Silent Night. (Chara Vs. Sephiroth)

[Chara Dreemurr]

New Hometown. A few years ago, Chara would’ve found the whole idea to be crazy, but after the horrors of the Unmaking and the increasing level of chaos raised by freaks like WYVERN in space, or Ghidorah lurking beneath Inverxe, threatening to burst out at any moment…

Chara tried to keep well-informed about how the universe changed and shifted, and unfortunately, most of those changes tended to push it further and further into chaos recently.

In response, she had used her own funds to finance a sleepy town, one with a mayor, suitable housing and more-or-less decent living standards. Something they could call their own. Somewhere safe.

Or…

The fallen human breathed in the night air as she strode down the sidewalk, hands in the pockets of her hoodie as she strode into the small neighbourhood market. The buildings were mostly wood and brick, and painted bright, almost garish colours - but that was their appeal. Monsters tended to enjoy a certain level of obnoxiousness and brightness in their color palette…

Chara stumbled in her step for a moment.

It was things like this that made them so lovable, but it made them all too visible to malicious forces, as well.

Chara’s hazel eyes darted from area to area of the town, scanning for one such force. A few monsters had disappeared in the last few weeks - old, young, male, or female. To Chara, all of them were friends. All of them were family.

And whoever was picking off her family, one by one…

Her hazel eyes briefly flickered a bleeding crimson.

The area briefly glowed through her vision as she found her target.

Villes Venicules. A monster shaped like a heart - the valentines day variant, not the more… realistic variant. His code confirmed he was just behind the nearby alleyway, likely taking that secret drag he often took - he’d sworn Chara to secrecy about his smoking habit, trying to keep it from his wife. After all, heart disease was a particular issue in the Venicules family, but… sometimes a family man had to relax.

Ridiculous backstory aside, his code was familiar to Chara, as was his general stats.
His Maximum HP was 90, for instance, while his current HP was 6, which was more than enough reason for Chara to kick it in high-gear, using a shortcut to appear just behind the cartoonish heart, and just in time to see the silhouette of white hair on a black coat.

“G-guess you’re heartless, after all…” Villes sputtered, the Dog-sized Heart held straight up in the air by the enigmatic figure.

“Please let him go.” Chara asked, as she spread into her stance, staring down this new enemy.

Stats… ATK through the roof, HP murderously high, LV…

20.

She turned off her sight for a moment, taking in every step, every movement, as the man turned back around, his muscles visible. Still holding the heart, he regarded her with a raised eyebrow, and Chara could quickly read the fact she was currently being regarded as dirt.

The man spoke with a deep, soulful voice that didn’t fit the man bearing it, as he crushed Villes Venicules in his hands, the monster’s dust - his magic - simply being absorbed into the man, adding further to his power.

“No.”

Chara met the man’s gaze with her own, hazel eyes meeting his without fear, as a smile slid across her features.

“No?” She repeated. “...How unwise.”

Intro Post 1. 572 words.

 

[Sephiroth]

The slow setting of the sun heralded my arrival to the sleepy town that I had hidden in. “New Hometown”, a quaint hole in the ground with little to distinguish it from any other center of people. Barely worthy of mentioning as any other town in my path, the bright colors or the pleasant brick mom and pop store are no more meaningful to me than the slums of Midgar or the stilted homes of Wutai. And yet within the small difference there was a glorious boon to me, almost a gift found in my wanderings. The inhabitants in this place, colloquially known as “monsters”, possessed a unique trait: They seemed to be beings of raw magic, fully formed like walking and talking materia.

It piqued my interest when I had first examined these creatures. Something like those created by the summon materia, yet independent from any caster. It seemed at a trade for power, as none of these monsters could hold the slightest resistance against me even in my weakened state as I reduced them to mere dust.

The power from each was hard to capture, and yet I felt a surge rushing through my body. Such pitiful creatures held so much power, which only needed to be slain. It seemed fitting they were called monsters, despite their friendly demeanor. They were just another stepping step to become stronger.

My latest victim has been deep within the shadow of an alleyway under a faint moonlit night. He had been reaching, patting at his pocket with a cigarette in one hand, as I slowly approached from the corner I saw hiding from. He jumped as he looked up at my eyes, the telltale sign of mako glowing in my eyes the first thing he would see.

“Hey, you scared me! Careful, I skipped there for a second.” The monster spoke, his shock turning to an anxious smile. “Got a light, by any chance?” It was enough that I was willing to tolerate it before I got close enough that he could not escape, and I rushed in and crushed the closest thing it had to a neck with my hand.

It seemed I could not avoid another setback for long, for moments before I had snuffed the life out of my target another appeared. A clear human, standing defiantly from the entrance of the alley way squared by the street lights. The way she held her knife was amateur, like a child holding their first sword. Seemly inexperience, yet an enthusiasm and bravery that reminded me of… someone.

“This does not have to end like this.” She insisted, yet her stance told she was relaxed, rather than offering surrender from fear. “You could give up. Have your day in court, it will be less painless than what will happen.”

I stared down at her for a moment, unimpressed by her offer. Letting the dust from my hand drift away, I brushed my hand across my trench coat and a cloud of dust from the others I had killed the previous nights filled the alleyway.

“Is it? Could perhaps this be the moment everything changes. No longer will I be force to wonder, seeking refuge in shadow and hungering for magic.” I started a small play to see if I can work into her sense of mercy. Her knife slowly lowered for a moment, pulled in, before I held Masamune up to shine in the light of the moon.

“What can you do to stop me? You can barely hold that knife. If you seek to change destiny, then do so, do not ask for it.” and yet she still stood before me, defiant like many others. Her eyes glowed a bright crimson under the shade of her hood, and I was caught briefly by surprise. A SOLDIER? Here? No, it did not matter. I needed to break out from this alleyway to get the full swing of my blade.

I stepped forward, burst forth with a heavy stride, and plunged Masamune toward the imprudent defender.

Intro Post 1: 675 words

 

[Chara Dreemurr]

Masamune’s arc cut across Chara, cutting past her blade effortlessly. The kitchen knife was sent flying, clanging against the nearby wall, and the hole Masamune left in the youth’s stomach was torn open during the blade’s return trip. Sephiroth stepped forward, flicking the blood from Masamune in one swift motion, as he stepped past the girl..

“Apologies. I explained poorly.” Chara replied, causing the man to swiftly turn… only to see the same girl he’d just cut down, completely fine. “I thought you might appreciate mercy, but it appears you consider yourself above it.”

And with that statement, a smile crossed Chara’s face, as she met Sephiroth’s gaze evenly, snapping her fingers as row after row of glowing scarlet knives filled the alleyway behind her.

“That is not to say you deserve it.”

Sephiroth rolled his eyes, meeting Chara’s gaze as he saw the blades fill the alleyways… and before his widening eyes, they continued to multiply, a crimson swarm of knives.

Without a signal, the blades rushed forward, carefully staggered and the Eldritch warrior was sent on the defensive, Masamune spinning and whirring as the knives were battered away. Still, the battle was a losing one, as dozens more took their place.

Chara kept watch as decisions were made, not moving a muscle as she watched his facial expressions.

His glare was focused at the start of the barrage, but as the blades mounted up, that expression softened. It was not the passivity of someone giving up, at least to Chara’s trained eyes, it was more just a problem-solver’s natural attitude pushing past his normal stoicism.

In a move the average human would’ve considered an honest mistake, the fighter allowed just one of the blades to graze him, and as it carved a trail of blood, only a wince and a minute moment where a frustrated grimace crossed his face marked the immense amount of pain he was likely feeling right now.

Each and every blade was lethal - Chara would never bother with such a volume of fire if they lacked impact. This man, Sephiroth, had realized that too, and to her surprise, his response was to run forwards.

Ahh.

The barrage of blades from behind was impressive, but it had its weaknesses. The blades were lethal to Chara, too, which meant that as Sephiroth closed, sword in hand, less and less blades were dogging him. Her own body formed a blind spot she couldn’t fully protect with the ambition severers, and the prodigious fighter only took a second to figure that out.

For most, this would be unnerving. For Chara?

A grin scrolled across her face like the Cheshire Cat, as a crimson haze flew across the chipped kitchen knife in her hand. The two struck at the same time, and Masamune was pushed back by its unexpected peer in the hatred-empowered weapon. Chara’s eyes and mouth glowed red with an unsettling spark, as she showed her foe a sadistic smile.

The man’s face looked uncertain for the first time, as his eyes darted to the blade, the mage, and back to his own weapon. Not unusual - for all intents and purposes, stainless steel certainly shouldn’t have stood up to such a mighty weapon.

And that is what she used such a weapon for. Because against a swordmaster with decades of experience, she was about to strike with the element of surprise, take the advantage, and drive him on the backfoot.

Chara’s next slash came with gusto.

“The only mercy I have left to offer you… is the advice to stand still!”

The crimson blade struck air, the combat master leaping back to clear some distance and re-evaluate his opponent…

Which was, also, part of the plan, as one of the blades embedded in the earth from Chara’s initial assault began blinking yellow.

The explosion of light didn’t fully catch the ex-Soldier, somehow. The burst of golden energy only singed her enemy’s coat and the skin of his arms, but the damage was beginning to ad up, as Chara flashed a lazy grin.

“You have quite a few skills as a warrior. And a strategist. But any respect I would have for either is negated by what a pathetically dedicated murderer you are. So I will not mind if you give me the opportunity to slowly drag you to hell, kicking and screaming.”

The anger and surprise was gone, replaced by a feral, dangerous energy glittering in his eyes. “You feel you have the right to judge me?” he asked, bemused and curious, like someone indulging a child.

“I do. For Judge I am.” Chara replied simply, her expression passive once again. “And one born to kill abominations such as yourself.”

“Then die!”

794 words, according to wordcounter.net

 

[Sephiroth]

A whirl of knives pressed in from all corners, each blade a fatal end I held back only by each furious arc of Masamune striking them down. Even then, as the barest touch left long gashes across my skin and clothes, blood streaking from each wound. All while the diminutive defender watches over her own methodical barrage with an unsettling smile. How could a teen be so skilled? Every attempt I had taken to skewer the wretched child had been countered effortlessly, the second time with a mere kitchen knife holding Masamune at bay before I was forced to retreat back. The first… I did not have the time to tell if it had been my eyes playing tricks or some illusion this young mage conjured. Despite her appearance, it was clear she had strength beyond her age as she was more than a match in my weakened state. A sentiment I was growing to resent as a step sent a searing pain through the burned part of my skin from an explosive attack.

The eyes of the child seemed as unrelenting as her crimson barrage, each attempt to get some position over her thwarted by small steps away just outside of the reach of my sword. Any chance to get closer was hampered as I was caged under the constant attack, and it was growing clear that with each swing of Masamune would tire me faster under the withering storm of magic.

This was unacceptable. I would reduce this whole town to rubble before I’d let myself be worn down and stabbed to death by this tonberry pretender.

It had been long enough with me on the defense. A jump to the side had me parallel to the street, the lamp above me covering my black cloak in a shining light. Both hands gripped onto the hilt of my sword, fingers wrapped tightly as my options were to soon open considerably. Though the mage had a calculated spread of her shots, no one could truly master chaos and a pattern showed itself as the girl grew lax behind her cocky smile. I held the tip of Masamune ahead and tense up to push forward.

“Maybe I should take that back,” the girl taunted as she casually shifted just out of my reach, focusing her fire to her front as she presumed another charge “You’re getting predictable.”

Yet with her blithering she had fallen for my feint, as my sword was not turned to skewer her again but swung up, bisecting the streetlamp with little resistance as Masamune sliced through the steel with little effort. A bright flash as sparks showered down, before plunging us both into shadow, with my hateful green eyes shining alongside the red eyes of my enemies, starting at each other in the darkness of night before we both acted.

My malice willed to my hand, turning icy cold as I invoked the Ice Materia in the hilt of my weapon, a frigid aura collapsing into a orb of raw magic. With a practiced flick of the wrist the Blizzard spell flew off, the air around it chilling as ice crystals formed around the attack into a floating, crystalline landmine set to impact.

The child, for her part, recovered quickly enough to raise her knife in defense for another rush, yet her instincts failed to expect the frozen missile headed towards her. She turned to her magical hail of knives to shoot it down, chunks of ice shattering with each hit, yet the ice crystal simply grew to replace the damage as it careened towards her. It had been the first that I saw that smile of hers break and a rising sense of exhilaration. Soon, I will take vengeance for each wound tenfold.

An orb of light formed in the girl’s own hand as the blazing fire illuminating her face, fiercely determined eyes locked onto the Blizzard spell and forced even me to step back away as I saw them. Masamune held up in defense as I saw them. Eyes that had stared back at me in moments of triumph, from those who rose a sword against me. The fire ball grew to light up the street once more before she launched it onto the oncoming spell. The two opposing elements collided, an explosion erupted from the impact and the road was soon obscured in steam and fog, a light covering of snow over everything in the blast.

My attack had failed, yet bile rose in my throat over my step back than the counter. An opportunity has arisen now that we were left in a fog, blinding us to the other. Neither inclined to run, we circled each other in the mist for any opportunity to end this battle. Eyes left to look for any hint of the other.

“You reminded me of someone I knew,” I spoke aloud, seeing if she would take the bait. Although I was risking another storm of knives, silence was all that followed. “He cared as deeply to protect others as you.”

“He does not sound like the type who would hang out with you,” she accused, clearly attempting to get some rise from me while a brief laugh escaped me at her barb. We were left as silhouettes in the dark and mist-covered street, stalking our rival.

“Where have my manners been? I am Sephiroth, SOLDIER First Class.”

“That’s the first thing I’ve heard that’s classy about you” the teen teased back. My eyes caught the shape of a knife rising into the air, and with a great horizontal swing I cleaved through the fog. More sparks flew as Masamune hit steel, and a gush of water shot up into the air as I seemed to decapitate a fire hydrant.

“I can assure you,” my smile widened as I tightened the grip on my blade, “it is not some mere title.”

984 Word

 

[Chara Dreemurr]

The SOLDIER advanced with that same determined strut. His stride was longer, but it had the same cold, hardened feeling as another's, as though Chara’s childhood mirror had evolved and grown into some new nightmare.

The water jet from the hydrant cut through the mist and revealed Chara, she gave a wink with a casual smile, before heading towards Mob and Bob’s home appliance shop. Chara wasn’t gaining any distance - Sephiroth’s legs were longer than hers, his stride more regimented - But she wasn’t simply trying to run away - just move him into the next stage.

Chara struck with another barrage of blades, the deadly daggers cutting a path, but the malevolent stranger had long-since figured out the pattern. Sephiroth dodged and blocked with minimal effort with this predictable pattern - one Chara hoped he wouldn’t question.

This proved to be a mistake, Chara’s face falling to a frown as the veteran warrior looked to his surroundings just fast enough to see her initial trap - a set of power lines above him, now severed and swinging forward like deadly whips

The warrior rolled forward to avoid the initial crackle of electricity, as the wires crashed to the asphalt in a chaotic explosion of sparks, rolling back up onto his feet with a flourish as he brought up Masamune to cut the two falling poles Chara had set up for the follow-through to pieces

Chara just gave a sigh, as she saw this. This man was infuriatingly focused. So, what was left but to get under his skin? Create an opening there somehow?

“All these murders, for just a little power gain?” Chara asked, stepping backwards. “Certainly it cannot be worth all this trouble, right?” She taunted.

Sephiroth’s smile was confident, as he replied. “Growing stronger for the price of a little diversion like this? I’d have to disagree.”

Chara gave a cavalier smirk. “Losing your life for something so hollow…”

Sephiroth shook his head. “Hollow? Power is everything in this world. Only the weak see it otherwise.”

Chara’s response was a look of shock, followed by a hollow, keening laugh. “That is something I would have said as a child.” The youth volunteered, “How enlightened of you.”

Chara expected a harsh response back, but something about the line seemed to cut through Sephiroth’s features, leaving an impassive response as he regarded her.

“Then we had similar childhoods. How did you break your imagined chains, then?” He asked. His face betrayed no weakness, nor sympathy, but curiosity danced along his features.

Chara’s voice caught a moment as she replied. “...I died knowing love.”

For a second, Sephiroth’s passivity seemed to speak to some emotional reaction, as he held her gaze, advancing towards her with a face that held… sympathy. Distress. A re-lit ember of compassion.

And a hilariously obvious lie.

Chara snapped her fingers with a brimming grin to set off the explosive knife behind the glass storefront, Catching Sephiroth in an explosion of glass mid-lunge.

Blades smashed through the glass front to the place, turning the storefront into an explosion of glass. The shards cut a multitude of cuts and bruises across Sephiroth’s features, as the frustrated warrior growled in frustration, turning to see his sneaky nemesis had already disappeared. Seeing the glint of fiery red eyes within the storefront, Sephiroth leaped through the shattered stormfront in one smooth blur of motion, the shards of glass embedded in his cloak glittering with starlight as he entered the darkness of the shop. As a shadow darted from corner to corner, Sephiroth regarded the Lair he’d entered coldly, readying his blade for the expected barrage, as Chara struck from every angle. The lights were cut, but Chara was a frequent and observant browser in Mob and Bob’s - so along with the normal barrages of blades, the monster princess was free to unleash a rolling barbecue, scaffolding, a broken shelf of blenders, and a nearly-successful drop of a plasma television, all items she knew the exact locations of, on the increasingly tasked warrior. More nicks, more cuts, as Sephiroth’s form was finally starting to wear down, and Chara enacted her final plan, stepping out with a very purposefully loud *squeak* of her rubber boot, just loud enough to nudge him into the right spot.

Chara struck from behind with her blade, a blow ready to take the Warrior’s back, and Masamune glittered as it flew behind the Warrior’s attack.

“Predictable.” Sephiroth spat, turning as he saw Chara’s shocked face, covered in blood. The pain was agonising as she reached for the blade… and then smiled.

Loading her save, the youth took a shortcut just into the SOLDIER’S blind spot, and struck for Sephiroth’s heart.

“Your overconfidence cost you this victory, little ‘Judge.’”

Demi’s awful energies draped over Chara’s body, as the gravity sent Chara sprawling to the floor hard enough to get an immediate concussion, the crippling energy cutting into her body.

“And I’m sick of your petty tricks.”

Chara twisted, Masamune’s blade barely grazing her rib, but she could feel the hot sting of it cleanly severing through her flesh and bone like paper, felt how much blood was already oozing from the side of her chest.

Her mind whirled, as she was left, very human, and very broken, before Sephiroth’s assault. It took her a fraction of a second to remember her plan, as Sephiroth brought up his Nodachi with the hunger of a predator.

Fire magic. The barbecue was powered by fire magic. The barbecue she’d sent flying at Sephiroth earlier. And the one that was left sitting on its side, pointed in just the right direction on Sephiroth’s flank.

Chara reached out a hand, grabbing every bit of magic she could feel coursing through her body at the moment, and pushed roughly, as the inferno spat a warning, its whisper causing the SOLDIER to pause and turn, as it glowed cherry red.

the barbecue roared, engulfing Sephiroth in a pillar of flame.

997 words.
Used 1 focus to Barbecue Sephiroth.