The news of President Shinra's sudden, dramatic death, and Rufus's immediate ascension to power, sent ripples of shock through the company.
But Rufus wasn't one to waste time on mourning or sentiment.
He had a new Shinra to build, and a new way to deal with threats like Arthur.
"Heidegger, Scarlet,"
Rufus commanded, his voice sharp and precise from the new, opulent office that had once belonged to his father.
"Forget the old strategies. My father was… inefficient. We need a more refined approach to this 'Arthur' problem."
Heidegger, still a bit shaken from the day's events, straightened his posture.
"And what would that be, President Rufus?"
Rufus leaned forward, a dangerous glint in his eyes.
"Turks will be our primary offensive. But more importantly, I'm deploying my personal guard. They aren't just average soldiers. They are infused with Mako, making them far stronger, faster, and more resilient than anything Arthur has faced from Shinra before. They are loyal only to me."
Scarlet, ever the pragmatist, raised an eyebrow.
"A risky move, sir. Mako infusion can be unstable."
"Minor details,"
Rufus waved a dismissive hand.
"Their raw power will be unmatched. And while they engage Arthur, we'll implement a subtle, long-term strategy to undermine Wutai. No more head-on assaults that drain our resources."
He stood and walked to the panoramic window overlooking Midgar, the city lights twinkling below like a fallen constellation.
"Shinra will regain its dominance, not through brute force alone, but through cunning and overwhelming power where it matters most."
Just then, a strange, shimmering ripple appeared in the air beside him. It was almost invisible, like a heat haze, but it made the hair on the back of Rufus's neck stand up. From within the distortion, voices, like whispers carried on a phantom wind, seemed to coalesce.
"President Rufus Shinra,"
The collective voice hissed, strangely devoid of emotion, yet unsettlingly powerful.
"We have observed your… transition. And we have an offer."
Rufus, despite his surprise, remained outwardly calm. He was well-versed in the strange and unexplained phenomena that sometimes touched the world, especially when dealing with the Lifestream.
"Who are you?"
He demanded, his hand subtly moving towards his holstered pistol.
"We are the **Whisperers**,"
The voices replied, the shimmer intensifying slightly.
"Guardians of fate. Your father's path was leading to undesirable outcomes. Your ascension… it aligns with our intentions. We offer information. About your adversary. About his true nature. And about a power that even he cannot fathom."
Rufus's eyes narrowed.
"And what do you want in return?"
"Only that the flow of destiny remains… undisturbed. And that the Planet's fate is secured."
The shimmer pulsed once more, then faded, leaving no trace but the lingering sense of a chilling, unseen presence.
Rufus considered their words. Guardians of fate? Power beyond Arthur? This was an unexpected, yet potentially powerful, alliance. He smirked. This truly was a new era for Shinra.
Far away, deep within the churning, corrupted currents of the **Lifestream**, something ancient and terrifying was stirring. It was not just a memory, not just a fragment of an echoing past. It was a rebirth.
Sephira, the female counterpart born from the fractured memories and lingering consciousness of Sephiroth, was no longer bound by the ethereal confines of the Lifestream.
The catastrophic events in Midgar, the immense surge of power from Arthur, and the subsequent disruption of the world's natural flow, had created the perfect conditions for her to solidify.
She manifested slowly, coalescing from swirling green and black energy, her form becoming increasingly defined. Her long, flowing silver hair, her piercing green eyes that held an almost cosmic chill, and the elegant, yet deadly, curve of her single wing. This time, she was whole. This time, she was truly *alive*.
"Arthur Leywin Stark,"
Sephira murmured, her voice a silken whisper that seemed to echo from the very core of the Planet. A faint smirk touched her lips, a chilling expression of anticipation.
"Last time, I was but a fragmented memory, a fleeting shadow, and still… I tested your strength."
She remembered their previous encounter, a clash of nascent powers within the Lifestream itself.
A memory of white-hot pain, of being pushed back, of her very essence threatened. She had lost. But that loss had fueled her. It had allowed her to learn, to grow, to become something more.
"You were surprised then, weren't you?"
She mused, her eyes gleaming with cold amusement.
"A mere fragment, and yet you struggled. You could not comprehend the depth of my being, the connection to this Planet."
She extended a hand, and a shimmering, impossibly long katana materialized, its blade gleaming with an otherworldly light.
Her form was flawless, emanating a power that felt both divine and utterly corrupted.
"This time,"
Sephira whispered, her voice laced with chilling certainty,
"I am no longer a phantom. I am here. And I will not let you go."
Her smirk widened, becoming a predatory grin.
"I want to see the look on your face, Arthur. The look of utter surprise when you realize that the ghost you thought you defeated has returned, stronger and more real than ever before. This time, your power, however formidable, will not be enough."
She began to move, a graceful, fluid motion that belied the immense power contained within her. She was drawn to Arthur, to the source of the immense energy that had inadvertently aided her rebirth.
He was the catalyst, and now, he would be her first true challenge in this new existence.
The Planet hummed around her, a symphony of corrupted energy and ancient whispers, confirming her place, her purpose. The stage was set for a confrontation unlike any other.