Interlude of Despair
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Miles from the Osthreinsburg ruins,
A large and intricate ritual circle was drawn on the ground. Ivy Valentine was sitting at the center of the circle. Ashlotte and Angol Fear were guarding her. At the same time, she uttered strange words, which made the circle glow eerily. Then the Englishwoman smiled,
"I have found them…"
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Two days later at the capital of Wolfkrone,
The jubilant shouts and cheers came from the crowd that filled the square. They greeted the march of returned soldiers and their beloved princess. Hilde smiled toward her subjects, and sometimes waved them back. As their appreciation, people threw flowers and confetti to the march. They celebrated the success of purging the Ostrheinsburg brigands. It meant the citizens could sleep well without any worry. Behind her, Baron Oder and Gerhilde rode. Yet, Hilde knew the otherwise. Like a princess, she carried the procession like nothing happened. The cheering continued until the lines entered the Wolfkrone castle.
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Once inside the castle, Hilde greeted by Count Scholtz and her households. The noble spoke,
"Your Highness, I am glad to see you return unharmed and our soldiers had successfully purge the Osthreinsburg…" However the auburn-haired princess lifted her hand to stop, and sighed,
"We can dispense with the formalities, Count," she asked, "Where are the warriors?" Scholtz bowed,
"They have been received and treated as you have ordered, Your Highness. Nobody have seen them come here,"
Hilde asked again, "Where do you put…those women, Count?" To this, the minister grew concerned,
"I have put the Chinese girl at the eastern room. Her fiancée seems refused to left her alone. If I am not mistaken, Herr Schtauffen was there too,"
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The eastern room was a room with a huge glass window. Usually, the sun would make the glasses glitter. However, today the sun didn't appear, making it look somber and gloomy. Inside, Chai Xianghua lay unconscious still. She wasn't awakening since her fight with Sophitia and Nightmare. Her petite look now looked pale. The once-handsome Kilik now looks disheveled and unkempt. His eyes looks dejected, as he stared her.
Siegfried Schtauffen had watched them and felt helpless. Being experienced the same event; he could sympathize with the young master. There was no way out. Talim had said that Xianghua and Setsuka's soul couldn't be detected. Unlike them, Ivy's soul was locked inside Soul Embrace last time, thus it was easy to retrieve her back. The babaylan's inability to detect their souls led to the worst conclusion…Nightmare had devoured them, yet there was no strong evidence for that.
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Refuse to stand idly, the German knight went toward Kilik and spoke,
"Kilik, I am sorry for what happened to Miss Xianghua. Yet, we will try to find any means to bring her back and make Nightmare pay for this," Without even turning, the former monk muttered monotonously,
"It is Sophitia Alexandra's fault…she was responsible for making Xiang like this," Aghast, Siegfried tried to reason,
"You must be mistaken…It wasn't her! She won't do such…" Suddenly, Kilik rose and grabbed the knight collar. His eyes were looks furious and desperate at the same time. He shouted,
"Won't do such thing? SHE already had! Look now to Xiang! What have she done to her? Just to help…and the b$^#^ repays her by giving her as a sacrificial lamb to Nightmare! Look to Setsuka too! You still thinking that she wasn't responsible?" Siegfried quickly let the hold off, as the former monk continued,
"Where is the justice then? I have failed the sisters, cannot protecting them! Leave me alone…" Siegfried could see that Kilik was grieved. Grief and anger mixed into one. The young master turned back and stared his comatose girlfriend. Unable to talk further, the German left them. Few steps later, he met with Hilde, Scholtz and Oder. He immediately greeted them,
"Your Highness! Baron! Count!" Hilde nodded,
"It is alright, Herr Schtauffen," Now she addressed him with the family name, "How is Herr Kilik?" Siegfried instead glanced into the room where Kilik still waiting Xianghua.
"He still grieving, Your Highness…she wasn't awake since coming out from Osthreinsburg,"
"I see…" The princess sighed, "Count Scholtz had told me that even the doctors couldn't do anything. They had advised to bury her, but Herr Kilik refused. I can see that he really loved her. I also can understand her grief," She glanced to the German,
"Where are the others?"
" I think Mitsurugi still with Setsuka. The ninjas were outside with Sophitia's sister, Fraulein Mi-na and Talim and Herr Yun-Seong," Hilde merely nodded, before speaking,
"Herr Schtauffen, I want to speak with you about something…This is about your sword, Soul Calibur…" Siegfried startled to hear it,
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In other hand, Kilik still sank into depression. He didn't even notice a thin mist filled the room until a chill wind caught him. The young master turned around and saw…Cervantes de Leon before him. The pirate greeted him,
"Hello, laddie…remember me?" Instead attacking, Kilik merely ignored him, while saying,
"What do you want? Take my life? Go ahead, beside my life means nothing now," Hearing such despondent words, the Immortal Pirate didn't impressed at all. He glanced and saw the unconscious girl beside him. Taking his hat off, he said,
"Arr, my condolence! I didn't know you lose her…she is very beautiful," Cervantes wanted to touch her, but instead, what he earned was a hard slap on his hand.
"Do not touch her, filth!" Kilik snarled. The pirate instantly distanced away. The former monk hugged his girlfriend again and whispered,
"My life is nothing without her. We love each other without even express our feelings outwardly. When we finally have the opportunity, she was taken forcibly from me…by Sophitia Alexandra!" Upon hearing the name, Cervantes caressed his beard and asked,
"Are you sure? I thought she was your friend…"
"Not anymore! For reason known to her, she has allied with Nightmare and sacrificed Setsuka and Xiang for that. I won't forgive her for that…" The Immortal Pirate pondered, and then he said,
"Laddie, I sympathize with yer grief. I want to help you," Kilik glanced to him suspiciously,
"What do you really want, Cervantes? Surely, your help don't come cheap," Cervantes feigned a mock surprise after hearing those words,
"Arr, ye really hurt me laddie! I was there when Nightmare and the blond German meet a strange-looking guy named Algol. I also heard about 'a portal at the East'. What I want from you is your knowledge about the East.," The master of Ling-Sheng-Su asked back,
"Is that all? But I…can't leave Xiang just like that…" The pirate went closer,
"She isn't dead yet, just comatose! If Soul Edge had devoured her soul, I would know immediately," Slowly, a spark of hope appeared inside Kilik's eyes. He asked hopefully,
"Are you sure? You are not lying?" Cervantes shook his head,
"No, however you have to guide me to the portal and aid me against Nightmare and Algol guy! You can bring your girlfriend along with you…"
"Yes, but on one condition: Sophitia Alexandra is mine! I shall make her suffer for hurt Xiang like this!"
"Arr, I agree! I will give the Greek woman to you! So do we have a deal?"
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Outside the Castle,
Seong Mi-na and Cassandra Alexandra sat on the staircase, while talked. They look rather serious until the Korean girl cursed through her gritted teeth,
"Stupid! Stupid! What is Sophie thinking? Why does she follow Nightmare? Why?" The young girl shouted,
"Hey, don't call Sophie like that! Even though, I have to agree with you…Sophie always bears everything alone and not telling everyone," Mi-na continued,
"She is always doing that, Cassie! Remember the last time when Cervantes took you, she left without telling me or Taki-san. We almost kill each other…" Cassandra surprised,
"You have affair with Miss Taki too?" Flabberglasted, the older girl explained,
"No, I only have that with you and Sophie, not anyone else! I apologize to you, if you just know it now,"
Cassandra sighed, "It doesn't matter anymore now. I am not meant for you…and you are not meant for Sophie either. I have accepted these things," She stated, "The important thing is to help Sophie! With you and Miss Taki, we must try or die in trying! We will help Sophie to return to her senses again!"
"Yes, that's the spirit! Speaking of Taki-san, where is she?" The Greek girl answered,
"She still at the forest close to the Osthreinsburg ruins…she said there was another business,"
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At the forest nearby the Osthreinsburg,
Taki traced the place carefully; she tried to recollect her memories. Many things happened during her absence: return of Nightmare, the straying Sophitia, the fall of Xianghua and Setsuka. Too many questions, but few answers. As she entered the canopy of the trees, her feeling said that she wasn't alone. The Fu-ma stopped few steps and called,
"Come out, Miser! I know you are here…" The former bandit landed nimbly like a cat and purred,
"Hello, senpai…" The raven-haired kunoichi cast a cold glare to her,
"I have many questions to ask…and I hope you have the answers!"
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At other place,
Siegfried followed Hilde into a large room. It was filled with statues and paintings of the Wolfkrone kings. He noticed that FrischerHimmel and Glazende Nova were rested at the wall. Then they saw a girl who watched the painting of August von Wolfkrone. Once close, the princess said,
Fraulein Scheherazade, this is Siegfried Schtauffen, the bearer of the Soul Calibur…" She glanced to him,
"Herr Siegfried, may I introduce you to Scheherazade? She will tell you everything." The German bowed,
"It is an honor to meet a friend of Princess Hildegard…" Scheherazade nodded,
"No, the honor is mine…I think." Siegfried becomes puzzled to hear her, and at the same time Hilde gestured the servant to leave them alone. After that, the knight asked,
"Excuse me, Fraulein. Princess told me that you know about the Soul Calibur. Can you explain about it?"
The elf maiden replied, "Yes, but first, show the soul blade first…" Siegfried looks hesitated, however she continued,
"Don't worry; this is just between us and your friends. I don't mean harm to you…" Hilde nodded in agreement. The blond-haired knight sighed,
"If you insist…" Then he pulled his rusted zweihander and closed his eyes. Instantly, the cold, soothing aura filled the entire room. The crystals formed slowly upon Siegfried's armor and the zweihander transformed into the crude crystal blade before their eyes. This made his body looks glowed
"Mein Gott!" Hilde exclaimed. However, the elf storyteller becomes serene upon seeing the Soul Calibur. She asked,
"Can I touch it?" Siegfried instead asked back,
"It looks like you know the Soul Calibur before; perhaps you are kind enough to tell me…"
"I think it is fair…alright. My story was begun when I came out from my village for the first time. Love of the exciting stories led me everywhere until I meet the first bearer of the Soul Calibur. Then we're travelled together and become the close companion, though never consummate into love. The warrior then told me about the origin of the soul blade…"
"…it belonged to the great king who had lost his son to Soul Edge," Siegfried felt familiar with the line; he had heard the same line from Cepheus. He decided to keep listening as Scheherazade continued, "…at first, the magi had failed to purify the portion of the Soul Edge. It said only a noble soul that could bind the great evil contained inside. It needs a great sacrifice to achieve that. Wishing that such evil never appeared again, the king decided to sacrifice himself…to provide the ingredient."
"It succeeded but only temporary as the Soul Edge might corrupt the king's soul. To prevent that, the magi continued the purification ritual, which bind both into an embrace. As the generation passed, the king's soul still dwelt inside the Soul Calibur…to battle its evil counterpart for eternity…"
"After told me the story, the warrior said that he was the last descendant of the king. When a rogue mage attempted to steal the Soul Calibur, the guardian tribe was scattered and he took the sword for safe-keeping. Then we were separated to our respective place. I don't know what happened to the Soul Calibur then, but this I know; the warrior took his rest on this realm and built a small kingdom there. He did that in order to anticipate when the soul blades would clash again. He named his kingdom 'Wolfkrone'!" Siegfried shocked to hear the statement; he glanced to the Princess, who merely nodded.
"At first, I was surprised to hear the story like you…but Scheherazade gave me evidences about the kingdom, which I didn't know before. I think my father used to know her before."
"Alas, the King was become insane when the Soul Seeds manifested itself on the earth. At the same time, I was confined inside my villages for centuries. The warrior had told me that the day would come when both blades shall clash the new heirs would arise…that's why I come here. The ancient king who had sacrificed himself was named Algol the Hero King…"
This came as a shock to Siegfried. He said, "Algol? I have met him at the Osthreinsburg!"
Scheherazade and Hilde startled to hear that, "What? Are you sure? What is he saying to you?"
"He said that Nightmare and I must find another portal at the East…"
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Back to Taki,
The raven-haired kunoichi stood stoically, as she tried hard to keep her emotion when hearing Miser's story. The female bandit also told her about Ryuusei's intention to manipulate her. Finally, she asked,
"Have you finished your speaking?" Miser replied,
"Yes, that's all!" Taki said sternly,
"Then tell Ryuusei-sama that I leave the Fu-ma now, this time permanently!" Scratching her head, the former bandit sighed,
"Ryuusei-sama had guessed this would come! Therefore, he gave me an order,"
"What is it?" Slowly pulling her katana from its saya, Miser continued,
"When you had remember everything, I have to get rid you immediately to spare the clan from humiliation!" After finishing her words, she attacked the kunoichi like a lightning. Taki quickly pulled her Rekki-maru.
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In other place,
Ivy still meditated, while the doll and the death incarnate stood by. Suddenly, she opened her eyes and said,
"We have an intruder here!" Ashlotte instinctively lifted her halberd; Angol Fear merely whirled her Lucifer Black. The English woman rose,
"Perhaps you should come out…we don't treat unwelcomed guest too well," From the shades, a well-shaven youth came out. He almost lifted his hand in defense, when the iron maiden begun to charge him. Yet, Ivy shouted,
"Ashlotte! Stop!" Ashlotte stopped immediately. Then the white-haired woman walked out from the ritual circle, as its glow began to fade.
"Not bad…what are you looking for here, young one?" The youth replied,
"I sense a disturbance here, but that wasn't the one that I look for…" he asked her, "Perhaps, you could tell me…"
Unfazed with the youth's lack of civility, Ivy said, "It depends, perhaps you want to introduce your name first…"
"Starkiller…"
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Return to Wolfkrone,
Just before their weapons impacted, a blurry shape interposed between Taki and Miser. The figure shouted,
"Yoshimitsu... has arrived!" With that, the Manji blocked the female bandit's attack. The kunoichi startled to see him,
"Yoshi-san…" The ninja explained,
"I'm apologizing for following without your knowledge, Taki-san! However, I still have an unfinished business with your comrade here!" Miser mocked,
"Fool, you shouldn't be here! This is between senpai and me!" Then they distanced themselves. Still confused, the raven-haired woman asked,
"Yoshi-san, what is going on between you and Miser?" The Manji answered,
"She had caused the deaths of my Manjitou fellows indirectly…what I want to know is how deep her involvement with Tira…"
"Hah," The bandit laughed, "You should ask that insane girl, not me! Your people are simply in her way…" Taki was speechless; she was the one who had found the bodies of Yoshimitsu's men. No doubt, Yoshimitsu would kill Miser in his righteous wrath. However, Miser was her kohaionce and she was loath to allow her sister being judged like that. Then she spoke,
"Yoshi-san, Miser was my kohai before. Anything she makes was my responsibility as her senpai!" To their shock, she went before them, "Therefore, you can take me as your substitute for the death of your men!"
Yoshimitsu warned, "Stay out from this, Taki-san! This is not your business, but hers!"
"Now it is mine! As a Fu-ma, I can't let my fellow clansman being judged by anyone. If you want to spill her blood for your recompense, then take me, Yoshi-san! Even, I won't regret it when you have to kill me…" Stood numbly, Miser could only croaked,
"Senpai…" Taki silenced her, as the Manji pondered. It was hard to ascertain the expression behind the mempo. Finally, he said,
"Fine, if you are able to withstand my attacks I shall let her go unharmed! That is my promise as the Manji!"
"Agree," Taking the stance, the kunoichi began to pull her ninjato, "So shall we dance?"
Yoshimitsu pointed his sword, while muttering, "Suffering of the ages cometh in infinite forms. Magnanimous glory cometh in infinite forms. Soul, prepare thyself! Naaaaaamuuuuuuuu!" Then he did an overhead slash followed by an uppercut slash toward the foe. Taki whispered,
"Nothing personal, but you're in my way." She distanced away temporarily, before unleashing a wide circular slash toward the Manji. Rekki-maru impacted violently with Yoshimitsu. But his attack didn't stop there; he rose up his sword high in the sky before performing the stabbing.
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Meanwhile at the Castle,
Siegfried stayed with Hilde and Scheherazade, as they spoke about the Hero King. The princess then exclaimed,
"My Frischer Himmel and Glazende Nova are…" The storyteller added,
"They are the symbols of your ancestor's weapon…like an heirloom. Yet, they don't have the aura of the soulblade,"
"That means Algol is my ancestor too…this is like my dream. It said that I must seek the counsel from the Hero King to avoid the disaster…" Scheherazade shrugged,
"Possibly…in truth, I don't know much about Algol…"At the same time, the blond knight swung the Soul Calibur; instantly it reverted into the form of a battered zweihander. He commented,
"Soul Edge consumes souls for its strength; while Soul Calibur exchanges lifeforce from its bearer…It is hard to believe this weapon was originated from the benevolent sacrifice. Not to mention, Zasalamel had tried to steal this too."
"You're right," The elf continued, "The only similarity between those soulblades are…desire. Both of them awake our desires…" Siegfried asked back,
"Then why does Algol return from the dead?" The auburn-haired princess quipped,
"Perhaps, he wants his blades back…" Scheherazade shook her head,
"That I don't know…we might find the answer once we meet him face-to-face," Suddenly, Siegfried's sword hand trembled uncontrollably. Simultaneously, Frischer Himmel and Glazende Nova followed the suit and the entire room instantly darknened. Hilde asked,
"Herr Siegfried, are you alright? Is there something wrong?" The German held his hand, trying to control them back,
"I don't…know…Soul Calibur acts like this when an evil aura was nearby…" Three of them turned and saw a thick, stormy black cloud outside.
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Outside the Castle,
Cassandra and Mi-na also witnessed the gathering of cloud upon the castle. The Korean girl shouted,
"A-nio, what is that? I never see something like this," The Greek girl pondered,
"The cloud…they seem familiar…" Not for long, Talim and Yun-Seong joined them.
The youth asked, "Mi-na! Miss Cassie! What is that?"
"I wish I know, Yun-Seong…" Then the young priestess felt a terrible sensation; her body shook violently. The Korean youth quickly caught her,
"Talim! Anong nangyayari? Ayos ka ba?" she spoke with a trembling voice,
"Kuya…ito ang masamang anito…parang kamatayan darating…" Then something dawned inside Cassandra's mind. She shouted,
"I know now! I saw the cloud when I was kidnapped by…but it can't be…" Yun-Seong followed,
"By whom, Cassie?" Mi-na's face turned pale, as she said,
"Don't tell me…Cervantes de Leon? But he…he was gone after Sophie and Taki-san dealt with him last time!" Cassandra gritted her teeth,
"Apparently not! He was really tough like a nail!" They noticed the cloud was surrounded one of the balcony at the castle. To this, the Filipino remarked,
"Sa tingin ko, yun ba ang kwarto ni Kuya Kilik at Ate Xiang?" Yun-Seong muttered,
"I have a bad feeling about this!" Seong Mi-na bellowed,
"Don't just stand back, we must stop it whatever it is!" Simultaneously, they ran into the castle.
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At the same time,
Siegfried, Hilde and Scheherazade went to Kilik's room, where Scholtz, Oder and Gerhilde have been waiting with royal guards. They instantly bowed,
"Your Highness!" The princess asked,
"What is going on? Why don't you open the door?" The maid answered,
"No, we have tried to open the door, even charging to it. Yet, the door don't budge…like something blocked inside,"
The Baron added, "I'd tried to barge it, unfortunately I am not strong enough due to the injuries…" Then Mitsurugi came,
"What is the fuss?" The knight called,
"Herr Mitsurugi, help us to open the door! Something happened to Herr Kilik!" The ronin replied unconcerned,
"So, why is it become my concern?" As they spoke, Hong Yun-Seong and the rest came; the red-haired youth asked,
"Mitsurugi-san! Sir Siegfried! Why are you still standing there? Have you try to open the door?"
"No, the door won't budge!" Cassandra added,
"You must try! We suspect…Cervantes de Leon might be alive!" Hearing the name, the knight startled,
"Cervantes? Then help me to barge the door!" Mi-na quickly joined,
"Yes, I come with you! Yun-Seong, help me too!"
"Yes, Mi-na!" As they began to barge the door, Mitsurugi remarked,
"Do you really help them to barge the door, little girl?" The Korean girl answered sarcastically,
"Yes, better than doing nothing like you!" The reply immediately makes his face red beet. Eventually, he joined them. Siegfried commanded,
"Ready? Go!!" Then all of them rammed the door; however the huge door refused to budge. Even with the help of the soldiers. Impatient with the development, Hilde strode forward them,
"Dumkopf! Why must I work for everything? Even all of you can't break this door…" Ignoring her, Siegfried shouted,
"Then let's try again! Go!" They tried again and this time, the door yielded to their pressure. But they saw something that made them transfixed…
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While everyone was busy, the fight between the Fu-ma and the Manji raged. Miser could only stare them mutely; she was speechless. Taki shouted,
"Silent Shadow!" She sent a juggle-starting uppercut to her opponent. Yoshimitsu countered,
"Pomegranate!" The swords impacted with sparks, before their owner juggled to the air and impacted again. Both distanced away to set the next stances. The Manji spoke,
"Not bad, Fu-ma…I should fight you long time ago!" Hearing that, the kunoichi smirked,
"Hm, then why do you not follow through?"
He answered, "At that time, I think it would better to have an ally than a rival. Beside, our objective was the same: Soul Edge. Unfortunately, this time was different!" The raven-haired woman sighed,
"The same here, Yoshi-san. Be ready and don't hold back!"
"I won't hold back…I want to see your Possession! Shiki soku... zekuuuuu...!" He immediately did a one-hand overhead slash. Taki was about to block when…her opponent suddenly turned the overhead slash into a direct stab to the stomach. Not want to be overtaken, she sent Reaping Hook with Rekki-maru. The blow knocked the shinobi three steps backward, but Yoshimitsu didn't give up. He leaped to the air, ready to slash. When the attack closed, the kunoichi suddenly pulled Mekki-maru behind her waist and slashed diagonally. A purplish flame streaked when the evil sword drawn from its sheath. Yoshimitsu's body shuddered violently when his beloved katana traded blow with Mekki-maru. He pondered,
So this is the strength of Soul Seed locked inside the ninjato? Amusing! Distancing away, the Manji simply changed his tactics. He crouched and performed a turnaround foot sweep. However, the Fu-ma went into Stalker stance and flipped away from the sweep. As her opponent turned, she had already behind him. Before Taki managed to sent the crouching sweep, Yoshimitsu had spun his sword as a propeller and avoided the attack. To his surprise, Taki sprinted forward and sidesteps left, then leaps to her right, slashing high. The shinobi quickly teleported away from the harm,
As he appeared to the opposite direction, Taki sliced in the midair before dived toward him to a ground hit. Yoshimitsu was overtaken this time, but he wouldn't make it easy for her. He greeted her with an uppercut stab from stomach to face. Realizing the danger, she threw herself backward, avoiding the stab. Nevertheless, it was sliced her chest slightly. At the same moment, the Manji staggered due to the force impact. Each of them had drawn the first blood. Yoshimitsu said,
"I have to say this is amazing…I am honored to have a match with you…" Taki wiped blood from her wound, while commented,
"Shall we continue until one of us dead? Is that our deal?"
"Yes, but I won't regret this…Ah, a fight to the death!"
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Before the open windows at the balcony, Cervantes de Leon stood beside Kilik. The young master was carried the unconscious Xianghua, as they were enveloped by the thick cloud. His face was stoic like a statue. Kali-Yuga strapped behind his back. The Immortal Pirate commented,
"Arr, yer just on time when we are going to leave…" Siegfried called,
"Kilik, no! Don't follow Cervantes…" Turned to them, the young master spoke,
"You don't know what I feel, because…your girlfriend isn't dying anymore…" he glanced to his fiancée, "Unlike me…" Cassandra added,
"Sir Kilik, take me instead! I take responsibility of Sophie's doing…" He answered,
"I won't hold you responsible for what your sister have done to Xiang! Beside, you are Xiang's close friend. Instead, she will be the one who pay for this! Cervantes would give the chance to pay back!" Hearing that, the Greek girl paled. Mi-na shouted,
"Have you out of your mind? Have you sold your soul to that…undead?" Kilik bowed,
"I don't care! After avenging Xiang, I would join her in afterlife! What I want now is justice!" Then Cervantes cut,
"Arr, can we go now? The time to goodbye is over…we have to catch a sail to the East," The former monk nodded,
"I am done here, let's go!" Before they left, the German shouted once again,
"Kilik, wait!" Suddenly, the strong wind blew, pushing him backward. The cloud engulfed the pirate and the monk…after dissipated; they had already vanished from the sight. Everyone was helpless to stop that. Siegfried hit the ground out of frustration,
"You are fool…why do you take such reckless way? What does Cervantes offer you?" For a moment, he didn't have the answer…
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The battle had taken their tolls to Taki and Yoshimitsu; the ground was specked with their blood. Both of them wouldn't give up. Miser shuddered to this scene; she was tasked to take Taki's life. Instead, her senpai defended her from the Manji's vengeance. This wasn't in her mind before, nor Ryuusei's calculations. She could let Taki die, and at least wiped the humiliation to the Clan. Yet, doing so was dishonorable. She turned her eyes to the fight again.
Both ninja stared each other, ready to let the death blow! Taki asked,
"Are you ready, Yoshi-san?" The Manji nodded,
"I always ready…My fatal blow awaits!" With that, the kunoichi rushed forward about four steps to stab in the gut. Yoshimitsu quickly performed Double Front Slice toward her. He was shocked when the Fu-ma instead crouched below him and summoned the magic spell
"Ninja Cannon!" The bluish energy quickly knocked Yoshimitsu to the air, but his instant disappearance surprised her. She turned back and saw…Yoshimitsu cart wheeled toward her. Before she managed to mount a defense, the drilling punch and kangaroo kick hit her simultaneously, sending her flying to the ground.
"Senpai!" Taki was unable to rise, while Yoshimitsu did Pogo Hop and went into a leaping overhead slash,
"Thy life, I shall take! It is I, Yoshimitsu!" Miser was unable to hold herself and screamed,
"Senpaii! Stop it!!" Yoshimitsu barely an inch from the kunoichi's head, when the Red Crow blocked the incoming attack. He glanced to the intruder,
"What is the meaning of this?" The former bandit said,
"Stop it, Master Yoshimitsu! It was me, not Senpai Taki! I will tell what happened at the night when your men died! I will tell you as long as you spare Senpai…" The Manji pondered awhile, until he said,
"It depend what your story is. Now speak it…"
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Three hours later,
The servant cleaned the damaged room, while the heroes pondered what happened recently. Siegfried still stood facing the broken window. Talim still looks shaken from what transpired; she sobbed,
"Tita Sophie…Ate Xiang…Ate Setsuka…ngayon si Kuya Kilik din…hindi ko naitndihan! Bakit sila nag-ikot ang masamang tao? Anong balak niya? Bakit?" Yun-Seong commented,
"I wish I know the answer, Talim…" he glanced to the Korean girl. Mi-na shrugged her shoulder,
"Don't ask me…I am at loss too!" Hilde tried her best to answer,
"I could understand them…they feel helpless in their ordeal. Similar when my father gone insane, sometimes I was forced to do something I don't want, hoping that would work. Perhaps we should follow them, and tried to do our best," Then the German said,
"Your Highness is right! We should sail to the East and find Algol the Hero King; the key of this suffering was Soul Edge. As the first holder, he might be the way to end this cycle of evil once and for all!" Cassandra supported,
"Yes, I will make Sophie back to her senses again! Hopefully, Sir Kilik would follow the suit…"
Mi-na exclaimed, "It's true! We must not gone despair! We will try to bring Sophie back or die in trying…"
"Hey, don't forget about us!" The others turned around and saw Taki and Yoshimitsu. They also noticed that the kunoichi was bruised and wounded at several places. The priestess asked,
"Ate, anong nangyayari?" The raven-haired woman merely shrugged her shoulders,
"I…just having a fighting practice with Yoshi-san, am I right?" The Manji didn't reply. Seong Mi-na glanced suspiciously,
"Are you sure that you're alright?"
"I am fine…everyone was right! We must bring Sophie and Kilik back to their senses, by defeating Nightmare and Cervantes altogether. After that, we'll deal with Soul Edge and Soul Calibur for good,"
Hearing that, the Filipino brightened, "Kung ganon, meron ang pangarap?" Siegfried added,
"Right, we have to go to the East and find the portal that Algol had said to us…" They stared to the sun who slowly rose from the cloud.
-----------------#--------------
Return to Ivy,
Ivy told everything about Soul Edge and Soul Calibur to the Dark Jedi. Eventually, Starkiller realized the disturbances were caused by those soulblades. In that case, his Master wanted him to retrieve those blades. "I see…" he remarked, "I suggest I had to go to East in order to find those blades…"
"Good thinking, Sir Starkiller!" the Englishwoman complimented, "But, how do you get there? Surely, not by foot…"
"I will think the means for that!" he replied surly, "Thank you for your information!" Few steps later, Ivy called,
"Wait…" Irritated, the Apprentice asked,
"What do you want?" She went closer to her and caressed his face,
"You are…different…full of unknown power. Here, I will take you to the East as long as you follow me…what do you think?" Starkiller brushed her hands away,
"What are the conditions?" Slightly surprised with the rebuff, she said,
"No conditions! I simply like to help someone like you; however this offer was good for once. Will you take it or leave it?" The Dark Jedi thought hardly; he didn't like to be depended. But he already had…since coming to this planet. The woman before him wasn't completely trustworthy. Nevertheless, if she tried to cheat him she would learn the Dark side with the hard way. He could manage that.
"Yes, I accept your proposition! Show me your means of transportation…" Ivy smiled seductively,
"I thought you won't ask that…"
-----------------#--------------
Night at Antwerp harbor,
Maxi leaned upon the wall of his ship, pondering mindlessly until a gentle step ticked him. He commented surly,
"Finally, you are coming… I almost bored to death," Behind, Raphael stood along with Auguste and Marienbard. The Sorel master asked,
"Anxious to fulfill your promise?" The Dandy of the South Sea nodded,
"Yeah, I promise to you in order to spare Yun-Seong and Talim! However, I don't enjoy making promise to a vampire like you. The sooner it is done, the better I feel…"
"Oui," the Frenchman responded, "Don't worry, Monsieur Maxi. Tonight, I will ask the favor from you. Could you sail us to the East?" The Ryukyu pirate startled,
"Oh, where are you going? Who will come with you beside the werewolf and…the undead?"
"We are!" Maxi glanced and saw…Nightmare, Tira and Astaroth. He immediately cursed,
"Son of B^#%! How dare you step on my beloved ship, abominations! Yes, both of you!" he turned to Raphael furiously, "You dare to ask me bring the killer of my crews and Kyam along?" The Azure Knight spoke,
"Maxi, we know about your long-standing enmity withAstaroth. However, can we ask you to set aside for awhile?" Maxi roared as he pulled his nunchakus, "I would rather dead than sail you killers to the East! With that, I wouldn't meet Kyam and my crews in shame! It is a dishonor!" Nightmare continued,
"No, I don't ask you for us…but for her," Then Sophitia came; this shocked Maxi,
"Miss Sophitia…"he stammered, "Why are you here? Did they take you by force?" The blond woman shook,
"No, Sir Maxi. I have following Nightmare out of my own will. Please do what he says…"
Unsure, he asked again, "Join them? What are you doing with them?"
"Maxi, I will explain my reason later. Believe me; I join them for the good reason!"The Ryukyu pirate was silent, as he noticed them. Actually, he didn't like this, but Sophitia was with them. He feared something worse would happen to her, if he let her along. With resigned sigh, he finally said,
"Very well…I will take you to the East! But I am doing that for Miss Sophitia, not for you!" The demonic knight merely nodded,
"That can be arranged. When we will sail?" Maxi answered curtly,
"Tonight!" He added, "One more thing…" He pointed the Merciless Destroyer, "Keep that monster away from my face; so I wouldn't forget our agreement! Or else, there would be bloodshed upon this ship!" Astaroth rumbled angrily, however he immediately silent when Nightmare raised his hand,
"As I say, that can be arranged…do we have the deal?"
-----------------#--------------
On the shores of Dalmatia,
Kilik followed the Immortal Pirate, while carrying Xianghua. She was not a burden anymore; he would bear her gladly even to the depths of hell. He called,
"Cervantes, how will we going to sail East? I thought Adrian had been blown into bits…"
Cervantes merely grinned, "Nonsense, nothing can destroy Adrian completely…it also possessed the fragment of Soul Seed. As long as I lived, Adrian would continue to haunt the seven seas!" Facing the roaring waves, the pirate shouted,
"Adrian, rise up! Rise up from Davy Jones' Locker! Rise up!" With a thunderous swoosh and blow, the ghost ship rose from its watery grave like a scepter. Witnessed that, the young master muttered,
"I wish I never ask that question…"
Author's Note: Alright, the chapter is done! I apologize if the fight of Taki and Yoshimitsu was quite hurried. Kilik and Maxi found them join the opposite sides. Instead disheartened, the heroes decided to follow them to the East. At the same time, Starkiller had entered an alliance of convenience with Ivy Valentine. How Ryuusei would respond to Taki's desertion and Miser's failure? However, the new characters would join this quest with their own motivation and objectives. Find out in the final chapter of 'Legacy of the Souls', "The Defiance". See you soon!
Glossary:
Filipino:
ito ang masamang anito…parang kamatayan darating- This is an evil spirit! Like the death coming
Sa tingin ko, yun ba ang kwarto ni Kuya Kilik at Ate Xiang?- I think, that was Kuya Kilik and Ate Xiang's room?
ngayon si Kuya Kilik din…hindi ko naitndihan! –Now Kuya Kilik too…I don't understand
Bakit sila nag-ikot ang masamang tao? –Why does they following the evil people?
Anong balak niya? Bakit?"-What are they want? Why?
"Kung ganon, meron ang pangarap?- If that so, is there any hope?
