...Oh, no. It's happening again.

Siegfried quickly stepped off the trail, held out his hand, and leaned on a tree. He didn't want to collapse, like last time.

What is happening to me? Why does this happen?

It had happened gradually, not all at once, but it had still taken Siegfried by surprise. His vision had slowly begun to dim, and then breathing had become difficult. He was beginning to have trouble forming coherent thoughts. It's all right. This has happened a few times before. It only lasts a minute or so - I just need to stay calm and wait until it's over.

However, this was not to be. Suddenly, something that had not occurred the previous times began to happen - Siegfried's right hand began to tremble. He attempted to quell the shaking, but found that he could not. It was as if he did not have control over his right hand anymore.

What? What is this feeling in my right arm? I have not felt this since...

...Since...

Siegfried looked with horror down at his hand. As if to return his gaze, his hand turned over so that his palm was facing him. It gave another shudder, and then Siegfried saw a tiny dot of red appear in the center of his glove. The red dot began to expand, and Siegfried realized that his hand was bleeding.

He quickly ripped off his glove, and beheld a tiny slit in the center of his palm. It did not hurt; in fact, Siegfried's right hand merely felt numb. He stared at it in confusion, and then realized that it was growing. The slit was growing longer, and more blood was beginning to seep out.

Siegfried's bewilderment was broken by his realization that he should be trying to stop the flow of blood. But before he could begin to figure out how to do so, something else stole his attention.

Out of the slit in his palm, something that looked like a thin green worm was slithering out. Bathed in Siegfried's blood, it writhed and twisted until it had brought itself out of the slit - and then more began to appear.

No stranger to horror was Siegfried - no, certainly not. But to realize that something was living inside of him - that such a thing could live inside a person, ravage their insides, burn through their skin, then climb writhing and twisting through the flesh to emerge pulsing and slick through some ruptured cavity - was far beyond horror.

More of the tiny green tendril-shaped beings began to seep out of his hand, some slithering around it, and some lightly flailing about. His hand twitched and shuddered – it no longer seemed like but now seemed to be a hand, but little more than a hollow shell, merely a conveyance for this ungodly thing that was now slithering out of him.

Tendrils continued to rip from his hand, accompanied by the sickening sound of tearing flesh and cracking bones, and yet Siegfried continued to feel no pain from this horrific wound, even as blood ran down his arm, mingling with other nameless fluids from the wound.

Finally, the tendrils stopped emerging from Siegfried's hand. They now covered his hand entirely. The tendrils began to branch off. Some of them wrapped around the three fingers in the middle of Siegfried's hand, and others slithered around Siegfried's thumb and small finger. Siegfried watched as the tendrils melded together with one another around his fingers. The tendrils continued to merge until they became like skin - a thick, leathery skin that was green and brown in color. His hand had now bulged out to a monstrous size, and was composed of three fingers, each of which was slowly developing a claw on each tip.

Siegfried gagged, then recovered. Not again. No, not again. Never again. I'd sooner chop off my hand than see it turn into that monstrosity once more. Violently, he shook himself, trying to pull his head together. Now was not the time to stare in horror. He had to do something about it - but he never got the chance. Once his hand's transformation was 'complete', it suddenly shot straight towards his face, and clamped onto it.

Siegfried nearly stumbled back from the force that the hand had grabbed him with, but managed to stay on both feet. He tried to command his hand to move away, but it was no good - neither his right hand nor his right arm would obey him anymore. He grabbed his right arm with his left hand, and tried to pull the monstrosity off of his face, but it was clamped on too tightly.

He gasped for breath, and inhaled only a foul stench that made his stomach turn. He realized that he was going to run out of breath, and would need to do something drastic. His left hand reached around his back for his sword, and he gripped the hilt.

But no sooner than he did so, his vision began to dim further, and he found himself even more unable to focus clearly. He would form a thought, but then it would slip from his fingers in an instant. It was as if his mind was no longer his. It was as if...

---

"Siegfried! ...Siegfried! ...SIEGFRIED!"

Ivy turned her head left and right, scanning the forest for her lost leader as she trudged through the shrubbery. Where the hell did he run off to? Did he really want to go this far away from the campsite just to take a piss? At least, I assume that's why he left. No one wants to come right out and say they're off to do such a thing. But regardless of that, he's been gone for nearly half an hour now. Where the hell is that fool?

Ivy continued to stomp through the forest, slicing shrubs and small plants in her path to remove them from her way, but mostly out of irritation.

Ivy emerged back onto the forest trail, and turned around, looking in all directions. She caught sight of someone standing further down the trail, and although his back was turned to her, she recognized him as Siegfried. He was standing still, his legs apart and hands at his sides. Ivy began to call out to him, but then stopped. Something seemed wrong to her. She looked for something to base her odd feelings on. The glove on Siegfried's right hand was missing, but other than that, nothing was out of place - so why did she suddenly feel so uneasy?

Ivy shook off the feeling and called out as she walked towards Siegfried. "Siegfried! Didn't you hear us shouting for you? What the hell are you doing way out here? ...Hey! Are you even listening to me? Siegfried!"

At first, Siegfried did not show any sign that he had heard Ivy. Then, very slowly, his head began to turn in her direction. Ivy saw a disinterested look on his face, as if he did not care that she was there. Without even making eye contact with her, he then turned back in the direction he had been facing.

"...What the hell is wrong with you?" Ivy demanded. She walked up to Siegfried from behind, and put her hand on his shoulder with the intention of turning him around to face her.

But she did not get the chance to do so. The very moment her hand came into contact with him, Siegfried's right hand came up and smacked Ivy's hand away.

"Don't touch me." Siegfried growled.

Hs voice had been so low and feral that Ivy actually took a step back in surprise. Irritated, she yelled at Siegfried again. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"...Me? I believe the question is, what the hell is wrong with you, bitch?"

Ivy froze. "...Excuse me? What did you just-"

Faster than she could react, Siegfried whirled around, shot his right hand out, and gripped Ivy's neck tight with it. He lifted her up until her feet were not touching the ground. Ivy's hands flew to Siegfried's in a vain attempt to loosen his grip.

As she looked at him in bewilderment, she now saw his face clearly, and realized something - it had changed. The skin around Siegfried's eyes had turned dark. A thin line of blood was slowly dripping from the scar that ran through his right eye. ...What the hell is this? What happened to him? This is not Siegfried.

Ivy reached down for her sword, but the moment she grabbed it, Siegfried's other hand shot out and slapped her hand hard, knocking her sword out of her grip and sending it clattering harmlessly to the side.

Ivy brought up her legs and kicked Siegfried in the chest, torso, and finally in the crotch. He showed no signs whatsoever of being affected by her blows.

"As I said, what the hell is wrong with you, bitch?" Siegfried asked, putting emphasis on the last word this time. "Every word that comes out of your mouth is rude, vulgar, or both. I can't remember a single second you didn't spend bullying or annoying someone else. You're unreasonable, you become angry far too easily, and everyone around you hates you and thinks you're a bitch."

"...S...ieg.." Ivy was struggling for air now, and noticing that her hands and legs were not affecting Siegfried, tried to think of a way to escape his grasp, but could not think of anything. Finally, in a bout of desperation, she gripped the fabric of her clothing that covered her breasts, and pulled it down.

Siegfried did not lower his gaze. "You're such a whore, Ivy."

He slapped his free hand across her face, and then swung her body to the side, bringing her crashing into a tree, and then threw her several feet, sending her slamming into another tree. Ivy attempted to scramble to her feet, but the pain was too much, and she could not make it very far. When she looked back towards Siegfried, she turned her head just in time to see the tip of Siegfried's boot a moment before it connected with her jaw, and the blow sent her tumbling away a few feet further.

Siegfried approached her, a sadistic grin on his face. He brought back his boot and kicked her again, and again, and again. Ivy tried to rise up, but every time she did, Siegfried struck her down.

Just as Ivy was beginning to fear that she was about to meet her death, she noticed that Siegfried's blows were becoming weaker. She made another attempt to scramble away from him, and managed to do so. She whirled around to face him, but did not see the sight that she expected to see.

Siegfried was approaching her, but did not appear menacing at all. He was stumbling forward in an awkward gait, as if he had completely forgotten how to walk. His arms hung limply before him, as if he carried weights in each hand. The sadistic look that had been on his face was now replaced by an expressionless one. Then, all at once, he collapsed on the ground.

Ivy watched in shock and confusion. Siegfried's sudden collapse was an anticlimactic end to a struggle that had almost ended with the loss of her life. She approached Siegfried slowly and cautiously. "...Siegfried?" She asked, her voice sounding slightly raspy because of the state of her throat.

From what Ivy could see, Siegfried appeared to be sleeping. The skin around his eyes had returned to normal, and his scar had stopped its bizarre bleeding. Despite the fact that the threat seemed to be over, Ivy was still afraid to reach out and touch him again. Slowly, Siegfried showed signs of waking. Ivy took a step back. Siegfried's eyes lazily opened, and rolled around. Then, all at once, they shot open wide. Ivy leapt back, expecting an attack.

But Siegfried did not attack. Instead, he used his left hand to hoist his upper body up, held his right hand up, and looked at it. He stared at his hand intensely as if there was something on it - or something missing from it.

Ivy observed this bizarre behavior, and slowly circled Siegfried. When Siegfried finally stopped staring at his hand, he looked up, and saw Ivy. "Ivy! What happened?" He asked.

Ivy blinked. "I was about to ask the same thing of you."

Siegfried slowly rose to his feet. He looked around his surroundings. He noticed signs of a battle, then turned to Ivy, and noticed her wounds.

"...Oh, no."

"Oh what? What the hell is-" Ivy remembered that harsh language had been what got her into this mess, and quickly stopped speaking.

"Ivy, tell me what just happened."

Ivy had many foul attributes, but being foolish was not one of them. "...You don't remember."

"Ivy, tell me!"

"...After you left camp, you were gone for about half an hour, so we went looking for you. When I found you, you were..." Her voice trailed off.

"My right hand - what was my right hand like?"

"You were missing the glove on your right hand, that's all."

Siegfried looked at his right hand again.

"...Wait..." Ivy muttered. "...That's the same hand that was the giant claw when you were the Azure Knight, isn't it?"

"Ivy, what did I do?" Siegfried asked, desperation etched in every inch of his face.

"You..." Ivy decided to give Siegfried a simple version of the story. "...attacked me, and spoke...harshly."

Siegfried shook his head. "This cannot...this cannot be happening."

"Siegfried, I think you had better explain. What exactly happened?"

"...There...have been a few times when I suddenly became dizzy...my vision would blur, and I would be unable to think clearly, or maintain my balance...This happens very rarely - I always considered it to be merely a temporary ailment, something unworthy of concern or attention. However, the last time it happened, I collapsed, and was unable to stand for a few minutes. And this time, I... " Siegfried looked down at his hand again, which created a conclusion for Ivy to draw.

"...When did this start happening?"

"It was soon after-" Siegfried stopped, and a short silence ensued.

"...Zasalamel." The two of them spoke.

"So, I suppose he wasn't kidding about the curse." Ivy muttered. "Does this mean that you're turning into Nightmare again?"

"If my hand is normal, then its transformation was only an illusion created by my own mind. Besides that, Soul Edge no longer has a hold over me - and it never will again - so I could not be turning into Nightmare again. ...My only guess is that Zasalamel's curse planted evil within me, much like one would plant a seed, and that seed has finally sprouted. Whatever it was that you just saw was the result."

"Is this going to keep on happening?"

"...I can only assume that it will."

"Have any clue how to stop it?"

"...Well, there is our destination."

After embarking from Athens, Siegfried gave in to Ivy's stubbornness, and decided that their next destination would have something to do with finding a way to 'purify' the sword.

There was a rumor that, near a Hindu temple located on a mountain deep in the heart of India, there was a spot where pure water cascaded downward from the mountain's waterfalls. The beautiful, clear water that flowed through this place evoked an otherworldly, if not holy atmosphere, leading many to believe that it was a holy or legendary place.

The holy atmosphere was caused in part by the fact that the grounds were, indeed, completely pure. Even those unable to sense energy could tell that there was a certain purity to the place, and many people had studied the art of purification there, earning this spot the title of the "Proving Grounds".

It seemed that there was no better place to begin searching for a master of purification than in such a place. It was the only legend or rumor that they had heard of that had anything to do with purification, and seemed like a good enough lead, and so they had set out for the pure spot. They had made good time so far, and were now within a day or two of their destination. It was then that this disaster had struck.

"Yes, maybe someone there could help." Ivy said. "...Of course, that's assuming we actually find someone there. And that's assuming the place exists. And, obviously, all of that only matters if you don't kill us all before-"

"Ivy." Siegfried said tersely. Speaking her name in this tone of voice was his way of telling her that she was going too far, and to be silent. Ivy had always sensed a slight anger beneath her name when Siegfried spoke it, but now when she heard him speak her name this way, she was reminded of how deep and strong his anger towards her truly was.

"...Well, let's find the others and return to the campsite. They must still be searching, and they need to know about this."

---

The Proving Grounds were just as beautiful as the legend told them to be.

Built into a mountain was a structure that was easily recognized as a Hindu temple due to its Indian architecture. There were many platforms built into the mountain and on the river, and many rope bridges connecting the platforms to one another. The sky and water were extremely clear, and it seemed as if they were both one. Plants of a healthy green color adorned the structures here and there. A few hawks circled the area, as if even they could admire the pristine beauty of the grounds.

Siegfried, Tira, Ivy, and Sophitia stood on the ledge of an outcropping of rock, admiring the scene. Ivy, as usual, was the one to break the silence.

"How do you think we should go about finding a master of purification? Should we shout as loud as we can and hope someone shows up to investigate?"

Sophitia responded. "...That might work, but I think that plan lacks a certain degree of…tact. We should investigate the temple and those shacks."

"Yes, we could do it the slow way." Ivy grumbled. "What about you, Siegfried? What do you think?"

Ivy waited for a reply from Siegfried, but none came.

"...Siegfried?"

A horror slowly started to grow within her. She had been paranoid lately, expecting Siegfried to turn evil again at any moment, but since this had not happened, she had allowed herself to be more at ease. Now it seemed to her that this decision could prove to have been a large mistake.

Fearful of what she might see, she slowly began to turn her head around to face Siegfried. He's standing behind me. Damn it, how could I allow him to walk behind us?

The very moment Ivy caught sight of Siegfried - and the darkness that surrounded his eyes and the blood that ran from his scar - he lunged forward and slammed into her, shoulder first. The blow sent her flying off of the ledge, and into the water a short ways below.

"Oh, no! It happened again!" Sophitia gasped, unsheathing her sword, but Siegfried leapt over to her, caught her by the arm before she was able to resist, and flung her off of the ledge as well, sending her onto a platform below.

"...Master?" Tira asked, her voice a squeak from her confusion and fear at what her Master's change could mean for her. Siegfried removed his Zweihänder and swung it at her in one fluid motion, almost faster than Tira could dodge. She leapt backwards.

"Master, wait!"

Siegfried did not listen to her. He lunged forward and swung his sword again, and Tira leapt away, this time up, landing on the branch of a tree.

"Master, please stop this! Please listen to me!"

Siegfried swung his sword up, slicing it into the branch that Tira was perched on, and the branch was completely sliced off from the tree. Tira leapt from the branch just in time to avoid falling along with it, but was now in no better of a situation. Siegfried charged at her again, a thirst for nothing more than death and destruction clearly in his eyes. Tira realized that she would not be able to reason with him.

What my Master wishes for is my death. Then, should I give my life to him? My life is his to use as he wishes. It is not my place to disallow him from killing me.

No! Master will be cured, and then he will be back to normal. If I die now, I will not be able to serve him in the future once he becomes well again. I must disobey this one desire of his to allow myself to fulfill more in the future.

Tira turned and ran at full speed towards the ledge, and then leapt from it, landing on a large circular platform in the center of the area. Ivy had swam to a ladder on this platform and used it to get herself out of the water, and Sophitia had dashed to this platform to better see what was happening above her with Siegfried.

Siegfried stood at the ledge and looked down at the platform where the three women stood now, and smirked. He leapt down to a platform below, dashed across a bridge to the platform, and then turned around, and brought his Zweihänder slicing into the bridge itself.

"...Oh, no!"

Siegfried had just destroyed the only bridge leading to that platform - there was no easy way to escape from it. The women were trapped.

"What do we do!" Sophitia asked.

"I don't know. We might have to kill him." Ivy said.

"NO!" Tira suddenly screamed with uncharacteristic fervor. "Killing Master is not acceptable!"

"Oh, really? Then what do you suggest we do?"

"Knock him out - wear him down - anything but kill him!"

Siegfried began approaching the women. They all reached for their weapons. All three of them versus a demonic Siegfried - could they win? Was someone about to die? Was there any other way?

Just as their anxiety reached its climax, a voice rang out.

"STOP!"

Tira, Ivy, Sophitia, and even Siegfried all looked up in the direction of the voice. Atop the Hindu temple's opening, a man stood. He was a handsome man, with a slim but muscular physique. His hair was brown and ragged, and he had a V-shaped scar running across his left cheek. Around his neck he wore a necklace with a blue shard attached to it that almost seemed to glow. On his chest, he wore only an odd garment that seemed like a belt running diagonally, strapping some sort of strange plate to his left shoulder. On his arms, wrists, waist and knees, he wore golden rings, but they seemed more like weights that one would wear for endurance training than decorations. He wore red pants, and a blue-and-red sash around his waist that seemed very ragged, as if to say that this man was well-traveled and experienced. In his hand, he held a long red rod.

"You there, please, listen to me!" The man called out, gesturing to Siegfried. "I do not know if your true self can hear me, but listen to my words. You have been possessed by evil. You are not yourself, or in control of yourself. You cannot think rationally or reasonably at the moment. Please, throw your weapon aside, and remain still and calm! I can help you. I can purify-"

"Shut UP!" Siegfried shouted, his voice like a roar. "Your whining is grating to my ears. If you want to stop me, you will have to kill me. If not, shut up and stay the hell out of my way!"

The man's shoulders sagged. "...I see you are too far gone to be reasoned with. Very well."

He leapt from his perch at the temple's opening, soared through the air, becoming silhouetted against the sun for a brief moment, and then landed on the same platform that Siegfried stood on, in front of the women. He spoke to them without turning to look at them.

"Directly behind you, in the water at the base of this platform, there is a raft. Drop down and use it to get to safety. I am trained to purify evil without causing harm to my enemy...but there is no telling how destructive this battle could get."

Sophitia was the first to heed the man's words. She turned, ran to the edge of the platform, looked down, and leapt. When Ivy did not hear a splash or a sickening thud, she followed. Tira was the last to move.

"...You'd...better not kill him!" She said to her mysterious savior, and followed the two other women.

The man turned to Siegfried, and raised his rod.

"Please do not offer resistance. This can be quick and painless."

Siegfried smirked sadistically. "Funny. I was just about to say the same thing to you."