Chapter 40 - Killing A fal'Cie

Few minutes later after Lightning calmed down, Serah finally had the chance to leave her sister's tight embrace.

She looked at Raynor who was not far from her, she very quickly put things together, how did she not turned into crystal.

Serah did quite early realised that this individual is not... normal existence, at first it was something she didn't pay to much attention, simply because she enjoyed their time together...

She slowly walked towards him, there was a small smile on her face, she then quickly engulfed him into her own hug, the warmness his body emits is something she loves very much, and when she has a chance she usually does such think whenever she can...

Lightning looked at her own younger sister who was slowly turning into a puddle, while she is not showing she is actually jealous, she doesn't know why, but still... she noticed that her sister experiencing the same effect as she does when she is in close contact with him...

'Is it some sort of power? or is it something else?' Lightning though with interest.

"So what now? we got your sister..." Sazh said as he doesn't want to stay in this place any longer than needed.

"We finish off the fal'Cie..." Raynor said in a most obvious voice he can, Lightning who was not far from him slowly nodded, she has a bone to pick with this being...

She looked at her new weapon, fal'Cie or not this weapon will turn that thing into scrap metal...

But then again she looked at Serah...

"Oh, and Serah this is something for you..." Raynor pulled out another weapon from thin air again...

Lightning wanted to see Serah reaction to this, funnily enough, there was bȧrėly anything from that front.

Serah took the appearance of a weapon from thin air much easier than Lightning expected, instead she was more impressed and intrigued by the appearance.

"Here... this one is for you..." Serah eyes widened for a second when she touched the the-two handed sword...

The moment she touched she knew how to fight, as well as how to use it, before Lightning can show her overprotective tendencies, she saw how Serah wielded her new sword, like an expert...

"Is... your sister really a civilian?" Even Sazh asked with a raised eyebrow.

Moments later the sword transformed into a bow.

The weapon is based on her original weapon from XIII-2, the Starseeker, only it's more royal looking and... much more powerful than just simple magical weapon from the XIII-2...

"I know Serah never wielded weapon before!!!" Lightning said with certainty.

Moment later Serah simply dismissed the weapon and it vanished into thin air... then she grabbed 'something' and weapon reappeared in her hand...

"That's convenient!" at this point Sazh stopped carrying how or what it happens, he simply only looks at the bright side...

"That because I never knew how to fight sis... but the moment I touch this weapon I simply know how to fight!" Lightning's younger sister commented with a smile.

"Nice... now we can finish this thing off..." Raynor said, as he motioned to move on...

Walking just a through a single corridor, they arrived what is called 'Anima Throne Room'

At least in the game, as it doesn't look like Throne Room at all...

The fal'Cie which real name is 'Anima' looks like its made of metal, and it took the form of an upper human body, from waist up, it has two massive hands which are called 'manipulators'.

it's considered first 'proper boss'.

That's in the game of course...

Looking at this thing now... Raynor can see the weakness of this thing, his core or heart whatever is called is the crystal thing which stands out like some sore thumb in the beings hearth area...

"Right Lightning see that crystal standing out?" Raynor motioned towards the fal'Cie, who already 'turned on' and ready to defend its self, a barrier appeared around it's 'main body'.

"It's the heart of that thing, we need to blow it up, but first...I take the 'right hand', you take the left... once those are down, the barrier will go down, Serah shoot at that crystal-like heart with your bow once the barrier is down..." Raynor said to the girls, while pulling out his Desert Eagle.

Both of their attack melted the metal like 'hands', which in turn disabled the barrier, seeing that the way is clear Serah pulled bowstring from her new weapon, moments later arrow manifested and she released it, with loud whistling sound the arrow rammed into the things crystal-like heart and shattered In process...

...

...

***BOOM***

Moment the Crystal heart shattered, a massive explosion happened which consumed the whole 'Throne Room'.

Very next moment When group opened their eyes they were in some sort of Dark Dimension, in front of them was massive being which is made of Grey, Black and white colour, it had the distinction of being male because of its robust like look, what unnerved Lightning, Serah and Sazh is that it was the semi-organic and same time semi-machine like thing, it had metal like tentacles constantly moving around this being...

"Where are we?" Lightning asked as she looked around.

"Pulse personal dimension..." Raynor answered back to her.

"W-Wait what did you just said... Pulse!? as in THE Pulse? God of Gran Pulse and the 'Maker'?" Sazh said with disbelieve as the massive being in front of them moved, his tentacles rushed towards Lightning and Sazh, while the one's which wanted to touch Raynor and Serah simply...missed as Serah pendant stopped any and all attacks, while the one which 'attacked' Raynor simply bypassed and 'missed' him.

While the one's which touched Lightning and Sazh instantly branded them and tattoo's appeared on their bodies...

Very next moments they were back to real-world... only this time they were not inside the Pulse fal'Cie vestige...

No... when Lightning and Sazh opened their eyes they were greeted by the sight of crystalised water everywhere...

They slowly got up on their feet and looked up they saw 'Hanging Edge' in distance far away...

"Where are we? is this...Lake Bresha? how did... did fal'Cie did this? Help me out here!?" Sazh was confused, Lightning slowly was looking around trying to comprehend what's going on, Moments later Raynor and Serah walked over to them, both of them were not knocked out by the Deity of Gran Pulse, instead, they were transported to Lightning and Sazh location.

Serah was weirded out by Pulse action, she would thought the God would be pissed that he can't brand them, or repurpose Serah original brand, instead he simply transported her and Raynor to Lightning's location...

She looked at Raynor who had a small satisfied smile, Serah for weird reason had this feeling it related to him in some weird way...

"It's fal'Cie death which caused this incident, once Serah blew up the core of that thing, the magic or whatever essence it had cause this..." Raynor motioned around with his hands, the whole lake turned into crystal.

Raynor had a chance to pull out his phone and take a few pictures of the crystallized lake water.

"I see... what now?" Lightning asked Raynor.

"We go to Eden..." Raynor said simply, and directly as it's the simplest thing in the universe, which actually is, not that they need to know that yet.

"I hate to break it to you... but we don't have the means to go there, and even if you give us the ability to walk on air, Eden still has the whole base of PSICOM soldiers there..." Sazh said to Raynor.

"Yes... and that why Pulse branded you both to give you guys some magic no?" Raynor said to Sazh.

"Y-You want to destroy Cacoon?" Sazh said with wide eyes as he realised that he was Branded by Pulse himself, that means he is enemy of Cacoon?

"Not really, I want to reveal the conspiracy of fal'Cie which was in works since the creation of this 'paradise'." Raynor walked over to them.

"W-What are you talking about?" Sazh asked as this conversation going not the direction he intended.

"There are no sides, both Gods, Pulse and Lindzei created everything together, they have never been enemies..." Once Raynor said that, all three people world just crashed around them...

Few seconds later Lightning opened her mouth.

"T-Then what's the point of all this?" Lightning motioned Cacoon around her.

"People obviously...Fal'Cie wish to end Cacoon with a 'bang', and bring their makers back, and reset everything since they are tired of doing the same things over and over..." Internally Raynor chuckling how Bhunivelze was absolute retard with his 'grand plan' as by this point he was asleep for a long time and fal'Cie started making their own schemes...

"By bang...you mean..." Sazh didn't say anything instead he used hand motions showing Cacoon falling into the ground...with some sound effects...

"Yes..." Raynor said with twitchy lip, the way Sazh showed was amusing...

"And how are you planning to do this?" Lightning asked him.

"By rewiring them," Raynor answered simply to the pink head.

Lightning blinked several times at him.

"And how are you going to do that?!" He didn't answer her question, he simply smiled and started walking towards the only available path at this moment.

"You will see Lightning, for now, let's find ourselves an airship, capable of flying to Eden, it will be much easier than simply walking there on air..." Raynor eventually answered to her, while Serah simply shrugged, so did Sazh who started catching up to him.

"This is getting weirder and weirder by moment..." The Elder pink head said to herself as she catches up to them.

"What about our focus?" Lightning tried to remember the moment she was branded, there was no image no hints... nothing...

"Because there is no focus, I told Pulse only to give you magic and your Eidolons ..." All three of them looked at him as if he is insane.

"What? doing everything alone is a massive drag, so you three will help me, to even the numerical odds..." Raynor said with shrug.

"As... crazy as this sounds why would God listen to you?" Sazh asked curiously.

"Because I beat him in battle before?" All three looked at him weirdly...

For some reason, they are not that shocked anymore...

"Right then let's get this over with..."

~~~~~~Around Hour later~~~~~~

"That's a PSICOM cruiser..." Lightning said to Raynor, as they are hiding from land forces and few Fighters flew over them...

"Right, so Sazh can you pilot that thing?" Raynor asked Sazh, as he pulled out his Desert Eagle.

"A cruiser? Damn... I don't really know... I never flew anything this size..." The pistols-wielding man said after thinking for a second.

"I see... then we will have time to check it out..." Raynor removed himself from his hiding place and started walking towards PSICOM soldiers outside the landed cruiser.

"You guys just wait here..." Raynor said to the pink duo who were about to complain to him.

As Raynor was walking casually towards the PSICOM soldiers, they quickly noticed him...

"Halt!!!" One of them spoke loudly enough, but Raynor simply ignored that.

"Boys... you are outnumbered here, I suggest just leave..." Once Raynor said that all of them looked around, trying to see his 'Army'.

"Did you hit your head or something?" One of PSICOM grunts said to him.

Raynor only shook his head, while he has his army... this world is far too weak to be unleashed upon, and he actually wants to keep Cacoon for himself...

"For this kind of small thing, my army is not needed...besides... I am more than enough for this little exercise..." Raynor closed his eyes for a second, once he opened them again they have changed.

A God versus 200 mortals...

"You guys going to need call for reinforcements..." Raynor said as his eyes started to glow....