[02] City Sector FIGHT

[DA 2009]

TEMPO VS. SOPHIA

The golem-like Tempo walked ceaselessly forward, seeing nothing but a target in front of him. Tried as he might, he couldn’t fight the power within; he’d been too overwhelmed. The music thrummed uselessly in his ears, unable to keep the beast at bay anymore.

Sophia charged up her ki absorption. Tempo seemed to be exuding an endless well of it, so if the priestess could siphon off even a little tiny bit of it, he would be that much less deadly. She didn’t want to hurt the boy, but then again, she wasn’t going let him kill her, either. Sophia sucked in a breath, and launched herself head-on at Tempo; this wasn’t going to be as easy as fighting Piper. There was nobody to tell her where to move, how to move, and Tempo wasn’t going to hold back. Just as the orange-haired boy was about to fire, Sophia ducked under his outstretched hand and grabbed him by the wrist, prepared to suck him dry.

Tempo shuddered, his head flopping to the side to look at her like a doll being forced to move. His free arm loosely jerked up to let off a quick burst of ki, but Sophia was too quick; she laced her fingers tightly around his, and began the same absorption technique, doubled up.

She looked into his empty eyes, knowing that he wasn’t going to be able to hear her words, but she felt compelled to say them anyway. “I’m sorry, Tempo. I’m so sorry,” she whispered, trying not to let her voice break.

He didn’t care. Maybe he would have, but he didn’t now. The beast within could feel its precious life source being siphoned away at an alarming rate, and that was all that mattered to it. Tempo’s head lolled forward, his chin slumping against his chest. Suddenly, his body erupted into a flare-storm of energy, expelling a pure aura of ki in every direction as Tempo brought his entire might to bear. Sophia turned her face away and squeezed her eyes shut, feeling the hot burn of his ki on her skin, but she didn’t let go. Already, she could feel his endless wealth slowly ebb away, flowing through her veins in a sickening rush.

The song on Tempo’s MP3 player switched, and although he couldn’t hear it, the words nonetheless blared through his headphones. Had he been conscious enough to hear it, he would have wondered if the song had already been in the player, or if somehow, it had been implanted just for him, for this Dante’s Abyss.

White walls surround us
No light will touch your face again
Rain taps the window
As we sleep among the dead

Tempo’s leg reared up and he struck his knee directly into the center of Sophia’s breastplate, again and again. Still the priestess would not yield, no matter how much pain he inflicted. It was as if the strikes to her heart reflected the emotional torment she felt.

Days go on forever
But I have not left your side
We can chase the dark together

Deep inside, Tempo fought against the monster within, trying to wrest control from the beast. He could feel its hold on him weakening as his energy slowly faded away.

If you go then so will I

The aura began to die down, and Sophia returned her gaze to Tempo’s face. She remembered what it felt like to die, and she wanted to make it as pleasant as possible for the poor boy; it wasn’t his fault. In a way, even with all of her friends nearby, she’d died alone, and she didn’t want him to be alone. The priestess stared into his eyes as he writhed and struggled against her grip.

“It’ll only hurt for a moment,” she assured sadly.

There is nothing left of you
I can see it in your eyes
Sing the anthem of the angels
And say the last good-bye

The monster finally faded away, and Tempo returned to his own flesh and body. He looked around, as if he didn’t know what was going on.

“You should have let me in,” the monster growled, its voice fading into nothing.

He stared at Sophia, and, wild-eyed, struggled against her grasp, but she didn’t let go. He tried hard, as hard as he could, but by now, he was far too weak. Maybe it was Alexander’s attack that slowed him down, or maybe he just needed to control himself a little better. His head grew light and dizzy, like he was losing too much blood, but no wound on his flesh seeped the life fluid.

I keep holding on to you
But I can’t bring you back to life
Sing the anthem of the angels
And say the last good-bye

Tempo’s eyelids fluttered as he struggled to keep them open. Sophia’s face never left his, and although it was breaking her heart to drain him dry, she forced a smile on her face, the smile she smiled for everyone else, even if it was a lie to what she really felt.

Sing the anthem of the angels
And say the last good-bye

The boy dropped weakly to his knees, and Sophia crouched down with him, prepared not to leave his side. At last, his eyes closed, and the woman could feel the last drops of energy leaving him.

Sing the anthem of the angels
And say the last good-bye

Although set for continuous play, the MP3 shut off as the final notes of the song ended.