Disclaimer

I do not own Soulcalibur or any of its characters. I'm not making a profit from this.

Greetings world and all who inhabit! I'd like to thank anyone who reads this. So this fic has been in the making for quite some time now. It was supposed to have been released on the day that Soulcalibur VI came out, buuuuuttttt…..yeah had to focus on my studies. Anyway, the title is a work in progress and I will change it if I can, just a heads up.

If anyone wants to leave a comment with a suggestion for a better title, it would be very much appreciate, cuzz boy am I stumped. Again I would like to thank anyone who reads this (even if you hate it!). I plan on updating this regularly, perhaps once or twice a week.

There will be a lemon in later chapters, so stay tuned for that! And without further dudes, please enjoy this fic!

Chapter 1 –

Zero Hour

Though the night was already in its darkest phase, the light that palpable aura emanating from the two warriors locked in battle made the surrounding area look like chrysanthemum hued sunset. Xianghua attempted to look through wincing eyes at the battle that caused the ground to tremble beneath her.

The earthy brown eyes that had gazed at her full of hope, worry, joy, and longing, were now glowing like a sword straight out of a forge. Burning like the air around them. His hair that matched his eye's intensity. Hair as fine as the most exotic silks and rich with the color of fallen leaves—was now wild moving with a mind of its own and tinged in what seemed to be a paradox. Dark and light in the same instance.

The lips that had met hers just a night before in gentle union were seething and twisted into an expression, she thought it would be impossible for him—Kilik—to make. He was feral, berserk, almost breathing fire it seemed. Even the Kali-Yuga seemed to coated with a tainted aura. Swinging it left trails that seemed to make the air spark and flicker.

She could almost see his tunnel vision vicariously with how intently he was focusing on his current center of attention. A man with that seemed to match his aura, though not through ferocity. There was something more collected and practiced about it. Regardless of how his double ended sabre seem to clash with the now sparking Kali-Yuga, he kept the same expression on his face. While Kilik seemed like he was in constant pain. This agony mixed with his rage to make something tangible around him.

In the face of the red glow the two warriors were giving off, Xianghua was able to spot a quick jet of darker red that spattered beneath and behind Kilik. The white-haired man's blade had gotten through. This battle had been going on for too long. She had to do something, at this point Kilik was more animal than man, there was no technique to his swings and attacks. He was relying purely on instinct alone and the scowler was getting the upper hand. Kilik was going to die if she didn't act quickly. A cough coming from her lap reminded her. Oh yes, Maxi had been injured by Kilik, trying to help quell his rage and Xianghua was holding him.

"Go…He needs you…he's just fuckin' swingin' out there. The last bit of finesse he had, he used own me—"He punctuated his sentence with a chuckle that turned to another ragged cough. "I'll be alright, really. But please, Xianghua, be careful. He doesn't recognize us or hell, even if he does, he doesn't care. He may be flailing around like a child having a tantrum but if he connects its gonna hurt. He's incredibly powerful. Now go, he's losing more of himself. Get him back." With that, Maxi closed his eyes.

"SSSSSHHHHHHAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!" The piercing scream from Kilik seized her attention. This time she saw one of the cuts Kilik had been delivered by the stranger, near his ribs. She lowered Maxi's head to the ground gently before checking under his nose for breath and putting her hand over his chest for a heartbeat. Both were there. Good. Maxi was right SHE needs to get Kilik back, no her Kilik back.

With the Krita-Yuga in hand, rushed over to the man she was falling in love with. Flowing like water, leaving behind tears in wake. What was she to do? Try to take on the stranger with Kilik and get the man to flee. Try to subdue and clam, Kilik? Would the man still press on his assault? She couldn't decide. She let her heart guide her. That resonated with the Krita-Yuga.

"KILIK, PLEASE STOP THIS!" She called out him with more tears blurring her vision. The men were swinging for each other and just before the Kali-Yuga could meet with Aerondight Replica, Xianghua was there in between them. To the men in the throes of battle, it appeared that she had emerged out of the shadows. Her speed had been so tremendous it took both warriors by surprise, but they were at the point of no return. Their swings were about to clash.

Angling the Krita-Yuga in an upward motion to intercept both attacks, Xianghua had also put herself in grave danger. In the moment right before all three weapons met each other, the Krita-Yuga changed shape, in that millisecond. Soul Calibur revealed itself, to protect its wielder. A clash the likes of which none of them had never seen had transpired. The blinding light was the first thing to be produced from such a powerful ménage à trois.

Second came a shock wave and ripple of other worldly energy, that reached far below the surface the ground. In fact, the energy cleaved trees, the ground, and even the clouds above in twain. The power pushed back Kilik and had opened the mouth of the earth– a chasm that glowed with molten rock. Xianghua's footing was beginning to give and she would have been introduced to magma, had it not been for the efforts of Grøh. She almost fell in, but he had grabbed the back of her collar and pulled her near him, wrapping a muscled arm around her thin waist.

Xianghua looked up behind her and blushed, her impending 'thank you' being interrupted by a switch strike to her neck, knocking her unconscious. Magma jumped from the crevice between Grøh and Kilik. Grøh picked up Xianghua and put her over his shoulder like a sac of potatoes. He stared down his rival, who at the sight of seeing a passed out Xianghua was at last beginning to come to. "Outsider, I have your traveling companion. Our fight has been put on hold. Heal and come after me again. I'll leave you clues on where to find me."

On his knees and bleeding out, Kilik used all his strength left to reach his hand out and call to her. What had he done? He tried focusing his wavering eyes, but double vision had already set in. Two separate Xianghua's and strangers he saw, they almost over lapped, though the more he lost strength the further the two mirrored images grew apart. The last thing he saw before a plum of lava was spewed from the valley dividing him from them, was one of the Xianghua's he saw began to transform to Xianglian. "It shouldn't be like this, Xianglian.", was all he was able to utter before passing out.