Editing BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 4===

Five days ago, the Mage's Guild was suddenly in uproar after a large-scale battle with the Black Beast took place. It had resumed its activity for the first time in a year.

The number of people who were coming and going became increased. The amount of the gathered intelligence skyrocketed. The total visitor from foreign countries grew frequently.

Every day, debates and consultations were being taken all over the place... The gathering of people was stuffed with opinions so many that it looked like a whirlpool.

With what was going on in Mage's Guild, the Cathedral was the only sole location that had remained in peacefulness.

Nine rapidly walked toward the Cathedral along with Trinity, pushing her way through the glaring sunlight that went through trees. The savagery called war that was happening in the world was completely irrelevant to her.

There was no guard or even a figure of person in the surroundings.

Nine treaded that sight of fairy tales in long steps. Then, she opened the double door of the Cathedral gently.

When she entered, she was served with the view of the upper floors that completed the appearance of a church's hall. It was well suited with Cathedral's outward looks. Faint lights were coming in from the small windows. They painted the hall with light ashen tint.

There were already visitors inside.

They were Jubei, Valkenhayn, Terumi, and Hakumen.

They should have entered her vision, but Nine acted like she didn't see them anyway and kept walking forward.

She was heading to the inner side of the hall. A statue of beautiful woman wearing long gown was standing there.

The Mage's Guild called her as ''The Creator''. Nine got down on her knees and bowed like what a pilgrim would do in front of the statue.

She closed her eyelids and prayed.

"…Heh. So you pray to god? Interesting."

Terumi, who was discreetly leaning on the wall near the door, sneered at her. But his words didn't reach Nine's consciousness.

Watching attentively to her best friend's gesture, Trinity also joined her hands together and offered a prayer.

During that very moment, the Cathedral received a worth of virtue that befitted its name.

When her prayer was finished, Nine slowly stood up.

That moment marked the end of the calming tranquility.

A genuine sense of urgency appeared as the replacement.

It was still quiet all the same, but the rigidness had changed.

"Well then, let us hear it."

Valkenhayn spoke gloomy while facing Nine's back.

"Just what is causality weapon... and Takemikazuchi in that regard?"

That was the main reason they gathered here presently.

The only person who had the answer was Nine.

But those lips of her didn't immediately tell the truth even while being showered with expectations and stares from her vicinity. Rather, they were shut tightly as she dropped her gaze toward the deep color of wood grain under her feet.

The dubious silence was because of her hesitation.

Trinity sensed it as easily as she would breathe. But since she herself desired to know about it, Trinity urged the friend who was grinding her teeth with a smile.

"I think it was created by Nine... She said it not too long ago, didn't she?"

They heard it on the battlefield.

Nine spoke of it while holding the fainted Celica as all of her magic power got absorbed. It happened after Takemikazuchi, having done its job, vanished after its target, the Black Beast, escaped.

Thinking back at that moment made Trinity's chest slightly painful.

If the titan was created by Nine, then what had caused her precious sister to stay unconscious for a few days would be her own creation.

If that was true, then she must be blaming herself. Actually, there was no mistaking that she was blaming herself. Trinity thought that it was understandable that she wasn't very communicative.

However, they needed to hear it in order to get an understanding on what they should do from now on.

"...Yes, I made it. Rather, it might be better to say that it's been revived."

A refreshing air blew. Nine suppressed her emotions and answered with stiff voice.

Still facing Nine's straightened back, Valkenhayn took a large step forward. His gaze was very stern.

"What do you mean by revived?"

"Simply put, causality weapon is an imitation of a technology that had existed long ago. What I did was reviving it."

The floor was hit by Nine's heel and made a small noise.

When Valkenhayn continued to walk a few steps away from Trinity, Nine finally turned around.

Her gaze gradually regained its composure.

"...Remember the place where the Black Beast was born?"

Like a teacher, Nine started by asking a question. Her intelligent eyes followed after the question by looking at every one of them. It was Jubei who answered.

"It's the ''Cauldron'', ain't it?"

"That's right. So if we're going to investigate the Black Beast, then inspecting the Cauldron is also necessary. I don't really know about it and it isn't something I should reveal, but... there's one in Ishana, or Mage's Guild to be exact."

When she said it, Nine looked at her feet.

"It's beneath this Cathedral. Even then, the location is considered as peculiar."

Intrigued, Trinity also dropped her gaze down. She looked baffled.

"So there's a Cauldron underneath the Cathedral... I've heard rumors about some important secret that's hidden in Mage's Guild before. Is it referring to that Cauldron?"

"I think so. A lot of things are being kept in this Cathedral, but the Cauldron is the most confidential among them."

It was a violation to speak of the secret to outsider even if they were comrades in arm.

But the situation right now was special. After all, the people in this place who didn't know about the Cauldron were just Trinity and Hakumen.

Including Nine, the other four had learned the existence of Cauldron by their own circumstances.

Before continuing, Nine stole a glance to the two people who had previously trespassed inside and making an outrage.

The two people she was glaring at were Valkenhayn and Terumi.

"I've been looking into that Cauldron during the one year Black Beast was dormant. I thoroughly examined the plausible materials that's hidden by Mage's Guild, from the Great Library up to the books that are buried within the Cathedral. Anyway, I've gone through all of them."

"All... of them?"

Trinity sighed with great admiration.

Even focusing on those 'plausible materials' Nine spoke of, the number of books should have passed over what a person could read in a year. The book collection of Mage's Guild was just that colossal.

In addition, Nine had been comprehensively reading that many books while developing Armagus at the same time.

No, those weren't all of them. Nine completed the topic of this conversation, Takemikazuchi, over the course of her investigation.

Thinking about it again made it seemed impossible.

"Anythin' interestin'?"

Jubei turned his head as he asked.

Nine folded her arms under her voluptuous chest as if embracing herself.

"Long time ago... during the era that's called as the beginning, humanity was in a war with ''something''. And so, I've found the records regarding it. The opponent seems a nuisance since common weapons couldn't hurt it. Then, although the scale is smaller than the previous one..."

In the middle of her story, Terumi made a big yawn. Nine gave a scornful glance at him and attempted to brush his rudeness away by continuing regardless.

"Although the scale is smaller than the war in the beginning, there was a same kind of war between humanity and ''something'' several hundred years ago. It resembles our current battle with the Black Beast."

Nine removed her gaze from Jubei to the wolf man who had a firm physique. Her blinking eyes had profound significance.

Her lips slightly made a smile. It was too sharp to be a simple smile.

"...Perhaps we might have someone nearby who's familiar with the incident."

Valkenhayn wasn't that oblivious to not understand what her words and gaze meant. His already sullen face grew even more sullen as one of his brow was lifted.

Because of the angle, a diagonal shadow was taking place on his masculine face.

"I do not know what you are expecting, but Clavis-sama never told me everything. I have been serving Clavis-sama for almost a hundred years. I have no opportunity to learn what happened before that."

"Hmph. I see."

Nine replied with an emphasis that was far from agreeing. Valkenhayn turned his grim face away from her. Meanwhile, Terumi watched them and grinned while leaning on the wall.

The chapel within the Cathedral was wide. Any voice would get absorbed by the ceilings.

Nine's voice didn't reach the ceiling and vanished. As if following after it, Trinity asked a question while having uncomfortable expression.

"That war existed? ...But I've never heard anything about it until now, even within the Mage's Guild."

"Yes. It wasn't something that's written in your everyday history of Mage's Guild. I found the description inside the books which are stored in the Cathedral."

"Then, it must be something that's hidden from the world."

"That seems to be the case. But in addition to the book's description, I found the legacy of the war."

Nine gently spoke and gave a nod to her friend. Her expression got a bit stiffened when she said the latter words.

Legacy. In other words, the evidence of history.

Nine brushed away her long hair with the back of her hand.

"I've found the weapon that had been used to fight that ''something'' in Ishana."

A weapon created by humanity to fight the ''something'' that couldn't be damaged by conventional weapons at start.

"Your village has the same kind of weapon, doesn't it?"

Her question was directed to Jubei. He was deeply aware that Nine didn't have any ill intention, but Jubei unconsciously frowned.

"Hihi'irokane..."

The ancient weapon itself originated from the age of beginning and had been handed down within Jubei's family.

It wasn't currently in the possession of Jubei's family for a reason, but Jubei never knew that it was intended to fight that ''something'' which resembled Black Beast.

"The one I found in Ishana was more recently made. According to the few remains of record, its name is..."

Before Nine could tell the name of the relic...

"...The Sealed Weapon Izayoi."

Hakumen murmured and shook the heavy atmosphere.

His monologue collided with Nine's words that had been flowing until now.

"Wh-. How did you..."

How did he know its name?

Nine was supposedly going to say that, but she was interrupted by the sudden noise of door being opened.

Several men stormed in... along with a pair of man and woman with triangular hats on their heads. They were Seven and Nine.

"Bringing outsiders to the sacred Cathedral? How could you even be this thoughtless, Nine?"

Dragging a long mantle, Eight took a large step forward. Her lips that were painted with glossy lipstick smiled calmly as if in triumph.

Then she lightly jerked her chin, ordering the men to surround Nine and the others. Judging from their uniform and air, they were all from Mage's Guild.

Hakumen lowered his posture and grabbed the long sword on his back.

But before he could declare his intention to strike, Seven spoke indifferently.

"You must have known what will happen should your comrades do something foolish like struggling... Don't you, Nine of the Ten Sages?"

Seven was implying that any resistance would make her regretted it.

Since Hakumen seemed to disregard it and ready to plunge anytime, Jubei held him back with his hand.

Although Hakumen didn't show an immediate reaction, he eventually stopped showing his hostility and took his hand off of the long sword.

To make sure of it, Seven lightly stroke the air with the palm of his hand.

A metallic noise rang. Circles with dull light appeared and restrained Nine's body and both of her wrists. In addition to restricting her movement, the magic could prevent her from using her own magic.

"You've been summoned by the Committee of Hearing."

"The Committee of Hearing?"

Eight said it while blinking her long eyelashes. When she said that, Nine finally opened her mouth and asked. Her gaze stayed composed, not showing the fluctuation of her emotions. But her voice had deep suspicion.

There was no organization within Mage's Guild that had a name like Committee of Hearing. Even if there was one, then it would be the Ten Sages.

But since Eight, who was a Ten Sage, deliberately mentioned a different name... It seemed there was another organization separated from Ten Sages that had the position to influence the management of Mage's Guild.

Nine frowned for a moment.

"I shall be your escort."

A Mage's Guild personnel told Nine in a somewhat stiff voice and started walking to urge her to do the same.

Before they went, Trinity stood in the way by butting in and spread both of her arms.

"Please wait. Why did you cast a binding on Nine? Can you just take her normally?"

"There is no need for you to know. It would be wise to abide the instruction from Ten Sages, Platinum the Trinity."

"But...!"

Seven talked like it was a common sense. Trinity glared at him, which was unlike her usual self.

However, as if pushing her best friend away, Nine stepped forward.

"It's okay, Trinity. I'll be fine, so don't be concerned."

"What do you mean by fine? You are a Ten Sage. Even if they're one too, they can't treat you like a criminal without telling any reason..."

Nine of the Ten Sages wasn't someone who should get that kind of treatment. Nine had more achievements than anyone else in the whole world in regards to the fight against Black Beast.

Trinity complained while clutching both hands to fists. A grief could be heard in her words.

Nine made a strained smile and shrugged her shoulders.

"There's just going to be some awfully old folks complaining at me. If I bothered myself with these guys every single time, I'd only get tired."

Guessing that she was included in 'these guys' Nine spoke about, Eight got irritated and urged Nine to get hurry.

After taking a glance at Eight, Nine slowly got her face closer to Trinity as if to hug her. Nine smiled at her while pretending not to hear herself being called. Then, she got close to Trinity's ear so that she would be the only one who could hear her instruction.

"This is a good chance to investigate this organization. If anything happens..."

If there was one thing Nine would be worried about during emergency, it would be Celica.

"...Understood."

Trinity also made a mild expression so as not to give off tension.

Nine brushed off her long hair to her back with her restrained hand and started to walk. Soon, she was surrounded by the men from Mage's Guild to block any escape route.

Then, Nine Looked over her shoulder from within the small ring of people and left some words of warning.

"I'll say it again: do not make unnecessary commotion. Understand?"

The tone of her voice was mainly emphasized toward Hakumen.

However, she couldn’t tell whether the person in question noticed it or not since he didn't give any reaction.

"Be careful, Nine."

Jubei warned her with a  low voice. The bridge of his nose was wrinkled, showing his discontent. Nine gave him a smile. After that, she started to walk like she was bringing along the Guild members around her instead. Then she left the Cathedral behind, along with Seven and Eight.

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