Editing BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 1 (section)

=== Part 3 ===
In the lower levels of the Hierarchical City, places where you can see the sky are precious.

The city is built like a pile of flat plates, and in the lower levels, even if you look up at the sky, the layer above becomes a thick, wide roof that blocks the light. Even if they built the city protruding from the upper layer, above it, countless layers still overlap as countless roofs. It is difficult to get light through them, and in the lower levels of the city, there is no choice but to rely on the light of the lights, whether it is day or night.

The lower city, Orient Town, where Ragna entered, suppressing his hunger, was no exception. Even though it was a clear afternoon, the alleys were dimly lit, and the main streets were brightly lit.

It was a very complex and miscellaneous city.

The buildings were built close as if huddled together, and narrow alleys ran between them. Some of the alleys were so narrow that it would be more accurate to say they were gaps between houses, and sometimes they were suffocatingly blocked by shelves and wooden boxes that seemed to have overflowed from the houses.

Even if you gave up on the maze-like alleys and went out to the main street, it was overflowing with people. 

Most of the people coming and going were residents of this city. Everyone had an atmosphere that was not so much starving from poverty, but certainly not wealthy, along with their clothes, and blended in with the flashy colors of the cityscapes that stood out with their primary colors.

Occasionally, among them, unusual people who did not match the scenery of the city were lost in the unfamiliar alleys, spat out onto the main street, and then jostled by the unfamiliar crowd.

Ragna, following a common example, was one of the unusual people who was spat out from a back alley.

Even though it was called a main street, it was narrower than the upper levels. Still, it was worthy of being the main street of this city, with several stores competing to attract customers with flashing neon lights.

While looking for a name that looked like a restaurant among the neon signs, Ragna rubbed his completely weakened stomach and moved his legs.

"Damn it, that Rachel... she keeps saying things I don't understand. If you have something to say, just say it clearly... damn it." Complaints leaked from his mouth as if breathing. That kind of thing is always the case. It's always the case, but he can't help but say it. "What do you mean by 'it's nothing'?"

It didn't feel like that. It just hinted that Ragna was overlooking something important.

"Damn it!" He felt inexplicably irritated. That's probably because of this unbearable hunger. He thought so, and shifted his consciousness back to finding a restaurant. 

But the moment Ragna found a name that looked like one among the neon signs, a disturbing presence jumped out from the alley he had just passed.

"What's that!?"

"Meow!"

Something that looked like a human figure swung its fist down, gouging out the spot where he had jumped back. Their eyes met. Red... but not human eyes. Round, just round red eyes.

He was pounced on in quick succession, and after they switched positions as if crossing each other, Ragna put his hand on the sword at his waist and braced himself.

"What? A beastkin? No..."

The human figure, bracing herself on the opposite side of the road and performing a light footwork shadow punch, had a strange appearance.

Although she wore clothes that completely covered her upper body, she was probably a girl judging from the figure that could be glimpsed from them. She was shorter than Ragna, with a height appropriate for a lively woman. Her legs, which stretched out from the hem of her short clothes, were a healthy tan and toned with muscle.

But no matter how you look at it, she was not a normal girl.

She had triangular cat-like ears on her large hood, and a dark brown tail with a white tip extending from her back. Furthermore, the inside of the hood did not have the usual face or organs, but a round red eyeball and a crescent-shaped mouth with bared white fangs floated in the blackness as if a shadow had been pushed in.

Ragna had seen this strange figure once before.

"A Kaka?" Ragna frowned suspiciously. He was sure he had met them once before with his sword master, Jubei. But why would he encounter one in a place like this?

"Meow! Tao is a Kaka warrior, Taokaka, meow!" Replying energetically with a bouncy voice that matched her nimble movements, the girl who called herself Taokaka pointed at Ragna with a large hand like a cat's paw. "You there! Fight with Tao, meow!"

"Fight? Don't joke around, I'm not in the mood for that right now." 

He was about to die of hunger, and it was outrageous to waste any more time. But whether Taokaka heard him or not, she grinned with her crescent-shaped mouth, wagged her tail, and launched a hook into the air with a belligerent shuffle.

"If Tao wins~, you'll treat Tao to a full meal meow! And if Tao loses~, you'll still treat Tao to a full meal, meow!"

"Don't screw with me! That means I'll be treating you either way!"

"Don't worry about the details, meow. Well then, here I go, meow!!"

"Hey, wait..."

As if not caring about his words, the strange cat girl jumped up with the swiftness of a cat, kicked off a nearby wall, and leapt above Ragna's head. Silver claws popped out from the round tip of her robe-covered hand, sharply cutting through the air.

"Whoa!" Ragna reflexively pulled out his sword and blocked the claws that grazed his face. The sound of metal clashing echoed loudly, and the surrounding passersby turned around to see what was happening. But rough brawls like this are by no means uncommon around here. Everyone passed by indifferently or tried not to get close, looking annoyed.

Of course, Taokaka didn't care about the eyes of those around her, and this time, she jumped on Ragna's sword that had blocked her attack as a foothold, spun around in the air, and quickly unleashed a kick as if stomping on him. Claws popped out from her toes as well.

If he took such a thing head-on, he would have his flesh torn off. It felt as if he was being attacked by a carnivore in the middle of the city.

Moreover, his opponent seemed to be only half serious. In response to Ragna blocking the claw attack with his sword again and forcefully shaking it off, Taokaka kept a grin on her face and landed with a graceful movement.

"Oh, you're good, White Guy. But the food is... Tao's!!!"

"That's why I didn't say anything about treating you..." Naturally, Ragna's rebuttal didn't reach those triangular ears.

Taokaka ran out with the momentum of a whirlwind, jumped in front of Ragna, and spun behind him.

"Fast!" 

She was incredibly fast. It was all he could do to keep track of her movements with his eyes.

At the same time Ragna turned around in a hurry, Taokaka's claws swung from above and below as if biting down. He bitterly choked back a breath, and pulled his sword closer, bracing himself to at least avoid being hit directly.

But…

"Meow... got you."

Taokaka's movements suddenly slowed down. At the same time, a ''grrgrgr'' like she'd just heard from Ragna's stomach echoed without a sense of urgency.
He was not so naive to miss the gap when Taokaka lost her strength. Ragna stretched out his arm, grabbed her collar, and slammed her into the ground with the momentum of pulling her in.

"Ugh!" Taokaka let out a muffled cry, struggling as Ragna's hand held her down. But when her stomach rumbled faintly once more, she threw both her hands and feet to the ground, and even her tail fell limply, becoming docile.

"Ugh~, I lost, meow~~"

"Haa, haa... you damn brat! You're attacking people without a word... "

Just as he was about to yell at her in anger, Ragna's stomach interrupted his words. The pathetic sound and the unbearable feeling of weakness made his words trail off, unable to continue. It must have been the smell of steamed food or something wafting from somewhere that made him feel this way.

In contrast to Ragna, who was so exhausted that he wanted to sit down on the spot, Taokaka, who had heard the sound of his stomach, cleverly raised her head while still being held down.

"Meow! White Guy is also hungry. Then let's eat together, meow! Tao will take you to a delicious restaurant, meow!"

"You... you could at least feel a little remorse..." He felt foolish for being in a hurry and getting angry. Ragna let go of Taokaka and held his head in his hands.

He didn't care about the details anymore. He just wanted to eat. But why did he have to get involved with Rachel and Taokaka one after another like this?

"Ah, damn it, I got it, I got it. Food, food! Take me to that so-called delicious restaurant. I'll feed you too!"

"Ooooh, really, White Guy!"

When Ragna said it in exasperation, Taokaka jumped up with such force that she completely forgot about being crushed just a moment ago. The corners of her eyes and mouth, which had drooped powerlessly, were already regained their liveliness.

"If that's decided, then let's go right away, meow! Yahoo, all-you-can-eat feast~!"

"It's not all-you-can-eat! Hey, are you listening to meeeeeee!" 

Ragna's grumbling was of no concern to her. Taokaka grabbed Ragna's arm tightly, pushed and blew away the people on the main street, and ran through with the force of a raging wave.

A variety of dishes were lined up on a round table covered with a white cloth.

A stir-fry of green vegetables with the aroma of spices and garlic, a large plate of fried shrimp with roe, a large plate of pork and vegetables stewed with miso, a noodle dish with plenty of soup and a key placed on it, a chewy steamed rice cake wrapped in tree bark with wild vegetables, and a plate of fried noodles with a lot of seafood in the sauce.

On top of that, a large plate of freshly steamed meat buns piled high, steaming hot, was piled high, and Ragna was stunned by the sight spreading out in front of him.

For a moment, he thought it would disappear, but the freshly made steam that mercilessly stimulated his stomach and the spreading aroma told him the reality that if he reached out and put it in his mouth, he would immediately be promised a delicacy. Unable to bear it, his stomach cried out for work.

"Let's eat meeeeooooow!!" With a spirited declaration, Taokaka took the steamed rice in her right hand and the meat bun in her left, and began to eat with unimaginable speeds.

"Munchmunchmunchmunch~! Munchmunchmunchmunch~!" Taokaka busily moved her mouth and hands, making strange noises, whether it was the sound of biting, chewing, or a cry of joy at having reached the food. The number of meat buns decreased rapidly, and Ragna hurriedly grabbed one for himself.

"How hungry were you... is it good?" 

Ragna gave a wry smile and, giving up, bit into the meat bun in his hand. Although it was about the size of his face, the skin was delicately and fluffily steamed, and the filling was juicy with the flavor oozing out, making it more delicious than he had imagined. It was as good as he had recommended. While he was inwardly impressed, Taokaka's hand snatched six or so shrimp dumplings from right in front of Ragna's eyes all at once.

"It's delicious, meow! This, this, that, all of them are super delicious!" 

"Is that so? I'm glad to hear that… oh dear."

Even if she ate so innocently and impolitely, the excessive number of items ordered and the way she stuffed herself seemed like a joke to her.

This would probably leave his wallet empty, but Ragna pushed that to the back of his mind and reached out for the food before Taokaka could take it all.

The crispy fried noodles were fragrant, the salty sauce was piping hot, and the plump ingredients bounced with a soft elasticity in his mouth.

It was too gentle and high-quality for Ragna's stomach, which was accustomed to crude meals like grilled meat or grilled mushrooms.

"Damn, it's delicious."

"That's right, meow! It's delicious! White Guy is a good guy for treating me to such delicious food!!"

"You attacked me and tried to force me to treat you, what's 'good person' supposed to mean, geez. Hey, hey, don't eat that all by yourself!"

''"Ahhhhn~"''

"Ahhh! Damn it, I haven't even had a bite of that shrimp dumpling!" Ragna's hand tried to stop Taokaka's outrageous act of pouring the food over the plate and into her mouth, but it was too late, and the white large plate was easily emptied.

Ragna's hand, having missed its target, trembled in the air, and he clenched it tightly to suppress his frustration.

"You..."

"Phew! Hm, what's wrong, Good Guy? Aren't you eating, meow? You can't chase after bounties on an empty stomach!"

"Shut up, you're eating my money without hesitation! ...Wait, chase after bounties?"

Unexpected words popped out from the cat girl, whose mind only seemed focused on eating, and Ragna unclenched his fist.

Chasing after bounties, or as it's also called: bounty hunting. Criminals beyond the control of the NOL are given a bounty, and the bounty hunters chase after the wanted criminals for the bounty.

To have a bounty placed on one's head means they have committed a crime worthy of such a reward. The profit is great, but it comes with a corresponding danger.

Taokaka's physical ability would certainly allow her to work as a bounty hunter, but that doesn't mean that a woman, child, or cat would like to choose such a job.

But Taokaka, somewhat proudly, took out something like a wanted poster from her chest, spread it out on the table, and wagged her tail in a good mood.

"Meow. Tao has become a bounty hunter from today. And then~, I'm going to blow this 'Rawgnya' guy away and get a lot of money, meow!"

"Rawgnya?"

What's that ridiculous name, Ragna wondered, peering at the wanted poster out of curiosity.

The moment he did…

"Bwah!" 

The moment he saw the portrait and the name, he choked and almost spat out the meat bun in his mouth.

While hurriedly covering his mouth and swallowing the contents, he took the wanted poster in his hand and looked at it closely. Along with a very ugly portrait of a man, it contained a generous amount of reward money and the name of the wanted criminal. The name written was…

"Wh-what... 'Ragna the Bloodedge'... is that me!?" As if slamming down his surging anger and inexplicable feelings, Ragna roughly returned the wanted poster to the table. "Besides, what's with this picture, it's not even close! If you don't know what I look like, don't make a caricature! It's a bit hurtful!"

"Meow? Good Guy?" Taokaka's round eyes widened in surprise as she lifted her face from the large bowl she was holding. She had been noisily slurping the soup and noodles with tremendous speed, and a piece of roasted pork was sticking out of her busy mouth.

Noticing her expression, Ragna tried to suppress his discomposure and forced a smile.

"No, it's nothing..."

He couldn't continue after ''"it's nothing."'' As if erupting, a dangerous presence welled up behind Ragna. Hostility, malice, and then murderous intent. A low, rumbling murmur gradually approached them from the back of the store.

"Didn't that guy just say 'Ragna the Bloodedge'?"

Someone's whisper, contrary to its hushed volume, resounded around them for some reason. As if chasing after it, voices could be heard from all over the place.

"Hey, look. That white hair, red clothes..."

"'Grim Reaper'... Ragna the Bloodedge..."

"The most wanted criminal with the highest bounty in history..."

"Even if we split it, it'll be a considerable amount..."

At the sound of a chair being pulled, Ragna awkwardly turned his neck and checked behind him.

There were men and women filling the store's tables, with appearances that couldn't be described as harmless residents.

Someone began drawing their weapon.

"Hey, Taokaka." As soon as he called out, Ragna strongly grabbed Taokaka's arm, who had finished drinking the last drop of soup.

"Meow?"

Without asking any questions, he dragged the cat girl's body and started running at full speed.

Seeing that, the customers in the store slammed the tables and stood up.

"He's getting away!"

"As I thought, that guy was 'Grim Reaper'!"

"Chase him! Capture him- no, kill him!!!"

With their respective weapons in hand, they overturned tables, kicked away chairs, and the bounty hunters who were eating chased after them all at once. Even if Ragna tried to jump out of the store, tried to weave through the crowd and stumble, the persistent voices followed him without caring about anything.

"Damn it, what's with that store? The customers are all bounty hunters!!!"

"Meeeoooow, there's still a lot of my food left!!!"

"Shut up! Can't you see this isn't the time for that?" Carrying Taokaka's body on his shoulder as she tried to go back at this point, Ragna fled through the main street of the Orient Town. "Besides, if we go back now, we won't just lose our meal, we'll get beaten to a pulp! Since they saw me eating with you, they'll think you're my accomplice!"

"Meow? Accomplice? Tao and Good Guy are accomplices, meow?"

"Huh? No, that's what they'll think. Even if we say we're not, they won't listen... anyway, more importantly, isn't there somewhere we can escape to?"

The roaring voices and footsteps chasing after them, while not closing the distance, showed no signs of giving up on pursuing Ragna. As long as they were running through the main street, their figures were visible, so there was no reason to give up. If they killed Ragna, they'd be able to live without worries for the rest of their lives, and even build a mansion in the upper layers.

"I can't get caught by those guys no matter what!" While shouting, Ragna ran straight ahead. If he recklessly entered a back alley, he'd get lost in the intricate alleyways, and at worst, he'd run into a dead end and be cornered.

He was confident that he could defeat them if he fought them, but he wasn't confident that he could fight without involving these ordinary people in a place like this.

"I understand, meow!"

"Dowah!" 

Suddenly, Taokaka jumped up on Ragna's shoulder, turned around in the air, and landed in front of him. She then used her hands like paws and ran alongside him.

"Good Guy is my benefactor who treated me to a meal, meow! And since he's Tao's friend, I'll give you a special guide, meow!"

"No, an accomplice is..."

"Kaka Village is safe, meow! Follow me!" As soon as she said that, Taokaka kicked the ground and jumped low, then increased her speed. She quickly distanced herself, and Ragna hurriedly quickened his pace. 

He remembered what happened when he was attacked earlier. Come to think of it, this cat girl was incredibly fast. If he wasn't careful, he'd lose sight of her.

"Hey, wait! Don't leave me behind!!"

More desperately than when he was escaping, Ragna gritted his teeth and chased after Taokaka, who was running with the leg strength of a wild animal.