Editing BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 4 (section)

===Part 6===
As soon as they returned to the Kaka village, Celica, Nine, Trinity, Jubei, Hakumen, Valkenhain, and Terumi, plus Suzukaka and several other Kaka, gathered around a table with a large map spread over it, surprisingly authentic and detailed; the Kaka used it during strategic meetings.


They found out that the refugees had been given a new home in a city within Asia, fortunately out of the Black Beast's reach for the moment. The city's location and name, given by the Kaka messenger, made Nine's already grim face stiffen even more.


— “You sure about this?”

— “Absolutely! I heard earlier that the refugees have already been relocated.”


The leadership of the OLN could also determine where the countless refugees, who lost their homes to the Black Beast, would go. But that meant tens of thousands of refugees; too many at once... and counting.


— “Never thought something like this could happen…” Nine bit her lip in frustration.
It was too easy to imagine what could happen with so many people rounded up in one place, in a world full of beasts of seithr that could literally sniff out the lives of people.


— “Are they trying to use the refugees… to lure out the Black Beast?” Jubei grimaced in disbelief and snarled.

— “That’s so horrible…!” Trinity's hands trembled in fear.
Those people were being treated like bait for capturing game; dozens of thousands of lives hanging in a net, waiting for black fangs to bite into them. And waiting in the wings were people who knew exactly how disposable they were: the Orbis Librarius Norma.

— “Would they really…?” — Hakumen muttered, his voice rumbling through the air, and turned to the group. — “There’s no guarantee that it will work, gathering so many people. The Black Beast could show up somewhere else, for all they know. Are they really going to ignore that and wait for the Beast to take the bait there?”


Hakumen wondered if they were truly that foolish. One wrong move, and only the bait they'd prepared would be saved. Just gathering refugees was not enough; this trap was not thought out well.


Terumi immediately brushed those doubts aside, putting his feet up on the table with a careless look — like nothing had happened to him on the way to the cave.

— “No, no, no, buddy, look. With so much tasty bait right next to the den, even that Beast is gonna follow a smell that strong… with a Cauldron right next to it.”


A Cauldron...

Only then, it dawned on Hakumen. Celica was still confused, however.

— “Wait. Black Beasts usually show up near places with Cauldrons in them, right? If the Black Beast comes out of that Cauldron, won’t it reach the city before we can stop it?”

— “That’s most likely.” Nine answered, clearly and calmly, but with audible resentment.

— “But what would they gain from luring it out? Do they even stand a chance?” Valkenhayn crossed his arms and leaned his chin on one fist.


Though the OLN had complete jurisdiction over Ars Magus, it was hard to imagine that that technology had made any exponential progress since the last battle.
Jubei frowned roughly and shook his head.

— “They should know from the last battle that Ars Magus won’t be enough to destroy the Black Beast. They could probably use Take-Mikazuchi… but that can’t be used without Celica, can it?”

— “It can.” Nine answered tersely. She shook her head, long hair sliding off her shoulders. Amid many puzzled gazes, Nine stood out, like she was trying to squeeze in another word. — “Take-Mikazuchi can be summoned without Celica, but it’ll be impossible to control.”

— “…and what happens after that?” Hakumen asked, rising from his seat.


A quiet silence filled the place, and Nine balled her hand up into a fist.

— “Tens of thousands of souls… will be consumed on the spot.”

The tension in Nine’s words cut the air like a knife.

Trinity gasped and clutched her trembling hands to her chest, about to burst into tears.


— “Wait… they’re rounding up those refugees to lure out the Black Beast… ''and'' summon Take-Mikazuchi?!”


Nobody nodded, but their affirmation was obvious.


Celica kicked over a chair and stood up, then slammed her hands on the table with a loud bang.

— “Then let’s hurry! We have to be there for the refugees, before the worst happens!”

— “Of course. Let’s go!” Nine brushed a stray strand of hair off her back and rose to her feet. She crossed her arms over her chest and continued, looking sharply at Celica — “...except you. You’ll stay in the village.”

— “No!!” Celica answered in indignation.


A deep wrinkle formed in Nine’s brows. Her fingers tapped against her crossed arms, visibly irritated.

— “Don’t ‘no’ me! We’re going to a city with a dozens of thousands of refugees, and our numbers are only a fraction of that. Even if this wasn’t about the Black Beast, it’d be too dangerous for you.”

— “Then what’s Nirvana good for?!”

— “What—” Nine was at a loss for words. Celica rushed over to her side…

— “It’s not like I can’t use magic! I can still protect myself from normal people that aren’t mages or soldiers!”

Hands firmly held together, Celica did not waver even slightly; the light in her eyes never faded.

— “If I go there, I might even draw out the Black Beast! I can even prevent Take-Mikazuchi’s summoning from killing all those people—!”

— “No way I’ll let you do that…” Nine’s voice suddenly trembled, clearly about to cry. Celica lost that bravado and became confused.


But Nine looked at Celica sternly enough to hold back her tears, digging her fingers into tightly folded arms.

— “…look, I get it. You want to see him again. So, stop putting yourself in harm’s way, ‘cause if you die… you’ll never get to do that.”

Now Celica was the one lost for words.


Maybe it was a glimpse of the feelings Nine had been hiding. She bit down tightly to hold back the torrent of feelings that threatened to spill out, and swallowed them down — even if some of them had already slipped.


She had been protecting Celica so tightly to make her wish come true — to see him again.

Only then, did it dawn on Celica. She was not sad or hurt; Nine’s words had touched her too deeply.


— “I do want to see him… that’s why I want to go.”

Celica hurriedly wiped the corners of her eyes and lifted her face, trying not to cry. She set her back straight, and without hesitation, cast her gaze straight ahead.

— “During the last battle, just like Miss Rachel said… I felt like he was within the Beast. I’m still not sure, but I can only know if I go.”

She aired her feelings with her hands over her chest. Whatever Nine had to say, Celica still had a firm goal to reach…

— “I want to see the Black Beast, just this once.”


It was not a plea or a demand; Celica just had her mind made up.

Nine’s brows dropped down in clear anguish. In the last battle, the Black Beast was the only threat anticipated — but this time, there were many more parties to keep in mind: the Black Beast; Seven; Nine; the Ten Sages; the Orbis Librarius Norma…


Before she knew it, Hakumen stepped forward and placed his hand on Celica’s shoulder, as if to push the hesitation out of Nine.

— “I’ll stay with you. Let’s go.”


Celica’s face lit up, hearing his voice from that blank white mask. Seeing that, Nine let out a heavy, suffocated sigh. She should have expected this of Celica. Now Nine could no longer refuse. At the very least, she wanted Celica to see the person she wanted to see, with no smoke or mirrors. If the only way there was to take her to a dangerous war zone, she would take responsibility for any risk that came to Celica. Not as the team leader, but as Celica's older sister.


— “Hey, Hakumen.” Nine growled, “If I see even one scratch on Celica, you’ll pay for it.”


She tossed her hair and walked out of the hut, with everyone else following — plus ten Kaka natives who offered to help in the battle. They all stood together on a massive magic circle conjured by Nine.


While listening to Nine chanting her spell, in the deep purple light of the magic sigil, Celica prayed with her hands over her chest — that these people would come back home safe and sound and never be alone again; maybe every last one of them.


...

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