Master Swordman's Cave: Wicked Depths

Master Swordman's Cave: Wicked Depths
Background music	Call of the Legend

"The fight to realize your ideals shall never end."

— Announcer

Master Swordman's Cave: Wicked Depths (剣聖の石窟・馭邪の真域, Master Swordman's Cave: Wicked Depths^?) is a stage that appears in Soulcalibur VI. It is a variation of the Master Swordman's Cave: Azure Horizon stage, except this stage is initially set at night and also has a small fence surrounding it.

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How many days had passed since his faithful disciple left on a journey? The old man known as Edge Master pondered as he continued to suppress the evil within him, as he had done for many years. But in recent days, the dormant dark power had begun to stir. Sensing the sudden surge of evil within him, the old man turned his eyes to the west and whispered.

"The hour of fate is upon us... I have faith you will conquer the cursed sword, my disciple."

The old man began working to raise a barrier over the stone platform near the cave where he dwelled. He brought out dozens of sacred items from the dusty recesses of his cave and arranged them upon the platform with great care. Each of these ritualistic artifacts had been painstakingly carved by Edge Master in an attempt to suppress the evil inside him, which had not faded since the time he wielded the Soul Edge. The scriptures etched into these items contained teachings so ancient that they were no longer passed down in the current age.

In the hope of easing the pain his disciple shared, the immortal great master was preparing to teach him the way to control the evil within by using evil itself. Of course, such a rough method did not come without its dangers. If the spirit so much as wavers, one could instantly be consumed by dark power. A barrier would only calm the darkness by a fraction, but it was a necessary precaution.

Time passed, and Kilik returned from his trial. The fragment of Dvapara-Yuga, a mirror that warded dark power, was missing from his neck. The moment he set eyes upon his disciple, Edge Master knew: the boy had successfully begun to master his inner evil.

His celebration of his disciple's successful journey was short, and soon Edge Master challenged Kilik to a new trial. The young man responded immediately with a clear, bright smile, to which Edge Master nodded, satisfied.

The time of the trial would be in the dead of night, when evil powers were at their strongest. As they waited for the time to approach, Kilik spoke of the many things he encountered on his travels. Though Edge Master had lived long and seen many things, some of the young man's experiences were enough to surprise even him.

Especially surprising was the ancient blade carried by the girl who had accompanied Kilik on his journey. It was, without a doubt, one of the three sacred treasures of the Ling-Sheng Su Temple, Krita-Yuga—in other words, the sword containing Soul Calibur, sworn adversary to the Soul Edge. It was thought to be lost, but the fact that it found its way beside Killk was nothing short of destiny. A single girl, standing against the embodiment of evil, blade shining with divine light... It brought back a faint memory to the back of the old man's mind, though he could not place it.

Either way, it was thanks to this girl, Xianghua, that his disciple had overcome his trial. Edge Master believed it his duty as Kilik's master to find this girl and offer his gratitude to his disciple's savior. Besides, the two young warriors were still unaware why they'd been entrusted with the fragment of Dvapara-Yuga. The whims of fate were yet likely to toss them roughly about, and they would need a weapon with which to carve a path forward...

By the time Kilik had finished his tale and Edge Master had set his resolve, the crimson sun illuminating the cave had already sunk beyond the Himalayan peaks and the blue moon had reached its zenith.

"The time has come..."

The master bid his disciple meditate for a short moment, then headed toward the stone platform, where the sacred artifacts stood solemnly on watch, Edge Master had thrown away all relics of his past, even his name, but perhaps even he noticed the two hidden emotions stirring in his chest as he chanted the opening mantras for the midnight trial: his concern for the future of his disciple, who he would send on a deadly journey, and the hopes and prayers he'd long abandoned with his past.

Trivia

• This stage was available for free in Update 2.10 alongside the release of Season Pass 2, DLC9: Haohmaru and DLC10: Character Creation Set D.
• Once the fight reaches the third round, the time of day switches from night to sunrise. After reaching the fifth round, it switches to daytime.
• It is possible to light a character on fire when they touch any of the torches around the stage. This is purely cosmetic and does not offer any gameplay value.

Gallery

VS Background

Stage Layout

Sunrise

Day