Editing BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3 (section)

===Part 5===

Yuki Hayami was a bold and generous woman who had raised Haruka single-handedly and even taken care of Naoto. Naoto didn't know her exact age, but she still maintained a youthful beauty that didn't seem possible for someone with a high school-aged daughter. Although she was busy with work and rarely home, she always showed an abundance of love for both Haruka and Naoto. That's why Naoto thought of her more like a real mother than anything else, and he couldn't look up to her enough for all she had done for him.

And so…

“Wow! What is this? It’s incredible, so silky! Oh, what beautiful golden hair! You look just like a doll! So cute! So lovely!” There was no way Naoto could stop Yuki from sitting down at the dining table, pulling Raquel onto her lap, stroking her hair, nuzzling her cheek, and examining her face, enjoying her soft touch.

"N-Naoto... please..." Raquel looked at Naoto with dull, cloudy eyes and pleaded for help in a barely audible voice. Considering Kiiro, Haruka in the bath, and now Yuki assaulting Raquel with affection, Naoto couldn't help but feel a little sorry for her. But he sat in the chair opposite Yuki, as he usually did, and slowly turned his gaze away from Raquel as if to escape.

(I’m sorry, Raquel... There’s nothing I can do for you.)

There was no way anyone could stop Yuki from getting so excited.

Even now, Haruka was explaining everything to Yuki: who Raquel was, why she was there, and what had happened today. But Yuki seemed completely absorbed in Raquel's appearance rather than her daughter's story.

"And so, we're letting her stay over... Mom, are you listening?" Haruka finally put her hands on her hips in exasperation, and Yuki looked up, still stroking Raquel's head.

"Yes, yes, I'm listening. And you said something about someone from Mitsurugi coming and saying something like that. What was it, a drone? Something about compensation and confidentiality... I don't remember very well, but it was so noisy. They talked for so long." Yuki waved her hand dismissively and made an exaggeratedly bored face. Naoto couldn't help but laugh at her childish gesture and expression.

"Ah... so you heard about that too." Haruka said, offering a sympathetic smile. She was reminded of the overwhelming fatigue that came after the lengthy explanation. However, Yuki seemed completely unfazed and carefree.

"Well, you two... no, I guess it's three of you now. I'm glad you're all safe. We can fix the house, but we can't replace you guys." She smiled, showing her white, even teeth. In Yuki’s case, there was no need for Raquel’s "Slave Red" to forcefully explain the situation. Yuki must know more about Naoto's family relations than Haruka does, and she was capable of calmly judging whether a cousin like Raquel could even exist. As an adult, she could probably imagine the level of commotion such an incident involving unmanned aircraft would cause.

And yet, Yuki didn't show any doubt or ask any questions. She accepted Haruka and Naoto's story as fact and welcomed the golden-haired visitor without hesitation. If you asked her why, she would undoubtedly answer that there was no reason to doubt them if Haruka and Naoto said it was true.

"And, Mom, about Raquel, can she stay over?" Haruka, who had already decided to let Raquel stay without her mother's permission, asked Yuki apologetically. Yuki hugged Raquel tightly once before nodding, as if she were happy to have another member of the family.

"Of course. I'd welcome her with open arms. In fact, why don't you just move in?"

"N-no... that's impossible..." Raquel's body stiffened at the proximity of Yuki's face, which was peering in from behind. She looked like a startled kitten, bristling at an unexpected situation.  Seeing Raquel like that, Yuki couldn't hold back and hugged her tightly again.

"Even your confused face is cute!" Outside Yuki’s line of sight, Raquel’s neck drooped backward in resignation. Thinking that she might finally run out of breath, Naoto got up to separate them, but before he could, Haruka gently freed Raquel from her mother's grasp.

"Thank you, Mom. Well, we're going to bed now," Naoto said. Looking at the clock, he realized that the hour and minute hands had long passed the top. It would soon be one o'clock.

"Naoto, you should go to bed early too. You have school tomorrow," Haruka said. 

"Yeah," he replied lightly, watching Haruka leave the living room. Prompted by Haruka, Raquel glanced at Naoto with a troubled expression but followed after Haruka, albeit hesitantly. Her long, unkempt golden hair swayed gently against the back of the orange pajamas she borrowed from Haruka. Perhaps because she was petite, she looked like a timid little animal, and Naoto couldn’t help but smile secretly.

(She's actually pretty cute when she looks so normal) 

The pajamas made Raquel appear younger than during the day, and it was hard to believe she was the same person who had tried to take off her underwear in public. If she could get used to wearing clothes like this, it would ease his mind.

"Well, I'll... " Naoto got up from his chair, ready to go to bed. But Yuki stopped him.

“Hey Naoto. Could you make me some tea?”

“Tea? That’s rare for you, Yuki-san.” Usually, she always went for coffee.

“Just this once. Your tea is delicious.” He couldn't say no to that. Muttering something about how he couldn't help it, Naoto took out the teapot and boiled some water in the electric kettle. Unlike Naoto, Haruka and Yuki didn't keep various types of tea. They only had ordinary Darjeeling tea bags, the Earl Grey that Naoto had just made, and a peach tea that Haruka had received from a friend. Since she had asked him, he chose Earl Grey and poured the fragrant tea into Yuki's favorite mug, placing it in front of her.

"Here you go. Would you like some milk?"

"No, this is fine." As she reached for the cup, Yuki looked at Naoto. Her gaze urged him on. “Well, sit down then.”

"......What is it?" He had no reason to refuse. Naoto pulled out the chair opposite Yuki and sat down. As soon as he sat down, Yuki grinned mischievously.

“Sorry about earlier. I should have come back a little later.”

"W-what...?"

If he had made a cup of tea for himself along with Yuki's and had taken a sip now, he would have definitely sprayed hot tea all over his face. Or rather, why would she say that so suddenly? He had been bracing himself for a serious conversation, but her unexpected and lewd smile made Naoto lose his composure, causing him to rock back in his chair. 

Holding up her cup, Yuki held up her thumb and index finger a few centimeters apart. Holding the cup at eye level, she said, "You were so close. What a shame... If only you were just a little bit..."

"Hey, cut it out," Naoto interrupted. The scene from earlier flashed through his mind. The scent of soap tickling his nose and Haruka's breathless gasp that he couldn't stop. As Naoto tried to look away, Yuki followed his gaze and continued her attack with a bright, cheerful voice, as if she had come up with a great idea.

“Oh, how about sneaking into Haruka’s room later? Just take what you want!”

“Are you serious?! Is that really something a mother should say!?”

"Haha. You have to experience a lot of things while you're young," Yuki laughed merrily, raising her mug. She took a deep breath and looked at the dark surface of the tea with kind eyes. "...Seriously though, Haruka doesn't have a father. I really want her to find a normal husband and build a normal family."

That was Yuki's true feeling, something she always carried in her heart. Naoto knew very well how warmly Yuki looked at Haruka. So, when he heard her affectionate words, dropped casually in between her teasing remarks, Naoto breathed a sigh of relief.

"......Yeah, I think so too."  Naoto felt the same way. He wanted Haruka to be happy. Always and forever.

"So, what do you think?" Leaning forward on the dining table, Yuki rested her soft, ample chest on her arm and poked her face at Naoto. Her curious gaze pierced him, waiting for his reaction. Naoto made a wry face at her obvious intentions. Just when things were getting serious, she had to turn it into this.

"What do you mean, what do I think?"

"My Haruka is a good girl, you know? She's the cutest in the world," Yuki said with a cheerful smile. Naoto sighed. He already knew that Yuki thought Haruka was the cutest in the world.

"Then don't sell her short like that..."

"I'm just being realistic," she replied casually. Naoto couldn't come up with a quick reply. Yuki looked at Naoto with narrowed eyes, seeming pleased. She took a sip of her tea.

"I think you could make Haruka happy for the rest of your life," she said. "I wouldn't entrust Haruka to anyone else." Naoto could only look at Yuki with a complicated expression as she spoke softly, as if she were taking a deep breath.

(You're overestimating me, Yuki...) He murmured to himself. He did want Haruka to be happy. He wanted her to be even happier than she was now, and to be at peace.

"Yeah, and if there's anything I can do for that, I won't hold back." But that didn't come from a feeling that he could make Haruka happy. Rather, it was because he didn't have that confidence that he cared about her happiness. He didn't have the power to make Haruka happy in a peaceful light. He thought so firmly. And right now, that wasn't the point. More than wondering who Haruka's happiness would be with and how, Naoto needed the Azure right now.

If he couldn't find what he needed to find and get it, he would become a source of unhappiness for Haruka in a year. He realized again that he had to find it no matter what.

"......If that's all you have to say, I'm going to bed now," he said, making sure his tone wasn't too abrupt. In truth, he was tired—physically, but even more so mentally.

"Okay, okay, good night," Yuki said lightly, without trying to stop him. She raised her teacup as if to say, "Cheers." Even in this casual moment, she seemed to care for Naoto in her own way. He offered a wry smile in response to her innocent affection, which was almost like that of a real mother, and began to leave the living room. Then, from behind him, he heard, "Naoto." Her tone was slightly different this time—more insistent. Naoto turned to look over his shoulder. Yuki didn’t turn to face him, still gazing into her cup as she spoke. “Be careful of the Mitsurugi Agency.” 

Those words came from someone who knew. Even if she didn’t specify what he should be cautious about, it was clear she had some inkling of the situation.

Unable to brush it off or joke about it, and certainly unable to ask her what she knew, Naoto turned his back to Yuki. He couldn’t carelessly involve her; if he did, it would draw her into this mess. Regardless of her knowledge, if she wasn’t directly involved, she was an outsider. Just as he felt strongly about not troubling Haruka, he felt the same about Yuki.

"Good night," he said and closed the living room door behind him.



It was a quiet night. And it was a very good night. The moon was obscured by thin, dark clouds, and the city was wet from the sudden shower that had started after dusk. Everything was damp. Thanks to that, the streetlights were bright, and the darkness was deep. Once you stepped into the thick shadows, the night would instantly swallow you up and hide you.

It was already past midnight. The humid air from the unexpected rain and the lingering cool temperature made the Shinkawahama Station area uncomfortably tepid. Perhaps thanks to this, there were fewer people than usual, and no one would notice if you were in the back of an old game center on a back street off the main road. Therefore, no one would notice or care if a man crossed in front of the concrete wall in the damp dead of night. From shadow to shadow, from depth to depth. With gliding steps, the man entered the small park next to the parking lot. 

He was an eerie man. Dressed in a black stand-collar shirt, his body was thin and lanky, and his limbs were also long and thin. His neatly combed gray hair made him look like a gentleman who would fit right into high society, but the black tattoo that covered most of his faceless jaw indicated that he was not a person from the bright world. His eyes were narrow and sharp, and they lacked any human warmth. If anything, they conveyed coldness and cruelty. But now, his eyes held a smoldering passion as he stopped in front of the unmarked gray concrete wall.

There was nothing there. Not even a single graffiti tag drawn by a mischievous child. But as if there was something there, he stared intently and slowly raised his long arm to touch the cold wall with his wide hand. Slowly, he traced the wall with his palm. Then, as if blood were seeping from the wall, red letters appeared. Leaning in close, he ran his eyes over the newly appeared letters. He read each one carefully, as if verifying them, and memorized them.

"......Well, well, this is an interesting invitation," he said, raising his thin eyebrows and a sharp smile appeared at the corner of his mouth. Leaning in even closer, he brought his nose close to the red letters and sniffed. He sniffed at it, as if to make sure of its existence, and then stuck out his tongue without hesitation. His unusually long tongue was tattooed black, just like his face. He licked the wall with it.

"Ah..."

Was it satisfaction or admiration? He let out a deep breath and stood up, stroking the wall. At his feet, something quickly crawled out from the depths of the shadows.

“Ki-chi-chi.”

It was a strange insect about the size of a human head, making a sound like the clattering of armor. He couldn't see it clearly in the night, but the man knew it was a dull blue color and had red, bulging eyeballs. Its flat body, with many joints, was injured and its movements were slow and awkward.

Looking down at the deformed creature that had come crawling towards him, seeking its master, the man spoke to it in a very expressive voice.

"Thank you for guiding me this far. I only expected to get a whiff, but thanks to you, I've even managed to savor her flavor. I'm grateful," he said, a smile playing on his lips. He lifted his leg and brought it down with all his might onto the insect's back.

The sound of something hard and thin breaking and soft flesh bursting echoed through the late-night park. The green body fluid that had been abundantly stored inside the creature splattered everywhere and quickly evaporated in the open air, leaving only a charred mark behind.

The man turned back to the wall. The wall where the red letters had appeared. It seemed to have served its purpose. The letters were fading and disappeared before his eyes as he watched. Still, as if admiring the fact that they had been there, the man ran his hand along the wall. And he let out a trembling sigh.

"Wonderful..." His voice, hoarse, spoke with rapture. He furrowed his brow, looking at the now blank wall. He folded his long fingers and clenched them as if to confirm the sensation he had just felt. His breath was filled with admiration and ecstasy.

"That transparent voice I heard the other day... and the wonderful smell and taste to match it… Oh, I can't wait to touch you with these hands. I long to taste you directly with this tongue. If I could see your noble form, my body would surely tremble with excitement!" With heartfelt passion and desire for the person who wasn't there, he trembled with uncontrollable anticipation. The long-awaited moment was not far off. It was very close. What he sought was right beside him, breathing, bleeding, and living its life. How joyful it was.

He spread his arms wide and looked up at the sky. He looked up at the moon, whose silhouette was faintly visible behind the dark, hazy clouds. Through the moon, he spoke to the beloved soul.

"For you, I, Spinner Superior, will prepare the finest insect… Raquel-Alucard!"


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