Editing BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 6 (section)

===Part 5===

As the flowers left, what had been delayed of its arrival was darkness.

The surroundings were bustling as a considerable number of holes where mist gushed out increased again and again.

Ragna and Mitsuyoshi dashed toward the middle of the hall with their respective weapon in hand.

Along the way, their pace was thrown out of order as there were some fragments of the mist. As if it was their everyday duty, they nonchalantly cleared them by decapitation, scattering them away.

After they had secured the space needed to fight, from the sky, a black lump descended with the force as if a giant sandbag had fell down.

If there were some names that could be used to address those noises, it would be nice.

It was too much of a darkness.

Countless extending, long necks which resembled serpents were rising slowly. The hall around the Cauldron that felt spacious was not enough as it ran out of space, covered by shadow. It was like the hall was engulfed. No, just by looking up at that irrationally gigantic body, it undoubtedly made them taste the sensation of being swallowed.

"Ha...haha. This guy's no joke."

Ragna laughed involuntarily. That voice sounded ridiculously feeble even to him.

From far away above his head, gigantic red eyes of the gigantic necks were looking down at their way, as if they were glaring.

Despair was leaning forward.

"...This is...the Black... Beast."

Scraping dusts, Mitsuyoshi's feet took a step back. He set up his sword and claws firmly. However, the tip of the sword was trembling as he was unable to conceal it.

"It's... it's impossible. This ain't something that can be easily handled by a man's hands."

Even if he made himself not think such a pathetic thought, his instinct screamed warnings.

No matter how he thought, it wasn't something someone could compete with.

His body stiffened, his feet paralyzed.

Before he knew it, he had withdrawn for quite a significant distance. Ragna's back appeared ahead of his line of sight.

With that kind of back, Ragna gave a glance as he looked over his shoulder.

"Get a hold of yourself. You're strong. So strong that someone like me is no match for you."

That belief didn't come from just one time when they crossed their swords. Mitsuyoshi probably would be Ragna's master in the period to come. His master was one of the Six Heroes that once had killed the Black Beast. He wouldn't be defeated here. He shouldn't be defeated.

Ragna fearlessly raised his lips.

"Something ridiculous beyond imagination has appeared... But it's too late to quit now. We got no choice but to do this, right?"

Bring it on, he thought. Probably the conquered fear had turned into thrilling motivation that ran down his spine.

Ragna tightly gripped his sword with both of his hands.

"Hey, Ragna."

Looking at Ragna who glanced back at the Black Beast again, Mitsuyoshi opened his mouth for a question.

"Couldn't you not move yer right arm?"

He was right. Indeed, just a while ago, only numbness could be felt on Ragna's right arm which was dangling heavily. But amazingly, now it moved. The discomforts he felt until now were like lies since it felt rather light.

"I don't really get it, but it somehow works."

It was also the same for the right eye that shouldn't be able to see. As the eyelid lifted up, his vision had regained back its original range for the first in a long time. It was now reflecting a terrifying mass of shadow.

Suddenly, it was twitching only for his right eye. His right arm throbbed at the same time.

It was only for a moment. There was no pain. Perhaps, it was rather close to a pleasuring shiver. As if something identical with their nature had melt together and made a connection.

(Aah, I get it... If so, then that might be the reason.)

As the reason had come down on him, Ragna grinned.

He remembered on why his right arm and right eye couldn't do anything.

———The Azure Grimoire.

He didn't know the exact concept of what kind of object that was, but it was probably something related to the Boundary, possibly the seithr.

However, their actions had been severely restrained because of something. Just like when the lynchpin was used according to Shuuichirou Ayatsuki's research.

It was probably because of Celica.

While the girl possessed a special healing power, at the same time, she also could hold back seithr's activity. Her restraining ability grew stronger as the seithr's scale grew larger. Because of Celica's influence, Ragna's right arm was temporarily suspended of any action.

"I thought it was because I've come to the past, but looks like that isn't the case. What the hell? Just tell me so if it's like that."

While muttering his complaint to himself, Ragna firmly gripped his right hand. The distinct sensation he hadn't felt for a while made a deep smile came upon him.

With this, he would be able to somehow manage even if the opponent was Black Beast.

Ragna once again raised his eyes on the dark mass in front of his eyes. The more one looked at it, the more outrageous it was.

The numerous necks could easily crush the likes of Ragna in one strike. They swayed as if putting themselves on guard.

"Until the end, I'm a human. I'll fight as a human being. What are you going to do?"

Ragna asked Mitsuyoshi. This time, Ragna didn't turn his head as his back faced Mitsuyoshi.

Mitsuyoshi took a deep breath and prepared his claws and sword once again.

"Just like ye said, we can't quit anymore..."

It wasn't to drive away his fear, but Mitsuyoshi was fully determined. Alone, Ragna was planning to attack the Black Beast's real body. Before him, Mitsuyoshi couldn't let himself alone to be seized with fear.

"Good. Then Mitsuyoshi, once I jumped on that guy, quickly retreat."

"Wh-!? Don't joke around, I...!"

He stayed in order to support Ragna. There was no way he could run away despite being told so.

But as if brushing away Mitsuyoshi's words, Ragna spoke.

"You still got a life to live."

That voice felt too heavy, and also sincere. Mitsuyoshi involuntarily swallowed his objection.

The truth was, Mitsuyoshi had a lot to say. Like, 'how could he run while the enemy was in front of him?'. Like, 'what are you going to do?'. ...Like, 'didn't you promise to come back to Celica?'.

But what made him unable to speak of them was because he completely understood that Ragna was personally prepared for it.

Instead, Mitsuyoshi went next to Ragna once more to stand beside him and asked something.

"Let me hear yer name."

"Huh? But I've given my name already."

"Ya got yer memory back, didn'tcha? What I want to know is yer true name."

Ragna wryly smiled. The name 'Ragna' Mitsuyoshi called him with wasn't a fake. On the other hand, Ragna didn't have a family name that indicated his origin.

That's why, this name should be the answer for his question.

"Bloodedge. It's Ragna the Bloodedge."

"...I'll remember it."

Nodding in his satisfaction, Mitsuyoshi displayed a smile in only an instant.

"Okay, let's go!"

"Leave the remnants to me."

As he heard Mitsuyoshi's reliable words, Ragna set his body low and broke into a run, dragging his sword.

In a straight line, he went toward the Black Beast.

The small black mists which had been blocking his way were scattered as the flying around gale from Mitsuyoshi sliced them off.

As expected of his arm. It would never yield.

"Restriction 666 released!"

As he recited the words that were engraved in his mind and body, the bandage, which was wrapped on Ragna's right arm, forcefully burst open. What appeared was not a human arm. It was as if it was created from hardened darkness. It was a black and sinister big arm.

Noticing it, Mitsuyoshi flinched for a moment with his movement stiffened as he found out about it.

Despite everything, he ran, preparing the jet black arm.

"Dimensional Interference Field deployed!"

As he said the words, countless red lines ran down Ragna's arm. He felt a great deal of power that could crush anything.

"''BlazBlue'', Activate!"

The round orb in the back of his arm flickered as if it was blinking. The ''Azure'' had awakened. Clad in the flickering Azure, his fingers' form were transformed.

What was before his eyes was a dreadful giant mass of darkness. Countless necks tried to seize Ragna all at once.

He spontaneously smiled.

"HERE WE GO, YOU GIGANTIC ASSHOLE!!"

After he roared, Ragna kicked the earth, cleared away the rising mist, and charged in toward the Black Beast.







Mitsuyoshi's shout that could be heard calling his name.

The somewhat cold Cauldron's heat that had become distant.

The bright red color of the flames.

Anything and everything was eroded by black shadow.



The Black Beast raised its countless crooked necks like a wave. And then, it swallowed Ragna altogether.







As night dawned, morning came.

With morning passed and became noon, it would be night again.

After the night ended once more, the day would flow again and became night.



Celica quickly jumped on her feet at the modest sounds of door being knocked.

The person who knocked was Valkenhayn.

This place was the castle of the Alucard family which had Rachel Alucard as the new family head.

Celica was in the guest room.

After she heard the notice from Valkenhayn, Celica's expression bloomed, and then it got clouded as she ran on the hallway.

Running down the long stairs, she arrived on the first floor. She then ran with all her might from the entranceway to the parlor.

"Haah... haah... hah... Mitsuyoshi... san."

The notice Valkenhayn had reported to Celica was the return of Mitsuyoshi.

Sitting on the luxurious sofa in the parlor, Mitsuyoshi had wounds all over his body. Everywhere, dry blood stuck on his abundant fur and made it hard. Wounds covered all over him up to his long, flexible tails.

Falling behind Celica, Nine and Trinity finally arrived. Seeing Mitsuyoshi, both of them opened their eyes wide in surprise at his state.

He didn't appear to have the stamina to raise his body. Despite all that, with a firm expression, Mitsuyoshi turned to the direction opposite of him. Instead of lying down, he kept on sitting.

He seemed to be either exhausted, drowning in relief, or disciplining himself.

A large sword was held in his arm.

The so-called sword had a wide blade... the characteristic of Ragna's sword.

Celica hurriedly went to Mitsuyoshi's side and performed healing magic. However, the healed wounds were so small. Only grazes and cuts had received healing.

"...Sorry."

Suddenly, Mitsuyoshi talked.

A trembling, worn-out voice that could snap anytime. As if to get rid of it, Mitsuyoshi squeezed out his hoarse voice.

"Ragna charged at the Black Beast. Countless necks that were like snake's head bit 'im all at once... swallowed 'im. ...Black Beast's activity then came to a stop. After that, it disappeared, along with Ragna."

With pauses in-between, Mitsuyoshi spoke while he looked for words to use.

"What's left is this."

He clumsily moved his arm to give the sword he had been holding firmly to Celica.

Something black was sticking on the sword. It was unknown whether if it was the Black Beast's blood, Ragna's blood, or something entirely different.

"Sorry. ...I shouldn't have come back with just this."

"...It's okay."

Toward Mitsuyoshi's apology that seemed as his thought splitting up his chest, Celica lightly shook her head.

"I'm happy that you came back. ...Thank you, Mitsuyoshi-san."

With a compassionate smile, Celica wiped Mitsuyoshi's wet eyes and hugged the sword she had received with care.

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