Disclaimer: I don't own Soul Calibur, if I did then this fanfiction wouldn't be necessary because I'd make SCV into the best fighting game EVER!
But I digress...
"Pāṇātipātā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi." (I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking life)
"Jarādhammomhi jaraṃ anatīto..." (I am subject to aging, I have not gone beyond aging)
"Adinnādānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi." (I undertake the training rule to abstain from taking what is not given)
"Vyādhidhammomhi vyādhiṃ anatīto..." (I am subject to illness, I have not gone beyond illness)
"Kāmesumicchācāra veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi." (I undertake the training rule to abstain from sexual misconduct)
"Maraṇadhammomhi maraṇaṃ anatīto..." (I am subject to death, I have not gone beyond death)
"Musāvādā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi." (I undertake the training rule to abstain from false speech)
"Sabbehi me piyehi manāpehi nānābhāvo vinābhāvo..." (I will grow different, separate from all that is dear and appealing to me)
"Surāmerayamajjapamādaṭṭhānā veramaṇī sikkhāpadaṃ samādiyāmi." (I undertake the training rule to abstain from fermented drink that causes heedlessness)
"Kammassakomhi kammadāyādo kammayoni kammabandhū kammapaṭisaraṇo yaṃ kammaṃ karissāmi kalyāṇaṃ vā pāpakaṃ vā tassa dāyādo bhavissāmī..." (I am the owner of my actions, heir to my actions, born of my actions, related through my actions, and have my actions as my arbitrator. Whatever I do, for good or for evil, to that will I fall heir)
"Pañcimāni bhikkhave ṭhānāni abhiṇhaṃ paccavekkhitabbāni itthiyā vā purisena vā gahaṭṭhena vā pabbajitena vā." (There are these five facts that one should reflect on often, whether one is a woman or a man, lay or ordained)
"Someone is here," The Monk adorned with a helm resembling a phoenix said to his protegee, "The wind sings of her coming, she seeks for you Mina."
"It is Talim."
"Go to her."
"Don't have to tell me twice." The young woman hopped to her feet before diving down from the thin pillar of bamboo. She landed in front of the entrance to her master's former birthplace as an old friend happily held her arms open.
"Mina!"
"Talim!" Seong Mina picked up her friend as they embraced after so many years, "It's great to see you!"
"I feel the same!" Talim said as they both laughed, "Look at you...you haven't changed at all since all those years ago..."
"Oh...a few things have changed..." Mina set the wind priestess down and casually dusted off her bust which Talim noticed had grown since 15 years ago, "Not as much as you though...you've grown into a beautiful woman...you even grew a few inches."
"I'm glad that your spirit remains the same..." Talim mused, allowing Mina's humor to blow over her mind, "Despite everything that happened back then..."
"The past is the past, Talim..." Mina shrugged her left shoulder to bring her spear out of it's holster and into her left hand, "So what brings you all the way out into the middle of nowhere?"
"I must consult the Edgemaster, Mina..." Talim answered as Mina's smile became a concerned look, "Do you not feel it?"
"I think I know what you're talking about..." Mina replied, "It's worse than Soul Edge?"
"Far worse...Soul Calibur's light has been corrupted by Soul Edge's taint..." Mina gulped as Talim walked past her, "Something terrible is happening in the West."
"It's always the West...why can't anything ever happen close to home?"
"Because then you would have little incentive to seek it, apprentice," Mina's master responded from in front of Talim, startling Mina from how silent he had been at first, "It's good to see you again, Talim."
"Kilik?" Talim asked, immediately recognizing the man's facial structure and the scar upon his cheek, "You're the Edgemaster?"
"Told you the mask doesn't help!"
"I suppose not apprentice..."
"You're silent...Not like you used to be..."
"Do you even have a voice? A will?" The eye of the sheathed sword just stared back at it's wielder, Patroklos heard it's wordless voice answer him, "Me? I am your will? You'll only do as I command?"
"I'm glad that you understand," Patroklos sat upon what used to be Graf Dumas' bed, content that his sheathed sword would not bother him without his consent, "Siegfried...Mother...Dumas...all of them lied and controlled me like a dog. But you won't do that to me...won't you?"
"Master...you look like you could use my help..."
"I'm still trying to think of a name for it," Patroklos said to the entering Tira, "...Soul Master is nice...but, I feel that it deserves a stronger title."
"Soul Slayer?" Tira offered and saw Patroklos shake his head, "Soul Dominus? Soul Kaiser? It'll come to you soon master..."
"You're probably right." Patroklos agreed, "Soul Justice? Soul Magister? Soul Judge? Soul Purifier?"
"Not the last one. Sounds too much like that minx Sophitia-"
"Don't talk about my..." Patroklos stopped midway through his threat, confused and quietly angry at the same time, "I apologize...where did that even come from?"
"I did insult your mother master...I deserve to be punished..."
"No, I'm not sure why I even reacted." Patroklos said as Tira leaned on his back and massaged his shoulders, "I hardly even remember my mother...she was gone shortly after I took my first steps on the path. She didn't say good-bye..."
"Poor thing..." Tira whispered gently, "Sounds like Sophie wasn't much of mother for you, was she?"
"No, Sophitia was no mother to me." Patroklos heard himself say, "I remember the sword's memories...she gave her life to save Pyrrha...died and left me and father alone...why should I care if you insult her?
"Why should you care, master?" Tira asked, agreeing with Patroklos' rising anger, "She wasn't there for you all of your life...wasted away her life for that stupid weak girl...wasted her life away on useless crusades...abandoned her family without so much as a backwards glance...what a bitch..."
"Yeah...why was Pyrrha so special?" Patroklos growled as he stood up from the bed, "Yes...my mother was a fool. A stupid woman who allowed false gods to mislead her from her family...and then she took the coward's way out rather than return to us."
"Return to you," Patroklos turned back to his servant, who was willing to do anything for her master, "So what if Pyrrha would've died? What about you? What about your father and grandparents? What about your uncle? Was that weak little girl worth it to leave everything else behind?"
"To think...that I wanted to be just like her..." Patroklos fumed, a surge of power flared off of his body as Tira watched in awe, "A Holy Warrior who champions for the cause of righteousness and justice! What justice can be bought from this wretched land? A land that so easily forgets, never wanting to admit their faults! This world is rotten with greed and impurity! What Holy Warrior would ever want to defend that?"
"Some Holy Warrior she was..." Tira commented, approaching her master to ease his mood, "But you...you can be so much more than her...why should you take commands from anyone? Human or god? You have the power to make your way in this rotten world..."
"To destroy it and make it anew..."
"Master..." Tira felt the boy's lips force themselves onto her's, surprising her even as she returned the gesture, "Master! Hungry for more, aren't we?"
"Well I am a growing boy." Patroklos pushed the girl onto his bed, ripping off her gown without protest, "Will you refuse me?"
"Never..." Tira gestured with her finger for him to come, and he accepted, "That's right Master...just like everything I am...your fate...your power is yours alone..."
"I suppose being a Holy Warrior never suited me..." Patroklos ripped off his aroused servant's skirt as he allowed urges both primal and hungry to guide him, "How about, Holy Ravager? For I shall ravage this land of all malfested and impure...starting with you."
Newly coronated as a ravager of hearts and souls, the fallen youth wastes no more time in "purifying" his servant...
"Are you sure about this you two?"
"We are," Cassandra and Pyrrha stood outside of a semi-circle of Siegfried's group and allies, "Pyrrha needs to be with her family now."
"What's left of it-" Zwei felt Leixia slap her hand across the young man's head before walking away with obvious disapproval, "I'm just telling the truth."
"What truth?"
"You've been out of the loop for seventeen years Cassandra!" Zwei shouted, "How do you even know that home is still there? Let alone the same as when you left it? You really think that you're parents will be there awaiting your return? Or that someone will welcome you both with open arms?"
"As harsh as his words are, ZWEI is speaking truthfully," Seigfried admitted, "Whether by your own will or not, you are guilty of many sins Pyrrha. You cannot run away from your responsibilities-"
"Shut up!" Cassandra yelled aggressively, "I'm about tired of everyone putting responsibilities on my family without even hearing our say in the matter! First, the gods, Soul Calibur, and now you Siegfried! I'm done! I'm taking Pyrrha home!"
"But about your sister?" Siegfried brought up, "Would you walk away from everything that she fought for-"
"What she died for is standing behind me." Cassandra nodded back to the quiet Pyrrha, "And thanks to all of you and those damned swords, the other half of that reason is already halfway in hell. I won't let you destroy what's left of my family!"
"What family?" Zwei asked again, "Your family is already gone! How do you know that the girl behind you isn't just as bad as her brother?"
"Enough!" Hilde shouted as she stood up from beside her husband and commander, "The girl has done nothing to threaten us since she was separated from Soul Edge. There should be no reason to restrict her movements."
"Perhaps Hilde is correct," Siegfried reluctantly agreed, "But we cannot let the two of you go by yourselves. Patroklos and Nightmare may attempt to attack you again feed the new Soul Blade with the remaining essence of Soul Edge inside of Pyrrha."
"Please Siegfried, I've fought off whole gangs of bandits-"
"The world is a much different place Cassandra." Siegfried pointed out to the younger sister of Sophitia, "The home you intend to return Pyrrha to may not even be there. Do you even know where you are now?"
"So you never saw your mother again?" Siegfried grunted at Cassandra's question, "Was she happy to see her son alive and well, one last time?"
"Her life-long prayer had been answered." Siegfried answered, "ZWEI, you're going with them."
"The hell?" ZWEI said in outrage, "Why do I get stuck with them?"
"Because Hilde and myself will have to stay and ensure that the Schwarzwind survives what will soon come...besides, you could learn much from Cassandra."
"Right...As you say, commander..."
"We'll tag along as well." Maxi said as he also nodded to a recovering Natsu, a listening Leixia and Xiba, who was eating bread and cake, "I'm heading to Ibelin in Palestine and Athens is on the way there."
"What for?"
"The Edgemaster thought that something like this would happen." Maxi explained, "Two siblings cursed by Soul Edge through their mother? Both of them are chosen as wielders of the two swords? In short, the old man figured that something bad would happen. If Soul Calibur was compromised, we would need a new weapon to fight whatever is born from that compromise."
"I see...can you say anything more?"
"To be honest, I've got nothing." Maxi shrugged as the wolf started howling at something, "There's only three people that have ever come close to a situation like this and two of them aren't exactly lined up and ready for the call...quite your friend down Leixia!"
"Alright..." Leixia agreed, "Come on boy...what's got you so riled up?"
"Could I help?" Pyrrha meekly asked, "After...after I visit my home? I want...to make right what I've done wrong..."
"You could start by stepping over to a cliff and jumping-" That was when a shield flew into Zwei's face and knocked him to the ground.
"Aunt Cassandra! Why did you do that?"
"Because no one threatens my family when I'm around!" Cassandra answered as she caught her shield without looking and stomped over to Zwei, "So Pyrrha made a mistake...big deal! Soul Edge makes people do all kinds of crazy things!"
"You'd know all about that wouldn't you?" Zwei asked as a spectral wolf grabbed Cassandra from behind and threw her into a tree stump, "Hell! I shouldn't be surprised with how messed up your family is! Sophitia went evil too right? So it's only natural for the kids to follow her footsteps right?"
"That's it!" Cassandra hoped to her feet and charged the young man, "Let's go Wolf Boy!"
"Fine with me!"
"Stop it please-" Pyrrha pleaded before she saw the samurai from before stand in front of her to block her, "Please move sir-"
"Or what?" Mitsurugi waited as Pyrrha shakingly drew out her sword, "You really want to challenge me child? A sword with steeled determination and will is as useless as a blunt knife used to scrap the butter!"
"They're fighting because of me!" Pyrrha cried as the samurai just stood and watched her. Behind him, Cassandra and Zwei clashed within the semi-circle, "It's all my fault! I was weak and let people control me! I don't want anyone else to be hurt or die because of me!"
"It's not just you, girl. She's also fighting for your mother's honor."
"My...my mother," Pyrrha said...remembering trace memories of a woman who smiled at her, one who looked a lot like Cassandra, "But...she's gone..."
"I will allow her to answer that for herself," Mitsurugi answered the girl as he turned back in time to see Cassandra roll under Ein's strike and use her shield to block Zwei's attack, "Besides, weak wills should not interfere in duels between those of greater strength."
"I'm sorry..."
"Don't apologize...or were you even trying to help your aunt?"
"I...I was...but I didn't know-"
"Forget it child, I won't waste any more words for an weak soul like yours."
"That's enough you two!" Hilde said as she used her sword to block Cassandra's sword and had her spear ward off EIN, "You've proven your point, Cassandra."
"Let me check again, just to be sure!"
"I was just getting warmed up woman!"
"ZWEI!" Siegfried shouted, "You're out of line."
"Guess I am! Attitude reflects leadership afterall! I get it! You want to give the girl a chance to redeem herself just like you did! But not everyone has that chance! Not everyone gets a redo! Look at Patroklos! The guy was murdering people left and right and he was enjoying it! You didn't once question giving Soul Calibur to him and look what happened! So you really expect me or anyone else to follow you as far as letting this little girl go! The one that people call the Crimson Despair? She's just like her brother!"
"That's a laugh!" Maxi doubled over laughing as the group watched him laugh for a good minute, Cassandra herself was stunned to see Maxi like this, "ZWEI's full of it, but he's got a point, Siegfried. You haven't held Soul Edge for over seventeen years...you've forgotten about what gives the sword it's strength and hold...that passes to the shards and the malfested essence."
"What is that?"
"The wielder's soul," Maxi answered the listening Siegfried, "I still have a shard of soul edge inside of me...and it fed on my desire for revenge against Astaroth. So much so that it nearly consumed me...thanks to the Edgemaster, the energy within the shard was removed and now it's basically defunct...but it's still there...waiting for me to take the bait."
"Can't you also sense other similar energies?"
"Yeah, I can," Maxi answered, "So I sensed the taint within the boy. It wasn't as strong as in Pyrrha...but it was more...malicious...darker...he was actively fueling that taint from the start but none of us acted on it."
"And neither did he," Mitsurugi chimed in, "He would've had the ability to sense the difference between malfested and normal people...but he didn't care to use this at all despite being able to learn quickly. When I clashed blades with him, I sensed his darkened heart...something that this girl didn't have."
"What does that mean?"
"It means Pyrrha would've been harmless if not for Tira," Siegfried confirmed, much to Cassandra's relief, "Patroklos on the other hand...possessed a taint that was never cleansed...allowed to fester and darken from his desire for revenge against the malfested and a silent anger against his mother."
"Against Sophitia? Why would he be angry at her?"
"Because she never returned..." Swords drew and gazes rose towards the ninja who stood upon the point of a tree, "Cassandra...you didn't die, as I thought."
"Senpai?" Natsu asked in both confusion and fear, "What are you doing here?"
"I was hoping that you wouldn't be here as well, Natsu," Taki said as a multitude of masked shinobi appeared within the forest around the warriors, "But what must be done, will be done."
Author's Notes:
Taki appears in the treetops above our heroes and she brings a squad of fellow ninjas with her! What is Taki doing here? Is this a misunderstanding? Or is this intentional? What will be the Holy Ravager's next move?
Stay tuned to find out.
Maybe Zwei and Mitsurugi were being harsh, but I tried to have them speak rational arguments...even if the former of the two was being a bit jerkish about it.
So...in real-life news...Namco seems to be officially canning all future Downloadable Content for Soul Calibur V. Which means that we'll never have Cassandra, Talim, Seong Mina, Yunseong, Bangoo or any other character added back in towards the future...we'll never have those multiple story paths and endings that Dashi said had been planned and worked on before Project Soul was rushed...and we'll never have more weapon styles to play around with.
What?
Why would Namco make this call? Is it afraid that DLC for Soul Calibur V will somehow become competition for the upcoming Tekken Tag Tournament game? Even though both games are from the same company...so that means having two potential income champions? Players get what they want and companies get their money? What's wrong with this equation?
So does this mean that the Soul Series is being killed for convenience? After all, SCV was rushed before the Story Mode and all characters were even finished...even though this is a game that a lot of people were anticipating when it was confirmed and announced...so why shoot this game in the foot?
If this is how they were going to do it from the start...they might as well had ended the series with Soul Calibur IV and let it retire with dignity...
If they do retire it...then the last thing that players will remember is being forced to follow whiny, hypocritical Patroklos through his "journey" and watch him disgrace both himself and the Soul Series lore...enjoy!
Thoughts? If Mass Effect 3 can get an Extended Cut, why can't Soul Calibur V?