Chapter 7 – Manji Clan's Assault

Back on track after the Tira incident, our heroes Leonsritt, Cassandra, and Hilde walk the long path to the Dark Capital of Ostrheinsburg. Hilde had been telling Leonsritt and Cassandra about how fascinating it is to travel.

"Wow, just traveling like this is great. I mean, imagine. More crazy adventures we'll have."

"Uh, Hilde. Calm down. I know we're traveling to find a cure for your father, getting this shard off me and all other sorts of stuff."

"But Leo, she's right. You never know what might happen. That's what makes an adventure so exciting."

"Yeah, okay. You win."

They kept walking and they arrived on the mountain path.

"Hey, Hilde, you said that there's a village after crossing this path, right?"

"Yes. Are you in need of something?"

"No, it's just that if we had a bike, we would be getting there a lot faster..."

"What's a 'bike'?"

"Oh... uh... well, it's a transportation device that you use to get around places..."

"Never heard of it..."

(Damn, these guys don't know what a bike is... I forgot I'm in the 17th century...)

"This 'bike' you say, can take us anywhere?"

"Yeah..."

That being said, a bicycle landed on Leonsritt. The girls backed away, and two more landed on him. Cassandra helped Leonsritt up as Hilde removed the bikes.

"What are those things?"

"Don't worry, I'll take care of them!"

"Cassandra, stop."

"Why?"

She stopped and Leonsritt picked up one of the bikes.

"This is a bike."

"Where'd they come from?"

"I don't know but that hurt!"

"This is the transportation device you were talking about?"

"Yep!"

Leonsritt got on it and rode it around the girls.

"So, you guys are gonna learn how to ride a bike."

"Okay!"

"Hilde, come on!"

"Hmm..."

"Unless you want to walk the rest of the way."

"Alright."

And so, Leonsritt, taught the girls how to. He enjoyed teaching them, but he still ponders the question, where did the bikes come from? After just a few hours, both of them had learned how to handle the bikes, and rode down the mountain path.

"So, how are you guys enjoying the bikes?"

"Wow! The breeze feels nice!"

"How about you Hilde?"

"This is more fun than being in a carriage!"

"Heh, thought so!"

Halfway down the mountain trail, they found a camping spot. All three set up camp near a river flowing through the mountain path and rested.

"Hey, Hilde. Set up the fire and all, please."

"Sure."

"Cassandra, come with me."

"Okay."

Leonsritt walked toward the river, with Cassandra following. The two had reached the river and sat near the flowing water.

"Hey, I got something I wanna ask you..."

"What is it?"

There was a long moment of silence between the two.

"Okay... I know this'll sound depressing, but if there would be a time when I will go, and never come back... what will you do...?"

"..."

"Tell me, what will you do?"

"I... I don't know..."

"Look, if that were to happen..."

Leonsritt held her hand. Cassandra looked at him with her eyes shining bright with the moonlight. Leonsritt had noticed her eyes and he placed his hand on her face, caressing her cheek. She closed her eyes. He looked at his hand, at the bangle. He removed it and grabbed Cassandra's left arm.

"If that ever happens, don't cry. I will always be there..."

He placed the bangle on her left wrist, and she leaned on his chest. He embraced her tightly. The moment was soon interrupted by swords clashing, and people fighting.

"Oh, no! Hilde!"

"Let's go!"

Leonsritt and Cassandra got up and ran towards the campsite. The two arrived and Hilde was fighting off some people dressed like ninjas, with flags on their backs. Leonsritt chucked his blade at some of them and backed off.

"You okay, Hilde?"

"Yes, I am!"

"Leo, what do we do...?"

(These guys seem very familiar...) "Hold on..."

The leader soon appeared, with Leonsritt soon recognizing him.

"Yoshimitsu... Leader of the Manji Clan... Why did your clan attack Princess Hildegard...?"

"She's of royalty. And I am one who steals from the rich to help the poor..."

"Yeah, but that doesn't mean that you should just attack her! What if she had nothing?"

"Quiet, you! You possess a Soul Edge shard! You must die!"

"Alright then, let's see what you're made of!"

"Repent!"

Leonsritt and Yoshimitsu crossed swords, with Hilde and Cassandra fighting of the other members of the Manji Clan. Minutes have passed and Leonsritt kept fighting Yoshimitsu. Leonsritt was tired, and Yoshimitsu kept healing himself with meditation.

"What the hell... I can't fight back, and yet he heals himself."

"Namu..."

He disappeared and appeared behind him.

"Hara..."

Leonsritt knew what he was going to do. But it was too late...

"Kiri!"

There was silence, and a scream of pain pierced the night.

"GAAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHH!"

"Leo!"

"Leonsritt!"

"Retribution!"

Leonsritt fell to the ground, lifeless, and Yoshimitsu removed the sword from his body, and flicking the blood off, he placed it back on its sheath.

"LEO!"

"I have defeated the evil one. We, the Manji Clan, have succeeded once again."

"No, no, no..."

"Cassandra... don't... cry..."

Leonsritt had spoken to Cassandra. She was in tears.

"Don't... cry... because..."

The wound from the sword had healed. Leonsritt stood up from the puddle of blood, and Yoshimitsu had prepared to attack once more.

"Because it's gonna take more than that to kill me."

Leonsritt had transformed into his Demon form. Yoshimitsu attacked, but his attacks failed. They both crossed swords once again and fought till both we're exhausted.

"You... why do you fight?"

"Because, I fight for those I care for..."

"Yet you are one with the dark power. Do you not understand what it can do to you..."

"I don't care about that... I fight to protect... Not to destroy..."

"Then, have we been fighting the wrong people?"

They stopped power struggling. Leonsritt nodded a yes. Yoshimitsu had called off the clan members. The girls had put down their weapons, and walked towards the two.

"I do apologize for our attack."

"APOLOGIZE! YOU KILLED ME! Well, almost."

"I am so sorry..."

"Fine, but you owe me big time..."

"Yes, I am deeply sorry."

"Well, what now?"

"We'll take you to our hideout up here."

"Hideout, you say?"

"Yes, so come with us."

Yoshimitsu had grabbed his katana and spun it like a helicopter. Leonsritt had grabbed each girl's hand. He jumped and, to their surprise, he floated up to the Manji Clan's base. Following Yoshimitsu, they entered a cavern. It was a little cold but they then entered a hidden temple, where they had seen a lot of Manji Clan members in training. Yoshimitsu had ordered them to line up and greet the three of them.

"You all have been greeted by us, the people of the Manji Clan."

"Uh, yeah, you know we were supposed to be going to a village..."

"Yeah, I wanted to sleep in a bed!"

"Cassandra, calm down. We're traveling because we're to find a cure for my father."

"You better have a bed!"

"Cassandra, calm down! Anyway, what now?"

"As our apology, you can rest here for the night, seeing as how your friend needs a bed."

"Thank you!"

"Okay... (thanks a lot Cassandra...)"

The three of them were lead to some rooms. They noticed the décor inside, and were impressed by this. Cassandra had gone into Leonsritt's room, Hilde had gone into her own, and Leonsritt had rested on his bed, with Cassandra at his side. Leonsritt had looked around, as Cassandra sat up and looked around as well. He then had looked at Cassandra.

"You know, it was actually a good idea that you mentioned the beds and all."

"Well, I wanted to sleep in one, you know."

"Heh heh, yeah."

Leonsritt had a thought that crossed his mind.

"Hey, Cassandra..."

"What is it?"

"Do you... ever miss your home...?"

"Hmm..."

There was a long silence between them.

"Yeah... I do... but why ask me this all of a sudden...?"

"Because, I miss my home, too."

Leonsritt had felt sad about not being home, but he knew that if he wanted to get out, then to look for the two people he's searching for, Ivy and Siegfried. A while later, Cassandra had fallen asleep and Leonsritt walked out of his room. He found two Manji Clan members guarding the rooms.

"Hey, take me to Yoshimitsu."

Without an answer, they both nodded and took Leonsritt to Yoshimitsu. He saw Yoshimitsu training and walked up to him.

"Leonsritt, what is it that you need...?"

"I need to talk to you... in private..."

Yoshimitsu had looked at the two members and signaled them to return to their posts.

"Look, I know that I have the Soul Edge shard on my arm."

Leonsritt had lifted the sleeve, and now noticed that the top part of his arm had now turned into a purplish, black color.

"Young man... you must hurry to remove this shard off your body."

"Why...?"

"If this keeps going, you will lose your sanity, and not just that, but also..."

"I see... but why of all people did I get this in me...?"

"You are of another world, are you not?"

"How did you know...?"

"People from other worlds do get a shard in their bodies and there's no explanation of why they do..."

"So it seems that Soul Edge is spreading its evil everywhere..."

"Yes, and to remove it from your body, the influence of Soul Calibur is the only way."

"That's the thing, where can I find Siegfr-"

Swords clashing were heard from a distance. Somebody had found the Manji Clan hideout, and both Leonsritt and Yoshimitsu had gone outside to see. Manji Clan members were taken out and the two had checked to see who had done this. Leonsritt approached one of the members on the ground.

"Who did this to you...?"

"A... man... with... the essence of Soul Edge... a vampire..."

"Vampire?"

"Leonsritt, what's wrong?"

"Yoshimitsu, we gotta get to Hilde and Cassandra! Raphael's here!"

"Let's go!"

The two ran to the rooms that Yoshimitsu gave to Leonsritt and the girls. They arrived at the hallway to find a tall, blonde man with a long cape holding Hilde and Cassandra knocked out cold.

"LET THEM GO!"

Leonsritt had lunged to this man, ready to deliver a punch, but this man moved away and Leonsritt missed. He disappeared and laughed.

"Dammit!"

"Young man, we must go after them."

"Alright... (Raphael, you bastard!)"

Leonsritt had known about Raphael, a Spaniard who is slowly losing himself to Soul Edge. He had somehow obtained the abilities of a vampire, due to the influences of Soul Edge. Leonsritt had grabbed his steel paddle and had followed Yoshimitsu. They both reached the path that Leonsritt and the girls were following and dashed with some Manji Clan members following them.

"Yoshimitsu, where does Raphael reside? Do you know?"

"It is most likely that he is heading to Sorel Castle..."

"Damn! We gotta get there before he does!"

They stopped at a village. Leonsritt and Yoshimitsu had seen people out of their houses, crying and desperately looking for something, as if they lost someone. He walked to a person near him.

"Hey, what happened?"

"My... my daughter! Someone took my daughter!"

(Raphael... what the hell are you up to?) "Don't worry... I'll find her!"

Yoshimitsu had approached a few people and then walked towards Leonsritt. He gave Leonsritt some info. Apparently, Hilde and Cassandra weren't the only ones taken, some young women were taken as well from this village. Leonsritt was angered, and Yoshimitsu had gathered the people in one place. They all looked at Leonsritt, and without any other things in mind, he spoke.

"People of this little village. I know young women have been taken from here. Not just that, someone has taken my two companions away from me. But, I swear I will return them to you, no matter what the cost may be."

"Who is the culprit who did this to us?"

"He is Raphael Sorel. He was the one who did it. Whatever he's thinking of doing, we'll stop him."

The crowd of people had been struck in fear of the name, Raphael Sorel. Leonsritt had assumed that Raphael threatened this village. The moonlight shone down on the village, and Leonsritt turned to see a castle overlooking the village. One of the villagers had told them that the castle up there belongs to Raphael. Later on, Yoshimitsu had walked up to Leonsritt, and he handed him a sort of map.

"What's this?"

"I got this from one of the villagers. It seems that one of the children has once gone into the castle and retrieved this map."

"Alright, let's go."

Leonsritt and Yoshimitsu went out and headed to Sorel Castle. But what are Raphael's motives? Is he planning something with the women he's captured? There was only one way to find out.

Author's Notes: Yep, you know the routine for this already. I DO NOT own SoulCalibur at all... or anything related to it... Yep, this chapter took me a while to do... Writer's block sucks, don't it? Oh and about the bike thing, I'll explain that in a later chapter. Well, get ready for chapter 8!