Editing BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 3===

Noel ran through the corridors of the Kagutsuchi branch, her head filled with bewilderment and confusion.

Something was wrong. This was absolutely wrong.

The barrier magic had disappeared without a trace, and there wasn't a single soldier on watch, even though someone should have been on duty all night. On top of that, the door at the front entrance was roughly split in two, as if it had been slashed.

Someone had broken in. It was probably either Jin or Ragna the Bloodedge. 

What in the world happened to the barrier and the missing soldiers? Could it be the work of the Azure Grimoire, which she'd heard Ragna the Bloodedge possessed?

Thinking about it like that, Ragna the Bloodedge seemed more and more like an uncontrollable monster, and it scared her. 

But what was truly the scariest of all... was the silence ringing painfully in her ears. 

The sound of her running shoes echoed surprisingly. An empty branch. Was this place always so vast and desolate?

She had the illusion that even the sound of her pounding heartbeat was leaking out.

Running through the corridor, which felt many times longer than it actually was, her vision suddenly opened up.

What jumped into her sight was the sanctuary, a brightly-lit, high-ceilinged cathedral with a deep, open space. The white goddess statue was illuminated by the light from a magic circle that shone brighter than sunlight, greeting Noel with a breathtakingly beautiful sight that made her gasp.

As expected, there wasn't a single soldier to be seen here either.

"Is... anyone there!?"

Even one person would do. She wanted to meet someone, anyone wearing the same uniform. Because how on earth could something like this happen? The more she felt the absence of people, the more her confusion grew.

She would have been much calmer if there had been even a trace of blood.

The branch was empty, as if no one had been there from the start. There was no sign of a struggle, nor any indication that someone had been forcibly taken away.

An indescribable unease felt as if it was scraping away at Noel from the inside.

As Noel staggered towards the goddess statue, as if drawn to it, she suddenly felt a raw smell stimulating her nostrils.

It was the smell of blood. To be more precise, it was a foul and violent smell, like blood mixed with sweat, saliva, and vomit.

Someone was there. Noel looked around desperately, and... there he was. Near the stairs leading further inside. At the border between the faint shadow cast by the thick pillar and the light-filled space where Noel stood, there was a man lying face down on the cold floor.

He was wearing a blue and white uniform. A soldier of the NOL.

Noel rushed over in a hurry.

"Are you okay!? Please get a hold of yourself!" When she got to his side, she finally realized who it was.

A slender body with smooth, golden hair. His lightly tilted face was fair-skinned, with familiar features.

"M-Major Kisaragi!?" 

It was an unbelievable sight.

Jin Kisaragi, who had shown unparalleled success in the Ikaruga Civil War and risen to the rank of Major in just a few years after graduating from the military academy... the man who was even hailed as the "Hero of Ikaruga," was collapsed powerlessly on the floor like a discarded doll.

There was almost nothing frozen in the surrounding area. If Jin had rampaged, the area would have been cold and frozen. The absence of that meant that there was someone who had restrained and defeated Jin without allowing him to use his full power.

An average soldier wouldn't be a match for him even if they came in numbers. Even the above average soldiers wouldn't be a match. If that was the case...

"Could it be, Ragna the Bloodedge..." Noel muttered the name of the "Grim Reaper" as if whispering. He was here. And... strangely, she was drawn to him.

''(Huh...?)''

Noel was puzzled by what the name she had spoken aloud had evoked in her heart.

Ragna the Bloodedge. When she first heard the name "Grim Reaper," he sounded much more terrifying. An unreasonable destroyer who went around destroying Librarium branches one after another. She had thought that if she saw him, he would be a vicious and terrifying man who would make her legs tremble if she faced him.

But, when was it? She no longer felt the same fear towards this name as before. Even though she hadn't met him in person, and there hadn't been any events that changed her impression.

Yes, now she even thought that he might be a surprisingly normal person, a surprisingly kind person... 

''(That can't be right...)''

He was the most wanted criminal in history, a villain that the entire Librarium was chasing.

Had she become accustomed to the situation that he might be nearby while she was in Kagutsuchi?

She had often been warned since her student days that she was short-sighted and simplistic, but she didn't think she was that bad. But... it was true that she felt something warm about the name Ragna.

''(...No. If I think about unnecessary things... I won't understand.)''

The act of thinking would only confuse her, and she wouldn't be able to think anything.

"Right, I have to contact them and get Major Kisaragi treated..."

"Oh my, you've been thoroughly beaten up, haven't you?"

"Eek!"

Suddenly, a shadow fell over her from behind, and she was called out to, making Noel jump and turn around. In that instant, she flipped over and landed on her butt right next to the fallen Jin. Looking up with a face pale from surprise, she saw the familiar black suit standing there.

"Come on, come on, there's no need to scream like that. It hurts my feelings!" 

It was Hazama. He looked down at Noel, who had embarrassingly lost her composure, with an exasperated expression, and shook his head as usual, as if saying "Oh dear."

Even though she was looking up at him from quite a low position, it was strange that she couldn't see his eyes behind his hat.

"I-I'm sorry, I was just surprised..."

"Well, it can't be helped. The branch is in this state... it's like a haunted house."

Hazama twisted his mouth, which was shaped like the kanji "へ," into a wry smile, and looked around. The wide and bright sanctuary was devoid of any human presence, so much so that Jin's fallen figure stood out from the scenery.

While supporting the holster hanging at her waist, Noel stood up and asked timidly.

"Um, Hazama-san... where is everyone else from the branch?"

"Well. I don't know. I've been looking around the branch, but I couldn't find a single person. Well, I'm glad I was able to contact you safely."

Noel didn't know what kind of face to make at Hazama, who said such things lightly and nonchalantly, so she looked down and simply replied, "I see."

She shuddered at the thought that everywhere, even the executive offices and sleeping quarters that couldn't be seen from here, was deserted.

"For now, let's contact the crew of the Ars Magus ship and have Major Kisaragi transported. We can't do anything about investigating this branch by ourselves."

"Y-yes... but..." Noel looked up at Hazama, who was starting to manipulate his communicator, and then let her gaze wander around the area. Seeing that, Hazama turned his gaze towards Noel while putting the communicator to his ear.

"Is there anything you're concerned about, Lieutenant Vermilion?"

"...Um, I think it was Ragna the Bloodedge who did this to Major Kisaragi..."

If she kept silent, she would surely feel uncomfortable later, as if something was stuck in her chest. So Noel resolutely raised her face and appealed to Hazama.

Hazama tilted his head somewhat quizzically, as if what he'd been told was unexpected.

"Oh, probably. There's no one else."

"Then, we have to chase after him too. This situation may be the fault of the 'Grim Reaper,' and we might still be able to catch him now!" Noel's voice had an unusual strength in it. It wasn't that she was so passionate about arresting the "Grim Reaper," nor that she wanted to avenge Jin Kisaragi. It was just that she felt inexplicably impatient.

But Hazama looked unenthusiastic, and scratched his cheek with his slender index finger, then smiled vaguely.

"You know… I think I told you this before, but I'm not really a combat specialist. My mission is solely to secure Major Kisaragi, and the 'Grim Reaper' is a separate matter, so to speak..."

"That's fine. I'll pursue Rag... the 'Grim Reaper' by myself. Captain Hazama, please take care of Major Kisaragi."

"By yourself? That's a bit too reckless, isn't it?"

"I'll be fine... probably." She wasn't confident, but she felt terribly guilty about turning a blind eye and leaving Ragna the Bloodedge alone here.

And more than anything else, if she chased after him here... she might be able to meet Ragna the Bloodedge. She wasn't clearly aware of that feeling, but there was certainly that thought in Noel's heart.

Hazama put his hand on his hat and shrugged.

"Well, I suppose I have no choice. I'll take care of Major Kisaragi. And as for Ragna the Bloodedge, he's probably heading underground."

"Underground? You mean the underground research facility?" She had heard that there were various research facilities deep underground in the NOL's branches. Soldiers rarely set foot there, but Noel had witnessed people who looked like researchers boarding the elevator to the underground.

"Yes. The destruction of that underground lab is Ragna the Bloodedge's real purpose. To get to the underground, you can go up these stairs and use the very back of the hall at the end." Hazama said, pointing his sharp chin to the back of the stairs with magnificent decorations.

The elevator to the underground. Noel had never used it before.

"Thank you very much. Then, excuse me!"

Was it really okay to go by herself? Noel swallowed the anxiety that was gradually swelling in her heart, then gave a stiff salute and turned on her heel. She ran up the stairs leading to the back with light steps.

She aimed for the elevator in the back. She had to move quickly, quickly. For some reason, such impatience hastened Noel's steps. 

She didn't notice that Hazama was shaking his shoulders and laughing behind her back as she left.


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