Chapter 120

The arena trembled as Hades raised his arms, a theatrical grin stretching across his face. "Ladies, gentlemen, and restless souls, this is what you've been waiting for! A clash so thrilling, so brutal, it'll make your afterlife feel like a vacation!" His fiery hair flared brightly as he turned toward the two teams on the platform. "Two legends against two upstarts. Let's see if the dynamic duo of doom can survive Vincent the Sinner and Barret the Avalanche!"

Helios summoned his keyblade and shifted his grip on the Equilibrium, the weight of the weapon feeling heavier than usual under the oppressive curse of the Underworld. He glanced at Sephiroth, who stood poised and unshaken, Masamune resting lightly in his hand, its blade glinting in the dim, eerie light of the Underdrome.

"You're ready for this, right?" Helios asked, forcing a grin despite the anxiety clawing at his chest.

Sephiroth didn't look at him, his gaze fixed on their opponents. "Stay out of my way," he said coldly.

Helios rolled his eyes. "You're a real team player, you know that?"

Across the arena, Vincent and Barret stood side by side, an unspoken understanding passing between them. Barret cracked his neck, the barrels of his gun-arm spinning menacingly, while Vincent's crimson eyes narrowed as he studied Helios and Sephiroth.

"Don't underestimate them," Vincent muttered, his voice low and calm. "That one in black... his aura is unnatural."

Barret smirked, flexing his mechanical arm. "I don't care if he's the devil or god of the underworld himself. That sword ain't stoppin' a hail of bullets."

The arena fell silent, the air crackling with tension. Then, with a snap of Hades' fingers, the battle began.

"SHOWTIME BOYS!" Hades bellowed, and chaos erupted.

Barret opened fire immediately, his gatling gun roaring to life as a torrent of bullets screamed across the arena. Helios dove to the side, rolling into a crouch as the bullets tore into the stone floor where he'd just been standing. Sephiroth blurred into motion, teleporting directly in front of Barret and slashing downward with Masamune.

Barret blocked with his gun-arm, sparks flying as metal met steel. "You're fast, I'll give you that!" he barked, his strength barely keeping Sephiroth's blade at bay. But before Sephiroth could press the advantage, Vincent was there, his gun leveled with precision.

A single gunshot rang out, the bullet aimed for Sephiroth's head. Sephiroth tilted his head to the side at the last possible moment, the bullet grazing his cheek. The slight distraction allowed Barret to shove him back with a powerful swing of his mechanical arm.

Helios seized the opening, darting in and firing a Dark Firaga at Barret. The ball of black flames streaked across the arena, forcing Barret to leap back, but Vincent intercepted it, firing his gun. The bullet collided with the fireball, detonating it mid-air in a burst of shadowy fire.

"Not bad," Vincent murmured, his eyes flicking to Helios. "But you'll have to do better than that."

Helios gritted his teeth and thrust his keyblade forward, summoning a small whirlwind of Aero that swept toward Vincent. The crimson-cloaked man leapt into the air, flipping gracefully over the spell, his gun firing three quick shots at Helios. Helios swung his keyblade, deflecting two of the bullets with the metallic clang of impact, but the third grazed his arm, leaving a thin line of blood.

Sephiroth was already back in the fray, teleporting behind Barret and slashing horizontally. Barret barely managed to block, but Sephiroth's strength sent him skidding across the platform. Sephiroth followed up with a burst of Shadow Flares, dark orbs swirling around him before launching at Barret in quick succession.

Barret roared, switching his gun-arm to missile mode and firing a rocket into the oncoming projectiles. The explosion shook the arena, smoke and debris filling the air.

Through the haze, Vincent emerged, moving with inhuman speed. His cloak flared out behind him as he closed in on Sephiroth, his gun firing rapidly. Sephiroth blocked each shot with Masamune, his blade a blur as sparks lit up the air between them.

"You'll need more than a gun to take me down," Sephiroth said, his voice calm and disdainful.

Vincent's lips twitched into a faint smile. "Good thing I have more than a gun."

In an instant, Vincent's form shifted, his body twisting and contorting as he transformed into the Galian Beast. A feral roar echoed through the arena as the beast charged, claws slashing at Sephiroth with brutal force.

Helios rushed to Sephiroth's side, swinging his keyblade to intercept one of the Galian Beast's strikes. The force of the blow sent a jolt through his arms, but he held firm, pushing back against the monstrous strength.

"Mind helping out here?" Helios shouted.

Sephiroth glared at him. "You're slowing me down."

Before Helios could retort, Barret rejoined the fight, firing a barrage of bullets that forced Helios and Sephiroth to separate. Helios darted to the side, raising his keyblade and casting Reflect. The shield of light shimmered around him, deflecting the bullets in all directions.

As the Reflect spell faded, Helios thrust his keyblade forward, summoning a Thundaga spell. Lightning crackled from above, striking Barret's position with explosive force. The impact sent the larger man stumbling, but he quickly recovered, switching his gun-arm to a wrecking ball and charging at Helios.

Helios barely managed to dodge as the massive weapon smashed into the ground where he'd been standing. He retaliated with a Firaga spell, the fireball exploding against Barret's chest and pushing him back a few steps.

Meanwhile, Sephiroth was locked in a deadly dance with the Galian Beast. The creature's claws slashed and swiped with relentless ferocity, but Sephiroth's speed and precision kept him one step ahead. He teleported behind the beast, delivering a devastating slash to its back, but the creature seemed unfazed, roaring and spinning to counter with a swipe that caught Sephiroth across the chest.

Sephiroth staggered, blood staining his coat, but his expression remained calm. He raised a hand, summoning a Firaga Wall that encased the Galian Beast in towering flames. The creature howled, the fire searing its flesh, but it didn't fall.

"Helios!" Sephiroth called, his voice sharp.

Helios understood immediately. He raised his keyblade, channeling his energy into a Blizzaga spell. The icy projectile struck the burning Galian Beast, the sudden shift in temperature causing cracks to form in its hardened hide. Sephiroth followed up with a flurry of slashes, each strike precise and deadly, and the beast finally fell, reverting to Vincent's human form.

Vincent landed hard, breathing heavily but still conscious.

"Nice teamwork," Helios muttered, giving Sephiroth a half-smile.

Sephiroth glanced at him, his expression unreadable. "Don't get used to it."

Before they could catch their breath, Barret let out a roar, his gun-arm charging with energy. "Time to end this!" he bellowed, unleashing a massive laser blast that tore across the arena.

Helios and Sephiroth leapt in opposite directions, the beam narrowly missing them but leaving a deep gouge in the stone floor.

"We need to finish this quickly. Soon all our strength will be gone," Helios said, clutching his keyblade tightly.

Sephiroth nodded, his eyes narrowing as he prepared for the final phase of the battle.