Chapter 15: Revelation
Connor began explaining the third-party scenario that was unfolding, "Long, long ago, transcending history and the world, an enormous sword was forged, designed to be the deadliest weapon on the battlefield. It was called Soul Edge and it was a beast. At a daunting six feet, one inch in length, no ordinary soldier could wield it... but those who could proved unstoppable. It left no survivors in its wake."
Natsuno interrupted, "That's what caused the burn in Tohru's hair?!"
"No...However, a great evil dwelled within the sword. After claiming victory upon victory and being bathed in the blood and hatred of countless foes, a fire was born inside Soul Edge. The demon Inferno had one purpose: to infect the world with evil and chaos, but in order to do this, he needed a warrior capable of wielding the true power of Soul Edge. He planned to possess this warrior and transform them into the azure-clad knight of darkness, Nightmare."
Natsuno realized something, So it was Inferno who knocked me out.
"Inferno's first victim came in the late 16th century when a pirate named Cervantes de León raided an English galleon and discovered the intriguing blade aboard, claiming it as his own. Inferno seized this opportunity and possessed the pirate, testing his body by slaughtering the entire population of a Spanish port town."
"So..." Natsuno was going to ask if Cevantes became Nightmare, but Connor interrupted because he already knew what he was going to ask.
"Unfortunately, while powerful, Cervantes was not the ideal vessel Inferno had sought. So he made him wait in that town until two Japanese women showed up, killed him, and somebody more powerful picked up the sword. That someone was a knight named Siegfried and this was the body Inferno was looking for. Once Siegfried's hand touched Soul Edge, Inferno began eating away at his soul, torturing him endlessly and feeding on his fear and anger, transforming him into Nightmare. Nightmare was strong enough to threaten all of Europe, conquering whole armies and devouring thousands of innocent souls."
Natsuno was surprised to hear of such violence.
"However, Soul Edge's power was incomplete. At some point, it had been broken and shards of the demon sword had been scattered across the world. To unlock Soul Edge's true power, Nightmare set off to find the lost pieces of his sword and repair it. As Nightmare discovered each shard, the power of Soul Edge grew, and so did Nightmare's. Despite Nightmare's evergrowing power, Siegfried constantly battled to free himself from Soul Edge's curse and eventually he succeeded. The two did battle atop of Ostrheinsburg Castle, but Nightmare's power was so great the entire structure was obliterated by a single swing of his vile blade."
"What enormous power." Natsuno said in shock under his breath.
"Soul Edge cannot be defeated by an ordinary blade. In fact, only one weapon has ever been able to harm it:" Connor unsheathed the sword on his back, "This supposedly holy blade called Soul Calibur. Unknown to most, Soul Calibur is actually the final shard of Soul Edge, reforged into a second sword made specifically to combat its demonic counterpart."
"But what does this all have to do with Tohru?"
"While Soul Edge may seem indestructible, Inferno requires a mortal body to create Nightmare. He thought that he might be able to possess Tohru, but he must've been rejected by Tohru's heart."
"I see."
Megumi discovered—outside Natsuno's window—that he had torn up her postcard, and the note that he left with it. The revived Megumi picked up the torn pieces of her postcard to Natsuno and was saddened by what he said on th note.