Chapter 2:Unbridled rage.

Four years ago

There you are.Seung Mina thought, seeing Hwang walking alone near the gates of her home. Moving silently, she clutched Scarlet Thunder, her precious Kwan Dao, and crept up behind the unwary fighter. She poked him with the point of Scarlet Thunder, and giggled as he overreacted.

"Gah!" he cried, unsheathing his sword. He turned to see Seung Mina giggling at him. "Don't do that, Mina!"

"What are you doing around my house anyway, Hwang?" Seung Mina demanded, in the most suspicious voice she could. "Shouldn't you practicing your sword arts or something?"

"Your father requested my presence here." Hwang explained stiffly. "So, I naturally came to see what it was of such importance that your father asked for me to come so late."

Seung Mina scoffed at Hwang's seriousness. "My father's got you whipped. You're such a big chicken around him." she commented. "I doubt you would ever dare to say no to anything that he demanded of you."

"I told him that I wouldn't marry you, didn't I?" Hwang answered, if for no other reason than to challenge her claim. While this was technically true, it had happened when Seung Mina was nine years old. The truth of the matter was that if he was asked to take Seung Mina's hand in marriage, he would readily accept, and it wouldn't be because he had been asked to.

He would never ever tell Seung Mina that, though.

"That's because your even more afraid of me." Seung Mina replied. She then stuck out her tounge at Hwang for good measure.

"Well, that's certainly mature." Hwang said, his voice oozing with sarcasm. "If you don't mind, I am going to go see what your father wishes of me."

"Hey Hwang!" Seung Mina called as he left. "Don't be too intimidated by my father! After all, I'm the only one left in Korea that can beat you, not him!"

"Duly noted." Hwang replied placidly, not turning to regard her.

Satisfied that she had done her duty in harrassing the person she considered her best friend, she turned to go and attend to other things that needed her attention. "I wonder how that kid Yunsung is doing."

.------------

Now

Seung Mina struggled not to cry. It had been three days since she had learned of Hwang's death. Every day since, she had been forcing down the tears. She didn't need to give Yunsung and her father another reason to think that she was weak.

She did not know that they worked just as hard to fight their own tears.

Seung Mina picked up Scarlet Thunder and stared at it for a long time. Four years ago, Hwang had gone out for Soul Edge. She gone after her, more to prove herself than for any romantic reason. She saw the history that adventure through her own reflection of her Kwan Dao's blade.

Now she could not fight back those tears. the flowed freely from her eyes as she remembered the man who was her dearest friend. The man, until now, she would not admit she had loved.

"I'm going to find the man who killed you Hwang." Seung Mina promised. "I'm going to make sure that your death is avenged."

"It's going to be kind of hard, don't you think?" a familiar voice said. Seung Mina turned to see Yunsung standing several feet away. "What can you hope to do? How could you hope to win against someone who killed Hwang?"

"I can rest easy knowing that someone tried." Seung Mina said. "Out of my way."

"I can't let you go." Yunsung said, drawing his sword. "You're a woman and you're blinded by rage. All you're going to do is get yourself killed."

"You're in my way." Seung Mina said darkly. "Get out of it. Now. Or I will hurt you."

"I can't let you go." Yunsung repeated.

"You're going to fight me with a sword that's not even yours?" Seung Mina accused. "One that you stole to go looking for Soul Edge yourself? And then came back with your tail between your legs?"

Yunsung didn't react. It was true that he had failed miserably at his quest to find Soul Edge, but still was allowed to keep the blade he had stolen. "If you force me to fight you, I will." Yunsung said.

Scarlet Thunder went forward with brilliant speed. Yunsung barely managed to bring his sword to block it. He moved his blade as quickly as he could to block the constant barrages that Seung Mina provided with her Kwan Dao. Yunsung's style was never heavy on speed. He had always focused on giving and taking damage heavily.

Right now, he was begining to see the flaws in that particular style. Scarlet Thunder quickly passed Yunsung's defenses and pierced his shoulder.

Or rather, Yunsung thought it had pierced his shoulder. He fell to the floor and saw that Seung Mina had been fighting with wrong end of her Kwan Dao the entire time.

"Nice to remind you who's the better fighter." Seung Mina commented, passing him. "Tell dad that I've decided to go to the west."

Yunsung sighed upon seeing Seung Mina leave. "Damn her." he muttered, rubbing his bruised shoulder.

.------------

Cervantes awoke, washed up upon a beach. Shaking the sand from his hair, he tried to remember what he was doing here. Yes, he remembered that he had been hunting for Soul Edge. He had met an arrogant swordsman while hijacking a ship. He was claiming the upper hand, he remembered. Something had happened though. Something had interuppted their fight. Yes, he had been thrown off.

Cervantes roared at the prospect. He had not lost to the better fighter. He had been tricked. He rose up to his feet, and looked around for his blades.

He saw them lying on the ground and chuckled. Naturally, he thought. Wherever he was, Soul Edge and Nirvana were never far behind. He picked his blades and laughed. He so loved the power that coursed through him when he had them.

"Where is that whelp?" Cervantes growled at his sword. Soul Edge answered silently. "Find him..." Cervantes growled again. "I will enjoy killing him as slowly as possible."

The sword responded eagerly, showing Cervantes an image of Raphael's body impaled by Soul Edge.

Cervantes smiled at that. He liked what Soul Edge had shown him.

.-------------

Mitsurugi jumped off Fuunsaki to come to a small town. He pulled out a map he had purchased with stolen currency. As he looked at the map, he did not see the small town anywhere on it. He turned and took a look at his compass. "Damn it." he muttered. "Well, I guess I just keep going this way."

As he came into the town, he saw much of what he had seen in other towns. Taverns, homes, inns, and the general barbaric places he saw while traveling in the west. "Guess we'll be sleeping outside again." Mitsurugi told Fuunsaki. Mitsurugi didn't mind that fact though. He much preffered the wilds to this place. He was begining to draw a crowd of mystified peasants. The last thing he wanted to do was get into a fight with these people so he passed through a darker alley in hopes to stay away from the barbarians.

"Hey, you there. Oriental." Mitsurugi turned to see a man with a crude sword drawn. "You can't pass through here unless you can pay the toll."

Mitsurugi growled. This man was obviously a bandit of some sort So much for avoiding a fight. "And if I have no money on me?"

As if on cue, three other bandits with swords of similar quality walked in from similar alleys.

"Well, if you can't pay, Oriental." The bandit said, as the three of them advanced towards him. "Use your imagination for exactly what we're going to do to you."

"Listen to me, you worthless little pieces of shit." Mitsurugi said, his hand dropping to his katana. "Unless you want to take dirt nap and not wake up, get out of my way."

"Am I supposed to be scared?" the bandit asked, and he charged forward to attack Mitsurugi.

And died.

The other two bandits didn't even see that Mitsurugi's sword had moved. Sure enough though, Mitsurugi's katana was drawn, and the bandit had a slash mark right across his chest as a marker that Shishi-oh had been there.

"Now, you've just pissed me off, you little pieces of shit." Mitsurugi said. "Now, you use your imagination for exactly what I'm going to do to you two."

"So, you might be pretty good." one of the other bandits said, trying to sound more confident than he actually was. "But in case you aren't that good at math, look at us. There's two of us and only one of you and that nifty-lookin' sword of yours. I'm gonna tell you that I wouldn't bet on you."

"Come on and kill me then." Mitsurugi said. "Just a little math lesson for you pieces of shit. Two times zero is still zero."

"Shut the hell up!" the other bandit cried, and they both charged at him, swords swinging with wild abandon.

Mitsurugi could tell right away that these people had no experience with true swordplay, european or other. He dodged the first sword, and blocked the second. He pushed his blade forward, and his opponent predictably pushed back. He used the weight leverage to go on foot and serve sidekick to the other fighter. As he fell, Mitsurugi released his swordlock, and turned to avoid the fighter. The man fell over, not expecting the weight of the other blade to leave. The other bandit got up just in time to see Mitsurugi's sword plunge right through his chest. Mitsurugi violently yanked the sword out and turned to the other opponent, who had managed to regain his footing.

"Two down." Mitsurugi threatened. "You're the last one. What makes you think you're going to do any better?"

The bandit didn't reply. He charged forward with his sword swinging wildly.

Mitsurugi sighed. "I warned him." He quickly sidestepped the bandit, and layed out his foot to trip him. He fell to the ground, and Mitsurugi's katana was quickly imbedded in the man's back.

Mitsurugi pulled the blade out and used the man's clothes to wipe the blood off of his sword. "Poor poor stupid bastards." he mutted, sheathing his sword.

.-------------

Chaos engulfed the streets of Versailles. Raphael stood in the midst of it, Soul Edge moving wildly in his hand. While many carried guns, Raphael did not. His blade moved quickly enough so that firearms were of little consequence to him. He grinned in glee as another soilder died at the razor-sharp point of Soul Edge.

"Enjoy your damnation." Raphael sneered as the soilder fell.

"Lord Sorel!" a voice said. It was Robert, one of the many people he had convinced to join him in the revolution. "I've just received word, musketeers are coming!" Raphael smiled evily. The musketeers were the best swordsmen in all of France. No doubt, this intense revolution that he had started must be worrying King Louis. "What should we do, my lord?"

"Do not worry Robert." Raphael said. "I shall be able to handle them. After all, do I not have the greatest sword in all the world?"

Robert nodded, but was not very confident. His face was completely white. It was obvious that these mighty servants of the king Louis had been very effective at scaring the peasants into submission. Raphael's eyes widened as he saw five of the king's elite guards coming forward, swords cutting down the revolutionaries with excellent speed and grace.

"Impressive." Raphael muttered, clutching his sword all the tighter. He then turned to shout at several gunmen who had just finished off gunmen of the king's. "You there! Focus all your fire on the musketeers! Quickly, now!" The gunmen quickly turned and aimed their weapons, filling them with powder and aiming. All except one of the noble swordsmen fell. That musketeer was not only dodging bullets though, but had managed to deflect one with his sword.

"Raphael Sorel!" the musketeer shouted. "What coward are you that kills your truest enemies with the dishonor of a gun? Are you that afraid to face the muskeeteers in honorable combat?"

Raphael scowled at the man. "You're quite the rude one. I fear no man. Not you, nor your allies nor your pathetic king." He raised Soul Edge and glared at the musketeer. "Give me your name and I shall be more than happy to cut you down in a duel."

The musketeer raised his own sword to cross with Raphael's. "My name is D'artagnan, and I one of the his majesty's most trusted muskeeter."

Raphael grinned at that statement. D'artagnan was proclaimed one of the best musketeers and was uncontested as the greatest swordsman in all of France. "This is too good to be true, my dear D'artagnan. You, the greatest musketeer will aid my cause indefinitely with your death. As one swordsman to another, it will be an honor to cut you down."

"Such words should not be spoken yet." D'artagnan answered. "Save such remarks for after you have actually defeat me."

D'artagnan thrusted his sword forward and Raphael quickly parried the blow. Raphael then moved forward to deliver a blow to the heart, but D'artagnan moved his sword back quickly, the hilt of his rapier barely managing to block it. The musketeer pushed forward against Raphael's sword. Instead of pushing back, Raphael pulled his sword away and twirled the blade to regain a firm hold on it. D'artagnan then began thrusting wildly. The blows had such speed behind them that all Raphael could do was block. To escape D'artagnan's relentless attack, Raphael dropped and rolled to move from the swords path.

He then rose and thrusted his sword forward. D'artagnan blocked and the two pressed into a sword lock. They both pushed forward as hard as they could, and pushed each other back, neither having struck any blows at all.

"Impressive." D'artaganan admitted. "You've managed to stave off all of my attacks."

"I present the same compliments to you." Raphael said. "For it may be the only comfort you have once I put you in the grave."

Raphael slashed forward and D'artagnan parried. However, once their blades connected, Raphael changed his slash into a thrust and stabbed forward. His sword went into D'artagnan shoulder, blood beginning to pour from the wound. D'artagnan cried in pain as Raphael pulled the blade out and served another thrust. D'artagnan was still fast enough to block the thrust and keep anymore damage from being dealt.

"I have served your shoulder a wound." Rapahael said. "I offer you this chance to stand down from combat and tell your king that his greatest fighter was bested in combat."

"You did not strike me on my sword shoulder." D'artagnan replied. "That was your mistake. I can still fight you with this injured shoulder."

"You seal your own fate then." Raphael said, moving forward with amazing speed, offering a repeated tempo of violent blows. D'artagnan brought up his sword to block the repeated blows, but was surprised as the wind was knocked out of him from a kick to the stomach. Struggling not to fall, D'artagnan took several steps backward, hoping to regain his wind before Raphael's next charge. He had no such luck, so he took Raphael's former evasive action. He dropped down into a roll.

D'artagnan rose behind Raphael and stabbed forward. He managed to strike a blow to the shoulder, but Raphael crouched just in time for the blow to only scrape his shoulder. Raphael then rose and turned quickly to block another stab. He blocked several more, the power of Soul Edge driving the blade away with ease. They both struck at once again, going into a sword lock. Under any other circumstances, these two opponents would be evenly matched.

However, Raphael had Soul Edge, and D'artagnan did not. With one more strike, D'artagnan's blade broke from the pressure both blades were being put under. Raphael wasted no more time. One quick blow into the musketeer's chest had him as falling to the floor, as well as his death.

"You....bastard..." D'artagnan managed to mutter. "Our king will defeat you."

"Enough." Raphael said, turning away from D'artagnan. "Die already." Looking at his loyal revolutionaries, Raphael cried out. "Do you see? We are unstoppable! Even the king's greatest fighters cannot stop us! For the glory of a new France, we shall overthrow the king and his mockery of a government!"

The cheers were endless. The peasants and rabbled would fight for his world, yet Raphael remembered that it was not for these people that he fought this revolution.

It was for his dear Amy.

.------

Killik woke up in a small hut, every part of him hurting. He groaned in the bed. "Where am I?" he wondered aloud.

"Oh my god!" a familiar, high-pitched voice said. "You're up Killik! Don't move!" Xhianghua rushed to his side, kneeling down to talk to him.

"Wh...what happened to me?" Killik asked. "I remember fighting a pale-faced man. A remember he used a really thin sword. I also remember falling from a long height.... oh."

"You've been out for about four months." Xhianhua explained. "You're injured pretty bad though. I'm just glad you're up."

"The man.... he was looking for Soul Edge." Killik said. "What happened to Soul Edge? I've got to know whether Soul Edge has been destroyed or not."

"No, it hasn't." Xhianghua said sadly. She took a pouch and showed Killik two shards of Soul Edge. "They still beat with the demonic power of that evil sword. I'm so sorry, Killik."

Struggling, Killik stood up. "That settles it then." Killik said. "We have to find whoever has Soul Edge right now, and finish the job we took four years ago."

"Killik, we can't." Xhianghua said. "You're in no condition to be walking, let alone battling. And I don't have Soul Calibur anymore. Without it, we don't stand a chance."

"We cannot just wait here for that evil blade to terrorize the world!" Killik cried. "We have to do something, Xhianghua. We cannot just sit here and wait for the world to end!"

Xhianghua frowned. "But, Soul Calibur is down in the pits with the Inferno. There's no way we can get it! And without Soul Calibur, there's no way we can defeat Soul Edge!"

"Does it matter?" Killik demanded. "You see the bo staff I have over there?" he pointed to his staff, which had luckily survived the fall with him. "That staff has the ability to absorb the evil energy that Soul Edge has. If I can use it against that pale-faced man who used Soul Edge, I can truly destroy that evil blade!"

"You're going to do this no matter what I say, right?" Xhianghua said. "Fine then, count me in too."

"Thank you Xhianghua." Killik said. He got up and took his staff. "I can heal while we're going, after all."

.---------

"Sophitia, where are my tools?" Rothion called after his wife.

"They should be in your workshop!" Sophitia called back. Hearing the door open, she turned to see who it was. "Who could be here at this- oh gods.." Her jaw dropped as Cassandra walked through the front door.

"Uh, hi sis." Cassandra said. "Um, you might want to sit down. We have a lot to tell you."

"Damn right you do!" Sophitia cried. "What were you thinking?! Going after Soul Edge by yourself! What if you were hurt or killed? We'd have no way of knowing!"

"I wasn't completely alone!" Cassandra said defensively. "I had a friend of yours to help me with the search."

"Friend...?" Sophitia said, at first not understanding.

"I'm offended, Sophitia-san." Taki said, entering the house. "Surely, you remember me?"

"Taki!" Sophitia said, a smile coming on her face. "Have you been looking after my little sister?" Cassandra scowled at the comment.

"Your sister does not need much care." Taki said. "She has developed in quite an accomplished swordswoman."

"Is that so?" Sophitia asked, trying not to smile. "Any other friends I should know about accompanying you?"

"Well, sort of..." Cassandra said, trying to keep her voice steady. "Link, Siegfried? You can come in now."

The door opened to show two people. One Sophitia knew. One she didn't. She didn't pay mind to the boy with blonde hair and pointed ears. Her face was transfixed on the large blonde-haired man in armor.

"It can't be..." Sophitia said, her face transfixed in horror. "The Azure Nightmare..."

Siegfried's eyes became wide as she saw Sophitia. Siegfried didn't remember much from his life as Nightmare, but he did remember her. She was the only person to have shown her kindness.

"No...Sophitia." Siegfried said, remembering her name clearly. "I am no longer the Azure Nightmare. I am free of that demon. I am myself once again."

"I... I can't believe you!" Sophitia yelled. "Why have you brought this murderer here, Cassandra?"

"Sophitia-san, please." Taki said. "He is free of the demon that controls his arm. He wishes to destroy Soul Edge as much as we do."

"Where...is Soul Edge now?" Sophitia asked.

"A man in a place called France has it now." Link said. "There's no telling what havoc he is wreaking there."

"That would explain the rumours I have heard." a man with a mop of brown hair said, coming into the room. "I've heard that the area has broken into revolution."

"And you are?" Taki asked.

"Ah, I'm sorry. My name is Rothion." the man said. "I am a blacksmith and Sophitia's husband."

"Oh." Taki said. "I wasn't aware you were married."

"Well, I am." Sophitia said. She then looked again at Siegfried. "Still...how do we know that you aren't the Azure Nightmare?"

"Do you see a huge webbed arm?" Siegfried asked.

"No... of course not." Sophitia said. She sighed. This wasn't going to be easy for her.

"I wanted to come here to talk to you, sis." Cassandra said. "I wanted to know if your kids are healed."

"No..." Sophitia said. "They are still infected by Soul Edge."

"Unfortunate." Taki said. "Siegfried's arm has dissapeared, so we assumed that perhaps your children were free of their own demons as well."

"No." Sophitia said. "They're in bed. I'm afraid their condition has worsened."

"Then my quest isn't over." Cassandra said. "Guys, I guess I am going to France with you."

"No, you aren't!" Sophitia cried. "This isn't your burden and you shouldn't even be on this journey!"

"Sis, those are my niece and nephew suffering up there!" Cassandra yelled back. "I was so close last time! There's no way I can justify not going now!"

"I am with your sister on this, Sophitia-san." Taki said. "There is no way you can keep her out of this."

"Do you two feel the same way too?" Sophitia asked.

Siegfried shrugged in response, but Link offered a response. "I have not traveled with Cassandra very long, but she has shown herself to be quite capable and an asset to the cause that Siegfried and I have taken up."

Sophitia nodded. "Fine. On two conditions. First, you will let me go with you."

"But what about your ki-" Cassandra began, but Sophitia quieted her.

"Second, all of you will spend a night to rest here." Sophitia finished. "Don't worry about them. Rothion will be fine with them."

"You..." Siegfried said to Rothion. "You said you were a blacksmith, right?"

"Yes, I am." Rothion said.

"I want you to make me a Zweihander." Siegfried said. "Don't worry about payment, I have plenty of money." he remembered the group of brigands he had led, the black wind.

"Yes then." Rothion said. "I can have it made in about half a day."

"That quickly?" Siegfried asked. "Amazing."

"I'm quite talented at my trade." Rothion said, trying to sound modest.

Siegfried nodded. "You have my gratitude." He then turned to Sophitia. "Why do I remember her more than any others?"