A man is only a puppet, wielded by the strings of his captors.

Will he act as fate intended, or find a way to break his bonds?

Around them, the men screamed and focused their attacks on Aeon as the lizard shot out jets of hot flames, vaporizing the rain, melting armor and burning flesh.

But for the moment, her attention was focused solely on the alchemist and her blade. Talim eyes's glowed green and the whip around her shook. She knew from the start that Valentine was just as tainted as Ivy's blood. It must have been crafted from black magic and from Soul Edge's powers. As her blood dyed the pieces of the blade, Valentine trembled as the purity of her blood nullified its powers.

Staring up into Ivy' s crystal blue eyes, she whispered, "You cannot hold the wind."

"What are you-" Ivy then gasped as Valentine went limp in her hand and fell down to the ground. "My blade?!" She said angrily, "What did you do to my treasure?"

Talim felt her wounds sting as the rain hit it but she showed no expression of pain. Slowly stepping backward to put some distance between them, she said softly, "It was my blood." Taking out her left elbow blade, she said sadly, "Good-bye... Ivy Valentine." Spinning on her heel, she threw her weapon at the alchemist with all her might. "WIND!"

The wind roared and it thundered towards Ivy, sharpening the thrown elbow blade. The weapon cackled with lightning as it flew. In vain, Ivy tried to use her sword to block it but Valentine could not rise up in time. With a loud impact, it pierced her body and hurled her backwards into the broken water fountain, once a gloried piece of Dumas's beautiful garden. Ivy coughed out blood and looked up at the grey skies with vacant eyes. Soundlessly, she mouthed, 'How could I... have lost?" Her eyes moved as Talim walked over and bent down to her level. As if responding to its owner death, Valentine slowly curled itself around its master, using the last of its energy in a futile attempt to protect her.

Talim kneeled down to her and noticed. Quietly, she said, "You have one of the most beautiful weapon I have ever seen, Ivy."

Ivy let out a strained laugh. "This sword... is my greatest treasure."

Talim put a hand on the handle of her elbow blade that was embedded into Ivy's chest and harshly yanked it out. Ivy hissed in pain and Talim felt regretful at what she had done. Gently, she asked, "What did you live and fight for?"

Ivy closed her eyes and smiled, though tears flowed from her eyes. "To avenge my adoptive father's death, I wanted to destroy Soul Edge. To prevent others being born with this taint, I wanted to destroy Soul Edge. I lived and fought to destroy Soul Edge... and now I will die for that goal." She let out a long breath. "Soul Edge ruined my family and my life... I can never forgive it."

Talim put her hand on Ivys' and nodded, her lips quivering and her heart broke at what she had done. What Ivy said was the truth. Soul Edge had consumed many victims and destroyed the lives of all it touched. But for her, there was no other option left but to rely on its powers. She couldn't heal all the malfested and she couldn't risk destroying it as it might kill Dumas and the malfested. To Ivy, she said, "If there was any other way I would never... but all I want is to see peace between the humans and the malfested and see Dumas rule over the world like Algol once did, and usher in a new era of peace and prosperity."

As the light in Ivy's eyes grew fainter, she laughed softly. "No malfested... can live forever. Sooner or later they will all die." Her voice grew hoarse. "Your way will just... haugh... that sword will kill us all in the end... Talim."

"Rest now, Ivy." Talim breathed in and whispered, "Let the wind and your loved ones help carry you to the next world."

Ivy's eyes widened as she saw her adoptive mother and father appear before her. It had been many years but she would recognize them anywhere. "Mother... father..."

"Isabella, my beautiful girl," said Countess Valentine, her warm brown eyes meeting her daughter's blue ones. She reached for her hand and whispered, "Everything will be alright now. We're here with you."

Count Valentine smiled and patted his daughter on the head. "You've been a good girl. We're so proud of you."

Ivy closed her eyes and smiled as the warmth chased away the coldness of the pouring rain. She could feel her wounds stop aching and her body grew light.

Talim carefully folded Ivy's hands on her stomach and tucked Valentine beneath them. Gently, she pried the red shard out from Iv'y hand. She barely looked as a few of the men had taken notice of what happened and they charged at her with brandished swords. Their cries and the pounding rain was deaf to her ears. She couldn't hear anything except for the song of the wind as it sung around her. It was a song of sorrow and regret. It was the exact same song that played in her ears seventeen years ago when she and Raphael defeated the Wallachia army at his castle. Standing up with her weapon in her right and the shard in her left, she began walking towards the castle. As she walked, the wind buffeted and turned the soldiers away from her. It lashed the men with heavy rain water and strong gusts of wind and Aeon helped as its axes cut and its fire burned.

I just want all of this to stop...

Standing before his fallen victims, Raphael looked over to a window as the rain and wind pounded on the windows in the hallway. Putting his sleeve to his nostrils, he coughed as the stench of burning cloth and wood reached him. "Amy, let's hurry and get out of here," he said hurriedly as he grabbed her hand and dragged her towards the exit.

She looked at him worriedly. "Father, what about your other half?"

"He should have left the castle by now. He's most likely helping the priestess," Raphael replied as they hurried down the stairs. But then he stopped. At the foot of the stairs, Talim stood there and looked up at them, battered, bruised and bleeding.

She said quietly, "The castle will soon burn to the ground. Please hurry and get yourself to safety as I go and fetch Dumas."

"Aren't you and that alchemist in charge of the fire?" Raphael retorted. He gestured to the place. "It's going out of control."

"I have to burn everything down," Talim murmured, as she could sense her orb spreading the fire as quickly as it could. "There's too much death and darkness here. The only option left is to burn everything down with my orb's fire. It will eat up all this energy that has been soaked into the castle and prevent Astral Chaos from opening." Slowly, she began walking up the stairs. As she passed him, she murmured, "You may not remember but... you and Dumas are one and the same. I love you."

His heart suddenly clenched up and he looked at her. Before she could pass him completely, he grabbed her wrist. "What's wrong?"

She gave him an extremely sad smile. "The first time I had to pick sides and fight, a battlefield of the dead laid before me. I've grown up now and yet after so many years, nothing has changed." Pulling her hand away from his grasp, she whispered, "The first time I saw something like this, I cried and you pulled me towards you and comforted me. I made a promise to prevent something like this from happening again. Now that I have to see this a second time, it's much more painful." She let out a long breath and continued walking. "Go take that passageway... and may the wind protect you. I and Dumas will meet up with you and Amy soon."

When she disappeared out of sight, he stood there in silence until his daughter tugged on his arm. He nodded as they continued to head for the dungeon. As he ran past the crumbled halls and dead corpses, he looked down briefly and stopped as he remembered the priestess's look of sorrow. All of a sudden, his head began pounding and he hissed as he fell against the wall, clutching at his hair.

"Father! What's wrong?" Viola asked as she tried to help him stand, concerned and worried about him.

Before his eyes, he saw a ruined and burning town. It was one that belonged to him when he held dominion over a portion of land in Wallachia. His malfested soldiers were chasing away the remnants of the fallen army while he rode back to his castle with a girl sitting in the front. His expression was grave, despite their victory. It showed a great amount of concern for the girl in front of him. He saw himself put an around her, pulling her to lean on his chest as she cried. When he saw the beautiful sun and moon medallion she wore, his eyes opened.

Standing up straight, he said hoarsely, "Amy..." He laid a hand on her cheek and said, "Go on without me. I have to go back."

"What?" she immediately grabbed onto both of his hands. "No! I'm not going to let you leave me again father. If you're going back, then I'm going with you."

He smiled and squeezed her hands. "You're a good girl, my beloved. But this is something I have to do... and as your father, I have to keep you safe." He said pleadingly, "Please... it will tear at my heart if anything happens to you, Amy. I promise, I will come back to you."

Her lips quivered as she obeyed. As always, she did everything to earn his approval and see him smile. His smile was her greatest joy and his frown her greatest pain. In her life and heart, he and Zwei were the two most important people in her life. They had taken care of her, protected her and showed her kindness she never truly deserved.

He kissed her on the forehead before running off and she looked down at the ground. Looking over at her orb, she murmured, "Will he actually keep the promise this time? Or leave me again like seventeen years ago?" Once again, her orb remained silent about her own questions and she said in a choked voice, "The moon will swallow the sun and it will never rise again. I can't stop him from going back."

"It looks like Voldo is doing a fine job entertaining your ladies, isn't that so, Hildegarde?" Nightmare laughed as he traded blows back and forth with her in the large hallway. Beneath his helmet, his grin widened. "You inferior humans will never be able to defeat us. Tonight, you and all that you've brought upon my grounds will die."

"Even if we all fall, the world will know the truth!" Hilde shouted back as she parried his thrust and retaliated with a slash of her own. "You can't cut all of us down!"

"Try me," he replied flatly, as he pushed her aside with the flat of his blade. Turning his head, he shouted, "Voldo! Stand aside!" He challenged all of Hilde's elite guards as they quickly turned their attention on him. "What's the matter?" he taunted. "Didn't you want to avenge your comrade's death? I'm standing right here. Come!"

"Stay on your guard!" Hilde ordered as they got into formation. She eyed him warily as they surrounded him. Her body protested in pain as the arrow wound on her back stung and ached. Wiping away the sweat on her forehead, she glanced over to Siegrune and then Waltraute. When they caught her eyes, she nodded sheathing her sword and using both hands to wield her lance. With a firm grip, she charged towards Dumas. Jabbing the butt into the spear, she leaped into the air and with the next move, she thrust the spear down on him. At that moment, Siegrune came at his right with her white rapier, gleaming a radiant white and red as the fire reflected off her silver white armor. Waltraute's hands slid to the end of her halberd as she jabbed at his left. Seeing the familiar formation, Grimgerde and Schwertleite, the two sword and shield wielder also came at him with their swords.

The attack covered all sides of escape. With her from above and her soldiers from four directions, there was no way Dumas could escape this attack. "This is for Gerhilde!" they all shouted.

Raising his sword up high, he blocked Hilde's attack. With his deformed right hand, he grabbed onto Waltraute's halberd and thrust it into Siegrune's heart. As for the swords that came at him from the back and front, he let his weight carry him down to the ground. To avoid hitting Hilde, the two woman had to stop their attacks. On his knees, he threw Hilde into Grimgerde and sent them flying before using his sword to cut Schwertleite and Waltraute in half from their waist as he rose up. The blade easily cut through armor, flesh and bones and the two fell down, twitching and dying. He slashed the air once to get rid of the excess blood before turning around and asking, "Hmph. That's it?"

Hilde and Grimgerde stared at him, speechless at what had transpired. Slightly shaking, Hilde sat up and said, "Waltraute? Schwertleite? Siegrune?"

Grimgerde let out a scream of anguish as she got back on her feet and charged him. "Monster!"

"GRIMGERDE NO!" Hilde screamed. But it was too late as Nightmare cut her down in less than three moves.

Nightmare laughed. "I must say. Your last attack may have worked if it wasn't for that fact that I already killed Gerhilde before you performed it. If all of your members were present, it might have ended badly for me." He raised his hand at the burning hallway. "I shall give you two options, Hildegarde von Krone. Join me and help me conquer this world, or die here like the rest of your pathetic servants."

Standing up, Hilde shouted, "Even if I die, I will take you down with me!" When Voldo popped up in front of her, she hissed, "Vile servant of Soul Edge! Die!" Taking out the last holy water bottle she had, she smashed the bottle onto her lance and quickly fought against the agile man. Steel clashed against steel and Hilde pushed her body to the limits. When Voldo slashed at her head, she barely slowed down as the blade sliced at her cheek. She kicked him in the stomach but he retaliated by turning his back and smashing his elbow into her chest. Her heels dug into the purple rug as she braced the impact. "I won't back down!" Swiftly, she took out her sword. Holding her weapons tightly in her hand, she thrust both of them at Voldo, who held up his katars to block them. But Hilde's weapons burned with an unnatural blue light and they broke his weapons to pieces before piercing his body. With a savage twist, she drew upward and hit his heart. "Die!"

Voldo let out a dying gurgle as he slowly slumped to the ground and laid still, his long life finally at an end. His only regret being that he could no longer protect his master.

The power from Astral Chaos? He was surprised to see that she had some of its energy in her body and summoned it out. But what puzzled him even more, was that it was pure. Had Hilde's holy water on her lance changed that? Or was it because of her fighting spirit and righteous soul?

He readied his sword as she charged right for him. "How did you come to possess that power?" he snarled as they traded blows back and forth.

Hilde bared her teeth in answer. "None of your business."

Coming around the corner, Talim held a hand to her heart and panted. Dumas and Hilde were engaged in a fierce fight and she shook her head as she saw the bodies of Hilde's elite guards and Voldo. The two barely took any notice that the fire had finally made its way to this part of the castle and the orange light reflected brightly off their armor. It ate at the paintings on the walls and a few pieces of the roof crashed down, dangerously close to them. In a loud voice, she shouted, "Hilde! Dumas! Please stop!" Neither of them listened to her and she rushed towards them. "Stop!"

Hilde shoved her friend aside, her eyes wide and maddened with rage. "He killed them! He killed them! He is Nightmare! The one who destroyed my lands seventeen years ago! I will kill him!"

"It is you who will die tonight!" Nightmare shouted as he grabbed her hair and slammed her face into the wall.

"Dumas no!" Talim grabbed him from behind and managed to pull him off Hilde. "Stop this! Think about what you're doing! If either of you dies, there will be war!"

"Let there be war then! It's too late now Talim." He pushed her away and she fell to the ground. Facing Hilde once more, he growled, "They know my secret. They'll never let us live now, Talim."

Talim shook her head. "You can't give up! You have to at least try!" To Hilde, she said tearfully, "Hilde please! It's Raphael! Dumas is Raphael!"

"What?" She couldn't believe what Talim had just said. "Dumas... is Raphael?"

Talim nodded furiously. "Please help us. Speak to Matthias for us."

"I don't need her help!"

"Quiet!" Talim shouted at him. Looking up at her friend, she added, "Hilde you owe me. I saved you from Raphael seventeen years ago. So I'm begging you. Please stop..." She then looked at Dumas. "Some may fight us but some will understand. If we can at least have Hilde's army and Siegfried mercenaries on our side, it'll mean that less will have to die. The more people we talk to, the more chance we have to convince them that there's a chance for peace."

Hilde grinded on her teeth. Seeing her friends lie around her dead and remembering the barren wasteland that her home had become, brought on a deep sense of agony and sorrow in her. But Talim was right. Killing Dumas would lead the rest of the malfested to openly rebel and there would be war. Even if he died... her friends wouldn't be able to come back. With a cry of anguish, she threw her weapons to the ground and put her hands to her face.

Talim cried tears of relief and said to Dumas, "Hilde has agreed! Dumas, let's all leave this place together. We can start thinking about the negotiations right away after we leave!"

He looked at the sword in hand before his eyes moved back over to Hilde, deliberating on what he should do. If they leave now... they could work on negotiating. He may have lost his chance to conquer the Holy Roman Empire and the world, but he might still be able to grant Talim's wish for a world of peace. Then, as time went on, perhaps she would be able to find a way to heal them all of the taint.

Slowly, he transformed back. His red hair disappeared and his right arm regained a more normal state of appearance. But before he could lower the sword to show that he agreed, Soul Edge spoke up.

Foolish! Do you really think negotiations would work? Now that Matthias knows you're malfested, he will hunt you down and claim you used witch craft to ensnare his brother's mind and climb your way up. He will not let you live. He will exact vengeance on all those that followed you, including the ones you love. Talim and Amy will be in grave danger. The world will never accept the malfested and without your protection and my powers, they will all be hunted.

"Dumas?" Talim asked quietly as she got up, wondering what was wrong.

Don't listen to your priestess. Hilde has nothing but hate for you. She will stabbed you in the back at the negotiations. You still have a powerful army and many loyal minions. Kill her! Bring down the first strike! The world can still be ours. Why settle for such an untrustworthy plan for negotiations? Rely on your own strength and take this world for yourself and for those you love. Make your wish come true!

Gently reaching for Dumas's arm, Talim said, "Dumas, we have to leave now. The fire is going to block out our exit soon. I can only control the orb so much."

"Yes dearest... we will be leaving. But," he pushed her away gently. "Only the two of us." He said to Hilde hatefully, "You will die here, along with these wretches."

"You..." Hilde cried out in anger. "Have you no honor?! She quickly reached for her weapons at the same time Talim pulled him back once more.

"Talim! Get off me!" He knocked her back once more before swiftly returning to the fight.

"No! Dumas no!" But her cries rang on deaf ears as he ignored her pleas. Getting up, she bit her lips before trying to go stop the two once more.

"I will not falter!" Hilde hit him in the knee before trying to thrust her sword at his neck but he quickly used his malformed hand to block it. The blade sunk deeply into his palm, spurting out blood and she said through gritted teeth, "Why won't you just die?!"

"I did once before..." he said as his claws wrapped around her sword and hand. "Never again do I want to die and go back to that place. NEVER!" He let the sword pierced entirely through his hand as he moved it forward to grasp Hilde's lower arm. With a ferocious pull, he pulled.

Hilde screamed as she stumbled backwards and clutched at her bleeding shoulders. He nearly pulled her right arm right off. She was biting down on her teeth so hard that it felt like they might crack.

"You will die tonight, Hilde," he said as he pulled the sword out of his palm and flung it aside.

Looking up at him with eyes blinded by pain, she said, "Even if I... die... my children will take my place..." She struggled to stand straight as she added, "Even if I die... I won't let my friend's death be in vain. I WILL TAKE YOU DOWN WITH ME!" With the last of her strength, she held her lance straight and charged at him.

"IF YOU WISH TO OFFER ME YOUR SOUL, THEN SO BE IT!" Nightmare thrust his large sword at her, intent on cutting it right through her body to tear her heart out to the other side.

"Stop..." A sharp Soul Edge shard fell to the ground with a thud. Talim stood between the two, pierced through by the dark blade. There was nothing but silence except from the crackling of fire as it continued to burn down the castle. Slowly, she put a hand onto the sword that was stabbed into her at the front. Blood came up her throat and she opened her mouth to let it spill out. In a soft voice, she said, "Perhaps... I deserved this." Slowly, she began falling backwards and off of Soul Edge.

"Talim!" he shouted as he dropped the sword and caught her.

"Talim?" Hilde said in shock. Tears poured down her cheeks as she shook her head. "Why?"

Talim choked on the blood spilling out from her lips. "If... you die, there will be war. I don't want to see... any more people die." Her eyes grew hazy and they slowly began to close.

"N-no! This can't be happening. Talim!" Hilde screamed.

"TALIM!" He clutched at her with both hands and shouted, "Talim! Wake up!"

"Please... go, Hilde."

Hilde bit down hard on her lips as she clutched at her shoulder and ran. Her mind and heart was screaming out in sorrow and when she was far enough, she shouted, "WHY?! WHY?! WHY?!" With a sob, she said, "I've failed them all..."

As Dumas held her tightly, Talim asked weakly, "Was this what you wanted?"

"No! I never wanted this to happen to you," he cried.

"You sow death... and you reap death," Talim murmured quietly. She clutched his hand. "I love you... even in death, I will always be with you. Please... stop."

"I'm sorry," he said, hugging her close. "I'll stop. I promise I'll stop. Don't die, Talim." When she didn't answer, he buried his face into her hair and let out a cry of anguish. "TALIM!"

"What happened?" Raphael stopped dead in his track at what he saw. Hilde's female elite guards laid down in the pools of blood along with Voldo, while the hallway burned. In the center of it all, Nightmare was clutching at the priestess's limp body. Slowly, he walked over to them and knelt down. Gently, he brushed back her hair and looked over her carefully. In a thick voice, he said, "She's dead." He took one of her hand in his and squeezed it. Amy was right... in the end, Talim could not escape death. He barely glanced over to Soul Edge as he said, "You killed her. I can see her blood burning that blade."

Dumas shouted, "I DID NOT! I DID NOT KILL HER!" He stood up in a rage and his eyes shone madly. "They killed her... Those humans killed her. It's all their fault. If they hadn't attacked us, this wouldn't have happened. They came to kill us all and Talim sacrificed herself to save me."

Raphael shouted, "Stop deluding yourself! You killed her! At least admit your mistakes!"

"Why you-" Dumas looked down to see the flesh mutating and it was slowly spreading up past his shoulders to change his arm once more. When he tried to sense for the piece of Talim's soul inside he realized it was completely quiet. When Talim died, it must have died alongside her. "If the tree dies... the leaves die," he whispered to himself as he realized. He muttered, "What is happening?"

"Soul Edge is taking over your body. It's transforming you into the perfect Nightmare," Raphael answered, his eyebrows furrowed.

"Perhaps... that isn't a bad thing."

"What?" Raphael watched as he walked over to the fallen blade.

"I've lost Talim. I can't lose Amy to those humans either." He put his hand on the blade, near Soul Edge's watching eye. "I need power. I need to become the true Nightmare to protect Amy. But I will not lose my memories of my dearest to achieve that." Behind the helmet, his eyes narrowed. "Become a part of me once again..."

Raphael's grip on Talim's body tightened as Nightmare began walking over to him. "Is this what you want?" He jerked his head at the scene around them. "If you want this scene to repeat for a third time, then go on."

Was this what you wanted?

It was the same question Talim has asked before she died. Slowly, he took off his helmet and put a hand over his eyes tiredly. "It's not what I want. It's what fate wanted. As long as those humans exist, they'll continue to persecute us and we will always have a war." Turning around, he punched the tall window and shattered it. The wind and icy rain water rushed in to soak him and buffer the heat from the fire. Glaring at the scene of destruction below him, he said icily, "Seventeen years ago they came to attack our castle. Seventeen years later the same thing happened." Looking behind him, he said, "I lost many soldiers that day. Today, I lost my love along with my loyal servants and guards."

From the window, he saw fireworks erupting brightly into the sky. They must have been lit from the spreading fires. He had personally had them readied, as he had planned to ask Talim to marry him after he showed her that he was Raphael. The party was supposed to show the world and the court of the Holy Roman Emperor, who was to be his new Queen. The fireworks was supposed to be lit for joy. He closed his eyes and turned back to the scene that was supposed to have happened. She was supposed to be standing beside him, smiling and in his arms as they stood on top of a balcony and watched the lights. "But it's over..." he whispered to himself as he came back to reality.

He turned around and said, "There will not be a next time where something like this happens to us. I will strike them all down before they can rally and destroy us all. I will protect Amy." His eyes glowed red. "It's time for us to be whole. I no longer need you to be a safeguard to protect me from Soul Edge's powers. Will you join me so that we can be whole once more?"

Raphael looked down at the dead priestess he was holding. It was something she wouldn't have wanted. She had given her life to try and save the world. To continue like this, meant her sacrifice would be in vain. He didn't want a war and he didn't want Amy to fight. Looking up at Dumas, he could see the madness in his eyes and he knew instantly that Soul Edge was consuming his mind. He had lost his will to fight it and had now fully embraced it. He may save Amy's life, but he would kill her future with this path. Raphael shook his head. "I'm not joining you. I'm the last part of you that's human."

"Then your time ends." Dumas's arm transformed back into his nightmarish version and he slammed it down on Raphael's head, absorbing him back into himself.

Raphael smiled, blood slowly trickling down his lips. He cast one final look at Talim, his memories returning to him as he became whole once more. "I have failed... as a safeguard. I'm sorry, ma petite."

Outside up in the sky, Alun and Buffy cried mournfully before flying away, knowing that they've lost both of their masters.

"Soul Edge... grant your master his wish." Now complete and whole, he raised up his sword. To have the sword whole, to destroy Soul Calibur and have the world burn, he slash down and opened the gateway to Astral Chaos.

Now your body will blacken this world forever as a medium for Soul Edge.

"I accept."

Raphael Sorel, under the alias of Dumas, killed all that stood in his way. A story rose up that spoke of a beautiful wind priestess who tried to stop him but was killed by his hands. With her fall, he claimed that it was inevitable that the world would lose as she was their sun and their brightest light and outshone even Soul Calibur. His words rang true as darkness tainted the land and all perished. Only a woman of white hair wielding a beautiful purple orb and his army of malfested was allowed to live in his world of night and darkness. Later on, he brought the priestess's body back from the ashes. But she was nothing more then a body without a soul. More dead than alive, she was just his puppet. She never spoke or showed any emotions but he made her his queen and they ruled over the empty dead world.

But soon the taint ate at the malfested's mind, body and soul. Afterwards, only death and chaos remained in the world.

In a prison of fleshy tendrils, Raphael slept. A stirring in the wind woke him and he found his thoughts drifting to Talim's death instead of his apparent prison. Her look of deep sadness as she was pierced by his sword haunted him every day and he never forgot it. In some way, he knew that if he had listened to her, she would have lived and they might have had a chance to compromise with Hilde. But instead, he listened to Soul Edge and in the end, all he got was a lie of a wish. Talim was nothing more than an empty puppet queen... his daughter never smiled again after he killed Zwei and he himself, never found any joy in ruling over the world that finally belonged to him and the ones he loved.

"Your wish will never be fulfilled if you stay."

Raphael's eyes opened. "Who are you?" he asked hoarsely.

"The Hero King, Algol." Algol had his arms crossed as he glared at the man who was buried within Soul Edge's grasping tendrils. The winds of Astral Chaos pulled at his braided white hair and nipped at his exposed skin but he barely responded as all of his attention was focused on the man that laid trapped. The floating will o wisps floated past them silently while the cold wind of the strange realm continued passing through the floating islands and scattering of stars.

"Where am I?" asked Raphael, not showing any emotion at meeting the king of legends.

"This is Astral Chaos, where souls amass. It is a place where souls who lack a strong will wander forever," answered Algol.

Quietly, Raphael asked, "Is she here?"

Algol jerked his head at the swirling blue and red energy that snaked their way through the strange heaven above them. "Why don't you listen and see?"

Looking up at the small holes through the vines, he listened. Nothing came to him at first and he was about to give up in defeat but then her voice came though.

Wherever the wind goes, I will follow. Will you follow me, Raphael?

His heart soared at hearing the beautiful voice that had just spoken to him. It was the first feeling of joy he had felt in a long time and he pulled at the vines holding him. "Talim? Talim! Where are you?"

Algol spoke up. "She has been calling for you for a very long time. But the screams of the dead and cries of widows and children blocked you from hearing her." He raised up a hand that was enveloped with blue energy. "I cleared some of the evil energy around you and that was why you woke up and why you could finally hear her."

"Why are you helping us?" Raphael asked.

"I am not helping you two. I am helping myself," Algol answered curtly. "I have no intention of going back to rule over a mess of a world that you have made." He gestured to their surrounding. "Here, time and space holds no meaning. It is eternal and quiet. It is nothing and everything. The center of the universe and the key to ultimate power. Whoever is able to control all the power here can become a god. You can create worlds, destroy them and rewrite history. Everything is possible."

"Are you saying... I can go back?" Raphael asked with wide eyes. "Is it possible to go back and change what happened?" He added in a hush voice, "Can I change the future? Tell me, can I change the future where Talim is fated to die by my hands?"

Algol almost smiled at the question. "There is no such thing as fate."

Raphael replied, "I once believed that. But it is true that whenever I and Talim are together, we come to a point where I attack her and..." He swallowed thickly. "My daughter had the ability to read the future. She said 'The moon will swallow the sun, and it will never rise again.' It came true. What do you expect me to believe now?"

"The past exists because it happened. The present exist because it is happening. But the future," Algol said calmly, "has never occurred and therefore doesn't exist. Those who predict the future, merely see 'potential' futures." Algol continued explaining. "But those who confirm a future they see, narrows down the possibilities."

"I don't understand what you're saying," Raphael said gruffly.

"Your daughter did not read the future. She picked it."

The answer brought a stunned silence from Raphael. "What?"

Algol turned away from him and crossed his arms. "You asked Soul Edge for a wish and it gave you a lie and took everything from you. Her orb took her memories and gave her that abnormal ability. Every time she reads a fortune, it is never a favourable one because her orb picks the worst one and confirms it. The weapons you both use are double edge swords and they work against you."

Raphael shook his head slowly. "It... can't be."

"Fear not," interrupted Algol. "The future is untouchable and invincible because it has limitless possibilities and potential. But a confirmed future has a confirmed path and shape, therefore it can be broken."

Hopeful at his words, Raphael asked, "So once I hear those words from Amy, I still have a chance at breaking my fate?"

"If you have the strength, you can escape your fate." He then added, "And if you have the willpower, you can escape Astral Chaos."

Raphael closed his eyes and listened closely for Talim's voice.

I will help you... always.

Quietly, he said, "I want to go back to the world before I made my mistake. I promise I won't let you down again, Talim."

In answer, a rush of cool wind swirled around him, bringing him fresh air and the familiar scent of lilies that he had missed and he pulled at the vines. Slowly, they softened and drew away from him. His view of Astral Chaos began to disappear and he whispered, "This time... will be different."

When the man disappeared, Algol's lips curled up into a dark smile. "I shall enjoy watching them replay their story..." He held up a Soul Edge shard and said, "The world will be mine to rule once more. Do not disappoint me, priestess of wind and wielder of Soul Edge. Second chances don't come very often." His eyes flickered over to the bright flash of blue light and he grinned. "It looks like Edgemaster has helped me get rid of another unfavourable future. I wonder how the story will turn out this time."

History is once again rewritten as the story of Soul Calibur and Soul Edge... and the sun and moon intertwines. The only ones to bear witness and keep the memory is Algol, Edgemaster and fate herself. The words may change but the traces will never truly be gone. From the many threads of fates, only one is picked. Unseen hands clipped at some while others are saved. But only one will be permanent.

Darkwings13: I wanted to have a sense of deja-vu go on by linking a similar path from my first story, 'A Journey of Fate'. Talim had saved Hilde in the past and betrayed Raphael because she wanted to resolve things as peacefully as possible and try to keep the deaths on both sides to a minimum. Here, she saves her friend again but unfortunately it did not turn out as well as last time.

Another reference comes with Ivy's death as Talim did the same thing with General Sevika, by trying her best to give them a peaceful death and she holds great remorse over their death.

The way things ended also tied closely to Patroklos's own path. He killed his sister because he listened to Soul Calibur. Raphael accidentally ended up killing Talim due to the same folly. While Edgemaster helped with Patroklos, I had Algo aid Raphael. Both of the old men would not want to see a) A world frozen in ice age and filled with polar bears or b)Everyone going crazy and killing each other.

Next, all malfested usually end up slowly losing their minds. Algol seemed to be the one exception but he's slowly becoming corrupted by the powers of Astral Chaos. So where Soul Calibur will have order and death by freezing everyone, Soul Edge instead has everyone malfested and they'll eventually just kill each other; a world of chaos and death.

I tried my best to end it in a way that hopefully makes sense and I wanted to create a mirror effect. Hopefully that works... somehow.

We know the story of how Patroklos failed, but what about Raphael? Those two are very similar yet intricately different at the same time. So I hope I was able to successfully portray their different mistakes and regrets that both made them kill someone they cared about and destroy the world. Their wishes were never granted by the swords and they were just given a lie of a wish. That is gonna be the central theme of the next one, 'Defying Destiny'.

Check out the sneak preview for the next chapter :D

Oh and the picture for this story, I showed as what Dumas had imagined. Cuz... yea, sad ending. Don't judge a book by its cover LOL.

And here, I just wanted to say thanks. Thank you all so very much for reading this story and for all those who reviewed, giving me suggestions, motivation and support, I am very grateful to you all. I personally think it could have been better so I've been brushing up on my writing and I hope to give you something even more enjoyable to read in the future. Forgive the long time lapse but I'll try to be more productive from now on. (Fudge chemistry lololololol jk jk).

In the next chapter, I'll reply to those who reviewed since the last time I've addressed them. Because if you gave to the time to write something to me, I will respond back as best as I can and address everything you've said to me. ^^