This is the final chapter of Raise thy Sword. Thanks all for the good
reviews.
Chapter 11
Soul Edge was causing problems. It had made itself more noticeable, shimmering with pure evil. Raphael's resistance was dipping everyday. He felt sure Soul Edge was more eye-catching to lure people to grab it from its imminent doom. After all, he had encountered a small group of bandits trying vainly to snatch Soul Edge. Unfortunately, he had made Soul Edge very, very happy because it had devoured more souls.
He assumed he had a one-day head start over the enforcers, so he had put them out of his mind a long time ago.
Raphael dismounted from his horse. Had he gotten over Amy? he didn't know. He was making a gamble. A gamble that could throw him into the abyss of darkness. The gambling stakes were his soul, and the morsel of a chance to destroy Soul Edge. What he knew was this was the time, the time...to end this.
He hesitated only momentarily, before his boots crunched in the gravel and rubble scattered at the foot of the hill. He began his long climb, wishing the hill was higher. The climb was as difficult as the one he had made earlier. He remembered the scratches he had received. Raphael was not looking forward to it.
After a few minutes, his fingers were scraped raw, as he made progress up the steep hill. The pain was terrible. The small but many wounds seared like red-hot pokers on his skin. Blood dripped onto the rocks. Somehow, Raphael made it.
He climbed up onto the largest piece of the ruins of Ostrheinsburg Castle, unsure of what he would see. He had come here to face his destiny after all.
There stood Nightmare.
Nightmare moved like an insane animal, lunging towards Raphael, Requiem lifted high to deliver a crushing strike. Raphael dodged to the left, as Requiem blasted the space beside him to oblivion, loose tiles flying into Raphael and Nightmare. "You die, human. Just like your daughter," Nightmare spoke evilly. Raphael felt as though someone had stabbed his heart. The explosion of grief, all over again. "Yes, so it has come to this after all."
They were like wild demons now, two pairs of eyes gleaming red and malevolently. Raphael darted forward with Soul Edge, causing a shattering impact of blows, while Nightmare defended himself with his gargantuan blade. Nightmare yelled a brutal war-cry, before sweeping his sword under Raphael's legs. Raphael leapt, turning as he did so, to gather force to strike again. Nightmare moved his head, avoiding the thrust from Raphael, before hitting Raphael in the stomach with the flat of a replica Soul Edge. Raphael was catapulted several feet back, where he crashed into the tinted windows. Glass sprayed everywhere as Raphael got up, unsteadily. He ran into the awaiting Nightmare, who misread Raphael's movements. As the possessed knight swung his sword horizontally, Raphael ducked. The sheer force of Nightmare's own blow sent the demon spinning. Raphael took the advantage, the side of his foot connecting with Nightmare's cheek in a perfect roundhouse kick. Nightmare sank slowly to the ground, momentarily stunned, while Raphael forced his blade forward in a powerful thrust. It actually broke Nightmare's breastplate, cracks spreading like a spider web as the former wielder of Soul Edge fell backwards. Nightmare got up quickly, and, aware of the presence coming to his right, made a reflex backhand punch, which clipped Raphael's lip. Blood dribbled downwards in a minor wound, and Raphael barely evaded the follow-up, which would have decapitated him. Raphael jumped and landed a splitting kick on Nightmare, bursting the pain limits on his head. Nightmare stumbled back, blood flowing freely down from his forehead. He blinked the blood out of his eyes and swept his sword in a fine arc, before linking the move to a low swipe. Raphael blocked the first blow, before the second one caught him off-guard and downing him. His head hit the tiled floor painfully. Nightmare lifted his heavy sword as Raphael, acting for his life, rolled over his head to smash two feet into Nightmare's chest, and bits and pieces of the armour clattered on the ground. Nightmare oscillated his blade furiously, and Raphael's felt his shoulder, cheek, and stomach open into ugly gashes. Blood-drenched, he performed an unexpected move. He flung himself into Nightmare, and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, each strike drawing blood. Nightmare kicked upwards, booting Raphael's neck and sending him in a twisting arc. Raphael swiped a damaging hit, while Nightmare stabbed into Raphael's chest.
Nightmare collapsed, and Raphael wavered for a while, before his body thudded to the ground as well. Blood was forming a pool around them, and both of them, eyes flickering open, saw and felt their cheeks touch blood.
Raphael remembered, from some distant point of his mind, the void. With a last spurt of strength, he rose up, almost miraculously, and staggered towards the swirling mass of colour and electricity. Nightmare squirmed, Soul Edge trying a last, valiant attempt. But the demon was too weak.
The void waited, as though it knew what was happening. It was at that moment that Raphael Sorel threw Soul Edge into the void, where it was consumed by the whirling mass. There was a tortured scream of agony, as Soul Edge contorted wildly in the void. Nightmare had dissipated, the blood still flowing. Raphael's knees buckled, death starting to take over him. Was he to be in his death throes already? the question flashed through Raphael's mind.
A shard suddenly zipped out and fastened itself to Raphael's hand. Soul Edge relaxed, believing it would live on. Raphael, darkness clouding his vision, knew what he had to do. A grisly smile on his face, Raphael stepped into the void, just as it closed up, as suddenly as it had appeared.
Raphael Sorel had completed the circle of his life at last.
Chapter 11
Soul Edge was causing problems. It had made itself more noticeable, shimmering with pure evil. Raphael's resistance was dipping everyday. He felt sure Soul Edge was more eye-catching to lure people to grab it from its imminent doom. After all, he had encountered a small group of bandits trying vainly to snatch Soul Edge. Unfortunately, he had made Soul Edge very, very happy because it had devoured more souls.
He assumed he had a one-day head start over the enforcers, so he had put them out of his mind a long time ago.
Raphael dismounted from his horse. Had he gotten over Amy? he didn't know. He was making a gamble. A gamble that could throw him into the abyss of darkness. The gambling stakes were his soul, and the morsel of a chance to destroy Soul Edge. What he knew was this was the time, the time...to end this.
He hesitated only momentarily, before his boots crunched in the gravel and rubble scattered at the foot of the hill. He began his long climb, wishing the hill was higher. The climb was as difficult as the one he had made earlier. He remembered the scratches he had received. Raphael was not looking forward to it.
After a few minutes, his fingers were scraped raw, as he made progress up the steep hill. The pain was terrible. The small but many wounds seared like red-hot pokers on his skin. Blood dripped onto the rocks. Somehow, Raphael made it.
He climbed up onto the largest piece of the ruins of Ostrheinsburg Castle, unsure of what he would see. He had come here to face his destiny after all.
There stood Nightmare.
Nightmare moved like an insane animal, lunging towards Raphael, Requiem lifted high to deliver a crushing strike. Raphael dodged to the left, as Requiem blasted the space beside him to oblivion, loose tiles flying into Raphael and Nightmare. "You die, human. Just like your daughter," Nightmare spoke evilly. Raphael felt as though someone had stabbed his heart. The explosion of grief, all over again. "Yes, so it has come to this after all."
They were like wild demons now, two pairs of eyes gleaming red and malevolently. Raphael darted forward with Soul Edge, causing a shattering impact of blows, while Nightmare defended himself with his gargantuan blade. Nightmare yelled a brutal war-cry, before sweeping his sword under Raphael's legs. Raphael leapt, turning as he did so, to gather force to strike again. Nightmare moved his head, avoiding the thrust from Raphael, before hitting Raphael in the stomach with the flat of a replica Soul Edge. Raphael was catapulted several feet back, where he crashed into the tinted windows. Glass sprayed everywhere as Raphael got up, unsteadily. He ran into the awaiting Nightmare, who misread Raphael's movements. As the possessed knight swung his sword horizontally, Raphael ducked. The sheer force of Nightmare's own blow sent the demon spinning. Raphael took the advantage, the side of his foot connecting with Nightmare's cheek in a perfect roundhouse kick. Nightmare sank slowly to the ground, momentarily stunned, while Raphael forced his blade forward in a powerful thrust. It actually broke Nightmare's breastplate, cracks spreading like a spider web as the former wielder of Soul Edge fell backwards. Nightmare got up quickly, and, aware of the presence coming to his right, made a reflex backhand punch, which clipped Raphael's lip. Blood dribbled downwards in a minor wound, and Raphael barely evaded the follow-up, which would have decapitated him. Raphael jumped and landed a splitting kick on Nightmare, bursting the pain limits on his head. Nightmare stumbled back, blood flowing freely down from his forehead. He blinked the blood out of his eyes and swept his sword in a fine arc, before linking the move to a low swipe. Raphael blocked the first blow, before the second one caught him off-guard and downing him. His head hit the tiled floor painfully. Nightmare lifted his heavy sword as Raphael, acting for his life, rolled over his head to smash two feet into Nightmare's chest, and bits and pieces of the armour clattered on the ground. Nightmare oscillated his blade furiously, and Raphael's felt his shoulder, cheek, and stomach open into ugly gashes. Blood-drenched, he performed an unexpected move. He flung himself into Nightmare, and stabbed him repeatedly in the chest, each strike drawing blood. Nightmare kicked upwards, booting Raphael's neck and sending him in a twisting arc. Raphael swiped a damaging hit, while Nightmare stabbed into Raphael's chest.
Nightmare collapsed, and Raphael wavered for a while, before his body thudded to the ground as well. Blood was forming a pool around them, and both of them, eyes flickering open, saw and felt their cheeks touch blood.
Raphael remembered, from some distant point of his mind, the void. With a last spurt of strength, he rose up, almost miraculously, and staggered towards the swirling mass of colour and electricity. Nightmare squirmed, Soul Edge trying a last, valiant attempt. But the demon was too weak.
The void waited, as though it knew what was happening. It was at that moment that Raphael Sorel threw Soul Edge into the void, where it was consumed by the whirling mass. There was a tortured scream of agony, as Soul Edge contorted wildly in the void. Nightmare had dissipated, the blood still flowing. Raphael's knees buckled, death starting to take over him. Was he to be in his death throes already? the question flashed through Raphael's mind.
A shard suddenly zipped out and fastened itself to Raphael's hand. Soul Edge relaxed, believing it would live on. Raphael, darkness clouding his vision, knew what he had to do. A grisly smile on his face, Raphael stepped into the void, just as it closed up, as suddenly as it had appeared.
Raphael Sorel had completed the circle of his life at last.