Thank everybody for continueing to read my fan fic. Here is the next chapter. I hope ya'll enjoy. I shall post the next one by this weekend...hopefully.
Chapter 9: The Coliseum
The wind whistled thru the debris, picking up dust as it seemed to snake its way around the arena. Phil had to rub his eyes, because the sight was terrible. The once great Coliseum, where mighty heroes battled, now lay before him in utter ruins. The black gates at both ends lay on the ground, completely mangled. The walls where shattered in many places. Pieces of stone still continued to fall to the floor, where they seemed to explode upon striking the pieces of wall already on the arena floor. Where sections of the wall still stood, deep scars where visible, slashes cut into them from the blades of powerful swords. The fires that once rested on the tops of the walls, most now burned around the arena floor. Others had spilled their oil base along the sides of the wall, turning whatever remained of that wall, into a fiery pillar. The stands, which once seated crowds of cheering spectators, where now riddled with many small impact craters. How could this have come to pass, thought Phil. In all of the years that had passed, none of the games had ever brought the Coliseum to utter ruin. A small stone fragment of wall tumbled to the floor, clattering, as it stumbled down the side, before finally hitting the floor with a resonating thud. The wind picked up the dust caused by the stones fall. This, the whistling wind, where the only audible sounds on the arena floor, but, high above the chaos of the Coliseum arena, a different scene of chaos was still unfolding.
With one hand firmly gripping the hilt of his massive Buster sword, the other moved to his brow, wiping away the sweat that now seemed to overwhelm him. His breathing was quick, and his heart beat furiously within his chest. He tried to slow his breathing down, but to no avail. Sephiroth had lunged forward, and with that, Cloud stopped wiping his brow, and quickly gripped his Buster sword with both hands now, and proceeded to charge. As they began to close the gap between each other, Sephiroth disappeared. Cloud quickly halted, and began to furiously look around for his foe. “SHOW YOURSELF!” he bellowed. As the final word escaped his lips, Sephiroth materialized above him. Cloud did not react soon enough, and Sephiroth dropped down on him with a bone crunching elbow drop to his shoulder. Thou Cloud had not reacted soon enough; he had moved just enough to avoid a blow to the head. The force of the blow hurtled Cloud towards the ground, where he struck the arena floor with such a massive force, he had formed another impact crater. The dust and debris scattered everywhere. As he stood up, shaking his head, here again was Sephiroth, rushing towards him from the sky. Cloud had to concentrate, he knew that Sephiroth would disappear at the last moment, but where would he appear? Time was quickly running out. Cloud took a deep breath as he readied himself. Sure enough, as Sephiroth neared, he vanished. Cloud closed his eyes, and concentrated. “THERE!” he screamed, and swung to his left, bringing his sword in a wide arc attack. CLANG! Cloud let out a gasp. As Sephiroth had materialized, he had already brought up his Masamune sword to block Clouds attack. Cloud jumped back, and as he tried to compose himself, he wondered how Sephiroth had known to block. The sweat poured down his brow, and he was panting quickly as he steadied the grip on his Buster Sword. “IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!” Cloud yelled across the arena floor. Sephiroth smiled as he placed his hand on the hilt of his weapon. The wind whipped the dust into a frenzy around both fighters as they both stood there, preparing for the other to attack. Sephiroth calmly began to stalk around the arena circling Cloud, who mirrored his moves. Suddenly, with swift quickness, Sephiroth leapt at Cloud, slashing ferociously at him, but, at the last second, Cloud jumped high into the air. As Sephiroth looked up stunned, Cloud brought down his Buster sword with fierce raw power! Sephiroth jumped back, but the force of the Buster sword impacting with the ground, shot out a massive energy force, striking Sephiroth, and sending him reeling towards the arena floor. Cloud quickly grinned as Sephiroth tried to pick himself up. He glowered angrily at the young hero, but before he could mount a counter-attack, Cloud was quickly on the offensive, rushing forward with his Sonic Blade attack! Sephiroth began to quickly dodge and block Clouds wild zigzag attack, all the while growing angrier that Cloud now seemed to have the upper hand in their battle. This momentary distraction of his emotion, gave Cloud the opportunity to once again leap into the air and bring his Buster sword crashing to the ground, sending a second energy force to strike Sephiroth. The great SOLDIER swordsman fell back to the floor, but this time, he leapt quickly to his feat. Cloud knew that he could not mount a quick offensive this time, so he prepared himself to go on the defensive. As Sephiroth stared at him with a deep hatred in his eyes, he began to disappear. Upon seeing this, Cloud lunged forward, believing himself to have another quick attack, but, as he brought down his sword towards the spot where Sephiroth stood, it sliced only empty air. Cloud gasped, as he heard two chilling words come from behind him, “Sin Harvest…”
Chapter 9: The Coliseum
The wind whistled thru the debris, picking up dust as it seemed to snake its way around the arena. Phil had to rub his eyes, because the sight was terrible. The once great Coliseum, where mighty heroes battled, now lay before him in utter ruins. The black gates at both ends lay on the ground, completely mangled. The walls where shattered in many places. Pieces of stone still continued to fall to the floor, where they seemed to explode upon striking the pieces of wall already on the arena floor. Where sections of the wall still stood, deep scars where visible, slashes cut into them from the blades of powerful swords. The fires that once rested on the tops of the walls, most now burned around the arena floor. Others had spilled their oil base along the sides of the wall, turning whatever remained of that wall, into a fiery pillar. The stands, which once seated crowds of cheering spectators, where now riddled with many small impact craters. How could this have come to pass, thought Phil. In all of the years that had passed, none of the games had ever brought the Coliseum to utter ruin. A small stone fragment of wall tumbled to the floor, clattering, as it stumbled down the side, before finally hitting the floor with a resonating thud. The wind picked up the dust caused by the stones fall. This, the whistling wind, where the only audible sounds on the arena floor, but, high above the chaos of the Coliseum arena, a different scene of chaos was still unfolding.
With one hand firmly gripping the hilt of his massive Buster sword, the other moved to his brow, wiping away the sweat that now seemed to overwhelm him. His breathing was quick, and his heart beat furiously within his chest. He tried to slow his breathing down, but to no avail. Sephiroth had lunged forward, and with that, Cloud stopped wiping his brow, and quickly gripped his Buster sword with both hands now, and proceeded to charge. As they began to close the gap between each other, Sephiroth disappeared. Cloud quickly halted, and began to furiously look around for his foe. “SHOW YOURSELF!” he bellowed. As the final word escaped his lips, Sephiroth materialized above him. Cloud did not react soon enough, and Sephiroth dropped down on him with a bone crunching elbow drop to his shoulder. Thou Cloud had not reacted soon enough; he had moved just enough to avoid a blow to the head. The force of the blow hurtled Cloud towards the ground, where he struck the arena floor with such a massive force, he had formed another impact crater. The dust and debris scattered everywhere. As he stood up, shaking his head, here again was Sephiroth, rushing towards him from the sky. Cloud had to concentrate, he knew that Sephiroth would disappear at the last moment, but where would he appear? Time was quickly running out. Cloud took a deep breath as he readied himself. Sure enough, as Sephiroth neared, he vanished. Cloud closed his eyes, and concentrated. “THERE!” he screamed, and swung to his left, bringing his sword in a wide arc attack. CLANG! Cloud let out a gasp. As Sephiroth had materialized, he had already brought up his Masamune sword to block Clouds attack. Cloud jumped back, and as he tried to compose himself, he wondered how Sephiroth had known to block. The sweat poured down his brow, and he was panting quickly as he steadied the grip on his Buster Sword. “IS THAT ALL YOU GOT?!” Cloud yelled across the arena floor. Sephiroth smiled as he placed his hand on the hilt of his weapon. The wind whipped the dust into a frenzy around both fighters as they both stood there, preparing for the other to attack. Sephiroth calmly began to stalk around the arena circling Cloud, who mirrored his moves. Suddenly, with swift quickness, Sephiroth leapt at Cloud, slashing ferociously at him, but, at the last second, Cloud jumped high into the air. As Sephiroth looked up stunned, Cloud brought down his Buster sword with fierce raw power! Sephiroth jumped back, but the force of the Buster sword impacting with the ground, shot out a massive energy force, striking Sephiroth, and sending him reeling towards the arena floor. Cloud quickly grinned as Sephiroth tried to pick himself up. He glowered angrily at the young hero, but before he could mount a counter-attack, Cloud was quickly on the offensive, rushing forward with his Sonic Blade attack! Sephiroth began to quickly dodge and block Clouds wild zigzag attack, all the while growing angrier that Cloud now seemed to have the upper hand in their battle. This momentary distraction of his emotion, gave Cloud the opportunity to once again leap into the air and bring his Buster sword crashing to the ground, sending a second energy force to strike Sephiroth. The great SOLDIER swordsman fell back to the floor, but this time, he leapt quickly to his feat. Cloud knew that he could not mount a quick offensive this time, so he prepared himself to go on the defensive. As Sephiroth stared at him with a deep hatred in his eyes, he began to disappear. Upon seeing this, Cloud lunged forward, believing himself to have another quick attack, but, as he brought down his sword towards the spot where Sephiroth stood, it sliced only empty air. Cloud gasped, as he heard two chilling words come from behind him, “Sin Harvest…”