Soul Calibur V: Soul Savior Chapter 15

Hohenzollern Castle, Stuttgart

An armored warrior entered the open gates, swiftly marching ahead of a small group of warriors. Schwarzwind members cheered for their arrival even as they helped their wounded comrades to the clinic for healing. The leader of the group however, marched through the castle until she came to the office of Schwarzwind's leader.

Her father.

"It was an ambush!" The blond 20 year old woman shouted at Siegfried in fury, "I told you! I told you that it was pointless!"

"Hold your tongue, Sigrun." Hilde rebuked the younger woman, "You had no way of knowing whether or not there survivors-"

"The Ravager's men had killed and piked everyone that wasn't "pure" for anyone to see!" Sigrun countered, "They knew we were coming! I had to leave behind wounded because trying to save all of them just left everyone more vulnerable! And half of the survivors are in the clinics as we speak! So what was the point? What did they die for Siegfried?"

"They joined your mission knowing that they could die." Siegfried calmly answered the heavily breathing woman, "I am sorry that I cannot say that they didn't die in vain. But not trying to save those who call for our help is something that we cannot do. Even if we cannot save them, we must at least try."

"And sacrifice your men for a hopeless cause?

"If they believe in that cause...yes." Siegfried answered looking directly in his daughter's furious eyes just before she turned and barged out of the office as quickly as she had entered, "It was my fault..."

"You had no way of knowing that it was too late."

"And because of my failure...more of my men are dead." Siegfried sat and remained strained even as his wife set herself in his lap, "Sigrun was right to be angry with me."

"Her disrespect is inexcusable however."

"True...but I expected this." Siegfried had only learned of Sigrun's existence within the past four years and despite some progress, the girl was reluctant to see Siegfried as anything except for a commanding officer. The girl's resentment tended to bleed into all interactions that Siegfried had with her and recent events only added more fuel to her grudge, "Why hasn't anyone ousted me from office?"

"The men can't think of anyone else that they'd rather follow." Hilde told her husband, "You have saved their souls once before, surely they can trust you with their lives?"

"I was the one who endangered their lives in the first place."

"But you repented." Hilde gave her husband a short kiss before she stood upon her feet, "Come love, it will be time to make arrangements with our ally."

"I suppose we must..."

"What else is wrong love?"

"I miss ZWEI..." The young man was rude and abrasive, but at least Siegfried never doubted the strength of his conviction nor the purity of his efforts. Looking back, Siegfried had now firmly agreed that he should have chosen ZWEI as his successor to Soul Calibur if not his own daughter.

Though Sigrun had her own demons to contend with...

Castle Courtyard

"Friedrich keep your footing! Hannelore, back off!" Sigrun's wooden sword clashed with the sword in the young boy's as the older and taller woman effortlessly avoided his sister's loud charge with a staff, "You need to work on that battle cry..."

"I am!" The 9 year old asserted just before she and her brother were whacked on their shoulders in a single slash, "No fair! You're taller than us!"

"And older, but you're the ones who wanted to spar." Sigrun pointed out to her pouting half-sister and assuredly rubbed the hair of her half-brother, "You both did alright all things considered, but there's always room for improvement."

"Says you! What makes you think that you're that great of a warrior anyway?" Red-haired Hannelore asked, still humiliated by her defeat, "Father and Mother could beat you without a sweat."

"And how does that change anything about yourself?" Sigrun inquired, "Skill with arms is determined by your efforts and diligence, not someone else's. Even if your mother's skill was greater than mine, you'd still be weaker than me. And truth be told, a good warrior never stops improving."

"When will we be strong?"

"That's something that you'll have to find out for yourself." Sigrun explained to the blond Friedrich, "Just wait though, I'll make you as good as your mother in ten years."

"Really?"

"Paladin's honor." Sigrun assured the happy 8 year old, "Now off to your tutor."

"But you just got back-"

"Don't be a little boy, Friedrich," Hannelore grabbed her brother's hand and led him out of the courtyard, "Sister has things that she has to do."

"I'll see you both tonight." Hannelore and Friedrich waved as they left, leaving Sigrun alone to her martial dance. A dance that focused on heavy yet deceptively fast strikes which Sigrun had learned from the man who raised her as her father. Sir Isaac was a knight who had lost usage of the tendons in his right arm and so he adjusted his combat style so that he could fight with lethal proficiency with his left arm. Sigrun still remembered training alongside her father and being surprised at how proud he was when Sigrun surpassed him.

Until he came.

Remembering the day that she found her father murdered increased the tempo of her strikes. She switched her blade between her hands with little effort, using her imagination to recall the azure knight that struck down her father and stole away his soul. The Nightmare that her true father, a man that she never knew existed until he came upon her destroyed home and she joined his band to seek revenge. Her ferocity increased as she remembered the day that she discovered the Holy Sword in her father's possession and thought that she had been recruited to wield it.

Instead, he was chosen.

"What do you see in that boy?" Sigrun shouted at her father after the so-called "Holy Warrior" departed from the citadel.

"You disapprove of my decision?"

"She's not the only one." ZWEI joined in while Siegfried allowed his subordinates to speak, "You haven't heard the stories about that piss-shit? My first meeting with him culminated in my stopping him from murdering a woman in cold blood! Why the hell would Soul Calibur pick him?"

"He's right, you told me that Soul Calibur only chooses hands whose hearts are pure and wills are strong."

"That is true."

"Then why did you pick him?" Sigrun demanded, "Why didn't you pick someone else? Surely there is someone more worthy...like me."

"Boastful much?" ZWEI chuckled to Sigrun's disapproval, "Just saying...that's bold for anyone to say. I'm no heartless murderer, but even I'm not sure if I'd be worthy of Soul Calibur."

"The sword's thoughts are beyond human comprehension...not even I fully understand why it choose me all those years ago." Siegfried said to his daughter, "And you are strong willed and your heart is kind and righteous...just like your mother's."

"But not pure enough? Or me wanting revenge on the monster that killed my father makes me bad person?"

"I never said that-"

"Forget it...but if this choice comes back to bite us..." Sigrun shook her head, too frustrated to continue and stormed away from the man who was her father...

Finishing, Sigrun felt her blade impact upon a well-made Katana and realized who had interrupted her meditation.

"This is much anger in your swing." Mitsurugi remarked as Sigrun swerved and blocked a series of slashes from the veteran samurai, "And it hasn't blinded you."

"Leave me alone...I don't want a fight-"

"Who said I was asking?" Mitsurugi pressed his attack and unleashed lightning swift strikes against the girl. Sigrun parried a thrust and swung only to see that her attack was avoided. Off-guard, the samurai elbowed her in the gut and spun kicked to knock the girl off of her feet. She tried to rise, but felt the katana blade inch upon her throat, "In combat, your opponents will not ask whether you want to fight or not. If you are not prepared on the notice of a fly...you will die."

"I'll remember that." The samurai smiled, realizing that the girl's sword was resting next to his chest. If this duel had been deadly, one or both combatants would have stained the courtyard with their blood, "What do you want?"

"Your father wanted you to attend some meeting." Mitsurugi answered as both warriors sheathed their weapons, "And you should hurry."

"It's about to start?"

"You're already late."

Hohenzollern Castle, Meeting Hall

"This was the last message from my contact at the Holy Roman Capital." Hilde reported to the commanders and representatives from local lords, "The Emperor has ceded expedition rights to the Magmento as part of his capitulation."

"Unfortunate...that means that Hungary will have full reign through the realm." Siegfried concluded with rising concern, "Patroklos will send his Magmento agents into the realm to hunt and collect souls under the pretense of 'hunting down Hungary's hidden enemies.'"

"Now what will we do?" One of the frightened lords inquired, "If the Emperor continued to fight on, we would've been able to combine our forces-"

"The Emperor is doing what he thinks is best for the Empire." Siegfried replied, "Under Magmento's leadership, Hungary was destroying the Holy Roman Army as well as the Ottoman forces. Those who didn't die were 'purified' and joined to Magmento's forces. For now, an end to warfare on the Holy-Roman and Hungarian border will at least minimize the increase in Magmento's forces-"

"For now?" Sigrun countered loudly with Mitsurugi following close by, "What about when that little Piss-shit decides he wants to be emperor? What will we do then?"

"That is under discussion young lady." Hilde repudiated and motioned for Sigrun to take her place, "My informant also told me that Hungary is amassing it's forces in the Ottoman frontier. That means that any forces sent in our direction will be minimal at best."

"The Holy Roman Empire is hardly an empire, Patroklos knows this." Siegfried commented, "If he truly wants to be an emperor, then he will strike a true empire. That is why he will attempt to marshal Macedonian and Greek people to his banner and assail Istanbul."

"A bold move, but I wouldn't be surprised from that whelp." Mitsurugi muttered, "He knows that he can't win a long fight...so much like his style, he'll strike swift and with fatality in mind."

"Why not?" Another arrival inquired, "The city is capital of the most powerful empire in the world? If I were the pup, I would do the same thing."

"Lord Sorel."

"Princess, it is a pleasure." Raphael replied as he bowed before Hilde and kissed her hand. Siegfried resisted the urge to cut the man in half down the middle when a mysterious hooded figure also kissed Hilde's hand, surprising all in the room as no one had seen him until then. "Don't mind my mysterious friend. We are allies with a common enemy."

"And you assume that we are allies?"

"Why of course." Raphael confidently replied as he took a seat, "Patroklos already controls all of Eastern Europe and though he himself moves towards Istanbul, Western Europe will not neglected. Especially under the leadership of the Azure Knight."

"Nightmare..."

"Now you see my position? Neutrality is impossible in this crisis. So I side with those less likely to kill me and devour my soul." Raphael explained, "As Ivy could testify, having one's soul devoured is very unpleasant-"

"Be silent worm." Ivy warned, "If you think 17 years will erase our memory of your actions-"

"Were my actions any worst than yours? Or the former Nightmare's-" With expert finesse, Raphael dodged Sigrun's heavy slash and rested his rapier on the woman's shoulder. Smirking when the woman's jacket fell open from an unseen slash, "Just now, I could have killed and groped you many times over."

"Then you would beg death and a false salvation." Siegfried warned, Requiem leveled against Raphael's neck while Raphael's hooded guest had rested his palms on the necks of Hilde and Sigfried. Siegfried could immediately feel why, "Hidden Blades? Just who are you?"

"You do not need to know my name." The assassin warned, "Raphael, I would advise not antagonizing your potential allies."

"The girl attacked me."

"You insulted her father's honor."

"With the truth? I think not."

"Insult my father all you want, I still dream of when his blood colored my blade and splashed on my skin." Ivy stated, humored by the stand-off, "And I thought you sent all off your hot-heads on their doomed mission."

"Doomed mission?" Raphael inquired, "Now that I observe...I do notice the absence of the pirate and your wolf-boy."

"It is none of your concern."

"Very well, but I know something that may be of great concern." Raphael pulled out an envelope and placed it upon the table for all to see, "I offer you my help, but I will require something in return."

"I already know your price." Siegfried guessed, "But it is impossible, she hasn't been seen in-"

"She has been found by the ancient wielding a scythe." Raphael interjected as Hilde opened the envelope and read the letter within, "Ironic that this coincides with the absence of your fortune-teller, no?"

"What are you implying?"

"Nothing sweet girl." Raphael answered Sigrun, "Just trying to put all of the pieces together...and I will require the assistance of some of your soldiers, Siegfried."

"That seems fair." Siegfried replied though scanning the room already told him who would go on Raphael's expedition when he asked for volunteers...