Chapter 38: DEATH

"Whoa... I can’t believe my eyes, yo."

"I heard Elfe was strong, but I never imagined it was to this extent..."

Reno and Rude watched the battle in awe, unable to hide their shock. It was only natural; the woman was fighting a Sephiroth Copy head-on with nothing but sword skills—the same opponent that the Turks had just thrown their entire force against and failed to defeat.

Actually, saying she was "fighting head-on" didn't quite do it justice. While Elfe had sustained minor scratches, she hadn't taken a single hit that could be considered a fatal wound. In contrast, the Sephiroth Copy was bleeding from everywhere, pushed back by Elfe’s relentless onslaught.

"What a shame. You've taken too much damage to utilize Sephiroth’s techniques."

Thinking back, the copy had been exposed to an internal blast; even with the stamina and resistance of a monster, it was hard to imagine it being unscathed. The accumulated internal damage was likely negligible as long as it fought "underlings" like us. However, when facing a powerhouse who stood on equal footing rather than an inferior, those wounds became a decisive factor.

Even after having one arm severed, the copy rose to continue the fight as if it felt no pain. Without hesitation, Elfe ran her blade clean through its chest. The counterfeit hero, who had displayed seemingly bottomless stamina, collapsed abruptly, its body crumbling away as if rotting into dust. Having seen its end, Elfe flicked the blood from her sword and turned back toward us.

"Incredible. To take down a copy we struggled so hard against so easily..."

"It had already sustained significant injuries before I stepped in. Besides, once you destroy the Core, that’s all there is to it."

"The Core?"

"Yes. These copies were created using Avalanche’s enhanced humans as a base, but they have Materia embedded near their hearts to augment their physical forms. Once that's destroyed, they can't maintain their balance."

Elfe spoke as if it were nothing, but watching her fight made it easy to imagine the sheer amount of discipline she had endured. Moreover, the Materia embedded inside the body couldn't have been very large; the skill required to shatter it with a single strike spoke volumes about her true strength.

"Elfe, head to the Mako Reactor ahead of us. We’ll reorganize the team and catch up immediately."

"Understood."

At my command, Elfe sprinted toward the Reactor without looking back. Watching her go, I turned to Reno and the others.

"Alright, hurry up and recover the injured members. Anyone who can still move, get ready for a mountain climb."

"Ugh... another round after all that? Shinra really is a 'black company,' yo," Reno complained with a look of blatant disgust.

"Don't whine. It’s the mission. Besides, looks like someone is actually eager for the climb."

Reno made a visible face of disgust, while Rude pulled a fresh pair of sunglasses from his pocket, showing his silent motivation. From behind them, the Turks’ star marksman came running up, carrying a large amount of supplies while hopping over the rubble of the village.

"Assistant Director Tseng, I’ve brought the Potions the Chocobos were carrying. I’ve also confirmed the status of all members; the others are receiving treatment in the rear. Director Verdot is taking command over there, so he said he’s leaving the Reactor team to you."

After rattling that off in one breath, she forced a Potion into Reno’s mouth just as he was about to complain.

"Time is limited! Let's regroup with the Advanced Weaponry Experimental Unit ASAP!"

Indeed, we needed to catch up with the Experimental Unit quickly.

"Whoa! He really does look exactly like Sephiroth!"

"Hey! Don't just charge in by yourself! Think about me having to coordinate with you!"

"It’s fine! I’m going fast because I know you can keep up, Elena. You’ve been keeping pace with Cloud, after all!"

Perhaps because he was a late arrival with energy to spare, Zack-senpai was relentlessly launching attacks at the Sephiroth Copy. Thanks to him, both Vincent-senpai and I could take turns using Potions and catching our breath.

I was grateful for that, but he kept bringing up Cloud-senpai’s name, egging me on to work even harder! This "jock-style" enthusiasm is so exhausting. Of course, once he mentions Senpai’s name, I get fired up. I have to work hard so I don't embarrass him!

"You'd better tell Cloud-senpai later how hard I worked!"

"I know, I know. I’ll even write in the report that you’ve grown into the finest adjutant a guy could ask for."

"Don't get your hopes up, Elena. Zack is always late with his reports. I’ll report to Scarlet first myself," Vincent added.

"That’s our Vincent-senpai! While you're at it, please subtly mention to Cloud-senpai that I’m a devoted and loyal woman."

"Wait... I came all this way to help and this is how you treat me?" Zack joked.

Despite the banter, there was no waste in their movements. We gradually found the rhythm of the coordination we had built in training and applied it to the battle. Zack-senpai’s style was a bit more brute-force compared to Cloud-senpai’s technical brilliance, so the pacing was different, but having an extra front-liner yielded results far beyond just a one-person increase.

It made sense; the Experimental Unit was a three-person team, so our teamwork and coordination were designed for three people. Earlier, the range of what two people could do was limited, but now, the Unit was showing its true potential.

Hey, is it okay to be so focused on Zack-senpai? I thought as I aimed for an opening. I launched an attack timed perfectly with his strike. Sure, my hits didn't do massive damage compared to theirs, but they were definitely annoying. I’m the type who wins through volume of attacks rather than heavy single hits, so fighting Sephiroth alone earlier had been brutal.

"Whoa, your coordination is perfect! You’d be welcome in the SOLDIER department anytime!"

"No thanks! I’m planning on a 'permanent job' right next to Cloud-senpai!"

If you have people talking this much right in front of you while you’re fighting, you’re bound to get distracted, right? Even Sephiroth is human; he only has two eyes. If he’s focused on the two of us, he can't track the third person on a different axis.

To his credit, he instinctively evaded the bullet fired from behind—usually, you’d only move like that the moment you hear the gunshot. But then again, we aren't "usual."

"Man, I’ve learned some crazy stunts from being forced into these training sessions all the time."

Zack-senpai swatted back a stray bullet with his Buster Sword. Even if it was a flattened bullet, it was still a hunk of iron propelled by the superhuman strength of a SOLDIER. Naturally, the copy used its blade to intercept the projectile flying toward its face. But since I knew exactly where that blade would be positioned, my kick was already waiting there.

"Hyaaah!!!"

I kicked the hand holding the blade with all my might, leaving the copy’s body wide open. I slammed the butt of my gun into its torso to steady my aim and pulled the trigger at point-blank range. The shot landed squarely in Sephiroth’s abdomen, doubling him over. Immediately, Zack-senpai followed up with a massive swing to the side of its head.

Even after all that, it was still moving, and its wounds were regenerating. What a total "stamina monster." But the stage was set! My job was done! The rest was up to Vincent-senpai!

"Farewell... Jenova!"

Fluttering crimson wings from beneath his crimson cloak, Vincent-senpai soared into the air. I don't fully understand the mechanics, but it definitely felt like a "Finishing Move."

"Wha... what is that? I’ve never seen that before."

"It’s a literal death blow designed specifically for Sephiroth. I don't know the details either," I replied to Zack.

"That destructive power looks like something that shouldn't be coming out of a gun..."

"And it pierced the heart with pinpoint accuracy. Well, it was a secret plan based on the idea that even Sephiroth couldn't move if his heart was destroyed."

With its heart pierced, the copy’s body began to crumble into dust.

"I destroyed the unnatural Materia embedded in its body. Apparently, that was the secret to maintaining the copy," Vincent explained.

"Hey, hey! What was that move just now? And I’ve never seen you transform like that before!"

"Corporate secret. If you leak it, I’ll turn you into a test subject for our newest Advanced Weaponry."

"Alright, alright! Shall we head to the Reactor then? You two, stop slacking and double time it!"

It took a bit of time, but we has officially completed ours mission. Now, it’s time for this "cute junior" to go save Cloud-senpai!

"You're full of energy for someone who's the most beat up," Zack noted.

"Of course! Let's wrap this up quickly so we can have a victory party!"

Forward, to the Mako Reactor where Cloud-senpai waits!

After a brief exchange with Sephiroth, I purposely drew one of the copies away. Now, I could finally fight one-on-one.

"..."

"Still silent? As you can see, the real Sephiroth is actually quite talkative."

He wasn't the type to engage in idle chatter like Zack, but he could communicate clearly and was very observant of others. If someone wasn't feeling well, he’d follow up; he took good care of his juniors. A hero isn't just about strength—I respected that side of Sephiroth.

"Sorry, but I’m going to need you to be a test subject for a technique I wanted to try on the real Sephiroth."

I had only just developed it and hadn't even thought of a name yet. A single "critical" death blow likely wouldn't reach Sephiroth. In that case, what if I unleashed them all in a continuous chain?

"You can't copy a move until you've seen it once, right? Then I'll hit you with everything at once before you have the chance."

My grip tightened on the Buster Sword that had been reinforced by Lady Scarlet. I focused my entire spirit into the very tip of the blade and swung it with everything I had.

The first slash, a horizontal sweep from the Buster Sword, struck the copy, followed by a diagonal downward cut that tore through its torso. As I brought the blade back, I unleashed another—a reverse diagonal slash. The impact of the second hit sent the body flying, only to be carved further by the third. The fourth strike was a rising slash from below, and the fifth was a downward slam from above.

Until now, the copy had managed to parry with its sword, but its defenses were starting to fray.

The sixth strike was a right diagonal, the seventh a left. On the eighth, I spun my body, unleashing the ninth and tenth simultaneously. The slashes overlapped, shattering the counterfeit blade.

The eleventh strike—from here on, I gave it no room to defend.

The twelfth strike—the attacks seemed to be sucked into the enemy.

The thirteenth strike—I gouged deep into the chest and located the Materia.

The fourteenth strike—regeneration couldn't keep up.

"You passed as a test subject."

The fifteenth strike—the glowing crystal deep within the heart shattered into pieces with a single blow, and the copy fell toward the bottom of the Reactor. At that rate, its body would turn to dust before it could even return to the Lifestream.

"It looks like this might actually work against Sephiroth. I didn't break through his guard until after the tenth hit..."

If I had been facing two at once, fifteen consecutive strikes might not have been enough. I had to focus entirely on defense and evasion, then attack all at once without letting the enemy memorize my patterns. It seemed the skills I had polished wouldn't betray me.

"Though, even against two, I probably could have managed if Elena and Vincent were here."

I felt that even if I had to fight the real Sephiroth, I could win as long as those two were with me. Well, I suppose it only truly counts as "cool" if I win one-on-one, but this gave me a bit of confidence. It was my first time using it on a person in actual combat; if anything, I should praise the copy for keeping its shape that long.

"Now... time to go crush the main body of Jenova. Knowing Sephiroth, he probably doesn't need help, but this is the mission our unit was assigned."

Perhaps because I had pushed so hard with the offensive, I had descended quite far into the Reactor's interior.

"I’ve done nothing but climb high places today."

I need to move fast. If I'm too slow, Elena might catch up from behind.

"I need to decide on a name for the technique, or it'll be a hassle during coordination. I wonder if there are any good ideas."

Having a name makes it easier to explain to others, and for teamwork, they need to know what kind of attack I’m launching and when. Since it’s a finishing move, I want to give it a proper name for when the situation truly calls for it.

"I showed it to Lady Scarlet, but she told me to name it whatever I liked. Maybe I’ll consult Elena and get a woman’s perspective. I’ll show it off again once the name is settled."

For a moment, the face of my childhood friend crossed my mind, but I can't exactly show this technique to Tifa. I should probably let Elena see it and think of it together. She’s the partner who stands by my side in battle, and it’ll be her job to coordinate with that multi-hit combo, after all.

"Oops. I'm overthinking things in the middle of a mission."

Time to head toward the main body of Jenova. Disposing of the core body is the Experimental Unit’s mission; I can't let Sephiroth take all the credit.