Chapter 2
His gloved hands prised Nightmare's cold fingers away from the hilt, and Raphael Sorel held the much-coveted sword aloft, feeling the power gushing down full-speed and thickly into him. He felt the dark murky energies stirring up within him, and began to attempt controlling it.
Suddenly a streak of fire blazed across his eyes, and the temperature rose quickly. The Frenchman scrutinized his surroundings and noticed he was no longer in Nightmare's castle, but in an arena of a scintillating array of flames. And amidst the flames a tall, blazing inferno stood humanoid and fully formed. The pungent smell of flames and the noxious smoke was pungently overpowering Raphael's nostrils. He drew strength from Flambert and noticed Soul Edge was gone. He knew immediately what this was. He was speaking to Soul Edge itself.
"So this is the origin of the evil sword. How entertaining!" Raphael twirled his sword in eager anticipation of the upcoming battle. Inferno was silent as he brought a rapier forward, an exact replica of Raphael's weapon.
"Prepare yourself!" Raphael surged forward in an array of confidence, seething with power. He brandished his weapon brutally, delivering scorching hits as Inferno fell back. Raphael crushed Inferno to the floor with immaculate ease, mocking it as he cut arcs across the air with his rapier. Inferno rose up, levitating as there was another incendiary explosion of flames, spinning up into the air like fireflies.
A katana now was in the flaming skeleton's hand, and Inferno lunged forward with a vengeance. Raphael moved in, before performing a tricky retreat step, evading the wild swipe of the katana. Linking a spinning kick to his retreat step, Raphael launched Inferno back, before the fiery beast struck at Raphael's shoulder, drawing blood. The fencer, undaunted, fell Inferno with a tarantellal tap kick, and stabbed Flambert into its throat. It squirmed in pain and howled in anguish, before rising up again.
Raphael barely eluded the incoming rod before the two were forced into the exhilarating rush of battle again. Inferno now brandished a rod, sweeping the floor with it and tearing the air. Raphael managed to hop over the low attack, but Inferno suddenly hit upwards with a kick, grabbing his rod for greater effect. The fencer fell over backwards, rolling to the side as a rod thwacked the ground where he had been moments ago. Raphael suddenly shot towards Inferno and struck the rod away full-force. Inferno kneeled down, before lifting into the air again...
Raphael heard the metal whip as it arrived, and even so he managed to get a long cut down the side of his face, and suddenly it was coiled around his foot, dragging him down. The Frenchman sliced at the whip, deflecting it momentarily as he arrowed his chest horizontally, the blades of the whip missing him by inches. The whip suddenly grasped his rapier and tore it out of his grasp. Inferno smiled that gruesome smile before Raphael tackled his legs full-force, the rapier spinning wildly. Raphael grabbed it, before the whip opened up one of his gloves and blood dripped.
Gathering centrifugal force, Raphael spun on his toes before delivering the perfect kick, launching Inferno up. He saw another opportunity, and the fencer leapt up, making a mid-air pirouette before slamming his rapier through Inferno.
Inferno rose up again, before flames shot out of it in all directions. Inferno seemed to lapse into an epileptic fit, spasms rocking his body as he clawed his face.
When it was over, Raphael clutched Soul Edge firmly, now a rapier, in his hand. He nursed his bloody shoulder and made his way down the castle, preparing to leave Germany.
His gloved hands prised Nightmare's cold fingers away from the hilt, and Raphael Sorel held the much-coveted sword aloft, feeling the power gushing down full-speed and thickly into him. He felt the dark murky energies stirring up within him, and began to attempt controlling it.
Suddenly a streak of fire blazed across his eyes, and the temperature rose quickly. The Frenchman scrutinized his surroundings and noticed he was no longer in Nightmare's castle, but in an arena of a scintillating array of flames. And amidst the flames a tall, blazing inferno stood humanoid and fully formed. The pungent smell of flames and the noxious smoke was pungently overpowering Raphael's nostrils. He drew strength from Flambert and noticed Soul Edge was gone. He knew immediately what this was. He was speaking to Soul Edge itself.
"So this is the origin of the evil sword. How entertaining!" Raphael twirled his sword in eager anticipation of the upcoming battle. Inferno was silent as he brought a rapier forward, an exact replica of Raphael's weapon.
"Prepare yourself!" Raphael surged forward in an array of confidence, seething with power. He brandished his weapon brutally, delivering scorching hits as Inferno fell back. Raphael crushed Inferno to the floor with immaculate ease, mocking it as he cut arcs across the air with his rapier. Inferno rose up, levitating as there was another incendiary explosion of flames, spinning up into the air like fireflies.
A katana now was in the flaming skeleton's hand, and Inferno lunged forward with a vengeance. Raphael moved in, before performing a tricky retreat step, evading the wild swipe of the katana. Linking a spinning kick to his retreat step, Raphael launched Inferno back, before the fiery beast struck at Raphael's shoulder, drawing blood. The fencer, undaunted, fell Inferno with a tarantellal tap kick, and stabbed Flambert into its throat. It squirmed in pain and howled in anguish, before rising up again.
Raphael barely eluded the incoming rod before the two were forced into the exhilarating rush of battle again. Inferno now brandished a rod, sweeping the floor with it and tearing the air. Raphael managed to hop over the low attack, but Inferno suddenly hit upwards with a kick, grabbing his rod for greater effect. The fencer fell over backwards, rolling to the side as a rod thwacked the ground where he had been moments ago. Raphael suddenly shot towards Inferno and struck the rod away full-force. Inferno kneeled down, before lifting into the air again...
Raphael heard the metal whip as it arrived, and even so he managed to get a long cut down the side of his face, and suddenly it was coiled around his foot, dragging him down. The Frenchman sliced at the whip, deflecting it momentarily as he arrowed his chest horizontally, the blades of the whip missing him by inches. The whip suddenly grasped his rapier and tore it out of his grasp. Inferno smiled that gruesome smile before Raphael tackled his legs full-force, the rapier spinning wildly. Raphael grabbed it, before the whip opened up one of his gloves and blood dripped.
Gathering centrifugal force, Raphael spun on his toes before delivering the perfect kick, launching Inferno up. He saw another opportunity, and the fencer leapt up, making a mid-air pirouette before slamming his rapier through Inferno.
Inferno rose up again, before flames shot out of it in all directions. Inferno seemed to lapse into an epileptic fit, spasms rocking his body as he clawed his face.
When it was over, Raphael clutched Soul Edge firmly, now a rapier, in his hand. He nursed his bloody shoulder and made his way down the castle, preparing to leave Germany.