Language Translation:

Anyong ha seumnika? – Hello (Literally: Are things peaceful for you?)

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Leaving the young girl's room and making his way back to the library; Raphael's sensitive hearing caught the sound of the front door opening. An intruder! Rushing towards the main hall, the young fencer tried not to make too much noise so that he would not immediately be found out. Peering from around the corner, he saw an open door and some mud tracks leading in from outside.

"This is one rather bold intruder, doesn't even have the decency to sneak in…"

Stealthily following the mud tracks, he noticed they lead to the upstairs library. Still remaining hidden, Raphael sneaked along the edge of the walls and quietly made his way up the stairs. The upstairs library was possibly twice as big as the downstairs one, and Raphael had yet to really search through it just yet. Peering into the library by inching slowly away from the wall, Raphael caught sight of a platinum blonde woman leafing through the books and throwing the useless ones to the floor.

"Don't tell me others know about this old man's secret…" thought Raphael panicking.

Looking upwards Raphael saw an antique rapier sitting on a mantle, on display.

"Let's pray it's not a useless antique," he thought, reaching upwards and grabbing the blade. Walking stealthily as not to make a peep, Raphael maneuvered right behind the woman and stuck the tip of his blade lightly in her back. The library was encased in the dim glow of candlelight.

"I'll have you tell me what you are doing here," Raphael said in a rather stately tone. Much to his surprise, a snake like sword exploded out of from underneath the woman's cloak and nearly impaled him, had he not quickly dodged out of the way. The woman turned around, a very cold and emotionless look on her face.

"I'll say it again, what are you doing here and who are you? Or do you not speak French my dear?"

"My name is of little consequence to you cur," said Ivy in perfect French. Her sword reared up behind her as if it had a mind of its own, looking like a coiled snake ready to strike. Throwing back her cloak Ivy grabbed the handle of her sword and prepared to fight, the blade itself retracting back into the shape of a sword. Ivy was clad in her trademark, revealing leather outfit.

"Cold as ice aren't you? Well that doesn't mean I can forget my manners and not be a gentleman. I, my dear mademoiselle, am Raphael Sorel of the Paris Sorel's and renowned fencer," the cocky young swordsman said with a flourish and a bow. Raphael couldn't help but notice Ivy's skintight, revealing outfit that left nothing to the imagination.

"Don't tell me you walk around like that all the time? The commoners must whistle at you every time you go out!" chuckled Raphael. Sneering, Ivy simply pointed her sword forward.

"I don't have time to play these games with you. I want what's in this library. Do not stand in the way of what I need. I have already pledged myself to a path of darkness, and no ones life means anything to me anymore. I'll shred everything to pieces, including you!"

"As I thought, no sense of humor. How droll. Well my dear perhaps I shall lighten the mood. Now then, let us dance," said Raphael grinning arrogantly, readying his rapier.

Ivy made the first move by swinging her sword high, which Raphael easily dodged by moving to the side. The two fighters were then locked in close combat, each expertly swinging their swords, attacking and defending as if locked in a dance of death. Disliking the close quarters fighting, Ivy extended her blade and began to swing her whip-blade around, the blade humming in the air. Raphael backed off a bit, not knowing when Ivy would swing her blade and possibly cut him to pieces. It was very difficult, even for Raphael, to constantly dodge the far reaching Ivy Blade especially since the course and angle of the attacks were always unpredictably varied.

"Sing my sword!" yelled out Ivy, lunging forward and extending her whip-blade straight out viciously.

Raphael barely dodged the attack, getting grazed in the midsection. The whip blade speared through a bookcase, and upon retraction, sent pages and books coverings flying. Bleeding through his white shirt, Raphael grasped his wound and was thoroughly angry and surprised. He began a furious onslaught of rapid sword strikes, putting Ivy on the defensive. With one final stroke using all his might, Raphael knocked her back into the wall, causing her to slam into a bookcase. A statue that had been hanging over the bookcase fell to the ground, smashing into a thousand pieces. There had been something hidden inside it though, which now started to glow. Ivy could feel that whatever had been hidden in the statue resonated with her blade in a strange manner. Reaching over, she had found her prize.

"A shard of Soul Edge, finally!" she thought as she took the warm shard.

Raphael had no idea what was going on, or why the woman he was fighting had a look of happiness. Ivy immediately stood up and began swinging her sword over her head. With his warriors intuition ringing like an alarm that something big was coming his way, Raphael tried to find some suitable cover, and just in time. Ivy swung her sword downward. The whip blade separated into each individual section, each piece ricocheting off the walls and the floor, slicing the library into ribbons. Raphael had to hide helplessly behind a statue, the sword pieces shredding everything into confetti. Ivy immediately ran out of the door and exited the house. Raphael tried to give chase but was too late.

"Damn she got away. And what was it that she was so happy about finding? Damn that old man for keeping secrets, and damn me for not finding it in time…" fumed Raphael, unable to contain his rage.

Returning to the library, he began to pound the wall. Would his search through the mansion have been in vain? Near the broken statue, Raphael noticed what looked to be an envelope. Picking it up and looking at the contents, his face turned from rage to subtle realization.

"So that's what the old codger was hiding! I knew it…I knew it!" yelled out Raphael triumphantly, finding just the piece of information he needed. Looking through the library (what was left of it really) he found a small gray book on the lower shelf. Leafing through it, he found a tale of the "Evil Seed" and the sword of ultimate power.

"Seems this little sidetrack wasn't a waste after all," the cocky swordsman said to himself, completely forgetting about his wounds.

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Clear across the world in Korea…

The sun was just climbing into the sky, lighting up the Yellow sea with its golden rays. Yun Seong had already gotten up before dawn, too excited for the coming day. All of his years of martial arts training, all of the effort and sweat, would finally culminate in his ultimate accomplishment.

"Today he is returning from his journey, I'll finally get to show him what I've got…" thought Yun Seong as he went about his morning training ritual. Ever since he was a young boy, Yun Seong got up every single morning and ran up and down the stairs of the nearby temple, carrying heavy buckets of water and firewood. After that he would immediately eat breakfast and then get to martial arts training with his master Han Myong Seung. All the years of preparation, training, sweat, mortification, and resolve would finally bear fruit.

Today was the day Yun Seong would challenge Hwang Sung Kyung.

The man was a renowned swordsman of the Seung Dojo, a living legend to Korean townsfolk and those in the martial arts circles. Yun Seong grew up with tales of how Hwang challenged the open seas and the dangers of exotic foreign lands to retrieve the Sword of Heroes. Some stories said the man was faster than a tiger, stronger than a bear, and more agile than a monkey. In Yun Seong's mind, the man was more than a legend or a story to tell to pass the time. No, he was an ideal, a goal to strive towards and to one day reach.

Yun Seong was an impatient young man, especially when a prize he valued was dangling right in front of him. After practically inhaling breakfast and putting on his white gi with an orange sash, Yun Sun flew out of the door. Nothing short of a shrine god could have stopped him from arriving at the Seung family dojo first thing in the morning to warm up for his match. Seung Mina was already there with her father enjoying their early morning breakfast.

"Anyong ha seumnika Yun Seong?" said Seong Mina, looking up from her breakfast of beef rib soup and rice, to Yun Seong as he was entering the dojo.

"Good morning," replied the young martial artist, panting and sweating.

"You ran all the way here? I haven't seen you this excited in a long while," replied Han Myong Seung. Han Myong was an aging old man with a long grey beard and a plain wrinkled face. However despite his looks, he was also a fierce fighter and a master of all types of martial arts.

"I couldn't stand to wait at home! How can I be resting when I know he will be here today! His boat could come any second and I want to be one of the first people to greet him!"

"Hwang Sung Kyung you mean?"

"Of course, who else! How could you two be sitting here, calmly eating breakfast, when he will arrive at any second!"

"I didn't know you were such a fan of Hwang, Yun Seong. I know you were always interested whenever I brought up stories about him," said the old master picking up some rice with his chopsticks and eating it.

"I'm not his fan, master, I'm his destined rival. When he comes to pay his respects to you I will challenge him to a match," remarked Yun Seong, turning around and looking towards the mountainous scenery outside of the dojo. Han and Seung Mina simply looked at each other in shock, and then simultaneously replied:

"Destined…rival?"

"When he arrives and comes to this very dojo, that is when I will challenge the great man to a match. Just you wait Hwang…" exclaimed Yun Seong, gripping his fists and smiling in anticipation.

Seung Mina and her father simply stared at each other in amazement, shocked at the entire situation.