Hello again.

You needn't have been so cryptic in your letter. There was no need to make thinly veiled threats; I remember the debt I owe to you, and still intend to repay it in full. I would have accepted your request regardless of what I owe to you - as an archeologist and historian, I am always more than happy to research and study ancient subjects.

I'm used to digging up obscure information with only a scarce amount of clues to go by, so the hints you provided were more than enough to help me find the info you wanted. It's been a long time since I've done any translating, and even longer since I'd learned a new language, and this task required me to learn not one, but two new languages. It was all quite a challenge, and I'm rather proud of the information I was able to gather.

But, enough of that. Let me get to the information you wanted.

The cultic religion's name translates as "The Call of the Executioner". The religion is extremely secretive, and has kept even their name hidden for many centuries, so this may or may not be their true name, but it is one that they have gone by.

The cult's origins are ancient - the earliest information I gathered about them came from late BC. If I'm correct, the cult's origins had much to do with the coasts of the Black Sea, so you may find clues there. However, the cult's origins remain difficult to determine, as there are several factions, and the faction you wanted me to look into, the "Guardians of the True Path", was organized around the time when the cult's religion started melding into Greek mythology. These original factions rejected most of the Greek influence, and developed their own ideas of how things such as enlightenment and resurrection are supposed to be reached.

The cult's entire existence remained underground, and thus it was able to escape the rise of Christianity and the other medieval religions. The religion gradually faded from history, but still grows to this day, and developed many unique ideas that remind me of a lot of Asian religions.

The cult's central Guardian ("Guardians" are the equivalents of "Gods") is Ares, the Greek God of Destruction and War. They believed in harnessing the god's power to "control life" (I'm pretty sure this refers to resurrection), and sought immortality. During these times, the "Guardians of the True Path" faction extended its affairs well into the Middle East, causing outbreaks of war in those regions.

I'll present to you their doctrine. I've done my best to retain all original ideas and translate it correctly, but keep in mind that I could be completely off with some of these things.

"The twin processes of creation and destruction dominate all workings of the entire world. Every living being to ever walk the face of the Earth was born and has died, or will die. This is an inescapable fact; this is the very essence of existence; this is the Eternal Cycle. However, because of this, the world is stuck in a state of stagnation; an endless, unproductive cycle. However, this stagnation can be cured. If either creation or destruction is resisted, it will mean the loss of balance throughout the whole universe, and the loss of balance would mean the end of all existence - the True Destruction. If all existence were ended, the True Gods would be resurrected, and, under their rule, the universe would be reborn as it should be. We must destroy the world that presently exists to pave the way for a new universe."

Many of their writings revolve around the "True Destruction", and bringing it about; it's quite obvious that it's their highest priority. Obviously, they believe that they will be saved at the time of destruction. They also take this "Eternal Cycle" idea very seriously. As I looked through their writings, contradictory statements began to arise. It looks like there are a growing number of believers who interpret their doctrines in different ways, so there's no way to be sure exactly what they believe in or want. The interpretation of their own ancient doctrine appears to be of central debate within their organization.

The hierarchy of their organization is as follows:

At the top of the ladder is the "Grand Priest". His full title is actually "The Great Being Who Sees Everything", but damned if I'm going to write that out every time I mention him. Underneath him are seven "Arc Priests", representing seven heavenly bodies: the Sun, the Moon, Mercury, Venus, Mars, Jupiter, and Saturn. In case you're wondering, the Grand Priest represents Earth, which, the cult believes, is fixed at the center of the universe. Below them are about twenty or more Priests that serve throughout the entire organization. Some of them serve as Arc Priests; there are some differences in thoughts and factionism among the Arc Priests. And, below the Priests are mere Believers. The number of Believers cannot be confirmed, because the followers of this organization rarely ever gather in one place.

As I mentioned, there are two general languages throughout the organization. "Literary" language and "Colloquial" language.

The Literary language is the holy language that the upper priests use to talk to their gods. It is only used during holy ceremonies of the utmost importance. To speak the scared language in any other situation is punishable by death. This applies to merely writing it down on paper, as well. In common ceremonies among the lower priests, the Colloquial language is used. The Colloquial language is a simplification of the Literary language.

The history of the languages is long and complex, but I'll try to explain it as simply as I can. The Colloquial language was born from the need of a simplified version of the Literary language. The languages are so complex that most priests solely learn the Colloquial language. Therefore, communication between the various priests is almost always in the Colloquial language. Most common believers do not even understand the Colloquial language. They simply believe in the precepts of the religion and live by its creeds.

There is only one last thing of note that I should mention. In the cult's most recent texts, something that was rarely mentioned in previous writings began to surface more and more. Something referred to as "a new human being". In the Literary language, its name is "Azr ss trzaous as stursa ulous". In the Colloquial language, it is known as "A sta ros", or "Astaroth". Details on it are extremely scarce, but it appears to be a matter of extreme importance, whatever it is.

That's all I know. It was intriguing to study this cult, and hunting for information on them was quite a challenge. I'd be interested in obtaining further information for you, if you can provide any more clues. Hopefully by providing you with this knowledge, I've made some progress towards working off that 'debt' I owe to you from so long ago.

Until the next time I hear from you.

Arthur Leah

---

It felt the pain of birth. It opened its mouth, and cried out. Hot air burned its throat, and the low chanting of voices above it clung to its ears. It opened its eyes. The chants echoed briefly, and then ceased. It turned its eyes upwards, and saw that a man stood high above it.

"...I have done it. I have achieved Creation from Nothing..."

It understood the man's words. "I have made the first step toward creating a god..." The man murmured these words as if he was in ecstasy.

It felt anger from the very moment it was born, and then found another feeling as it gazed upon this ecstatic man standing high above it - although this feeling was a less straightforward emotion than anger.

And, then, its mind became subject to a hail of memories. The memories belonged to someone else - a warrior who was fighting for something he strongly believed in. The warrior's life was filled with despair, pain, and darkness. Wherever he went, fire and shrieks of death seemed to follow him.

The Grand Priest extended his arm in a broad gesture. "Astaroth, golem whom I have created, I give you a command. I order you to find the weapon known as Soul Edge!"

A giant ax laid nearby the monster that emanated evil energy, drawing the golem to it. It grabbed the ax, and then began to leave the shrine.

The Grand Priest grinned, and muttered words that only he would hear. "The power that even gods desire...With this power, I shall make myself a god!"

---

Hephaestus was not the only god who took notice of Soul Edge's power.

However, unlike Hephaestus, who was wary and spiteful of Soul Edge, the other god was genuinely intrigued with the weapon. To Ares, the God of War, the evil blade's cursed origins and nature were of little concern. He simply wished to possess such a magnificent and powerful weapon for himself.

Ultimately, the two gods' conflicting desires would cause much strife in the realm of the mortals.

Ares looked to a heretical order to help him obtain Soul Edge. A desert-dwelling cult that worshipped him. Ares bestowed an oracle to a Grand Priest of this cult, and ordered him to seek the sword. The Grand Priest, Kunpaetku, used the cult's black arts to create a golem. In accordance with ancient texts, the Grand Priest named the golem Astaroth, bestowed it with a giant ax infused with a powerful curse, and sent it on a mission to search for the evil blade.

Kunpaetku secretly desired Soul Edge for himself, for the idea of a sword that even the gods sought after stirred greed within him. But seeking to deceive a god is an extremely foolish task. The soul of a servant of Ares' dwelled within Astaroth. This servant's name was Ker, and he was known as the Agent of Death.

Contrary to its creator's intentions, Astaroth sought after Soul Edge not for Kunpaetku, but for the God of War. When Astaroth eventually found it, the sword was in a weakened state, having lost half of itself in battle. Knowing that his god would not be pleased with the blade in this condition, the golem sought a way to rectify the situation - and found that in Nightmare, whom also wielded a blade of Soul Edge at the time. Astaroth went into the service of Nightmare, and joined him in slaughtering countless victims in order to strengthen the unholy weapon. Astaroth became the subject of bitter hatred for his innumerable massacres.

Three years later, the blade had recovered its power, and the time was nearing for Astaroth to take Soul Edge from Nightmare's grasp. But, Astaroth never obtained the opportunity. Of all the souls harboring hatred for Astaroth, one soul with an irrepressible desire for vengeance reached Nightmare's stronghold in Ostrheinsburg, and destroyed the golem. This man sought to avenge his comrades who were slain by Astaroth.

Although Astaroth was a wicked being, he was the servant of a god. Immediately after his servant was destroyed, the infuriated God of War unleashed his punishment. The ground buckled beneath the man - who was already seriously wounded from the battle - and he disappeared into the earth. So sudden were these events that the man had nary a moment to rejoice in his victory.

Soon after the battle against Astaroth, the revenge seeker's friends defeated Nightmare and shattered Soul Edge. They searched for the slayer of Astaroth for some time, but they eventually lost hope of finding him, and left. For a while thereafter, peace returned to the world.

Four years passed since that time...and Astaroth had been resurrected.

Had Astaroth simply been a creation of a mere mortal, his resurrection would have been an impossible feat. However, Ares' powers and the evil energy surrounding Ostrheinsburg made it feasible. The Ostrheinsburg grounds, sated with the blood of those slain by Nightmare and cursed by their deep-seated hatred of him, acted as the perfect medium for Astaroth's resurrection.

When he was destroyed, Astaroth lost much of the weaknesses he had obtained as a result of being created with the aid of human hands. Moreover, during his regeneration, his new body absorbed several Soul Edge fragments that were nearby. This made the new Astaroth far more powerful and merciless.

After recovering fully, Astaroth set out to bring back Soul Edge for Ares. However, a problem arose. The Grand Priest Kunpaetku, the leader of the evil cult and Astaroth's direct creator, had realized that his golem was not behaving as he had originally instructed it. In order to reclaim Astaroth as his servant, the Grand Priest performed a ritual in the deepest part of the cult's temple and unleashed a powerful curse upon Astaroth.

Astaroth, however, fought back against the curse, for he had become an ideal host for the soul that dwelt inside him, because of the fragments of Soul Edge he had taken in during his resurrection.

His policy had long been to destroy all who stood in his way. To Astaroth, the evil cult was now an obstacle in his path. Astaroth returned to the place of his birth, seeking to destroy his creator. Once entering the temple, he became a whirlwind of destruction. The giant roared and mowed down everything in his path. The curse that tried to stop him only fueled his anger. He destroyed everything he saw. Filled with cries and shouts, and enveloped in a thunderous roar, the temple of the heretics was transformed into a crucible of chaos. On this day, the faction that had called themselves the "Guardians of the True Path" was wiped from history by the hand of a being they themselves had created.

Astaroth pursued Kunpaetku into the deepest part of the temple, but the Grand Priest managed to escape at the last moment. Only the hoarse words the priest left behind remained;

"You may be powerful, but in the end, you're nothing more than a golem modeled after a human!"

At those words, Astaroth stopped in his tracks. The very idea was ridiculous! He had been created in the image of a pathetic human? He was not a unique being - he was a mere replica. A copy of something else. Unoriginal. He began to seethe with fury at the thought - it completely consumed him and his thoughts.

Perhaps because he had destroyed the facility where the ritual had been performed, Astaroth's curse faded, and he recovered his true strength. The giant figure stood within the temple, thinking quietly to himself on this new development. So deep in concentration was he that he did not even notice the man approaching him from behind.

"Greetings, A sta ros."

Astaroth was startled by the sudden voice from behind. He tried to reach for his ax and turn his head to look over his shoulder - but he could do neither. His body was frozen. "What...a paralysis spell...!" He hypothesized through a mouth he was barely able to move.

"Do not fear. I am an ally. We have the same intentions." The man standing behind him said in a cool, calm voice.

"I have no allies, and I share intentions with no one!" Astaroth barked.

"...Do you not? But, four years ago, did you not have three allies, and share their intentions - even if that was a ruse?"

Astaroth growled. "Enough! Who are you, and what the hell do you want!"

"My identity is irrelevant. What I desire is a death - the same death that you desire." The man said coldly.

"...What the hell are you talking about? What 'death'?"

"The death of the man whom you were modeled after."

Astaroth relaxed his body, and stopped trying to fight the man's paralysis spell. "...You know who this man is?"

"Yes. His name is Siegfried Schtauffen...The man who was known as the Azure Knight."

Astaroth tensed up again.

"You mean...! Nightmare, and the man I was modeled after...are one and the same?"

"Yes. This is why the two of you were drawn to one another. Not only that, but, the entire time, Nightmare was aware of your relation to him, and looked on you with pity. He thought you a pathetic creature."

Astaroth's face twisted in anger. "That bastard! ...But, wait. How do you know all of this? ...How do I know if you're even telling the truth?"

"I have spent many years gathering knowledge of organizations and individuals that could benefit me one day. As for whether or not I am telling the truth, you'll just have to...trust me."

At this point, Astaroth was unaware of the man casting yet another spell upon him - a beguiling spell. The man's primary strength was manipulating others, whether with cleverly crafted words, or with spells. The man had lied. The warrior Astaroth was modeled after was not Siegfried. However, the man saw an advantage in telling Astaroth otherwise. He could sense Astaroth's desire to destroy the one he was modeled after, and by feeding him this lie, Astaroth would seek to kill Siegfried. Astaroth's mind was particularly weak and single-minded - a simple deception spell would be enough to convince him not to doubt the man's words.

"...I understand." Astaroth muttered, hate lacing the syllables of his words. All he could think of now was killing Siegfried.

"I am glad you do." The man responded. "I will see to it that Siegfried finds his way to this temple. Be warned that he will be accompanied by other warriors. Until they arrive, you are to remain here in wait as-"

"No one tells me what to do!" Astaroth snapped suddenly.

The irony of the golem's statement caused the man to smirk. "Of course not - I am merely advising you to remain here as the fly wanders into the spider's web." He said smoothly. "I will go now, to draw Siegfried here. Farewell, A sta ros."

The man vanished, and Astaroth regained control over his body - but his mind stayed under the spell. Again, he stood and thought quietly to himself. If the being that he was modeled after was as powerful as himself, then that man should also be excellent nourishment for Soul Edge. The one he was modeled after must be the greatest soul on earth. He would offer that soul to the cursed sword in order to facilitate its resurrection. And, then, he would become complete - a unique being with no model.

His next objective was set.

He would destroy Siegfried.