Sephiroth vs. Nicholas

[kempff]

There was no reception when one entered the Coliseum on this day. The doors were all slightly ajar, the flames either out or illuminated with an odd purple color. High above the sun was nowhere to be seen, the sky filled with clouds and illuminated with the same strange purple light. One would not have known it was actually day, in the air an almost visible darkness moved around in place of it.

Everywhere at once with no clear point of origin a voice filled the empty coliseum. It beckoned anyone daring to the arena.

In the arena the darkness was thicker, only four purple lights were present atop the pillars of the arena proper. On the far side a man was crouching, muttering to himself, his shape had something bizarre to it.

[servant]

The armour-clad boy stumbled about curiously in the arena. He had come--not to compete, but to observe--to the arena today in hopes of something interesting showing up.

How puzzling it was that almost the entire arena was shrouded in darkness. The purple-coloured light was, in a way, fashionable, but presently only felt foreboding to the young lad. The voice did not help in this regard--Nicholas couldn't quite explain it, but he felt drawn by the voice to challenge whatever was in the arena at this moment. His sword was already brandished, his armour summoned, and his resolve made. The question was whether he was not on the edge of a deep ravine, ready to tumble in.

The arena was empty enough, although the darkness thicker. The only other person seemed to be a man--Nicholas couldn't quite make out his features--who somehow... made Nicholas shiver. Was it fear?

He kept silent, his eyes trained on the man in intense observation.

[kempff]

The doors behind the challenger slammed shut. Darkness filled the air around the arena and left only purple light to illuminate it. The man was standing, a black wing extending from his right shoulder.

"Who has come Mother? Why are they disturbing our peaceful time...." The man continued to mutter to himself. A long sword appeared in his left hand, dragging on the ground and screeching. "What did you say Mother....it's him? The traitor...Cloud!?"

All at once he turned, eyes full with fury, silver hair blowing back and his black suit fanning out. He brought up his sword. "I've been waiting Cloud."

[servant]

'Wh-whoah, this guy's business!' thought Nicholas to himself, who defensively held up his sword as best as he could: he was no expert on the matter, but his trembling legs betrayed that he knew it, deep down.

This man was way beyond his own capabilities. A fearsome foe. Someone who could not only defeat, but quite likely kill him. What to do?

'He thinks I'm some Cloud guy, huh... Maybe not so smart to go against him, looks pretty frenzied,' Nicholas figured; if there was one thing he'd learned in his short life, it was that people would not listen to reason when they were angry, and this man seemed to be just that.

"I'm not sure who you are... but I'll defend myself," declared the knight, even though he knew it was likely futile to even threaten with his own defense. This man... Nicholas feared him.

[kempff]

"What....he's not Cloud, not at all Mother." A frown came over Sephiroth. "Cloud isn't....you, do know who I am? You will have heard of me. You will tell all who I am after this, remember today, you fought Sephiroth."

Sephiroth was already in flight, not waiting a moment for a response. Masamune led the way, if the challenger didn't move he'd be run through several feet. To Sephiroth it didn't matter what he did.

[servant]

Not a moment of pause even. Before Nicholas knew full well what was going on... the other charged. What had his name been?

'Not important! Time to defend myself... let's try... don't fail me now, body...'

The boy narrowly avoided getting skewered by the ridiculously long katana, but the speed at which Sephiroth moved was quite frightening indeed. Their range was... he was too close. He'd have to try and force the man back!

With a roar, Nicholas' sword charged itself with energy for a single Linear Equation strike; far too weak in its initial state to really be damaging, Nicholas knew, but he hoped the swordsman would be as cautious as many of his sort were, and avoid taking needless hits.

If he could get Se... roth... something to create distance between them, that'd be good enough for now.

[kempff]

Sephiroth didn't respond to the challengers actions, instead he carried himself into the air with a spin and dodged the attack altogether. Bringing Masamune up to guard, he prepared Sin Angel.

"Dodge challenger, or you will die." Even faster than before, Sephiroth shot down.

Sin Angel, a series of seven attacks in all that any opponent's hope was to match Sephiroth's power in a defensive motion, then and only then would they be spared being cut to pieces. Dodging, in reality, was a dream.

[servant]

'D-dodge?!'

A little abrupt perhaps. Nicholas wasn't sure what to do now -- dodging this attack seemed all but impossible. His mind calculated quickly -- perhaps one of the few things it was good at, calculations. The best he could hope to do was trigger Linear Equation again and hope it could, somehow, manage to withstand this man's awesome force.

Hopes for dodging abandoned, the knight swung his sword at Sephiroth the moment he thought the one-winged angel was too close for comfort. Did he match the timing? Did he manage to parry? ... will he survive the brutal Sin Angel?

[kempff]

Just a little tweak was enough for Sephiroth to spare this challenger from an early death. Instead of focusing on the body, he hit the sword and then finished on the arena tile.

Almost immediately Sephiroth hopped far to his left, repositioning himself before charging at the challenger. "Amuse me."

[servant]

Somehow, he'd managed to avoid getting killed... but it felt like this man was toying with him.

'Oh man, I know I don't ask for help regularly, but you know God? Now'd be a good time to uh, reward the one time I do ask?'

He was in no position to offer vocal rebuttals to the silver-haired swordsman, but he tried as best as he could to seize the initiative himself this time. Perhaps he was just wearing Essence of Stupidity like some cologne, but Nicholas charged slightly at Sephiroth in hopes of putting off their balance (and had he been aware of Sephiroth's notoriety, would likely not have done this) and intercepting their attack with an attack of his own. I don't suppose I need to repeat its name here, since it should be obvious he was using Linear Equation again. Third time, two more power ups to go.

[kempff]

Masamune met the challenger's attack, and barely budged. Perhaps Sephiroth was going easy again. His emotionless face would not give way to any indication.

Sephiroth chose to not bring Masamune back, instead he continued to press against the challenger's sword. "You remind me of Sora. Do you know who he is?" A grin came across the silver haired man's face. "Or is your tongue running away again?"

[servant]

Nicholas had his teeth gritted together as he tried--with all his might--to budge Masamune, but he might just as well have been swatting at snowflakes. Or try to stop an avalanche with his sword. This required all his might, and the other wanted him to jolly fine well talk as well?

"Nnngg... I don't... ng... know any... ghhgh... Sora's..." gritted the youthful warrior.

[kempff]

"Ha!" Sephiroth pushed forward, enough force to fling the challenger into the darkness wall, but instead he kindly changed it so he'd fall back. What was menacing was that Sephiroth barely moved his body.

"Who are you, one who does not know either myself or the Hero of Light?" The last four words came out with disgust by Sephiroth.

[servant]

"Gwuah!"

The boy fell, his sword clanging over the floor as it shot from his hand. Damnit, he'd not expected that! ... This man, it'd be impossible to win!

'Okay, Cloud, Hero of Light Sora, whoever you folks are... how about jumping in and, y'know, saving me? You're heroes, right?'

When prompted for his name, Nicholas entertained a brief thought of denying this man that knowledge. But on the other side, perhaps provoking him would not be the wisest of choices, so Nicholas named himself, "... Nicholas Magnus.

Some worlds are oblivious to the cries of the worlds, so forgive me for not knowing who you two are."

'Great, Nils, you just -had- to be sarcastic, huh? Well, if you're going to die, then say adieu to me, your mind and conscience, because you've just really rebelled at the wrong time.'

Of course, his body hadn't really rebelled, but one could say Nicholas entertained a unique brand of humour in his own head.

[kempff]

"You're not worth the time to kill. In fact, be gone with you." Sephiroth turned, a tearing sound behind Nicholas could be heard as Sephiroth walked away. "When you're stronger, come back."

For a moment Sephiroth turned. "Do not make your thoughts so clear on your face Nicholas Magnus. Next time, I will tear them out of your head and make you eat them. Next time only one of us walks away from this. Remember, if you do not come back, I will come for you."

The darkness behind Nicholas had parted and led a path to the now open main lobby doors.