"...Damn."

The word escaped Private Marius' mouth as soon as he heard the order, but he managed to hide his curse within a mutter just enough that no one around him really noticed, or at least they pretended not to. None of the five hundred soldiers even bothered to look in his direction, their gazes still fixed upon the figure in the distance.

Marius glared at the unsympathetic and disinterested faces belonging to men who would live longer than he would. Out of five hundred, why had the commander called his name? It had to be somebody, but what were the chances it would be him? No - it had nothing to do with chance. The commander hated him, everyone knew it, that's why he was getting sent to his death before everyone else.

Marius pretended he hadn't heard the order. He knew he wouldn't get away with it, but he wanted to bide what little time he had left. The commander didn't wait long before speaking again.

"Private Marius, I know you heard me."

Marius gave his horse a light kick with his spurs, and off he went. He galloped forward at a somewhat sluggish pace, trying to stave off the inevitable task that lay before him for as long as possible. He wasn't in a hurry to get to his destination by any means. No one could blame him.

About halfway to the figure in the distance, Marius' horse stopped walking. He spurred it again, flicked the reins, even told it to giddy-up, but it refused to budge an inch. To Marius' surprise, the animal actually turned around and started trotting back the way he'd come. Knowing the horse would take him no further, he dismounted.

Marius decided that there was no point in being soldier-like and formal. Just ask the question that everyone wants to know, be done with it.

"HAIL!" He called out to the figure. "ARE YOU THE AZURE KNIGHT?"

Until now, the figure had been still. No doubt it was waiting for the army to draw closer rather than waste energy charging at them. Now, however, it seemed that the figure was through waiting. From a distance, his silhouette had been ambiguous, but now that he moved, his appearance was clear - he was a man clad in large, blue armor, wielding a flesh-colored broadsword in a grotesque giant claw.

Marius knew that cowardice in the Walachian army was punished by an arrow to the head, but he decided to take his chances. He turned to climb onto his horse, but it had already galloped off. He turned around again, and saw the monster charging toward him. He thought back to his basic training, but he couldn't even remember the first thing about swordfighting anymore. All he could think about were his regrets and his missed opportunities.

Suddenly, Marius felt weightless, and taller than normal. He realized that he was being held several feet up off the ground. Looking down, he saw a large purple eye staring back at him, and then noticed the giant red-and-black sword that was currently passing through his abdomen. He studied his executioner. An elaborate helm with a long horn and vertical fin extending from the top. A chest that was home to a large green mouth that housed an impressive number of sharp jaws. A shoulder that also doubled as a deadly maw, and, of course, the claw, each talon as long as a grown man's arm.

Marius felt himself slipping toward the sword - not by his body, but by his very life force. The sword had a hold of his soul itself, and that purple eye grew larger and larger until it engulfed him completely, condemning him to suffer endlessly in the abyss contained within it.

Nightmare whipped his sword to the side, and Marius' limp body sailed away. The Azure Night hunched down low to the ground, then rushed at his prey. The army before him readied their shields and swords - either too noble to flee, or convinced that their numbers would grant them victory - and the two forces charged at one another until they clashed.

---

Raphael Sorel grew up with religious strife as his cradle, the scheming of noble families as his lullaby, and the rapier as his playmate. His cool, unemotional demeanor created many enemies, but his quick and precise decision-making and execution skills solidified the foundation of his family amongst other noble clans.

Unfortunately, Raphael made a critical mistake during the year of the notorious Evil Seed catastrophe. He discovered too late that one member of nobility supported by the Sorel clan became insane from the effects of the Evil Seed. As a result of his error, Raphael's enemies had justification to hunt him down. To make matters worse, members of his own family surrendered quickly and offered to hand over Raphael in order to protect themselves.

Raphael hid himself in an impoverished town to escape from his pursuers and family members. But, accustomed to a life of privilege without want, Raphael could hardly bear the cold and hunger he suffered in the slums.

The authorities that ran the town were greedy, and treated the townspeople unfairly. When the authorities heard that there was a bounty for the capture of a French nobleman, a search began immediately. Raphael was discovered and pursued, and surely his malnourishment and exhaustion would have led to his capture...were it not for the assistance of a shy, penniless orphan girl. With a simple gesture, she led his pursuers off his path, and Raphael was concealed from them safely.

For the little girl, helping Raphael was only a simple deed motivated out of spite for the unkind authorities. For Raphael, a man who until then lived by his own means, it marked the first time he owed his life to someone else. He felt emotions that he had never experienced before, and the girl became an irreplaceable presence in Raphael's life.

Her name was Amy.

Raphael's exposure to life in the slums made him see the world in a whole new light, and realize the meaninglessness of everything he had valued thus far in life. Nobles quarreled constantly and only thought of their petty interests and self-preservation. And the commoners, tired of constant warring, had given up hope. The world was filled with people whose soulless, meaningless lives made them no better than the dead.

Convinced that the chaos of war was no place to live a meaningful life, Raphael took Amy and left the poverty-stricken town. Avoiding war-torn lands, they moved to a town in the countryside. But even with the new surroundings, he could not get Amy to open her heart to the world. Even though her life in the slums strengthened the 10-year old girl's wariness of life and gave her a tenacious will to live, it erased any sense of hope she had for the future.

Assuming a false name, Raphael befriended a rich noble to obtain the means to take care of the young girl. He employed his cunning to gain the trust of the lord and those around him. And when the opportunity arose, Raphael poisoned the noble, disposed of his body, and spread word that the lord had "left on a long journey."

One day, Raphael found a letter with references to the Evil Seed - the turning point in his life - in the mansion library. He was fascinated by the information, and it wasn't long before he made the connection between the Evil Seed and Soul Edge.

Soul Edge - a demonic blade that promises power...in exchange for one's sanity.

What if such a sword were thrust into the hands of the pathetic nobles? They would undoubtedly fight feverishly for the weapon, and ultimately destroy themselves. Commoners would be unfortunate victims of the war, but their existence mattered little, for they were no better off then the dead.

If only petty, war-mongering nobles could be eliminated, surely he could secure a meaningful future for Amy. But in order to accomplish such a goal, Raphael would need a drastically powerful tool...

...And Soul Edge would be more than sufficient.

Raphael was unique among seekers of the legendary sword in that he actually came astonishingly close to wresting it from the hand of its owner, Nightmare. Unfortunately, the Azure Night was too overwhelmingly powerful, and Raphael lost the fight.

Raphael's injuries were mortal, and his demise was imminent. As his consciousness faded, and as his ghastly foe stood above him, there was only one thing present in his mind.

"...A...Amy..."

For an instant, an emotion that was neither anger nor pride flared up inside him, and he overcame his pain and forced his body to move. He put every remaining ounce of strength in his body into one desperate attack...

And that was the last thing he could remember.

---

Tira was overwhelmed. Never before had she been awash in such death - soaked in such destruction, drenched in such tragedy.

The field that Tira stood upon was literally covered in the bodies of the dead. It was as if every grave of a cemetery had been upturned, bringing the corpses to the surface. The sky above was a foreboding grey, and the ground was dirtied with soil and blood from the struggle. Where Tira stood, the cadavers were spread thin - but closer to the epicenter of the massacre, it was impossible to walk without treading atop the bodies of the dead.

And at the core of this field of death, there stood a figure dripping with blood, his silhouette unmistakable. That powerful form, that massive blade, the carpet of corpses that surrounded him...he was feared across all lands as a living nightmare, he was the slayer of thousands, he was the foundation of Siegfried's suffering.

Tira beheld the Azure Knight at last.

Nightmare's posture was bent forward, not in exhaustion, but concentration. Slowly, but noticeably, a blue mist began to form on the ground at his feet. The mist seemed to emanate from the bodies of the dead, and flowed into the air above Nightmare, funneling down toward him, and his grim sword.

The blue haze being channeled into Nightmare was the essence of the humans he had slain, their very souls, the substance that Soul Edge yearned for. The mist grew in thickness and size, and drifted toward Nightmare with increased speed; before long, the souls were as a tornado, a blue whirlwind of spirits growing in size until the entire field contributed to the massive display. It took only a few minutes for Nightmare to absorb the energy of all the hundreds of men whom he had slain, and the whirlwind faded away.

There was no movement to be seen, save for a dark shape traveling in slow circles around Nightmare. It was the shadow cast from a bird in the sky above - the Watcher that Tira had followed to this morbid scene. As Nightmare's work was done, the bird swooped down and released its grip on the item it clutched in its talons. Nightmare's free hand lashed out and caught the shard, and then drove it into the phantom blade that served him as a placeholder for the true sword.

The only business left here was the voyeur who had been silently watching him.

Nightmare turned around to face her. He could feel her soul - it was peculiar. She was distressed and suffering, but at the same time, she was ecstatic and overjoyed. He could feel her anguish and torment, but he also felt delight and elation. She was a mess, a jumble of different emotions, desires, and thoughts. But there was one thing he could not sense within her - fear.

She began to approach him. She sprinted towards him with a bounce in her step, nearly prancing or skipping as she neared him. If her plan was to puzzle the Azure Knight, she had succeeded.

However, the will of Soul Edge was not one to be curious, nor to one lend its ear to emotionally unstable girls. Nightmare had no interest in dealing with humans beyond killing them, and had no reason to care about this strange woman. He readied his blade, and prepared for her to come within range.

She stopped just short of the reach of his weapon, bowed deeply, and spoke.

"Oh, Master! I've been waiting for this day! The day when I can finally introduce myself to you!"

Master. No human had ever spoken to him this way before. It was...different. It was enough to make Nightmare wonder what she would say next. The girl had bought herself a few more seconds of life.

"My name is Tira! And, as of this moment..." She kneeled down. "...I open the most sacred depths of my heart and accept your will into myself, Master!"

The reason for referring to him as 'Master' became clear. She accepts my will - she gives herself to me as a slave?

Nightmare laughed. An unnatural, unpleasant sound - the Azure Night was unaccustomed to laughter. "You submit yourself to me?" He said, in a tone reminiscent of amusement. "You seek to become my servant?"

Tira faltered slightly upon hearing Nightmare's voice - it was not dissimilar to Siegfried's voice. Understandable - the two had been one for several years. The similarity was almost too much to bear - to hear her Former Master's voice yet again, and to hear it coming from his antithesis...the experience was unnerving.

"Ha!" Nightmare barked. "I can see your uncertainty as clearly as the sun - you lack the resolve to surrender yourself to my control."

"...No! That's not true, Master!" Tira pleaded. "I am ready. I am ready to become yours!"

"And, why? Why do you do this?" Nightmare asked. Such curiosity was uncharacteristic of him, but today he would make an exception.

"I do this because...I have no will of my own - I don't know how to direct myself. This is why I need a Master, one who will guide me and use me."

"And why do you choose me to be this 'Master' of yours?" Nightmare asked.

"From what I have been told, you are nothing more than a desire, correct? Nothing but pure will...whereas I have no will of my own. You and I compliment one another perfectly! And it's not just that - you see, from childhood, I was raised and trained to take the lives of other people. Killing was a part of my daily life - it is unnatural for me to not kill. I want to kill, Master, I need to - and you need the energy that escapes a human upon death, correct? Then my desires are the same as yours! Oh Master, don't you see? We are made for each other! I cannot think of a more perfect match!"

Tira lowered herself onto her hands and knees, and began to crawl toward Nightmare, looking up at him desperately. "I need your direction and guidance, Master. I want your orders and commands. I will kill for you, retrieve shards for you, do whatever you desire! Please, Master? Take me as your slave?"

---

He should have been dead. Yet, for some reason, he lived.

Raphael did not understand how his grievously wounded body could still function despite its lethal injuries. The Azure Night was gone, as well. Had he been spared?

Although the state of his body defied the conditions for living, Raphael miraculously managed to struggle to his feet and drag himself away from Ostrheinsburg, and make the long trek back to his mansion. He spent several days on the brink of death, but he eventually recovered.

At this time, Raphael did not notice the evil energy radiating from the wounds he had received from Soul Edge - energy that was now eating into his body. It was an event known as Malignity Transformation - the phenomenon of intense evil energy corrupting the body, even fueling it. By the time Raphael realized he had fallen prey to such an affliction, it was already too late - the symptoms had spread to Amy, who had spent much time at his side as she nursed him back to health.

No symptoms appeared to indicate that their minds had been infected, but cursed blood pulsed through their bodies nevertheless. Their skin lost its color, and their eyes shone with a wicked light. During the day, they felt weak and sluggish, and when night fell, they felt a powerful thirst. The two of them realized that they were no longer human.

Before long, the people living nearby had learned of their strange condition. Misconstruing it as some sort of a plague, they attempted to drive away their lord. Furious, Raphael contemplated taking revenge on the peasants for their impudence, but his priority was protecting Amy. He put aside thoughts of retribution and, together with Amy, left southern France.

It was a frustrating fate. This was the second time that the evil sword had forced him to endure this kind of humiliation.

"I shall make use of my fate, even this!" Raphael swore to himself. He arrived in Eastern Europe. Taking advantage of the war that had spread throughout the land, he purchased a castle ruin in the mountains and began a life apart from the outside world.

Raphael had no intention of living life on the run forever, however. Amy had been transformed into a being that could not interact with the normal world. To Raphael, the only solution, then, was to change the world itself. His plan, woven from threads of madness, proceeded in secret. His condition spread, starting with the area around the castle, soon moving on to nearby villages and the neighboring city. Eventually, this country, then this continent, then the entire world would change...

---

For the first time since his resurrection, a human had become within the reach of Nightmare's weapon, and yet his sword was still. He pondered the girl's bizarre request, which would still have been unconventional even if Nightmare were a normal human. He had not cooperated with others since his time with Ivy, Astaroth, and the Lizard Man - taking on a servant would be bizarre...but could it be wise? He weighed the options in his mind. Should he kill her, he would have one more soul - should he allow her to live, and give her directions, her assistance could lead him to procure more shards, and eliminate problems he could not have handled himself. Indeed, the most prudent decision would be to accept this girl's proposition.

"...Rise, slave."

Tira's eyes grew wide, elation spread throughout her face, and Nightmare could sense that her soul was overwhelmed with joy. She stood up proudly, and eagerly anticipated his next command.

Nightmare felt something akin to satisfaction, upon seeing the girl obey his words. It was gratifying to speak a command and see it obeyed.

"What shall I do for you, Master?" Tira asked gleefully, her eyes twinkling with delight. "What do you need accomplished?"

Raphael's death.

Nightmare's existence was dedicated to a single purpose - the accumulation of souls - but there was one task besides the reaping of souls that Nightmare longed to achieve - the elimination of the man who ruined everything for him, who destroyed his progress and cost him a host. If Nightmare could have a single wish outside of his mission to restore himself and re-acquire his sword…it would be to see Raphael dead.

Nightmare knew it would be unwise to fight Raphael in a weakened state, and so he had gathered souls - by now, was he ready to destroy the man? Or had the time not yet come? Nightmare had long wished to end the life of the Frenchman by his own hand; however, this new circumstance changed his plans.

Nightmare did not wish to entrust his servant with any task at all, if her competence and capabilities were unproven - it was necessary, then, for her to prove her worth. And what better task than to eliminate Nightmare's enemy for him? If Tira could kill Raphael, then she would prove her competence - and if she were not capable enough to cause Raphael's death, she was an inept and worthless servant. He was already making a strange deal with the girl; Nightmare would settle for nothing less than complete satisfaction from her.

"North of here, there is a region poisoned by the taint of a man named Raphael Sorel. You will find him, kill him, and bring me his head. I will entrust you with several of my Watchers to provide aid. I will give you seven days to complete this task. If Raphael is not dead by that time, you will no longer be my slave."

Nightmare sensed the girl's soul change again - her elation became viciousness, her joy became a lust for blood. It appeared that this girl possessed two distinct identities.

Tira grinned wickedly and bowed deeply. "Your will shall be done, Master." She purred. Tira turned northward, and darted off with haste. Black shadows chased after her, as Nightmare's Watchers gave pursuit.

It was rare for Nightmare to indulge in such diversions as entertaining the wild dreams of an insane girl - but it had done no harm, and he had been amused. At best, she would prove herself useful, and kill Raphael. At worst, she would die, he would spend seven days gathering strength, and then he would kill Raphael himself. There were no losses here, and Nightmare eagerly awaited the results of this experiment.

A slave. How interesting.