As
the figures descended the stairs, Cervantes noticed that the woman was carrying
a strange weapon. It looked like a Katana sword, but it was emitting a blue
glow.
This must be the spirit sword the Soul Edge had warned him about... Seigfried
had armed himself with a new zweihander sword. As large and as heavy as the
Soul Edge he had previously carried, it was a lethal weapon. Five years
had evidently been long enough for Seigfried's arm to heal.
As Seigfried and his female companion reached the bottom of the stairs,
Seigfried spoke to her, "Xianghua. Be careful. He has both of the Soul
Edge blades. When you fought me all those years ago, when the Soul Edge
controlled me, I had only one."
Xianghua replied, "But there are two of us now. And the Krita-Yuga I hold
can neutralise the power of the Soul Edge."
Siegfried then turned to Cervantes, and spoke, "You should not have spared
my life. I will now destroy you. The cursed blades will not save you this
time."
Cervantes had heard the name of Xianghua before. She had attacked Nightmare all
those years ago, and seriously damaged the Soul Edge. She would be a dangerous
opponent indeed. And with Seigfried by her side, she would be doubly dangerous.
Cervantes prepared for combat. He heard the voice of the Soul Edge, "I
cannot help you this time. The power of the Krita-Yuga prevents it. You must
fight them both yourself."
Cervantes advanced towards Xianghua and Seigfried, the Soul Edge in his hands.
Seigfried raised his enourmous broadsword, and Xianghua readied the Krita-Yuga
. Cervantes made straight for Seigfried. Seigfried blocked his attacks
with his huge blade, then brought the weapon crashing down, as Cervantes paused
to regain his breath. Cervantes dived to the side, narrowly escaped being cut
in two. As Seigfried raised the huge weapon to shoulder height again,
Xianghua attacked Cervantes with the Krita-Yuga . Cervantes easily parried her
attacks, but each time the swords touched, there was a flash of light.
Cervantes felt the Soul Edge weakening with each hit. Seigfried re-entered the
fray, swinging the zweihander horizontally. Cervantes ducked the blade, and
viciously smashed downwards at Xianghua. She parried the blow, but the
Krita-Yuga shattered, its power utterly drained! Cervantes started to laugh evily,
and stabbed down at Xianghua. She rolled nimbly
out of the way, and the Soul Edge stuck into the floor. As Cervantes struggled
to free the blades, Seigfried swung the zweihander at the Soul Edge. Already
weakened by the contact with the Krita-Yuga, the blades could not withstand the
impact with the great broadsword. The Soul Edge shattered.
"Nooooooooo!" shouted Cervantes. He grabbed the Nirvana from its
scabbard, and fired the pistol within the hilt at Seigfried, but Seigfried
blocked the bullet with his sword. Seigfried swung the zweihander with all his
strength. The great sword hit Cervantes on his arm, cutting off his limb.
Cervantes screamed with the pain, then grabbed Achelon from its scabbard with
his remaining limb. Cervantes ran for the stairs, Seigfried following close
behind. As he reached the stairs, Cervantes heard Seigfried's footsteps behind
him.
He turned, just in time to parry a swing of the zweihander. Cervantes and
Seigfried exchanged blows, but every attack was parried.
The frantic duel continued as Cervantes backed all the way up the stairs, and
onto the balcony that bordered the room on the first floor. Cervantes had just
about reached the point directly above where the Soul Edge had shattered, when
he stabbed at Seigfried. Achelon passed through a crack in Seigfried's armour,
but it did not hurt Seigfried seriously. When Cervantes tried to pull out the
blade, it
stuck fast. Leaving the sword embedded, Cervantes turned to run, with a cry of
despair. Seigfried swung the zweihander horizontally, at head height. The blade
sliced through Cervantes' neck, decapitating him. His disembodied head fell
onto the floor below, among the shards of the Soul Edge. A split second later,
Cervantes' lifeless body toppled over the railing, to join his head on the
floor below.
Seigfried and Xianghua walked past Cervantes' lifeless body, and out of the
mansion. "Its finally over." said Xianghua. "Let's hope
so." replied Seigfried. They walked away from the house, and out of the
grounds.
