Editing BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8 (section)

==Part 2==

"Soul Eater is the worst and most powerful Drive. It's a power that endlessly absorbs the lives of others, converting them into its own power, ultimately transforming the user into a 'monster' that surpasses even Father." Sitting beside Naoto on the curb, Raquel began, gazing at the open, empty space in front of her.

“Clavis Alucard?”

“Yes.” Raquel answered Naoto's questioning tone with a casualness that suggested it was obvious. Naoto gasped softly. Remembering Raquel's father, Clavis, he shuddered inwardly. He had only met him once. But he would never forget the bottomless, instinctive fear he had felt at that time. His very presence felt like an attack.

To become even more monstrous than that. It was unimaginable. And to think that his own sister might become like that.

"However," Raquel said, tucking a strand of hair behind her ear with a sigh, "that's only if the user's body can handle it."

"......What happens if it can't?"

"They can’t contain the power they’ve amassed and will self-destruct."

"Self-destruct…" Naoto couldn't imagine what that state would be like. But he could tell it wasn't a happy ending. However, Raquel’s ominous explanation continued.

"But it’s better if that happens. If the body withstands the power, and the user becomes a 'monster'… it would cause a disaster that would wipe out an entire city.” 

Self-destruction followed by calamity. Naoto couldn’t find the words this time either and simply swallowed. He had only heard about such things. He had no personal experience with it.
But it was clear from Raquel's calm words that this was not a mere fabrication, nor was it exaggerated.

"......If Saya continues to use that Drive, will that happen...?"

"From what I saw yesterday, it’s hard to say that the danger is imminent. The true Soul Eater absorbs life force indiscriminately from those nearby. Your sister, however, only seems to drain life force through direct contact, and at that level, she should be manageable." Raquel tilted her chin, as if confirming with herself. 

Naoto didn't know what kind of face to make and hid his sullen expression with his cheek resting on his knee.

(Can I defeat her…?)

A small thorn, an unexpected word, caught in his chest. It was a word that should have come out.

He remembered the feel of his sister's hand on his neck yesterday. The hand that touched his neck had intended to drain the life out of him. Without hesitation, she had drawn her sword at Raquel, who had come to stop her, and tried to harm her.

Raquel needed Naoto to obtain the “Azure,” and Naoto needed Raquel to obtain the “Azure.” Therefore, anyone who wanted to kill either or both of them was an enemy and an obstacle that had to be eliminated. If an enemy approached, they must be defeated. That was a natural reaction.

Naoto felt a sense of daze. He realized that he had never intended to defeat Saya from the beginning.

A faint wind swept past, brushing away Naoto's lingering sentiment. Raquel’s long golden hair swayed beside him.

"That's the end of my story. Now it's your turn," her golden eyes stared fixedly at Naoto. Of course, he had no intention of breaking his promise. Naoto exhaled to clear his mind and adjusted his posture.

"Uh, let’s see…" He thought for a moment about where to start. Then, he decided to start with the big picture. "I’m going to tell you a complicated and confusing story. First… there’s a very ancient family called 'Amanohokosaka' that has been around for a long time."

"I know it. Haruka mentioned that name. If I remember correctly… it’s a family known for sealing demons in this country." Raquel replied calmly, and Naoto let out a small "Oh."

"Impressive. You have that kind of knowledge." Most people Naoto interacted with daily didn’t know that name. Even many who weren’t part of his daily life likely didn’t recognize it. It was a family that had protected the land of Japan from evil things since ancient times and sealed away harmful demons. That was the Amanohokosaka family. Though its bloodline has continued uninterrupted, its existence and fame have remained hidden, secretly fulfilling its role without public recognition.

"Then it'll be quicker to explain. That demon-sealing family, the head family, under the name 'Amanohokosaka', has four houses: 'Hajou', 'Kagetatsu', 'Hikagami', and 'Terumi'. I was born the direct eldest son of the 'Terumi' family... In other words, I'm the heir. Because I was born into such a special family, my mother taught me martial arts since I was a kid."

"I see. So you can move around a bit."

"I'm honored that you recognize that I can move around," Naoto shrugged, speaking in a teasing tone. His martial arts training felt like child’s play compared to the superhuman moves Raquel had shown him. "My name is Kurogane, but that's my mother's maiden name. My family name is Naoto Terumi. So, even though I use a different surname, Saya is my real sister. And... she’s been confined in the Amanohokosaka house for the past few years."

"......Confined?" Raquel understood the meaning behind that word. Her questioning tone sought further explanation. Naoto glanced at her face, noticing her golden eyebrows furrowed in concern, and thought that she didn’t need to make such a face for him to tell her the story.

"Saya was a sickly, quiet, ordinary child when she was younger. But five years ago, she suddenly changed. I think she awakened that mysterious power… Soul Eater." From this point, he needed to speak with conviction. Naoto continued in a clear tone, squeezing the crumpled paper pack even tighter in both hands.

"Saya used that power to consume almost everyone in the Terumi family. They all died. My father and mother died during this time… although my mother wasn’t directly killed by her. Even so, Saya couldn’t stop. It got to the point where it was dangerous, so the head of the Amanohokosaka clan came and sealed Saya away."

And so, Saya was confined, and five years passed.

But yesterday, that confinement ended, and she appeared before Naoto. It was a reunion that brought back memories of the tragic events from five years ago.

"Saya had always taken pride in the Terumi family since she was little. To me, it seemed like she was obsessively attached to it. She intends to inherit the Terumi family. For that, she apparently needs the 'Hunter's Eye,' the power of the Terumi family. Without it, she wouldn’t be recognized as the heir." Saying this, Naoto pressed his fingertip against his eyelid.

To Naoto, the Terumi family was something far removed from pride. He had no interest in the survival or prosperity of the family, and frankly, he didn't care. 

Saya was the complete opposite. She intended to kill Naoto to take his eyes and inherit the Terumi family. She lived for that purpose.

(And she’s still just a kid…)

Without attending school, without making friends, knowing little of study or play. Naoto felt a sense of pity for his sister, who possessed only the skills to kill and the power to do so.

"What about the letter from yesterday? What was that?" Raquel seemed to have no complaints about Naoto's explanation so far. She smoothed out the wrinkles between her brows and threw a new question.

Naoto remembered. He'd shoved it into the pocket of the pants he'd worn yesterday. He needed to throw it away before doing the laundry.

"Saya has become uncontrollable, or so the head of the Amanohokosaka clan said."

"It’s not that she 'escaped' or 'broke the seal,' but rather that they 'can no longer contain her'?"

"Huh? What are you trying to say?"

"I’m saying that Saya Terumi's emergence from the Amanohokosaka clan wasn't an accident. Perhaps the bonds that were supposed to hold her were loosened. Since they can no longer contain her, they might have simply stopped trying to hold her back… wouldn't you agree?"

"…Well, I guess."

That made sense. There’s a difference between being forcefully broken out of a cage and letting go because holding on any longer would injure your hands.

"We won't know what happened unless we ask the head of the family."

The letter didn’t detail the circumstances on their side. Whether there was no time or no intention to explain, Naoto didn’t know.

His expression darkened. If there was something going on in the Amanohokosaka family, it was surely something unpleasant. Just like when his mother died in front of him five years ago.

Memories resurfaced, bringing with them vivid images of the past. 

It was in a dimly lit room, filled with the suffocating smell of blood. There was young Saya, dressed in a kimono, and his mother lying on the floor. A cold sword was plunged into the wet floor. Naoto could only watch helplessly, feeling powerless and pathetic.

"Naoto?" 

Naoto looked up, his throat constricting at Raquel's urging voice.

"Ah, it’s nothing. For now… that’s all there is to say about Saya. She wants to kill me to inherit the family. That’s it." He thought his abrupt dismissal was a bit rough, but the Saya he knew now was exactly that kind of girl.

It was a bit painful to say. It hadn't always been this way. There was a time, faintly lingering in his memories, when things were different.

"I see… well, that’s fine. I don’t know what circumstances are behind Saya Terumi, but I don’t want to complicate things any further. I have no intention of meddling." With a light clap, Raquel stood up from the curb. Naoto watched her long blonde hair and short skirt flutter as she moved.

"If anything happens, I’ll fight Saya Terumi for you." She said this casually, looking ahead as if it were nothing. Caught off guard, Naoto struggled to comprehend her words, his mouth agape. After a few seconds of silence, Raquel turned back with a puzzled look.

"What's wrong? You look silly making that foolish face."

"No…" 

Naoto thought it was unnecessary for Raquel to say something so harsh, but he couldn't voice his retort; it flickered through his mind and disappeared. He was surprised. He never thought Raquel would say such a thing.

"I was a bit taken aback, to be honest... I thought you would say something like, 'You can't be so complacent.' Or maybe you'd ignore me entirely," he said. Yet, the way she had spoken earlier almost seemed considerate, as if she were aware Naoto didn’t want to fight Saya. Was Raquel Alucard someone capable of such human compassion?

(Ah, but that makes sense… I guess I’ve always been getting wrapped up in her insanity, so I didn’t realize.)

Raquel always took action when it mattered. When Clavis confronted them, she trembled but stepped in front of Naoto. When Haruka was involved, she protected her with a barrier. Even when Naoto was on the verge of being killed by Spinner Superior, she raised her voice to stop it.

It had always been this way. Raquel had used her own power to help Naoto, who had been an unfortunate bystander.

(But still, this girl…)

The realization that fell into his heart was a pleasant one. It wasn't bad.

Naoto let out a breath and smiled slightly.

"That's sweet of you."

"Isn't it?"

With a hint of pride in her voice, Raquel turned her attention back to the magic circle, making her way toward the empty space behind the school building. Seeing her, Naoto withdrew his smile. There was something he needed to ask.

"Hey, Raquel." Raquel stopped and turned her head without replying. "If you have the 'Azure'... can you heal Saya?"

The “Azure” was a power that could turn any possibility into reality. So, if there was a possibility that Saya would not have awakened Soul Eater, could the “Azure” rewrite Saya's fate?

"...Do you want to save her?" Raquel asked, looking a little puzzled. Naoto considered what he was being asked.

Did he want to save her? 

Saya. 

Saya, who had killed his family, his relatives, and his parents.

After thinking, he looked up and answered.

"I want to save her. She's my family." 

No matter how many people she had sent to their deaths with her hands, Naoto was still her brother, and Saya was still his sister. Raquel nodded, her eyes calm and direct, in response to Naoto’s unwavering answer.

“If there’s a possibility, then nothing is impossible for the 'Azure.'”

"I see... So, it all comes down to the Azure."

To remain human, to fulfill Raquel's unknown purpose, and to take away the terrifying power that allowed Saya to take the lives of others.

Naoto turned back to the path ahead and looked up at the clear sky, then stood up to throw away his garbage.