Kingdom Hearts: Consumed by Darkness

The crowd of despairing souls groaned in eerie unison as Sephiroth stepped onto the inky black platform of the Underdrome, his towering figure illuminated by the hellish glow of the abyss surrounding the arena. Across from him, Cerberus appeared in a swirl of dark smoke and embers, its three heads snarling and snapping with feral intensity. The beast's fiery eyes locked onto Sephiroth, radiating pure malice.

Cerberus was a monstrous sight: black fur glistening like polished obsidian, its massive form rippling with muscles. Each of its three heads bore sharp, jagged teeth and glowing red eyes that seemed to bore into its opponent's very soul. The ground shook as it took a step forward, its claws scraping against the platform.

Hades's voice boomed from above. "Ladies and gentlemen—well, mostly gentlemen, and mostly dead—get ready for a clash of the titans! On one side, we have tall, dark, and gloomy! And on the other, my own ferocious pup, Cerberus! Let's get this show on the road!"

Cerberus lunged first, its massive claws gouging into the platform as it charged. Two heads snapped at Sephiroth from different angles while the third unleashed a torrent of Dark Breath—darkness erupting from the ground in explosive waves.

Sephiroth darted backward, his incredible speed leaving afterimages in his wake. With a graceful twist, he leaped into the air, narrowly avoiding the snapping jaws and dark eruptions. His Masamune shimmered in the dim light as he struck down with precision, a crescent wave of energy flying toward Cerberus. The beast recoiled, but the strike left only a superficial scratch.

"Not bad, not bad," Hades quipped, leaning back casually. "But let's see if you can keep it up."

Cerberus retaliated with a thunderous leap, slamming into the ground with its massive weight. A shockwave rippled outward, forcing Sephiroth to teleport several feet away to avoid being thrown off balance. The hellhound's heads moved in eerie synchronization, launching massive fireballs in quick succession. The projectiles exploded like miniature volcanoes, creating a fiery barrier that hemmed Sephiroth in.

Sephiroth remained calm, his golden eyes gleaming with calculated focus. "Is that all you've got?"

Cerberus roared, rearing up on its hind legs. Sephiroth saw his opening. With a flick of his wrist, he summoned a Firaga Wall—a towering barrier of flames that erupted beneath Cerberus, striking all three heads simultaneously and canceling its Dark Breath attack. The beast yelped, momentarily stunned by the searing heat, but quickly recovered.

Before Cerberus could regain its footing, Sephiroth conjured Shadow Flares—dark orbs of energy that hovered ominously before racing toward the beast. The orbs exploded upon impact, forcing Cerberus to leap into the air to avoid further damage. Sephiroth smirked, already anticipating the move.

"Predictable," he muttered.

As the beast soared upward, Sephiroth summoned a Meteor spell. A massive, glowing rock materialized above him and hurtled toward the airborne Cerberus. The impact sent the creature crashing back to the ground with a deafening roar, the platform cracking under the force.

Hades leaned forward, grinning. "Now that's what I call flair!"

But the fight was far from over. Cerberus rose from the crater it had created, its wounds rapidly closing. With a guttural growl, it moved faster than before, its heads snapping furiously. One head caught Sephiroth's leg in its powerful jaws, lifting him effortlessly into the air.

Helios, watching from the sidelines, winced. "This might be the first. Two creatures have managed to pin him down."

Cerberus slammed Sephiroth into the ground with bone-rattling force. The crowd of souls groaned louder, their eerie chorus filling the arena. But Sephiroth, ever resilient, twisted his body mid-slam and summoned another meteor slamming into the head holding him down causing it to release him. He landed on his feet, albeit unsteadily, and unleashed a flurry of Iaido slashes in quick succession.

The beast roared in pain as its damaged head from the meteor began to regenerate. Yet before it could fully recover, Sephiroth darted forward, his blade a blur. Each strike left glowing lines across the beast's hide, weakening its divine resilience.

Cerberus retaliated with another shockwave, forcing Sephiroth to retreat momentarily. Taking advantage of the pause, the remaining two heads converged, charging a massive fireball. The heat from the attack warped the air around it, promising devastation.

Sephiroth acted quickly, summoning another Meteor to intercept the fireball mid-flight. The two forces collided, erupting in a blinding explosion that shook the entire arena. Both combatants were thrown back, but neither fell.

Sephiroth's patience wore thin. His movements became more aggressive, his strikes more precise. He leaped onto Cerberus's back, plunging the Masamune deep into its spine. The beast howled, thrashing violently in an attempt to shake him off. Sephiroth held firm, channeling dark energy into the blade.

Cerberus's heads writhed in agony, one snapping wildly while another attempted to bite Sephiroth directly. He teleported to safety, reappearing just as the creature lunged forward. Timing his attack perfectly, he drove the Masamune straight through one of its glowing eyes, causing it to collapse to its knees.

In a final act of desperation, Cerberus reared back, summoning all its remaining strength. The two remaining heads opened their jaws wide, spewing torrents of fire and darkness in every direction. The arena became a swirling maelstrom of chaos.

Sephiroth stood his ground, his coat billowing as he prepared his ultimate move. With a calm breath, he raised the Masamune high, channeling all his energy into the blade. In one fluid motion, he unleashed an Omnislash variation—flying around the beast and delivering a devastating series of slashes. Each strike glowed with dark energy, severing limbs and carving deep into Cerberus's hide.

The final blow came as Sephiroth appeared above the beast, driving the Masamune straight into its core. Cerberus let out one last, ear-splitting roar before collapsing into a heap of shadowy mist. Its form dissolved into the abyss, leaving nothing behind.

Sephiroth stood in the center of the arena, his chest rising and falling heavily. For the first time, his exhaustion was evident. Blood trickled down his arm where the beast had bitten him, and his usually unshaken posture wavered slightly.

Helios called out from the sidelines. "Hades, ten-minute break. Fair's fair, right?"

Hades appeared in a puff of smoke, clapping slowly. "You know what, kid? Fine. I'm feeling generous. Ten minutes, tall, dark, and deadly. But after that? We're really turning up the heat."

Sephiroth shot Helios a sharp glare but said nothing. He sheathed the Masamune and walked off the platform, his gaze focused ahead as if the battle hadn't affected him at all.

Helios teleported to Sephiroth and began casting a healing spell on him as smirked. "Not bad. I'd say you've earned a breather."

Sephiroth didn't reply, but the faintest hint of a smirk tugged at his lips as he sat down to recover.