Sera?”
“Stand back Cloud, I’ll take care of this guy.”
“No, this is personal, back off. I have to beat him.”
“Well you’re not doing it without me he-”
Cloud struck Sera in the back of the head, dropping him unconscious. Sera could barely make the out the sound of the steel of the two blades clashing as he passed out.
When Sera finally came to, he was in a cave. He could see the night sky and thousands of raindrops falling outside the cave. A small fire was lit and Cloud sat opposite him on the other side of the fire.
“Did…you win?” Sera sat up slowly.
“No,”
“So, then, he spared you?”
“No, I had to flee. You were too much of an interference.”
“I’m sorry.”
“Don’t worry about it.
“But, Cloud, if you’re here, does that mean we’re in Hallow Bastion? I have some questions for Leon!”
“No.”
“Huh? Then…where…are we?”
“I don’t know. I just walk to wherever I think he is.”
“The silver haired guy?”
“Sephiroth.”
“Sephiroth.”
“He is…my darkness.”
“Your darkness, has a body?”
“Yeah.”
You will meet the embodiment of your darkness.
“How was Sephiroth born?”
“Jenova.”
”What?”
“It’s complicated.”
“So, is Sephiroth chasing you?”
“No, I’m chasing him.”
“So he’s not too concerned with finding you?”
“He wants me to give in to my darkness.”
“But, if he’s not chasing you, why are you hiding.”
“There’s another.”
“Who?”
“No one, it’s not important to you. When the rain stops you got to leave.”
“Can’t do that. The Keyblade brought me here for a reason! And I’m betting that reason was you and Sephiroth!”
“No, Sephiroth is my problem and I have to face him, alone.”
“Being alone…you remind me of Jekt.”
Cloud stood up and turned to walk out into the rain to go looking for Sephiroth.
“If you leave I’m going with you.”
Cloud stopped dead in his tracks and turned to stare directly at Sera.
If you leave I’m going with you!
Cloud looked away for a moment “I kind of miss her.”
“Who?”
“The one chasing me?”
“Then why are you running from her?”
“I can’t stand to face her like this.”
“Like what?”
“Stuck in the darkness.”
“There’s nothing wrong with the darkness! Saying something’s wrong with the darkness but not the light is like saying one twin is a winner and the other is a failure. They’re the same aside from some minor differences. If you’re stuck in the darkness and can’t find the light then use the darkness to your advantage.”
“Darkness…light… It’s a very confusing matter.”
“It doesn’t have to make sense. You just have to go with it.”
“Sera…I have to go, you should leave here.”
“I’m not leaving until we’ve beaten Sephiroth.”
“There is no we there’s me and Sephiroth.”
“I bet that if you let me help you we could take him!”
“I can do it myself.”
“But you don’t have to!”
Cloud looked at Sera, a blank look on his face like he had almost passed out.
I can do it myself.
But you don’t have to Cloud!
Cloud continued to leave the cave, he stopped and glanced back at Sera once, muttering “Right…” then continued walking. Sera watched him until he had disappeared completely into the fog and rain then leapt to his feet and raced out after him.
Sera stopped and looked up at the sky, watching the rainfall on his face.
“You were with Cloud.”
“Huh?” Sera spun around to face Sephiroth, pointing his long blade at Sera.
“Tell me, where has Cloud gone?”
“I don’t feel like telling you to be honest!”
“Perhaps if I cut off one of your limbs you’ll feel differently.”
The Keyblade appeared in Sera’s hand a flash of light.
“You’re challenging me?”
“The way I see it, I’m just keeping you in one spot till Cloud finds you.”
Sephiroth raised his long blade straight upward then slashed down at him. Sera flung himself back, planting his right hand on the ground using it and his feet as brakes to stop sliding, his Keyblade held above his back. Sera began a slow run and picked up speed as he approached Sephiroth, swinging diagonally downward to the right at Sephiroth, who swung his sword upward to counter Sera’s attack, knocking the Keyblade out of his hand and sending Sera flying. Sera rolled on the ground for a few a moments and glared at Sephiroth.
“Give up, you can’t beat me. Even Cloud cannot defeat me.”
“Shut-up!”
“Hmph, you sound just like him.”
Sera summoned the Keyblade back to his hand and ran at Sephiroth, clashing blades with him three times before jumping back.
“SONIC BLADE!”
Sera charged at Sephiroth with Sonic Blade. Sephiroth simply waved his blade and threw Sera aside.
“I grow bored of you.” Sephiroth raised his large blade and reached back, preparing to finish Sera off.
A longhaired man then leapt over Sera and in front of Sephiroth, throwing a barrage of punches at him. Sephiroth leapt back a few feet and the longhaired man followed by leaping into the air and coming crashing down at him with a kick. Sephiroth sidestepped to avoid and swung his blade at him. The longhaired man did a back flip to dodge and took another fighting stance. They were still for a few moments before Sephiroth spoke.
Sera observed the man, though he couldn’t see him too well since they ranged themselves from him during that little skirmish. But what he could see was a long, dark haired man dressed in leather. He was rather skinny and somewhat pale.
“Do you really think you can help Cloud? He doesn’t even want your help. Look at how he keeps running from you.”
The longhaired man leapt at Sephiroth and did a spin kick. Sephiroth leaned back, it appeared as if he barely dodged but that didn’t faze him at all. Sephiroth lifted himself into the air a few inches from the ground and flew back. The longhaired man reached his fist back and leapt at Sephiroth, throwing a mighty punch at him. Sephiroth took flight into the air. The longhaired man’s fist collided with a large rock, smashing it to pieces. Sera gasped in amazement, almost tripping over his own feet despite the fact he was standing still.
Sera was absolutely flabbergasted by this man’s amazing strength. But what shocked him even more was when he heard him speak.
“You can’t win Sephiroth! Cloud will defeat you and find his light!” a female voice rung out.
The longhaired man brushed his hair to the side to reveal the face a beautiful woman. Sera was extremely confused, and also rather scared that such a skinny girl could hold such tremendous strength.
Sephiroth, still in the air, swooped down, swinging his large blade at the woman, who back flipped several times until Sephiroth climbed higher into the air. Sera heard her let out a slight sigh of relief. She could tell Sephiroth was swooping back down from behind and leapt into the air, spinning around to kick him in the face. Sephiroth turned straight up and flew into the sky, coming straight back down to swing the girl, who was unable to dodge in the air.
It just occurred to Sera that he was still on the sidelines when he could be doing something. He had been so shocked by the woman’s strength that he completely forgot he was fighting Sephiroth too! Sera summoned the Keyblade to his hand and charged at the two fighters. He leapt into the air and hurled his Keyblade like a boomerang at Sephiroth.
“STRIKE RAID!”
The Keyblade soared through the air towards Sephiroth, who was forced to do a spin strike in the air to knock it away. This gave the woman enough time to land on the ground and leap back, a safe distance from Sephiroth. She shot amazed and confused looks at Sera as if she hadn’t noticed and he had just popped up out of nowhere.
Sephiroth landed on one knee and slowly rose. His wing covering half his body. He raised his left hand, which he wielded his long katana in and pointed it at Sera.
“You die first.”
“I don’t think so Sephiroth!” The woman stepped in between Sera and Sephiroth, her arms spread, “You’re dealing with me first!”
Sera ran around her so that he now stood between her and Sephiroth, “Sorry lady but I was here first, wait your turn!”
“Look kid,” the woman grabbed Sera’s shoulder and ripped him back behind her. Sera could feel her terrifying strength in her hand as she pulled at his shoulder, “I don’t know what kind of enemies you’ve fought but Sephiroth isn’t your average fighter. He’s not someone to be taken lightly.”
Sera tried to free his shoulder from her grip but she was too strong so he acted as if he hadn’t tried at all, ashamed that he couldn’t overpower her. “I’ve gotten a taste of what he can do when I saw him fighting Cloud. And trust me, it’s nothing I can’t handle.”
“Cloud? Cloud’s here? Where is he?”
“Uhh, I don’t really know, he just kinda left and told me not to follow him.”
“Which way did he go?”
Sephiroth, still pointing his sword at Sera, now pointed it straight up and gripped the hilt with both hands. “Enough of this, you both die-now!” Sephiroth kicked off against the ground and flew at Sera and the woman. Neither of them had time to defend or dodge and they both knew Sephiroth’s blade would cut through them both.
At the last second they heard the sound of metal colliding and grunting. Sera peered up as he had ducked his head down when he saw Sephiroth attacking. He saw Cloud standing over him and the woman, his blade matching Sephiroth’s.
“Tifa! Sera! Get out of here-now!”
Sera assumed Tifa was the girl’s name.
“No Cloud! I won’t leave you! I want to help you!”
“I don’t need any help!”
“But Cloud-”
“Go! NOW!”
Sera pushed Tifa aside as he felt crowded with her right next to him and Cloud and Sephiroth standing over them. “Look man, she wants to help you! I do too! Together we can beat Sephiroth.”
“Laughable, you truly think you can defeat me. You bunch of misfits.”
Cloud leaned back and pushed forward with all his strength to push Sephiroth back. He turned to Sera and Tifa, “Get going-now!”
“We’re not going anywhere!”
“This is the end for your Cloud” Sephiroth stretched his arm across his chest and swung his blade, sending a powerful shockwave at the trio, spreading them out. “Now, Cloud, you will see what happens when you deny your darkness.”
Sephiroth leapt into the air, pulling his blade back and stabbed forward, though not aiming for Cloud. He was aiming for Tifa!
“Tifa!”
“Cloud!”
“You shall pay for your foolishness Cloud.”
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