Editing BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu (section)

===Part 2===

As Jin exited the building of the Zeroth Squadron, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him.

The girl standing there holding the sword bag was a girl. Her long hair, fluttering in the gentle breeze, was a vivid camellia red.

"...Tsubaki."

Tsubaki Yayoi. She was the childhood friend of Jin, a junior at the academy and also the daughter of the Yayoi family of the Duodecim. The sky-blue eyes that sent Jin off in tears on the day he left for Yabiko were now gazing at him with a sincere look.

"...Jin Niisama. I'm glad you're safe."

She deeply bowed her head. Tsubaki was that kind of person. Polite and calm.





Not wanting to linger too long in a place where he could see the buildings of the Zeroth Squadron, Jin took Tsubaki with him and changed places.

After about ten minutes of walking, they chose a small park where they could see the arrival and departure of Ars Magus Vessels. On a bench painted green, Jin and Tsubaki sat side by side.

It was already evening.

The port welcoming the Ars Magus Vessels was lit up early, and the setting sun from the west added an orange hue to the long deck.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and turned her body to Jin, then lowered her eyes slightly and smiled modestly.

“When I heard that you had been detained, I just had to come over. I'm sorry for startling you."

"No, it's fine."

Jin spoke back shortly.

The moment he had seen her, Jin had understood. The reason why Jin was released had been so easy and straightforward. It was because Tsubaki had lobbied for it using her position in the Yayoi family. This would not have happened in the Kisaragi family. There were many people in that house who wanted to get rid of Jin. It would have been a hassle if they were disturbed and forced to help him. Rather, some would have tried to take advantage of this situation.

But before that could happen, the Yayoi family, no... Tsubaki made the first move.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki. I'm sorry I caused trouble for you."

One more regret piled up in Jin's mind.

Tsubaki shook her head in panic.

“It's no problem. I wanted to meet you, Jin. That is what I decided myself, so there's nothing for you to apologize for!"

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Jin squinted dazzlingly at Tsubaki, whose cheeks flushed red as she tried to excuse herself. It made him feel pain in his chest and he turned away. To the cold head of the Kisaragi household, she was such a brilliant presence, Jin could only squint his eyes to look at her.

Tsubaki gazed at him with a gloomy expression.

A few seconds of silence passed.

A breeze blew through the air. Tsubaki gently called out to Jin as she pulled her flowing hair back over her ears.

"You look in pain."

"Pain, huh?"

The murmur he returned was unexpectedly twisted into self-mockery.

(What exactly is the pain I feel for?)

Was it that Grimwood had betrayed him? Or is it that he couldn't believe that Grimwood betrayed me?

Was it that he believed in Grimwood? Or was it knowing that he did not believe in Grimwood?

Grimwood had 'trust.' He believed in himself and his friends, that he could end the war.

“I'll probably get scolded for saying this, but..."

Tsubaki opened her mouth so as to slip her words into the evening breeze.

“I hate... war."

Jin looked sideways at the girl he had known since childhood.

He remembered that her father was also away from home, in the war zone as a guard of the Librarium.

Tsubaki’s sky blue eyes were filled with melancholy and sadness.

“Of course, I'm also an officer school student of the Librarium. For the sake of order and justice, I am prepared to fight even if I have to use myself as a shield. But it's not because I want to defeat anyone. It's because I want to protect as many people as possible."

Tsubaki clasped her hands tightly around her chest and looked at Jin.

“Because I want to protect the people I care about.”

“...Such naivety."

“I know that, but despite though I know, I still hate... war."

Tsubaki's lips twitched as she said this in a sultry tone. It's one of those habits that he used to see in her when she was little and she can't seem to get over it.

Jin replied, exhaling deeply.

“My feelings are the same.”

(I never used to have any impressions or feelings about war. I was not interested in my own life or death or even the life or death of others and I was just aware of war as something where people die a little more than usual.)

(But now, it didn't feel the same as it had then and at the same time, I can't send Tsubaki to that crazy place called "war".)

(But what can I do now? Do I have the "power" to change anything?)

Grimwood is no longer here.

The war still rages on.

"Jin Niisama. Take this."

As if remembering, Tsubaki held out the sword bag that was propped up beside her. She untied the string that had been around it and opened the bag. Inside was a single sword in a blue scabbard with a silver-green handle.

"Yukianesa...”

The luggage they had been told to pack was almost gone. There were only a few pieces of minimal equipment lying around from when they left the encampment with Grimwood.

Yukianesa was nowhere to be found, but that was a Nox Nyctores. If he needed it, he would just call out to it and it will come back, like a summoning spell. That's what Jin thought when it was gone, so didn't pay much attention to it.

He didn't expect it to come back to him like this.

“It's valuable to you and I didn't want it to get lost. I've been keeping it at the Yayoi household. This is Jin Niisama's most precious possession, yours truly."

Tsubaki then presented Yukianesa to Jin with the sword bag intact, without touching it directly. When Jin had come to the Kisaragi family as an adopted child, this sword had been the only personal item he had with him. Tsubaki knew that.

As he was offered the sword, Jin took it from the bag. Through the soft cloth, he could feel the cool air of the pale blue scabbard.

Jin chuckled at the corner of his lips.

(Of course, this is the only "power" I have...)

The Nox Nyctores "Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa". This is the weapon that fought the Black Beast. If this sword had saved the world in the past, could it save at least one organization in turmoil during a civil war? Would I be able to protect at least this one girl who cared so much for me?

"Thank you, Tsubaki."

Jin stood up and returned only the sword bag to Tsubaki.

By that time, Jin's eyes had already changed their expression. This quiet, peaceful breaktime was over. It was too early for him to take any break. It was simpily not meant to be for him right now.

"I will do it."

There were still some things I hasn't finished.

"Are you going back to...?"

Tsubaki's lonely voice hung on his back. Jin nodded, gripping Yukianesa's scabbard tightly.

"Yeah. I'm not just going back. I'm going to 'End' it."

(That's what I've been entrusted with and it's the only thing I can do right now.)

Tsubaki stood up and saw Jin off as he started to walk away.

"Take care of yourself. When you return, I will welcome you wholeheartedly."

The gentle girls voice strengthened Jin's resolve.