Chapter 50: The defeated god

The hooded man was walking in the darkness of the night, on a desert hill.

The hill was all covered in grass and it was palely illuminated by the moon.

It was a quiet and beautiful landscape, but the presence of the hooded man made it look sinister.

He went up the hill reaching its top.

Once there, he yelled:

- It's in here where you were defeated.

He smiled mockingly.

- Isn't it...Hephaestus?

Anybody who had seen the hooded man at that moment would have believed him to be crazy. He seemed to be talking to nobody and he wasn't getting any answer. Not until he said:

- I'm sure I could beat you too.

Suddenly, a thunder sounded in the distance and it started raining heavily.

Then a flash of light blinded the hooded man and, when it was gone, a man who seemed really powerful appeared in front of him.

- Do you really think you can beat me? – he said in a very loud voice.

- No. – admitted the hooded man. – And I don't want to. I don't really like animals.

He laughed and, surprisingly, the god shuddered as any mortal would have done.

- Then…why did you call me?

Hephaestus was getting angry and that made the storm get stronger.

- Have you heard of...Soul Calibur? – asked the hooded man, knowing the answer.

He was just trying to demoralize Hephaestus.

Gods are very powerful, but they are very proud too. The hooded man was hitting Hephaestus where it hurt most.

- Oh…of course. – he laughed. – That's the sword which a mere mortal used to beat you.

Hephaestus' patience was over.

He frowned at the hooded man and screamed loudly. When he did so, a lightning stroke right on the hooded man's chest, making him scream in pain and fall to the ground.

Hephaestus smiled in satisfaction while seeing the hooded man's corpse.

However, when he was about to leave, he heard a laugh coming from the corpse. A horrible and familiar laugh.

Suddenly, what Hephaestus believed to be a dead body stood up like if it had just tripped. He said laughing:

- I hope now you know my secret, you'll tell me where you hid Soul Calibur.

- Wh…what do you want it for? – asked Hephaestus, with a feeling which was beneath a god: fear.

The hooded man raised his head and he smiled, showing a gold tooth which shone in the darkness.

- To die.