Disclaimer: No SC2 owning. Kudos to Namco.
This story begins with a 3-part prologue documenting the last great battle for Soul Edge. The first part of the prologue is the battle's beginning in Ostrheinsburg Chapel, the second part is the action of the battle, and the third part is its conclusion. That's only the beginning of the story, though.
PROLOGUE PART I – THE LAST BREATHS
For years and years, the legendary blade of doom, Soul Edge, was sought by many warriors, each with a different reason for seeking that horrible sword. Once, they all came together to resolve the problem and fought, each his own foe, until the end of the tale that was Soul Edge. But that was only the beginning of a new story, a story about those same warriors in a time and place they didn't belong.
It all began in the ruined chapel of Ostrheinsburg as Soul Edge's power grew...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A ghastly silence had descended on the world, an icy veil of pure shadow that enveloped the globe with tainted shadow, its infectious decay spreading through the air like blood poisoning water. It had not been night, but no being now could say it was not, for the sun's everlasting rays were sealed out of view by the billowing mass of blackness. The shroud was omnipresent, enveloping every corner of the world as daggers of light stabbed downward from the clouds with claps of thunder's hammer to augment their passing.
Only the gurgling rumble that came from a single blade, the broad zweihander that sat lopsided in the gnarled brown fingers of an azure figure, silhouetted against the black sky and wreathed in a horrible fire. The deformed grotesquery of nature that was the form's hand and arm encircled the gargantuan weapon, covered now in rough-textured, fleshy layer which pulsed incessantly and fizzled with bolts of deep crimson. The figure took a full step forward, his greave clanking on the stony floor of the chapel and resounding ominously with the sound of metallic vibrations. Like the noise made by gritting teeth, or the shrieks of the dying, the blade moved forward as well and was pulled up off the ground, raised up at the figure's shoulder.
"This worldly plague has gone on far too long," said a defiant female voice. The blood-red eyes shrouded in the darkness behind Nightmare's visor shot up to glare at the lithe ninja standing before him, striking a firm battle stance. His full voice, primarily the tone of Nightmare with barely any of the youthful energy of Siegfried still in it, began to rumble in the armored throat as he began to speak. Strangely, someone had the blatant gall to cut him off.
"The plague of Nightmare, perhaps, but Soul Edge has other uses," remarked the male voice coldly, full of arrogance but stable nobility, "one of those uses being the one I have for it. Now, madame, kindly step aside so I can take what is mine."
"The sword is no less yours than it his or any other's." snapped the ninja, not turning her head to see the Frenchman as he walked disdainfully by her. She growled under her breath at the foolhardy noble and his snide demeanor. She did not step aside, as he demanded, but he ignored her comment and headed towards Nightmare, slowly unsheathing his rapier. As the cool steel slid from his waist, he drew it up and aimed it at the knight...
Only to be stopped by a large presence that bolted, despite its size, in his way. The Frenchman staggered, but his composure returned quickly as he braced himself and looked up at the hulking silhouette that loomed like a castle over him, snarling ferociously and holding up its jagged, menacing looking weapon. The golem's heart thumped in a constant, stern rhythm that severed any notion of calm silence on the chapel grounds. Astaroth's foot crashed onto the tiled ground, sending up a wisp of dust in its wake.
"Soul Edge belongs to Ares," said the golem curtly, "not you. Move now." The words that spilled from the burly creature were so blunt and calm that it was truly frightening. He punched the staff of his ax against his open palm and looked down, his eyes narrowing at the socialite fencer.
"Wrong again, monster," proclaimed another arrogant voice, but more merry in this time of woe than any other. Maxi the pirate landed expertly on the ground in front of Astaroth. He waltzed backwards, swinging his legs beneath him as if he didn't even need to touch the ground. He batted a strand of stray hair out of his eyes and steadied himself in Astaroth's burning gaze. Oddly enough, before the pirate could write off another witty comment, he was shoved aside as a strangely pale, white-haired woman strolled past him.
"Hate to break up the party," Isabella Valentine murmured, "But I believe none of you can claim the evil blade. There is only one thing to be done with it, and that is destroying it."
Nightmare actually took another step forward, the loud clang of metal on stone momentarily silencing the gathering warriors, but his attempt failed miserably as a cold, echoing laugh broke through the silence that had almost descended fully. Nightmare didn't turn, though Ivy looked up, a crackling fire streaming from her eyes as she saw the pallid figure perched atop the grand organ across from her.
"You're all wrong. Soul Edge belonged to me before; it will belong to me again." Cervantes' gruff voice dictated to the group. He hopped down onto another level of the great pipe organ, his armored feet taking rest like a raven's claws on the structure. He twirled the glistening gun-sword, Nirvana in his hand as he peered down, his glazed over eyes focusing and blurring as he scanned the cracked, splintered horizon of the chapel and nodded grimly until another voice interrupted his pensive contemplation.
"The operative word being 'before,' hellspawn." Another voice defied.
Cervantes just grumbled under his ragged breaths as Sophitia Alexandra came into view. The unwavering figure, held up her shield and fixed her clear eyes on the pirate, "Your darkness has no place on this world, Nightmare. I intent to end that reign of darkness right now." Her pure gaze was only tainted by a righteous fury, which was focused on Cervantes de Leon, who returned the poison glance with his own sadistic grin.
"This is no longer your burden, Sophitia." piped in a voice similar to Sophitia's.
Taki narrowly resisted rolling her eyes in exasperation as Cassandra popped up like a pestering rabbit beside her sister. The Greek lowered her own shield, letting the limp arm that held it swing at her side as she looked rebelliously at her sister, who avoided making immediate eye contact with her. Sophitia turned and shot a venomous look at her sibling, "Cassandra, how did you get-"
"That's not important. What is important is that Soul Edge destroyed."
"I disagree," responded another young voice as its owner alighted between Cassandra and Nightmare, "Apparently I am late to this gathering, but I will still get that blade. My cause is the one that will prevail." Hong Yunsung swiveled towards Nightmare and crouched down, "Prepare to meet your death, weak one." The young man's sword spun as if it weighed only a fraction of reality, swerving like a flowery blossom in his firm grasp, to harsh for it indeed.
The azure knight, by now feeling left out by all this intermingled argument, silenced all irrelevant noises with a single word.
"So," Nightmare's booming vocalization halted all other voices trying to gain attention, "We have ourselves quite a congregation, do we not?" The azure knight laughed, his fiery mania embodied fully in the terrible noise that poured from his unseen face and out, filling the ears of those who listened. "If you are all done with your petty quarrels, come on and attack. I am growing bored."
"You want to die?" roared Taki, crouching like a tiger ready to pounce, "I'll be more than happy to oblige!"
The ninja plunged forward, her two ninja blades rending the air around her as her form shot forward at the knight. In an instant, the huge sword swung upward nimbly to block, though it was an unnecessary maneuver. The ninja was halted by the presence of Heishiro Mitsurugi in her path. Unable to alter her course so quickly in mid-air, she dodged his upturned blade and latched onto his armor with her blades, swinging with extreme agility around him and landing on his other side. She leapt up, not missing a beat, and had her swords at the mercenary's left flank.
"In all honesty, I don't want to have to kill you." She said through clenched teeth.
The ninja was puzzled when Mitsurugi grinned icily and nodded his head, gesturing down with it. Taki's head lowered skeptically, but her expression turned to surprise and fury when she saw the katana pressed against her own chest.
"It's not up to you, ninja, it's-"
He too was severed in mid-sentence by the whirring of a blade. He instinctively knew what was coming and ducked, as did Taki. The two foes each rolled in different directions as the zweihander whizzed mercilessly overhead. He sprung up and saw his enemy doing the same. Ignoring the fact that it was Nightmare who had attacked him, the mercenary scrambled forward, katana at the ready, and bashed his armored shoulder into the rising ninja.
"Enough of this!" bellowed an impatient Raphael. He took his chance and also plunged forward, avoiding the fray that had sprung up, and his free hand shot out to grab at the massive wrist of Nightmare. Before the groping fingers found their mark, though, he found his own limb constricted by a metallic snake that encircled him. He looked to his side incredulously to see Isabella Valentine grasping the root of the irritating snake blade restraining his ready hand.
"Fool," she said, her delicate brow furrowed, "Soul Edge must be destroyed."
Raphael did not bother continuing the discourse. Already fuming, he spun on his heels and slashed his rapier around in an elegant arc. Ivy's blade recoiled from the Frenchman and whipped around as she swung it intricately in the air. The sword promptly wrapped itself around the thrusting rapier and pulled it aside, but Raphael yanked the weapon free and lunged again, sprinting gracefully toward the female, who quickly deflected another precise thrust with her swirling snake-sword.
Nightmare, though, was too busy at the moment to care what was going on. He knew it was not wise to become enthralled by the wretched quarrelling of mortals. Annoyed and seething, the azure knight turned on his greave but found himself staring down the smooth length of an all-too-familiar rod. At the other end of the bo, Kilik looked amazingly composed as he held his weapon up to Nightmare's visor and growled angrily in his trembling throat.
"I already defeated you once, dark one, and I can do it again."
"I'm afraid that job is taken, boy." Growled a voice from above.
Seconds later, Cervantes de Leon was balancing carefully on the diagonally held bo. He slid down it and jumped at Kilik, sending the boy sprawling backward. As the pirate drove his gun-sword into the earth with a deafening crunch, the boy swerved and rolled over onto his feet, flinging the staff up and clenching his sweaty fists around it. Instead of going for Cervantes, he sped agilely towards Nightmare again, dancing swiftly across the disrupted turf.
This tine it was a much larger foe that blocked his path. A firm pummeling blast from the flat of Astaroth's ax felled Kilik, who crumpled to the floor, bleeding at the mouth.
"Insect, Soul Edge belongs to ARES!" insisted the golem, raising his ax.
His weapon did not get far before the entire bulging form was knocked backward. Nightmare, feeling now like more of a bystander to all these engagements, sidestepped easily as the immense golem recovered his footing and blocked the next onslaught with his ax. That onslaught, as the foul creation soon realized, was that of the ever annoying nunchakus of Maxi, who was currently berating him furiously.
"Pick on someone your own size." Laughed the pirate, still dancing on his heels.
Meanwhile, Kilik's trance was broken by another presence on the battlefield.
"If Soul Edge needs an owner, it is surely me." Said the eccentric, almost absurd voice from behind the bo wielder. Kilik turned just slightly to see a gaudy looking fellow with a fluttering flag mounted on his back. Yoshimitsu ambled by Kilik and raised his own katana, probably smiling under his demonic mask. He edged forward slowly, sliding sandaled feet along the ground. He didn't get far, though.
A searing hissing noise apparently beat him to the punch. The contorted form of Voldo slid right beneath a jumping Nightmare and stabbed his own body up. The twisted human ended up face to face with another mask, that of Yoshimitsu. He hissed again, more nonchalantly, but Yoshimitsu was not deterred. The ninja merely swung around and slashed at Voldo, who blocked easily with his glinting katar.
"This is all foolishness," growled Yunsung, plowing past the two newest combatants and raising the light-engulfed blade of White Storm to strike, "The sword is mine and all your quarrels will not stand in my way."
White Storm, gleaming like the sun as it soared through the air, glanced awkwardly off a rounded shield and fell to the side. The young man's inflamed gaze met the almost sympathetic eyes of Cassandra Alexandra as she assumed a fighting stance. To impatient with the various happening to wait, Yunsung dove at her swiftly and the newest conflict began, the two warriors battling backwards in the course of an instant, their finely crafted blades flying in their hands.
Sophitia, a fearful yet pensive glint in both eyes, scanned the now raging battle plain. She couldn't even count all the warriors offhand and didn't try. Her glare turned to the dark one who stood before her, still wreathed in his horrible shadow. She stepped towards him coolly, allowing herself to flow like liquid through the vicious frays that literally moved right past her. Her face was slated and calm as she raised her short, slender sword and brought her shield up.
"It appears, Nightmare, that only you an I remain." She said, her voice dripping with a frosted over pleasantry. Nightmare's helmeted head nodded solemnly. The two of them didn't waste any time and charged forward, beginning the last of the duels to start and end on that fateful day.
This story begins with a 3-part prologue documenting the last great battle for Soul Edge. The first part of the prologue is the battle's beginning in Ostrheinsburg Chapel, the second part is the action of the battle, and the third part is its conclusion. That's only the beginning of the story, though.
PROLOGUE PART I – THE LAST BREATHS
For years and years, the legendary blade of doom, Soul Edge, was sought by many warriors, each with a different reason for seeking that horrible sword. Once, they all came together to resolve the problem and fought, each his own foe, until the end of the tale that was Soul Edge. But that was only the beginning of a new story, a story about those same warriors in a time and place they didn't belong.
It all began in the ruined chapel of Ostrheinsburg as Soul Edge's power grew...
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
A ghastly silence had descended on the world, an icy veil of pure shadow that enveloped the globe with tainted shadow, its infectious decay spreading through the air like blood poisoning water. It had not been night, but no being now could say it was not, for the sun's everlasting rays were sealed out of view by the billowing mass of blackness. The shroud was omnipresent, enveloping every corner of the world as daggers of light stabbed downward from the clouds with claps of thunder's hammer to augment their passing.
Only the gurgling rumble that came from a single blade, the broad zweihander that sat lopsided in the gnarled brown fingers of an azure figure, silhouetted against the black sky and wreathed in a horrible fire. The deformed grotesquery of nature that was the form's hand and arm encircled the gargantuan weapon, covered now in rough-textured, fleshy layer which pulsed incessantly and fizzled with bolts of deep crimson. The figure took a full step forward, his greave clanking on the stony floor of the chapel and resounding ominously with the sound of metallic vibrations. Like the noise made by gritting teeth, or the shrieks of the dying, the blade moved forward as well and was pulled up off the ground, raised up at the figure's shoulder.
"This worldly plague has gone on far too long," said a defiant female voice. The blood-red eyes shrouded in the darkness behind Nightmare's visor shot up to glare at the lithe ninja standing before him, striking a firm battle stance. His full voice, primarily the tone of Nightmare with barely any of the youthful energy of Siegfried still in it, began to rumble in the armored throat as he began to speak. Strangely, someone had the blatant gall to cut him off.
"The plague of Nightmare, perhaps, but Soul Edge has other uses," remarked the male voice coldly, full of arrogance but stable nobility, "one of those uses being the one I have for it. Now, madame, kindly step aside so I can take what is mine."
"The sword is no less yours than it his or any other's." snapped the ninja, not turning her head to see the Frenchman as he walked disdainfully by her. She growled under her breath at the foolhardy noble and his snide demeanor. She did not step aside, as he demanded, but he ignored her comment and headed towards Nightmare, slowly unsheathing his rapier. As the cool steel slid from his waist, he drew it up and aimed it at the knight...
Only to be stopped by a large presence that bolted, despite its size, in his way. The Frenchman staggered, but his composure returned quickly as he braced himself and looked up at the hulking silhouette that loomed like a castle over him, snarling ferociously and holding up its jagged, menacing looking weapon. The golem's heart thumped in a constant, stern rhythm that severed any notion of calm silence on the chapel grounds. Astaroth's foot crashed onto the tiled ground, sending up a wisp of dust in its wake.
"Soul Edge belongs to Ares," said the golem curtly, "not you. Move now." The words that spilled from the burly creature were so blunt and calm that it was truly frightening. He punched the staff of his ax against his open palm and looked down, his eyes narrowing at the socialite fencer.
"Wrong again, monster," proclaimed another arrogant voice, but more merry in this time of woe than any other. Maxi the pirate landed expertly on the ground in front of Astaroth. He waltzed backwards, swinging his legs beneath him as if he didn't even need to touch the ground. He batted a strand of stray hair out of his eyes and steadied himself in Astaroth's burning gaze. Oddly enough, before the pirate could write off another witty comment, he was shoved aside as a strangely pale, white-haired woman strolled past him.
"Hate to break up the party," Isabella Valentine murmured, "But I believe none of you can claim the evil blade. There is only one thing to be done with it, and that is destroying it."
Nightmare actually took another step forward, the loud clang of metal on stone momentarily silencing the gathering warriors, but his attempt failed miserably as a cold, echoing laugh broke through the silence that had almost descended fully. Nightmare didn't turn, though Ivy looked up, a crackling fire streaming from her eyes as she saw the pallid figure perched atop the grand organ across from her.
"You're all wrong. Soul Edge belonged to me before; it will belong to me again." Cervantes' gruff voice dictated to the group. He hopped down onto another level of the great pipe organ, his armored feet taking rest like a raven's claws on the structure. He twirled the glistening gun-sword, Nirvana in his hand as he peered down, his glazed over eyes focusing and blurring as he scanned the cracked, splintered horizon of the chapel and nodded grimly until another voice interrupted his pensive contemplation.
"The operative word being 'before,' hellspawn." Another voice defied.
Cervantes just grumbled under his ragged breaths as Sophitia Alexandra came into view. The unwavering figure, held up her shield and fixed her clear eyes on the pirate, "Your darkness has no place on this world, Nightmare. I intent to end that reign of darkness right now." Her pure gaze was only tainted by a righteous fury, which was focused on Cervantes de Leon, who returned the poison glance with his own sadistic grin.
"This is no longer your burden, Sophitia." piped in a voice similar to Sophitia's.
Taki narrowly resisted rolling her eyes in exasperation as Cassandra popped up like a pestering rabbit beside her sister. The Greek lowered her own shield, letting the limp arm that held it swing at her side as she looked rebelliously at her sister, who avoided making immediate eye contact with her. Sophitia turned and shot a venomous look at her sibling, "Cassandra, how did you get-"
"That's not important. What is important is that Soul Edge destroyed."
"I disagree," responded another young voice as its owner alighted between Cassandra and Nightmare, "Apparently I am late to this gathering, but I will still get that blade. My cause is the one that will prevail." Hong Yunsung swiveled towards Nightmare and crouched down, "Prepare to meet your death, weak one." The young man's sword spun as if it weighed only a fraction of reality, swerving like a flowery blossom in his firm grasp, to harsh for it indeed.
The azure knight, by now feeling left out by all this intermingled argument, silenced all irrelevant noises with a single word.
"So," Nightmare's booming vocalization halted all other voices trying to gain attention, "We have ourselves quite a congregation, do we not?" The azure knight laughed, his fiery mania embodied fully in the terrible noise that poured from his unseen face and out, filling the ears of those who listened. "If you are all done with your petty quarrels, come on and attack. I am growing bored."
"You want to die?" roared Taki, crouching like a tiger ready to pounce, "I'll be more than happy to oblige!"
The ninja plunged forward, her two ninja blades rending the air around her as her form shot forward at the knight. In an instant, the huge sword swung upward nimbly to block, though it was an unnecessary maneuver. The ninja was halted by the presence of Heishiro Mitsurugi in her path. Unable to alter her course so quickly in mid-air, she dodged his upturned blade and latched onto his armor with her blades, swinging with extreme agility around him and landing on his other side. She leapt up, not missing a beat, and had her swords at the mercenary's left flank.
"In all honesty, I don't want to have to kill you." She said through clenched teeth.
The ninja was puzzled when Mitsurugi grinned icily and nodded his head, gesturing down with it. Taki's head lowered skeptically, but her expression turned to surprise and fury when she saw the katana pressed against her own chest.
"It's not up to you, ninja, it's-"
He too was severed in mid-sentence by the whirring of a blade. He instinctively knew what was coming and ducked, as did Taki. The two foes each rolled in different directions as the zweihander whizzed mercilessly overhead. He sprung up and saw his enemy doing the same. Ignoring the fact that it was Nightmare who had attacked him, the mercenary scrambled forward, katana at the ready, and bashed his armored shoulder into the rising ninja.
"Enough of this!" bellowed an impatient Raphael. He took his chance and also plunged forward, avoiding the fray that had sprung up, and his free hand shot out to grab at the massive wrist of Nightmare. Before the groping fingers found their mark, though, he found his own limb constricted by a metallic snake that encircled him. He looked to his side incredulously to see Isabella Valentine grasping the root of the irritating snake blade restraining his ready hand.
"Fool," she said, her delicate brow furrowed, "Soul Edge must be destroyed."
Raphael did not bother continuing the discourse. Already fuming, he spun on his heels and slashed his rapier around in an elegant arc. Ivy's blade recoiled from the Frenchman and whipped around as she swung it intricately in the air. The sword promptly wrapped itself around the thrusting rapier and pulled it aside, but Raphael yanked the weapon free and lunged again, sprinting gracefully toward the female, who quickly deflected another precise thrust with her swirling snake-sword.
Nightmare, though, was too busy at the moment to care what was going on. He knew it was not wise to become enthralled by the wretched quarrelling of mortals. Annoyed and seething, the azure knight turned on his greave but found himself staring down the smooth length of an all-too-familiar rod. At the other end of the bo, Kilik looked amazingly composed as he held his weapon up to Nightmare's visor and growled angrily in his trembling throat.
"I already defeated you once, dark one, and I can do it again."
"I'm afraid that job is taken, boy." Growled a voice from above.
Seconds later, Cervantes de Leon was balancing carefully on the diagonally held bo. He slid down it and jumped at Kilik, sending the boy sprawling backward. As the pirate drove his gun-sword into the earth with a deafening crunch, the boy swerved and rolled over onto his feet, flinging the staff up and clenching his sweaty fists around it. Instead of going for Cervantes, he sped agilely towards Nightmare again, dancing swiftly across the disrupted turf.
This tine it was a much larger foe that blocked his path. A firm pummeling blast from the flat of Astaroth's ax felled Kilik, who crumpled to the floor, bleeding at the mouth.
"Insect, Soul Edge belongs to ARES!" insisted the golem, raising his ax.
His weapon did not get far before the entire bulging form was knocked backward. Nightmare, feeling now like more of a bystander to all these engagements, sidestepped easily as the immense golem recovered his footing and blocked the next onslaught with his ax. That onslaught, as the foul creation soon realized, was that of the ever annoying nunchakus of Maxi, who was currently berating him furiously.
"Pick on someone your own size." Laughed the pirate, still dancing on his heels.
Meanwhile, Kilik's trance was broken by another presence on the battlefield.
"If Soul Edge needs an owner, it is surely me." Said the eccentric, almost absurd voice from behind the bo wielder. Kilik turned just slightly to see a gaudy looking fellow with a fluttering flag mounted on his back. Yoshimitsu ambled by Kilik and raised his own katana, probably smiling under his demonic mask. He edged forward slowly, sliding sandaled feet along the ground. He didn't get far, though.
A searing hissing noise apparently beat him to the punch. The contorted form of Voldo slid right beneath a jumping Nightmare and stabbed his own body up. The twisted human ended up face to face with another mask, that of Yoshimitsu. He hissed again, more nonchalantly, but Yoshimitsu was not deterred. The ninja merely swung around and slashed at Voldo, who blocked easily with his glinting katar.
"This is all foolishness," growled Yunsung, plowing past the two newest combatants and raising the light-engulfed blade of White Storm to strike, "The sword is mine and all your quarrels will not stand in my way."
White Storm, gleaming like the sun as it soared through the air, glanced awkwardly off a rounded shield and fell to the side. The young man's inflamed gaze met the almost sympathetic eyes of Cassandra Alexandra as she assumed a fighting stance. To impatient with the various happening to wait, Yunsung dove at her swiftly and the newest conflict began, the two warriors battling backwards in the course of an instant, their finely crafted blades flying in their hands.
Sophitia, a fearful yet pensive glint in both eyes, scanned the now raging battle plain. She couldn't even count all the warriors offhand and didn't try. Her glare turned to the dark one who stood before her, still wreathed in his horrible shadow. She stepped towards him coolly, allowing herself to flow like liquid through the vicious frays that literally moved right past her. Her face was slated and calm as she raised her short, slender sword and brought her shield up.
"It appears, Nightmare, that only you an I remain." She said, her voice dripping with a frosted over pleasantry. Nightmare's helmeted head nodded solemnly. The two of them didn't waste any time and charged forward, beginning the last of the duels to start and end on that fateful day.
