For one whole year this menacing war known as the Mantis War, has ravaged and destroyed many kingdoms. Everything now rests in the final battle between Jan, the Leader of Arthias, and Strife, the Emperor of Grandall.
Chapter 20
Victory
Jan and his unit of Arthias rebels prepared for their biggest battle between Strife and the Ressentiment Royal Guard. A huge silence went through the whole castle and then shattered by the yells of both leaders.
"ATTACK!"
The Royal Guard and the Arthias Unit charged and clashed. Everyone blocked the Guard's way so Jan can make it through. Everony had an opponent that had the same style and weapons. Everyone rampaged and fought back and forth endlessly. Abelia then threw a stream of fire at one of the guards but missed. The misdirected flame caused the castle to be on fire.
Jan made to the throne looking for Strife, who then appeared behind the throne.
"You really stand out too much." he said, "The people love you."
"I'm just a nice guy who fights." Jan said with smirk.
"And that makes it an irritable sight to behold."
"I guess you should have regretted putting me in the rebel army, huh?"
"The only thing I regret..." Strife then pulled out the Soul Edge. "Is not killing you when I had the chance!"
"Then go for it."
"Die!"
Strife then made a swing at Jan but missed and then swung again. Jan tried to block it but the Soul Edge knocked off the defense. Jan sliced and Strife sliced back causing a clash. Both were at equal strentgh but Jan started to lose his grip.
"What's the matter?" asked Strife, mockingly, "I thought you would be much stronger than this."
"He's right." Jan thought, "What's happening, Sol?"
"The Soul Edge is too strong." said The SoulCalibur, "I can't beat it with only half of my power."
"Dammit!"
"Heh! You are weak!" Strife laughed, "You're just as weak as that pathetic old man, Girardot!"
Jan then snapped.
"Don't you dare say that!"
"Jan! What are you doing?" said The SoulCalibur.
Jan couldn't hear the sword because of his focus to Strife. He kept attacking but kept missing.
"Your friends will suffer the same fate! They are nothing but a bunch of rejected students that got lucky, just like you."
"WHAT?!" yelled Jan, getting more anger out.
"You could have never passed the academy with your style of fighting. You're weak, and everyone knows that that the weak perishes and the strong always survives!"
"Shut UP!!"
"Jan! Stop!"
But couldn't hear the sword, his anger and hatred started to rise.
"Jan..."
"Heh heh. I can see the anger in your eyes." said Strife, "It's very pleasing. Too bad you were not part of my Royal Guard, but then again a idiotic weaking like you could never be in the same league as me."
"Damn you!"
Jan then made a huge slice that it left a huge split crack on the floor. Strife then struck Jan in the stomach. Jan felt huge pain.
"Gah!"
"Jan! Stop this!" yelled the SoulCalibur, "You must calm down!"
"I'll calm this guy down!"
The SoulCalibur then lit on fire and blazed in a huge size.
"TAKE THIS! SOUL OF FIRE!"
Jan threw the flame but as he swung it the flame disappeared. Jan was then shocked and confused.
"Wha-what happened?!" he said.
"Your...sense of justice...is fading..." said The SoulCalibur.
"Sol! I can barely hear you!"
"Your...fighting spirit...is..fading...and making me...more...weaker..."
Jan then remember what the azure knight told him, "This is your darkness..."
"Oh no..." Jan said lying on his kness, "The darkness took over me. What have I done?"
"I'm...sorry...Jan...that I...could...not..."
"No...I'm sorry..I used you for the wrong reason."
"And it will be your last!" yelled Strife.
Jan then turned his head finding Strife about to attack. Jan then grabbed the SoulCalibur and tried to block it but the Soul Edge shattered through the SoulCalibur and stabbed Jan right in the stomach. Jan held on to the half broken sword as he coughed blood out of his mouth.
"Checkmate." Strfie said in a maniac like manner.
Jan spewed out blood from his mouth and tried to get up. Strife then kicked Jan to the short stairs that led to the throne and fell on the floor. Abelia saw the dead Jan lying on the blood stained floor.
"JAAAN! NOOO!" cried Abelia, running to the fallen blue knight.
"The castle is now a mess." said Strife looking at the burning castle, "I hope to get a better one after this is over."
Strife then saw Abelia crying on the body of Jan.
"No! This can't be!" she said, "Why?! I don't want you to leave!"
Luna then came in the scene looking at Jan and the crying Abelia. Abelia then saw Luna staring down at her.
"Luna! Jan, he's- he's-!"
"I know." Luna said in cold manner.
Luna then got her SoulCalibur and stabbed Jan at the wound where Strife killed him. Abelia was extremely shocked of Luna's action.
"LUNA!?!?!"
"Just shut up and look."
Luna's SoulCalibur glowed and caused a reaction to Jan's broken SoulCalibur.
"Wha-what's happening?" asked Abelia.
The shattered pieces of the broken sword then rised and flew to Jan's SoulCalibur and repaired itself. The two blue swords then fused together to one sword. Jan's body glowed and the wound started to disappear.
"WHAT?!" yelled Strife.
Jan then woke up and found Abelia and Luna in front of him.
"Wha? What happened?" asked Jan, then looking at Abelia, "Abelia, why are you crying?"
Abelia then hugged Jan and cried.
"You idiot!" she said while crying, "You had me worried! Stupid! Nimrod!"
"Uh, what exactly happened, Luna?"
"I stabbed your wound with my SoulCalibur and then fused with your SoulCalibur and then revived you." said Luna.
"Wow. It can do that?"
"It was a gambling move, actually."
"I wonder what might have happened if it didn't work."
"Grr! I don't know how you got back!" yelled Strife, "But I will make sure you die this time!"
"Not this time!" Jan said with a smile, "Hey, thanks you two."
"You're welcome." said Luna.
"Now go and take down any of the other Guards."
"Got it."
As Abelia and Luna headed off, Abelia stopped Luna to ask her something.
"Hey, wait a second." said Abelia.
"What?" Luna asked.
"Don't you need a weapon?"
"I'm pretty good with hand-to-weapon combat." Luna said, cracking her knuckles.
"You sure?"
A guard with staff came charging in and got kicked in the face and then was given a huge uppercut by Luna.
"Yep." Luna said with a smirk.
"Uh oh. She's good.." said Abelia, hiding her fear.
Meanwhile, Jan and Strife was about to continue their battle.
"With the power of the Holy Blade, I will end your reign of tyrany!" yelled Jan.
"The Holy Blade, huh?" said an amuzed Strife, "That could be a very worthy trophy. And you're still too weak!"
Jan then threw slices of wind at Strife but missed while Strife was wondering what happened.
"Whoa! What was that?" asked Jan.
"It's the Winds of Justice." said the SoulCalibur, "You can summon enough wind to cut down a fortress."
"That sounds pretty awesome!"
"That sword can talk?!" askked Strife.
"Why not?" said Jan, "It's the SoulCalibur."
"I won't lose to you!"
Strife then charged in but Jan clashed with him making another stand off of strength but the result came out different. Strife was starting lose.
"What?! How can this be?!" yelled Strife, "I am the Emperor! I have the Ultimate weapon!"
"What's the matter?" said Jan, "I thought you were stronger than this!"
"Don't you dare mock me!"
Strife then pushed Jan off and tried a huge strike on him but Jan tackled him and pushed the Soul Edge to the other side. Strife was then sitting on the floor with Jan staring at him, ready to finish him off.
"W-wa-wait! I don't want to die!" pleaded Strife, "Spare me! Somebody save me!"
"Try and become a better person. It may work." said Jan, about to finish him off.
"Heh, you're a fool if you think I would actually lower myself to that!"
Strife then moved his hand and the Soul Edge started to rise and come right at Jan from behind.
"Jan! Behind you!" said the SoulCalibur.
Jan noticed the Soul Edge coming at fast speed and jumped. Strife then saw Jan jumping not noticing the Soul Edge coming right at him. When it did, the sword hit Strife and pushed him down a huge hole of the floor leading to a long way down. Jan saw as Strife and the evil blade fell into the abyss. Jan then let out a big sigh.
"Whew, I guess it's finally over." said Jan.
As Jan walked away, a dark figure came flying out of the hole and Jan turned around and saw it. Strife had a huge aura that was the same as the Soul Edge's.
"I WILL NOT LOSE TO MERE CADET!!!" screamed Strife. He then flew at a fast speed right at Jan to deliver a final blow. Jan got ready to make his. "I HAVE POWER, MONEY, SERVANTS, AND THE ULTIMATE WEAPON! WHAT CAN A SIMPLE MONKEY LIKE YOU HAVE THAT I DON'T?!?!"
"Something better than yours." Jan said as he made his attack.
Jan created a huge slice on the Emperor and stood his ground while Strife fell on the ground hard.
"I win." said Jan.
"N-no!" said Strife, getting up, "I re-refuse! M-My legacy will go on! I-I am un-unbeatable!!!!"
Strife's heart then throbbed as it felt that it stopped.
"Geh! Wha-what is happening?!"
"What is happening? Sol?"
"The Soul Edge loves to take souls, even those that weild it." The SoulCalibur explained.
"What?!"
"The longer you held that cursed sword, the more it drained your soul until it took it all."
"NOOO!"
Strife then staggered to the throne.
"I am...the ruler...of this...kingdom...dammit..."
Strife then looked at Jan for the last time.
"Damn you, Jan..."
Strife then fell on the floor, dead. Jan looked at the dead emperor and then walked away. He then saw everone waiting for him near the throne. Jan smiled.
"All the guards are defeated." said Lupi.
"Yeah, we kicked their butts!" said Riese.
Abelia then walked towards Jan.
"So I guess it's finally over, huh?" asked Abelia.
"Yep." said Jan, with a big grin.
Luna then hugged Jan from behind and smiled.
"Don't think I've forgotten." she said.
"About what?"
"You still owe me rematch."
"Urk?"
"But I can exchange that for a nice dinner. Huh? What do you say?"
"What?! Now hold on there of a sec!" yelled Abelia.
But before anyone else could answer, the castle started to crumble. Everyone hurried out of the castle but the SoulCalibur moved on it's own and left Jan. Jan stopped and saw the holy blade leaving.
"Sol?! Where are you going?!" asked Jan.
"The Soul Edge is still alive and I must destroy it." the SoulCalibur replied, "Without a weilder, it has gotten weak and I can take care of the rest."
"So, I guess this is it, huh?"
"You have been a great swordsman, Jan. Maybe the best person to weild the sword of justice in history. Maybe one day our paths will cross again."
"That depends, because you are a floating sword."
The sword made a chuckle, "You'll be surprised on what I can do, Jan. We shall meet again one day."
"Same here."
"JAN!!" yelled Eurydice.
"HURRY!! THE CASTLES GONNA FALL!!" yelled Abelia.
Jan then ran off waving goodbye to the holy blade as it plunged it's battle against the Soul Edge and disappered. Jan made it out of the castle.
"We gotta hurry!" said Jinkai.
"The castle is gonna take down the whole capital!" said Ailian.
Everyone hurried out of the capital and watched the Grandall castle collapse into rubble and ashes.
"It's finally over." said Jinkai.
"I hope my father is smiling down on us." said Rudiger.
"Girardot is always a good man even in death." said Xiaoxin.
"I quite pleased finally get some rest after this whole year." said Leraje.
"Hey, girls! Let's celebrate!" said Riese.
"I'm in!" said Kanon.
"Me too!" said Aege.
"Can I join?" aske Heal-Do.
"Any chance we for a late night celebration?" asked Ailian.
"Does that mean I have to go too?" asked Lupi.
"Hey, Meiga! Why not come with us?" asked Elua.
"Do I have to?" asked an annoyed Meiga.
"We guys are stuck in a no win situation anyway." Aeneas chuckled.
"I'm comimg too. said Yuilin, "How about you Luca?"
"I guess so. Nothin' better to do." Luca said with a sigh.
"Hey, Feofan! You wanna come with me?" asked Tina.
"Okay, sure!" said Feofan.
"Those idiots are sure energetic even after a battle huh?" said Luna.
"I don't what gets them to do that." Abelia said laughing.
Both then saw Jan looking at the wasteland that was Parousia.
"We'll the war is finally over but we still have some problems on our back." said Luna.
"What do think we should do Jan?" asked Abelia.
"Something like that could wait." Jan said, "But for now, let's celebrate!"
Everyone but a confused Luna and Abelia cheered.
"Not you too?" said Luna.
"Geez, you're such an idiot." said Abelia.
Jan chuckled, "Heheh, sorry."
Luna and Abelia then joined the group about to head off to celebrate. Jan then looked into the sky and let out a deep sigh.
"Sol...Girardot...this victory has ended the war but this end is a new beginning."
Aaannnd that's it. Actually, no it's not. There's still the Epilouge. Be sure to look out for that!
- R2J