Chapter 17
Enter the Void
Raphael and Siegfried stood in a desolate wasteland, everywhere was hot, it was almost unbearable! Raphael didn't seem to impress which this fact. "If we stay here too long, we will burn!" Siegfried shook his head "Just wait…." Suddenly a small circle of fire started swirling in front of them, it started to grow wider. Raphael backed off, Siegfried stood still, holding Soul Edge by its blade. "You want this? Then show yourself!" Siegfried shouted. Suddenly, a monster jumped out of the circle of fire… "You finally show yourself…" Siegfried muttered, Raphael just stood there in amazement. "So… this is the true form of Soul Edge…" Siegfried turned towards him "No… just the evil spirit within it…" Inferno just roared. Siegfried then realised something "Where is Soul Calibur?" Raphael shook his head and said "Use Soul Edge… their powers are parallel, use one to find the other!" Siegfried nodded, but, they would have to find it while dealing with Inferno. Inferno turned from them and started roaring, someone else was in here! They both couldn't believe who stood behind the monster…. Cervantes!
The un-dead pirate looked different though… He then spoke to them "You have come to destroy the blade… I shall help you all I can… so that my soul can rest in peace… so that I may see my daughter again as my true self instead of rotting in this hell hole!" He drew out two swords, they looked exactly like Soul Edge! Raphael said with some disgust "How are you able to wield them?" Cervantes spoke once more "I am not real…. I am a memory of this being, so it would remember me with these! Now go! While I deal with him!" The spirit of Cervantes charged at Inferno, who pulled out something from its body.
Siegfried said in shock "No way! It cant be!" Inferno had pulled out Soul Calibur from its body! How could the spirit of Soul Edge wield a sword meant to counteract what it does? Siegfried and Raphael drew their weapons and joined the fight.
It was nearly impossible… how could they face something that knew their every move! Since all three of them had wielded the sword, it knew every trick they had. Cervantes roared "Burn to ashes!" He teleported in the air and tried to attack Inferno, but, Inferno countered by using a mix of Raphael's quick hits followed by Siegfried's Earth Divide… Cervantes had fallen. Cervantes started to fade "Please… end it all… save me… save yourselves…." Cervantes faded away. Siegfried had an idea "Raph… attack it by yourself for a little while… ill try to disarm it!" Raphael's eyes started to turn red "Let me show you the powers you granted me!" Raphael stared to spin the Flaubert around his hand, which started to confuse Inferno "and the techniques I know!" He charged at Inferno, and as Inferno went to counter him, he span to the side and impaled the monster through the chest. The monster let out a huge scream. But it did not die! Suddenly, just as it was recovering, Siegfried chopped off its arm, releasing Soul Calibur.
Raphael was tired and drained… with Inferno weakening, his powers given to him by Soul Edge where beginning to weaken… he then started to realise… if all that Soul Edge had done would be undone with its destruction… Amy would return to being a little girl again… and he would not allow that! As soon as Siegfried transformed the Soul Calibur into a Zweihander, Raphael stood in his way of finishing off the monster. "Raphael, what are you doing?" Raphael, in his weakened state said while gasping "I… wont... let… Amy… go… back!" He then picked up the Soul Edge and faced Inferno. "You are now a part of me!" He pointed the Soul Edge at Inferno and Inferno started to flail, before being sucked into the sword, Raphael started to transform back into his state he was in when he had Soul Edge before.
"Raphael, are you mad?" Siegfried shouted at him "If I don't destroy that blade, I cannot get Cassandra to…." Raphael interrupted him "And if I let you, I let Amy revert back… I cannot allow this!" Raphael fell deeper into the blades power, feeding of his anger, he started to turn into a demon. Wings sprouted from his back, horns came out of his head, spikes came out of his forearms, shins & shoulders. He became more then just Raphael… he had become one with Soul Edge. A fight ensued between the two combatants, lasting for a good few hours, but Siegfried was becoming worn out.
'I cannot win like this….' Siegfried thought to himself, suddenly the blade started resonating, letting out a bright light, which blinded this monster form of Raphael. He took this time to strike him down. Raphael had returned to his original form, with no contamination from the wicked sword. "Amy… forgive me…" Siegfried shook his head and picked up the fallen noble "Not all will be undone… only that which has caused evil… only that which has brought pain…" He lifted Soul Calibur above his head and shattered Soul Edge, he then dropped Soul Calibur and picked up the Faust. "Come… let us go home…" They both walked through the portal… unaware that an evil taint had been freed…