BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 4

BBCT Chapter 4: Burned church — Brothers

Part 1

The night air was caressed by the wind. Unlike the sharp wind that whipped through the mountains, this wind was sweet and alluring. It circled around Ragna, wandering through the back alleys, and ascended to the roof of a nearby building.

A scent wafted through the air. An intoxicating fragrance of roses, the kind that shouldn't linger in such a desolate, back alley, even in an upper-class district. Following the wind and the scent, Ragna looked up and saw a small figure silhouetted against the dark sky.

The visitor, who had arrived with the wind, was again of a child's stature. But this time it was a girl, not a boy. Instead of a tall mechanical doll, she was accompanied by a strange creature resembling a red rubber ball with wings, and a large black umbrella that completely covered her head.

Looking down at the dark road from the roof, the girl played with her long golden hair in the night breeze, smiling with an unnatural allure for someone so young.

"Hello, Ragna. Still wandering around in a place like this? You're as dull as ever." She said, her voice as alluring and vibrant as her appearance. But that vibrancy was laced with a subtle barb that pricked at Ragna.

"You... Rachel." Ragna growled, his brow furrowing.

As he spoke, the red rubber ball the girl had been carrying darted across his vision, bouncing in the air and squeaking shrilly.

"Hey, you fool! Rachel-sama has come all the way here. She interrupted her tea just to check on a jerk like you! You should be more grateful, you know! Pkyatt!"

Rachel quickly lowered her folded umbrella onto the top of the red familiar's head, which was chattering incessantly at a dizzying speed. The familiar, named Gii, let out a strange, inhuman shriek as its head dented into the shape of the umbrella, only to immediately return to normal.

Looking down at this, Nago, another familiar capable of transforming its body, opened the umbrella once again and sighed in exasperation with a unique flexibility.

“Do you really not understand why I’m doing this? If you’re doing this on purpose, I have to say, I respect your courage.” "Fweeh, that hurts! My head’s all messed up!"

"Shut up, you’re not even listening, are you?" The black cat's face appeared on the surface of the umbrella, and Nago gave a wry smile.

Rachel, as if she hadn't heard or done anything, maintained a cool, indifferent expression, ignoring the rubber familiar's statement.

Ragna slumped his shoulders, weary from the exchange between the girl in the black dress and her companion, whom he hadn't seen in a while. He felt his energy draining.

"Damn it, you're always so noisy... So, what brings Rachel-sama here?" He retorted sarcastically.

Rachel, sitting on the rooftop, momentarily furrowed her well-shaped brow in annoyance. She was a girl who seemed to belong to the night. She would always appear suddenly, look down on him, and make snide remarks. He disliked her constant condescending attitude. He thought it was about time he gave her a taste of her own medicine.

Smoothing out the slight wrinkle between his brows, Rachel replied as if she were dealing with something trivial, sounding slightly bored.

"It's obvious, isn't it? I've come to see your pathetic state at the end of the year. Is there anything else you need from me?" While he hadn't expected kind words, Ragna's irritation flared at her predictable response. Just when he was starting to calm down after that boy, Carl, had left.

Suppressing his displeasure, Ragna sheathed his sword at his waist.

"Well... Yeah, sure. Perfect timing. You've been watching the whole time, haven't you? What was that doll that kid was carrying? I gotta say, it gave me a really bad vibe." He figured Rachel would know, so he threw out the question that had been nagging at him for a while.

Despite her appearance, Rachel was a vampire who had lived for over a hundred years. But her transcendence went beyond just her lifespan and sense of time. She knew about countless things in the world that one couldn't learn from simply living a long life.

She knew about the Dark War, a war that had almost destroyed the world, the establishment of the NOL, and where Sector Seventh had originated. She probably knew about the construction of Kagutsuchi, about Ragna's past, and perhaps even the laws of the universe.

It was as if she had watched every phenomenon in the world alone. Ragna often thought she knew everything. And as expected, the vampire princess, with her youthful appearance and demonic aura, had an answer.

"That was a phenomenon weapon." She said.

"That?" Ragna raised an eyebrow in confusion. He didn’t know much about it, but he had heard of it.

It was a special weapon created during the Dark War, about a century ago, to fight against the Black Beast, the demonic entity that nearly destroyed the world. The Six Heroes who defeated the Black Beast had fought with it.

Rachel lightly kicked the roof she was standing on and floated towards Ragna. She held out her hand, and he caught her small body, supporting her as she gracefully landed beside him, her umbrella still open.

"Yes. It's Deus Machina: Nirvana. One of the nine created during the Dark War, the only one that can act independently." Her large crimson eyes, almost overflowing, looked up at Ragna, engulfing him in their color.

"Seriously? That kid?" Ragna found it hard to believe. It was absurd to think that a child was walking around town with a weapon of war. But that wasn't all. "Didn't they say phenomenon weapons could take over the minds of their users? Could that kid have been..."

"Just because you have a phenomenon weapon, it doesn't mean your mind will be automatically taken over. Phenomenon weapons have something like a soul, a will. Being taken over happens when the user's will is defeated and consumed by the weapon's will," Rachel explained in a tone as if she were giving a lecture, and she spun her black umbrella around. Nago, the large black cat face on the umbrella, spun around as well. "But Ragna, it doesn't matter whether or not the kid's mind has been affected, does it?"

"Huh?" Ragna looked down at Rachel, raising an eyebrow at her cryptic statement. Even though he was looking down at her, he felt like he was the one being looked down upon.

Rachel ran her white fingers along the handle of her umbrella, slowly blinking her long eyelashes, creating shadows.

"Another phenomenon weapon user is waiting for you."

"Another one?"

Rachel chuckled, but it didn't sound like she was enjoying herself. Her soft lips moved slowly as she spoke.

"Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa."

The words, sung like a melody, sent a cold shiver down Ragna's spine. Phenomenon weapons, world history, ancient wars... he had no special knowledge or interest in such things. But that name was different.

A single blade in a blue sheath. A magical sword that could manipulate ice.

He knew that sword. He knew its owner. Well, if the owner hadn't changed recently.

"Jin... is he here?" His voice was low, almost a crawl. It had been a long time since he had spoken that name.

They had spent a lot of time together when they were young. But several years ago, they had parted ways under the worst of circumstances, and Ragna hadn't seen him since.

Jin was his younger brother.

"He's never been gone. Every time you come here, he's been waiting for you." Rachel said, as if reminiscing about a distant past. She played with the ends of her long, braided golden hair. As she wound it into a spiral, the black ribbon that stood upright in her hair swayed slightly.

It looked like an ear. With her white skin and bright red eyes, Ragna often called her by a pet name for a small animal.

"Huh? What the hell are you talking about, rabbit? This is my first time here. That idiot would never wait for me, would he?" It made no sense that someone would wait for him if he had never been there before. But Rachel looked at him with a bored expression.

"Oh, he did. Many, many times. But you just don't remember."

"I don't understand. If you're going to tell me something, then say it clearly. Don't beat around the bush. It's annoying." It was always the same. She would suddenly appear, leave a cryptic message, and then disappear just as quickly. Ragna voiced his frustration. He hated being left hanging like this.

"Oh, don't misunderstand me. Why should I explain anything to a mongrel like you? Even if I did explain, you wouldn't understand. It's a waste of time, don't you think? You're really stupid, you know. It's amazing." When she looked at him as if he were something beneath contempt and rattled off insults so effortlessly, Ragna felt his temples throb with anger.

"...I’m gonna make you cry." He growled. He was surprised at his own restraint for not swinging his clenched fist.

"Oh, you're so brave," she teased. "Why don't you try it?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever," Nag and Gii, the two familiars, taunted him.

Ragna punched them both, shouting, "Shut up!"

"Ouch..."

"Pkyuu..."

The two familiars spun around and fell silent.

Watching them as if they were playful puppies, Rachel suddenly changed her tone, her voice soft.

"...Ragna." Her voice was faint. She closed the bag containing Nag, who was floating around like scattered stars, and stood in front of him, mimicking his pose. Feeling somewhat uncomfortable in the sudden formal atmosphere, Ragna turned to face Rachel.

"What is it? Is there something else?"

"Why are you aiming for the cauldron?"

"Why? ...Well, you and the master said it yourself. It's dangerous, isn't it?" Ragna scratched his head roughly, not understanding the question. It was Rachel and his swordmaster, a beastkin named Jubei, who had taught him about the cauldron and the Boundary.

​​No matter what words they used to explain it, Ragna still couldn't fully grasp what the Boundary was. A place where all life, time, space, logic, and existence was lost, yet where all concepts were mixed. A world connected to all time and space, containing all memories and filled with all information. A soup of seithr where everything melted.

Rachel had said years ago that it was a world that humans couldn't control, a realm that was far beyond human comprehension. So there was no way he could understand it. Tired of the complicated lessons, Ragna had given up trying to understand it. All he knew was that there was this incredible place called the Boundary. That seithr flowed from it. That the cauldron was an entrance to the Boundary. And that the members of the NOL were trying to create something terrible using that cauldron.

"I'm going to destroy the cauldron that humans need to interact with the Boundary and ruin whatever they're trying to create. That's why I'm traveling the world looking for cauldrons. ...And I just don't like the people in the NOL. That's all."

It wasn't for world peace or anything like that. Ragna's motivations were always selfish. You could even call it self-hatred.

"That's all? Don't you feel anything else?" Rachel asked again, her crimson eyes fixed on Ragna's, as if trying to see into his soul. But Ragna had no idea why Rachel was asking such a thing.

“No, I don’t! What’s your problem? If you have something to say, then say it clearly, damn it!” His impatience made Ragna raise his voice. In contrast, Rachel's gaze turned dark and cold. She shook her head weakly, and her golden hair danced like a ribbon in the darkness of the back alley.

“No, it’s fine. I’ve known this all along. If what you just said is all you feel, then everything is pointless.”

"Cut it out, rabbit. If you're going to keep muttering to yourself like that, I'm leaving. I can't keep up with this forever." Ragna spat out in disgust. Standing in the street corner and having endless, meaningless conversations was not his idea of a good time.

Frustrated, he roughly wiped his sweaty cheek. Blood stained his black glove. It was a scratch from Nirvana's claw. It was only a shallow cut, but the blood wouldn't stop. Was there something special about those claws? It was creepy.

"Yes, you should go." While prodding Gii, who was pretending to be unconscious on the ground, Rachel spoke. "I can't stand this world anymore either. But... if there's one hope I can find... Ragna."

Called by her low voice, Ragna looked at Rachel. He felt a bitter taste in his mouth. He could imagine that his current self was far from what Rachel was looking for.

Rachel's eyes looked at Ragna's right arm. "Be careful. Don't think of that right arm as your own power. Or else, a fool like you will be eaten up by that grimoire in no time." She spoke to him as if she were lecturing a child, and then she tossed Gii into the air and opened Nago's umbrella. The vampire, who appeared under the dark night sky after hiding behind the umbrella, had the same teasing smile as always.

"Let's go, Nago, Gii."

"Alright, Princess. See you later, Ragna-chan."

"Bye-bye."

"Goodbye, Ragna. ...Until we meet again." She stroked her golden hair that fell over her shoulder, and like a phantom, she disappeared from Kagutsuchi, carrying the scent of roses and the wind. When the floral scent faded, a cold, lifeless silence returned. It was the air that Ragna loved. It was no good having someone around. He felt like his right arm, the Azure Grimoire, was like a hungry rat, seeking someone's soul. He could faintly see a round object floating in the clouds. Apparently, it was supposed to be a full moon tonight. Whenever he saw the full moon, he would remember. His childhood, the peaceful times, the happy times, the times when he still had a family... he remembered his younger brother, who had been afraid of the full moon, saying that it would fall from the sky.

"...I guess that killed some time." Muttering to no one in particular, Ragna began walking down the back alley, where the faint purple hue of rain still lingered. His destination was the NOL branch. He was almost there.

Part 0

The small fireplace in the cozy living room was her favorite spot. Gathering around it, each with a warm cup in hand, they would bask in the flickering glow of the fire and enjoy cookies. It was a time she cherished.

She loved tea. Her eldest child would happily drink anything, and her middle child preferred lemonade. The youngest loved milk tea and cocoa, but being so clumsy, she often burned her tongue on the hot drink.

Perhaps that was the most blissful time for her.

But it was a lost time.

The church, beloved by the aging sister, was burning, painting the fading blue sky orange.

March 1, 2192 — Sunset

"Jin! Saya!"

When the sudden explosion startled the sister, who was harvesting vegetables in the garden to prepare dinner, and she rushed back through the back door, the church was already engulfed in flames.

The exploding walls spat out sparks, and the hot wind shattered the windows. The swirling heat seemed to sear her senses, blurring her vision, dulling her hearing, and killing her sense of smell. The narrow corridor leading from the back door was covered in multiple layers of orange curtains, mercilessly burning the old woman as she called out the names of the children in her care.

Still…

"Jin! Answer me! Saya!" With a strength that belied her age, the sister shouted as loud as she could, as if to overpower the heat. She ran through the corridor, diving into the veil of flames. She pushed open every door she saw, brushing aside the billowing smoke.

As she opened the door, air rushed in, and the heat swirled. The flames licked at the sister's face as she peered into the room, searching for the small figures.

"AHH!" Whether it was the flames or the initial explosion, just as she was about to leave the room, the ceiling of the corridor came crashing down with a terrible thud.

As soon as it hit the floor, a huge amount of sparks flew up and engulfed the sister's petite body. A scream escaped her lips, only to be swallowed by the heat. Her parched throat burned. Her vision was blurry, and she could barely see. She could smell her hair burning.

(Please...) She tried to say it out loud, but it came out as a hacking cough that felt like it was tearing her lungs apart.

Ignoring the burning sensation on her skin and fear of the flames, she stepped over the fallen ceiling tiles that blocked her path. She had seen and experienced far worse. Running through a church that was about to be engulfed in flames due to a spell was nothing compared to that. What scared her was doing nothing and being unable to do anything.

(Please, be safe...)

Dragging her heavy feet, she reached the door to the living room and forced it open. It was the largest room in the church after the chapel. But since the church hadn't been originally built to house children, it was a bit small to be called spacious.

Nevertheless, it was the sister's favorite room. She couldn't count how many times they had talked in front of the fireplace at the back of the room. Every night before bed, they would all sit on the sofa in front of the fireplace and have a leisurely cup of tea. For the past few years since she had taken in the three children, it had been a makeshift family of four, but it was a room filled with precious memories.

When she rushed into the room, it was already almost completely burned, engulfed in flames that obscured the walls. It seemed that the explosion had occurred in this room. Part of the wall and ceiling had been blown away as if by something, all the windows were shattered, and flames were spilling out as if seeking fresh air. The fireplace at the back was completely destroyed. And there, in front of the ruined fireplace, was the figure she was searching for.

"Jin!" The flames cast an orange glow on his short blond hair. He had grown considerably since she had last seen him. His beautiful green eyes reflected the color of the flames as he stood blankly, staring into the distance in the fire-engulfed room.

"What are you doing? Get out of here!" Running over, the sister took Jin's hand. She tried to turn around and take him outside immediately, but Jin planted his feet firmly on the ground and refused to move. It was as if his feet were glued to the floor.

Surprised by his resistance, the sister lost her balance. But she didn't fall. She knelt down and looked into Jin's face.

"Jin, snap out of it. Look at me," she said sternly.

Strangely, Jin was completely unharmed by the flames, his face as cool as if the surrounding fire were an illusion. There wasn't a drop of sweat on his forehead. His green eyes were unfocused, staring vacantly into space. The sister ran her fingers through his golden hair, forcing him to look at her. A green glow flickered beneath his downcast arm.

"...Sister." With a voice barely a whisper, Jin spoke. The sister smiled at him, her face smudged with soot. A wave of relief washed over her.

"That's right. Good, let's get out of here. Or we'll both be burnt to a crisp. And where's Saya? Weren't you together?" Before coming to the church, they had both been reading in their room. But when she had checked the children's room earlier, it had been empty. Perhaps they had gone to the river to fetch water after Ragna. She usually would scold them for that, but now, she couldn't help but hope that was the case.

"Sister..."

"What is it?"

"Sister." Although his eyes were fixed on her, Jin's gaze was vacant. At first, she thought he was just confused about what was happening. But the more she looked at him, the stranger it seemed.

It was as if half his soul had been taken away. Jin, who kept repeating "Sister" in a voice devoid of emotion and temperature, seemed like a phantom, and in a panic, the sister reached out to pull her beloved foster son into a hug.

She tried to.

"Sister... Sister, Sister, Sister." As the sister reached out to embrace Jin, who was muttering the word over and over like a mantra, another voice overlapped his. "Siisteeerrrr!" A mocking voice, as if to further fan the roaring flames.

At the same moment, the sister's movement stopped.

The sound of something piercing her was lost in the roar of the flames. But the deep, heavy sensation of something tearing through her abdomen and out her back was undeniably real, even against the heat and noise.

"Oh..." The sister exhaled. Something had pierced her, and with a muffled cough, blood stained her lips and teeth.

A prayer formed in her heart. The sister shifted her gaze to the shadow standing between her and the blazing wall. Since when had he been there? She hadn't noticed at all.

Ignoring the light source, a tall, indistinct human-shaped shadow loomed over her. Cloaked in a green mist, with only round eyes and a slit-like red mouth visible, it was looking at her through Jin. She had never seen this figure before, but she already knew who he was. His voice was enough. She couldn't forget it. It was the voice of someone she could never forget.

"Could it really be... you, Terumi?" Her voice, strained and hoarse from burns and blood, called out his name. The shadow shrouded in green mist laughed.

"Well, well, well, the old hag. Ah, Sister, was it? It's been ages, hasn't it? Decades, I think. Though I never wanted to see your face again, you know." He spoke fluently without moving his lips. With a casual wave of his indistinct arm, he made a gesture as if pulling something back.

"Ugh!" Following his motion, the thing that had pierced the sister's abdomen and exited through her back was forcefully pulled back and out. It was a long, chain-like weapon with a dagger-like ornament at the end, which was pulled back toward Terumi, passing by Jin who still stood there blankly.

Seeing this, the sister's face twisted in sorrow.

"A phenomenon weapon... the Geminus Anguium: Ouroboros... you still have it."

"As if I would easily give up such a useful toy."

About ninety years ago, humanity was in the midst of the Dark War against the Black Beast. The weapon Terumi possessed was developed at that time to counter the Black Beast and was lent to him personally.

History records that six heroes used phenomenon weapons to defeat the Black Beast. Terumi, who possessed the Ouroboros, was one of those six heroes. The power of each of these weapons was immense. After all, they were capable of defeating the Black Beast, which could not be harmed by any ordinary weapon.

"It's not surprising, coming from one of the Six Heroes, the unparalleled genius magician, Nine. You made something like this, huh?" Terumi laughed heartily, seeming to find it all very amusing. And no wonder. Nine, one of the Six Heroes who had defeated the Black Beast. She was the one who had created the phenomenon weapons that had turned the tide of the war. She was the sister of the sister standing before him. So that meant…

"I'd love to show Nine this. To see her most cherished little sister killed by the weapon she created! Hahahaha!"

"AAAAAHHH!" The shadow's hand released the chain again, and the dagger at its end pierced the sister's thigh, tearing through her flesh.

The pain of her flesh and bone being torn apart made her momentarily lose consciousness. Leaning on her hand as she fell to the floor, she took a ragged breath, trying to steady her wavering consciousness, and lifted her head.

"Jin... run away. Take Saya and run! Go to Ragna!" She cried out, her voice hoarse. She shouldn't be here. She shouldn't be with this man. But Jin didn't move. Beyond the frozen figure of Jin, the shadow laughed merrily again.

"Oh, oh, oh, even in old age, you're still so naive. Think about it for a moment. There used to be a barrier around this area, didn't there? Annoying, bothersome, and inconvenient. But it's gone now. You understand that, don't you? So the question is, who and how did they break your barrier?"

"Who... how...? That's right... even with the Ouroboros, it wouldn't have been possible for you to break a barrier like that... so how?" The sister asked, her voice trembling as she pressed her hand against her abdomen, which was heavy with blood. Terumi laughed loudly, unable to contain himself.

"Kyahahahaha! That's right, that's exactly it. Unfortunately, that was too much even for me. I'm not strong enough now. I don't have a body, after all. A borrowed body that's only good for a quick fix just won't cut it. Besides, I've always been weak to your aura."

His feigned disappointment was filled with a cheap sense of mockery. Then, suddenly looking disgruntled, Terumi continued with annoyance.

"Ah! ...Now that I think about it, it makes me angry. Because of you, I've had to go through so much trouble. Yeah, it's all your fault that I had to prepare all this stuff this time. Damn it, it's annoying." As if to threaten her, Terumi tossed the Ouroboros dagger, dripping with the sister's blood, into the air and caught it again. A few drops of red fell from the sharp tip. Then, as if regaining his composure, he formed a crescent-shaped smile with his red lips.

"Oh, right, we were talking about the barrier. Let's settle this. It's simple. The answer is that we had a collaborator on the inside who used another phenomenon weapon to break it from within."

"Another one...?"

"What? Can't you figure it out, old woman? That kid's been holding it this whole time." The shadow gestured with its chin. It was pointing at Jin.

The sister strained her smoke-clouded eyes to see. In the hand opposite the one she had been trying to pull away from, the hand that didn't seem to feel the heat of the fire at all, was a beautiful blue sword sheathed in a scabbard. How could she have missed it?

"Yukianesa...?" The sister's eyes widened in disbelief. Yukianesa, one of the phenomenon weapons. The fact that he was holding it meant that Jin had destroyed the barrier from the inside. But that didn't matter. It didn't matter how he had destroyed the barrier or why the sword was there. All she wanted was... with a pleading look, she reached out.

"Give it to me... Jin..." A phenomenon weapon was more than just a weapon. It had a soul embedded within it, and the weapon had a will of its own. That will could always interfere with the mind of its owner, and if a weak-minded person possessed it, their thoughts could be corrupted and their spirit broken. If such a thing were given to an immature boy, who knew what kind of negative influence it would have on his developing mind.

But the sister's hand, burned and bloody, couldn't reach Jin. Jin, who until now had not moved a muscle, pulled away from her outstretched hand.

"Jin..." Her voice trailed off as she begged him to give it to her. The beautiful green eyes that had once looked at her with such warmth now held a cold, piercing light.

If she couldn't reach Jin, then at least... The sister pushed herself up, leaning on her weakened arm. Her cloudy eyes fixed on Terumi.

"I won't let you... hurt my children. I will... I will protect them..." With a determination that seemed to defy her aging body, the sister stood up. She had always been protected by someone. No matter how dangerous the situation, someone was always there to embrace her and protect her. But those people were gone now. Some she could never see again. Others were busy protecting something much greater.

"I can do it too..." She had always been the one being protected. She had always been protected by him until the very end. Now it was her turn to protect what he wanted to protect. She took a step forward, her feet dragging. With each step, her body felt lighter. The pain faded. Her pace quickened.

"Hey! Hey, don't come any closer! I told you not to come any closer, you crazy old hag!" Terumi retreated in alarm when the sister suddenly closed the distance between them.

Terumi considered the sister his natural enemy. The sister's power, her presence, weakened and negated Terumi's. Just being in the same room made him feel ill. If he got too close, he would feel nauseous. If she touched him, he would scream in disgust.

The sister knew about this strange power dynamic between them. She reached out to grab the shadow, its face contorted in fear. But before she could, a small figure stood in her way.

"Jin..." Jin, who had retreated, stepped between Terumi and the sister, his arms wrapped tightly around her. His green eyes looked up at her from beneath long golden lashes, blank and emotionless. She loved that color of eyes. They were beautiful, gentle, and the same color as those of a strong and kind person.

"Let go," she said. The sister grabbed Jin's shoulder and tried to pull him away. She used all her strength, but her fingers seemed numb, and she couldn't feel if she was touching him. Jin didn't move. Tears welled up in the sister's eyes but were immediately evaporated by the heat.

Why did she have to pull him away? Instead of roughly pushing him aside, she wanted to embrace him, telling him how much she loved him.

"Ha... Hahahaha, nice support, kid! But... hey, you old hag, don't underestimate me! You bitch!" Terumi's voice, filled with rage, swirled around the room. Yet, as if he didn't want to get too close or touch her, Terumi swung his shadow-like arm and threw it at the sister.

"Jin, let go..."

The chain, carrying the dagger, pierced the sister's chest.

Knowing this was probably the end, the sister ran her fingers through Jin's hair.

"Jin, be good to your brother..." Before she could finish her sentence, blood filled her mouth, drowning out her words and breath.

The dagger was pulled out, and with that momentum, her body swayed backward. As if losing all strength, Jin released her. The sister's thin, aged body was thrown backward onto the burning floor.

"............" She tried to call out Jin's name, but no sound came out. Only the sound of air escaping hissed, easily drowned out by the crackling of the burning building.

Where was Jin? All she could see was the ceiling.

Where was Saya? Where was Ragna...?

"Hahaha! Oh, my, you're quite a bloody mess, aren't you? Tell me, how do you feel right now? How do you feel? The church is burning up too, isn't it? At this rate, you won't need a funeral pyre. Kukuku, what a caring old woman you are, aren't you, sister? Hyah-hah-hah-hah!" Terumi's laughter faded away like it was being sucked into a void. The sound of the flames, the heat of the room, and even Jin's breath—everything seemed to grow distant. Amongst it all, the sister struggled to move her fingers on the floor.

(Sister...)

If only she were as strong as her heroic sister... could she have protected these children? Could she have driven Terumi away, called rain from the sky, and extinguished the fire in an instant? Could she have hugged Jin and Saya together with Ragna when he returned?

(Oh, Ragna...) There were so many things she still needed to do. There were things she hadn't given to him, things she hadn't taught him.

(Big sister... please, lend me your strength... I need to tell him...) There was something she had to tell him. That it wasn’t his fault. That it was her fault for not being able to protect them. That he shouldn't blame himself...

But she couldn't move her fingertips anymore. As her vision faded, she heard the sound of the ceiling collapsing.

(Oh, God... please...)

Please let them be happy wherever they go.

The building collapsed, swallowing the sister's small prayer.

Part 2

Drizzle

Though weak, the night rain chilled the body. Feeling the damp, slightly cooler air, Ragna looked up at the sky.

The Kagutsuchi Branch of the Novus Orbis Librarium.

The three-pronged building stretched up towards the heavens, even higher than the mountain peak on which it stood. With its white exterior, it resembled a magnificent temple, its tip piercing through the clouds. Illuminated from below, it seemed to float in the dark night.

It was a beautiful building. But not everything inside was beautiful. Especially... whatever was deep underground. At the end of the city, there's an entrance at the end of a long bridge-like passage. Taking a deep breath, he started walking down the passage.

His hard shoes clicked on the floor. Before long, he felt something odd. It was unusually quiet. And…

"There's no barrier magic?" Halfway down the passage, Ragna frowned suspiciously. Every city and facility he'd ever been to had powerful barrier magic at the front entrance, designed to turn anyone who tried to enter without permission into charcoal at a touch. But there was no sign of magic at the sealed entrance, and there was no gatekeeper either, who should have been standing guard.

"What's going on?"

Suspecting a trap, he found himself in front of the door. He reached out his hand. Normally, he would have felt a repulsive sensation, and his hand would have felt like it had been struck by an electric shock.

But again, there was nothing.

He touched it with his left hand. The door was completely harmless, as if it were just a huge, ordinary door, silently keeping its mouth shut.

"...Well, whatever." Deciding there was no point in thinking about it, Ragna slashed at the door with the sword at his waist, which he would normally open with magic.

His blade was shrouded in a pitch-black darkness, and he cut through the thick, sturdy door as if it were butter. After creating an entrance large enough for one person, Ragna stepped inside with the ease of someone returning home.

The entrance, as seen from the outside, was a grand and solemn structure. The ceiling, which was so high that it made one look up, was arched and lined with evenly spaced white columns. As he went deeper, he eventually emerged into a bright, open space. It was a cathedral, an area with a high ceiling.

In the open space surrounded by circular floors, there stood a colossal, pure white statue of a woman. The beautiful figure of the woman was both divine and inorganic, and her eyeless gaze was directed at the holy book she held and the lower floors. Countless magic circles floated in the high, open ceiling, which seemed to imitate the sky. They illuminated the goddess and the countless floors with a divine light like sunlight.

This light would never go out. It was as if there was no such thing as night. It was cold to be in darkness all the time, but it was also creepy to be in the morning all the time.

As he walked in front of the goddess, who was bathed in a warm, soft light that seemed to disturb his sense of time, Ragna cast a sharp gaze around him. There was no one in the branch.

If someone had attacked, there would be signs of a battle, and bodies would be lying around. But there were none. As if no one had ever been there from the beginning, or as if all living things had been sucked into something and lost their existence, the branch was empty. With every step, his footsteps echoed.

The statue of the goddess said nothing.

A painful silence stretched on and on…

(No...)

As he continued walking at the same pace, Ragna sensed a presence in the deserted branch. At the top of the stairs, in the shadows of the columns, at the end of the circular floor. Someone was... no, it was him.

When he realized this, a fire ignited deep within Ragna's stomach. The strange absence of anyone in the branch no longer mattered. In that moment any thoughts of the Cauldron and the Boundary vanished from his mind. He could tell without seeing. He could tell without hearing. If there was an invisible connection, it must have been there.

What would he call it? If Ragna were to name that bond now, he would choose "hatred."

His mind was racing. The anger he had built up over years was about to explode within him. The last image he had seen of him flashed before his eyes.

His brother, Jin’s face, grinning eerily.

His memory of parting with him was intertwined with the crimson of the raging flames.

When he rushed back in a panic at the sound of the explosion, the church was already engulfed in flames. The front entrance, the windows of the corridor, and the back door leading to the fields were all filled with flames, as if to make it impossible to enter from anywhere.

The heat was so intense that it felt like his skin was being burned just by getting close, and sparks mixed with the air he cautiously inhaled. He couldn't see inside. All he could see were the flames dancing wildly.

Ragna stopped in front of the front entrance, breathing roughly over his shoulder, and stood there dumbfounded for a few seconds, overwhelmed by the despair. He didn't know what had happened. His numb mind couldn't think. There was only the heat that threatened to burn at a touch, the sparks swirling like a brain, and the terrible smell of something burning.

"What... the hell is this... Saya, Jin! Grandma!" He shouted towards the depths of the flames. A burst of fire hit him on the way, and he coughed violently at the searing heat.

Despite the intense heat, Ragna couldn't stop shivering. Driven by desperation, he stumbled forward. He searched for any opening, any sign of life.

"Saya! Jin! Damn it, anyone, answer me! I'm going to burn up!" His voice cracked with panic. The embers he'd unknowingly inhaled scorched his throat. His exposed arm and face felt on fire, a stark reminder of the hellish reality he was trapped in.

"Grandma! Jin... ah..." Avoiding the church, Ragna quickly looked around, and for a moment, his throat tightened.

He found it. Next to the church, there was a thick, tall tree. At its base, where he and Jin used to climb as children, lay a small body, limp and lifeless. It was Saya wearing a white dress and long golden hair.

"Saya! Are you alright!?" Shouting her name, Ragna hurried over and lifted her soft body. There was no sign of consciousness in his sister, who limply leaned into him. But he could see that her chest was rising and falling with weak but steady breaths. Her lips moved faintly, letting out a tiny groan that was too soft to hear.

"Thank God... she's alive." Relief and anxiety flooded him at once. "Damn it! Where are Jin and Grandma!? What the hell happened!? What's wrong with my body!?"

Just as he was thinking this, a voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Brother..." The sweet, almost teasing voice made Ragna quickly turn around in a panic.

"Jin!" He saw him—without a doubt, it was his younger brother Jin, who appeared to be conscious and able to walk on his own. "Are you okay? What happened?"

Ragna rushed over and reached out to his brother, who was much shorter than him. From what he could see, there didn’t seem to be any obvious injuries, but Jin was oddly looking down, as though trying to hide his face, which worried Ragna.

"What’s wrong? Does something hurt?"

"Brother..."

As Ragna tried to ask, Jin smiled. It was probably a smile of relief since they had reunited. But for some reason, Ragna felt something off about the smile, something twisted in its shape, and he furrowed his brow in concern.

"Hey, Jin?" Before he could finish his question, a sharp pain shot through his shoulder, and he heard a sickening sound as something heavy and wet was severed.

"...Huh?" His shoulder jerked involuntarily, and then something seemed to fly off. It felt both light and heavy. The sensation, as it came at him, was a pain he had never experienced before.

"Guahhh!"

What just happened? His knees gave way, and he collapsed to the ground. The pain was so intense that his vision blurred. He grabbed his throbbing shoulder, and there was a squishy, wet sensation. Instinctively, he felt nauseous. The sensation was disgusting.

What should have been there was missing. His arm, which had been hanging naturally from his shoulder just moments ago, was gone.

From a distance, something fell onto the grass. It was long and curved, familiar, yet something he had never seen at this distance... it was Ragna’s right arm.

"Aah—" As his brain processed the reality, the pain swelled, magnifying, sending sharp tremors through every nerve in his body. "Uwaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

The scream that erupted from his throat didn’t even sound like his own voice. He couldn’t tell where reason ended and where reality began—everything was a tangled mess now. Amidst the chaos in his mind, a cold voice stabbed through his fractured thoughts, like a knife.

“Hahaha! Damn, Ragna, that must hurt like hell. Does it hurt? Huh, does it? I bet it does, hahahahaha!”

Ragna forced his heavy eyelids open, shivering violently from the cold and heat. Jin was looking down at him, his face twisted in a cruel grin as he clutched his shoulder in agony. And behind him... a shadow, a figure shaped like a person, was smiling with a crescent-shaped mouth.

It was a horrible voice, a horrible laugh, a horrible presence.

“Jin... run,” Ragna managed to say, his tongue thick and heavy. This shadow was evil. He had a terrible feeling about it. “Take Saya and run!”

His intuition told him that the sister had probably been killed. The explosion and the fire in the church were undoubtedly the work of this shadow. “Jin!”

“Brother...” Jin replied dreamily, as if his mind were far away. “You’re wrong... Brother...”

“What the hell are you talking about? Just go, damn it...” Slipping past Jin, the shadow slid into Ragna’s vision. Its large, green, vacant eyes stared at Ragna's face, which was now inches from the ground.

“Damn you...”

“Oh dear, you’re on your last legs. Are you going to die? Huh? Are you going to die? Kukuku. Well, just crawl around on the ground and die. I’m done with everything, and I have no more use for you.” The shadow mocked the helpless Ragna and stood up lightly. Then, it swayed over to Saya’s side.

When the shadow returned to Ragna’s sight, it was carrying Saya’s small, limp body on its shoulder.

“Saya...”

“Well, I’m going now. I’m taking the kids with me. See ya.” The shadow walked away lightly, as if leaving a friend’s house, and Jin followed a few steps behind. He was holding an unsheathed sword. He stopped in front of Ragna and pulled the sword from its sheath. The icy-cold blade gleamed in the light of the flames that engulfed the church. He raised the blade, pointing it downward.

“Goodbye, brother,” he said with a cold, almost happy smile, and then he swung the sword down towards Ragna’s back.

His right arm was burning.

Kagutsuchi Branch of the Novus Orbis Librarium.

Ragna walked across the mirror-polished floor, unconsciously gripping his right shoulder tightly. There, where his arm should have been, was a replacement arm, created from the Azure Grimoire that had been buried beneath the burned-out church. Rachel had urged him to do it. That was the beginning of his relationship with the arrogant vampire.

He would never forget that day. The pain, the suffering, the anger he had felt then—all of it was still burned into his soul. The heat of the flames, the shock of losing his arm, the taste of the different soil, the coldness of the ice blade thrust into his back. None of it had faded. It had all accumulated within him, festering and growing darker. Ragna reached for the sword at his waist. He inhaled sharply. Was it his own breath, or the sound of the one waiting ahead? As he drew his sword, he dashed forward.

"Jin!" he roared, his voice shaking the air.

A moment later, he heard a landing sound from the top of the stairs. A slender figure emerged, a katana glinting coldly in the light that illuminated the statue of the goddess. A sound of air being cleaved descended. With a sharp hyu, the descending blade was met by Ragna's broadsword.

Sparks flew as metal clashed. The high, clear sound of the collision echoed through the vast, silent sanctuary like a bell. The figure, still holding his sword and katana, leaped down from the stairs and smiled coldly.

"Ah... it's really you... I'm so happy," he murmured, his voice like a soft song. His lips were thin, his skin pale, and his long, golden hair was slightly singed. His eyes, the same green as Ragna's left eye, shimmered with excitement.

How long had it been since they had faced each other like this? He had grown so much taller than Ragna remembered, and yet he still carried the same aura as the boy he had once known.

"I've been waiting for you, brother," he said. As he spoke, he caught the blue sheath that had fallen behind him and, without looking, kicked Ragna's sword away. He took a large step backward. Ragna recovered his sword and readied himself.

The slender yet muscular figure was clad in a blue and white uniform. The hilt of his katana was silver, and its sheath was blue. The only man waiting for Ragna in the deserted Librarium branch was Jin Kisaragi. He was the commander of the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron of the Novus Orbis Librarium.

And a long, long time ago, they had spent their childhood together in the same church... Ragna's younger brother.

Part 3

The thinly honed blade, cold and sharp as finely polished ice, sliced through the air two or three times with a delicate sound that befitted its appearance, and stopped the tip aiming at Ragna.

It was the blade that had once pierced the back of his older brother, Ragna, and failed to deliver the killing blow—the phenomenon weapon, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa.

Jin's gaze followed Ragna's rigid back.

The color reflected in his green eyes was love.

"It's been a long time. I really wanted to see you. When I heard you were heading to Kagutsuchi, I rushed over as fast as I could."

The color reflected in his green eyes was pleasure.

"It feels like a dream to be able to see you again, brother... When I heard that the 'Grim Reaper' was you, I was surprised. As expected of you, brother, even the Enforcers of the Librarium can't defeat you."

The color reflected in his green eyes was ecstasy.

"But of course. No one can kill you, brother. That's how it's supposed to be. Kukuku... Do you understand, brother? I'm so happy. I'm so, so happy. After I stabbed you in front of the church, I felt so disappointed. Because if you had died there, I couldn't have killed you anymore. I could never kill you again. That's why I'm so happy now. Hahaha, ahaha, ahahahahaha!"

The color reflected in his green eyes was killing intent.

"It was really a dream. To be able to kill you again..." Sweeping Yukianesa aside diagonally, Jin leapt quickly and low. He dashed forward, carrying that momentum. With incredible speed, he thrust his green twin blades before Ragna's eyes.

"Hahaha!" Jin swung Yukianesa high, letting out a shrill laugh. Ragna parried the sharp, arcing strike with his sword, the clash a deafening cacophony. Jin raised the rebounding blade high, his eyes wide open. It wasn’t surprise, not by a long shot. A deep, piercing satisfaction, a thrill that ran from the pit of his stomach, was what drove him.

“What a sound... Brother, can you see the sparks flying where my Yukianesa meets your sword? Hahahaha, let’s fight more, let’s kill each other more!” The thin blade sliced straight down, aiming for Ragna’s skull. A primal sense of danger made the hair on the back of Ragna’s neck stand on end, but he parried the blow once more.

“Damn it... you idiot...” The impact was heavier than he’d expected. But more than that, it was Jin’s gleeful expression that twisted Ragna’s face. Anger, bubbling up and overflowing, distorted his features. “Shut up, will you? All this noise about killing each other. Don’t be ridiculous!” He pushed back forcefully and kicked Jin in the stomach.

A dull thud as Jin stumbled back. Ragna followed up with a sweeping strike of his sword.

“Aaah...” Jin’s body flew backward, bouncing off the hard floor. He landed face down after a half-turn, his golden hair a tangled mess.

Ragna’s eyes narrowed, his expression grim as he stared at Jin. If his gaze could burn, he would have incinerated his idiotic brother with his fury.

“You wanted to see me? What a coincidence, Jin. I wanted to see you too. I wanted to see you so I could beat the crap out of that annoying face of yours!” Ragna lunged again. “Raaaaah!” He roared, his anger fueling him as he raised his fist. Darkness, like a flame, flickered in his tightly clenched hand. Jin was just about to rise, using his sword for support as he scraped it along the floor.

Before he could draw his sword, Ragna’s fist smashed into his brother’s chest. Another punch, this time with his other hand, also filled with darkness, followed. The impact was far more than a human arm should be capable of. The second blow sent Jin flying even further than the sword had, and he crashed into the wall behind him.

“Ugh...” He pushed himself up, but stayed on his knees, using his sword for support. He pressed a hand to his temple, as if he’d hit his head, and shook his head slightly to clear the dizziness.

Staring at this sight, Ragna clenched the fist he had just used to punch Jin even tighter, as if trying to suppress the surge of rage that was boiling within him.

"Get up," he growled. "This isn't enough. You need to fully understand what you've done."

"Ha... ha... haha..." Jin laughed mockingly. Seeing him stumble to his feet, Ragna felt a wave of nausea. He felt sick. The image of a burning church he had seen sometime in the past flickered in his mind.

Jin swayed slightly. With his chin lowered, he glared up at Ragna, a look of ecstasy plastered across his pale face.

No.

"Fufufu... No, brother, you have to come at me with the intention of killing me. If you hold back, I'll kill you."

"Don't be ridiculous. Who do you think you are, killing me? You should be worried about yourself, you idiot!"

"Ahahahaha!" Jin dashed forward, and Ragna leaped. As if waiting for Ragna to land, Jin swung his sword horizontally. A spike of ice formed, following the path of the sword, and silently flew towards Ragna.

"Damn it!" Swinging his sword faster than expected, Ragna shattered the flying ice with his broadsword, scattering the pieces. The shattered ice sparkled, and through the shards, Ragna swung his sword again. This time, it was aimed at Jin. The diagonally descending sword was dodged by the leaping Jin. Ragna stepped forward and swung horizontally. The heavy blow was deflected by Jin's smoothly wielded sword, its power diminished.

The grating sound of sliding metal was unpleasant to the ears. Hearing this, Jin jumped lightly. From a twisting jump, he delivered a kick aimed at Ragna's temple. Ragna raised his arm to block the hard boot. He flipped his wrist, grabbed Jin's leg, and threw him to the floor.

Just before kissing the polished mirror surface, Jin landed on his hand on the scabbard and used his long legs to brake. His white cheeks were flushed with heat. His eyes gleamed with excitement and were wet.

"This is fun... isn't it, brother? Spending time with you is so much fun."

"Shut up. I'm not having any fun at all!" With every look at that face, Ragna's irritation grew. With every sound of that voice, rage churned and stuck within him. "Aaaaaaaaaah!" Unable to contain himself, he bared his teeth like an animal and tried to punch Jin again. But something suddenly grabbed his leg.

"What the--!?"

It was ice. The cold air that had surged up from his feet enveloped Ragna's body, solidifying on the surface and immobilizing him.

"Damn it..." Struggling to move his immobile body, Ragna saw Jin, riding on the ice, approaching him instantly. With a crazed smile, he swung his Yukianesa.

"Brother!" A laugh filled with joy accompanied the slash.

With all his might, Ragna broke free from the ice, which scattered as snow around him. Immediately after, Yukianesa caught Ragna's body in a diagonal slash. The cold blade tore through his thick flesh.

A momentary sound of something being cut and wet splattered, followed by Ragna's scream. The impact of the slash caused Ragna's feet to stumble back a step. But instead of continuing to retreat, he planted his feet and grabbed Jin's collar.

"Don't fuck with me... you little shit!" He pulled Jin towards him with all his strength. In his other hand was a broadsword. He plunged the thick point of the blade into Jin's chest, which he had pulled closer. With the weight of his arm, he thrust the blade deep into Jin's chest, breaking his ribs.

The thrust was more like a punch than a pierce, sending Jin crashing into a pillar and knocking him to the floor. Yet, Jin stumbled to his feet almost immediately.

Ragna's strike had torn through the NOL uniform that doubled as his armor, staining the white shirt beneath Jin's coat crimson.

Ignoring the spreading stain, Jin ran his white-gloved hand along the blade of Yukianesa. His fingers, sliding over the blade as if caressing something beloved, came away slick with Ragna's blood. Staring entranced at his red-stained hand, he slowly curled his fingers, as if squeezing it tighter.

"Ah... Ha, ha, ha... My brother... I'll kill you, I'll kill you. Over and over... Over and over, I'll kill you!" His eyes, wide open, locked onto Ragna with a fervent gaze. A mix of pleasure and murderous intent, a trembling desire filled his eyes.

Clutching his long, gaping wound, Ragna groaned in pain. A distant memory flickered in his mind for a moment. A time when nothing had happened, a memory from his childhood.

When they were still young, before the church burned and the sisters smiled, Jin had been a scaredy-cat, a sickly crybaby, but he had also been the kindest child.

Ah, ah. Anger clouded his vision. The wound, torn open by Yukianesa, burned fiercely.

Ragna mirrored the twisted smile in Jin's left eye, which was the same green as his own.

"Jin... You haven't changed one bit since then. Whether it's a phenomenon weapon or Yukianesa, I don't know, but you've gone crazy over some old toy, and you don't even realize what you've done! Because of you... Because of you!"

Everything had crumbled to ashes. Everything. The things he cherished, the things he had protected, the things he had wanted, the past, the future.

What a fragile thing it was. Jin, Saya, the sister. Unable to fend off the small madness, they were swallowed whole, changed, and ended without a fight.

He should have been stronger. He should have been able to protect them.

All he could do was destroy what was in front of him.

"... Ah, that's right. So I'll destroy you!" Shaking off his blood-stained hand, Ragna raised his right arm. A red, eye-like ornament embedded in the back of his hand blinked. His modified right eye throbbed.

"Destroy it," an inner voice seemed to whisper.

A black darkness ignited from his shoulder to his arm.

"Kill... Kill, kill! Ragnaaaaa!" Jin swung Yukianesa, plunging it into the floor. A violent tremor ran through him as ice shot out from where the blade had pierced, aiming for Ragna. Ragna's right arm met the sword. Darkness, racing down his arm like a flame, instantly enveloped the blade.

"I'll end it all with this... Azure Grimoire!" He swung his sword, cleaving the air. The darkness, released with the force of a sword pressure, captured Jin's ice and swallowed him whole, moving faster than the ice.

"Uwaaaaaaaaaaaah..." The darkness flung its prey away with the same force. Spat out like garbage, Jin lay sprawled on the floor, charred and soiled, his form so mangled it was impossible to tell where the blood ended and the fragments of darkness began. He gasped, trying to get up, but his body had clearly reached its limit. His hand, which had pulled itself back to his side and pressed against the floor, couldn't support his weight.

"Ha... Ha... Ha, ha..." Even as he lay there, Jin let out a ragged laugh. Ragna approached, looking down at Jin, who was trembling with spasmodic laughter. Jin looked up from beneath his tangled, dirty blond hair, a look of twisted pleasure in his eyes. "Brother... I have to... kill you..."

"Shut up," Ragna growled. The distorted laughter was grating. Ragna raised the sword he carried and pointed the tip downward. There was a time... when Jin had pointed the blade like this, and he was the one lying helpless. What had Jin felt as he swung Yukianesa down then? Yukianesa was still embedded in the frozen floor.

"Damn it!" Ragna exhaled roughly, his gut still churning with emotion. He had intended to finish him off, to end it all. But he couldn't bring himself to strike down at the back turned to him.

"I'll deal with you later. Just stay here and rest, you shadow," he said, turning away and returning the sword to his side. By then, the anger that burned within him had subsided. It wasn't gone. He was still furious. But he didn't think he could quench it by plunging a sword into him.

Without a word to Jin, Ragna began walking deeper into the branch. His goal wasn't Jin. It was the cauldron. That's why he was here.

"Hah… hah…" Clutching the diagonal wound, Ragna grimaced at the belated pain and headed for the elevator that descended to the lower levels. Jin watched the retreating red back, crawling on the cold floor. As if nothing else existed, his eyes moved involuntarily, burning the stark red into nothingness.

When the figure disappeared up the stairs, Jin put all his strength into the hand that was pressed against the floor, his arm trembling.

"Br...other..." He called out in a hoarse voice. As his body lifted slightly, a dark red stain spread across the floor. Every breath he took sent pain shooting through his body. But... But…

"Wait... Brother... No, don't... go..." He jammed his foot into the gap between his body and the floor, forcing himself to stand. His whole body creaked. So what?

Pain was insignificant. Trivial.

"B-Brother...!" As if searching for the back that had already disappeared from view, he took a shaky step forward. Jin, with a crimson stain spreading from his chest, gripped the Yukianesa, a sword plunged into the floor, tightly.

Part 4

How many times had she said this prayer already?

"Hah… hah… hah…" Her ragged breaths echoed through the high, arched ceiling. Her hurried feet stumbled repeatedly, as if mirroring the countless prayers she’d uttered. Short of breath, she dragged her feet, her mind racing as she took in the chaos of the Kagutsuchi branch.

(Why... Why is no one here? The barrier is down, and the entrance door is damaged. What happened here?!)

Only one possibility came to mind: Ragna the Bloodedge. She already knew he would be visiting soon. It wouldn’t be strange at all if he had arrived at Kagutsuchi before her, given that he had entered the organization much earlier. But what puzzled her was why she hadn’t been informed about the attack by the ‘Grim Reaper.’ And why was there no sign of anyone?

Previous attacked branches had followed a similar pattern. Before the usual underground explosion, non-combatants were evacuated. But not this time.

Something was strange. Very strange.

"Brother Jin..."

If Ragna had arrived first, then what about Jin? Had he encountered him? Had he vanished without a trace, like so many other soldiers stationed at the Kagutsuchi branch?

A shiver ran down her spine. She dashed into the sanctuary, where a goddess statue stood. A bright light, almost day-like, poured from the magic storage, illuminating the area. It was a comforting sight. Every sanctuary had this effect. But now, she was more drawn to a different sight.

Near the stairs leading deeper into the sanctuary, there were clear signs of a battle. Blood splattered on the floor and pillars, deep gouges in the walls, and scratches on the floor where a blade had been dragged. And most telling of all, there was ice, which showed no signs of melting, on the floor, pillars, and walls.

Who had been here? She was certain Jin carried a sword that manipulated water.

Jin fought here.

"Brother Jin!" Tsubaki shouted, her voice echoing through the empty space as she scanned her surroundings. Hope and anxiety washed over her at the same time. The clear evidence of a struggle suggested that Jin hadn't simply vanished. But if that were the case, then who had he fought? Whose blood was splattered everywhere?

"Jin! Are you here?! Where are you...?" Her voice cracked, and she coughed violently. Her desperate calls and ragged breaths mingled with the echoes of the empty hall. There was no answer. Only the silent, watchful gaze of the goddess statue.

"I... I have to find him."

Perhaps he'd been injured and had gone to the infirmary. Maybe he'd moved to rest somewhere.

"...No, that can't be right."

If Jin had fought someone here, there should be a body or an unconscious figure. The fact that there was neither, and no sign of Jin himself, suggested that the battle might still be ongoing.

"If he's fighting Ragna the Bloodedge..." The Grim Reaper's territory was always underground. The deepest part of the branch. A restricted area that even Tsubaki didn't know about. To reach it, she had to take the elevator all the way down.

Her breathing steadied.

Tsubaki tossed her fiery red hair and looked up at the stairs, then dashed forward with incredible speed. She knew she could use the elevator from this floor to reach the general staff level. Jin must have taken the same route.

There were thin streaks of blood on the floor leading towards the elevator.

"Please be safe, Jin... I'm coming for you..." So please, don't overdo it. She had a gut feeling that Jin had lost.

With that thought in mind, Tsubaki ran.

Back to Chapter 3: Grim Reaper — The Man Called Death God

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