The Spanish town hadn't changed over the years. The collapsed and ruined buildings, empty streets and feeling of dread were exactly as Siegfried remembered when he came seeking the sword of legend. It was cold, overcast day. His body still hurt from the fight with Astaroth. As Siegfried trudged towards the port memories he thought he'd forgotten began to surface…

"This is the sword of heroes?"

It didn't look like much. It was reddish in color and struck Siegfried as being smallish in size. He looked around him. The people in a nearby village had told him they'd heard a fierce battle being waged in this town. The German had been bewildered to find it empty. The Pirate ship he was standing on looked to have been recently damaged. There were cut marks on several parts of the deck and dark splotches of what looked like blood.

Siegfried looked at the Soul Edge. He reached for the hilt-

The sword leaped into the air like a jerked puppet and was right in front of his face. There was a sudden flash of light and Siegfried covered his eyes…

He turned around a street corner and there it was. The Adrian- the famed ship of Cervantes himself. A wooden boarding plank led upwards to the ship's deck, like an invitation almost.

"I accept," Siegfried said out loud. He approached the plank.

The flaming demon shrieked in pain as Faust pierced it's chest. Siegfried pulled back and waited to parry his foe's next attack. He stared in amazement as it began to float in the air while writhing in pain. He brought his sword up in preparation for a aerial attack. The demon was then sucked through some sort of vortex and he suddenly again on the ship deck. He'd won.

Soul Edge descended from the sky gracefully like a gift from heaven and landed on the floor with out a sound. Siegfried dropped Fausted and walked towards the blade. It's image filled his eyes. Nothing else mattered. Father would be avenged. He'd won. Without hesitation Siegfried grabbed the sword's hilt.

The first sign that something was wrong was when his hands went numb. He tried to open them and drop the sword but couldn't. It was as though Soul Edge had fused itself to him and was now a natural part of his body. His mouth opened and his eyes widened with fear. He was afraid. Then it got worse. A material akin to…diseased brown skin began to spread from the blade's hilt, over his hands, past his arms, on his body…about to reach his face. He screamed.

"Father!!!"

Siegfried sighed. If he had known what was going to happen he would have taken Faust and smashed Soul Edge right there. Now he had returned to where the nightmare had been born to do exactly that.

He surveyed the deck. It was identical right down to the blood splotches. He removed Requiem from his back.

"Cervantes! Reveal yourself!"

There was silence for a few seconds. Then he saw a shadow growing larger on the floor of the deck opposite where he was standing. A black shape landed without a sound. It was the Dread Pirate himself. Although his back was turned he began to speak.

"Oh dear. I was hoping Astaroth would take care of it. It seems even that task was beyond him."

"I've come here to tell you something. I've come to tell you that the story of the legendary blade Soul Edge and the Dread Pirate Cervantes will be ending today."

Cervantes turned around. He was no longer a man whose white skin told of his death and resurrection. He now possessed the complexion of a healthy man who'd vigorously pursued life. In fact, he looked quite common- except for the eyes. They were very red.

In either arm he held one of the Soul Edge blades. The wind began to blow and ruffle his cape and pirate cap.

"You are mistaken. Our story's just beginning. He smiled- a set of white flawlessly white teeth. "You'll be flattered to know that as the only one to ever use the sword and recover his humanity, you're the only one who's a serious threat to us." A familiar voice spoke inside Siegfried's head.

Do you remember me, Siegfried?

"That voice in my dream, it was you!?"

"Us," the pirate corrected. "I and the sword formed a stronger bond then you ever did. I was always aware of it's location so it was quite simple for me to discover where you were hiding it. I reclaimed it and became whole once more," the pirate said. He closed his eyes and tilted his head towards the sky. He held both arms away from his body. He was clearly relishing the completion of his goal. "I then told you to return home so that Astaroth could do away with you."

Siegfried's resolve remained strong.

"Do not forget that you two are fighting for your lives." He'd startled the pirate.

"What!?"

"Stronger bond none withstanding, looks like Soul Edge never told you it's secret. Inferno, the manifestation of the blade itself, has been destroyed twice. Once on this very spot by myself and again by the Chinese girl wielding Soul Calibur. Each time it emerged from a different sword. What you are holding are two swords that lack the source of it's resiliency. If they are shattered again, they will pass forever from the stage of history."

Cervantes looked at the ground and didn't answer. He began to tremble. Then-

He was charging at an impossibly high speed towards Siegfried. *Smack!* He was knocked backwards several feet. He quickly rose to his feet. Cervantes was right over him. Siegfried sidestepped around to Cervantes' side and slashed low with Requiem. Cervantes parried but momentarily lost his balance. Siegfried took advantage of this and smashed the pirates face with Requiem's hilt. Cervantes fell backwards. Siegfried rushed forward. All he had to do was bring Requiem down and it would be finished. He reached Cervantes side-

The pirate suddenly stood up on a knee and thrust his right blade into Siegfried's side.

The German retreated. The pain, it was like something was eating away at his flesh. It was too much. He fell to his knees. Cervantes stood up and seemed much more powerful and fearsome.

"Well now, this will make two generations of Schtauffens I've sent to hell." He cackled. Then Siegfried realized it.

"You…you killed mother?" Cervantes grinned.

"Indeed. A pity a strapping young man like you never put a loaf in some barmaid's oven. Then I could've made it three. Oh wait," The pirate said with mock horror, "isn't that how you were conceived?"

Siegfied's wound no longer hurt. He stood up and in one movement slashed and knocked one of the blades out of Cervantes' grasp. Then he drew Requiem back and thrust it deep into the pirate's midsection. A horrible screeching sound filled the air. Cervantes began to tremble and convulse terribly. A circle of blue light appeared on the ground where he was standing. It began to close. When Cervantes's circumference could no longer accommodate the squeeze his body became distorted and impossibly thin. When the circle closed in on itself it and the Dread pirate were gone.

Requiem clattered to the ground. Siegfried snatched it up and without hesitation smashed the two Soul Edge blades, first one then the other. His hand opened and dropped Requiem. He stared at the sky, his mind blank. He didn't what to say, what to think, to feel. It was done.

Something long, narrow and sharp pierced his armor and buried itself deep within him. He gasped and fell. Who-

"Take that, Siegfried Schtauffen. It is a bitter ending for you to perish here, so close to your goal of reclaiming Soul Edge and again wreaking terror across the innocents of this world." Cassandra. With great pain and effort he turned onto his back so he could see her. Her expression was without pity or remorse. She looked into his eyes and sneered. but he could feel himself growing distant from his surroundings. The pain of his wounds suddenly vanished. He could feel something pulling him away. The image of the contemptuous woman faded from his eyes and he saw no more.

Siegfried became afraid. He felt he was going somewhere very fast to an unknown destination. Suddenly his feelings of uncertainty and unease were relieved. The darkness was replaced by light of calmness hope and charity. He could see he was standing in a place that was very good. A moustached man clad in armor was in front of him. He came close to Siegfried and placed a comforting hand on his shoulder.

"Son, I'm proud of you."

***************************************************************************

Cassandra noticed something on the ground by her foot. She knelt and picked it up. It looked to be a sword hilt. The blade part seemed to have broken off. Then she recognized the markings. "This was…Soul Edge!" she whispered. She looked back at the dead boy. "Did you do this?" she asked.

Cassandra then realized what she'd done.