Hey there, readers! This is my first story, so it may not be all that amazing, but I'm really hoping you guys will like it! It's based mostly on Soul Calibur IV, since I wasn't a huge fan of some of the characters in V, mostly because they got rid of a lot of people. It isn't really based on any of their storylines; I'm just using the characters, along with ones I've made up for this story. Anyway, I hope everyone enjoys it. Here goes!

Prologue

Years ago, a great war erupted all over the land of Tropus, a war to control the cursed sword, Soul Edge. The war was so vast that it spilled into neighboring nations, attracting armies from around the world, making the entire nation of Tropus a warzone. A small kingdom managed to take possession of it during a recent skirmish, merely by luck. The man who came to wield it originally wasn't very powerful, but with Soul Edge in hand; he became almost god-like. Nobody could defeat him. He hoped that the sword would bring his kingdom wealth and power, but it only attracted more attacks from other nations, greedy to use the sword for their own purposes. Battle after battle eventually brought his kingdom to its knees, unable to continue from lack of rest and constant fighting. Yet he, alone, struggled on. His kingdom decimated, he began to fight for revenge, using his hatred as fuel to push onward. After a few months, fighting and murder become second nature to him, almost as easy as breathing. He didn't realize that the sword was corrupting him, leeching off of his soul and twisting him into a monster, stripping him of his humanity. To him, bloodshed and killing was a necessity, an addiction. He couldn't go more than a few days without slaughtering. Weeks passed and his transformation continued. Soul Edge morphed his body, and had begun to merge with it. Each kill seemed to speed up the process. Within days, the warrior's right arm had been completely consumed by the evil sword. It had a mind of its own now. And an urge to strip the soul from everyone he met…

"Nightmare" he had heard a man once call him, just before he beheaded him, and consumed his soul. He became rather fond of the name, as it struck fear into all who heard it. That wasn't enough for him though. He wanted to strike such a piercing fear into his victims that none would dare utter his name. As he pondered a way to achieve this, he started to notice changes in his body, aside from the grotesque right arm. His skin had begun to blacken, making him appear less human than he already was. Adding to his already inhuman appearance, were his eyes. They had gone from soft blue to an almost glowing red. The change suited him just fine, aside from his inability to be out in the sun. Since his skin began to change, it became hyper sensitive to sunlight, burning and scarring whenever it made direct contact. If he wanted to continue on his path of destruction, he knew he had to conceal himself. And so, he forged a set of armor, completely covering his body, with the exception of his right arm. The armor was of deepest azure, so dark that it almost appeared black. Witnesses began to refer to him as "The Azure Knight…"

Nightmare now held the world in his grasp. Nothing, be it man or beast, could hope to defeat him. He was feared by everyone. Tales of his ability to dispatch of entire armies singlehandedly kept most from attempting to steal his sword. Any who were brave or foolish enough to try were instantly swept aside by his might. With Soul Edge in his grasp, he was invincible. It was years before a small group of warriors finally banded together to topple this devil king. With the help of the holy sword's power, a man named Siegfried managed to defeat Nightmare, atop the ruins of his former kingdom. Enraged that his own brother had been his downfall, Nightmare swore revenge upon all who could wield the holy sword's power, including his brother. He swore that he would return, years from now, with an even stronger Soul Edge, and an army of its wielders. With his last breath, he promised that his usurpers and their families would suffer a fate worse than death when he was resurrected. After the battle, Soul Edge and its counterpart disappeared without a trace, leaving only memories behind. Soon after, tales of the great heroes' exploits were spread, but even more popular were the tales of the weapons they wielded. Soul Calibur, a weapon that could match, and even beat Soul Edge. Merchants and sell swords from across the world scoured the lands for any trace of the fabled weapons, but none could find it. Until one day, it came into the hands of a young merchant…