(Schu notes: Sorry this took forever. Be it known from this point forward, this fic is technically co-authored by teh one, teh only, teh puppy, Jason Cravenbuel. This chapter is also entirely his. Sorry it took so long. Expect something else tomorrow or the day after!)
Siegfried saw his companion's sword fly from its sheath and its owner step forward in a ready stance. He smiled at Raphael's show of composure, taking a leisurely step back; Raphael seemed eager enough to handle this brigand on his own.
That was when the throbbing entered his ears. It was like a heartbeat, one hauntingly familiar to Siegfried. At first, Siegfried clutched his right arm in pain, and gripped the handle of his sword in his right hand even harder.
"No!" Siegfried yelled out. "He's mine!"
Just as Raphael turned around, Siegfried brought the flat of his wide sword down against Raphael's head. The light Frenchman crumpled to the floor.
An emaciated, starving man burst from the foliage, his clothing worn and torn and his flesh bleeding from many cuts. His left hand was clutched in a permanent fist, but Siegfried was more concerned with the state of his right hand. In place of a hand was a formidable claw, and clutched within the claw was a shinny black dagger with an alert, red eye.
A second after Siegfried saw that blade, the two warriors lunged for each other. Massive sword clashed with the tiny blade, Siegfried's hulking overhead swing effortlessly deflected with a single swipe of the frail man's blade. Siegfried turned with a forceful kick to the man's chest, which easily knocked him away with a hollow clunk. He noticed that the man felt as hard as bone, as if his very muscles had worn away.
The husk of a man ferociously resumed his attack on Siegfried, charging in past Siegfried's amazing reach to apply a flurry of dagger thrusts. Siegfried was forced to bring in his sword close to block the attacks that he knew his armor wouldn't foil, but he was focusing too much on his own defense to attack back.
The throbbing was growing stronger, raising Siegfried's adrenaline higher and higher. Anger filled him, causing him to make a dangerous decision. Siegfried threw his sword to one side with his left hand, snapping his right arm around the other mans neck. He squeezed for all he was worth, jerking his torso about. He clenched his teeth with all his strength, but even the cracking of his jaw couldn't be heard over the endless throbbing. Unbearable pain surged from stomach as the object of his desire was thrust into his stomach several times before Siegfried's powerful arm finally wrenched the head from the shoulders of the horrible excuse of a human being.
Siegfried threw the headless corpse off him, clutching his stomach with his left hand as he crouched to pick up his sword in his right. The headless body eerily rose and charged again, but this time Siegfried was able to counter with the edge of his sword, cutting the dry torso from its tattered legs. Before it could move again, Siegfried stomped it several times before plunging his wide blade through its shoulder, severing the right arm from the rest of the body.
Dropping to his knees, Siegfried gripped the disembodied arm with both hands, wrestling with its claw for possession of the tiny blade. Following a horrible crunch, the blade hit the ground, its evil eye narrowing and glaring at Siegfried.
"The Soul Edge", Siegfried exclaimed, "it came back to me." As he knelt, marveling at the blade, the puncture wounds on his stomach began to close, and the throbbing in his ears subsided till all he heard was the sedated beating of his own heart.
Raphael began to stir, and Siegfried stuffed his prize under his breastplate and hurried to Raphael's aid.