The Divergence
As the three fighters attacked him simultaneously, Zasalamel was extremely calm. He wasn't called 'the Enigma' for nothing…he had faced certain deaths, and yet came out unscathed. He glanced briefly to Ivy who still unconscious. The woman was the key to his plan. Therefore, she must not be harmed. The Egyptian quickly produced his scythe and jumped while spinning around and slashing. At the same time, he made sure the Englishwoman wasn't in danger. Tira and Voldo quickly distanced themselves, however the inexperienced Luna pushed forward. Amidst her fighting, Xianghua managed to watch the Egyptian's maneuver and immediately recognized that it was the same attack that she tasted at Yunnan.
"Luna, look out!" she warned the girl. Too late, Zasalamel knocked the female fighter with the back of Kafzielthat lifts the opponent up and swings her around before being slammed down. Abelia shouted worriedly,
"Luna!" Before he came for the kill, the Egyptian realized that Nightmare's assassins were returned to back-stab him. He used his scythe as leverage and delivers a mid kick toward Tira. Not stopped the momentum, he pulled out the scythe again and sent forward thrust, followed by rising circular slash then a full overhead hit on. The Danish blocked the incoming attack with Aiselne Drossel, but to her shock, the force of impact was shattered her weapon into pieces. Luckily, she rolled out from the danger, while Voldo received roundhouse kick. Realized they were not his match, both of them leaped back to their master. Tira still stunned with her loss of weapon, while Nightmare writhed with anger. Because of the attack, Revenant and Xianghua stopped their fight. The Chinese girl quickly joined with Kilik. Meanwhile, Abelia quickly tended Luna, who said,
"I'm all right…it just only my pride!" Xianghua and Kilik joined them, and asked,
"Luna, are you all right?"
"As I say, I'm fine…" The rest were stunned with Zasalamel's show of force, but the man instead turned to the Azure Knight.
"What a pitiful attempt to betray me, Nightmare…" he chided. The evil knight shouted back,
"I am Nightmare! I am no servant to anyone!" He pointed his hand to the dark-skinned man, "Give my sword back, Zasalamel!" The Enigma chuckled only,
"If you want it so badly, come and get it by yourself…" The crimson eyes beneath the visor burned lightly, showing Nightmare's frustration. Then Zasalamel turned to the undead pirate,
"How about you, Cervantes? Are you interested with the sword?" Cervantes spat,
"Pshaw, I don't have an interest with your squabbling…for I have my own game," He quickly yanked Cassandra upward, while turning to Sophitia,
"If you want your sister back, meet me at the open sea in three days! I won't repeat myself again, and then it is up to you!" The Greek woman clenched her teeth in anger, trying to hold her sanity. Taki watched her worriedly; she couldn't help in her present condition. Yet, she showed her support by holding Sophitia's hand. This gesture actually made Mi-na irate. Finally, the blond-haired goddess answered,
"I will come!" she tried hard to continue, "I hope you keep your words, Cervantes de Leon!" The Immortal Pirate was startled momentarily with the answer, but then he laughed,
"Good, what a spirit! I like that!" he grinned, "I promise that she won't be harmed until you come…once we settled our feud. You'd better not come alone…" He turned to the Egyptian, and saw Ivy for the last time.
"Your business with her is not my concerns…I have finished my business here, the rest is yours!" The thick fog enveloped them and they were disappeared along with the fog. The Egyptian didn't answer, and noticed that Siegfried was ready to attack him. The knight warned,
"Let her go!"
"Do you really love her? If so, meet us at the Lost Cathedral, and hopefully you aren't late…before the ritual started…" Zasalamel also turned to Kilik and Xianghua,
"Come to the Lost Cathedral to settle our differences, if both of you want…I have to say that you had been stronger than the last time we've met at Yunnan. We shall prove it later," Then a thick fog enveloped him and immediately disappeared. Everyone turned sight to the Azure Knight, and then someone appeared to him. Siegfried, Girardot and Abelia were thrown into surprise as they recognized the person next to Nightmare was…Strife Grand Astlar. The blond, short-haired knight asked,
"Master Nightmare, what shall we do?" The demonic knight glanced back,
"We shall pursue Zasalamel and make him to pay this treachery! However, we must plan carefully in order to face that old fox…"he answered, "…my apprentice," Seeing that, Abelia shouted to them,
"Strife!" she called, "How could you sell your soul to that…demon?" Instead, Strife paid her with scathing look. Then he pointed the veteran knight,
"Ask him, for he is the one who make me like this!" Strife said with disgust, "Do you see that, old man? My new master shall give me the untold power…and I shall fulfill your wish!!" Siegfried intervened,
"Don't do that, Strife! You don't know how dangerous Soul Edge is…!" the German continued, "I know well, because I was him once…the sword will use your body as a host!" Strife snorted in return,
"Then you are a fool, for rejecting such power!" Siegfried winced when heard the reply. He had heard the same words from someone before, "I won't be like you; I will be stronger than you!" Nightmare laughed,
"Bravo! I'm fortunate enough to have such apprentice…" the creature turned to Siegfried, "If you don't want to take Soul Edge, perhaps Strife will…such unfortunate end for our company, Siegfried Schtauffen. The next time we'll meet again, one shall stand and one shall fall!" Before the Azure Knight turned back, Kilik shouted,
"Wait, you won't leave this place without settling our business first!" As the young master pointed him, the creature didn't even paid him a glance. Then he said,
"Should you settle your business with Zasalamel first? I will meet both of you, once you've finished him first…if you're still alive." Kilik gripped Kali-Yuga tightly; he felt Nightmare was ignoring him. Yet, Xianghua calmed him by saying,
"Kilik," she held his shoulder, "I think what he say is right, though I hate it so much. We should take care of Zasalamel first; beside we still have help Cassie and Maxi…Nightmare have to wait for a moment…" Realizing that, the youth slackened his hold and let Nightmare away with his followers. When they turned around, Maxi was nowhere to be seen, including Rock and Astaroth. Girardot's face looks sullen, and his proud figure drooped slightly. Yoshimitsu looked around, but couldn't find signs of Miser. The female bandit must be scooted away. Abelia looks broken-hearted, as he saw Strife followed the demonic knight. After they left, Yun-Seong and Talim came to them.
"Ate Setsuka," the Filipino girl called, "Anong nangyari?" Yun-Seong went to Mi-na,
"What's happening, Mi-na? It seems we were too late…" The Korean girl sighed,
"Everything's happen to fast, I couldn't even understand…" Talim shocked to see the wounded kunoichi,
"Naku, bakit ganito si Ate Taki?" she shouted, " Maraming ang sugat niya…gagamutin kita!" Even though badly wounded, Taki tried to force a smile,
"That's all right, Talim. This is nothing compares with what Charade had done to me before," But the Priestess worked quickly. As the situation calmed down, Xianghua was the one, who broke the silence,
"Now what?" she asked, expecting an answer from everyone.
"We must gather first," Yoshimitsu suggested, "As for now, we have no place to go…" He glanced to Siegfried,
"Perhaps we should hear this young man's account…" Weary-faced, Siegfried replied,
"I will answer everything you want to know…" he breathed deeply, "In fact; I have waited this moment to come. The time to take all of my responsibilities," Suddenly, another footsteps came and the warriors turned around. They saw Lizardman and Olcadan dragging someone, and the German immediately recognized the man,
"Raphael Sorel!"
Kilik asked, "You know this man?" Striding toward the Frenchman, the knight answered,
"Of course, I know! After the last fight at Osthreinsburg Cathedral, he took Soul Edge from me…" The pale-faced Raphael lifted his head, and saw Siegfried. He greeted him lazily,
"Bonjour, ze meet again…Monsieur Schtauffen…" Instead replying back, Siegfried punched him squarely at his jaw and knocked one of his fangs out. Olcadan and Lizardman did nothing on that. Looks undisturbed, Raphael simply wiped blood on his mouth. He said,
"Do you angry that I had betrayed you and get your sword, hmm?" Siegfried screamed furiously,
"No, I'm angry that I let you have the Soul Edge and allow the misery…Now Zasalamel has the sword along with Ivy! No thanks to you, Raphael!" The Frenchman shot him back,
"Do you think you're the only one who loses the loved one? The bastard also had Amy with him!"
"Fraulein Amy? What kind of madness that you brought to her as well? Have you done harm enough?" Before both of them went to fight, Kilik and Girardot quickly pulled the young knight away. Olcadan held the vampire in check by locking him. Once again, Yoshimitsu shouted,
"Enough! We have to sort this thing one by one…I think we have to go back to Cepheus' shop!" Girardot nodded,
"I can't more agree with you, Monsieur! We have to calm ourselves first, and then plan accordingly…" As he finished, Mitsurugi entered the Coliseum and asked,
"Do I miss something here?" Taki shook her head in frustration…
Three days later,
At the Cepheus's Shop, they found out that Demuth and Aurelia had died, and their palace was burnt to the ground. However, the people managed to save Valeria and Lynette from the fire. From their accounts, the warriors learnt that Zasalamel was indeed behind the entire fracas. They also questioned Siegfried and Raphael separately, thus gaining the entire story behind,
While Hualin had took care the servant girls, Siegfried had just finished his full confession to everyone,
"If one of you wants to settle unfinished business…" he stared all of them, "I shall accept it. I know I had done terrible things when I was Nightmare. What I've taken, it can't be returned. I have promised to repay all my sins, though it will take all my life to do it. I'll submit everything to your decision…" Nobody spoke, until Kilik lifted his hand,
"We have heard what Siegfried says," he walked closer to the knight, "I can understand his pain, for I have the similar burden. When I killed my brethren at Ling-Sheng-Su Temple, I was under influence of Evil Seed. Yet, when waking up, I feel the heavy despair and ask: can my sin be forgiven? At first, I thought I was the only one who walked to the rough trail, but I'm not alone…" Kilik glanced to Siegfried straight to the eyes,
"Siegfried, from now I, Kilik is no longer your enemy! We have the common foe, Inferno who had called Nightmare now! Would you accept my friendship?" When the young master offered his hand, Siegfried pondered momentarily. He hadn't seen such offer, since he had been freed. For the first time, he felt recognized as a human. He shook hand with Kilik, and said,
"Gladly, Kilik! We shall stop the fiend once and for all!" Xianghua quickly cheered,
"Since you are Kilik's friend, then you are my friend too!" Yoshimitsu and Girardot applauded for them, until the French knight spoke,
"We still have many questions, actually! What are Zasalamel looking for at Demuth's library?" Siegfried said,
"Ivy once has a book that told about Soul Calibur, but it was destroyed by him. When we come here, Demuth claims that he had an information regarding Soul Calibur. That's why I participate in the Tournament," Kilik pondered,
"It seems the Egyptian don't want us to know about the Soul Calibur. Beside, what does he means with 'the ritual'?" Olcadan complained,
"In that case, he succeeded. With the palace burnt, everything that leads us to him was ashes only," At the same time, Cepheus blurted,
"Soul Calibur? Do you mean Sword of Heroes?" Girardot turned,
"No offense, Monsieur Cepheus. You know?" The artificer nodded,
"I once was worked at Sir Demuth's library until I decide to be an artificer…when you exchanged stories about the Soul Calibur and Soul Edge, I know that I had read it somewhere…yes, I had read it at a parchment books that written by an Egyptian…" Kilik reminded,
"But the book was burned…" Then Cepheus grinned,
"…yet I had copied it long time ago, and I still keep it," Though unseen behind the mask, the Manji probably looks brightened with the news,
"Can we see the copy, Cepheus-san?"
In the next room, Talim was treating Taki by bandaging her wounds. They seemed unmindful to what happened outside. After finished, the girl said,
"Tapos na ako, Ate!" she told her, "Hindi malalim ang sugat mo, kahit mas grabe ito. Don't move temporarily, or else your wounds will open again,"
Taki smiled, "Thanks, Talim! By the way, do you see Sophitia?"
"Ah, Tita Sophie? Nakita ko kasama siya ang mabait halimaw sa ibang kwarto…" When heard about' a kind monster', the kunoichi realized that she means about Lizardman or Aeon Calcos. She didn't understand what kind of relationship between them, nevertheless it is safe to assume that the creature was no harm to her.
At the other room, Sophitia Alexandra was very concerned about Cassandra. She felt that she neglected her, which caused her to be taken hostage by Cervantes. She allowed her romance with Taki and Mi-na distracting her from her objective. They intended to find Tira, but instead meet them. She was not only failed Cassie, but Rothion and her children as well. Sophitia realized that she had to make a difficult choice between her family and her 'friends'. Suddenly, the door was stirred gently but it was enough to make her sprang into action. Grabbing Omega Sword and Elk Shield, she shouted,
"Who is it?" A gentle hiss came,
"It iss me, Aeon," Relieved, the Greek woman put down her weapons,
"Come in, the door is not locked," The reptile creature entered and found her looks distraught. He asked,
"Sssomething troublesss you?" Sophitia answered,
"A lot…you won't understand, Aeon!" Surprisingly, Aeon replied,
"Try me. After all, who will believe a monster like me?" Hearing the joke, Sophitia tried to force a smile,
"Yet, the others accept you…" she said, while gesturing him to a chair. Aeon said,
"Perhaps, I'd better sit on the floor," Once sit, the reptile explained,
"I've explain to them that I wasss free from Kunpaetku's influence, therefore my objective is not to get Soul Calibur anymore but try to be a human again…" The slit-like eyes stared to Sophitia with sympathy and he asked,
"Now please tell me what troubles you," At first, Sophitia hesitated, but she believed that Aeon just want to help. Finally she said,
"I will tell you, Aeon, but promise to not tell this to anyone,"
"My lipss are ssealed tight!" Then Sophitia told Aeon about everything, including her romance with Taki and then Mi-na. The reptilian creature sat mutely, without saying anything. When finished, the Greek woman said,
"You're the second person who knows about this, after Link…since my affair with Mi-na, I never be the same person again, " Aeon was quite at loss; he really didn't understand about Sophitia. But even so, she still was a human. Then he spoke haltingly,
"Miss Ssophitia, I have no right to judge you…what I know is you're very lucky to love and being loved. My family was already gone…I only say that you have to follow what your heart say. If both of them truly love you, one of them must ready to give up. The best expression of love is giving, not taking. You can tell your sister the truth, once you saved her. By then, you can solve this matter. It is up to you…" Those words made Sophitia pondering about her life once again. Before left, Aeon said,
"Olcadan and I will wait outside; if you need something, just call us…"
"Thanks, Aeon! Thank you for listening me…"
Cepheus brought a long scroll and unrolled them. Siegfried, Kilik and the others came closer to read it, but the artificer reminded them,
"Remember, it is simply a copy. So, there might be some inconsistencies with the original one.…"
Yoshimitsu said, "Better to know the truth, though obscured…" Then they read the scroll,
"Once upon the time when gods still ruled, Hephaesthus had created the perfect sword and gave it to the ruler of the ancient empire as a gift. Since the sword was created as a weapon, thus it used to kill many people. Constantly washed by the blood and consumed many souls, the sword started to have its own mind and thirsted for more souls. Since then, it was called Soul Edge. Before Cervantes de Leon, the greatest general of the empire and trusted guard of the royal family held the evil sword. Eventually, the evil sword corrupted his mind and body. In his madness, he eventually sacrificed his own family in order to make the sword stronger."
"The king sent his son, a warrior along with a sorcerer to bring the madman down. The fierce battle ensued and the darkness was defeated, but with a price. The king's son was killed in the battle, but the sorcerer managed to retrieve a large portion of the Soul Edge. To commemorate his son's valor, the king ordered the Mages to purify the portion and make it into a holy blade. The blade will serve as the reminder of his son's sacrifice and the madness of the Soul Edge. It shall be called 'Soul Calibur'. For the madman himself, he was disappeared. Legends said that he transformed into a monstrous beast and had escaped into the Void…"
"The sorcerer eventually dedicated himself to be the guardian of the Soul Calibur; he swore that his descendants would follow the same path. For them, he warned that they aren't allowed to use the holy sword; instead the sword itself would choose the user…"
"For the generation, the sorcerer's descendants continued to keep the Soul Calibur safe, while the Soul Edge kept moving from one host to another. On the sixth generation, there was strife and division among them. One of them began to question the ancestor's edict; He believed that if a crisis were to occur, why should they have to entrust its lives to those weaker than themselves? In an act of rebellion, he planned to take the blade for himself, but the others, discovering his plans, banned him from the tribe, crushing his arm as punishment."
Miles away from Monte Carlo,
The place resembles many others, yet is like nothing else. A magnificent palace of water that seems to contain every form of architecture known to Europe. No one knows who made it, or where it is located. However, it is said that only those with a strong will and a willingness to bet their own lives can reach it. The great volume of water that flows through it is always circulating and pure, and it is said that it cleanses those who come here to pray.
Ivy slowly opened her eyes, and saw Zasalamel sitting nearby to her. As the Englishwoman tried to rise, she felt her limbs were tied tight. She realized that she was spread-eagled on the sacrificial altar. The strange runes and glyphs surrounded the altar itself. No matter how hard she struggled, the rope didn't broke. Then the Egyptian came,
"Don't hurt yourself, Countess…" he admonished gently, "You'll make everything worse,"
"Release me at once!" Ivy bellowed, "I promise I will grant you a merciless death…"
The Enigma chuckled, "This is not a proper time to make threats, beside any attempt to harm me will end futile!" Ivy struggled very hard, but to no avail. Eventually, she gave up and stared the dark-skinned man with utter hatred and despair.
"What do you want from…my, I mean the child?" she asked,
"Redemption, dear Countess," he replied nonchalantly, "I will tell you about Soul Calibur, which actually related to my own history…" Then Zasalamel told him his story.
He continued, "…after my banishment from the tribe, I decided to study the forgotten arcane arts and eventually unlocked the secret of immortality…reincarnation. It took me 3 years to master such arts, and I was excited of the prospect for being immortal…"
"Yet, I learned about the price that I should pay. Every time I died, I was in immense pain and sorrow. It was if my soul was sinking into hell every time. In exchange for eternal life, I had lost the ability to have a peaceful death. At first, I didn't mind so much. I thought that the joy of living was worth it. But, I eventually came to realize that I was losing my love of life. Anything I wanted to accomplish, I could, since time hasn't limited me. My enthusiasm was gone, and I could not escape this endless cycle of reincarnation."
"Once, I had possessed Soul Edge and tried to use it to cut my ties from this world. Instead, I'm become a slave to Inferno and he tormented me until the last of my life had left. Then I turned to Soul Calibur, hoped that it had a greater power to take my life. For that, I have to return to my birthplace…only to found it was gone, along with any trace of Soul Calibur…" Suddenly, Ivy cut him with a mocking laugh,
"So what?" she asked, "Do I have to pity you for your bad choice? Your story is not a tear-jerker…" Instead angry, Zasalamel replied,
"As I say, it is about those swords and you'll be interested with that. Before my rebellion, I have studied the properties of the Soul Calibur and Soul Edge. I found out that those swords like any living beings can be classified into body, soul and spirit. If one of them lacked, their true power can't be unlocked. Even so, both swords were different; Soul Edge is created to control and dominate anyone through fear, including its user. However, it required constant supply of souls in order to preserve its existence. In other hand, Soul Calibur is contrary with its cousin; it had derived its power from the heart of its user and had power to rejuvenate. Eventually, I concluded both swords have not the upper hand on each other. The state where they're one is known as 'Soul Embrace'." The Egyptian turned to the Soul Edge rapier, which suspended lightly above the Englishwoman. Its single eye closed tight now.
"Now the Soul Edge has its form, but the driving force inside was locked by Soul Calibur. Nightmare knows that and wanted to merge with this, because Cervantes' and his Soul Edge had not sufficient to unlock it. That's the reason why Raphael could hold the sword safely, though he and Amy were transformed into vampire. To unlock the power inside, you need something…" Zasalamel glanced to Ivy with an enigmatic smile,
"And, Countess…you have the ingredient that I need…" Seeing that, Ivy felt the terrible sensation similar when he met with her father for the first time. Zasalamel added,
"By tomorrow, I shall be free from my endless torment…"
Meanwhile, back to Cepheus' shop,
After few minutes, the Filipino girl left Taki alone. The kunoichi almost closed her eyes, when Seong Mi-na entered the room. The Korean still wore her revealing tribal costume, and brought Scarlet Thunder along. Her expression was unfriendly. Taki wondered about her intention to come here, but decided to wait first. She commented,
"You're very kind to visit me," she continued, "…though I don't understand why you bring your zhanmadao along, except you have something to talk with,"
"Perhaps my intention here is not so nice," Mi-na replied tersely, "I want to talk with you about Sophitia…alone, of course." Now the Fu-ma grew suspicious of that. Before she answered, Mi-na said again, this time with a mocking tone,
"It seems you're not in a good condition right now. We can talk it next time," As she turned back, Taki called,
"Wait!" The girl turned around and saw the kunoichi rise from the bed. She opened her bandages and took the ninjatos. Then she said,
"I hope it won't be long…Talim will be upset, when she find me not around,"
Mi-na snorted only, "Don't worry; this will be over soon before she find out. Now, shall we go?" The ninja nodded and they left the place without anyone's knowledge.
When Talim returned, she saw the bed was empty save the bandages. Looking that, she frowned,
"Naku, sinabi ko naman kay Ate Taki. Hindi siya narinig sa akin uli!" Then she began to look for the ninja and accidentally saw Setsuka. She went closer to the geisha immediately,
"Ate Setsuka!" she called her, "Did you see Ate Taki?" Setsuka was mildly surprised to hear the question,
"No, I thought she is resting on the bed," The Priestess shook her head,
"Wala na siya! Hindi ko alam nasaan siya pupunta…" At the same time, Yun-Seong came and told her,
"Are you looking for Taki, Talim? I saw them few hours ago with Mi-na…" the red-haired youth added, "…though it is strange to see both of them. They never look so close…"
"Kasama si Ate Mi-na?" Then Talim remembered the nightmare that plagued her sleep before, and her face instantly turned into distraught, "Grabe, hindi maganda ito, Kuya! May balak masasama sila!!"
Yun-Seong asked, "What do you mean with that?" Talim quickly held the youth's hand and said,
"Nakita ko sa bangungot ko, Kuya…nakita ko si Ate Taki at Ate Mi-na nakipaglaban…atsaka…nakita ko sila namatay!!" Yun-Seong shocked to hear the story, but he tried to calm the panicked girl.
"Talim, are you sure? It is just a nightmare! It won't be happened…"
"Pero, Kuya! Totoo ito, nakita ko sila namatay!" she almost cried, "Please stop them! I don't want to see them hurt!!" The youth hugged her, as he tried to understand. The geisha said,
"Perhaps, we should check them first. Yun-Seong, you and Talim go after Taki and Mi-na," Setsuka continued, "I will try to find Miss Sophitia and bring her along, perhaps she can calm both of them!"
"Good idea!" Yun-Seong turned to Talim who still teary-eyed and said,
"Talim, let's go to find Taki and Mi-na!" He sighed, "Hopefully, your nightmare won't come to pass!" Then they went outside, while Setsuka set up to find Sophitia.
While Olcadan and Aeon discussed something, then Sophita came out brandishing her Omega Sword and Elk Shield. The reptile creature turned and asked,
"I assume you've decided…" The Greek goddess nodded,
"Yes, I have decided to rescue my sister myself! Cassie is my sister; it is my duty to save her!"
"What about your friends?" Sophitia declared sternly,
"I won't put my friends' life in jeopardy. I must face Cervantes alone and end his terror for good! While the others focus upon Zasalamel and Nightmare, they had forgotten Cervantes' Soul Edge. Probably it is insignificant now, but when Nightmare's gone who knows what happened to the damned pirate? No, I will take the risk for myself! This will be the last time Soul Edge hurt the people whom I loved!" Olcadan applauded,
"Bravo, so much fighting spirit inside!!" By then, Aeon said,
"In that case, we come with you. Both of us have nothing to lose; therefore it is fit for us to accompany you. Soul Edge was wanted by the gods. I think it is fit to destroy the Soul Edge; by doing so they will be pissed off!"
Sophitia was silent momentarily, but finally she answered,
"Then come with me, and hopefully we meet the glorious death in the battle!"
Cepheus had just explained the history and 'Soul Embrace' to others. Then Xianghua asked the artificer,
"Excuse me, sir! Could you explain more about Soul Calibur? I still not get it!" Patiently, Cepheus explained,
"From what I've read, whenever both swords clashed, it requires equal life-force to regenerate itself. Since Soul Calibur didn't have the soul-consuming property, it had substituted with other means. The substitute could be found inside the heart of its wielder; the sword would awaken the soul who had a close relationship with its user, thus motivating the user to impart his or her life-force. But this can be useful for once only; once Soul Edge is broken, the sword would go silent for the purpose had been fulfilled."
"That's why I see my mother whenever I hold the sword…her soul and mine have provided the strength to defeat Inferno!" At that time, Siegfried added,
"I heard Zasalamel mentions about the ritual" he asked, "What is the ritual for?" The artificer looks concerned, but he continued,
"The ritual that the Egyptian mentions must be the ritual that used to summon one of the swords, if one of them is broken. You must have either Soul Edge or Calibur, and then provide the requirement. For Soul Edge, you must provide the negative life-force for sacrifice, while the pure and innocent soul is required for Soul Calibur…"
Xianghua frowned, "No offense, Sieg! I think Ivy is not the one who had such requirement…unless…" Suddenly, an unexpected realization struck the German knight like a thunder. He said slowly,
"A child…she had a child inside her…" Everyone shocked to hear the revelation. Girardot quickly asked,
"How do you know that?" Siegfried sat slumped, before he answered,
"She isn't feeling well for months, before we come here. I always ask her, but she denies that. I had suspected this, but I don't realize that I have to know this with the hard way…" Aghast, the Chinese girl said,
"Then what Zasalamel means…" Cepheus said sadly,
"True, Soul Calibur don't consume soul, nevertheless it requires a soul to be complete. In Countess' case, it would be her unborn child. The process…is quite complicated…, it mentioned about draining the life-force. Since mother and the child are one, the process can be fatal for them…it can kill both of them,"
"NEVER!!" Siegfried shouted angrily, "I won't let such thing happened to them! I will not stand idly and let my loved one being murdered in cold blood by that bastard!" Girardot quickly calmed the enraged knight,
"Calm down, Monsieur Siegfried! We have to think calmly in this matter…I know you'd worried about Countess Isabella's safety, but we shouldn't go rashly or else, the Egyptian had prepared the trap for us…"
Yoshimitsu continued, "Girardot-san is correct. We have to be prepared for everything…perhaps Cepheus know something about the ritual…" The artificer looks concerned, as he explained,
" The ritual must be performed during the solar eclipse and it will come in tomorrow…I heard that he mentions about the Lost Cathedral; the place can be reached in two days…"
Xianghua bellowed, "We don't have such time! Is that anything else we can do?" Cepheus added,
"You can reach the place in two days…if you walk, but with horse we can reach it with tomorrow without stopping. I will provide the horses as soon as possible, when I know how many people will come with…" Kilik reminded them,
"We should ask Taki, Talim, Mi-na and Sophitia to join us…" Girardot offered,
"I shall look for them now…" Xianghua added,
"I will help you too!" Then they left to find their friends. Cepheus saw Siegfried's countenance marred with concern. Kilik tapped the knight's shoulder gently,
"Siegfried, try to calm down," he admonished, "I know it is difficult, but you have to try! If not, you won't help her either…" Siegfried nodded only, while buried his face under his palm.
In the abandoned cavern,
Nightmare had gathered his followers for the final preparation. Strife and Will'O' the Wisp stood side-by-side, while Tira and Voldo waited nearby. Lifting the Soul Edge Phantom, the Azure Knight spoke,
"At last, the time of reckoning is at hand!" He shouted, "The scheming Zasalamel has no power over me again; now I'm free to follow my destiny! He will be doing the ritual to invoke the Soul Embrace, and at the opportune time we shall attack him without mercy and I shall be complete again once I'd claim the true Soul Edge and Soul Calibur together!" The red-armored knight added excitedly,
"And the untold power shall be…ours!!" The knight nodded with agreement, but then he said,
"Strife, you, Will'o'the Wisp and Voldo go outside…I want to speak with Tira first," The Danish girl was stunned, but she stayed. Though curious, Strife didn't dare to disobey the order. Once the others left, Nightmare came closer and said,
"My daughter, I know you're upset with your loss of weapon, but I have prepared a replacement for you!" With a single gesture from him, a brand new steel ring appeared from the rubble. It has Ouroboros ornament along with it. Tira was excited like a little girl, when she saw the new weapon. As she came to take the weapon, the demonic knight produced a huge shard from his left hand. He mused,
I hope you like Ixion, Tira. Strife will be a perfect host for Soul Edge; however I have to make a contingency plan for just in case…
Tira turned to him and said, "Master, this weapon is beautiful and I can't wait to spill…" She was unable to continue her sentence, as Nightmare thrust the Evil Seed into her chest. The assassin was startled to see her master's hand entered into her flesh, but there was no blood spilled. Her eyes were full with disbelief, as she managed to say,
"Master…why?" Then Tira fell unconscious to the ground; the last thing she heard was Nightmare's words,
"Until the time comes, you'll be sufficient for now…"
Far away from Cepheus' Shop,
Taki still following Seong Mi-na until now. She couldn't help to wonder about Talim's medicine; she barely felt any pain at all though she opened the bandage hastily. Then they arrived nearby the river, and both of them gazed evenly. She broke the silence with a question,
"Now, what do you want to tell me?" Instead answering, Mi-na shot her back with another question,
"What is your relationship with Sophie actually?"
Taki answered calmly, "We are just friends, and we owe each other…just that!"
"Liar!" Mi-na cut her, "Do you like her more than a friend? Answer me!" The raven-haired woman had guessed where the course of the conversation leading to, yet she must not denied the true nature of their relationship. She replied,
"If so, what is the importance for you?" Thudding her Scarlet Thunder on the ground, the Korean girl declared, while pointing Taki squarely,
"Then know this! I love Sophie very much and I won't let you have your way!!" Taki instantly realized that; her suspicions were confirmed. This girl had an affair with Sophie! Trying to control her emotion, she asked again,
"Can I ask you something? Do you sleep with Sophitia-chan?"
"Yes," Mi-na replied proudly, "It happens when I was losing from Xianghua! She does that because she'd really love me!" Hearing that, the kunoichi couldn't help to smirk and it wasn't escape from the Han-Myoung's daughter who felt irritated,
"Why do you smiling?"
Taki explained with sarcasm, "You're dreaming like a child! Sophitia-chan does that, not because she loves you. She did that just out of pity…what a monkey love! Just because you can't accept defeat, you're sulking like a spoiled child and hide behind your childish fantasy. You don't know Sophitia well…no wonder Hwang left you,"
"Enough!!" Mi-na screamed angrily, while gripped her weapon tightly, "You dare to insult me! Insult Seong's family name!! You must pay that with your wretched life!!" Instantly, she took the fighting stance toward Taki.
"Another childishness again," the pony-tailed woman pulled Rekki-maru and took stance warily, "Just because you are Sophitia's best friend and…her secret lover, it doesn't mean I will be more lenient to you,"
"Sophie will love me more, once you're out of my way!"
"Then another reason to getting rid of you…nobody can share her love at the same time!"
"Chit chat time is over! Let's go!" With that, Mi-na starts out the combo with a counter-clockwise twist of her weapon. As her opponent closed range, Taki quickly sent Shadow Shrine and countered the first attack. Undaunted, the Seong Han-myoung's daughter shifted immediately into four shin stabs in a row. The ninja avoided the successive attacks deftly and went into Reaping Hook. Aware of the danger, Mi-na blocked the attack by lifting the Scarlet Thunder horizontally. Then she starts out with a shin kick toward her opponent and tried to end the combo with a kick to the mid-section. However, Taki was too fast; her kick only hit empty places. Before she realized, the ninja already jumped onto her shoulder, landing facing away from her. When Taki almost placed her Rekki-maru under her throat, Mi-na instinctively grabbed her shoulder first and threw her with superhuman strength. Because of her ninjutsu training, Taki rolled on the air and landed gently with feet first. She commented,
"What an impressive feat! Too bad, you used to think with your emotion and brawn first…"
The Korean girl gritted her teeth after hearing that, "Don't treat me like a child! I will show you what I can do under this circumstance!" She attacked again, this time by a horizontal slash followed by a roundhouse kick that hits high. Taki does a standing shin kick followed by an overhead arc kick. Their attack impacted and sent them quite a distance. From her judgment, Taki assumed she don't have to use Possession at all; to get rid this childish girl only required less than powerful strikes.
In other hand, Mi-na recognized her handicap in technique and experience. The kunoichi surely was a tough nut to crack. The only way she could defeat her was luck and brute strength. She cursed Hwang to make her pass this ordeal; she had been defeated by Ivy and Xianghua. There was no way she would let this Japanese b# to beat her. She must eliminate the only competition to Sophitia.
"Having second thoughts? It's a bit late." Taki's sarcasm brought her back to the reality. This was upsets her very much. She replied with murderous tone,
"I'm not going to lose to the likes of you." Then she whispered, "Father... I won't lose." Not for long, they started again…
Setsuka stood inside the empty room; Sophitia just left the place few hours before her coming. When she turned back, she saw something that makes her transfixed. Mitsurugi Heishiro stood nearby the door. The geisha felt a sheer feeling of anger over her body, but she decided to control it.
"Hi, Mitsurugi-san," she greeted him politely, "I hope you aren't holding grudges about the last match…"
"On the contrary," the grizzled ronin replied, "I want a rematch; just between both of us…"
Mildly surprised, Setsuka answered with her demure façade, "Unfortunately, I have something to attend now…" Mitsurugi quickly produced a petal of sakura in front of her,
"One can wonder how I find this in the slum street…in this gajin place, nobody can produce this except you…" He circled the geisha with a steely gaze, while continuing,
"I think you don't only want to humiliate me, but taking my life as well! Is it true?" Setsuka had prepared for this moment since she started her journey, even though this was uncalled for. Sighing, she eventually threw her mask of civility and spoke with an icy tone,
"You're right!" She admitted, "The flower is coming from me and I was waiting for you last night! Do you want the reason why?"
"No need," Mitsurugi answered gruffly, "There's many reason why people after my head, though you're the first woman who had such reason for that! I will give you the desired opportunity…If I lose again; my head is yours for taking! This time nobody will hold us and no rules! Do you agree?"
"Gladly…" Setsuka smiled maliciously, "We shall finish this once and for all…"
Inside the Lost Cathedral's cellar,
Zasalamel left Ivy outside, while he sat inside and watched a crystal ball floating. Revenant waited his master nearby, but Amy stayed out from them. She had hidden himself, avoiding the sunlight.
"I will wait until my papa comes and he will kill you…" the French girl sulked angrily. The Egyptian favored her with a smile,
"Suit yourself then," he said, "Until the solar eclipse comes, I just want to watch something else," The crystal ball showed the scene of Taki and Seong Mi-na fighting each other…
Back to the fight,
Taki didn't expect the fight could drag so long; she had underestimated Mi-na's determination. Slowly but sure, she grudgingly came to respect her rival. Its pity she had to kill her…Sophitia's word rang inside her mind,
When you know Mi-na closer, you will like her…Ironically, she started to like her when she was about to take her life. Taki realized that she had been obsessed with Sophitia alone, but forgot the people around her. Sophitia was right; what Mi-na really need was someone to encourage her. Though her affection quite misunderstood, the Greek knew better. She wondered something could be done to rectify the damage.
"You won't win if you hesitate." Mi-na shouted to her. Taki turned her attention back again, and mused,
It seems no other way around to clear this matter; probably this will end when one of us die!
"Your stubbornness will only get you killed." Mi-na pointed her weapon to her again,
"So be it!" She immediately performed Gale Stream combined with the Ling-Sheng-Su style; however Taki's keen eyes managed to see holes beneath the attack. Then an evil whisper came,
You can finish her with a single strike and…Sophitia Alexandra will be yours!
"What?" Taki startled to hear such whisper inside her mind and she recognized it as Mekki-maru's voice. During her quest against maho-tsukai, she had heard the whisper many times. However, it seemed getting stronger in each use. Now it could speak inside her mind, though the ninjato had been sealed and not in use. The whisper continued,
Finish her with me! Use me! I want to drink her blood! The ninjato behind her was rattled violently, and Mi-na's attack was getting closer. Finally, Taki pulled the evil blade behind her and immediately use Stalker to propel herself out. As Seong Mi-na was unaware, she was behind her and ready to stab her with Mekki-maru…
At the same time, Talim and Hong Yun-seong were running toward their place…
Author's Note: Ok, I finally finished this chapter, but the story is still far from complete. Expect the twists and turns in duel between Taki and Seong Mi-na. Will Talim's nightmare come to reality? What is Sophita's plan? What is Nightmare's scheme with Tira in tow? How does Siegfried will stop Ivy from being sacrificed in the ritual of invoking Soul Embrace? Find the conclusion of Setsuka and Mitsurugi's feud as well. Just follow the next chapter, "All Hell Breaks Loose". What do you think with my interpretation of Soul Calibur's history? I might not follow the canon exactly. I want to know your comments, review, opinions and even flames if you have one. Thank you for continue to read this fanfic!
Glossary:
Filipino:
Grabe, bakit ganito si Ate Taki?-Oh no, why does Ate Taki like this?
Maraming ang sugat niya-She have many wounds
gagamutin kita!-I will treat her
Hindi malalim ang sugat mo, kahit mas grabe ito-Your wound is not deep, though very serious
Nakita ko kasama siya ang mabait halimaw sa ibang kwarto- I saw her with a kind monster at another room
sinabi ko naman kay Ate Taki.-I have told Ate Taki
Hindi siya narinig sa akin uli!- She doesn't listen to me again
hindi maganda ito, Kuya!-That's not good, Kuya
May balak masasama sila!- They have plan something bad
Nakita ko sa bangungot ko, Kuya…-I saw at my nightmare, Kuya
nakita ko si Ate Taki at Ate Mi-na nakipaglaban…-I saw Ate Taki and Ate Mi-na fight each other
atsaka…nakita ko sila namatay!- And then…I saw them died!
Totoo ito,- It is true,
