The air inside the core of Reactor 1 was thick with the scent of machine smoke and ozone, creating a suffocating haze.
Johnny stood beside Zack, the massive Dragon Slayer resting casually on his broad shoulder. His rugged presence seemed to cleave through the tension in the room.
Zack coughed, thick blood trickling from the corner of his lips. His legs were shaky, trembling violently as if they could no longer support his own weight.
"You look pathetic, Zack," Johnny grumbled without turning his head, his eyes remaining vigilant on the two figures ahead.
Johnny's hand moved quickly to his belt pouch. He tossed two glass vials toward Zack.
"Catch!"
Zack snatched them from the air with the last of his reflexes. One vial contained a glowing green liquid (Mega Potion), and the other held an ethereal blue fluid (Ether).
"Drink up! Don't die on me yet!" Johnny snapped. "I'm getting paid by the Turks to clean up this mess!"
Zack didn't argue. He bit the cork off the Mega Potion, downing it in one gulp, then immediately chased it with the Ether.
Gulp. Gulp.
The effect was instantaneous. A soft green light enveloped Zack's body. The gaping cuts on his arms hissed as they sealed shut. His drained stamina flooded back. The blue glow of the Ether surged into his bloodstream, replenishing his empty MP reserves.
Zack's blue eyes shone bright again. "Whoaa...! You really are a lifesaver, Johnny! By the way, are you a SOLDIER too?"
Zack scanned Johnny's attire. The style was similar, but the armor was distinct—the pauldrons were smaller and more efficient.
"Of course. Deepground Division," Johnny bluffed with a straight face.
"Seriously? That means you work for Hojo?" Zack asked, surprised.
"What do you mean?" Johnny's eyes widened slightly.
"Hojo's secret organization... only 1st Class SOLDIERs know about it. Their base is below Sector 0," Zack explained.
Johnny cursed internally. Damn it, so that organization actually exists? He and Aerith had just been making things up.
Johnny quickly covered Zack's mouth with his hand. "If that's the case, don't report anything. Focus on the fight."
Zack nodded, his voice muffled by Johnny's hand. "OHH YEAH. Roger that, Johnny. Eyes forward."
Across the ruined bridge, Genesis lowered his rapier slightly, staring at Johnny with condescending curiosity.
"An uninvited guest... a lower-class SOLDIER, perhaps?" Genesis scoffed. "My friend, your desire... Is the bringer of life, the gift of the goddess."
Angeal didn't waste time reciting poetry. His face was hard. He didn't know exactly who Johnny was—but information from the Turks, from conversations with Tseng, Reno, and Rude, mentioned a mercenary in the slums who hunted monsters, including failed experimental Behemoths. They called him "Johnny."
Now seeing him in person, and hearing their foolish banter... If Johnny was truly from Deepground, this battle would be incredibly difficult.
"Genesis, focus," Angeal ordered, raising the Buster Sword into a combat stance. "This man is dangerous. His sword is far heavier than mine."
"Naturally," Genesis smiled faintly, raising his left hand. "Legend shall speak... Of sacrifice at world's end."
A black-reddish aura began to gather around Genesis's body, forming dozens of razor-sharp crow feathers.
"BLACK FLURRY!"
Without warning, Genesis unleashed the storm of black feathers. Each quill carried magical poison and cut like a scalpel.
Simultaneously, Angeal lunged forward. His massive frame moved with deceptive speed.
"RUSH ASSAULT!"
Zack, who had just recovered, raised his sword to block. "Johnny! Look out!"
But Johnny didn't dodge. Instead, he stepped forward, placing himself directly in front of Zack.
"Stand back, Zack!"
Johnny closed his eyes for a split second. Deep within his soul, he pulled the "switch" he usually kept guarded.
THUMP-THUMP.
The first black feather struck the flat side of the Dragon Slayer.
Johnny's heart pumped blood at an unnatural speed. His muscles swelled, pressing against his armor until it creaked loudly. When he opened his eyes again, the whites had turned pitch black, with wild, glowing red pupils.
[BERSERK STATE: ACTIVE]
Pain was muted. Fear was deleted. Only the lust for slaughter remained.
"GRAAAAAHHHHHHH!"
Johnny roared. He positioned the Dragon Slayer as a wall against the onslaught of black feathers.
CRASH! CRASH! CRASH! CRASH!
However, dozens of Genesis's magic feathers still pierced Johnny's body. His modified SOLDIER armor was shredded. Blood sprayed from his shoulders, arms, and cheeks. But Johnny didn't retreat a single inch. He stood firm like a cliff, making his giant body and the Dragon Slayer an absolute living shield for Zack.
On the catwalk above, Aerith let out a stifled scream. She clutched her own chest, falling to her knees.
"Akhh!" Aerith groaned. Sharp pain—like thousands of needles piercing her skin—traveled through the Lifestream Bond. "Johnny... it hurts so much..."
"Princess!" Ivalera cried in panic.
"Johnny..." Aerith looked down with tear-filled eyes. "He's taking... everything..."
On the ground floor, Angeal was already in strike range. He saw the bloody Johnny standing his ground. Without hesitation, Angeal launched a combination of heavy punches and Buster Sword slashes.
BAM! CLANG! BAM!
Johnny took the hilt of Angeal's sword straight to the face. His head snapped back, fresh blood streaming from his nose. But a second later, Johnny turned back, grinning with teeth stained red.
"Is that all you got?" Johnny mocked, his voice sounding like the growl of a wild beast.
Angeal's eyes widened. "What are you?!"
Johnny gripped the handle of the Dragon Slayer with both hands. His back muscles exploded with kinetic energy.
"WHIRLWIND STRIKE!"
Johnny spun.
It wasn't a normal spin. With the weight of the Dragon Slayer and the momentum of his Berserk body, Johnny turned into a spinning top of death. Sharp winds generated around him, creating a terrifying vacuum vortex.
WOOOOSSSHHHH!
The wind pressure was so intense it deflected the remnants of Genesis's Black Flurry back at him. Angeal, who was in slashing range, was forced to cancel his attack and leap back as far as possible.
KRAAAK!
The iron floor around Johnny was gouged in a perfect circle, five centimeters deep from the friction of the wind blade.
Johnny stopped spinning. Steam rose from his wound-riddled body. Blood dripped heavily onto the floor, but he stood tall, blocking the path to Zack.
He turned his head slightly. His red eyes stared at Zack.
"Zack! Your turn!"
Zack sprinted forward to engage Angeal.
CLANG!
Zack's standard Shinra sword clashed with Angeal's Buster Sword. Zack's knees buckled. The weight of Angeal's blade was far beyond his ability to withstand.
"Weak!" Angeal barked. He executed a CHAIN SLASH, a series of heavy strikes.
Zack was pushed back, his arms going numb. He was losing the contest of strength. Angeal was too strong. Zack had no opening to counterattack.
Meanwhile, Johnny faced Genesis.
"Too slow, brute," Genesis mocked.
Johnny swung the Dragon Slayer horizontally.
WOOSSHH!
It only cleaved the air. Genesis leaped gracefully over Johnny's blade, then thrust his rapier into Johnny's unprotected shoulder.
CRASH!
Johnny growled, trying to grab Genesis, but the poet had already retreated using his Black Feather magic. Johnny was losing the contest of speed. He was like a bull being toyed with by a matador.
Both were pushed back until Zack's shoulder bumped into Johnny's shoulder in the center of the room.
"Damn it..." Zack hissed, his breathing heavy again. "Angeal... I can't break through his defense."
Johnny spat blood to the side. "And that crazy Poet is slippery as an eel. My sword can't hit him."
Johnny's eyes narrowed. He glanced at Zack from the corner of his eye.
"We have the wrong matchups, Zack. We switch."
Zack understood instantly. "Switch targets?"
"On my mark," Johnny whispered.
In front of them, Angeal and Genesis prepared for a killing blow. Angeal focused a yellow aura into his sword, while Genesis focused a red aura at the tip of his rapier. They lunged simultaneously.
Angeal aimed for Zack's head. Genesis aimed for Johnny's heart.
"NOW!" Johnny shouted.
Instead of welcoming Genesis, Johnny suddenly dashed to the right—directly into Angeal's path.
Johnny stomped his foot, setting a concrete stance, and thrust the Dragon Slayer with all his might to meet Angeal's charge.
"BRUTAL THRUST!"
The Buster Sword met the Dragon Slayer.
DOOOOMMM!
Angeal's eyes widened in shock. He expected Zack's weak defense, but what he hit was a wall of steel weighing 100 kilograms. Angeal's momentum halted completely. The vibration of the impact traveled all the way to his shoulder bone. Johnny held Angeal's sword with a wild grin, not budging an inch.
"Pick someone your own size, Old Man!" Johnny growled.
On the other side, as Johnny moved right, Zack dashed left—slipping through the gap Johnny had left.
Genesis, ready to skewer the slow Johnny, suddenly lost his target. In its place, a blue blur rushed at him with speed that matched his own.
Zack was there in the blink of an eye.
"Gotcha!" Zack shouted.
Zack's sword glowed.
"CHAIN SLASH!"
SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH! SLASH!
Five super-fast slashes struck Genesis while his guard was open. Genesis didn't have time to cast magic. He only managed to raise his rapier in panic, but Zack's speed dominated this time.
"Ugh!" Genesis was knocked back, a long cut appearing on his red armor.