Chapter 851 - 850: The New King of Shinra Steps onto the Stage. "

Even despite Alex's warning and strange words that all this was still far from the end, the rest of the group was trying with all their strength simply to catch their breath and recover after the series of mad, wild events when they had all been forcibly dragged into an unknown otherworldly place and forced to fight a horrific monster that had decided at the last moment to self-liquidate.

After such a colossal load, the wildest fatigue was felt most of all by Aerith, who was barely staying on her feet, heavily leaning on Alex's arm. For barely had they left the Source when it seemed to her that absolutely all the remaining strength in a single instant had finally left her body.

Taking deep, greedy breaths in order somehow to restore her breathing, Aerith raised an exhausted but warm gaze to Alex, sincerely wishing to boast about how excellently she had handled her difficult task, even if she was doing something like this for the first time in her life.

Seeing this incredibly tired gaze on her cute face, Alex slightly smiled and quite softly touched her forehead with his palm. Feeling the pleasant warmth coming from Alex's hand, Aerith weakly squinted, sensing how all the accumulated fatigue was rapidly receding and dissolving — as if it had never existed at all.

Slightly pursing her lips, Aerith could not restrain herself and looked at Alex with a reproachful gaze that literally expressed quiet offence at the fact that he was not even allowing her to lie down properly and rest. Seeing this childishly offended look, Alex with a smile playfully pinched the tip of Aerith's nose and negatively shook his head, silently reminding her that it was still too early to relax and that nothing was finished yet.

Tiredly sighing, Aerith pressed her forehead against Alex's hand, perfectly understanding that right now it really was not the time for rest at all. Smoothly stroking Aerith's soft hair, Alex slightly turned his head and noticed Claudia, who was tensely looking around as if desperately searching for someone.

Barely had he prepared to call out to Claudia when he noticed that her eyes had dangerously narrowed and her entire gaze was focused on the open helipad beyond the window. Not only Alex paid attention to Claudia's strange behaviour — absolutely all the remaining members of the group also noticed how her body instantly tensed as if she had seen something unpleasant. Turning their heads toward the enormous panoramic window, they all with horror saw how around the roof of the building a dense, gloomy swarm of Black Whisperers was circling. But at this moment even the Whisperers themselves were not the main problem — right there stood Sephira.

She was holding in her hands the foul remains of Jenova's body wrapped in a robe and looking back at them with her habitual soul-chilling cold smile. Raising a clouded gaze upward, Sephira smoothly pushed off from the platform and lightly soared into the darkening sky, tightly gripping the remains of Jenova in her hands. Seeing this, Claudia's eyes narrowed even more.

Without pronouncing a single word, she tore from her place and at frenzied speed ran outside onto the helipad, driven by one single obsessed thought — to catch up and at any cost stop Sephira. Hearing the ringing sound of her rapid running, everyone reflexively turned toward Claudia, who was already approaching the massive doors leading to the roof.

"Claudia, stop! Wait for me! This could be deadly dangerous!" Tifa desperately shouted, anxiously watching her running friend.

"Ah, fuck your mother… Not a minute of peaceful life in this city," Alex heavily groaned, ready right now to rush after Claudia before she did something.

Running after Claudia onto the open helipad, Alex was not completely sure exactly how Sephira would act. For he had already perfectly managed to notice that in this altered timeline Sephira had turned out far more sophisticated and dangerous — since she had decided instead of creating a banal illusion to send the entire squad straight into the Source right away. And she could quite deliberately kill Claudia simply because she could do it — in order finally to enrage Alex and force him at the limit of his strength to play with her this horrific game called "Who Will First Change the Fate of Gaia."

Having run out onto the helipad after Claudia, Alex quickly looked around, immediately noticing a multitude of Black Whisperers that were chaotically circling around the roof like vultures in expectation of what was supposed to happen further.

Quickly throwing the fact of the Whisperers' existence out of his head, Alex shifted his gaze to the side and noticed Claudia, who at the limit of her strength was running in the opposite direction — toward where the high technical ladder of the communication tower was located. Preparing to run after her in order to prevent a catastrophe and avoid unnecessary troubles, Alex raised his gaze upward and met a direct gaze with Sephira. She was standing majestically at the very top of the radio tower, tightly holding the remains of Jenova in her hands.

Meeting Alex's gaze, Sephira slightly curved her lips into a half-smile-challenge, after which her cold gaze slid toward the technical ladder along which at that very moment Claudia was rapidly climbing. Narrowing his eyes, Alex with anxiety looked at Claudia, who had already climbed onto the technological tier of the roof and was ready to climb even higher.

Grasping a metal crossbar with her hand, Claudia raised her gaze and with burning, undisguised hatred looked at Sephira. Beginning to climb rapidly upward along the ladder, Claudia was not thinking at all about how deadly dangerous this was.

For Sephira with all her past and current actions had already made it distinctly clear that she would stop at absolutely nothing for the sake of achieving her global goal. And Claudia more than anything in the world did not want any of her friends to suffer again — the way it had happened in the distant past with Tifa, when Sephira's long blade had pierced her chest through and through. Having already reached the middle of the long ladder, Claudia did not for a second lower her direct gaze from Sephira, who high on the communication tower was looking back at her with her habitual chilling indifference.

"Sephira-a-a!" Claudia fiercely snarled, getting closer and closer to the one who had once destroyed her entire life at the root.

"You remain exactly the same, Claudia… Then and now. The moment you only realise that you can lose someone important, you immediately headlong senselessly throw yourself into the very flame. Only, just as in the distant past, you will change absolutely nothing. For everything has already irreversibly begun," Sephira slowly and measuredly spoke, looking down from above at the approaching Claudia.

"I will stop you! I will stop you right here and now — exactly the same as then!" Claudia shouted with inhuman anger in her voice, squeezing the sturdy metal crossbar with such wild force that the thick metal began to bend with a screech under her fingers.

"Good luck… But all this in the end will be absolutely useless. The finale is already predetermined — neither you, nor he, nor anyone else in this entire world will be able to change it," Sephira pronounced in the same detached, calm voice, slowly raising her gaze to the bright, blindingly shining moon in the night sky.

From these arrogant words Claudia grew even angrier and was already ready with one desperate yank to reach the summit, right to Sephira. But the moment Claudia raised her foot to step onto the next crossbar, Sephira smoothly shifted her gaze from the shining moon and looked downward again.

On her lips once more played that very chilling, haughty smile which with its entire appearance brazenly said: you will change absolutely nothing, Claudia. Clenching her teeth to the crunch from the boiling anger, Claudia saw how around Sephira a dense ring of many Black Whisperers began circling, as if protecting her with a living wall.

And while the spirits of fate were circling at the very top of the communication tower, Claudia suddenly noticed how Sephira's silhouette for a second distorted and was replaced by the figure of an emaciated man in a dirty, torn robe who was convulsively holding the biomass with the remains of Jenova in his hands. Dangerously narrowing her eyes, Claudia sharply pushed off from the steel steps and soared upward like a swallow.

But she did not even manage to approach the top of the communication tower when from all sides the Black Whisperers furiously attacked her, with a powerful ram pushing her backward. Feeling the crushing push to the chest, Claudia did not even manage to grab onto anything — she was instantly flung downward into free fall. Rapidly flying from the enormous height, Claudia for a moment saw how above again appeared the silhouette of Sephira, who was slowly moving her lips. She managed distinctly to make out the single short phrase spoken by her: "I am waiting."

Not fully understanding exactly what these last words of Sephira meant, Claudia continued falling downward like a stone. Quickly realising that at such speed she simply would not manage to group herself, Claudia could hope only for blind luck. And exactly at the moment when she was supposed with a crash to smash into the hard helipad, Alex caught her in an incredible jump. Timely intercepting the falling Claudia in the air, Alex took the main impact upon himself, fell onto the concrete and together with her by inertia slid across the entire platform, stopping at the very dangerous edge of the precipice.

Lying on his back and tightly pressing Claudia to himself, Alex heavily and tiredly sighed, looking into the darkening night sky and feeling dull irritation from the next conditions imposed on him where he again had to play by someone else's rules.

Claudia, still being in Alex's reliable embrace, slightly raised herself, leaning with her palms on his broad chest. Looking at Alex's habitually tired but calm face, Claudia simply could not help thinking about the fact that he was already far from the first time saving her life in such critical moments.

"You know… For that impressive number of times that I catch you in the air, you simply unconditionally are obliged to repay me with at least one normal kiss," Alex pronounced with a sigh, looking straight into the eyes of Claudia lying on top of him.

"And I will tell you once again: fuck you, you'll manage without it," Claudia answered, restrainedly rolling her eyes, and immediately pushed off with her palms from his chest in order fully to rise to her feet.

"Well, for the sake of decent tone you could at least say a banal 'thank you'… Or at least hug me as a sign of sincere gratitude," Alex spoke slightly laughing, with a squint observing the rising Claudia.

"Thank you… And how long are you still planning to lie around here? Sephira escaped. We have absolutely nothing more to do here," Claudia answered in an even tone, extending her palm to Alex in order to help him rise from the cold floor.

"Eh, what a one you are… They won't even let us properly enjoy the night sky. And on top of that these fucking bastards are blocking the entire excellent view from above… Simply complete fucking disaster," Alex grumbled in a tired tone, grabbing Claudia's extended hand and with one yank rising to his feet.

Ignoring Alex's light grumbling, Claudia tightly seized his hand and sharply pulled him toward herself, helping him finally to rise to his feet. Having successfully straightened up, Alex immediately quickly examined his black shirt for damage and holes.

For if his clothes had torn, he would simply have had no possibility immediately to change with the help of magic, and the travel bag with the accumulated gil and personal things that he could have used for cover had remained lying on the parking lot in one of the abandoned trucks. Having made sure that the fabric was still whole, even if rather soiled with dust, Alex raised his eyes and saw how the remaining members of the group were rushing toward them at full steam.

The first to reach them was Tifa, who from the run began thoroughly and carefully examining Alex and Claudia for hidden injuries — for they all had perfectly seen how Claudia had torn downward and how Alex at the last moment had managed to catch her. And only when Tifa made sure that none of them had been seriously hurt did she allow herself noisily to exhale with enormous relief.

When all the remaining members of the group approached closer, Barrett first of all thunderously inquired whether they had managed with joint efforts to stop Sephira. Claudia only gloomily shook her head and quietly answered that she had escaped without a trace together with Jenova's body.

Hearing this discouraging answer, Dean approached right up to Alex and slightly pushed him with his shoulder, mentally demanding explanations about what was even happening here. Expressively tapping himself with a finger on the temple, Alex wordlessly transmitted to Dean that in his head a completely new mad plan had been born, for the realisation of which they would all have to sweat hard.

Hearing this mental warning, Dean only slightly raised an eyebrow and silently nodded his head, deciding not to bother himself much over the next dangerous adventure that had inevitably matured in Alex's head. Understanding that remaining on this roof blown by all the winds no longer made any sense, the entire group unanimously decided to move toward the exit. But exactly at the moment when they were already preparing to leave the helipad, right behind their backs rang out the deafening roar of approaching blades.

Sharply turning their heads toward the sound, they saw a Shinra government helicopter rapidly flying up to the roof.

"And what the hell is this elite carrion being brought exactly at such a moment?" Dean spoke, heavily sighing, not taking his heavy gaze off the approaching machine.

"The young heir has returned — Rufus Shinra. He has flown in personally to declare his loud rights to his father's throne," Alex answered with a caustic smirk, carefully lighting the extinguished thin cigar.

"Since this insolent bastard is voluntarily flying here himself, maybe we'll finish him off as well while we're at it? Leave this cursed Shinra completely without any heirs," Barrett spoke in a frowning tone, with a menacing crack clenching the fist of his cyber-arm and seriously thinking about shooting the bird right out of the air.

"That's pointless. Right now it's better for us simply to leave and not waste time," Claudia spoke in an even tone, shifting a cold gaze onto the heated Barrett.

"The hell with that! In my opinion it will be far better to finish with this goddamn family once and for all — right here and now!" Barrett fiercely snapped, poking a finger into Claudia's shoulder.

"Barrett, stop making a circus. We're leaving. We originally climbed up here not for him at all," Alex said in a calm tone, rigidly cutting off and stopping Barrett's further fervour.

Barrett was already about to furiously object and once again declare that it was better to finish with this cursed Shinra corporation here and now, but he was timely stopped by Tifa, who calmly and convincingly reminded him exactly for what they had come here at all. Yuffie, Red and Aerith also unconditionally supported the general decision simply to leave, completely not wishing to waste any more time and strength on showdowns with Shinra.

Barrett was left only discontentedly to grumble under his breath and heavily nod his head in sign of agreement. And while they were conducting this short argument, Rufus's personal helicopter approached critically close and began smoothly descending onto the concrete slab of the helipad.

Observing the landing, Alex unexpectedly noticed two very familiar faces sitting at the controls of the combat machine. Meeting Reno's gaze, Alex slightly raised an eyebrow, noticing how the red-haired Turk cheerfully moved his lips, silently pronouncing one single word: "Debt."

The helicopter finally completely landed on the platform, the heavy doors immediately opened with a hiss, and elite soldiers with shotguns at the ready rapidly ran out. And after them from the cabin unhurriedly and gracefully stepped Rufus Shinra himself. On him was worn a long white military coat from under which neatly peeked the collar of a strict black shirt.

On his legs flaunted white military trousers and high polished black boots, and on his face was frozen the signature smile of a man who had returned to his lawful possessions. Standing near the open helicopter, Rufus with a light, arrogant smirk swept all those present with a cold gaze until his eyes stopped specifically on Alex.

Slightly raising his chin and narrowing his light eyes, Rufus smoothly stretched his hand backward and with a ringing snap of his fingers. And at that very same second from the helicopter rapidly jumped out a specially grown, massive combat bloodhound that unconditionally obeyed only its master. In the teeth of the formidable dog was clamped a small black box which it carefully passed right into Rufus's hands.

"Everyone go downstairs. And I'll stay here for a bit and chat a little with our new director," Alex said in an absolutely calm tone, with sincere interest examining Rufus from head to toe.

"I'll stay too. The two of us will delay him while the others calmly leave," Claudia instantly intervened, resolutely stepping forward and standing shoulder to shoulder with Alex, tightly squeezing the heavy Buster Sword in her hand.

"Alright… Guys, stop spacing out. Enough standing here, we'll catch up with you as soon as you fully descend," Alex answered, nodding his head and agreeing with Claudia, after which he sharply turned to the remaining members of the squad.

"We'll be waiting for you downstairs in the lobby. Just don't delay too much and hurry," Tifa quickly spoke, resolutely seizing Aerith and Yuffie by the hands and drawing them after herself toward the stairs.

"Hey, just don't do anything stupid here, mister! Don't be late!" Aerith cheerfully shouted, running away together with Tifa and Yuffie and on the way cheerfully waving to Alex with her free hand.

"Listen, dude, if you suddenly decide to get stuck here — you'll then have to catch up with us on your own two feet across the entire city," Dean said with a smirk, firmly clapping Alex on the shoulder, after which he silently followed after the departing group.

Barrett cast a last gaze full of undisguised fury at Rufus, in his soul clearly wishing to finish him off on the spot. But still he restrainedly snorted, clapped Alex on the shoulder and promised that he would definitely look after all the others during the descent.

Briefly nodding in response, Alex mentally transmitted to Dean that downstairs an unpleasant robot would be waiting for them, therefore it was necessary to keep an ear to the ground and observe caution. Hearing about the robot, Dean only dismissively snorted before finally following after the departing squad. Observing how all the others were hurriedly running away, Rufus lazily looked at his elite guard and barely noticeably waved his chin, giving a silent order to pursue the fugitives.

Seeing how the elite grunts sharply tore from their places and began moving toward the squad, Claudia instantly raised her arms, tightly squeezing the hilt of the Buster Sword with both palms, and was already ready single-handedly to stop them. But before Claudia managed to take even a step forward, Alex weightily laid a hand on her shoulder, not taking his gaze off Rufus, who was just as intently looking back at him.

The moment the elite grunts approached to a sufficient distance, Alex unhurriedly pulled the sharp karambit from behind his back and smoothly took one wide step right behind Claudia's back. Feeling a light poke in the back, Claudia instinctively and sharply rushed forward, with a swing waving the Buster Sword and with a powerful blow knocking down three elite grunts at once.

Noticing the sudden attack, the remaining soldiers instantly raised their heavy shotguns, preparing to open fire to kill. But at that very same second they with amazement dropped their weapons from their numbed hands and collapsed onto their knees, completely deprived of the possibility of moving either their arms or their legs — and right behind them already stood Alex, swaggeringly and lazily spinning on one finger the karambit abundantly covered with enemy blood.

Seeing how his elite guard had been dealt with without the slightest problems or effort, Rufus showed neither fear nor surprise. He only with complete cold-bloodedness swept the platform with his gaze: first looking at the unconscious soldiers lying, and then shifting his eyes to those who had helplessly fallen onto their knees, distinctly noticing on their dense protective uniform neat and precise traces of deep cuts on the arms and legs.

Shifting the focus back, Rufus again looked at Claudia, next to whom already stood Alex, carelessly and proprietarily resting his chin on her shoulder. Looking at the girl more attentively, he distinctly noticed her characteristic glowing green colour of eyes, and on his lips immediately blossomed an understanding, predatory smile.

"That very unique Anomaly whom my late Father so desperately longed to obtain… And an elite SOLDIER. What an admirable, intriguing duo," Rufus spoke with a light, unconstrained smile, unhurriedly stepping forward and demonstratively holding his hands behind his back.

"I am an ex-SOLDIER," Claudia corrected him in a gloomy tone of voice, tighter gripping the heavy Buster Sword.

"In this world there are no former SOLDIERS… Besides, you are still the lawful property of the corporation," Rufus pronounced with a lazy, haughty intonation, looking point-blank straight into Claudia's eyes.

"I advise you to watch your tongue, Rufus, because she belongs only to me. Otherwise as fair payment for the accumulated debts I can right now tear out your fucking tongue and eyes," Alex cooed with a blinding, radiant smile, flashing his frighteningly sharp teeth and tighter drawing Claudia to himself, embracing her by the shoulders.

Hearing Alex's bold words that had sounded right at her ear, Claudia demonstratively rolled her eyes and quietly snorted to herself, deciding for now deliberately not to correct him in this ambiguous situation. Rufus, however, silently and calmly stopped, still continuing to hold his hands behind his back.

His sharp, calculating gaze was fully fixed on Alex's face, and he simply physically could not fail to notice his unnaturally sharp, predatory teeth. Narrowing his eyes, Rufus mentally quickly went through all that secret information which the Shinra corporation had managed to collect on this mysterious guy.

Especially distinctly in his memory floated the last detailed report from Tseng — about how Alex single-handedly had arranged a real bloody massacre among the rank-and-file members of Deepground, and cold-bloodedly destroyed their elite fighters in the persons of Azul and Rosso. Quietly fiddling with his fingers behind his back, Rufus extremely clearly understood: the man standing before him right now was not at all a pawn that could be used with impunity at one's own discretion.

Moreover, even his own bold plan for arranging a state coup for the overthrow of his own father had been so easily and unconstrainedly uncovered precisely by this partner. Quietly and briefly smirking to himself, Rufus finally removed his hands from behind his back and confidently crossed them on his chest.

He desperately wanted to check whether he could in the end come to an agreement with Alex — for he was not at all pleased by the prospect of having such a dangerous enemy when he officially entered the position of President of Shinra. Least of all in the world did he want someone to open a hunt on him whose real limits of capabilities and hidden weaknesses he still did not know.

However the most preferable scenario for him remained the variant in which Alex voluntarily switched to his side and began working personally for him. Narrowing his light eyes, Rufus made the final decision: if it did not work out to agree civilisedly, he would simply eliminate this unpredictable obstacle.

Alex and Claudia attentively observed the new director, distinctly noticing the cold, calculating gleam in his eyes. However, they deeply did not care exactly what cunning schemes were right now swarming in the head of the newly minted head of Shinra — their main task remained banally to drag out time and reliably delay Rufus on this roof, not giving him the possibility effectively to issue orders.

"A deal, you say? Somehow I don't recall at all that we concluded with you any official deals," Rufus spoke in an extremely calm and even tone, skillfully pretending as if he absolutely did not understand what was even being talked about.

"Yes-yes, of course… You're always 'knowing nothing,' poor and unhappy. And now be so kind, hand over that little box you're clutching in your hand before I twist you into that very appetising chimichanga," Alex pronounced in a lazy and mocking tone, expressively pointing a finger at the black box in Rufus's hands.

"Catch… And by the way, still don't want to go work for me? Specifically for me, and not for this corporation built by my late father," Rufus tossed with a contented smirk, with a sharp motion throwing the black box right into Alex's hands.

"Nope. It's deadly boring with you. And I simply physically don't have that much colossal patience to gaze day after day at Reno's sour mug. And still less at Tseng's eternally dissatisfied face. And free time there isn't — my personal schedule is scheduled literally by the second," Alex answered, rolling his eyes and deftly catching the thrown object, beginning lazily to spin the box on one finger.

"What a pity. I would very much not want someone with your talents in the future to create serious problems for me," Rufus pronounced in an even tone, unhurriedly and swaggeringly stroking the massive muzzle of his bloodhound.

"Heh, typical Shinra politics. If they can't fully control someone — they immediately try to destroy it," Claudia contemptuously snorted, rewarding Rufus with a heavy, unblinking gaze.

"And I'm not going to hide it. Such is the harsh politics of my corporation…" Rufus calmly parried, unhurriedly turning together with his pet in the direction of the helicopter awaiting them.

"What, already running away? And I naively supposed that we were now going to arrange a solid fight in the format of two on two. I would with pleasure steal your favourite weapon and touch you in the most forbidden places," Alex shouted with a wide, mischievous smile, playfully laying his chin on the top of the noticeably irritated Claudia's head.

"Heh… Sounds, of course, quite tempting. But, as you yourself just expressed it, my personal schedule is indeed too dense… I hope we will still necessarily see each other, and you will after all change your mind. If, of course, your entire friendly company of murderers of the late President will be able at all to survive and hide from the large-scale pursuit," Rufus tossed over his shoulder with a light, cynical smile, deftly taking from his pocket a weighty silver coin and carelessly throwing it in Alex's direction.

"The king is dead — long live the king!" Alex shouted in a cheerful tone, playfully catching the flying silver coin right in the air.

Observing together with Claudia how Rufus calmly sat down into his helicopter, Alex simply could not help thinking about why right now absolutely no fight had occurred. For he had really from the bottom of his heart wanted to knock out and steal Rufus's personal weapon for his impressive home collection.

Seeing how Rufus slowly closed the door of the helicopter with a light, mocking smile frozen on his lips, Alex suspiciously narrowed his eyes, finally sensing that something was wrong. And not he alone — Claudia exactly the same way expressed deep suspicion regarding how suspiciously simply and smoothly this awkward situation had resolved, and why Rufus had preferred simply to turn around and leave.

Exchanging glances between themselves, Alex and Claudia distinctly saw sincere bewilderment in each other's eyes. And when they had already first of all thought that nothing terrible would happen any more, they both unexpectedly heard a clear, rhythmic ticking sound rapidly coming from somewhere below, right from under the concrete slabs.

Recognising this cursed sound, Alex emitted a long, agonising groan and sharply turned toward the helicopter that had already taken off into the night sky. Right from the pilot's cabin through the glass Reno was looking at him with a contented physiognomy, waving a hand in which he was squeezing a compact detonator. Demonstratively raising and wagging his middle finger, Reno unhurriedly brought it to the cherished red button and with special pleasure slowly pressed it all the way.

"Well you are a bitch, Reno! I will, fuck, necessarily strangle you with my own hands at our next meeting!" Alex howled piercingly, furiously pointing a finger at the flying-away Turk.

"Run!" Claudia loudly shouted, instantly seizing Alex by the hand and with full force dragging him after herself away from the mined platform.

Not even trying at this moment to understand what the hell the helipad had turned out to be stuffed with explosives, Alex and Claudia with all their strength rushed forward, desperately trying to outrun the inevitable explosion. But the moment they only approached the saving edge, right in front of them a most powerful explosion thundered deafeningly, with terrible force throwing them back.

Having flown off into the very centre of the collapsing helipad, Alex and Claudia instantly jumped to their feet, preparing to continue running. But barely had they straightened up when a second explosion thundered, finally destroying the main support columns. In the next moment the entire enormous helipad sharply and dangerously tilted at a terrifying angle — standing on their feet became physically impossible, and they began uncontrollably sliding backward, right toward the gaping edge.

Claudia tried to stick the Buster Sword into the concrete in order somehow to brake the sliding, but then a whole series of new explosions thundered, and the platform tilted even more strongly, with a deafening crack splitting exactly in half. From such a strong jolt Claudia finally lost her support and flew downward. Seeing that Claudia was now about to tear into the abyss, Alex without the slightest reflection rushed after her.

Having gained sufficient acceleration, he jumped forward and slid on his stomach across the smooth concrete, convulsively stretching his hand forward. Balancing on the very edge of the breaking-off piece of the helipad, Claudia at the very last moment managed with a death grip to seize Alex's hand, hanging over the high precipice.

Tightly squeezing Claudia's palm, Alex was already preparing with a yank to pull her upward when yet another explosion rang out — the broken piece of the slab finally shuddered, and Alex together with Claudia tore downward. Falling from the rapidly disappearing under their feet seventieth floor, Alex with a lightning-fast motion pressed Claudia to himself with one hand, and with the other on the fly snatched from behind her back the heavy Buster Sword, with a furious screech driving it right into the massive wall of the building in order somehow to brake their mad fall.

Having slid at enormous speed several floors downward and finally tightly fixed themselves, Alex and Claudia anxiously hung right at the level of the sixtieth floor. Literally hanging on the sheer façade of the Shinra headquarters, Alex could not restrain himself and emitted a long, exhausted groan. Being in such a dangerous position, Claudia also could not stand it and heavily sighed, with all her soul feeling the entire absurdity and ridiculousness of their current situation.

"Well then, I've caught you in the air again… So you still owe me that very promised kiss," Alex pronounced slightly laughing and trying at least a drop to defuse the tense atmosphere.

"Do you at such moments manage to think about anything other than stupidities? If you suddenly didn't notice, under us right now are a full sixty floors of free fall," Claudia answered with a tired, heavy sigh, expressively pointing a finger downward at the gaping void.

"I'm simply trying to think exclusively positively! By the way, from here opens a simply stunning view of night Midgar, and the breeze is so pleasant blowing… Directly an ideal romantic place for a date," Alex answered with a radiant smile, casting a contented glance at the hilt of the Buster Sword thanks to which they still had not turned into a pancake on the asphalt.

"Then try to think so positively as to invent some working plan of how we are to get out of here before this goddamn sword finally tears out of the wall and we plunge downward," Claudia said in a cold and inflexible tone, feverishly looking around in search of at least some saving exit.

"I do have a plan… But you'll have to fully trust me," Alex said, suddenly growing serious, turning his head to Claudia and looking straight into her eyes.

"I… I already trust you more than anyone," Claudia answered, quietly shaking her head, with her gaze confirming absolute faith in any decision of Alex's.

"Excellent. Then simply hug me as tightly as possible. I promise, you'll remember this descent for a long time — it will be maximally extreme," Alex confidently pronounced, lightly clapping Claudia on the back and calling on her tightly to embrace him with her arms and legs.

Looking straight into Alex's eyes, Claudia slowly nodded in sign of agreement, after which she tightly embraced his neck with her arms and tightly wound her legs around his torso. Feeling that Claudia was holding maximally reliably and would not tear off, Alex with a strong yank pulled himself upward and confidently stood right on the hilt of the Buster Sword sticking out of the sturdy concrete wall.

Maintaining perfect balance at the dizzying height, Alex slightly smiled and for a second closed his eyes, mentally scanning the space in order exactly to check on which floor exactly the others were now located. Having made sure that the group had already practically safely reached the very bottom, Alex lightly patted Claudia on the back, warning her immediately to prepare for the descent.

Claudia at first could not even imagine exactly in what way Alex was going to descend safely downward from such a monstrous height. But soon she received a visual answer when Alex suddenly pushed off and made a sharp jump into the void. Tearing downward, Alex on the fly seized with his free hand the hilt of the Buster Sword and began literally running downward along the sheer wall of the skyscraper, leaving behind him clear deep dents from the blows of his legs and a long screeching line from the blade drawn across the façade.

Feeling with her entire body how Alex at frenzied speed was racing vertically downward along the smooth concrete and glass, Claudia instinctively pressed into him even more strongly, trying not a drop to hinder his filigree movements. And while they were racing downward in such a mad manner, in her head with a bright flash raced those very words of Alex about the fact that this would really be the most extreme descent in her life.

To be continued...

(So, that was Rufus's brief appearance—along with his little "problem-solving" trick, which didn't exactly go as planned. Most importantly, Alex has added another Ancient Pokémon to his collection. That means it's time to make an escape—and, naturally, time for the arrival of Destiny's Ultimate Idiot, who simply can't sit still. I obviously can't cram all of this into a single chapter, but we're getting very close to the moment Alex and the others leave Midgar. And damn it, Alex is going to get the beach vacation he's earned—he truly deserves it. Dean deserves it, too. I don't think there's much else to mention, aside from the battle against the Chief Whisperer and the execution of the insane plan that's been brewing in Alex's crazy head. Anyway, I'm off to grab some food. Peace, love, and—just for good measure—I'm sending some "rays of kindness" your way via machine-gun fire at your feet!)

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