The night air of Wall Market bit with a cold sharpness, but the chill that ran through Arthur and his friends had nothing to do with the temperature.
It was the icy grip of fear, mixed with a burning resolve. The clock in Seventh Heaven had ticked past 9 PM, leaving them with just a few precious hours until Shinra planned to unleash their monstrous lie.
They moved like shadows through the narrow, twisting alleys, their footsteps muffled by the grime-streaked cobblestones. Every rustle of trash, every distant clang, made their hearts pound. Shinra's security would be everywhere, a net slowly closing in.
Jessie, nimble and quick, was the first to break off.
"I'll head for the communications tower,"
She whispered, her voice tight with focus.
"If I can cause a blackout, even for a few minutes, it'll be enough to throw them off."
She gave a quick, determined nod and vanished into the labyrinth of backstreets, her small hacking device clutched in her hand.
Biggs and Wedge, a grim determination etched on their faces, followed suit.
"We'll set up the diversions,"
Biggs said, hefting a bag of explosives.
"Make enough noise to draw their attention away from the pillar. Good luck, everyone."
Wedge, usually jovial, only gave a solemn thumbs-up before they too melted into the darkness, leaving Arthur, Tifa, Cloudia, and Aerith to their impossible task.
Arthur looked at them and he knew what was going to happen to them. They might perish here. So he did something.
He secretly used protection magic on them. They won't die easily at least.
The main support pillar of Sector 7 loomed in the distance, a dark, titanic silhouette against the smog-choked sky. It was a giant, metallic tree trunk holding up the sprawling plate above, a lifeline of pipes and cables. Now, it was a target.
"We need to get to the base of the pillar, fast,"
Tifa said, her voice a low growl of urgency.
"That's where the main demolition charges will be. Shinra won't want to draw attention to the top where people might see them."
Her fists were clenched, ready.
Arthur nodded, his mind racing. He could feel the Lifestream's frantic pulse, a desperate thrumming beneath the city.
Aerith, walking beside him, felt it even more keenly.
Her brow was furrowed, her eyes distant, as if she were listening to a sorrowful song only she could hear.
"The Lifestream is screaming,"
Aerith murmured, her voice barely a whisper.
"So many lives… they're just going to extinguish them."
Her words were like a fresh stab of cold, a stark reminder of the sheer scale of Shinra's evil.
Cloudia, ever the silent protector, walked slightly ahead, her massive Buster Sword held loosely at her side. Her gaze was fixed on the looming pillar, her resolve a palpable force. She was a silent storm, ready to unleash her power.
They reached the edge of the Sector 7 slums, a sprawling shantytown clinging to the underside of the plate. The air was thick with the smells of cooking fires, damp earth, and human struggle.
Thousands of people, completely unaware of the doom hanging over their heads, were going about their lives.
Children were sleeping in their makeshift beds, families were eating their meager dinners, and a few late-night revelers stumbled home. This was what they were fighting for.
Suddenly, a harsh beam of light cut through the darkness, sweeping across their path. Shinra guards. A patrol.
"Behind here!"
Tifa hissed, pulling them into the shadow of a rusted water pipe.
Two heavily armed Shinra soldiers, clad in their standard blue and white uniforms, stomped past, their boots echoing ominously on the metal walkways. They carried rifles, their movements stiff and practiced.
"Any more of those eco-terrorists, and we're authorized to use lethal force,"
One of them grunted to the other.
"Heard they blew up a couple of Mako reactors already. Crazy bastards."
Arthur felt a surge of cold fury. Shinra's lies were already spreading, poisoning the minds of their own soldiers.
They were framing Avalanche, painting them as villains, all to cover up their own monstrous act.
Once the guards had passed, they continued their clandestine journey. The path to the support pillar was a maze of corrugated metal shacks, overflowing garbage, and dimly lit alleys.
The sounds of the slums, usually a comforting hum of life, now felt like a desperate plea.
As they got closer to the pillar, the Shinra presence became undeniable. Searchlights crisscrossed the sky, illuminating sections of the enormous structure.
The ground trembled faintly with the heavy thud of distant machinery, and the air filled with the low hum of Mako energy coursing through giant conduits.
"They've already started setting up,"
Tifa observed, her eyes narrowing.
"They're not wasting any time."
A series of temporary Shinra checkpoints had been erected around the base of the pillar. Soldiers stood guard, their weapons at the ready, scanning the perimeter with grim efficiency.
"Too many to just rush,"
Arthur muttered, surveying the scene. His energy manipulation could blast through them, but it would alert everyone. They needed a more subtle approach, at least at first.
"Maybe we can use a diversion?"
Aerith suggested, her voice soft but surprisingly firm.
"I can cast a Sleep spell on a few of them, make it look like they fell asleep on duty. Then we can slip past."
It was a risky move, but they were short on options.
"Good idea, Aerith,"
Tifa agreed.
"Cloudia, be ready. If anything goes wrong, we go loud."
Cloudia merely nodded, her hand instinctively going to the hilt of her sword.
Aerith closed her eyes for a moment, her hands clasped together. A faint green glow emanated from her, almost imperceptible in the darkness.
She focused, and then, a shimmering wave of ethereal energy rippled outwards, washing over two guards standing closest to their position.
Their movements became sluggish, their heads drooped, and with a soft thud, they slumped against the wall, gently snoring.
"Amazing, Aerith!" Tifa whispered, impressed.
"That won't last long,"
Aerith cautioned.
"We need to move now."
They darted forward, slipping past the sleeping guards like ghosts. The air grew colder, charged with the oppressive presence of the pillar itself.
Massive steel beams stretched upwards into the inky blackness, disappearing into the plate above. Mako energy pipes, thick as tree trunks, snaked around the pillar, glowing with an unnatural green light.
As they ventured deeper into the restricted zone, the sounds of Shinra's demolition crew became clearer.
The clanging of metal, the hiss of hydraulic lifts, and the murmur of distant voices. They were definitely setting up the charges.
"Over there!"
Cloudia pointed, her voice low.
Through a gap in a stack of large metal crates, they saw it. A group of Shinra technicians, their faces grim under the harsh work lights, were attaching large, cylindrical devices to the main Mako conduits. Demolition charges. Each one was about the size of a man's torso, emblazoned with the Shinra logo and a warning symbol.
"That's it,"
Arthur said, his jaw tightening.
"That's what we need to disarm."
Suddenly, the ground beneath them vibrated. A low, rumbling groan echoed through the vast structure. The Mako pipes hissed louder, and a shower of dust rained down from above.
"What was that?"
Tifa asked, her eyes wide.
Aerith gasped.
"The Lifestream… it's trying to hold on. It's resisting."
Arthur felt it too. A raw, elemental protest from the planet itself. The Lifestream was fighting back against the destruction, trying to stabilize the pillar.
But it wasn't enough. Shinra's greed was too powerful.
Then, an alarm blared, a piercing wail that ripped through the night. Red emergency lights flashed on, bathing the pillar's base in an ominous crimson glow.
"They've detected something!"
Tifa yelled, bracing herself.
"Jessie's blackout didn't last long enough,"
Arthur gritted out. Or perhaps, Shinra had anticipated such a move.
From all directions, Shinra soldiers swarmed, pouring out from hidden checkpoints and access tunnels.
They were heavily armed, their ranks seemingly endless. A wave of Mako-infused elite guards, easily identifiable by their glowing green eyes, led the charge.
"Avalanche!"
A commanding voice boomed over a loudspeaker.
"Surrender now, and you will be dealt with mercifully!"
Barret's voice, raw and desperate, echoed in Arthur's mind:
"My Marlene… she's down there… We ain't losing anyone else to Shinra's greed."
Mercy? Shinra knew nothing of mercy. They were about to sacrifice thousands of innocent lives.
"Never!"
Tifa roared, her fists already blurring as she launched herself at the nearest group of guards, a whirlwind of powerful kicks and punches.
Cloudia, her Buster Sword flashing like a silver comet, was right behind her, a force of unstoppable destruction.
With a single, sweeping arc, she cleaved through a line of approaching soldiers, sending them sprawling.
Arthur felt the surge of his own power, the cold, immense energy he could command.
He slammed his palm onto the ground, and a wave of raw force erupted, throwing several guards off their feet.
He wasn't just fighting soldiers; he was fighting time, and he was fighting for the very soul of the planet.
"Aerith, stay close!"
Arthur yelled, pulling her behind him.
"Protect her, Cloudia!"
Cloudia didn't respond, her focus entirely on the fight, but she strategically positioned herself between Aerith and the bulk of the Shinra forces.
Aerith, despite the chaos, was already weaving spells.
"Sleep!"
She cried, and another wave of emerald energy washed over a group of charging guards, sending them tumbling into a heap.
She then began chanting, a soft glow emanating from her hands, preparing a healing spell.
More guards poured in. Riot troopers with impenetrable shields, snipers appearing on higher platforms, and even a hulking Shinra robot, its optical sensors glowing menacingly.
"We need to reach those charges!"
Arthur yelled over the din of battle.
"They're almost done!"
Tifa, her movements a blur of controlled power, disarmed a soldier with a quick jab and then used his own rifle to smash through another's helmet.
"I'm on it!"
She called back, her voice strained but determined. She began fighting her way towards the demolition crew.
Arthur focused his energy, the air around him shimmering. He unleashed a focused blast, a concentrated surge of pure force that slammed into the Shinra robot, staggering it.
He knew the Whisperers were watching, their cold presence a constant pressure on the edge of his perception.
But he pushed them away, his mind fixed on the task at hand.
He saw a Shinra technician, oblivious to the battle raging around him, tightening the last bolts on a charge. The timer on the device was already counting down. Less than an hour left.
"Cloudia, cover me!"
Arthur yelled, pushing past her. He aimed a powerful energy pulse at the ground near the technician. The concrete exploded, sending debris flying and knocking the technician sprawling.
Tifa, having fought her way through, reached the first charge. She fumbled with the complex wiring, her face contorted in concentration.
"These are heavily secured!"
She grunted.
"Shinra doesn't want these tampered with!"
Aerith, meanwhile, noticed a group of Shinra snipers taking aim from a higher ledge. With a quick flick of her wrist, she conjured a dazzling burst of bright light, blinding them for a critical moment.
"Distraction!"
She cried.
Cloudia, seeing an opening, sprinted towards the snipers, leaping onto a series of pipes and platforms with surprising agility. Her sword arced through the air, disabling the snipers with brutal efficiency.
Arthur reached Tifa.
"Can you disarm it?"
"It's not going to be easy,"
She replied, sweat beading on her forehead.
"They've got fail-safes. If I cut the wrong wire, it could detonate!"
He felt the subtle flicker of a Whisperer's presence, closer now, a cold breath on his neck.
They were trying to interfere, to enforce their "correct" timeline. He knew this was a pivotal moment, a divergence from their intended path.
He slammed his hand onto the side of the demolition charge.
"Give me a minute, Tifa,"
He said, his voice strained. He closed his eyes, focusing all his energy. He could feel the complex energy signature of the device, the intricate flow of its destructive power.
He had to disrupt it, not with brute force, but with a precise, controlled surge of his own unique energy.
He pushed his own life force, his dragon aura, into the charge. It was like trying to untangle a Gordian knot with his mind, feeling for the right connections, the critical pathways.
The device hummed, then crackled, resisting his efforts.
Suddenly, a massive surge of power hit him from behind. He was thrown forward, skidding across the concrete.
He looked up to see the Shinra robot, its optical sensors glowing with malevolent intent, its mechanical arm winding up for another strike.
"Arthur!"
Aerith cried, running towards him, her healing spell ready.
Cloudia, having dealt with the snipers, was already descending, her sword poised.
"I'm fine!"
Arthur yelled, pushing himself up, his head throbbing. He needed more time on that charge.
The robot lumbered towards them, its heavy footsteps shaking the ground. This was a distraction they couldn't afford.
"Cloudia, hit it hard!"
Arthur commanded.
"Tifa, keep working on that charge!"
Tifa, her face grim, resumed her work, her fingers deftly working on the wires, ignoring the chaos around her.
Cloudia met the robot head-on. The clash of steel against metal rang out as her Buster Sword connected with the robot's arm. Sparks flew, and the robot staggered back, but its armor was thick.
Arthur charged the robot, channeling raw energy into his hands. He leaped, slamming his fists into its central core.
The robot shrieked, a shower of sparks erupting from its chassis. He felt the intense resistance, the pure, unyielding strength of Shinra's engineering.
He could feel the Whisperers again, a sudden intensification of their presence, like an icy wind blowing through his very soul.
They were agitated, their spectral forms swirling at the periphery of his vision, trying to push him back, to prevent him from altering the "destiny."
He ignored them. He would carve his own path. He would forge a new destiny, one where the innocent would not perish.
"Just a little more!"
Tifa yelled, her voice triumphant. A click, then another. The timer on the first demolition charge blinked erratically, then went dark. A small, but significant victory.
"One down!"
Arthur roared, putting all his strength into a final, powerful energy blast, sending the robot careening into a stack of empty barrels. It crumpled with a deafening crash, its internal mechanisms sparking and dying.
But there were more, so many more Shinra soldiers. They were an endless tide.
"We need to disarm the others!"
Tifa yelled, pointing at two more charges further down the pillar.
"There are three of them!"
The clock was still ticking. Less than an hour.
Aerith, panting, made her way to Arthur.
"Are you hurt?"
She asked, her hands glowing with healing magic.
"Just a little shaken,"
He said.
His body was far stronger than what they could damage even if the plate fell down he wouldn't have hurt much but he took her offer of healing.
Her gentle magic soothed the throbbing in his head, renewing his strength.
Cloudia rejoined them, her sword stained with oil and traces of metal. She looked at the remaining charges, then at the horde of approaching Shinra.
"We need a plan,"
She said, her voice unusually urgent.
Arthur looked at the relentless stream of Shinra soldiers, then at the glowing Mako conduits. An idea, reckless and dangerous, sparked in his mind.
"Aerith,"
He said, his voice firm,
"Can you focus on your Lifestream connection? Can you feel the weakest points in the Mako flow within the pillar?"
Aerith closed her eyes, her brow furrowed in concentration. The air around her shimmered faintly.
"Yes,"
She whispered, her eyes still closed.
"There's a convergence… a bottleneck near the top. If the flow were disrupted there, it would cause a surge of energy downwards… a shockwave."
Arthur nodded, a grim smile forming on his face.
"Shinra wants to use the Mako flow to amplify their blast. We'll use it to amplify ours. Tifa, Cloudia, we create a path to those other charges. I'll go with Aerith to that bottleneck. We'll hit their own system against them."
"It's incredibly risky,"
Tifa warned, her eyes wide.
"If we disrupt the flow too much, it could destabilize the entire pillar!"
"It's a risk we have to take,"
Arthur countered.
"Shinra's already going to destroy it. We have to beat them to it, on our own terms. We create a controlled implosion, a localized one, to disarm the other charges. It will cause damage, but it will be far less than the entire pillar collapsing."
Cloudia, after a moment of intense thought, nodded.
"It's our best chance."
The hum of the Lifestream was growing louder, more desperate. Arthur felt the cold disapproval of the Whisperers intensify, their spectral forms swirling around them, attempting to bar their path.
They were practically screaming at him to stop, to let the timeline play out as it was meant to.
He looked at Aerith, her face pale but determined. He looked at Tifa, her eyes blazing with fierce resolve. He looked at Cloudia, a silent promise of support in her gaze.
"Alright, Avalanche,"
Arthur said, his voice ringing with renewed determination,
"Let's show Shinra what happens when you try to play God."
'Whisperers be damned. I am a cosmic true dragon. What can they do but eat shit!'
With a shared nod, the small, desperate band of heroes once again plunged into the heart of the battle, ready to fight not just for their lives, but for the future of Midgar itself.
The clock was ticking, but so was the fierce, defiant heartbeat of the planet, echoing in their own determined souls.
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Milim: Milim Nava is here! You are strong become my friend! Hehe!