Chapter 2:
Heading westward, Ivy's group trekked through the madness and instability that jarred Astral Chaos.
"Keep your sights open." said Ivy.
The group had been traveling for a mile since their resolve to find Soul Edge's whereabouts. Along the way, members of Ivy's group saw a large number of warriors fighting amongst each other. Some of which they had fought against, others were dying in front of them, their souls leaving their bodies but continuing to fight onward.
"Oh my goodness." said Mi-Na.
"What is it?" Ivy asked.
"The souls of those warriors, leaving their bodies behind, Is that normal here?" Mi-Na responded back.
"This world is abnormal and a haven for lost souls." Ivy replied.
"If we're not careful, we might end up being these forgotten souls." Ivy added.
As Ivy's group marched onward, they stopped when they saw two of The Azure Knight's generals, Voldo and Raphael, trying to balance themselves on their weapons, trying to stand up.
"What do those two want?" said Ivy as her whip sword uncoiled
Given the fact that Raphael and Voldo both were slaves under Soul Edge's influence and were working under its command, both fighters, once weakened, had regained their strength in this world.
"Perhaps thou shall check thy energy of such foes." Yoshimitsu chimed in.
"Your weapon responds to such negative force." Yoshimitsu added.
Ivy looked at her sword and saw it had already uncoiled, flailing around like a snake as it sensed the evil aura both Voldo and Raphael had. This also lead to Taki grabbing her Mekki-Maru as it started to notice the evil energy as well.
"Whatever these two are here for, they are probably looking to stand in our way of stopping Soul Edge." said Taki.
"Correction!" Raphael spoke as he gained his footing.
"We're here to put an end to your meddlesome campaign of acquiring Soul Edge for your own." Raphael added.
"Stand aside! We're here to destroy Soul Edge at its very source." said Ivy.
"Not without succumbing to our blades." said Raphael as he twirled his rapier around before pointing it at Ivy.
"You never learn." scowled Ivy.
As Raphael lunged towards Ivy, her whip sword flailed wildly around, causing Raphael to back away cautiously but Voldo daringly enough to spring forward and tackle Ivy. As Voldo pinned Ivy to the ground, Taki jumped in the air and lunged forward, hitting Raphael in the thigh.
"You dare strike me, you undisciplined harlot!" sneered Raphael.
"I wil show you who has more discipline." declared Taki as she rolled underneath Raphael's attacks.
Taki then struck Raphael in the back, then his sides, and kicking him in the chin, causing him to fall.
"What were you saying about undisciplined?" Taki asked.
Voldo and Ivy continue to wrestle until Voldo gained the upper hand again. As Voldo was about to strike down Ivy, the wires of Ivy's whip sword wrapped itself around Voldo's neck, strangling him.
"Strangle, my sword!" demanded Ivy.
Voldo struggled, trying to free himself from the sword's grasp. He hissed and snarled as he fought to for air. Voldo released his grasp on Ivy as he began using his katars to try and cut the wires like scissors to paper. This caused Ivy to grab the hilt of her sword, pulling back on Voldo, increasing the strangulation until he feigned in an unconscious state.
"That should silence you!" said Ivy.
Taki had Raphael pinned down on the ground, placing her foot on his chest and her kodachi pointed at him.
"Move and I will slit your throat." said Taki.
"Let him go." said Ivy.
"Are you sure you want me to do that?" Taki asked.
"Just let him go." Ivy responded in a slightly annoyed tone.
Taki released her foot from Raphael's chest, allowing him to sit up.
"Tell us, where is Soul Edge?" Ivy asked.
"How should I know, I'm looking for it also." Raphael replied.
"What do you intend on doing with Soul Edge if you don't know where it is?" Ivy asked again.
" My intentions is to break its spell over me so that I will end not only The Azure Knight's reign but to also combine this world with ours." Raphael responded.
"It's a beautiful world, isn't it?" Raphael asked.
"If you like to spend the rest of your days in chaotic purgatory." Cassandra chimed in.
"No more words, your plan will not come to fruition." said Ivy.
"See to it that your schemes will not be executed without any consequences!" Ivy added.
"Oh, my plan will go unhitched and I plan to bring you down the minute I obtain power over both worlds." said Raphael.
As the french nobleman was about to lunge at Ivy again, Mitsurugi, Yoshimitsu, and Seong Mi-Na stepped in and placed their weapons at Raphael's throat. Raphael hesitated. His smirk turned into a scowl, causing him to lay back on the ground in a defeated state.
"Next time we see you, we shall not hold back our weapons from cutting your existence like a small thread." said Ivy as the rest of her group headed onward.
As Raphael rose to his feet, his blood red eyes burned with anger and vengeance but at the same time, a reignited ambition into putting his plan into motion.
"I shall have my way, Lady Valentine." Raphael said to himself.
"For you have motivated me with the altruistic drive to see my plans through!" Raphael added as a smirk crept back across his face.
There was no doubt that not only Ivy's group had a perilous journey ahead of them but what dangers Xianghua's group would confront along their quest. Only time, and the prospect of hope could guide them to their ultimate goal.