The flying flame of jagged steel created a crescent spectacle of dancing epiphany. Not born with hatred, but sympathy and outrageous will to survive.
Shrieked, the air in-between the steel of Jack's sword. Followed by the sound of a cracked sword and immediately shifted into a blast of clang.
With the stunt falling high from its risky steed, Jack was thrown to the side by the propelling momentum—and rolled to the ground with a barely functioning left hand that he used to redirect his sword. After a grunt and gritted teeth, he quickly recovered to his knees. Albeit merely standing, his head was still intact by the very least.
He forced his eyes to be on guard once again. Because sadly, all of this was far from over.
"I feared you, Jack." The knight tried his best to stand straight despite the injury forcing him to lean side to side in the effort to gain full control again. "When the mind is concocted with action, everything seems to be unpredictable. Truly, very, very, fearsome. Hahahah."
The callous strike was supposed to be the end of his adversary, Jack thought. He aimed the edge to Cruciatus' head. Yet, it seemed like he had underestimated his opponent too undeservingly.
At the very last moment, Cruciatus used the same technique that Jack performed. Because he was already running like mad man, a great reaction was enough to drop his body to the centrepiece of gravity and moved his whole head to the left side and dodged that deadly sudden counter attack.
Thus, what was left was a massively scrapped valley of left shoulder armor, unleashing a huge black vapor to the air as the fire surrounding the area gave its red hue to the dark substances.
Jack stood up, grinning to himself. His right hand was holding his left wrist, gripping in reflex while hoping to ease the pain.
A numerous strain of veins could be seen visibly red and pulsating on Jack's spasming left hand . It felt like it could explode any time soon, and definitely not without an ease of heart.
"Hahah, Ahahahaha!" Jack then eagerly sat on the ground, trying to comfort himself of his loss. "Well, I got no weapon left, and I only have one more 'hand' to play with. Both metaphorically, and literally. Hah."
Cruciatus could finish his opponent at any moment. He then sluggishly reached out for his glaive on the ground.
Before wanting to say any word, he noticed the glinting vapor that his glaive exuded. Without second thought, he stabbed at his shadow once again. An incoherent shriek could be heard.
"That won't do." Cruciatus mumbled.
Much energy could be seen travelling through many designated lines on his armor crevice to his right palm. His glaive was fueled again and again until it bloomed numerous rows of geometric white scales on the blade guard.
Cruciatus chipped one of the many scales and imbued his energy onto it. In just a few seconds, a fancy long scimitar grew from the geometrical seed.
The knight then nonchalantly threw the scimitar to his friend. Jack caught it with his right hand. The illumination from the ceiling passed through the small detail of translucent runes on the scimitar as he kept held it above his head, gracing Jack by a surprise.
"We don't need to keep scores." Cruciatus sleepily straightened his heavy glaive to tower himself as he faced directly to Jack. "It's been a long time since I have found joy, in a brute thing such as this, prudent duel.
"I've yet to encounter any of these back in the past. I didn't know that, I could feel such a noble feeling, when holding my weapon." Cruciatus merely giggled. "Get up, Jack Armstrong. The fight isn't over yet."
"Heh, that is a knightly choice of words for a context so barbarian-like. A little bit weird when it's coming from you." Jack stood up once again. This time, because he knew what his tentacle was capable of, he put his fate on his octopus limb for holding the weapon for this fight. "I guess I do regret many things. Many, many, things. Even when I'm entering this brand new life. I always regret something, deep within me. Something is always aching.
"Well then, my pal—Cruciatus. I'll try harder to make your life worth every moment you're alive, waiting for this day." Jack went into his stance, with one hand on the ground, and his tentacle lunging above him like a scorpion's stinger, holding the noble scimitar. "Once again, my friend. Albeit my soul is still the same as my past. Old, and weary—but it has many names.
"And a hardened battle maniac? That is definitely within the list!"
"Ahahah!" Cruciatus roared his warcry, stomping the ground as he thumped his chest with his damaged left arm. "Come! Jack Armstrong! May we relish this moment of vigor and debauchery! In spilled blood! Not from ambition, but the will to survive!"
Their weapons then clashed with one and another. This time, both of them were bearing a wide smile on their face.
Despite the wording of the knight, it had become no longer the battle between two adversaries who strived to survive. It was the battle of humility, and great passion to respect one another, to their unspoken wishes.
Cruciatus wanted a meaning in his life. Jack wanted to give him that, and so he gave it.
Jack wanted to survive and explore the world outside. Cruciatus wanted to give him that, and so he was ready to end his life in the end. Of course, not without giving a challenge to Jack.
[Petra Tentacle> Length: 134(+4) | Width: 26cm-12cm(-2/0) | Weight: 17kg (+1) | Kinetic Strength: 53kg(+3)]
There was a beautiful thing in a rarely known concept, namely, 'The Magic Circle'.
It was when two or more competitive or casual sides, abiding the rules that they or someone have created with one clear goal in mind.
To find satisfaction.
In this context, everything has a magic circle on it.
Football field is a magic circle.
Card game is a magic circle.
Everything that has strict rules for the sake of enjoyment and values, is a magic circle.
Their fight—is a magic circle.
"CRUCIATUS!"
"ARMSTROOONGGG!"
Jack tried relentlessly to overcome his weakness. In the early fight, he was unsure of freeing himself from the weight that he had to jump over. But now, he already knew that it wasn't the fight that he hated anymore.
Instead of using his tentacle for mobility, he found out that he could use his octopus limb to take over the weapon control instead. Transforming his arms to do a swift movement and spinning motion to imbue more velocity for his tentacle he swung.
One time he was in the sky, spinning as he landed a deadly yet graceful attack from above. On the other time, he was just dancing to mow everything on the ground while relentlessly pursuing his target.
Sephiroth had uncovered much information although not all. But looking at the current situation, he would rather leave it be and watch his friend have his share of fun.
[Petra Tentacle> Length: 138(+4) | Kinetic Strength: 55kg(+2)]
They parried and parried one and another. Scars and wounds opened on Cruciatus' armor and Jack's jacket, but it didn't matter.
Time moved and weaved.
But nice things, always came to an end.
Jack landed his final strike. A deep valley of wound opened on Cruciatus' chest as his darkness spewed a burst of black vapor into the air. Both were weary in their sight and hearing. All they could hear was their own heart beating faster than anything they have ever felt.
Cruciatus struggled to stand, hiding a smile beneath his helmet.
Just as both thought that it all would be over. A burst of gelatinous dark flesh emerged from the knight's shadow. Cruciatus panicked, he noticed that his glaive that was glinting in bright yellow vapor wasn't on hand anymore.
The knight was filled with fear. Jack noticed something from the pattern and he immediately reached for the glaive that was eight meters away from him.
Both showed a deep uncomfortable fear. Jack couldn't become much faster because his stamina had all been sacrificed for that final strike. The moment that Jack had grabbed the glaive, he turned around to see his friend had been impaled by the dark flesh.
"GUUAAARGGHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
"CRUCIATUS!" Jack wanted to go faster and faster, but his weak feet were giving up. "DAMN IT!"
Numerous tendrils and extra limbs were forming in an instant from the knight's torso, along with a hellish scream.
Of course, Jack didn't know what actually was happening. But seeing the visible distress from his friend was enough for him to conclude that this wasn't supposed to happen. After all, Cruciatus would be really happy if he went to the afterlife in peace.
Jack then stabbed the scimitar on his octopus limb to the ground. He controlled his tentacle to grab the glaive's handle and the moment he was ready to throw it, Sephiroth interfered.
[It's too late, Jack_
[Better keep the 'key' in your hand, because it will be worse if you don't have your hands on it if it didn't work the first time.]
"Tch." Jack frowned in distress. "Are you really sure that waiting is the right choice? Instead of finishing it off when it's transforming!?"
[I saw Cruciatus stabbed the corruption for quite a while before pulling it out. At the current creature's phase, it would take an immense amount of the same energy that the glaive emitted and approximately ten seconds for direct contact with the blade_
[Not to mention, it's currently in a confused state. Cruciatus is fighting there as it didn't immediately kill you yet. Aggroing the creature at this moment is simply just a bad idea_
[You don't have the speed nor power to cause it any significant damage, let alone resisting or keeping the blade piercing deep before one of its appendages impales you, it's better to gather as much information before acting rashly.]
"Sometimes, I don't agree with you. But what can I do? I'm not a supercomputer." Jack hissed as he gritted his teeth, trying to dampen the pain. Both mentally and physically.
As the dark veins crawled to every being of the knight, numerous extra appendages sprouted from his back meters away to the ceiling.
The whole chamber was slowly transforming into a corrupted world. The wall was gone and what was left were the unholy giant abomination in front of Jack, and the infinity space with purple dark background on the never ending realm.
What was known to be the former Cruciatus, unleashed its horrifying shriek that echoed through time and space.