"I... I don't understand. " Talim looked at the two with confusion. "Please explain yourself Zasalamel."

Zasalamel walked away and looked up at the fake stars above them solemnly. "We have determined that Kilik would be a suitable candidate in controlling their powers. He is already able to wield the massive amount of energy in his Kali-Yuga and he's well trained in spiritual control."

Kilik nodded with Zasalamel's statement. "With me as the new guardian, I shall keep them away from humanity for the rest of eternity and save this world... I want Xianghua to be able to live in a safe world, away from all this darkness."

"Do you think she'll be happy with this decision of yours?" When Talim saw the hesitation on his face, she realized what had happened. "You abandoned her?"

"It was for her well-being," Kilik stated flatly. "I'm a danger to everyone around me. Being with me will not make her happy and for her sake, this is the path I've chosen." He wasn't able to hide the regret in his voice very well so he swallowed thickly and looked down at the ground.

"There must be another way," pleaded Talim, unable to accept this solution that they've presented her. "If we take this option, none of the malfested will recover. They'll be cursed for the rest of their lives!"

"Destroying Soul Edge and removing the powers inside them will kill them." Zasalamel stepped forward and added calmly, "It seems that the only option left is to help them learn how to control their powers."

"You've sacrificed their freedom," argued Talim vehemently. "They'll never have a home and they'll never be accepted. There must be a way to cure the malfested and destroy Soul Edge and Soul Calibur. There has to be a way."

Hearing the desperation in Talim's voice, Kilik said sorrowfully, "People cannot help but fear what is different and the malfested is no exception. All they can do now is come here and make their new world, away from the world that rejects them. And those swords... they will forever be humanity's bane."

Talim's eyes filled with despair and she stood there in silent denial. "This world belongs to all of us. It's not right that they have to live like this."

"There is something I know that may help you," said Zasalamel gently. Turning to the grand priest for permission, he nodded as he was given the right to tell her. "There is a great spirit sealed away in our lands. This being possesses dangerous powers but it holds invaluable information that has been lost since ancient time. I've found the place but I cannot enter. The place will not let just anyone in and so far, even Kilik has failed to reach it. If you can make it, then you may be able to change this fate set by Soul Calibur and Soul Edge."

"Where is this place?" asked Talim as her hopes were renewed.

Zasalamel replied softly, "It's known as the Ice Coffin of the Sleeping Ancient. Ironically, the place where you met Raphael was just a few feet away from it."

Standing in front of a wall of gleaming cold ice, Talim put her hands together in a praying fashion. A gentle night wind stirred around her and she felt something respond from deep within herself as she stepped forward and passed through the solid ice with ease.

Zasalamel stood outside the barrier and said, "The path you walk will now be your own priestess. We shall continue to keep in touch but there are more truths in this world that I shall continue to look for." Pausing briefly, he asked, "Do you want me to head to Ostrheinsburg and search for Raphael?"

Talim clasped her hands together and nodded. "Please find him as soon as possible. I'm very worried about him."

"I will do my best. If I find him, I will bring him here immediately. If I don't... I'll send a message." Bidding her farewell, Zasalamel turned and walked away. "Cut your path with faith and love Talim. Your friends are all waiting for you and you must promise to not let them down."

"I promise." For those she loved and for all those who were suffering, she must do her best. Talim began walking down the steps that suddenly formed from the ice. Light glimmered from deep within the walls of the cave and all of a sudden, she could hear something that was calling her from deep within the caves. Closing her eyes, she let her heart and the wind guide her through the labyrinth of ice. Listening to the voice of the wind, Talim discerned the following message.

You who seek answers will only find sorrows

You who seek glory will only find ruin

You who seek powers will only be devoured by it

The Ancient of the Ice sleeps here and her heart has long since froze

Coming to a stop, Talim opened her eyes and held out her hands to the woman sleeping in the huge purple and blue crystal. Her knee length blue hair wrapped around her small frame and her hands were clasped together like a sleeping child and engraved into the crystal, was the name of the woman. Softly, Talim said, "Hecula; Ancient of the Ice. Hear my voice, I am the daughter of the wind and I call upon you to answer me. Les ko hani meai."

A bright light shone from the crystal and a ghostly apparition of the Ancient appeared before the crystal altar. Her eyes were a mix between green and blue and she gazed at Talim calmly.

"I am Hecula; The Ancient of Ice that have sinned and have been bound. Maiden of wind and storms, your voice possesses the long lost art of summoning and the blood of purity, passed down from your ancestors calls to me. Now answer me, why have you disturb my slumber?"

Her voice was as smooth and cold as frigid waters as it echoed through the room of the cavern but Talim did not back away. "I want to know if there's a way to destroy Soul Edge permanently and save the malfested who are infected with its powers. You who are responsible for creating Inferno, please, tell me if there is a way to stop Soul Edge."

"You and I are the same. We lack a part of our souls... I gave away a part of myself to create Inferno. Why have you sacrifice a part of your soul?" Talim did not answer the question. She merely looked away but the Ancient had seen the answer in the young girl's eyes. "It was taken from you? How cruel..."

"I have no regrets about it," said Talim hesitantly. "Because of that, I was able to save him and-"

"Of course you did. As long as you're alive, he's alive. You two are connected and at the same time, you are cursed. Do you not feel any pain? You're no longer whole. No longer perfect. No longer yourself. If he's in danger, you will be consumed by agony. Tis a damned existence..."

Biting her lips, Talim remembered Necrid's words. He had said that she would experience terrible agony once a year... But she smiled at the fact that Hecula said that as long as she was alive, then so would Raphael. And if he was in peril, then she would feel it.

"You would smile at such a fate? I do not understand you humans," remarked the Ancient of Ice with evident surprise.

"Love," answered Talim softly. "It's because of love that I have decided to go on this journey to save all of the malfested, save the man I love... and destroy Soul Edge. Please, tell me if there's a way to accomplish this. I beseech you," begged Talim.

Her cold eyes regarded the priestess bowing before her and with a slight sigh, she raised her pale hand and pointed to the heavens. "The same way you and this man is bound, Soul Calibur and Soul Edge shares the same fate. If one sword lives, so will the other. But the day Soul Edge devours Soul Calibur and becomes one with it, this world is fated for destruction. The terror of the night will consume everything in his path and nothing will live. Not even the gods will be able to win. Night Terror is the true and final form of the sword you know as Soul Edge."

"Soul Edge's true form?" repeated Talim, horrified at what she was hearing.

"As well, you must have noticed that as Soul Edge and Soul Calibur becomes more powerful, the balance of nature becomes warp. That's because the seals holding back Astral Chaos; prison of the damned, becomes weakened. The seals holding me and my brethren back also weakens. Palgea, has almost broken free of his and if all thirteen of us escapes, it will be the end." A cruel smirk lit The Ancient's face and she crossed her arms. "Did you know we have long lost our titles? There were twelve of us and we were merely derivatives of the main four elements. Have you heard of the twelve signs of the heavens?"

Three years ago...

"Ahhh, the group of stars over there is called Sagittarius. Notice how it looks like an archer. Just squint a little. You see it yes? Good. Here's a little side note for that one, it's the sign I was born under."

"What does that mean Raphael?"

"There are twelve important signs that people assign by birthdays and it supposedly predicts your traits, personality and the future. My birthday is on Nov 27 so my sign would be classified as a Sagittarius, which is a fire sign."

Remembering what Raphael had told her in the past when they stargazed together, Talim held a trembling hand to her mouth. "You're one of the twelve zodiac signs? But... why did you say there's thirteen of you?"

"Palgea, is the strongest of all of us and he's the thirteenth hidden one. He is not bound to the four element and his powers are non-elemental." As her time grew short, Hecula explained tiredly, "We are the fallen stars of the heavens, forever bound... We will stop at nothing to be freed but if you can truly destroy Soul Edge, we will be freed and forgiven. That is the only reason why I am helping you. Otherwise, I'll await for Soul Edge's power to rip this prison of mine to shreds."

"But how can I possible defeat Soul Edge? I do not have the strength to accomplish such a task." Talim looked down with despair and hopelessness drowned her brown eyes as she tried to figure out a way.

With a sigh, Hecula said, "There is a place known as the Grand Labyrinth. It's entrance can be accessed in many places of the world, which just goes to show you how deep this ruin goes. Inside it lies many secrets that tribe have hidden away and I know that there is something there that may help you. If you survive the endless passageways that is." With a snap of her fingers, a portal appeared and Hecula said, "I shall take you there directly. The next time we meet, I pray that it shall be the end of my accursed life. Death is more preferable then this meaningless existence in this cold and icy prison."

Tira bit her lips as she watched over the vessel, sleeping in the king size broken bed. Of all the rooms at Ostreheinsburg, this was the best room, the only room good enough for her master. He had been in a coma for nearly two months and she was beginning to wonder if the ritual had failed. Letting out a loud sigh, she kicked the bed in frustration. "How long is this going to-" Tira stopped as Raphael woke up, his eyes glowing a dark and vivid red. She clutched her ring blade to her chest and her mouth dropped open, not quite believing what she was seeing. "Master... is that you?" She quickly helped him sit up when he moved to do so.

He looked at her for a moment, before looking down at his hands. "Fetch me my rapier and a prisoner who can fight."

"Master?"

"Do as I command!"

Quickly falling silent, Tira obediently nodded. She ran off, her pigtails bouncing with her steps. In the tattered dark bed, with its cracked bedpost, ripped sheets and musty pillows, he sat there in thought. Holding out his right hand, he flexed it momentarily before forcing it to shift. The skin turned dark and his fingers merged into claws and he looked at it grimly.

His memories and will was intact. But as he was now Nightmare, memories from Soul Edge had also seeped into his mind. He knew all the things that the sword knew and he knew what must be done in order to bring Soul Calibur out of hiding and what must be done in order to restore Soul Edge. His head dropped. He must keep this hidden from Talim. He would do the killing and gathering of shards to keep her hands clean. Not only that, he feared she would reject him if he resorted to such unethical methods to destroy the swords.

Flexing his arm, he could still feel the powerful purifying properties of Talim's soul that he had devoured. It had aided him in keeping his will intact and it would help stop him from losing control as well as keep his body from rotting away. No other host in Soul Edge's history would be able to last as long as him or hide his identity. But he had to take extra measures to reduce the strain. His fragment of soul he had cut away would be safe and since he wasn't using all of Soul Edge's powers by making it turn into a rapier, he would also be able to last longer. If he borrowed another fighting style from Soul Edge's memories, he could still fight but just not at 100%, which would help keep his body and mind intact.

He began mulling on what to pick for his new name. He would not be able to use his old name due to Talim and he was still a wanted man in many places of Europe. To restore Soul Edge, he must rise to power through politics, the only thing he was born and breed with. He looked up as Tira's footsteps approached.

Tira had returned with a scrawny and haggard prisoner and she held Flambert, a beautiful and elegant rapier in her hand while her ring blade was draped from her shoulder to her waist. She gasped in delight as she saw his right arm.

"Master! It is you! Oh I've missed you so much," she fawned.

He grumbled in the back of his throat. "Hand me my rapier."

Tira was confused by his request. After all, the real Soul Edge laid on the altar right beside him on the bedside table. Why not use the ultimate weapon instead of this little thing? But as always, she obeyed.

He held the blade up, and tested its weight. Shooting a disdainful look at the prisoner Tira brought, he asked, "Can you fight?"

"I... I... sort of."

He smiled and said, "Show me. If it's a good show, perhaps I'll let you go."

The prisoner's eyes lit up. "Re-really?"

"I keep my words, as is my way," he replied with a wide grin as he tossed Soul Edge towards the man. "Now come, try and hit me," he said as he got out of bed and went to an empty space of the bedroom.

Tira watched as the prisoner awkwardly hefted up the heavy giant blade. The man repressed a shudder as he saw he sick yellow eye on the blade before lunging towards her master. Her master dodged the move but when he used the rapier to attack back, it was awkward and clunky. She remembered the way Raphael had fought with that sword. This lacked all the grace and power he used to have and she bit her lips worriedly. The blows continued back and forth for a few moments before her master held up a hand to stop.

"Good, very good." Holding out a hand, he took back Soul Edge and took a few practice swings. The moves were practiced and performed well, just as expected. He could use both swords due to his old memories and Soul Edge's memories. But he must put on this act to fool Tira.

He smiled at the prisoner. "You have done well. Tell me, what is your name?"

"I..." The prisoner stammered nervously, "It's Dumas."

"Dumas?" He rolled the word around his mouth, as if he was tasting it. "A French name? Why, how quaint. It would seem we're kinsmen." He smiled and said, "I said I'd keep my promise. You're free to go."

"Re-really? I can go?" The prisoner's eyes brightened in joy and relief. That look quickly faded away though, when Soul Edge punctured his stomach. Blood rolled up from his stomach and he choked as it erupted from his mouth in copious amounts. "Why..."

He smiled as he kicked the body off his blade. "You're free... from the shackles of this life." The yellow eye on the blood blinked in delight as blood dripped down its blade and he grinned down at the corpse. "You should feel honoured. You're the first man I killed since I awoken. Not only that, I will be taking your name." He laughed, and the sound echoed through the room and the flames on the torches flickered.

Tira bowed down and asked, "Master, what is your next orders?"

"We seek out the rest of the shards..." He narrowed his eyes. "Anyone else after them, we kill."

"My watchers told me that emperor Rudolf of the Holy Roman Empire has collected quite a few of them, master," Tira said, trying to earn his approval. "Shall we head towards him first?"

He smirked. "Rudolf? How amusing. We shall, my servant. But not to kill him, you can kill the other wretches who have the shards. Rudolf is mine. Now get going."

"Right away master," Tira cooed as she got up and quickly went to prepare.

Dumas turned back to the fallen rapier and picked it up gently. "I'm sorry," he apologized to his sword. Like his old life back in court, he must bury the truth and his emotions deep in his heart. He must work hard to restore the sword to put an end to it all. Talim would insist on another way but she was too gentle and too kind for her own good. This was something he had to do. But he couldn't do it all. Someone must also look for his beloved Amy. He had no doubt she would keep her promise to look for his daughter but he wanted to search as well.

He shook his head and looked back down at the rapier. Just as a soul came to be born in a weapon, he can transfer a portion of his soul into a weapon. Flambert shone under the light of the flames. The weapon that had born witness to its master's entire life, was the perfect vessel to protect and care for its master. Perhaps one day, that piece of soul, which he decided he would give his old name to as a reminder of who he was, would gain enough strength to materialize a body for itself. He expect that as he got stronger, the link between them would also transfer that strength and Raphael would be able to materialize from the sword and go search for Amy.

He placed the blade against his left wrist and slowly began to cut.

Once again we live our own separate lives

I live mine draped in sweet poisonous lies

While you live yours in light and love

Only truth and compassion will stem from your songs that will be wove