I avoid the mysterious figure's attacks. I counter, but I miss in the darkness. The figure laughs. "Before I kill you," she smirks, "I want you to know who's killing you. I'm the goddess of unity and surrender. You have already killed the queen of order and injustice, and there are still others. However, you will never defeat me!"

I feel a sharp pain in my neck. "Feel that?" The goddess asks, "that's venom. I'm a venomancer you see, and I've been practicing so I could kill you."

I lunge at the source of her voice, but she avoids my attack. "Succumb to the venom," she snickers at me, "it won't be hard. Just give in. Just surrender."

I lunge once more. "Fine then," the goddess laughs, "then I'll kill you the old fashioned way!" She lunges at me, cutting my Achilles tendon. I can't stand. My vision fades as the venom pumps through my veins. The goddess finally appears before me, plain as day, even in the darkness. "Any last words?" She asks.

No! Not like this! I can't die here! I hear the singer grow louder again. "What's that racket?" The goddess asks. She can hear it?

"If you're gonna attack," a voice says, "attack now." I strike the goddess while she's distracted. I see the shocked look on her face. She clearly expected me to go down easier.

"Pathetic?" She asks, "isn't it? Even in your weakened state, I can't save this world from you... Light... I see a bright light... Is that the god of light? Can you hear me? ... He's stronger than we expected. You have to prepare. Don't let him kill the sun..."

She slumps over, stone cold dead on the rocky floor of the gloomy cave. Was she talking to the god of light? I guess that makes sense, but what about the sun? What was that all about? It's just so odd.

I exit the cave, crawling by my hands. I sure hope Nathan can hear me or I'm dead meat. "Nathan!" I call. Nathan appears before me.

"Don't worry," he replies, "I've come prepared." He takes an needle filled with a glowing red liquid and injects it into me. My wounds heal immediately. I cough up the venom. It burns the soil where it lands.

"What was that stuff?" I inquire.

"Angel's blood," Nathan smiles, "it heals wounds. Now that you're feeling better, I need to see your katana."

I hand him my katana. Black shards float around it, emerging from Nathan's pockets. The shards move towards the blade, eventually fusing onto it in a brilliant display of light. The sword glows with an unholy power.

"What'd you do?" I ask.

"Made it better," Nathan explains, "I combined it with the shards of a soul erasing sword from elsewhere. It can't erase souls, but it will now drain the mana of any you face. In addition..."

He dips it in the pool of venom. The sword glows with a magical light as it absorbs the venom.

"It is now laced with a powerful posion," Nathan continues.

"How are you doing that?" I ask.

"I'm just that strong," he replies, "at least, that's what I tell everyone else. In truth, this is your sword. It was made for you before everything went to shit. It was designed to adopt the traits of its next six victims. Your first victim, the queen of order, made this sword grant greater focus in dangerous situations. Without it, the venom would have increased adrenaline flow and cause you to panic. From your second victim, I give you the very venom it saved you from. The shards are a gift from me. Anyways, your next target is the god of darkness. He's east of here. Two down, five to go! Good luck finishing the job."

Nathan disappears. The singer once again grows louder and more desperate. They saved my life. I owe it to them to try to hear their song.

I manage to make out, "you must listen to me Ed," but that's all I can hear. So my name is Ed? Good to know. I still have questions about my past, but I can't hear the singer. I have no choice, I have to keep going and hope I can hear the singer again if they freak out like before. I start moving east...