Author's Note: I am the brother of James of Gales, the one-time author of "Chains of Emotion" and "The Right Hand of Death." I have been given permission, by James, to continue the "Right Hand" story. I do not own Soul Calibur, or Azukai.
Summary: The Grimm Reaper found a shard of Soul Edge in the Nether Realm, and wants the sword for a mysterious reason, but without a body/soul unit, the sword cannot be reconfigured.
Story so far: The Grimm Reaper found a shard of a sword called Soul Edge. According to records, the sword can only be pieced together by a body/soul unit. Reaper used his crystals to find a chosen person, who can do the feat. Enter Pete, a young man from Wisconsin, who moves like heat, in the cold, when he works out. Reaper gives Peter, his scythe for a weapon. Peter modified the scythe with a blade, attached to the other end of it. Then, the fiend meets and sends Peter, back to the past, to the era of the swords. Peter, then, meets Seong Mi-na, an Asian, who had encountered Soul Edge, beforehand. After thwarting a ninja attack, the two warriors parted ways. Peter got in many fights, some of them, resulting in deaths of Voldo, Yoshimitsu, Astaroth, and some of other foolish combatants. His skills of Russian close quarters combat, and Caporeria, have got most of the opponents to their knees, or backs. His journey, also had an admirer after him, making his travels, all the more interesting. However, recently, he lost a great friend: Seong Mi-na. Cervantes de Lyon killed Mi-na, during the battle with Peter. In anger, Peter slaughtered Cervantes, in a moment of darkened possession. He had left to go find the Lost Cathedral, where Ivy had told him, where Soul Edge would be.
Chapter 13: Cathedral with the Assassin
Two weeks had passed. Peter's heart was heavy. Seong Mi-na had died, helping him find the shards of Soul Edge. His face, sliced by the undead pirate, Cervantes. His life, a living hell. He located a large church. The shards, in his satchel, were glowing, but failed to get Peter's attention. He entered the building, and a room, where two streams of water, flowed to the outside. He grabbed Scarlet Thunder, Mi-na's weapon, and dipped it in the water. Then, he put the pike, into a vase. Lastly, he knelt down to pray. He was in silence. That's when two people entered the room. One was a brunette male, hair in a ponytail, who wore a fur vest, and green pants. The other, was a blond female, wearing a shimmering white dress, black pantyhose, and white boots. The brunette approached Peter.
"Can I pray alongside?" he asked. Peter nodded. The man knelt down, and started to pray, as well. After a minute of prayer, both got to their feet, and shot looks to each other. Their faces, screamed battle. "The Right Hand of Death."
"You must be Azukai," Peter noticed. "Well, you do look a lot like James." That's when he saw a familiar sword, by Azukai's side. "Shishi-Oh? What happened to Mitsurugi?"
"He died, admirably. In his last breath, he entrusted me, with his sword." He was anxious to fight Peter. "I did not come here to chat. I'm here to fight the best warriors, in pursuit of Soul Edge." Peter grabbed his double-scythe, ready to go toe-to-toe with the assassin. "Cassandra, stand back." Casandra stepped back into the doorway. "Are you ready, Right Hand?"
"Let's get it on." Both clashed weapons: the double-scythe versus the armblade. Both combatants were showing impressive abilities, not giving the other, a chance to make a counterattack. 10 minutes passed, when Azukai came up, dodging the blades of the special scythe, and slashed Peter in the arm, weakening his grip on the scythe. In reaction, Peter swung his weapon out. The scythe connected, ripping the strap on the armblade. The blade fell to the ground, disarming the assassin. Both were unarmed, until Azukai unsheathed Shishi-Oh. Regaining strength in the cut arm, Peter grabbed Scarlet Thunder. Cassandra saw the two, using the different weapons. In addition, she saw two spirits, hovering over the warriors.
'Mitsurugi?' she began to think. '...and Seong Mi-na?' Both fighters continued to battle. Despite using tools of their fallen, respected warriors, they were wielding the kitana and pike, like they were their old friends. Five minutes more had gone by. Both souls swung the weapons, colliding in the middle. The blades of both weapons shattered. They discarded the weapons. Now, they were unarmed.
"I never thought, I would meet someone with superb skill, almost equivalent to mine," Azukai awed. "If I was hallucinating, I could say, that we were, in fact, long lost brothers." Peter couldn't agree, more.
"No wonder, why many people thought we were related," he beaked out.
"Is it all right, if I ask your name?"
"Of course. It's Peter. Listen, this fight's still on." Azukai nodded, as he got into a fighting stance. Peter did the same. They were going to continue the battle. It was no longer, a battle with blades. It was hand-to-hand combat. Both swung fists, kicks, and throws, in an effort to knock out each other. Then, metal noises echoed throughout the room. Both men looked up, spotting a cage, falling on top of them. Swiftly, the men leaped clear of the trap. Not daunted by the sudden fall of the trap both climbed the cage, and continued the brawl. Blocks were made, frustrating the warriors. Then, Peter managed to connect a heel kick, knocking Azukai off the cage. When Peter jumped off, Azukai began swatting. Peter was blocking every possible strike, when he realized something. He was trying to get an opening. Azukai tried to hit Peter with a double palm strike, but Peter ducked the attack. He cocked the arm back, causing his muscles to bulge. "Gatling Cut!" Peter uppercut the assassin. That's when sounds of machine gun fire, volumed from the arm. Azukai felt his ribs, breaking. That's when he was sent skyward. He landed on his back. His will to fight was lost, as the blond Wisconsinite, approached.
"You've defeated me. Do, what you have to do." As Peter got to the fallen assassin, Cassandra got to Azukai's side.
"That's enough," she roared. "Azukai lost to you. You may be the Right Hand of Death, but can you spare his life?" Her tears meant that she wanted to be with Azukai. Peter didn't seem too worried.
"I just wanted to see, if he was okay," he clarified. Cassandra couldn't believe it. He was showing a caring side to his opponent was alright. Stepping to the side, Peter got a good look at the brunette battler. "Can you stand?" He offered a hand, in which Azukai accepted. Pulling him up, Peter was feeling eased, knowing that Azukai was in decent health.
"Why are you letting me live?" the assassin questioned.
"I may be the Grimm Reaper's assistant, but I do have restraints. Another reason, is because you do share the resemblance of my little brother, and I've cared about him, a lot." Two reason, gave Azukai a chuckle. "By the way, I've heard from a woman named Sophitia, that you were looking for souls, who've been in contact with Soul Edge. Is that right?" Cassandra was surprised to hear of the name.
"You met my sister?" she shrieked. Peter was a little dumbfounded.
"Sophitia is Cassandra's older sister," Azukai clarified.
"You didn't fight her, did you?"
"No, actually, I fought alongside," Peter admitted. Cassandra breathed a sigh of relief.
"Thank the gods." Azukai wanted to specify why he was on his journey.
"I read a book, telling me about the souls, who've been pursuing Soul Edge," he started. "I decided to fight those, who would be the strongest to face me, and every time I was victorious, I would not be satisfied...until now. My climb to the strongest fighter has ended, therefore, my journey has finished. My purpose was not the sword." Peter understood the assassin. "What about you?"
"I was sent by the Grimm Reaper, to retrieve Soul Edge," Peter explained. "I'm from the 21st century, in Wisconsin. I've been in my share of fights, even against Mitsurugi, Yoshimitsu, Maxi, and some others. Recently, a good friend of Sophitia's, Seong Mi-na, was killed by that bastard pirate, Cervantes. She was a great friend." In a sign of remorse, Cassandra hugged the Wisconsinite.
"I'm sorry, for your loss," she murmured. Suddenly, sounds of clashing metals, disrupted the scene.
"Sounds like something's going on, upstairs," Azukai motioned.
"Well, let's go see, what's going on," Peter suggested. After grabbing their weapons, the three proceeded up the steps. What awaits there, will test Peter's abilities.
TO BE CONTINUED...
Peter gets ready to battle, on the home stretch, for Soul Edge. Can the young Wisconsinite, with Cassandra and Azukai watching, be able to pierce the armor of a haunted past?