Chapter 7: A New Mission
Three weeks had passed since the destruction of the Bird of Passage and Tira had continued to travel. She didn't know where she was going; all she knew is that she was escaping the memory of what she had caused.
Tira could feel her humanity begin to slip and she wasn't sure if she should try and regain her humanity or succumb to the evil within her. Tira continued to travel south after deciding she would go after Cervantes by herself.
Tira arrived in a small village 50 miles south of Copenhagen, where she managed to kill the owner of an inn and get a room. What Tira didn't realize is that a dark-skinned man wearing robes was sitting at a nearby table the whole time. The man helped himself to a room as well and waited until morning for Tira to exit her room.
The following morning, Tira awoke to see the mysterious man was leaning on the door inside her room. Tira's insanity kicked in and launched an attack on the man, who simply caught her arm, and threw her against the floor. Tira tried again and was met with the same response. Tira began to calm down, but not before launching another attack on the man. This time, the man didn't even flinch as Tira's attack missed by only a centimeter.
The man chuckled before saying; "Now that you have that out of your system, allow me to introduce myself. I am Zasalamel." Tira picked herself up and grumbled, "I've never heard of you."
"Of course not," Zasalamel replied, "but I've heard of you."
"What do you want?"
"Death," Zasalamel replied calmly, "but what I ask of you is a little easier. I need Soul Edge. Last time I tried to get it, I wound up being a slave the evil in the sword. You, on the other hand, are beginning to lose your humanity, so you should be able to wield Soul Edge, at least for a moment."
"I know where Soul Edge is, and you're not getting it," Tira retorted.
"Oh contraire," Zasalamel replied. "You think you know where Soul Edge is. You think the reneged pirate Cervantes has it, but you're wrong. Cervantes was defeated three years ago."
"That's a lie!" Tira screamed as she launched another attack. This time, Zasalamel pulled out a scythe and blocked her attack. Zasalamel made Tira stare directly into his eye and said, "If you don't believe me, see for yourself."
Zasalamel's left eye, which appeared to be pure gold, began to be shrouded in smoke, which soon dispersed, revealing a man with long blond hair hold a sword, which was clearly Soul Edge. The smoke came back and dispersed to show the same man with the sword now infused together with Soul Edge. The smoke came and left to show the same man wearing blue armor and placing an equally eerie helmet on his head. The smoke came once again and disappeared and left the eye blank.
Zasalamel stepped back and said, "Siegfried Schtauffen." Tira groan in confusion as Zasalamel repeated, "Siegfried Schtauffen. That is the name of the man you just saw. He took Soul Edge after the defeat of Cervantes three years ago. The final scene you saw took place only a month ago. Although he is new in the slaughter scene, he has already been dubbed the Azure Knight, Nightmare."
Tira was in shock as Zasalamel continued, "The power of Soul Edge is great. It controlled me until my death and it will control Siegfried until his. Luckily for him, he doesn't have the curse of reincarnation." Zasalamel turned to Tira and said, "What I ask of you is simple. Retrieve for me Soul Edge and perhaps the power can kill me once and for all."
Tira remained silent for what seemed like hours until she asked, "A man that has no family and kills mercilessly?" Zasalamel nodded as Tira said, "Finally, someone just like me."
Zasalamel shook his head and said, "I can not allow you to posses the sword. If you will not retrieve the sword for me, them you shall die."
Zasalamel charged with his scythe as Tira back flipped out of the way. Tira managed to jump out of the two-story window with Zasalamel levitating out the window and begin to follow her. Zasalamel attempted another charge, but miss again. Tira took out her shuriken and began to throw them at Zasalamel. Zasalamel blocked the shuriken with ease with his scythe and began to charge again. Tira hopped up and grabbed a branch, but Zasalamel, sliced down the tree with ease, causing Tira to hop to another tree. Zasalamel cut that one down and Tira hopped to another tree. This continued for about ten minutes until Tira began to tire and saw that she was out of trees.
Tira attempted to hop to another tree, but it was too far and began to descend. Zasalamel positioned his scythe so that Tira would fall on it when a mysterious smoke covered Tira as someone grabbed Tira. Tira felt her feet touch ground and as the smoke cleared, she saw a familiar face right before it was covered in another blanket of smoke. Tira ran to the smoke, buts aw that he was no longer there as Tira whispered, "Toren."
Tira looked around and that Zasalamel was no longer around. In fact, Tira was back in Copenhagen. Tira sat down and whispered to herself, "Zasalamel. Is what he said true? Does the Azure Knight really exist?" Tira had to find out.
Three days passed and the stories of Cervantes began to dwindle as the stories of the Azure Knight began to rise. Zasalamel was telling the truth, and Tira knew that she had found her calling.
One week passed and the stories of Nightmare continued to circulate. In particular stayed in Tira's mind. Two men were slaking on their jobs as blacksmiths. One tall and fat the other with a long beard. The heavyset man sat down and said, "So the Azure Knight is nearby?"
"That's just speculation," the other man replied. "The last confirmed spotting of Nightmare was in someplace called Ostrheinburg." Tira was shocked as the heavyset man continued. "That was three days ago, and Nightmare's path clearly shows his traveling north."
Tira's insanity kicked in and didn't wait for the rest of the conversation. Tira immediately killed the bearded man as the fat man began to crawl away. Tira jumped on top of the heavyset man, as he pleaded, "Please don't kill me! I'll give you anything you want!"
Tira chuckled before replying, "You've already given me what I want." Tira subsequently killed the man. Tira left the bodies on the ground and began to walk out as she grumbled, "Next stop, Ostrheinburg Castle."
The following day, Tira began to travel south, but felt as if she was being followed. Tira expected Zasalamel, but started to hear more than one set of footsteps. The number of footsteps increased to five, ten, and soon there were so many that they couldn't have been counted.
Tira attempted to ignore the sounds, but couldn't once about fifty Danish soldiers stepped out of the trees. The commander, a balding man in his mid-forties, came out and yelled, "Tira! By the order of King Christian II, you are under arrest!" The soldiers began to charge Tira as Tira's insanity began to slaughter them one by one. The commander took out his lance and began to charge Tira. Tira noticed the lance, but was too preoccupied to notice it.
The commander changed his attack at the last second and instead of killing Tira, rendered her unconscious.