Editing BlazBlue:Volume 1 Chapter 1 (section)

===Part 4===

Just after the silence, Celica, with a rising vigor, leaned forward. Crawling over the weeds, she went closer to Mitsuyoshi.

"W-why are you searching for my father!? Are you related to his research? In that case, perhaps you know his whereabouts?"

"Hey, Celica. Calm down a bit."

Ragna reached out his arm to calm Celica whose gaze was piercing Mitsuyoshi. But Celica brushed it off and leaned her body even further.

"I, too, am searching for Shuichiro Ayatsuki. Six years ago, before the attack of the Black Beast and the following nuclear strike, he was supposed to be in Japan. But after all that, I haven't been able to get in touch with him. At last, recently there are ships heading for Japan. Because of that...!"

No matter how much time passes, she couldn't confirm her father's welfare. Believing that no one had been searching for him, she left her home without grabbing the right map.

Celica had been overcome by her emotions. She grabbed Mitsuyoshi's soft paws tightly with both of her hands.

"Please. If you know something about my father, please tell me."

Mitsuyoshi looked troubled. He had something disheartening to say, judging by his expression.

The cat-man unwillingness to answer made Celica's anxiety grew stronger. His mouth looked like something big was about to burst from within. Before long, he heavily opened it.

"I'm sorry... There ain't any specific place reported that I know of. Also, I ain't one of yer old man's research buddies, companions, or pals. This is just a mission."

"Mission?"

The one who cut the conversation with a question was Ragna.  Mitsuyoshi drew his eyebrows together and pulled his chin backward.

"That's right... It's to find Shuichiro Ayatsuki, the scientist who put mankind to unimaginable crisis, an' bring 'im back to the client. That's my mission."

Celica gathered the new information to her mind. She couldn't believe it. Her pupils moved around and her face became pale. Her father had been said as someone who was related to a crisis concerning mankind.

"It has to be a mistake, doesn't it? Father would never do any dangerous research."

"It's from the information. I don't know the details of the research, but Shuichiro Ayatsuki's experiments made that thing appeared."

"That thing...?"

Even if she didn't ask him, Celica could guess what Mitsuyoshi's about to say.

"The Black Beast."

Celica gasped. Ragna's eye wide opened.

By pressing the lips with her fingers, she covered her mouth. Celica weakly shook her head.

"...It's a lie, isn't it?"

Mitsuyoshi kept being silent, but his seriousness could be seen from his eyes that contained no falsehood. It alone was enough as an answer. Celica's fingertips slightly trembled.

"But that, such a thing can't possibly be born from his personal research...!"

"I got a doubt as well. I didn't think Shuichiro Ayatsuki's intention was to create the Black Beast. But it's a safe bet to think that he must have done somethin' in his research to awaken that monster. For the sake of determinin' the cause, I have to search 'im no matter what."

The Black Beast.

It manifested all of a sudden. The monster crushed the place it was born. It vanished after its fangs annihilated everything. Then, it abruptly appeared again somewhere.

It could not be constrained within every man-defined system and theory. If any, it's as if the very concepts of system and theory were something to be destroyed. It's truly a being that was all about destruction.

Even Ragna knew and remembered what kind of monster the Black Beast was. It's such an outrageous story to think that it was unleashed by the hands of Celica's father.

"I can't believe it. Father would never..."

Tears welling up, Celica embraced her trembling fingertips to her chest. Her previous vigor when leaning her body forward seemed to be gone as she weakly sat down on the weeds.

Witnessing that, Mitsuyoshi dropped his shoulders and sighed while slowly standing up.

"...We're lookin' fer the same person, but maybe we can't work together after all. I'll escort ya two until the port city. After that, we're splittin' up."

That was Mitsuyoshi being considerate, but Celica shook her head as if clearing it from something and made her bundled up hair swung around. 

"No... No, you can't do that! I will go along with Mitsuyoshi-san!"

"Hey, hey, Young lady. Don't you understand? I'm on the opposin' side of yer old man, y'know?"

"I know. That's why I'm doing this. I want to know what Father has truly done. If Father was actually innocent, I'll protect him from Mitsuyoshi-san."

Before, her face was on the verge of crying, and yet Celica raised her chin and looked straight to Mitsuyoshi.

Mitsuyoshi pulled himself back. The spot where a human forehead would be had the side twitched.

"Now lookie here... It's certain that Shuichiro Ayatsuki has somethin' to do with Black Beast. I got no doubt about it. Besides, do ya think I woulda just kindly showin' things to someone who has just declared to interfere with my mission?"

"But I won't know the truth if Father has really done bad things when I don't make sure of it. He possibly just got caught in all of it!"

"I don't have the time to play detective with ya. Doin' it will be nothin' but trouble."

"Please, I won't disturb your investigation! Besides, I can discern Father's belongings. I also remember his handwritings and writing habits. I'll be useful, so...!"

Squeezing both hands tightly, Celica kept being persistent.

Mitsuyoshi scratched his throat using his big hand. He was bewildered. He got plenty of reasons to refuse her, but Celica's enthusiasm really portrayed her seriousness. To just flat out reject her would be a bit awkward.

Seeing all of that, Ragna, who was observing the development from the beginning, sighed and interrupted.

"Isn't it fine? Just bring her along."

"Ragna!"

"C'mon. Not ya too...!"

Poof. Celica's face lighten up in contrast to Mitsuyoshi's which grew more grim.

The girl and the cat beastkin. Their confrontation made Ragna sneered. The spectacle looked more like something out of a fairy tale rather than delicate issues.

"It's not a hassle if you can just dump her somewhere whevener she becomes a nuisance, right? Besides, Celica is a healing magic user. You can't deny her of being a useful companion. ...When you're not trusting her with maps, that is."

"I'll just keep it short. First, it's dangerous!"

"More reason to bring her."

Ragna had been sitting on the weed with his legs crossed. He gazed at the troubled Mitsuyoshi and expectant Celica one by one.

"If you want someone to look over her, I guess I can tag along, too. If anything happens, I'll grab her and run."

In any case, he didn't have anything to be done soon. Even then, his goal was much further than their current destination. 

"Thank you, Ragna!"

"Uwah!"

As Ragna was shrugging and saying those words, Celica, excessively joyful, jumped at him. On the opposite, Mitsuyoshi, full of resignation, was holding his forehead.

"Oh man. I picked up some unexpected burdens..."

Getting caught between two people with contrastive reactions, Ragna once again departed from the deserted village within a mountain.

And after a few hours, the sun had descended as it was the time for the sky to be dyed in the colors of night. Ragna and Celica, along with Mitsuyoshi, were able to reach the port city on the bottom without any disaster.