The Extreme by Nobuo Uematsu
Beginning with a low, intimidating chant of 'Fithos Lusec Wecos Vinosec', an anagram of the phrase 'Sucession of Witches' and 'Love', two major recurring elements to FF8's plot, we segue into a guitar-driven melody that harks back to 'The Nightmare Begins' of FF7, but quickly develops into a haunting, melancholy piece that feels like the calm before a terrible temporal storm. It is here that Sorceress Ultimecia, reduced to a faceless abomination hovering in a dark and formless void, delivers a chilling statement to her adversaries: their existence, as well as that of creation itself, will be rendered null and void; denied the opportunity to continue in any form, even that of the elusive (if ill-defined) Time Compression state she once intended.
And then, right around the 1:37-1:40 mark, the battle theme proper begins. As befits Nobuo's nostalgic compositional style, and the thematic time elements already in play, the older battle themes of the Final Fantasy series can be heard after the tranquil intro ends.
But make no mistake. 'The Extreme', while paying homage to Nobuo's past accomplishments, becomes a tour de time-nullifying force with a presence and personality all its own.
One of my favorite battle themes from Final Fantasy, right up there with Dancing Mad and Clash on the Big Bridge.