The dust had not yet fully settled from the cataclysmic clash. The floor of Reactor 1 was decimated, leaving only a skeletal framework of iron hanging precariously over the boiling Mako pool below.
Yet, amidst the debris, a weak but chilling laughter echoed.
"Heh... hehehe..."
Genesis Rhapsodos, his face pale and his skin beginning to crack from severe cellular degradation, raised a trembling hand. In his palm, a blood-red Materia shone with an intensity that stung the eyes.
"My soul, corrupted by vengeance... Hath endured torment, to find the end of the journey..."
Genesis hissed the final verse with the last of his strength, his eyes fixed on the gaping hole in the reactor ceiling.
"In my own salvation... And your eternal slumber."
CRACK.
The red Materia shattered into dust and light in his hand.
The ceiling of the reactor suddenly shifted in color. It was no longer the starry night sky of Midgar, but a distortion of empty space, glowing in hues of reddish-gold. The sound of a digital roar mixed with grinding metal echoed, vibrating through their ribcages.
From another dimension, the nightmare descended.
A colossal mechanical dragon, gleaming in gold. Its wings were as sharp as scalpels, its tail long and spiked, and in the center of its chest, an energy reactor pulsed violently.
[SUMMON: BAHAMUT FURY]
At that same moment, Angeal didn't waste a second.
"Regen," Angeal whispered.
A soft green light enveloped Genesis, stabilizing his critical physical condition for the moment.
Angeal hovered in the air, the flap of his single white wing creating a gale that cleared the Mako smoke. He looked down at Zack with an expression that was hard to read—a mixture of pride and deep sorrow.
"You have become strong, Zack," Angeal's voice echoed amidst the ruins. "But your journey is still long."
"Angeal! Wait!" Zack shouted, reaching out his hand in desperation. "We can talk!"
"There is nothing left to discuss," Angeal shook his head firmly. He held Genesis tight against his chest. "Our task here is done. His body cannot wait."
With one powerful flap, Angeal shot vertically upward, piercing through the roof of the reactor, carrying Genesis away into the dark Midgar night.
"Damn it..." Zack sobbed quietly, slamming his fist against the floor.
But there was no time to grieve. In front of them, Bahamut Fury roared. Angeal and Genesis were gone, leaving this monster as a parting gift.
"Trouble!" Zack yelled, his eyes widening. "That's Bahamut! But... it's gold?!"
Johnny spat blood to the side. "A mutant variant. Terrible taste."
The dragon roared, the sound wave alone enough to shatter the reinforced safety glass surrounding the reactor.
Bahamut Fury gave them no pause. Three glowing orbs of energy manifested around its head, spinning with lethal intent.
"CLUSTER SPHERE!"
The fireballs shot out like miniature meteors, locking onto them.
"Scatter!" Johnny shouted.
Johnny rolled to the left, while Zack leaped to the right. The fireballs slammed into the floor, creating craters of scorching heat where they had stood a split-second ago.
Without losing momentum, they both ran in a cross-pattern, closing the distance rapidly before the dragon could prepare its next attack.
CLANG! SLASH! THUD!
Basic attacks landed in rapid succession. Johnny executed a heavy Sweep at the dragon's legs, while Zack delivered a quick Stab to the thigh, followed by a Basic Slash across the belly.
"Take this!"
Johnny jammed the tip of his sword into the ground, using it as a pole vault to launch his body spinning through the air over the dragon's head.
"SOMERSAULT SLASH!"
The spinning acrobatic slash slammed hard into the dragon's chest, forcing the behemoth to take a step back.
Simultaneously, Zack's sword became encased in sharp blue ice crystals.
"BLIZZARA BLADE!"
The freezing slash cut across Bahamut's flank, instantly freezing a section of its hot golden armor.
Bahamut Fury did not wait. It spread its golden wings wide. Dozens of laser energy spheres ignited, aiming straight for Zack and Johnny.
"HEXAFANG!"
"We can't block all of that!" Johnny shouted.
Suddenly, a red, flower-shaped energy shield materialized in front of them.
"LUSTROUS SHIELD!"
The lasers slammed into the barrier and scattered harmlessly to the left and right.
"Don't forget about me!" a soft voice called out from behind.
Zack and Johnny turned in unison. Aerith had descended from the catwalk, standing on the remains of the concrete platform. Her staff was planted in the ground, her hair fluttering from the intense magical aura surrounding her.
"Aerith!" Johnny cried out in panic. "Why did you come down?!"
"You need a healer!" Aerith smiled firmly, though cold sweat beaded on her temples.
"Cure. Cure."
Aerith cast her healing magic on both Johnny and Zack.
"I'll hold back the magic attacks. You two bring that dragon down!"
Johnny grinned, the pain in his body vanishing. "Hear that, Zack? My fiancée gave an order."
Zack spun his sword with renewed vigor. "Sir, yes sir, Boss!"
Bahamut Fury flew high, keeping a safe distance. It fired a laser beam from its mouth, scorching the floor where they stood.
"Zack! Up!"
Johnny dropped into a stance, clasping his hands together over the Dragon Slayer to form a step. Zack sprinted, stepping onto the sword. With a tremendous heave of Johnny's muscles, Zack was launched back into the air like a cannonball.
Zack shot up vertically, reaching the height of Bahamut's face in an instant.
"CHAIN SLASH!"
Zack slashed the dragon's snout five times in a single second. Sparks flew wildly. Bahamut roared in anger and whipped its tail, swatting Zack back down to the floor.
"Gotcha!" Johnny was ready below.
Zack landed. "Your turn to be bait!"
Bahamut Fury stooped down, its claws ready to shred Johnny.
Johnny didn't dodge. He activated the remnants of his Berserk strength.
"Come here, you gold lizard!"
CLANG!
Johnny caught the dragon's claws—weighing tens of tons—with the Dragon Slayer. The floor beneath Johnny's feet cracked severely, sinking inches deep. His knees trembled violently, but he held the line.
"Aerith! Now!"
"THUNDAGA!"
From Aerith's staff, a massive bolt of lightning struck Bahamut Fury's iron wing. The gold metal acted as a perfect conductor. The dragon convulsed as high-voltage electricity coursed through it, paralyzing it momentarily on the ground.
However, Bahamut Fury rose again, this time enraged. It flew high, piercing through the roof of the reactor, hovering in the night sky against the backdrop of the full moon.
Its chest opened. Deep purple energy began to gather, condensing into a sphere of doomsday. The particles in the air vibrated violently.
"That's... EXAFLARE..." Zack's eyes went wide with horror. "He's going to blow up the whole sector!"
"Damn it!" Johnny tried to look for cover, but there was nothing strong enough to withstand a magical nuclear explosion.
The purple beam fired. A pillar of mass-destruction light descended from the sky, aiming directly for their heads.
Johnny moved on instinct to cover Aerith with his body. Zack raised his sword in desperation.
But Aerith stepped forward, passing them both.
She closed her eyes, clasping her hands over her chest. She prayed. Not to a god, but to the Planet itself.
A blinding white aura exploded from Aerith's body.
[LIMIT BREAK: PLANET'S PROTECTION]
The white light expanded, forming an absolute shield layered with the spirits of the Lifestream.
BOOOOOOOOOOM!
The Exaflare slammed into Aerith's shield. The sound vanished. The purple light was swallowed and completely neutralized by the white light of the Planet. The explosion that should have leveled Sector 1 was dampened into a warm breeze.
As the Exaflare subsided, Bahamut Fury looked exhausted. The reactor in its chest dimmed for a cooldown.
"The wing!" Aerith shouted, collapsing to her knees after using her Limit Break. "The right wing is cracked!"
Zack and Johnny looked at each other. One nod.
"Let's end this!"
They ran simultaneously. Johnny on the left, Zack on the right.
Johnny jumped. He prepared his sword for a vertical swing, gathering all the remaining darkness and rage within him.
"LIMIT BREAK: ECLIPSE SLAYER!"
The blade descended, carrying absolute darkness, creating a trail of a giant black arc in the air that swallowed all light—just like an eclipse killing the sun. His massive sword slammed into Bahamut Fury's wings, where Aerith's lightning had cracked it.
CRACK! The golden wing snapped completely.
The dragon roared, losing its balance in the air.
Zack jumped from the opposite side, his sword glowing a burning red. He channeled all his remaining HP into one fatal strike.
"COSTLY PUNCH!"
Zack's fist (and the hilt of his sword) slammed into the exposed reactor in Bahamut Fury's chest.
KA-BLAAAAM!
Internal explosions rippled through the beast. Bahamut Fury roared one last time before its golden body shattered into fragments of data and light, vanishing into the air.
A red Materia fell in front of Johnny, rolling slowly to a stop.
Silence returned to the reactor.
Aerith panted heavily, leaning on her staff. Zack fell to his knees, his breath gone. Johnny ran to Aerith, pulling her into a tight embrace, stabbing his sword into the ground to keep them from falling.
"We... won..." Zack sighed in disbelief.