Soul Edge: The Saintan Within - Stephen

Updating a legendary thread.

Chapter 9 - Time Marches On

Several weeks past, but with each passing day, the trail of Nightmare grew faint. I headed northwards - the direction of the strongest sense of terror - but constantly found nothing. With each failure, my patience slowly dripped away until, in a small town in a country called Germany, the last drop from my lake of patience spilled over.
?How does he do this!? I yelled in my head, nearly slamming a nearby wall in anger as I walked through a busy market place. I looked around at the townspeople who had come out to shop today, all seeming happy and content with their lives, not knowing anything about the terror that loomed all around them. ?It?s probably best they don?t know.? I thought, remembering my days before I went on this mission.
I continued to walk onwards past the market, passing by an alley when a voice called out from the shadowed back of the alley.
?You wish to know how to find him, don?t you?? The voice spoke.
I looked around me, no one else made any trace of hearing a voice. ?Who are you?? I asked the person, no one else noticed me talking to him.
?That is not important now.? he replied, ?If you wish to learn more, head for the top of the town?s clock tower. I shall await you there.?
I looked around and saw - above the buildings - a clock tower reaching up above the whole town.

As I opened the door, I held the hilt of one of my blades, in case of an ambush. Despite this being the best lead I had had in a good while, I couldn?t shake out the feeling that this was a trap. I climbed the stairs slowly and quietly, unsure of what could happen with every step I took. After about several hundred stairs, I stopped. Something was moving. I moved onwards, looking about, waiting for something to happen. Something was bound to happen.
A blade suddenly clanged against the wall, barely missing the back of my head. I instinctively rolled forward and looked at where the blade came from, seeing - to my surprise - a skeleton in clothing. The skeleton roared as it leaped towards me, retrieving it?s blade and attacking with it. I quickly drew my own blades and blocked the attack, knocking the skeleton backwards towards the edge of the stairway. Realising the chance, I kicked the skeleton in the ribs, knocking him off the stairs roaring, which was eventually silenced by a crash and a crumbling of bones on the ground far below. I looked down at the skeleton?s remains for a few moments, then decided to move on.

As I finally reached the top of the stairs, I looked about, only really seeing a large cog with a wooden covering and not too much else. I jumped over on to the cog and - now in the middle of the room - was able to have a proper look about. The tower seemed to have stopped functioning, as nothing was moving at all. ?What?s going on?? I thought, this was now obviously a trap, but I decided to wait it out to see if I could get something from it.
?I cannot allow anyone who knows about the sword to live.? the voice from before echoed, ?It's time for you to die.?
The machinery around me suddenly sprang back to life, moving slowly as it ticked away the seconds. I looked about for the source of the voice when a sudden clang rang out behind me. ?That?s not the chime of the hour is it?? I said, worried, as I turned around. A cog had let itself loose and was hurtling towards me. I quickly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging it as it slammed down on where I previously was, then rolled off the cog down below. A thud hit the other side of the cog, attracting my attention towards a black man in a white hooded shirt, trousers and boots. The top was adorned with gold armour, while his hood tried to conceal a false, gold eye. In his hand, he held out a large scythe.
?Come.? He said, the same voice as in the alley and a few moments before, ?I shall hold a requiem for your soul.?
?Just try it.? I said, drawing both blades and swinging them forward. I charged at the man and swung both blade out, only to be blocked by his scythe. I quickly jumped backwards to avoid his counter-attack, then back-flipped to avoid a further slash. I quickly charged in through his opening and slashed both swords, but he quickly moved his scythe to impact the blow, knocking my arms flailing back. A sudden flash of pain hit my eyes as he then followed up with a kick in to my stomach. I fell back and hit the ground, quickly regaining myself in time to roll out of the way of the scythe?s blade crashing down upon my resting place. I got to my feet as the man pulled the scythe out of the wooden flooring and turned to me. ?I?m impressed.? he said, ?I didn?t expect you to last this long.?
?It surprises me at time too, you know.? I replied, panting for breath.
?Well then, your surprising little life won?t do it again.? He said, the tip of his scythe smouldering with fire slightly. The tower went dark as the fire spread across the blade. ?May you sleep for eternity!? he yelled, leaping towards me, scythe spinning around him twice, before swinging towards my face. I jumped to the side quickly, the burning scythe narrowly missing my face, almost burning my nose. The man?s scythe plunged in to the wood, the fire extinguishing before it could set the wood alight. I smirked at his predicament, his scythe was stuck within the wood. ?No, YOU sleep for eternity!? I yelled, leaping forwards and plunging both blades in to the man?s back. A large spray of blood shot out instantly, to which the man roared in agony. He quickly collapsed to the ground, his scythe remaining in place. I sheathed my blades and walked away from the corpse.

?If only I could sleep for eternity.?

?What?!? I said in shock, turning around to see the body and scythe melting in to a black pool that lay beneath them. As the body disappeared, a black cloud formed in front of the pool, from which a white boot stepped out from, followed by another, then the rest of the man and his scythe. ?Do you now understand the difference between us?? he spoke, as if the swords previously in his back were like scrunched up paper being thrown at him.
?I-Impossible!? I stammered, shocked. ?I just killed you!?
?So it would seem, but all you did was kill that body. You cannot kill me.?
I couldn?t respond, I was shocked beyond words.
?Now then, where were we?? he asked, ??ah yes, I remember.?
Before I could respond, he slashed his scythe at me, slashing through my right cheek. I fell to the ground, pain overriding the shock. ?Ha ha ha, so frail!? he mocked. I wiped some of the blood off of my face and gave him a swift kick in the chest, knocking him close to the edge of the cog. I drew one of my blades and jumped at him, swinging the blade at his face. The man leaned back so the blade missed, something I wanted him to do. I kicked him in the centre of his exposed chest, knocking him backwards off the cog. I landed at the edge and looked down, seeing him holding on to a metal bar. ?Very impressive.? he said, looking up at me, ?I think I?ll settle this one to be a draw.?
?A draw? You?re kidding me. You?ve lost!? I said to him, to which he merely smirked.
?A man who can?t die - a man like me - can never truly lose. Farewell.?
The man let go of the bar and melted away in to the darkness.

I took a few steps back from the edge and rubbed my eyes. ?How many of these bastards are out there?? I asked rhetorically to myself.
?A few more than you?d expect, but also a few less than you?d think.?
?What?? I asked, wondering who was giving an answer. ?Show yourself!?
?I am showing myself, you?re just not looking at myself.?
?Well where are you then?? I asked the person.
?Oh, up, down, left, right, forwards, backwards, side-to-side, to-and-fro, north, south, east, west, everywhere, nowhere.?
I looked up and spotted the person, standing still on a vertically moving cog. ?I can see you.? I said, smiling at the ruin of his riddle.
?Hm?? his head - which was obscured by a brown hood - made a motion of movement which was most likely to look down at me. ?Ah, so you can, didn?t know how long it would take you.?
?What do you want?? I asked him, folding my arms as I awaited his answer.
?A few things, actually, but some, all or none might take your interest.?
I rolled my eyes, ?Go on?? I replied, the movement of the cog now meant I was facing away from him, but I made no effort to turn round and keep him in my line of view.
?First of all, old Zasalamel down there ain?t dead. He just warped through the darkness.?
?Zasalamel? That?s his name?? I asked him.
?You didn?t know? I always thought you humans gave each other your name upon first meeting.? he mused, ?Then again, maybe if you gave him yours first Stephen.?
?How do you know my name?? I asked, turning round to see him no longer there.
?I know more than you think.? he said, the voice in front of me. ?But I also know less. You could say we know more or less the same.?
?Oh?kay?? I said, now that he was up close, I got a feeling of unease from this brown-cladded man.
?So, anyway, I?ve always wanted to do this.? he held his hand out. ?I?m Saintan.?
??Stephen?as you know.? I said, taking his hand and shaking.
?Good.? he said, going with my shaking, ?This is nice.?
Suddenly, he pulled my hand towards him and put what I assumed was his mouth next to my ear. ?I don?t like nice.? he whispered, ramming something in to my stomach. The sharp pain was quickly followed by the slam of wood a few feet back - I couldn?t remember the flight through the air.
?Can?t believe you fell for that one!? he said proudly, stepping slowly towards me.
?You son of a *****!? I spat, trying to get up, but my stomach was in too much pain to allow it.
?Oh, and while we?re at it, something else I always wanted to do.? he said.
A blinding flash of incredible pain erupted as I felt his foot land in between my legs. I curled up as I tried to sob away the pain.
?As nasty as I hoped, excellent.? Saintan smirked.
?W-w-what do you want?? I said, weak from my injuries.
?Nothing from you yet, possibly something from you now though, but not here, or now?
?What then?? I asked.
?See for yourself.? he said. The tower suddenly went dark, then disappeared. Saintan slowly melted in to the formed darkness, which felt like it was trying to knock me out. Too weak to resist, I felt my eyelids grow heavy as I drifted out of consciousness.

Wow, Saintan certainly is a magnificent ba[b][/b]stard. Reminds me of old-school Chaos.

Very well-written fight. Glad to see you haven't got rusty from all that schoolwork. Nicely done with Zasalamel's rebirth, by the way. Very awesome.

We need moar Talim, kthxbai.

Saintan kicks arse, or balls, if we're going to be accurate.

Its nice to see you're remaining faithful to the game with the speech. I also found you captured Zasalamel's personality well in the invented dialogue.

I've also found myself liking this Saintan you've created. Though I can't really see the Saint side of his character.

I thought that Zasalamel was born again each time he died, but retined his memories. Oh well, what do I know, huh? Excellent work on the chapter, perticularly cameo of Revenant. As Curry said, Saintan is awsome and evil, which is always a good combo. Looking forward to getting this updated more regularly now! Keep it up!

Great chapter Cervy.

Saintan is cruel and merciless by the looks.
And thats awesome.

Can't wait for chapter 10.

Because I'm feeling so nice to you all, here's another chapter. No, seriously, no month long wait or anything.

Chapter 10 - The One Man Army

?Incoming!?
A sudden crash of wood and water shocked me back in to life. I shook my head and pushed myself off the wooden floor, only to suddenly have a flaming arrow shoot right past my face. I suddenly realised that this was no longer the clock tower - this was a war in the sea. ?Where am I?? I spoke quietly, shocked by my surroundings. All over the stretch of water there was sunken ships, slowly being approached by what I assumed were the enemy. Another arrow shot very close to my face, prompting me to get out of the way. I jumped down off of my resting place and landed on what still remained of this ship. An enemy ship sailed by the wreckage, allowing three warriors to jump off, swords drawn. ?Oh, great.? I mumbled, drawing my blades at them. The three charged in to attack, but were suddenly mown down by another warrior, his blade stabbing the first, then throwing the corpse in to the other two, knocking them overboard. This new warrior wore black trousers, white socks exposed by his sandals and a red rope style belt from which the scabbard for his sword hung. He wore a few items of armour on his thighs and one piece on his left shoulder. His face showed a good amount of stubble, with his hair tied back in to a long ponytail. The man faced me and spoke, but his words were impossible to understand. ?Uhh?sorry?? I asked, hoping a repeat might make his words make sense.
?You?re from England?? he spoke in sense, ?You?re far from home here.?
?Not England, Scotland.? I corrected him, ?..and where about am I??
?You don?t know?? he asked, seeming bemused by the idea of it, ?Why, this is Japan.?
?Japan?? I said, confused. I didn?t actually know where about this place called Japan was.

Suddenly, a large swarm of warriors surrounded us, each with a murderous glint within their eyes. Almost instinctively, the two of us stood back-to-back, circling so we could see what they were all doing. ?Ready?? the man asked.
?Try and stop me.? I replied.
The warriors charged at us; I kicked away from the man and stabbed the first warrior straight in front of me, instantly killing him. I pulled my sword out of his chest and - unintentionally - beheaded a second warrior who had appeared next to me. I sidestepped to avoid the blade of a third warrior before hacking in to his back with my right sword?s hilt slamming in to the back of his neck, snapping it. I threw the body own and turned round to see all the other warriors had already been slain by the man. ??Wow, you?re good.?
?Good?? the man laughed, ?I find ?good? rather insulting.?
?Who are you?? I asked, wondering just who this powerful warrior was.
?The name?s Mitsurugi?? he said, as two more warriors jumped down from above. Misturugi slashed the chest of the first before he even landed on the ground, then swung his sword round straight in to the chest of the other warrior. He drew the blade out of the corpse?s chest and sheathed it. ??remember it!?
?Ok.? I said, not wanting to argue with that.

It didn?t take much longer until our side had won the battle. The surviving members of our side gathered in the palace of the area?s emperor, where we were congratulated. However, the emperor made a specific mention of ?The One Man Army?, a nickname that Mitsurugi had picked up. I watched from the back of the room as Mitsurugi stepped up and kneeled before the emperor, who started to speak in their native language. I paid little attention to the speech due to language differences, however, I came back in to focus when I picked up the words ?Azure Knight? and ?Soul Edge?. Looking towards the emperor, I noticed Mitsurugi had reacted to those words as well.
As the army cleared out of the hall, I waited behind for Mitsurugi to leave. As he passed, he put his hand on my shoulder and, near enough dragging me, said ?You?re coming with me.?

?Mitsurugi, you still haven?t explained what we?re doing up here.? I called out to him. He had taken me up a nearby mountain.
Mitsurugi stopped, ?You know something, don?t you?? he said.
?Know what?? I asked.
?Soul Edge, the Azure Knight, the emperor mentioned it, I know you know something about it.?
?Well?yeah.? I decided I could trust Mitsurugi.
?Good, then you are of use to me.? he said.
?So, what can I help you with??
?I?m going after Soul Edge.? he said, ?I need a stronger opponent, no one else has been able to hold a sword to my might, I need to face the Azure Knight so I can relive the rush of a proper battle.?
?Sure, I?ll help.? I said, remembering his performance in war, I knew that Nightmare stood little chance against him. ?So, is he up here??
?Not quite, but I have heard of something up here.?
?Oh??
?There are rumours of a clan that live within this sacred volcano.? Mitsurugi explained, ?They gather up the pieces of Soul Edge and erase their power of evil.?
I gasped. ?That?s brilliant!? I said, ?With them on our side, he has no chance whatsoever!?
?That?s not what I want though.?
?What??
?I want his defeat, yes, but I want him to be strong for it. I want a truly great battle with him.?
?Oh.? I said, expecting what his answer would be to my next question. ?So what are we going to do with the clan??
?Defeat them.? He said bluntly.
?Don?t see why you need me for that though, your skill should see you through this by yourself.? I asked, confused.
?You could do with the experience.?
?Yeah?thanks for that.?

As we headed further up the mountain, I started to have doubts. ?If I go through with this, I could be helping with Soul Edge?s reign of terror. But, if I object to Mitsurugi, I?ll have no chance of surviving much longer afterwards.? The thoughts ran through my head, swaying back and forth between both options.
?Uhh?Mitsurugi.? I decided to try and do something. ?I was wonder-?
?You fool!? A female voice yelled out from nowhere.
?Jump!? Mitsurugi yelled, the two of us leaping backwards to avoid a row of throwing knives pinging off the rock. ?You again!? Mitsurugi yelled, looking towards a woman standing on a rock further ahead. The woman wore a blue, skin tight suit that left little to the imagination, with the only other items of clothing being sandals and a black item around her chest that seemed to hold two small scabbards that hung behind her. Her black hair was tied back in a similar fashion to Mitsurugi?s.
?Who?s she?? I asked Mitsurugi.
?Her name is Taki.? he replied. ?A ninja, she?s been after my head for years.?
?And you, accomplice.? Taki spoke to me, ?You shall die too for helping in his bid to use the sword of evil.?
?What?? I was thrown back by this accusation. ?But, I-?
?Silence, begone!?
Taki leaped forward at incredible speed, too fast to keep an eye on. I instinctively rolled forward, feeling the wind resistance of her blades narrowly missing my neck. ?Hey!? Mitsurugi interrupted Taki, drawing his sword. ?If you want a fight, we have a little score to settle.?
Taki looked towards Mitsurugi, then back at me, then grunted at Mitsurugi. ?I?ll take care of you later.? she said, leaping at Mitsurugi. ?Go! Take care of things while you can!? he yelled.
?Got it.? I replied, running off up the mountain.
?Not so fast!? Taki yelled between the clanking of steel upon steel. A glowing object flew up above my head, landing a little bit in front of me. ?What the-?!? I asked, but before I could finish, the object exploded, blasting away a huge chunk of the rock surrounding me. I fell down the hall through an underground tunnel, landing on the sloped ground and sliding downwards. There was a red, burning light at the end of the tunnel, which filled my heart with fear and dread. ?I?m going to die!? I screamed in my head as the end of the tunnel got closer, leading in to the inside of the volcano. I slid out and fell downwards, I had given up my life.

I hit something hard.
I stood up, noticing I had landed on a small piece of moving rock. ?Oh, thank the ancients!? I cried, falling to my knees with an incredible surge of relief.
?Who are you?? a voice asked.
?I turned round to see another passenger on this piece of rock. He was heavily clad in silver armour with black clothes slightly visible underneath and a row of feathers on both shoulder armour pieces. His long, blonde hair was completely unfamiliar, but there was something about him that was incredibly familiar to me, I couldn?t quite figure out what though. ?Oh, just someone dropping in.? I replied, having a look around at the volcanic surroundings.
?So, you head of the clan too then?? he asked, walking forward slightly, leaving something in the ground behind him. I looked at it, and a sudden shock overcame me. Soul Edge stood behind him, stabbed in to the ground, although it had changed somewhat, it?s tentacles had wrapped around what appeared to be Soul Calibur. I instantly knew who this was, and he seemed to know it. ?Oh, wait, I remember you! You saved me from him back at the chapel.? he tried to make excuses.
?You *******, Nightmare!? I yelled at him.
?No, this is not what you think!? he yelled, for what reason he was making up this lie I didn?t care.
?Shut up!? I roared, drawing both blades, ?This ends right here, right now! I shall burn you to the ground once and for all!?

« Last edited by Cervantes De Leon on May 26th 2008 »

Yay, Stephen's been mysteriouly teleported to Japan! Mitsurugi and Taki make cameos! Stephen has misidentified someone as Nightmare!

All in all, a good chapter. There was one place where the wording confused me, but I can't find it again, so it's all good. I look forward to a climactic battle between Stephen and this other bloke (Siegfried?) in the next chapter, because that would be awesome. Not as awsome as a gun that shoots shurikens and lightning, but still awsome. Looking forward to it!

Another great chapter. Siegfried is about to get fvcking stomped; there's no force on this planet that can belay an angry Scotsman.

But seriously, dude, three days? That's pushing my record. I'm impressed.

I would say that Chuck Norris may stand a chance against the angry Scotsman, but then I saw this, and decided to rethink.

Now for the chapter. The pace was a little better than usual, seeing as I often find myself being rished through the story. This makes a nice change, and the story seems to be deepening. I'm looking forward to the fight between Siegfried and Stephen, though I'm presuming that either Mitsurugi or Taki will show up at one point to decide things.

Who are you and what have you done with Cervy?

Kidding, new chapter was great, what I find funny is that first of all Stephen is stood atop a clocktower, then he wakes up in Japan.
Great chapter, can't wait for 11.

Chapter 11 - Burning Intentions

?Graaaaaaah!? I yelled in anger, charging forwards with my swords pointing to the ground behind me. I watched him pull out a large, grey and black sword and hold it in a defensive position. I stopped and jumped back, confusing him.
?Deciding to fight back now eh? That?s more like you.? I smirked at him.
?I?m not Nightmare!? he yelled, ?My name is Siegfried!?
?Alright, we?ll play this your way, ?Siegfried?.? I spat, ?It doesn?t matter, I?ll still kill you!?
??I?m sorry.? Siegfried said, swinging the sword to what was probably an offensive position.
?He?s holding the sword differently to normal.? a thought nagged in the back of my head, ?He?s also refusing to use Soul Edge. That?s not like him.?
?Shut up! It is Nightmare! He?s got the same stature as him, he?s got the sword. He?s even got the same strong surge of power from him.? Another thought argued, sounding more convincing in my ears.

I charged again at Siegfried, thrusting my blades forward at him with so much speed they almost flew out of my hands. Siegfried jumped back and swung at my legs, which I jumped over with ease. Before he could do anything, I slammed my right hilt in to his face and had a stab at his chest with the left blade, only for it to bounce off his silver armour. ?His armour feels harder and more modern.? The nagging came back, ??and why is it silver? He?s always been ?The Azure Knight?, he wouldn?t change it.? I ignored it again.
Siegfried started to swing the giant blade vertically, moving it from one side of his body to the other as he did so. I dodged to the opposite side of the swing each time, eventually finding a chance to dodge behind him and kick him in the back, knocking him to the ground. Siegfried - who had fallen near the edge of our platform that was floating slowly down the lava stream - quickly got back to his feet and thrusted his blade towards me. I jumped up and landed on the blade, stepping forward and kicking him in the face. As I jumped off the large sword to allow him to fall, another nagging thought entered my head. ?He?s not wearing a helmet. He?s always got a helmet on.? It said, ?His eyes, they?re not their normal red either, they?re green.?
I shook away the thoughts.
Siegfried got back up and swung the sword viciously at me. I jumped back to avoid the blade cutting open my chest, but Siegfried dashed forward and slammed his left foot down on top of my right foot. Before I could yell in pain, the broad side of his sword slammed in to my chest and swung upwards, throwing me in to the air. As the ground started to grow closer, I saw Siegfried jump in to the air, his feet slamming in to my back, knocking me to the edge of the moving rock. I quickly recovered and, looking at Siegfried get back up from his dropkick, another thought began to eat away at me.
?Look at his arm. It?s normal. No mutation, no claws, no teeth on the shoulder or the chest. It?s normal, not green or anything, just completely normal. How can this be Nightmare??
?Grah! Shut up!? I yelled, slapping my head to try and quieten the voice.
?Why should I? You?re the one that?s confused.?
?Wha-what?? I said. my head began to throb in pain, causing me to stagger about perilously close to the edge of the rock. I suddenly felt a part of the rock below my feet crumble away, causing me to fall back towards the lava.
?Got you!? Siegfried grabbed my hand and quickly pulled me back up and away from the edge.

?Why? Why did you save me?? I asked, in between grunts of pain from my head, which was constantly intensifying.
?It wasn?t your fault that you attacked me.? Siegfried answered, ?It?s your feeling of anger and hatred for Nightmare that took over your mind. I cannot blame you for it, I have seen it happen to so many people.?
?But?why? Arrgh! You look so much like Nightmare.? I asked.
?That?s because?I was once Nightmare.? Siegfried said, hanging his head in shame.
?What?!? I spat out, then recoiling in the surge of agony.
?I think it?s about time I told you what happened. I owe you the truth.? he said.

?Many years ago, I joined a gang that made its work in taking out cowards of a war in Germany. During this time, I unintentionally beheaded my own father, who was retreating from injury. Seeing the sight of my decapitated father, I went insane and forced the idea in to my head that someone else had killed him, not me. I decided to search for Soul Edge as the most fitting way to kill his murderer. I eventually found the sword lying next to a skeleton, which was re-animated by the sword. I defeated it, and was away to take it when the sword gave me an offer - to collect souls and in exchange, he would bring my father back to life. I accepted it, and went on to take souls from all over Europe, even fighting in a war to help the Roman Empire defeat the Ottoman Empire. Soul Edge betrayed me during this time though, instead forming the Nightmare you see today. I fought him, but he eventually managed to take over my body for a few years, but was then destroyed by a girl who wielded Soul Calibur. I was free from Nightmare?for a while. He soon took over my body again and went on to reform Soul Edge. When he reformed the sword and - after sending you and your girlfriend to Tartaros, he fought and nearly defeated a Frenchman. At which point, I rebelled and stalled Nightmare, allowing the man to finish off Nightmare and free me. I destroyed the armour and - taking Soul Calibur, which strangely appeared - stabbed Soul Edge. Afterwards, I left the man, knowing the two of you would tend to him. I needed to find a way to destroy Soul Edge for good, Soul Calibur only quelled it?s power a bit. Now that Nightmare?s back though, my time is running short. If I don?t finish this soon, it will be too late.?

??Wow. I thought I had things bad.? I said, grunting loudly in pain suddenly afterwards.
?Are you alright?? Siegfried asked, ?You look like you?re in severe pain.?
?It feels like?my head?s gonna explode.? I grunted in between yells of pain.
?Allow me to assist you.? Someone said from above.
We both looked up to see a man floating down, spinning his sword at high speed to seemingly fly. The man wore mainly pink, with a brownish mask and several accessories over his body. He landed in front of me and put his hand - which was wooden - in front of my face. ?Evil, begone!? he yelled, a sudden electric surge flowing through me, agonising me to the very core. The surge ended, and I felt something float out of my body. A bright ball of white light floated around, moving away from the three of us before transforming in to a familiar figure.
?Saintan!? I yelled, my blades instantly taken in to my hands. ?You *******!? I charged and swung both blades at him, but just as they should have made contact with his chest, he disappeared.
?Impressive, you caught me out.? Saintan mused, appearing mere inches above the lava in front of us. ?I should maybe have been a bit more quiet, discreet, a little less obvious within your conscience, shouldn?t I??
?You can just **** off and leave my thoughts alone.? I yelled.
?I could, but why would I? Why wouldn?t I? It?s fun to mess with heads?fun to mess with your head.?
?Yeah, just try to do it again.? I said, ?My blades will be waiting for your blood.?
?Well, they missed the last time I did that. So much for your ideas then, they?re useless.?
?What?? I was confused by this.
?You really think you would attack her on your own? Even with Nightmare?s ?controlling abilities???
??No.?
?Christ you humans are total idiots! You actually thought Nightmare can control people? For him that?s impossible, undoable, out of his capabilities, not on his move list. He?s a useless waste of space.?
?You-You didn?t.?
?I did. I possessed you. I made you almost kill her.?
?NO!? I screamed, rage taking over my whole body, ?You ******* *******! I?ll kill you!?
?I was quite surprised you got out of my control though, startled, shocked even. But it seems your ability to do that is gone near enough, you couldn?t push me out that time.?
?Dare to say that straight to my face??
?That?s unnecessary, you can hear me from over there. Besides, I don?t have any more time to waste right now, so I?ll leave you here for now.?
?Wait! No you do-? before I could finish my sentence, he was gone. I roared out in anger and repeatedly stabbed the ground with my swords, hoping it might do something to sort everything out. All it eventually did was take out my rage.

?So, who are you?? Siegfried asked the man.
?Thy name is Yoshimitsu. Leader of the Manjitou.? he announced. ?And it would appear that thou hast both of thou legendary Soul swords.?
?Can you destroy them?? I asked, having calmed down enough to partake in this conversation.
?Sadly, we cannot.? Yoshimitsu shook his head in sorrow. ?It is foretold that there be only one way for thou to destroy the inner demons of the swords.?
?How?? we both asked.
?Thou must defeat the accursed Knight in a duel to the death, only then will thy swords be gone from this world.?
?I see?? Siegfried said, seeming disheartened by having to confront Nightmare again.
?I guess there?s no way around this.? I said, looking up to Yoshimitsu, who nodded to confirm my thoughts.
??The best I can do then, is set a stage for this duel.? Siegfried said, ??and I know where.?
?You do?? both Yoshimitsu and I asked.
?The legends tell of a chapel in the west European mountains which houses a chapel with architecture from many different lands and time periods. It?s a desert spot with no living beings for miles around, that?s the best place to fight without the threat of other casualties.? Siegfried explained.
?A wise choice.? Yoshimitsu said, ?Thy luck shall be at your side, use it well.?
?Thank you.? Siegfried said.
?Siegfried, is there any way I can help?? I asked, ?I feel that I owe you for trying to kill you.?
Siegfried seemed to think about it for a few moments, ?There is.? he said, ?I need you to keep Nightmare away from me until I arrive at the Chapel. Don?t kill him though, leave that to me.?
I sighed, realising the danger of my part of the mission, ?Alright.? I eventually said.
?The fate of everything rests on our shoulders now.? Siegfried said, offering out his hand. ?We have to do this.?
?Let?s finish this.? I said, taking the offer and shaking his hand.

Another awesome chapter. Glad to see Yoshimitsu, who is one of my favourite characters despite being completely terrible to play as. And it seems like Saintan's been causing a lot more trouble than we thought. Looking forward to moar.

I have to agree about Yoshimitsu: he's really hard to play as, but he's still awesome. As for the chapter, I'm glad that it was the only one I missed when I was away, and therefore say that it was really great! Incidentally, this would be a good time for Nightmare to burst in and attack them. And Saintan should be the one who finally beats him at the end of the fic. And Darth Vader should steal Soul Edge. Keep up the good work!

WARNING! Some scenes of this chapter may disturb those of you who are incredibly sensitive. The rest may find it epic win.

Chapter 12 - Resolve

As we landed back on the mainland, Siegfried quickly scanned the surrounding area for any traces of Nightmare. Fortunately, there was nothing.
?This makes it a little bit better.? he said, ?It means that he is somewhere in front of us, not behind us.?
?I guess so.? I said, thinking. ?So, just keep a fair bit behind you to make sure nobody else is following you. Eliminate those who do unless it?s Nightmare.?
?Yes.? Siegfried re-confirmed the plan. ?Just slow down Nightmare a little.? He then turned to Mitsurugi, who had agreed to come to the mainland and help. ?Are you sure you want to help with this??
?The only reason I am here is so I can find a worthy opponent, someone who can truly test my strength.? Mitsurugi explained.
?All the same, thank you.? Siegfried said, nodding his head. Mitsurugi nodded back.
?So, where about is this place?? I asked, making sure all the details were fresh in my head.
?If your desire to find something is strong within your soul, it will appear before you.? Siegfried said, ?It wouldn?t surprise me if your girlfriend found it as well. Her determination was strong when I saw the two of you while I was in the form of the Knight.? Siegfried turned around and began to walk onwards towards his goal.
?Siegfried.? I called out.
?Hm??
?She?s not my girlfriend.? I said to him, ?Just so we?re clear.?
?Really?? Siegfried said. ?I?m sorry, I assumed that the two of you were. You seemed to both care for each other a incredible amount, that?s all.?
I was taken back by his words. ??Really??
?Yes, I could sense something powerful from the two of you. A strong sense of care and affection for each other.?
??I?I see?? I said, speechless. ??Good luck.?
?Thank you. Good luck to both of you.? Siegfried said, before turning away again and heading off.

?Did?did she care for me that much?? I was stunned, my head was filled with thoughts. ?I had almost forgotten about those times. I must have been too focused on destroying Soul Edge to notice that she cared. The time we spent together. It wasn?t just a journey to save the world, it was what created our friendship, our trust, our compassion for each other, our??
?Be careful out there boy.? Mitsurugi said, ?Care for your fellow man in war can cause problems. It gives yourself a weakness, particularly when your fellow man is in fact a woman. However, on the other hand, it gives you something to fight for, and someone to aid you in battle.?
?Wha-what is it you?re saying?? I asked, my head was filled with so many thoughts, I couldn?t fully understand what he was saying.
?I?ll say this in a way that might benefit you more.? Mitsurugi said, ?I?ve seen you in battle and from what I have noticed, you show some slight fear. When you block, you fear being killed; when you attack, you fear killing them; when you protect, you fear you may let them die.?
He stopped for a moment to let it sink in, I thought about his words, realising some truth in between constant images of both Talim and death flashing before my eyes. I tried to shake them out, but they remained.
?You need to be more assertive with yourself. You need to find your resolve.? Mitsurugi began to conclude. ?When you block, you make sure you don?t die; when you protect, you make sure they stay alive; when you attack, you kill.?
I thought about those statements for a few moments, trying to force them in to my head. The images of death slowly faded, but the ones of Talim remained.
?Maybe the reason I turned my back on her was because I cared too much. Maybe I was worried for her own safety.? I thought.
?When you protect, you make sure they stay alive.?

Not long afterwards, Mitsurugi and I went our separate ways; Mitsurugi taking a more northern route, while I took a more southern path. My mind was swamped with thoughts, constantly pounding away at the inside of my head. As I reached a mountainous area a far distance from civilisation on night, the pounding became unbearable. I fell to my knees in pain, yelling out as that progressed to agony. ?Shut up. Shut up! SHUT UP!? I yelled, my head feeling like it was away to explode. Suddenly, the pain disappeared, but was replaced by the feeling of not being alone. ??Who?s there?? I yelled out, getting to my feet again while holding my head.
Suddenly, out of nowhere, a giant eyeball floated down in front of me. Shocked, I stepped back a few paces until I fell on to my backside. I watched in horror as several brown objects surrounded the eyeball and circled around it. The objects began to attach to each other and encase the eyeball in what was starting to appear like a skeleton, with one final piece, a lot thicker than the others, landing on top to mimic a head. The ?arms? swung out as the imitation of a body crackled like lightning. I got back to my feet and drew my blades. Seeing them, the body held its arms up and forced something out of the hands. When the arms came down, they were holding two swords, both identical to mine. I stared at them, shocked at how he copied them, but I shook the thought away. ?You?re standing in my way.? I said, remembering Mitsurugi?s advice. ?I don?t like that.?
Suddenly, the body charged forward, throwing its right blade forward at me.
?When you block, you make sure you don?t die.?
Holding my blades up in an X shape, I pushed away the blade as soon as it made contact with mine, then kicked the body in the waist, causing it to back off slightly. It seemed unaffected by the kick and stood with its eye staring at me.
?Let?s do this.? I said, readying to attack.

I quickly made a slash at the body?s left arm with my right, though he quickly moved it out of the way and made a stab with its right sword. I slammed my left sword in to the side of it, knocking it off course and missing my leg. I jumped back and made a stab at its head, but was blocked by both swords in an X shape ?That?s my move.? I thought, surprised to see the body use it as I jumped back, expecting it to try and make a slash at me. As I guessed, it swung at me with its right blade, leaving it open as I slammed the hilt of my left blade in to its right arm. As the left arm held the right in what seemed like pain, I quickly made a slash at the head, slicing it clean off.
The body turned round and faced me, as if it hadn?t even realised it was missing its head. I stared in disbelief as the head floated up behind the body and landed right back where it was a few moments ago. ?Ok, we don?t do that again.? I decided, then noticing the eyeball pulsating in the centre of its chest. ?That on the other hand?? I realised the opponent?s weak point.
The left blade made a sudden swipe for my chest, narrowly missing me. I smashed the blade away with my right sword, following with a swipe to the right sword with my left blade. As the arms flailed back, the eye was left wide open and completely defenceless.
?When you attack, you kill.?
Before it could react, my right blade went straight for the eyes, impaling it straight through the centre. The eye made no movement, showing instant death as the limbs collapsed in to separate components around it. I shook the eyeball off of the end of my sword and sheathed them both. As the eyeball hit the ground, a sudden flash of pain hit my head. ?Aaarrrgh! Damnit! Not again!? I yelled, giving one final roar of pain before falling to my knees, my vision blurred and disappeared as I fell forwards.

?Grrrroah!?

?Huh?? I groaned, my coming back to life. As my vision slowly cleared up, I realised I was no longer in the mountains, but instead in a forest, still at night. I slowly got to my feet, holding my still slightly throbbing head as I did so. ?Well, at least that?s cleared up.? I thought.
?Grrrrah!?
I instantly recognised the roaring. ?Aw, crap.? I said in shock, ?Not him.?
I quickly moved forwards through the trees, heading towards the grunts of Nightmare. I eventually found him, chopping down trees with seemingly very little effort to clear the path in front of him.
?This is perfect, I?m right behind him.? I thought, quietly taking out my right blade and walking slowly towards him. As I got right behind him, I raised my blade and - holding it with both hands - slammed it straight down at his neck.
The blade smashed upon impact with Nightmare.
Nightmare quickly turned around as I stepped back in fear, still holding a stump of a blade on its hilt. I threw away the broken sword and drew my remaining sword, charging and swinging it at him. Nightmare batted the sword with his normal arm, knocking it out of my hands and sending it spinning in to the air, planting itself half way up a tree. Before I could even cower in fear, I felt the Phantom Soul Edge slam in to the side of me, knocking me off my feet and slamming my back in to a nearby tree. I sat at the bottom of the tree, unable to get up, as Nightmare stomped towards me, his red eyes, glowing brighter then normally to the point of almost blinding.
He then stopped, too far away from me to be within reach.
?Come on then.? I said, knowing it was over. ?Finish me off!?
He didn?t respond.
?What?s going on?? I knew something wasn?t right.
Two figures appeared next to Nightmare, the one on his left wielding a scythe, the one on the right a small rod.
?What the-?!? I spat out, recognising Zasalamel and Saintan, both with glowing red eyes that were similar to Nightmare.
Zasalamel stepped forward and picked me up with his scythe by my jacket, leaving me dangling in the air while Saintan extended his weapon and rammed it in to my stomach. The constant jabs of pain were unbearable, eventually stopping as I slid out of my jacket and down on to my knees. I coughed up several mouthfuls of blood as the three stepped back, disappearing in to the darkness.
?Wh-where are you going?? I yelled out, getting up on to one leg, only to be knocked back down with a sudden slam of wood and metal in to my right eye. I roared in agony for my now useless eye, using my remaining working eye to see who my attacker was, taken back to see Maxi standing before me.
?Maxi?! What the ****! You blinded my right eye!? I yelled at him, only then noticing his eyes had gone red. His foot quickly slammed in to my side, causing me to howl in pain as I fell the other way. As I struggled to get up, I noticed another figure, but this one was a female. I looked up in horror when I saw who the red-eyed, nun chuck-wielding girl was. ?I-Igraine?!? I stammered in pain and horror as her blade-tipped nun chucks were swung at my face. I moved my head back, but not fast enough as I felt my left cheek being sliced open. I tried to hold my cheek closed as the blood - and tears of excruciating agony - flowed down my face. A sharp pain suddenly entered my right arm, taking all attention away from my sliced cheek as I turned to see a lance having gone straight through my arm. I looked up and yelled in shock at the sight of a red-eyed Marcos, with Mitsurugi standing next to him, red-eyed, blade drawn. ?No! No! Please! Don?t!? I begged in between sobs of pain as my arm was slowly raised by Marcos? lance while Mitsurgi raised his blade. I closed my eye and turned away, not bearing to watch what was away to happen.
I re-opened my working eye with a shriek of agony, looking over to see Markos shake my severed arm off of his lance. ?I?I can?t?take it anymore.? I thought, leaning on my left arm to try and keep my body up. ?My body?feels heavy. My arm?numb. My head?light. My legs?can?t move. Is this it? Is this the end? Damnit. Damnit!?
?DAMNIT!? I yelled out, then noticing one final figure approach. I no longer cared who it was that was trying to edge me further to death, as long as they finished the agony.
I still didn?t expect it to be Talim.
?Please?finish me off.? I said, bowing my head down to her. ?After what I did to you, what I said to you, I think it?s rather fitting.?
Talim nodded her head. I not only realised she was the only one who responded to my words, she was also the only one who didn?t have red eyes. She took out one of her elbow blades - though I didn?t know which one it was - and plunged it straight through my chest.

?AAAAAAAAAAHHH!?

I quickly got up to my feet and looked all around me, I was back in the mountains. My blades were still in their scabbards, my jacket was still on, my right eye was still working, my left cheek was still in one piece, my arm was still attached to my body. ?It was?all just a nightmare?? I realised in-between huge mouthfuls of air. Overwhelmed by what had just happened, I fell to my knees and started to cry.
?She?she saved me from the pain.? I realised. ?All this time I was just wanting to protect her from harm, yet, she was trying to protect me from harm as well. I?m such an idiot. I?m such a ******* idiot!?
I slammed the ground hard in frustration, only to hurt it and increase the tear count.

I eventually brought myself under control, dried my face and got to my feet. ?I will find her.? My resolve decided. ?No matter what, I will find her.?

The chapter was written with awesome all the way through. I felt that Charade was a little bit of an unnecessary add on, but the fight was enjoyable nonetheless. His strange, mimicking style was captured considerably well here. As for character personalities, well done.

Onto the dream torture scene. Why? Why?
You write a perfect scene with just the right amount of violence to give Stephen a reason to fight for revenge, and you make it a dream. All that you would have to do is take out Talim, and Mitsurugi, and Maxi, and let the others do the dirty work. But still, you know where this is going I suppose, so I'm looking forward to the rest of the plot... and less dreams.

Except if it wasn't a dream that'd be the end of this half of the fic: Stephen would be dead.

Well, this chapter was excellent (Air Guitar!). I liked the fight against Charade, and the fact that something's messing with Stephen's mind is pretty cool and very well executed.

One thing: "When you block, you fear being killed; when you attack, you fear killing them; when you protect, you fear you may let them die.? - That's awesome, and I know I've heard it somewhere before. Not sure exactly where, but I have a fair idea. Regardless, great chapter there and I look forwards to more soon!

It is with great pleasure and considerable humility that I present you, good sir, with the Pandaemonium Award for Nightmare Fuel. That's easily your single most well-written scene ever. Five stars.

Also, CHARADE! *squee*

Thought I'd post XD

Basically what I said on MSN, you're skill and mature style in writing has grown so much, description in the fight scenes is fantastic. Well done Stu! *Squishy* Your best chapter yet, keep at it =]

*Very late return of jam's squishy* Thanks for the comments everyone. =)

Chapter 13 - Servant of Darkness, Protector of Light

?She?s close. I know it.?
I searched the area surrounding me as I felt her presence come closer. I broke in to a run as I felt something straight ahead of me. The area had gone dark, with he only light coming from the full moon, shining brightly with very few clouds to obstruct it. As I continued to dash forward at full pace, I suddenly felt the ground disappear beneath my feet, not noticing the small hill. I rolled several times as I fell down, my body tingling in pain as I finally stopped my descent. As I looked up, coughing out several mouthfuls of dirt and stone, I noticed what looked like the corpse of a large animal lying in front of me.
?It feels like she was here for this beast, as if she calmed him in to a peaceful death.? I sensed the purity of the surrounding air. ?She has to be nearby.?
I ran forward in what I thought was the direction she took.

As I continued to run, I heard a voice that confirmed their location.
?What?!?
?That?s Yun-Seong?s voice.? I realised, slowing down as I approached the edge of the ground. I got down to my knees as I edged closer to the edge, looking down the steep, short drop to the ground below, where Talim, Yun-Seong and a third person - whom I recognised as Hitomi, the girl who had revived me back in the desert - just away to walk off. Suddenly, a figure jumped out behind them, one that I instantly recognised.
?That?s?!? I was shocked at the sight of her. ?That?s her from Ostrheinsburg!?

When I got off of the raft I ran straight for the chapel that I had fought Soul Edge at. When I arrived there, there was, to my surprise, nothing. The place was as empty as when I first came here, though the damage that was caused by my last visit was still here. ?****!? I yelled, ?How the hell am I supposed to find it now??
?I don?t know, maybe?search for it??
?Not her again.? I thought to myself, turning around to see her standing on top of a pillar, ravens surrounding her. ?What the hell do you want?? I said coldly, drawing my swords in case they were needed.
?So this is how you treat nice people who try to help.? she replied, annoyingly cheerfully. She jumped off of the pillar and landed in front of me. ?You really should learn to be nice to people, especially girls.?
?That so? Well the only thing I see around here is a cow.?
The girl?s expression changed. ?Listen, you brat!? she spat, ?You?re lucky that I?ve had my fill of death for today and not in the mood to waste your pathetic little life. So just wander along and go lay your little game of treasure hunt with your mummy and daddy or something.?
As soon as she mentioned the word ?daddy?, I felt anger build up quickly inside of me. ?You dare to mock my father?? I yelled, charging at her, charging my soul and transferring the power from it to my swords. I swung them down at her, the power creating electrical sparks from the sharp metal. The girl dodged my blade - the sparks being absorbed by the stone - before kicking me in the back, forcing me to the ground in pain. As I lay there, she kicked me in the stomach several times, only stopping when I had rolled up in to a ball to protect myself. ?Pathetic cur.? she spat. ?You?re not even worth killing, but if I ever see you again, you will die slowly and painfully.? She walked over to the edge of the destroyed ground before jumping off, her footsteps echoing as she ran off.

?I didn?t think I?d see her again.? I said to myself, watching on as the trio below argued with her. Suddenly, she raised her arm towards Talim, somehow seeming to freeze her body in place. The other two were suddenly blown back by the lift of her free hand, knocking out Hitomi as her head slammed in to a stone. Yun-Seong got up and made a dash for her with his sword, only to be knocked out by a sudden attack from an assailant not even I in my elevated position could see. As Yun-Seong was dragged away by the attacker, I turned back to Talim and the girl, who was just away to finish her off.
?Damn!? I yelled in my head. ?She could easily kill me, but I cannot let that stop me. I can?t let Talim die!?
Out of pure instinct, I jumped down off of the cliff, landing in-between the two girls and destroying the attacker?s concentration, destroying Talim?s paralysis by the sound of her breathing heavily for a few moments. ?Leave her alone!? I yelled as I drew my blades at the girl, who seemed to recognise my face.
??Stephen?? Talim also recognised me. I turned my head around - keeping my swords pointing at the other girl - and smiled at the sight of her. Remembering the situation at hand, I snapped back in to reality.
?I?ll take care of her.? I said to Talim, ?You go help Yun-Seong and Hitomi.?
?Ok.? Talim quickly agreed, running towards Hitomi.
I turned round and faced the girl again. ?Didn?t expect to see you again.?
?I thought you would have had the sense to stay away from me.? the girl grunted, ?You really must be stupid.?
?Maybe.? I responded, not caring about what she was saying. ?One question though, what was that thing you did on her??
?Soul stop? That is none of your concern.? she spat.
?A soul move?? I froze, remembering what they were capable of.

?Soul Quake!? The area around Nightmare went dark before I felt a sudden shockwave, knocking me off my feet. ?Ow. What the hell was that?!? I said, getting up.
?Like I would tell you.? Nightmare spat, swinging Soul Edge downwards. I dodged the attack and, getting to my feet, slashed at his neck.
?Soul?? Nightmare started, somehow deflecting my sword upon impact with his neck, ??Blast!? A sudden explosion blasted out from his body, causing me to yell in agony upon impact. I was sent skyward by the blast, knocking me towards the top of the cliff at the other end of the village. I hit the ground, everything went black.

?You?re open!? the girl suddenly cried. As I came back out of my memories, I saw her blade inches from my face. I lifted my blades to block, but the strength of the attack knocked me backwards on to my back. ?Your soul now belongs to my Lord.? the girl said proudly, leaping up in to the air as she aimed her ring blade for my neck.
Suddenly, Talim leaped over me and slammed her fist in to the girl?s neck, knocking her backwards, chocking up dust a small distance away from us.
I got to my feet, keeping my eyes on Talim as she turned around. ?You?saved my life.? I said, somewhat surprised.
?Well, it?s not the first time.? Talim replied, shrugging her shoulders. I realised she was meaning our last meeting, where I had made a complete idiot of myself, but I didn?t let it show.
?Thank you.? I said to her, seemingly surprising her. ?I?ll finish things up here and join you, Yun-Seong was taken just back up that way.? I explained to her, pointing up towards the small pathway between the two small cliffs.
?Ok, don?t be long then.? Talim replied.
I smiled, feeling my confidence boost. ?You think this will take long?? I said.
Talim nodded and ran off up the path, Hitomi following her closely behind. I turned round and faced the girl, who had recovered from her last hit.

I dashed towards her, quickly swiping her ring blade out of the way with my left blade and making a stab at her with my right. She rolled out of the way before I could hit her, slamming her foot in to my face before I could react. I staggered back, planting my left sword in to the ground to balance on before I fell. As I regained my balance, I quickly raised my right blade to block hers, then giving a swift thrust of my right knee in to her stomach, winding her and giving me the perfect opportunity to slash at her with my left sword. The girl fell back in a cry of agony, blood spurting out from just below her neck. ?You *******!? she yelled, her eyes staring at me as if she was staring right in to my soul. I stepped back with my left foot and shook some of the blood off of my left blade, not allowing her piercing stare to disrupt me. I made a sudden charge at her, surprising the girl, though she still managed to dodge a sweep from my right sword at the last moment. ?You?re slowing down.? I smirked, making another slash at her, which she jumped over. I jumped after her, narrowly missing again with a slash from my left sword, then again as I aimed my right sword to stab through her as she landed.
?Hahaha! You still can?t keep up though.? the girl almost sang. She jumped around me and - before I could move - kicked me in the back. I feel to the ground and quickly rolled on to my back just as she swung her blade down at my neck. I blocked with my swords, holding the ring inches above my neck. ?Damnit, she?s overpowering me.? I informed myself, as her blade edged closer to my neck. Realising my legs were free, I kicked the girl, causing her to fall over my head.

As I got back up, I jumped back to give myself some distance from her.
?So, tell me, before I kill you. What?s your name?? I asked her.
?My name?? she said, her morbidly cheery attitude again replacing her serious murderer one from a few moments ago. ?Tira. What?s yours??
?Stephen.? I answered, ?Why do you ask??
?Oh, just so I know what to put on your tombstone.? she giggled insanely, spinning her blade around her right arm.
?If that?s the case,? I said, sheathing my left sword in to my right scabbard, ?We best finish this now before either of us forget.? I held my right blade behind me to the right, surging power in to it until the metal sparked like lightning. Tira did similar, grinning all the time. I spun my sword round in my hand so I was holding it backhanded. ?It?s over!? I yelled, charging at Tira, as she charged towards me. As we got closer, the sparks on my sword intensified, as if desperate for her blood. As she got in range, I made a swing at her, as she swung back.

There was a loud clanging of metal and the sound of ripping flesh.

I slid to a stop behind her, unsure if I had hit her or not. There was a small thud next to me as my right scabbard - cut from my belt - hit the ground. I sheathed my right sword, only then noticing a large cut leading up my arm, dripping a rather large amount of blood on to the ground. ?Damnit.? I said, holding as much of the arm as I could. I picked up my severed scabbard from the ground and turned round to look at Tira, who hadn?t moved at all. She made a small movement, which suddenly opened up a huge cut in her side, spraying out a vast quantity of blood. Tira fell to her knees as blood continued to pour out of her. ?M-Master!? she screamed out.
?Your ?Master? won?t help you.? I told her. ?Your Master never intended to help you in any way.?
Tira looked round to me, a look of desperation in her eyes.
?Puts things in to perspective, doesn?t it?? I said.
She screamed ear-splittingly loudly, collapsing to her death.
?I?m sorry.? I said, realising what her death must have felt like, mixed with the pain of betrayal. ?I?m so sorry.?

I walked past Tira?s corpse, then broke in to a run, remembering Talim?s earlier words.

As I continued to run, the ground suddenly began to shake, tripping me up. As I lay on the ground, the sound of an explosion bellowed in my ears. ?What the hell is this?? I yelled out, hoping someone would answer. I got to my feet and continued to run, my hands covering my ears to filter the sound of the rumbling ground. As the rumbling subsided, I came across what looked like a ruined temple, with Yun-Seong sat up on a rock next to it alongside a girl who wore very little aside a very short, sleeved top and two pieces of cloth covering the front and back of her waist and legs. ?Yun-Seong!? I yelled out at him, ignoring the girl ?Where?s Talim??
Yun-Seong - who I suddenly realised how exhausted he looked - pointed weakly in the opposite direction. ?She headed off for Soul Edge, it?s nearly complete.? he said.
?What?!? I yelled at him in shock, my heart feeling like it had shattered.
?You?You?ve got to help her!?
??Huh?? I staggered back slightly in surprise of Yun-Seong?s words.
?Stephen?I?m swallowing my pride and my shame here?? Yun-Seong groaned, ??but if neither of us go onwards to help her, I fear the worst will happen.?
?I see.? I realised, ?So he was never truly an enemy of mine. He was trying to protect his friends, and saw me as a threat due to my anger and over-protection of her.?
?So please?help her! Save her! I just know something?s going to happen.? he desperately yelled at me.
?Ok, I will.? I said, regaining my calm state. I took a step back from Yun-Seong, then facing the girl and offering out my hand to shake. ?I?m Stephen.? I introduced myself.
?I figured. I?m Seong Mi-na.? She said, shaking my hand. I said a quick goodbye to the two of them and ran off in the direction Yun-Seong had pointed out.
?I don?t have much time left.? I confirmed to myself.

« Last edited by Cervantes De Leon on Apr 16th 2009 »

I haven't got very much to say about this chapter, other than "Yay, Tira's dead!" and "The world's pretty much screwed". So I'll just leave it at that.