TURNABOUT by Cryogenetic
Chapter 1 - Defeat
Transcending history...
A tale of souls and swords...
Eternally retold...
After grueling through the many battles that preceded this final moment, Kilik and Xianghua walked across the hot plains named Antares; home to The Inferno. The Soul Edge itself. Here in its purest form standing before them, it's pulsating flesh guarded by a ribcage of powerful and malevolent metal. Holding the appearance of a sickly, flaming humanoid and glaring at his opponents. After recently finding the counter-sword Soul Calibur, they were sure they had a chance to defeat the fiend. This was the final test, the two righteous warriors stepped carefully toward Inferno and took their battle stances. This may very well be their last journey into the fray, but the chance of vanquishing this vile acursed being was enough motivation to keep their spirits strong. A tinny, metallic voice spoke in their direction "You surprise me, getting this far was something I never would have forseen. No matter, you will succumb to my fury and then the both of you will endure endless torture." Seeing the fear in Xianghua's eyes only satisfied Inferno even more, "This I promise you especially, foolish girl.." he said. His tone deadly and effectively injecting doubt into her, he continued by giving Kilik a dismissive glance. Realizing what was happening to his fellow warrior, Kilik rushed forth with a swing of his staff, the Kali-Yuga; striking Inferno's chest. In disbelief, Inferno paused and looked down to his midsection only to find flames spilling from it as a man would bleed blood. Without a moment's notice, Kilik unleashed a barrage of attacks with his familiar staff.
"Now, do it Xiang!" Holding off Inferno, Kilik knew his strategy would be useless in a few seconds.
Hesitating at first, Xianghua took the initiative and finally found the strength to use the Soul Calibur, the mythical blessed blade and answer to the evil Soul Edge, a weapon that has plaugeded many warriors with obsession and madness. Recovered during a battle fought previously, she now felt it's power seething within her. Running faster than ever before she gathered all her strength and slashed at Inferno mercilessly, he countered the attempt and a blinding flash of light and red energy occured. Using this advantage, Kilik ran up with a devastating combination attack to his opponen'ts lower body, in reaction to the blow Inferno willed himself into the fighting methods of another fighter by the name of Voldo. His movements now completely unpredictable just as the true Voldo, he strafed in a gangly and horrifying manner and now had the upper hand. He slashed at Kilik's face multiple times and kicked him in the abdomen to knock him down, he raised his bladed hands and poised to end the noble warrior's life. With a battle cry unheard before, Xianghua came at Inferno from behind piercing its vital living organs. The powerful clash of both Soul Calibur and Soul Edge was too much to shrug off and using this window of opportunity both Kilik and Xianghua subjected Inferno to a relentless beating that he simply would not recover from. Or so they believed. The evil creature rose to the air, legs and arms limp from the damage with the Soul Calibur still inside its entrails and hanging lazily, it released an agonizing roar. Inferno's end was near, the ground beneath them began to crack and magma seeped upward slowly, Kilik grabbed Xianghua quickly and ran to higher ground. In awe of the task they'd completed, they turned around to see Inferno live out his last moments. "WHEN I RETURN, THERE SHALL BE NAUGHT BUT ASHES! HEED MY WORDS!" With that final threat, Inferno exploded and fragments flew in every direction slicing open Xianghua's cheek and cutting into Kilik's left arm deeply.
"It's over.." Kilik tended to his wound and Xiang followed suit thereafter..
The battle was far from over however, for here in the ruins of the Ostrheinsburg Chapel two bitter enemies finally faced each other after so long. The sailor Maxi, who lost his friends and comrades to the other's powerful strength and weapon stood against what his body was telling him. Bleeding and with a broken foot, the situation was anything but good. After believing he had destroyed this monster the last time, Maxi rested easy but after learning that the golem Astaroth had been resurrected and embued with shards of Soul Edge on his body, Maxi feared the worst. That his revenge was in vain, that he may not be able to overcome Astaroth this time. "Do you remember me, you freak? Despite your power, I beat you before and I can do it yet again!" At this point, Maxi knew the threat was an idle one; he could no longer stand of his own will. Valiantly though, Maxi twirled his nunchaku with passion and let his anger run through his body, this abomination was responsible for killing the only family he had. He deserved to die a hundred deaths if not more. From across the ruins was a muffled laugh, a shadow towering over Maxi. "You pretentious little bug. You all look the same to me, I am not malevolent. It IS my purpose, my life to return souls to Ares. I MUST obey, though I have to admit I have come to enjoy your stubborness to die, Sailor."
Standing there like a mountain was Astaroth, the golem; earth made bloodless flesh; confided in by Ares the god of war himself. Maxi looked at him with disgust, the white eyes and gravely voice. He was now armored with powerful fragments of Soul Edge on his calves and forearms, his dark heart glowing and pulsating from a crude cavity in his chest. As before, he wore a metal guard covering the lower half of his face, and was laden with leather and spiked armor. Astaroth walked up to his downed opponent, effortlessly lifted him with an arm and spoke with conviction "I live to serve my lord, and your puny crusade to recover the Soul Edge will fail. You're friends are dead. They have to be. You must understand, I MUST NOT FAIL!" He shouted to his struggling and wounded opponent.
Maxi replied, defeated "Too late. You're the only one left, along with your now leaderless Lizardmen." Somehow, the words rang true to Astaroth's ears, he could sense lies and misdeeds of the sort. An added ability given to him this time around, to aid him in his quest for Soul Edge. Maxi cemented the truth into the golem's mind with a grim smile, "Inferno has been vanquished, if I know my friends. They have won. You've lost. You're useless now. So what is your purpose now?" he chuckled..
An unexpected gasp escaped Astaroth and he dropped Maxi to the floor, could it be the sailor was right, that there was no point anymore?
Astaroth stammered words in an almost human state of confusion and worry, "No. I can't sense it anymore. Where is Soul Edge? Tell me, Seaman! NOW!" He raged, air filling his chest frantically in huffs from the frustration..
"Curse you, foul beast. Rot in Antares." Maxi simply refused to acknowledge the pathetic creature as sympathetic or even deserving of anything more than an insult.
A childish fervor replaced the former warrior's morale, he picked up his Ax, the Kulutues; a damned weapon charged with giving Ares a soul for every death it caused. He smashed it into the chapel's dilapadated stone walls knocking down large chunks in the process. "WHERE IS IT? WITHOUT IT THERE IS NOTHING! WHERE? WHERE IS IT?" Maxi stared in disbelief and a kind of horror, seeing his formidable enemy turned into a child who didn't get what he wanted. It was pathetic, in the true sense of the word. He was ashamed to think this thing would beat him. He watched as Astaroth continued plowing his ax into every part of the already weak building shouting several obsceneties, Maxi grabbed his nunchaku and stood up with all his strength. "Face me, Demon! NOW!" Astaroth turned around quickly and charged at Maxi with his ax, teeming with a rage fueled by his apparent failure to serve his master.
"IF I AM NOTHING, YOU TOO WILL BE NOTHING!" He screamed. He slashed and slashed in a maddened fury, Maxi could only guard and dodge these powerful attacks for so long in his current state. Suddenly, The behemoth stopped his attack as if he'd lost all drive to kill his enemy, Astaroth dropped Kulutues with a deafening clank and fell to his knees.
"WHAT?" Astaroth could not understand what had happened to him, he simply could not move. Every thought in his mind was to move, but he simply could not; he felt as perpetually frozen as a statue.
Maxi laid a string of attacks on his enemy's body and then went for his chest striking Astaroth's heart. A howl left Astaroth as he realized he would die yet again to Maxi. Maxi continued, letting out screams of effort, rage, madness and then...everything stopped. Maxi collapsed. The loss of blood was too much, despite all the adrenaline within him; it was time to finally let go. With a contented sigh thinking about perhaps seeing his sea fairing friends in the afterlife, Maxi was gone with nothing but a sigh. Astaroth was not far behind, his heart's glow was fading and its beats were slowing. His inhuman eyes felt half-lidded, without a purpose. He let himself be taken by whatever realm was waiting for him. The ruins of Ostrheinsburg Chapel were now collapsing and he knew he'd be back in the earth he was born of, a strange relief came about him when he realized he could rest again. A vaguely human feeling, regardless of where it came from; he honestly embraced it. The roof began to collapse, it was time. With a resounding crash, the golem Astaroth was dead. He would now rest, but for how long?
For soon, even that would soon be taken from him...
