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BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6

2025-08-05T07:20:33Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 6: Hero / True face */

==Chapter 6: Hero / True face==

===Part 1===

When he woke up, Jin couldn't stand up, not because of fatigue or pain, but because of a terrible feeling of helplessness.

Jin was in a small, dimly lit prison cell, surrounded by blackened gray concrete. He seemed to be lying on a mat on a bed that looked like a simple board attached to the wall, covered with a worn blanket.

He remembered what happened much more clearly than in his dreams while he was asleep.

Three soldiers, folded up and dead.

Countless corpses were brought in as if they were something like fuel for a cauldron.

Then there was... Grimwood's body, strangled by the throat and hung midair, Meifang looking up at him and smiling.

A neck that was shredded and a torso that fell.

Jin recalled the scene over and over again in the back of his eyelids as he sat cowering on the cold floor.

There was no rug on the floor, and the concrete was cold, but the sensation of feeling it seemed so far away that it was difficult to realize that it was his own sensation.

Jin was in a branch of the Zeroth Squadron in the sixth level of Yabiko City, in a room where criminals are detained awaiting justice.

The person who retrieved Jin was a member of the Zeroth Squadron who was in the same place at the time, and the wound on his shoulder had received only minimal treatment. What he was wearing was still the same, but all of his belongings were placed together right next to the prison.

...It was Honoka, standing behind the barred door, who explained to Jin.

"Captain Grimwood was a spy for Sector Seven. He has been leaking information to the outside, but this time he was informed that there were important secrets of the Librarium there, and he was trying to sell the contents to Kokonoe of Sector Seven...”

After these few words, Honoka moved his eyes to the document he was holding in his hand. It was a report on the series of events that had taken place after the boy soldier had arrived at the time.

Honoka dropped his thin shoulders and sighed.

“According to the investigation by the Zeroth Squadron, in addition to leaking information, he was involved in a variety of other activities, such as diverting equipment, sabotaging facilities and helping prisoners escape. It may have been because of him that the front line we were on did not produce effective results.”

Cleverly controlling the information and the battlefield, trying to coordinate so that neither side wins too much. They must have been using that place as their base of operations. That was how the Zeroth Squadron viewed it.

"...Lieutenant?"

Perhaps worried by Jin's lack of response , Honoka lowered his papers and peered behind the grate. Jin's eyes remained motionless as he stared blankly into the empty space. Not knowing if he was listening or not, Honoka peeked in, stepped forward and smiled a little.

"It's outrageous that he would involve and take advantage of you, Lieutenant Kisaragi, but since he was a spy, he was likely an expert at deception... And in the first place, there was no way around it.

“.....Ha!”

Apparently, Honoka thought that Jin was shocked by Grimwood's betrayal. An amusing thought, so Jin let out a light chuckle as he gushed.

He slowly raised his gaze to look at Honoka, who was puzzled. His green eyes had the color of exhaustion in them, though he was still able to reason.

"You don't believe it, don't you?"

His voice was hoarse and muddy as he spoke with a dry throat. Honoka tilted his head at the question. Then, he looked back and forth in a troubled way between the document in his hand and Jin, as if comparing them several times.

“Well, whether I believe it or not... it has already been officially accepted as a fact by the Librarium, so..."

Regardless of whether you believe it or not, this was acknowledged as a "fact". There was no room for personal feelings to enter.

Grimwood was recorded as a "sinner". That disgrace will remain with his name for a long time to come.

"With all due respect, I think you were deceived, Lieutenant Kisaragi. Deceived by how much of a good man he was. But I don't think the person you saw is necessarily the person they really are.”

Perhaps there was a side to Grimwood that Jin was completely unaware of. Jin didn't know the big, earnest man well enough to deny that possibility.

After all, it had only been less than a year since they had met.

(One year...)

In that period of time, Jin realized that he was quite fond of the big man. He liked him as a person. If he had stayed with him for a few more years, he might have had some unfamiliar feelings of respect for him, though not as much as Karenjina. He wasn’t sure if he thought that way because his emotions were romanticizing his impressions of his former captain.

"It seems that Lieutenant Kisaragi will be questioned as well. They’re preparing a meal right now, so you’ll probably be summoned when it's over." Honoka said to Jin, who turned his head down again.

It was probably Honoka's role to originally tell him this.

This time, he must have been told something by the Duodecim and the Librarium. He was grateful for the fact that he even brought the report and explained the situation and details.

"Honoka. What happened to Karenjina...?"

He asked in a muddy voice. The area was very quiet, so Honoka could still hear him without a problem.

"She was asked out a lot of questions about Captain Grimwood, but she didn't know anything about him and was not charged with a crime, but she was expelled and will be under surveillance for a while."

How she was interrogated was not in Honoka's words, but he could imagine. Jin felt a distinct sense of regret. Maybe he shouldn't have taken Karenjina with him, or maybe he should have kept her with him until the end.

It occurred to him that the choices she had made with Jin and Grimwood might have set her on the worst possible path.

"She's already been released from detention, but her... condition is not good. She is currently recuperating in a hospital room here."

"...I see."

“She seems to have had a tough time. But I'm sure the hardest part is yet to come.”

Honoka said, with an ambiguous tone.

Jin covered his face with his outstretched hand as the words seemed to pierce him.

“Well... I'll be on my way. If you'll excuse me."

Honoka saluted as he had been taught at the academy and walked away, a little concerned about Jin.

The sound of footsteps moving away echoed in the aisle. After that, it was no longer heard.

Jin clenched his weak hand into a fist and pounded the floor.

Jin's interrogation was surprisingly uneventful.

They started by checking his name and identity and then asked him when and where he was in battle, what he thought of the people of the 9th squad.

Then he asked him a few confirming questions and that was it.

It was probably decided from the beginning that Jin would not be punished. After all, he was the next head of the Kisaragi family, one of the Duodecim. There was no need to go to the trouble of incurring a grudge over something like this.

Jin was immediately released.

But before he left, he wanted to make a stop at a place. He asked a guard in a white robe who was walking behind him as his escort and he told him surprisingly easily where he should go.

He took the elevator up to the fifth floor and walked down the unadorned white-walled corridor. At the end of this straight stretch, Jin stopped in front of the door on the left.

A card labeled "Ward A" was held up.

The door had a small window with a grate on it, suggesting that this was a hospital room for those who were being judged.

He knocked on the door, bottled up the hesitation that was slowly seeping through and said her name.

“Come in.”

A horrifyingly inorganic voice came back, but it was definitely Karenjina's.

Jin opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a small room. There was a bed, an empty shelf, a white bedside table and a chair that was probably used by the doctor. That was it.

Karenjina lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Jin groaned briefly at the sight of her.

They turned her into a mess.

Bandages were wrapped around her neck, shoulders and arms. The blanket was covering the rest of her body, but she must have been injured below her abdomen as well. A large piece of gauze was placed on her cheek, and her eyes were blue and swollen. He wondered what had been done to her, but one of her ears was also covered with a thick layer of gauze. They looked like assault marks, but that's not the case when you're dealing with the Zeroth Squadron. The dreadlocks were completely trimmed and gone. These were the scars of attempted torture in various ways.

Jin went to the side of the bed and stood there without a word.

The dark blue eyes did not look at Jin. They just stared at a point on the ceiling as if they were trying to hold back something and don't waver.

There was silence for a while. Jin didn't know what kind of words were needed at this moment. Was it an apology, an explanation, silence or tears? Indignation or chastisement?

He couldn’t really choose any of these.

“...I used to hate you."

He heard her take a breath, and when Jin looked up, Karenjina chimed in.

Her eyes were still fixed on the ceiling, but her words were clearly directed at Jin.

“You were assigned to us out of nowhere and one of the Duodecim. I thought you had it easy, even taking a valet with you."

Jin listened to Karenjina's words without saying anything. Somehow, he felt that she didn't want him to say anything at all.

Karenjina continued with a monolog-like tone.

"But Grimwood wasn't like me. He welcomed you. I heard over and over again... That with you, 'we could end the war.' But it wasn't with me. I thought, he can't end the war with someone like myself, but he might be able to end it with you. I was jealous. Jealous of Grimwood's expectations of you.”

"..."

“But you're so strong. I can't compare in any way. Until you came, I was the one who stayed by Grimwood's side this whole time. I was the one who was most useful to him."

Her tone was too pale and weak to be called resentment.

With no expression on either of their faces, Karenjina stares at the ceiling and Jin stared at her.

“...If only it was me.” she muttered.

Karenjina went silent for a while.

It was only a little later that Jin noticed that her shallow breathing was shaky.

“Grimmwood is...”

Karenjina's voice trembled.

“He didn't leak anything.”

"..."

Jin gasped in dismay at the assertion, unsure as to why he was so upset. But for a moment, he felt a twinge of envy. Jin couldn't affirm why, but it was envy.

Clutching her right hand, which was covered in bandages to the fingertips, Karenjina spoke as if she were spitting out her last breath.

"Grimwood wanted to end the war more than anyone. He hated the idea of anyone dying. Even though he was a mercenary, he hated war."

Karenjina choked once and sniffed.

"Grimwood was not a spy. I believed in Grimwood. I believed in the man who pulled me out of hell. He's may be asshole when left me with behind, but I'll always believe in him."

Unable to hold it in, her voice turned upside down and tear drops spilled out of the corners of her eyes. Karenjina kept her fists clenched and her eyes closed. Perhaps because she seemed to admit that she was crying when she wiped her tears away.

“But there's nothing left. I have no strength to fight. I have nothing."

Jin looked at Karenjina’s left arm.

Apart from the bandages that hold the fingers and shoulders in place, there were bandages that just cover her forearm area.

He didn't know what they had done to her, but when he saw it, he knew that she was no longer able to use her Drive.

"I'm 'alone' again. There is never a time when I am not."

Karenjina said, as if it was a curse she was placing on herself.

Jin saw the look on her face and emotions of regret spill out. She was a stout soldier, but her face was contorted and distorted. She bit her lips and started sobbing. She was crying incessantly. Then, closed her eyes tightly and stifled her cries with a quivering sigh.

"So please. Just leave me alone already. I don't need anything anymore."

Unable to bear it, Jin turned his head away. At the same time, Karenjina also turned her face away from Jin.

The sobs continued.

He couldn't stay here forever. Jin eventually turned around, keeping his lips pursed.

But before he could leave, her fingers. Karenjina’s fingers grabbed the hem of Jin's dress.

"...Jin."

“What?”

“End this war."

With that, Karenjina removed her fingers from Jin's clothes. After watching her hand go back to the bed, Jin turned his back to Karenjina again.

He walked with a calm and unhurried gait and left the hospital Ward A. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard what sounded like a growl. Jin quickly left the room. He felt that he must not listen to her overflowing cries.

===Part 2===

As Jin exited the building of the Zeroth Squadron, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him.

The girl standing there holding the sword bag was a girl. Her long hair, fluttering in the gentle breeze, was a vivid camellia red.

"...Tsubaki."

Tsubaki Yayoi. She was the childhood friend of Jin, a junior at the academy and also the daughter of the Yayoi family of the Duodecim. The sky-blue eyes that sent Jin off in tears on the day he left for Yabiko were now gazing at him with a sincere look.

"...Jin Niisama. I'm glad you're safe."

She deeply bowed her head. Tsubaki was that kind of person. Polite and calm.

Not wanting to linger too long in a place where he could see the buildings of the Zeroth Squadron, Jin took Tsubaki with him and changed places.

After about ten minutes of walking, they chose a small park where they could see the arrival and departure of Ars Magus Vessels. On a bench painted green, Jin and Tsubaki sat side by side.

It was already evening.

The port welcoming the Ars Magus Vessels was lit up early, and the setting sun from the west added an orange hue to the long deck.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and turned her body to Jin, then lowered her eyes slightly and smiled modestly.

“When I heard that you had been detained, I just had to come over. I'm sorry for startling you."

"No, it's fine."

Jin spoke back shortly.

The moment he had seen her, Jin had understood. The reason why Jin was released had been so easy and straightforward. It was because Tsubaki had lobbied for it using her position in the Yayoi family. This would not have happened in the Kisaragi family. There were many people in that house who wanted to get rid of Jin. It would have been a hassle if they were disturbed and forced to help him. Rather, some would have tried to take advantage of this situation.

But before that could happen, the Yayoi family, no... Tsubaki made the first move.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki. I'm sorry I caused trouble for you."

One more regret piled up in Jin's mind.

Tsubaki shook her head in panic.

“It's no problem. I wanted to meet you, Jin. That is what I decided myself, so there's nothing for you to apologize for!"

[[File:SS1-5.png|thumb]]

Jin squinted dazzlingly at Tsubaki, whose cheeks flushed red as she tried to excuse herself. It made him feel pain in his chest and he turned away. To the cold head of the Kisaragi household, she was such a brilliant presence, Jin could only squint his eyes to look at her.

Tsubaki gazed at him with a gloomy expression.

A few seconds of silence passed.

A breeze blew through the air. Tsubaki gently called out to Jin as she pulled her flowing hair back over her ears.

"You look in pain."

"Pain, huh?"

The murmur he returned was unexpectedly twisted into self-mockery.

(What exactly is the pain I feel for?)

Was it that Grimwood had betrayed him? Or is it that he couldn't believe that Grimwood betrayed me?

Was it that he believed in Grimwood? Or was it knowing that he did not believe in Grimwood?

Grimwood had 'trust.' He believed in himself and his friends, that he could end the war.

“I'll probably get scolded for saying this, but..."

Tsubaki opened her mouth so as to slip her words into the evening breeze.

“I hate... war."

Jin looked sideways at the girl he had known since childhood.

He remembered that her father was also away from home, in the war zone as a guard of the Librarium.

Tsubaki’s sky blue eyes were filled with melancholy and sadness.

“Of course, I'm also an officer school student of the Librarium. For the sake of order and justice, I am prepared to fight even if I have to use myself as a shield. But it's not because I want to defeat anyone. It's because I want to protect as many people as possible."

Tsubaki clasped her hands tightly around her chest and looked at Jin.

“Because I want to protect the people I care about.”

“...Such naivety."

“I know that, but despite though I know, I still hate... war."

Tsubaki's lips twitched as she said this in a sultry tone. It's one of those habits that he used to see in her when she was little and she can't seem to get over it.

Jin replied, exhaling deeply.

“My feelings are the same.”

(I never used to have any impressions or feelings about war. I was not interested in my own life or death or even the life or death of others and I was just aware of war as something where people die a little more than usual.)

(But now, it didn't feel the same as it had then and at the same time, I can't send Tsubaki to that crazy place called "war".)

(But what can I do now? Do I have the "power" to change anything?)

Grimwood is no longer here.

The war still rages on.

"Jin Niisama. Take this."

As if remembering, Tsubaki held out the sword bag that was propped up beside her. She untied the string that had been around it and opened the bag. Inside was a single sword in a blue scabbard with a silver-green handle.

"Yukianesa...”

The luggage they had been told to pack was almost gone. There were only a few pieces of minimal equipment lying around from when they left the encampment with Grimwood.

Yukianesa was nowhere to be found, but that was a Nox Nyctores. If he needed it, he would just call out to it and it will come back, like a summoning spell. That's what Jin thought when it was gone, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

He didn't expect it to come back to him like this.

“It's valuable to you and I didn't want it to get lost. I've been keeping it at the Yayoi household. This is Jin Niisama's most precious possession, yours truly."

Tsubaki then presented Yukianesa to Jin with the sword bag intact, without touching it directly. When Jin had come to the Kisaragi family as an adopted child, this sword had been the only personal item he had with him. Tsubaki knew that.

As he was offered the sword, Jin took it from the bag. Through the soft cloth, he could feel the cool air of the pale blue scabbard.

Jin chuckled at the corner of his lips.

(Of course, this is the only "power" I have...)

The Nox Nyctores "Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa". This is the weapon that fought the Black Beast. If this sword had saved the world in the past, could it save at least one organization in turmoil during a civil war? Would I be able to protect at least this one girl who cared so much for me?

"Thank you, Tsubaki."

Jin stood up and returned only the sword bag to Tsubaki.

By that time, Jin's eyes had already changed their expression. This quiet, peaceful breaktime was over. It was too early for him to take any break. It was simpily not meant to be for him right now.

"I will do it."

There were still some things I hasn't finished.

"Are you going back to...?"

Tsubaki's lonely voice hung on his back. Jin nodded, gripping Yukianesa's scabbard tightly.

"Yeah. I'm not just going back. I'm going to 'End' it."

(That's what I've been entrusted with and it's the only thing I can do right now.)

Tsubaki stood up and saw Jin off as he started to walk away.

"Take care of yourself. When you return, I will welcome you wholeheartedly."

The gentle girls voice strengthened Jin's resolve.

===Part 3===

After leaving Yabiko, Jin went to the encampment to collect his belongings first. Fortunately, the base was still there and his luggage was still intact.

Currently, they were in the middle of a campaign to bring down Wadatsumi Castle and there were few of their people left here, making it easy for Jin to get his hands on them.

What he took out was a blue outfit. The battle dress of the Kisaragi family. Underneath it, he put an inner layer designed to resist cold air. He also put on a pair of gloves that were thicker than his usual and specially treated to block out the cold air.

Yukianesa is an ice sword. If you are half equipped, you will freeze yourself.

But with all this, he is able to run while swinging Yukianesa around with all his might. No need of worrying about the damage to his surroundings and without worrying about his bloodflow.

Once he was equipped, Jin quickly left the encampment.

He was headed to a battlefield — Wadatsumi Castle.

Now that Grimwood was gone and Karenjina broken, there was no time to find the someone who wanted to prolong the war.

That they are attacking Wadatsumi Castle again, makes this the perfect opportunity to end the war.

If this war were to end, when would it be? When Grimwood asked him that before, Jin replied that when they take the head of Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation, this war would be over.

That is the only "way to end the war" that Jin can choose.

He didn't know if he could kill Tenjō. He didn’t even know what Tenjō looked like.

But when that young soldier died, when his comrades died... When Grimwood died. When Karenjina lost even a place to cry.

And every time he thought of Tsubaki.

His mind was in 'discomfort'.

He didn’t care if he died in this mission. He didn’t care about anything, but to end the war. Jin's heart, which had before didn't care about the civil war, lit up. A cold flame flickered in his cold, frozen heart.

(That's enough. I've had enough! I don't want any more sacrifices, but still... There are people who need to be 'sacrificed' for this war to end. And I have a question for that... person.)

I don't care about the Librarium. I don't care about the Ikaruga Federation. I don't care about Wadatsumi Castle.

There is only one destination in sight. Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation.

Night had fallen and the sky was a refreshing light blue.

Wadatsumi Castle.

It was a large castle, spread out with the city at its feet. The towering keep was looking beautiful in the clear sky.

It was the residence of the head of the Ikaruga Federation, Tenjō, and is also the political center of the Federation. With the castle, which is also the symbol of the land of Ikaruga, as a magnificent backdrop, the battle between the Novus Orbis Librarium and the Ikaruga Federation forces had been going on since early morning on the plains before entering the city.

The firearms were larger, the Ars Magus and Armagus were flying about and people were out to kill each other with weapons in their hands.

The war situation was not looking good for the Librarium side. The persistence of the Ikaruga Federation Army, which had prepared itself for the end if it was allowed to cross this point, was tremendous and the Librariums forces were gradually being overwhelmed by their unending morale and momentum.

In addition, there was a great deal of distrust of the commander who was forcing the army to march without a plan, resulting in the soldiers of the Librarium gradually beginning to lose their will to fight.

The soldiers on the front line began to retreat, one by one. Finally, Ikaruga’s soldiers chase after the soldiers of the Librarium and raised their weapons.

That's when it happened.

Suddenly, a breath-chilling cold air streamed into the battlefield, creating a wall of ice so thick that the Ikaruga Federation soldiers, who were about to slay the Librarium soldiers, could not see beyond it.

"Wha... What the hell?"

The Ikaruga soldier, who had dashed at the ice with such force, backed away in confusion.

One after another, the walls appeared, cutting in between the Ikaruga soldiers and the Librarium soldiers. Their numbers grew quickly and eventually they surrounded the soldiers like a wall protecting them.

With his back to the wall of ice, a young man walks straight toward the Ikaruga Federation soldiers.

It was a blond young man dressed in blue. In his hand is a sword in a pale blue scabbard.

Cold green eyes glared at the Ikaruga Soldiers.

“Get out of the way unless you want to die.”

The cold air that swirled through the battlefield was generated around the young man.

The young man was even colder than the cold air that surrounded him. This became clear to Ikaruga soldiers the moment they set their sight on this young man.

A soldier of Ikaruga, realizing that the clothes he was wearing were of the design of the Librariums army, raised his weapon and said, "Don't fool with us, NOL scum!!”.

The surrounding soldiers followed suit, raising their guns or pointing their blades. But Jin, after taking just one look at them and walked right past them without a care in the world.

The soldiers with their weapons were unable to move. The moment they turned to face the enemy, ice crawled up from under their feet and covered their bodies, leaving their necks exposed.

There was a squad that spotted Jin and ran towards him. Turning around as he walked, Jin drew his sword and swung in the emptiness around him.

At that moment, ice ran across the ground and turned the entire squad into ice statues. The only thing that remained of them was their necks, so that they would not die.

One swing, then another. While icing anyone who comes near him, Jin aimed for the main gate of the castle.

Every time he used Yukianesa's power, he felt his heart grow colder.

— Kill

As if fed up with Jin, who has yet to kill a single person since entering the battlefield, Yukianesa invited him to kill them.

— Kill, slaughter, murder. Kill them all. Kill! Kill! Kill!

The harder he swung, the louder the voice disturbed Jin. But with each swing of the blade, Jin killed his own heart.

Wadatsumi Castle was surrounded by a strong defensive barrier.

This was not something that can be easily broken. Because of their inability to do so, the Librarium has been forced to retreat many times before.

An Ars Magus Barrier.

"...Yukianesa."

Jin called out with a breath the temperature of a blizzard and slashed with his sword. That was enough to freeze the barrier. The thrust that followed cracked the barrier with the ease of breaking thin ice.

The barrier will be repaired soon. However, after opening a hole just large enough for him to pass through, Jin entered the castle and looked up.

The highest point. The castle tower. There it was.

There she is. Tenjō.

The person sitting at the far end of the castle looked up at the shock of the barrier breaking.

Surrounded on all sides by bamboo screens, this was the place where Tenjō would sit. This is where she was waiting.

And she knew that it finally arrived.

"...Ah, so you are here. My 'death'."

The room was empty.

She made them all backoff. She told them there was no need to fight, but only few of them left the castle without a desire to fight.

That made her a little sad.

They shouldn't have to die. This sacrifice should have been minimal.

“It’s already more than enough.”

Yes, more than enough.

The seated figure, Tenjō, stood up and lifted the bamboo screen in front of her to welcome the icy wind that carried death.

At the same time, there was another person who noticed that the barrier had been broken.

He was a strong man who had been leading the evacuation of the inhabitants under Tenjō’s orders. He was wearing a special armor that has been handed down from generation to generation in Ikaruga. It is the costume of a Ninja, designed for speed and movement.

“Boss, what’s wrong?”

Called by his subordinate Ninja, the man in the deep green costume looked over with a difficult frown on his face.

"...I ask you to go ahead. I will catch up soon after!"

“Eh, wait! BOSS!!”

The figure who was called the "boss" kicked the ground and jumped into the air. He ran up on the roofs at a speed that no ordinary person could keep up with, using that speed to head for the castle tower in the shortest distance.

(It's falling...)

The Boss thought as he ran like the wind, if not faster than the wind.

He thought about the falling of... Wadatsumi Castle.

===Part 4===

Jin was running at full speed down the corridor of the tower he had stepped into, freezing every obstacle that stood in his way.

He was in a hurry. There was no time. He couldn’t afford to be lenient anymore.

He saw it just before he entered this place. He could see it clearly from the high tower.

The barrier that Jin had broke through in order to get here was still intact and the soldiers of the Librarium who had rushed inside were engaging the Ikaruga soldiers.

It was a place where the enemy should not have dared to enter. In addition, Jin had already passed through the area. With so few troops and so little time to react, the Ikaruga soldiers were unable to push back the Librarium soldiers and were being killed one by one.

(Why haven’t they repaired the Barrier yet...!)

They knew it was open. They knew that if they left it alone, the enemy would come in. Tenjō, the one who put up the barrier, knew that.

And yet it was not restored.

(Won't or can't?)

Does this mean that something happened to Tenjō, or was she already gone? All sorts of speculations swirled in his mind, but he couldn't be bothered with them.

(I will know when I get to the top. I won’t fall until then.)

He climbed over the railing, went out the window to the roof, and jumped across the building diagonally into a corridor that resembles a bridge.

That's when it happened. A number of fireballs flew across the corridor where Jin had landed. They were from Armagus, probably stray bullets from the brawl going on below.

Jin stopped in his tracks to avoid a direct hit, but the fire Ars Magus broke through the wall and landed in the back room, instantly turning the room into a sea of fire.

The fire flew across the corridor and started to burn from the end.

The freezing cold air that Jin had brought with him turned into hot, heat haze as the flames fanned it.

As if the heat called to him, a figure appears in his path. He was tall and had the type of physique in his silhouette, that makes one know he was armed with muscles.

Jin was familiar with the dark green costume worn in front of him. It must have been the costume of a Ninja, the spies who have lived in the land of Ikaruga since ancient times.

So the person who appeared in front of him, a man with his habitual hair pulled up high, was a Ninja from Ikaruga.

“Get out of the way. You are a nuisance.”

Looking at him coldly, Jin put his hand on the hilt of his sword and told him. Whoever the opponent, anything that blocked his way was an obstacle.

The Ninja standing on the other side of the corridor stared back at Jin with a powerful gaze as he brushed aside the hot air from the room that was burning nearby and prepared himself.

"No. I can't let you go any further!"

His grunch, thick voice twisted around the roar of the flames.

Jin clicked his tongue. It would be pointless to waste time here, even though he had walked across the roof to shorten the route.

But the other Ninja seemed to have no intention of giving way. His strong-willed eyes were blazing with hostility.

"My name is Bang Shishigami! I am a Ninja of Ikaruga, and I am the one who will defeat you!!"

He howled like a battering ram.

At the same time, the Ninja who called himself Bang came right at Jin in an instant, twisted in midair and unleashed a quick knee kick.

"...?!"

It happened so fast, like the blink of an eye.

Jin barely caught Bang's blow as he dove at him, right in front of his nose, just out of reach of his breath. As he caught the kick, Yukianesa's scabbard seemed to creak. The impact numbed his arm for a moment.

On recoil, Bang jumped and shot countless nails from high above.

Jin immediately pulled out Yukianesa and flicked the nails back, then ran down the hallway.

(He's fast!)

It was nothing compared to the average Ikaruga soldiers he had dealt with in the past. Jin's face twisted into a bitter expression as he dove into the back room, turning around and swinging his Yukianesa.

Sure enough, Bang was right on his heels. He jumped in and thrust his fist into Jin.

Jin half-accidentally caught it and parried it away.

Using his momentum to leap backward, Jin thrusts Yukianesa into the floor.

White ice ran. In an instant, it froze the floor in the area, but Bang's reaction speed was faster. In a single leap, he climbed to the ceiling and used the pillars as footholds to attack Jin again.

"Damn it...!"

He was in a hurry. As he clicked his tongue for what seemed like the hundredth time, Jin released the ice blade.

Countless shimmering ice blades shot through Bang's body one after another, knocking him down to the cold, icy floor.

He thought that was it... But it wasn't Bang that fell down, it was shabby wood from who knows where.

At the same time that Jin recognized, a hint of heat was generated behind him.

He turned around. At that moment, Jin received a strong impact on his chest and was blown backward.

He was slammed into the wooden floor and engulfed in several sliding doors supported by a thin framework. The blow to his head from the fall gave him a slight dizziness. He held his head and pulled himself up.

Bang bursts into his view.

"Don't think you can get away with the same move over and over again."

With these words, Jin cut. Yukianesa's slash, perfectly timed with the release of Bang's nails as shurikens, flicked off all three thrown with a single swipe.

The nails flew off in the wrong direction and made a rhythmic sound, piercing the floor at the back of the room, away from Jin and Bang.

Their gazes naturally turned to each other for a moment. Then they found something unexpected and swayed in dismay.

Right next to the nail stuck in the floor, there was a human figure.

Both Jin and Bang gasped in unison. The person who was looking at them quietly, without moving even though a nail flew at their feet, was a person with long purple hair flowing down their back. They were wearing a garment with wide cuffs and a white mask with a red pattern covering their face.

“My Lord... Why are you still here?”

At this sight, Bang shouted in clear agitation.

With that one word, Jin finally knew. He knew that the person there was Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation.

“Are you Tenjō?”

Muttering, Jin turned to the figure on the surface.

He was wondering what they looked like, but this only raised more questions. He couldn't even tell if they were a man or a woman. He felt a strange presence from Tenjō, as if they were neither.

"Don't look away!!"

Jin was about to head for the back when Bang's angry voice jumped at him.

Unhappy with his lords appearance, Jin kicked the floor and swung his fist at Bang, who flipped it back with a swiftly drawn sword. He instantly twisted around and slammed the tip of his scabbard into Bang's abdomen.

Unable to bear it, Bang bent over and moved backward to avoid Jin's continuous kicks.

“Huff, huff, huff.”

But still, with a ragged breath, Bang braced himself for more.

The unwavering hostility in his gaze caused Jin's heart to tremble.

— Kill, Kill, Kill.

(Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.....!!!)

It was unbearable. Jin thrust the blade into his heart to resist the urge to kill.

While tearing out his heart and soul and giving them to Yukianesa, he struggled to keep his unstoppable desire to kill from flowing outward.

(I don't kill...)

— Kill.

(I won’t kill!)

— Kill!.

(No more.........)

His mind couldn’t take it. If it was swallowed up, it will be the end.

The blade, driven mad by Yukianesa's murderous intent, would probably go on a rampage, wanting to kill everyone in the castle. That would be meaningless. If the sword would take over and kill everyone... What was even the point of coming here?

Jin inhaled deeply. His own breath was so cold that it froze him to the bottom of his lungs. The temperature dropped so fast that icicles formed around Jin.

Without a second thought, Bang came running in. Jin looked at him and cleaved the air with his Yukianesa.

“Arctic Dungeon.”

With a powerful ars, the breath that weaved words and the slashing stroke froze the whole area. The floor, the ceiling, the walls, the windows, the pillars and even Bang who tried to escape by jumping into the air.

“What!?”

Bang's body stiffened as his body could not withstand the temperature that had dropped too low.

“Trash...”

He did not realize that his short-sighted loyalty would lead to unnecessary sacrifices.

Jin slashed down on Bang's frozen body without hesitation.

"Aaaargh!!"

With a heavy wet sound, fresh blood splatters on the ice floor. After taking a slash to the forehead and then to the torso, Bang collapsed onto the floor on his back.

Jin brushed off the blood, sheathed Yukianesa, and strode to the back of the room without a glance at the fallen bang.

"And you...."

Tenjō was still standing at the back of the room. They could have escaped in this short time, but the white-masked lord did not.

It was as if they had stayed there to watch the situation unfold.

Bang crawled across the floor, staring up at Jin's back as he stepped toward Tenjō. He desperately reached out and shouted with all his might.

“My Lord! Please, run away! My Lord..!”

But he could no longer raise himself. His vision rapidly darkened and he choked back a scream, losing his consciousness at last.

A cold silence soaked the area.

In the frozen room, Jin faced Tenjō.

Tenjō, who until then had been as motionless as a doll, jerked slightly and changed the angle of their neck, shaking their long purple hair.

“Nox Nyctores Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa.”

The calm voice leaked through the mask with a hint of murkiness.

"...You're Tenjō, aren't you?"

Standing directly in front of them, Jin asked expressionlessly. Tenjō raised their face.

“Indeed and you, what are you called?”

[[File:SS1-6.png|thumb]]

“Jin Kisaragi."

Answered Jin as he put his hand on the silver hilt. He could pull it out at any time. If he pulled it out, he could kill her.

"No hard feelings, but... I will kill you and end this war."

With frozen determination, Jin looked coldly at Tenjō.

Slowly, the face with the white mask moved. Tenjō nodded deeply. It seemed to show understanding and deep acceptance.

With his eyes fixed on them, Jin opened his mouth without changing his stance.

"I have one last question. Is it true that you are the Imperator?"

"...Hm?"

Tenjō sounded impressed by the question.

"Knowing that I am the Imperator, why do you turn on me? Jin Kisaragi.”

The reply was affirmative. Jin swallowed the meaning slowly, as if gulping down a melting block of ice.

“Because you are the enemy."

The one to be defeated. That is the enemy.

“My enemy.”

Jin replied, and Tenjō chuckled slightly.

There's no time.

There is no time for unnecessary words.

"Tenjō. What was 'that thing'?"

At the question, Tenjō paused for a beat and dropped her thin shoulders.

"Oh, so, did you see that 'thing'?"

“Answer me.”

Jin's words were cold and sharp, as if he was thrusting the edge of a blade.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Tenjō turned their masked face upward. It was as if they were seeing a vision of that strange coffin that Meifang had told him existed for the Imperator.

"The price of freedom and peace: 'Death'... It is this war itself that death eats away at."

"The war itself?"

"And I am but a puppet that creates death."

Tenjō’s abstract words were not the answer Jin wanted.

However, the hints of despondency, resignation and emptiness in their voice made him feel that further questions were pointless.

The questions to ask and the one who has the answers that Jin seeks, was probably someone else.

"...Jin Kisaragi. End it."

Tenjō's whispered words sounded too gentle to be appropriate for this occasion.

"And resist against 'death' that will be born."

After saying that, Tenjō spread their hands. In their white ceramic-like hands that peeked out from their wide sleeves, there were a few talismans.

Somewhat mischievously, the 'woman' underneath the mask laughed.

"It must be a little painful to slay an unresisting opponent. However, there is no time for hesitation."

Just as Jin didn't have time, Tenjō seemed to not have it as well.

Jin raised his eyebrows in a quizzical manner. He didn't know why Tenjō didn't have time, but he also didn’t have a reason to find out.

Why?

Because this is where Tenjō ends.

Taking a deep breath, Tenjō spoke softly.

"Come now, I will accept it. With this, even if you were to die, it's the end."

"Nonsense."

Jin spat coldly, while gripping the silver hilt.

“I will survive.”

Underneath the mask, Jin thought he saw Tenjō smile faintly.

Jin closed his eyes, concentrating on his consciousness.

He saw the talisman released from Tenjō’s hand.

(What did she mean by “accepting it”...)

He muttered inwardly as if he were poisoning himself and Jin felt a moment of pity for Tenjō. Tenjō had been waiting. Letting death be the one who comes to kill her.

The blow of this talisman was only a bait to entice its cutting edge.

Then he must respond.

“Judgment...”

With a low chant, a pale blue magic circle spread out at Jin's feet. As soon as Tenjō’s talisman touches the circle, Jin releases it.

—Snowstorm.

The trajectory of the blade that he pulled out and swung caused the white ice to run.

The flash that he released froze Tenjō’s body instantly.

After a moment of complete silence, the ice shattered. At the same time, bright red blood spurted from the wound that had been slashed diagonally.

First, their knees hit the floor, then their slender body collapsed.

Walking to the side, Jin looked down at Tenjō, who was sinking in fresh blood.

They were still breathing. As he approached them, he noticed that the body, which was unexpectedly small, was trembling slightly as if it was responding to life.

Suddenly, a dry sound was heard. It was the sound of Tenjō’s mask falling off.

Her hidden face naturally appeared in Jin's vision. White skin, pale lips and eyelashes as purple as her hair. Beneath her eyelids, which looked as if they were about to fall, were bright red eyes.

Jin's eyes blinked.

Tenjō was a woman. She was youn, and had what most people would describe as a beautiful one.

Tenjō managed to lift her eyelids, which were losing strength, and looked up at Jin. Her red eyes were sad, but the expression on her face was in peace.

"Magnificent, such is the Power of Order..."

"The Power of Order?”

With an to him unknown name, Tenjō calls out to Jin and then draws her last breath.

Jin just stared dumbfounded at her dying face.

What surprised Jin was not that Tenjō was a woman.

It was because of the resemblance.

To a young girl.

“Saya...”

To his sister, with whom he had lived for a time as a child.

It made Jin understand all of Tenjō’s words that he hadn't been able to fully comprehend earlier.

“You don’t mean the 'purpose'... That things purpose... That coffin-!!”

"Oh, so, did you see that 'thing'? It is this war itself" Tenjō said, "that death eats away at."

So you could say this "war" is "that thing" itself. No.

(This 'war' IS for 'that thing'!)

That is assumption frightens Jin. For the past several years, both the Librarium and the Ikaruga Federation have been fighting. Countless people have died in a endless cycle without a clear end in sight for both sides. Seemingly, no one was benefiting from it other than scientists trying out new third party weapons. So, for what reason? For what use? For what purpose was this war for?

After seeing that cauldron of dead people being melted in masses, the way the 9th squad got rid of and the words of Tenjō herself, it became painfully obvious.

It was death.

'Death' was the purpose.

This war is about letting people die...

"Ohh, so here you were. I finally found you... Lieutenant Kisaragi."

Suddenly, he heard a voice and looked up with a gasp. His deep chain of thoughts were cut off as if a thread had been snapped.

Pulling himself up, Jin looked back toward the voice.

There was 'someone' there.

===Part 5===

Someone was standing at the entrance of the sliding door that Jin was blown through by Bang in the large room.

But Jin did not know who it was.

He could at least make out someone. There were two legs, a torso, two outstretched arms, a neck and a head on top of it.

Although he knew it had a human shape and he knew he could hear voices coming from it, he didn’t know 'what' it was. It's as if his vision had gone blurry and he couldn’t distinguish anything.

"At any rate, aren’t you cruel? I was the only one left behind. I'm still pretty hurt."

The person spread his hands around his shoulders and came towards Jin with a leisurely gait.

Jin gripped the scabbard of his sword tightly and stared at the 'someone'.

“Who are... you?”

Jin asked sharply and with caution.
　
The person paused as he entered the room.

"Who? Hmmm, this is troublesome. I don't know how to explain it... Oh, yes, I had a name, didn't I? It was Honoka, Lieutenant. Do you remember? Ohhhh, I hope so!"

Honoka.

Yes, that's the name of the boy soldier that the Duodecim forced on him when I left for the war. He was shorter than Jin and spoke without a sense of urgency, but once he started talking, he couldn't stop. However, when faced with dangerous situations, he cowered in fear and backed down.

On the battlefield and in the encampment, he was often worried about Jin's condition and was also busy with other chores such as making tea and fetching luggage.

He was there, however...

(What did he look like...? Why can't I remember?!)

What color was his hair? What color were his eyes? The color of his skin. He had assumed he was small, but he wondered how far his head actually stood in comparison to Honoka's. Even his voice. What was his voice like?

Jin's thoughts are jumbled and he can't put them together.

Honoka smiled at Jin as he stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Well, I don't really care what was I called.”

He shrugged his shoulders and walked nimbly to Jin's side.

"Even so, it's wonderful. To beat that Tenjō all by yourself like this. 'Jin Kisaragi', you are a 'hero'!"

Honoka spread his arms high and wide, speaking in an exaggerated manner like a stage actor.

“The war is now over. Well, it sure lasted for a long time. But, it's a shame, isn't it? So many people fought and fought and fought aaaaaaand... then died. For freedom and peace!! Oh, so many people gave up their lives......."

This person called Honoka enunciated from one end to the other.

He turned around and faced Jin, holding out his arms. It was as if he was holding the corpses of the many lives that died in this war.

“And then! The people of Ikaruga did not win their freedom and peace. They paid the price of so much death... It's sad, it's really sad."

"You..."

“But the war is over! I am glad! I am so glad!”

“Who the hell are you?!!"

(Wrong. I don’t know him. I don’t know that man who's named Honoka.)

Jin asked himself as he slipped his hand onto Yukianesa.

At that moment, a dull thud struck Jin in the chest.

“Wha…”

Unsure of what had happened, Jin looked down at himself. A black snake's head was sticking out of his chest.

“Gah…”

He tried to say something, but his voice wouldn't come out. He tried to grip his sword, but his hand wouldn't move. It wasn't just his hands. He couldn't move his legs or his neck either.

Honoka... No, 'someone' walked up to Jin, who was trapped by the snake that had bitten his chest. A disgusting smile, like a crescent moon, clung to his mouth.

"But, you... you shouldn’t have gotten involved where you didn’t belong. "Jin Kisaragi..."

The tone of his voice changed drastically.

As soon as he did, Jin recognized the man in front of him clearly.

A tall man. He was wearing a black suit and a black hat. His hair leaked out from under the hat and turned out as green.

From the mans outstretched arms leaked a black chain that moored to the head of the snake that was biting into Jin's chest.

"You are...!"

Jin glared sharply at the man he had finally been able to see.

Overlapping the man in the suit, he saw a humanoid figure that looked like a mass of black shadow. The shadowy humanoid form had numerous green cracks running through it.

An unpleasant sensation spreads through Jin, one that he has never experienced before. This feeling is the same as the one he had when he saw the lines from Karenjina connecting to... "evil".

Forcing his immobile body to move, Jin tried to grab the sword, Yukianesa.

The double figured man bent over and laughed in amusement.

"Hihihihihi, as expected from the 'Power of Order'. Amazing, truly amazing!”

He wondered which of the two figures the coarse language was coming from. The sarcastic voice still laughed.

"Anyway, thanks for your help, Jin Kisaragi. I'm going to retrieve Tenjō’s body now, if you don't mind me."

With Jin in its grasp, the mass that made up a man in a black suit and the shadow with green cracks walked past him and lifted the fallen and motionless corpse of Tenjō onto its shoulders.

Then he looked back over his shoulder and smiled. He smiled with a crescent-shaped mouth.

“Oh, and... your 'memories' as well."

────。

─────────────────────。

The area was as quiet as if it had been flooded.

Everything in the large room was frozen and Jin was the only person standing in the middle of it, his breath white as clouds.

There were two people lying at his feet.

One was dressed in luxurious clothing with wide cuffs and wearing a 'White mask'.

“H-huh…”

Heavily tingling and aching, Jin pressed his head lightly.

"Damn... Did Yukianesa knock me out for a second...?"

He had held on desperately up to this point, but it seemed he had let his guard down at the last moment. Jin tightened his grip on Yukianesa in his hand.

Jin bent down on his knees beside the masked one who fell at his feet. He gently removes a mask that covered their face.

On the face that was hidden underneath, there was a large old scar that even changed their facial features. It was a scar that Jin wanted to turn away from, which would be enough reason to wear the mask.

“I'm sorry...”

He shouldn't have revealed it. He whispered an apology and put the mask back on their face.

The lord of the mask, Tenjō, was a formidable enemy and for that reason, he wanted to show at least a modicum of courtesy. Thid was the impact that Tenjō left on Jin.

"Jin Kisaragi has defeated Tenjō!"

He heard someone shouting that in the distance. Someones words spread one after another, creating a throb like a wave.

Jin cradled Tenjō’s corpse in his arms and opened the window of the castle tower to reveal himself outside.

Someone pointed at the window, noticing Jin and the word spread around.

A blond-haired young man in a Librarium outfit, along with Tenjō, who had died in his arms. At the sight of him, some jumped for joy with their hands in the air, while others collapsed on the ground and cried out. Some screamed in triumph, while others dropped their weapons in despair.

“Ahaaa!"

In the middle of it all, there was an unexpected scream. Jin could see exactly what had happened.

A soldier from the Librarium swung his sword at the helpless back of the Ikaruga soldier, who was nodding helplessly.

"The people of the Ikaruga Federation have been ordered to be 'exterminated'! Kill them all!"

The guard who had killed and discarded one of them raised his blood-soaked sword and shouted in high spirits.

In response, the surrounding guards of the Librarium took up their weapons one after another. The nearby Ikaruga soldiers fled one by one.

Jin furrowed his brow and kicked the roof he had been using as a foothold. Down, down. He slid down, and as soon as he landed, he pulled out his Yukianesa and stabbed it on the spot.

A cool sound rushed through the area with a chill breeze. Instantly the ground froze, engulfing the feet of all the soldiers standing there.

No one could move. The voices of astonishment and agitation were raised in their mouths.

In the middle of it. Jin stood up and coldly told them.

“The war is over."

(A lot of people died. I'm here to stop it.)

“No more futile killing... will be tolerated by me!"

There was no one who could resist Jin's words.

— On this day, the long lasting "Ikaruga Civil War" has ended.

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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6

2025-08-05T06:57:49Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 6: Hero / True face */

==Chapter 6: Hero / True face==

===Part 1===

When he woke up, Jin couldn't stand up, not because of fatigue or pain, but because of a terrible feeling of helplessness.

Jin was in a small, dimly lit prison cell, surrounded by blackened gray concrete. He seemed to be lying on a mat on a bed that looked like a simple board attached to the wall, covered with a worn blanket.

He remembered what happened much more clearly than in his dreams while he was asleep.

Three soldiers, folded up and dead.

Countless corpses were brought in as if they were something like fuel for a cauldron.

Then there was... Grimwood's body, strangled by the throat and hung midair, Meifang looking up at him and smiling.

A neck that was shredded and a torso that fell.

Jin recalled the scene over and over again in the back of his eyelids as he sat cowering on the cold floor.

There was no rug on the floor, and the concrete was cold, but the sensation of feeling it seemed so far away that it was difficult to realize that it was his own sensation.

Jin was in a branch of the Zeroth Squadron in the sixth level of Yabiko City, in a room where criminals are detained awaiting justice.

The person who retrieved Jin was a member of the Zeroth Squadron who was in the same place at the time, and the wound on his shoulder had received only minimal treatment. What he was wearing was still the same, but all of his belongings were placed together right next to the prison.

...It was Honoka, standing behind the barred door, who explained to Jin.

"Captain Grimwood was a spy for Sector Seven. He has been leaking information to the outside, but this time he was informed that there were important secrets of the Librarium there, and he was trying to sell the contents to Kokonoe of Sector Seven...”

After these few words, Honoka moved his eyes to the document he was holding in his hand. It was a report on the series of events that had taken place after the boy soldier had arrived at the time.

Honoka dropped his thin shoulders and sighed.

“According to the investigation by the Zeroth Squadron, in addition to leaking information, he was involved in a variety of other activities, such as diverting equipment, sabotaging facilities and helping prisoners escape. It may have been because of him that the front line we were on did not produce effective results.”

Cleverly controlling the information and the battlefield, trying to coordinate so that neither side wins too much. They must have been using that place as their base of operations. That was how the Zeroth Squadron viewed it.

"...Lieutenant?"

Perhaps worried by Jin's lack of response , Honoka lowered his papers and peered behind the grate. Jin's eyes remained motionless as he stared blankly into the empty space. Not knowing if he was listening or not, Honoka peeked in, stepped forward and smiled a little.

"It's outrageous that he would involve and take advantage of you, Lieutenant Kisaragi, but since he was a spy, he was likely an expert at deception... And in the first place, there was no way around it.

“.....Ha!”

Apparently, Honoka thought that Jin was shocked by Grimwood's betrayal. An amusing thought, so Jin let out a light chuckle as he gushed.

He slowly raised his gaze to look at Honoka, who was puzzled. His green eyes had the color of exhaustion in them, though he was still able to reason.

"You don't believe it, don't you?"

His voice was hoarse and muddy as he spoke with a dry throat. Honoka tilted his head at the question. Then, he looked back and forth in a troubled way between the document in his hand and Jin, as if comparing them several times.

“Well, whether I believe it or not... it has already been officially accepted as a fact by the Librarium, so..."

Regardless of whether you believe it or not, this was acknowledged as a "fact". There was no room for personal feelings to enter.

Grimwood was recorded as a "sinner". That disgrace will remain with his name for a long time to come.

"With all due respect, I think you were deceived, Lieutenant Kisaragi. Deceived by how much of a good man he was. But I don't think the person you saw is necessarily the person they really are.”

Perhaps there was a side to Grimwood that Jin was completely unaware of. Jin didn't know the big, earnest man well enough to deny that possibility.

After all, it had only been less than a year since they had met.

(One year...)

In that period of time, Jin realized that he was quite fond of the big man. He liked him as a person. If he had stayed with him for a few more years, he might have had some unfamiliar feelings of respect for him, though not as much as Karenjina. He wasn’t sure if he thought that way because his emotions were romanticizing his impressions of his former captain.

"It seems that Lieutenant Kisaragi will be questioned as well. They’re preparing a meal right now, so you’ll probably be summoned when it's over." Honoka said to Jin, who turned his head down again.

It was probably Honoka's role to originally tell him this.

This time, he must have been told something by the Duodecim and the Librarium. He was grateful for the fact that he even brought the report and explained the situation and details.

"Honoka. What happened to Karenjina...?"

He asked in a muddy voice. The area was very quiet, so Honoka could still hear him without a problem.

"She was asked out a lot of questions about Captain Grimwood, but she didn't know anything about him and was not charged with a crime, but she was expelled and will be under surveillance for a while."

How she was interrogated was not in Honoka's words, but he could imagine. Jin felt a distinct sense of regret. Maybe he shouldn't have taken Karenjina with him, or maybe he should have kept her with him until the end.

It occurred to him that the choices she had made with Jin and Grimwood might have set her on the worst possible path.

"She's already been released from detention, but her... condition is not good. She is currently recuperating in a hospital room here."

"...I see."

“She seems to have had a tough time. But I'm sure the hardest part is yet to come.”

Honoka said, with an ambiguous tone.

Jin covered his face with his outstretched hand as the words seemed to pierce him.

“Well... I'll be on my way. If you'll excuse me."

Honoka saluted as he had been taught at the academy and walked away, a little concerned about Jin.

The sound of footsteps moving away echoed in the aisle. After that, it was no longer heard.

Jin clenched his weak hand into a fist and pounded the floor.

Jin's interrogation was surprisingly uneventful.

They started by checking his name and identity and then asked him when and where he was in battle, what he thought of the people of the 9th squad.

Then he asked him a few confirming questions and that was it.

It was probably decided from the beginning that Jin would not be punished. After all, he was the next head of the Kisaragi family, one of the Duodecim. There was no need to go to the trouble of incurring a grudge over something like this.

Jin was immediately released.

But before he left, he wanted to make a stop at a place. He asked a guard in a white robe who was walking behind him as his escort and he told him surprisingly easily where he should go.

He took the elevator up to the fifth floor and walked down the unadorned white-walled corridor. At the end of this straight stretch, Jin stopped in front of the door on the left.

A card labeled "Ward A" was held up.

The door had a small window with a grate on it, suggesting that this was a hospital room for those who were being judged.

He knocked on the door, bottled up the hesitation that was slowly seeping through and said her name.

“Come in.”

A horrifyingly inorganic voice came back, but it was definitely Karenjina's.

Jin opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a small room. There was a bed, an empty shelf, a white bedside table and a chair that was probably used by the doctor. That was it.

Karenjina lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Jin groaned briefly at the sight of her.

They turned her into a mess.

Bandages were wrapped around her neck, shoulders and arms. The blanket was covering the rest of her body, but she must have been injured below her abdomen as well. A large piece of gauze was placed on her cheek, and her eyes were blue and swollen. He wondered what had been done to her, but one of her ears was also covered with a thick layer of gauze. They looked like assault marks, but that's not the case when you're dealing with the Zeroth Squadron. The dreadlocks were completely trimmed and gone. These were the scars of attempted torture in various ways.

Jin went to the side of the bed and stood there without a word.

The dark blue eyes did not look at Jin. They just stared at a point on the ceiling as if they were trying to hold back something and don't waver.

There was silence for a while. Jin didn't know what kind of words were needed at this moment. Was it an apology, an explanation, silence or tears? Indignation or chastisement?

He couldn’t really choose any of these.

“...I used to hate you."

He heard her take a breath, and when Jin looked up, Karenjina chimed in.

Her eyes were still fixed on the ceiling, but her words were clearly directed at Jin.

“You were assigned to us out of nowhere and one of the Duodecim. I thought you had it easy, even taking a valet with you."

Jin listened to Karenjina's words without saying anything. Somehow, he felt that she didn't want him to say anything at all.

Karenjina continued with a monolog-like tone.

"But Grimwood wasn't like me. He welcomed you. I heard over and over again... That with you, 'we could end the war.' But it wasn't with me. I thought, he can't end the war with someone like myself, but he might be able to end it with you. I was jealous. Jealous of Grimwood's expectations of you.”

"..."

“But you're so strong. I can't compare in any way. Until you came, I was the one who stayed by Grimwood's side this whole time. I was the one who was most useful to him."

Her tone was too pale and weak to be called resentment.

With no expression on either of their faces, Karenjina stares at the ceiling and Jin stared at her.

“...If only it was me.” she muttered.

Karenjina went silent for a while.

It was only a little later that Jin noticed that her shallow breathing was shaky.

“Grimmwood is...”

Karenjina's voice trembled.

“He didn't leak anything.”

"..."

Jin gasped in dismay at the assertion, unsure as to why he was so upset. But for a moment, he felt a twinge of envy. Jin couldn't affirm why, but it was envy.

Clutching her right hand, which was covered in bandages to the fingertips, Karenjina spoke as if she were spitting out her last breath.

"Grimwood wanted to end the war more than anyone. He hated the idea of anyone dying. Even though he was a mercenary, he hated war."

Karenjina choked once and sniffed.

"Grimwood was not a spy. I believed in Grimwood. I believed in the man who pulled me out of hell. He's may be asshole when left me with behind, but I'll always believe in him."

Unable to hold it in, her voice turned upside down and tear drops spilled out of the corners of her eyes. Karenjina kept her fists clenched and her eyes closed. Perhaps because she seemed to admit that she was crying when she wiped her tears away.

“But there's nothing left. I have no strength to fight. I have nothing."

Jin looked at Karenjina’s left arm.

Apart from the bandages that hold the fingers and shoulders in place, there were bandages that just cover her forearm area.

He didn't know what they had done to her, but when he saw it, he knew that she was no longer able to use her Drive.

"I'm 'alone' again. There is never a time when I am not."

Karenjina said, as if it was a curse she was placing on herself.

Jin saw the look on her face and emotions of regret spill out. She was a stout soldier, but her face was contorted and distorted. She bit her lips and started sobbing. She was crying incessantly. Then, closed her eyes tightly and stifled her cries with a quivering sigh.

"So please. Just leave me alone already. I don't need anything anymore."

Unable to bear it, Jin turned his head away. At the same time, Karenjina also turned her face away from Jin.

The sobs continued.

He couldn't stay here forever. Jin eventually turned around, keeping his lips pursed.

But before he could leave, her fingers. Karenjina’s fingers grabbed the hem of Jin's dress.

"...Jin."

“What?”

“End this war."

With that, Karenjina removed her fingers from Jin's clothes. After watching her hand go back to the bed, Jin turned his back to Karenjina again.

He walked with a calm and unhurried gait and left the hospital Ward A. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard what sounded like a growl. Jin quickly left the room. He felt that he must not listen to her overflowing cries.

===Part 2===

As Jin exited the building of the Zeroth Squadron, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him.

The girl standing there holding the sword bag was a girl. Her long hair, fluttering in the gentle breeze, was a vivid camellia red.

"...Tsubaki."

Tsubaki Yayoi. She was the childhood friend of Jin, a junior at the academy and also the daughter of the Yayoi family of the Duodecim. The sky-blue eyes that sent Jin off in tears on the day he left for Yabiko were now gazing at him with a sincere look.

"...Jin Niisama. I'm glad you're safe."

She deeply bowed her head. Tsubaki was that kind of person. Polite and calm.

Not wanting to linger too long in a place where he could see the buildings of the Zeroth Squadron, Jin took Tsubaki with him and changed places.

After about ten minutes of walking, they chose a small park where they could see the arrival and departure of Ars Magus Vessels. On a bench painted green, Jin and Tsubaki sat side by side.

It was already evening.

The port welcoming the Ars Magus Vessels was lit up early, and the setting sun from the west added an orange hue to the long deck.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and turned her body to Jin, then lowered her eyes slightly and smiled modestly.

“When I heard that you had been detained, I just had to come over. I'm sorry for startling you."

"No, it's fine."

Jin spoke back shortly.

The moment he had seen her, Jin had understood. The reason why Jin was released had been so easy and straightforward. It was because Tsubaki had lobbied for it using her position in the Yayoi family. This would not have happened in the Kisaragi family. There were many people in that house who wanted to get rid of Jin. It would have been a hassle if they were disturbed and forced to help him. Rather, some would have tried to take advantage of this situation.

But before that could happen, the Yayoi family, no... Tsubaki made the first move.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki. I'm sorry I caused trouble for you."

One more regret piled up in Jin's mind.

Tsubaki shook her head in panic.

“It's no problem. I wanted to meet you, Jin. That is what I decided myself, so there's nothing for you to apologize for!"

[[File:SS1-5.png|thumb]]

Jin squinted dazzlingly at Tsubaki, whose cheeks flushed red as she tried to excuse herself. It made him feel pain in his chest and he turned away. To the cold head of the Kisaragi household, she was such a brilliant presence, Jin could only squint his eyes to look at her.

Tsubaki gazed at him with a gloomy expression.

A few seconds of silence passed.

A breeze blew through the air. Tsubaki gently called out to Jin as she pulled her flowing hair back over her ears.

"You look in pain."

"Pain, huh?"

The murmur he returned was unexpectedly twisted into self-mockery.

(What exactly is the pain I feel for?)

Was it that Grimwood had betrayed him? Or is it that he couldn't believe that Grimwood betrayed me?

Was it that he believed in Grimwood? Or was it knowing that he did not believe in Grimwood?

Grimwood had 'trust.' He believed in himself and his friends, that he could end the war.

“I'll probably get scolded for saying this, but..."

Tsubaki opened her mouth so as to slip her words into the evening breeze.

“I hate... war."

Jin looked sideways at the girl he had known since childhood.

He remembered that her father was also away from home, in the war zone as a guard of the Librarium.

Tsubaki’s sky blue eyes were filled with melancholy and sadness.

“Of course, I'm also an officer school student of the Librarium. For the sake of order and justice, I am prepared to fight even if I have to use myself as a shield. But it's not because I want to defeat anyone. It's because I want to protect as many people as possible."

Tsubaki clasped her hands tightly around her chest and looked at Jin.

“Because I want to protect the people I care about.”

“...Such naivety."

“I know that, but despite though I know, I still hate... war."

Tsubaki's lips twitched as she said this in a sultry tone. It's one of those habits that he used to see in her when she was little and she can't seem to get over it.

Jin replied, exhaling deeply.

“My feelings are the same.”

(I never used to have any impressions or feelings about war. I was not interested in my own life or death or even the life or death of others and I was just aware of war as something where people die a little more than usual.)

(But now, it didn't feel the same as it had then and at the same time, I can't send Tsubaki to that crazy place called "war".)

(But what can I do now? Do I have the "power" to change anything?)

Grimwood is no longer here.

The war still rages on.

"Jin Niisama. Take this."

As if remembering, Tsubaki held out the sword bag that was propped up beside her. She untied the string that had been around it and opened the bag. Inside was a single sword in a blue scabbard with a silver-green handle.

"Yukianesa...”

The luggage they had been told to pack was almost gone. There were only a few pieces of minimal equipment lying around from when they left the encampment with Grimwood.

Yukianesa was nowhere to be found, but that was a Nox Nyctores. If he needed it, he would just call out to it and it will come back, like a summoning spell. That's what Jin thought when it was gone, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

He didn't expect it to come back to him like this.

“It's valuable to you and I didn't want it to get lost. I've been keeping it at the Yayoi household. This is Jin Niisama's most precious possession, yours truly."

Tsubaki then presented Yukianesa to Jin with the sword bag intact, without touching it directly. When Jin had come to the Kisaragi family as an adopted child, this sword had been the only personal item he had with him. Tsubaki knew that.

As he was offered the sword, Jin took it from the bag. Through the soft cloth, he could feel the cool air of the pale blue scabbard.

Jin chuckled at the corner of his lips.

(Of course, this is the only "power" I have...)

The Nox Nyctores "Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa". This is the weapon that fought the Black Beast. If this sword had saved the world in the past, could it save at least one organization in turmoil during a civil war? Would I be able to protect at least this one girl who cared so much for me?

"Thank you, Tsubaki."

Jin stood up and returned only the sword bag to Tsubaki.

By that time, Jin's eyes had already changed their expression. This quiet, peaceful breaktime was over. It was too early for him to take any break. It was simpily not meant to be for him right now.

"I will do it."

There were still some things I hasn't finished.

"Are you going back to...?"

Tsubaki's lonely voice hung on his back. Jin nodded, gripping Yukianesa's scabbard tightly.

"Yeah. I'm not just going back. I'm going to 'End' it."

(That's what I've been entrusted with and it's the only thing I can do right now.)

Tsubaki stood up and saw Jin off as he started to walk away.

"Take care of yourself. When you return, I will welcome you wholeheartedly."

The gentle girls voice strengthened Jin's resolve.

===Part 3===

After leaving Yabiko, Jin went to the encampment to collect his belongings first. Fortunately, the base was still there and his luggage was still intact.

Currently, they were in the middle of a campaign to bring down Wadatsumi Castle and there were few of their people left here, making it easy for Jin to get his hands on them.

What he took out was a blue outfit. The battle dress of the Kisaragi family. Underneath it, he put an inner layer designed to resist cold air. He also put on a pair of gloves that were thicker than his usual and specially treated to block out the cold air.

Yukianesa is an ice sword. If you are half equipped, you will freeze yourself.

But with all this, he is able to run while swinging Yukianesa around with all his might. No need of worrying about the damage to his surroundings and without worrying about his bloodflow.

Once he was equipped, Jin quickly left the encampment.

He was headed to a battlefield — Wadatsumi Castle.

Now that Grimwood was gone and Karenjina broken, there was no time to find the someone who wanted to prolong the war.

That they are attacking Wadatsumi Castle again, makes this the perfect opportunity to end the war.

If this war were to end, when would it be? When Grimwood asked him that before, Jin replied that when they take the head of Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation, this war would be over.

That is the only "way to end the war" that Jin can choose.

He didn't know if he could kill Tenjō. He didn’t even know what Tenjō looked like.

But when that young soldier died, when his comrades died... When Grimwood died. When Karenjina lost even a place to cry.

And every time he thought of Tsubaki.

His mind was in 'discomfort'.

He didn’t care if he died in this mission. He didn’t care about anything, but to end the war. Jin's heart, which had before didn't care about the civil war, lit up. A cold flame flickered in his cold, frozen heart.

(That's enough. I've had enough! I don't want any more sacrifices, but still... There are people who need to be 'sacrificed' for this war to end. And I have a question for that... person.)

I don't care about the Librarium. I don't care about the Ikaruga Federation. I don't care about Wadatsumi Castle.

There is only one destination in sight. Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation.

Night had fallen and the sky was a refreshing light blue.

Wadatsumi Castle.

It was a large castle, spread out with the city at its feet. The towering keep was looking beautiful in the clear sky.

It was the residence of the head of the Ikaruga Federation, Tenjō, and is also the political center of the Federation. With the castle, which is also the symbol of the land of Ikaruga, as a magnificent backdrop, the battle between the Novus Orbis Librarium and the Ikaruga Federation forces had been going on since early morning on the plains before entering the city.

The firearms were larger, the Ars Magus and Armagus were flying about and people were out to kill each other with weapons in their hands.

The war situation was not looking good for the Librarium side. The persistence of the Ikaruga Federation Army, which had prepared itself for the end if it was allowed to cross this point, was tremendous and the Librariums forces were gradually being overwhelmed by their unending morale and momentum.

In addition, there was a great deal of distrust of the commander who was forcing the army to march without a plan, resulting in the soldiers of the Librarium gradually beginning to lose their will to fight.

The soldiers on the front line began to retreat, one by one. Finally, Ikaruga’s soldiers chase after the soldiers of the Librarium and raised their weapons.

That's when it happened.

Suddenly, a breath-chilling cold air streamed into the battlefield, creating a wall of ice so thick that the Ikaruga Federation soldiers, who were about to slay the Librarium soldiers, could not see beyond it.

"Wha... What the hell?"

The Ikaruga soldier, who had dashed at the ice with such force, backed away in confusion.

One after another, the walls appeared, cutting in between the Ikaruga soldiers and the Librarium soldiers. Their numbers grew quickly and eventually they surrounded the soldiers like a wall protecting them.

With his back to the wall of ice, a young man walks straight toward the Ikaruga Federation soldiers.

It was a blond young man dressed in blue. In his hand is a sword in a pale blue scabbard.

Cold green eyes glared at the Ikaruga Soldiers.

“Get out of the way unless you want to die.”

The cold air that swirled through the battlefield was generated around the young man.

The young man was even colder than the cold air that surrounded him. This became clear to Ikaruga soldiers the moment they set their sight on this young man.

A soldier of Ikaruga, realizing that the clothes he was wearing were of the design of the Librariums army, raised his weapon and said, "Don't fool with us, NOL scum!!”.

The surrounding soldiers followed suit, raising their guns or pointing their blades. But Jin, after taking just one look at them and walked right past them without a care in the world.

The soldiers with their weapons were unable to move. The moment they turned to face the enemy, ice crawled up from under their feet and covered their bodies, leaving their necks exposed.

There was a squad that spotted Jin and ran towards him. Turning around as he walked, Jin drew his sword and swung in the emptiness around him.

At that moment, ice ran across the ground and turned the entire squad into ice statues. The only thing that remained of them was their necks, so that they would not die.

One swing, then another. While icing anyone who comes near him, Jin aimed for the main gate of the castle.

Every time he used Yukianesa's power, he felt his heart grow colder.

— Kill

As if fed up with Jin, who has yet to kill a single person since entering the battlefield, Yukianesa invited him to kill them.

— Kill, slaughter, murder. Kill them all. Kill! Kill! Kill!

The harder he swung, the louder the voice disturbed Jin. But with each swing of the blade, Jin killed his own heart.

Wadatsumi Castle was surrounded by a strong defensive barrier.

This was not something that can be easily broken. Because of their inability to do so, the Librarium has been forced to retreat many times before.

An Ars Magus Barrier.

"...Yukianesa."

Jin called out with a breath the temperature of a blizzard and slashed with his sword. That was enough to freeze the barrier. The thrust that followed cracked the barrier with the ease of breaking thin ice.

The barrier will be repaired soon. However, after opening a hole just large enough for him to pass through, Jin entered the castle and looked up.

The highest point. The castle tower. There it was.

There she is. Tenjō.

The person sitting at the far end of the castle looked up at the shock of the barrier breaking.

Surrounded on all sides by bamboo screens, this was the place where Tenjō would sit. This is where she was waiting.

And she knew that it finally arrived.

"...Ah, so you are here. My 'death'."

The room was empty.

She made them all backoff. She told them there was no need to fight, but only few of them left the castle without a desire to fight.

That made her a little sad.

They shouldn't have to die. This sacrifice should have been minimal.

“It’s already more than enough.”

Yes, more than enough.

The seated figure, Tenjō, stood up and lifted the bamboo screen in front of her to welcome the icy wind that carried death.

At the same time, there was another person who noticed that the barrier had been broken.

He was a strong man who had been leading the evacuation of the inhabitants under Tenjō’s orders. He was wearing a special armor that has been handed down from generation to generation in Ikaruga. It is the costume of a Ninja, designed for speed and movement.

“Boss, what’s wrong?”

Called by his subordinate Ninja, the man in the deep green costume looked over with a difficult frown on his face.

"...I ask you to go ahead. I will catch up soon after!"

“Eh, wait! BOSS!!”

The figure who was called the "boss" kicked the ground and jumped into the air. He ran up on the roofs at a speed that no ordinary person could keep up with, using that speed to head for the castle tower in the shortest distance.

(It's falling...)

The Boss thought as he ran like the wind, if not faster than the wind.

He thought about the falling of... Wadatsumi Castle.

===Part 4===

Jin was running at full speed down the corridor of the tower he had stepped into, freezing every obstacle that stood in his way.

He was in a hurry. There was no time. He couldn’t afford to be lenient anymore.

He saw it just before he entered this place. He could see it clearly from the high tower.

The barrier that Jin had broke through in order to get here was still intact and the soldiers of the Librarium who had rushed inside were engaging the Ikaruga soldiers.

It was a place where the enemy should not have dared to enter. In addition, Jin had already passed through the area. With so few troops and so little time to react, the Ikaruga soldiers were unable to push back the Librarium soldiers and were being killed one by one.

(Why haven’t they repaired the Barrier yet...!)

They knew it was open. They knew that if they left it alone, the enemy would come in. Tenjō, the one who put up the barrier, knew that.

And yet it was not restored.

(Won't or can't?)

Does this mean that something happened to Tenjō, or was she already gone? All sorts of speculations swirled in his mind, but he couldn't be bothered with them.

(I will know when I get to the top. I won’t fall until then.)

He climbed over the railing, went out the window to the roof, and jumped across the building diagonally into a corridor that resembles a bridge.

That's when it happened. A number of fireballs flew across the corridor where Jin had landed. They were from Armagus, probably stray bullets from the brawl going on below.

Jin stopped in his tracks to avoid a direct hit, but the fire Ars Magus broke through the wall and landed in the back room, instantly turning the room into a sea of fire.

The fire flew across the corridor and started to burn from the end.

The freezing cold air that Jin had brought with him turned into hot, heat haze as the flames fanned it.

As if the heat called to him, a figure appears in his path. He was tall and had the type of physique in his silhouette, that makes one know he was armed with muscles.

Jin was familiar with the dark green costume worn in front of him. It must have been the costume of a Ninja, the spies who have lived in the land of Ikaruga since ancient times.

So the person who appeared in front of him, a man with his habitual hair pulled up high, was a Ninja from Ikaruga.

“Get out of the way. You are a nuisance.”

Looking at him coldly, Jin put his hand on the hilt of his sword and told him. Whoever the opponent, anything that blocked his way was an obstacle.

The Ninja standing on the other side of the corridor stared back at Jin with a powerful gaze as he brushed aside the hot air from the room that was burning nearby and prepared himself.

"No. I can't let you go any further!"

His grunch, thick voice twisted around the roar of the flames.

Jin clicked his tongue. It would be pointless to waste time here, even though he had walked across the roof to shorten the route.

But the other Ninja seemed to have no intention of giving way. His strong-willed eyes were blazing with hostility.

"My name is Bang Shishigami! I am a Ninja of Ikaruga, and I am the one who will defeat you!!"

He howled like a battering ram.

At the same time, the Ninja who called himself Bang came right at Jin in an instant, twisted in midair and unleashed a quick knee kick.

"...?!"

It happened so fast, like the blink of an eye.

Jin barely caught Bang's blow as he dove at him, right in front of his nose, just out of reach of his breath. As he caught the kick, Yukianesa's scabbard seemed to creak. The impact numbed his arm for a moment.

On recoil, Bang jumped and shot countless nails from high above.

Jin immediately pulled out Yukianesa and flicked the nails back, then ran down the hallway.

(He's fast!)

It was nothing compared to the average Ikaruga soldiers he had dealt with in the past. Jin's face twisted into a bitter expression as he dove into the back room, turning around and swinging his Yukianesa.

Sure enough, Bang was right on his heels. He jumped in and thrust his fist into Jin.

Jin half-accidentally caught it and parried it away.

Using his momentum to leap backward, Jin thrusts Yukianesa into the floor.

White ice ran. In an instant, it froze the floor in the area, but Bang's reaction speed was faster. In a single leap, he climbed to the ceiling and used the pillars as footholds to attack Jin again.

"Damn it...!"

He was in a hurry. As he clicked his tongue for what seemed like the hundredth time, Jin released the ice blade.

Countless shimmering ice blades shot through Bang's body one after another, knocking him down to the cold, icy floor.

He thought that was it... But it wasn't Bang that fell down, it was shabby wood from who knows where.

At the same time that Jin recognized, a hint of heat was generated behind him.

He turned around. At that moment, Jin received a strong impact on his chest and was blown backward.

He was slammed into the wooden floor and engulfed in several sliding doors supported by a thin framework. The blow to his head from the fall gave him a slight dizziness. He held his head and pulled himself up.

Bang bursts into his view.

"Don't think you can get away with the same move over and over again."

With these words, Jin cut. Yukianesa's slash, perfectly timed with the release of Bang's nails as shurikens, flicked off all three thrown with a single swipe.

The nails flew off in the wrong direction and made a rhythmic sound, piercing the floor at the back of the room, away from Jin and Bang.

Their gazes naturally turned to each other for a moment. Then they found something unexpected and swayed in dismay.

Right next to the nail stuck in the floor, there was a human figure.

Both Jin and Bang gasped in unison. The person who was looking at them quietly, without moving even though a nail flew at their feet, was a person with long purple hair flowing down their back. They were wearing a garment with wide cuffs and a white mask with a red pattern covering their face.

“My Lord... Why are you still here?”

At this sight, Bang shouted in clear agitation.

With that one word, Jin finally knew. He knew that the person there was Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation.

“Are you Tenjō?”

Muttering, Jin turned to the figure on the surface.

He was wondering what they looked like, but this only raised more questions. He couldn't even tell if they were a man or a woman. He felt a strange presence from Tenjō, as if they were neither.

"Don't look away!!"

Jin was about to head for the back when Bang's angry voice jumped at him.

Unhappy with his lords appearance, Jin kicked the floor and swung his fist at Bang, who flipped it back with a swiftly drawn sword. He instantly twisted around and slammed the tip of his scabbard into Bang's abdomen.

Unable to bear it, Bang bent over and moved backward to avoid Jin's continuous kicks.

“Huff, huff, huff.”

But still, with a ragged breath, Bang braced himself for more.

The unwavering hostility in his gaze caused Jin's heart to tremble.

— Kill, Kill, Kill.

(Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.....!!!)

It was unbearable. Jin thrust the blade into his heart to resist the urge to kill.

While tearing out his heart and soul and giving them to Yukianesa, he struggled to keep his unstoppable desire to kill from flowing outward.

(I don't kill...)

— Kill.

(I won’t kill!)

— Kill!.

(No more.........)

His mind couldn’t take it. If it was swallowed up, it will be the end.

The blade, driven mad by Yukianesa's murderous intent, would probably go on a rampage, wanting to kill everyone in the castle. That would be meaningless. If the sword would take over and kill everyone... What was even the point of coming here?

Jin inhaled deeply. His own breath was so cold that it froze him to the bottom of his lungs. The temperature dropped so fast that icicles formed around Jin.

Without a second thought, Bang came running in. Jin looked at him and cleaved the air with his Yukianesa.

“Arctic Dungeon.”

With a powerful ars, the breath that weaved words and the slashing stroke froze the whole area. The floor, the ceiling, the walls, the windows, the pillars and even Bang who tried to escape by jumping into the air.

“What!?”

Bang's body stiffened as his body could not withstand the temperature that had dropped too low.

“Trash...”

He did not realize that his short-sighted loyalty would lead to unnecessary sacrifices.

Jin slashed down on Bang's frozen body without hesitation.

"Aaaargh!!"

With a heavy wet sound, fresh blood splatters on the ice floor. After taking a slash to the forehead and then to the torso, Bang collapsed onto the floor on his back.

Jin brushed off the blood, sheathed Yukianesa, and strode to the back of the room without a glance at the fallen bang.

"And you...."

Tenjō was still standing at the back of the room. They could have escaped in this short time, but the white-masked lord did not.

It was as if they had stayed there to watch the situation unfold.

Bang crawled across the floor, staring up at Jin's back as he stepped toward Tenjō. He desperately reached out and shouted with all his might.

“My Lord! Please, run away! My Lord..!”

But he could no longer raise himself. His vision rapidly darkened and he choked back a scream, losing his consciousness at last.

A cold silence soaked the area.

In the frozen room, Jin faced Tenjō.

Tenjō, who until then had been as motionless as a doll, jerked slightly and changed the angle of their neck, shaking their long purple hair.

“Nox Nyctores Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa.”

The calm voice leaked through the mask with a hint of murkiness.

"...You're Tenjō, aren't you?"

Standing directly in front of them, Jin asked expressionlessly. Tenjō raised their face.

“Indeed and you, what are you called?”

[[File:SS1-6.png|thumb]]

“Jin Kisaragi."

Answered Jin as he put his hand on the silver hilt. He could pull it out at any time. If he pulled it out, he could kill her.

"No hard feelings, but... I will kill you and end this war."

With frozen determination, Jin looked coldly at Tenjō.

Slowly, the face with the white mask moved. Tenjō nodded deeply. It seemed to show understanding and deep acceptance.

With his eyes fixed on them, Jin opened his mouth without changing his stance.

"I have one last question. Is it true that you are the Imperator?"

"...Hm?"

Tenjō sounded impressed by the question.

"Knowing that I am the Imperator, why do you turn on me? Jin Kisaragi.”

The reply was affirmative. Jin swallowed the meaning slowly, as if gulping down a melting block of ice.

“Because you are the enemy."

The one to be defeated. That is the enemy.

“My enemy.”

Jin replied, and Tenjō chuckled slightly.

There's no time.

There is no time for unnecessary words.

"Tenjō. What was 'that thing'?"

At the question, Tenjō paused for a beat and dropped her thin shoulders.

"Oh, so, did you see that 'thing'?"

“Answer me.”

Jin's words were cold and sharp, as if he was thrusting the edge of a blade.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Tenjō turned their masked face upward. It was as if they were seeing a vision of that strange coffin that Meifang had told him existed for the Imperator.

"The price of freedom and peace: 'Death'... It is this war itself that death eats away at."

"The war itself?"

"And I am but a puppet that creates death."

Tenjō’s abstract words were not the answer Jin wanted.

However, the hints of despondency, resignation and emptiness in their voice made him feel that further questions were pointless.

The questions to ask and the one who has the answers that Jin seeks, was probably someone else.

"...Jin Kisaragi. End it."

Tenjō's whispered words sounded too gentle to be appropriate for this occasion.

"And resist against 'death' that will be born."

After saying that, Tenjō spread their hands. In their white ceramic-like hands that peeked out from their wide sleeves, there were a few talismans.

Somewhat mischievously, the 'woman' underneath the mask laughed.

"It must be a little painful to slay an unresisting opponent. However, there is no time for hesitation."

Just as Jin didn't have time, Tenjō seemed to not have it as well.

Jin raised his eyebrows in a quizzical manner. He didn't know why Tenjō didn't have time, but he also didn’t have a reason to find out.

Why?

Because this is where Tenjō ends.

Taking a deep breath, Tenjō spoke softly.

"Come now, I will accept it. With this, even if you were to die, it's the end."

"Nonsense."

Jin spat coldly, while gripping the silver hilt.

“I will survive.”

Underneath the mask, Jin thought he saw Tenjō smile faintly.

Jin closed his eyes, concentrating on his consciousness.

He saw the talisman released from Tenjō’s hand.

(What did she mean by “accepting it”...)

He muttered inwardly as if he were poisoning himself and Jin felt a moment of pity for Tenjō. Tenjō had been waiting. Letting death be the one who comes to kill her.

The blow of this talisman was only a bait to entice its cutting edge.

Then he must respond.

“Judgment...”

With a low chant, a pale blue magic circle spread out at Jin's feet. As soon as Tenjō’s talisman touches the circle, Jin releases it.

—Snowstorm.

The trajectory of the blade that he pulled out and swung caused the white ice to run.

The flash that he released froze Tenjō’s body instantly.

After a moment of complete silence, the ice shattered. At the same time, bright red blood spurted from the wound that had been slashed diagonally.

First, their knees hit the floor, then their slender body collapsed.

Walking to the side, Jin looked down at Tenjō, who was sinking in fresh blood.

They were still breathing. As he approached them, he noticed that the body, which was unexpectedly small, was trembling slightly as if it was responding to life.

Suddenly, a dry sound was heard. It was the sound of Tenjō’s mask falling off.

Her hidden face naturally appeared in Jin's vision. White skin, pale lips and eyelashes as purple as her hair. Beneath her eyelids, which looked as if they were about to fall, were bright red eyes.

Jin's eyes blinked.

Tenjō was a woman. She was youn, and had what most people would describe as a beautiful one.

Tenjō managed to lift her eyelids, which were losing strength, and looked up at Jin. Her red eyes were sad, but the expression on her face was in peace.

"Magnificent, such is the Power of Order..."

"The Power of Order?”

With an to him unknown name, Tenjō calls out to Jin and then draws her last breath.

Jin just stared dumbfounded at her dying face.

What surprised Jin was not that Tenjō was a woman.

It was because of the resemblance.

To a young girl.

“Saya...”

To his sister, with whom he had lived for a time as a child.

It made Jin understand all of Tenjō’s words that he hadn't been able to fully comprehend earlier.

“You don’t mean the 'purpose'... That things purpose... That coffin-!!”

"Oh, so, did you see that 'thing'? It is this war itself" Tenjō said, "that death eats away at."

So you could say this "war" is "that thing" itself. No.

(This 'war' IS for 'that thing'!)

That is assumption frightens Jin. For the past several years, both the Librarium and the Ikaruga Federation have been fighting. Countless people have died in a endless cycle without a clear end in sight for both sides. Seemingly, no one was benefiting from it other than scientists trying out new third party weapons. So, for what reason? For what use? For what purpose was this war for?

After seeing that cauldron of dead people being melted in masses, the way the 9th squad got rid of and the words of Tenjō herself, it became painfully obvious.

It was death.

'Death' was the purpose.

This war is about letting people die...

"Ohh, so here you were. I finally found you... Lieutenant Kisaragi."

Suddenly, he heard a voice and looked up with a gasp. His deep chain of thoughts were cut off as if a thread had been snapped.

Pulling himself up, Jin looked back toward the voice.

There was 'someone' there.

===Part 5===

Someone was standing at the entrance of the sliding door that Jin was blown through by Bang in the large room.

But Jin did not know who it was.

He could at least make out someone. There were two legs, a torso, two outstretched arms, a neck and a head on top of it.

Although he knew it had a human shape and he knew he could hear voices coming from it, he didn’t know 'what' it was. It's as if his vision had gone blurry and he couldn’t distinguish anything.

"At any rate, aren’t you cruel? I was the only one left behind. I'm still pretty hurt."

The person spread his hands around his shoulders and came towards Jin with a leisurely gait.

Jin gripped the scabbard of his sword tightly and stared at the 'someone'.

“Who are... you?”

Jin asked sharply and with caution.
　
The person paused as he entered the room.

"Who? Hmmm, this is troublesome. I don't know how to explain it... Oh, yes, I had a name, didn't I? It was Honoka, Lieutenant. Do you remember? Ohhhh, I hope so!"

Honoka.

Yes, that's the name of the boy soldier that the Duodecim forced on him when I left for the war. He was shorter than Jin and spoke without a sense of urgency, but once he started talking, he couldn't stop. However, when faced with dangerous situations, he cowered in fear and backed down.

On the battlefield and in the encampment, he was often worried about Jin's condition and was also busy with other chores such as making tea and fetching luggage.

He was there, however...

(What did he look like...? Why can't I remember?!)

What color was his hair? What color were his eyes? The color of his skin. He had assumed he was small, but he wondered how far his head actually stood in comparison to Honoka's. Even his voice. What was his voice like?

Jin's thoughts are jumbled and he can't put them together.

Honoka smiled at Jin as he stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Well, I don't really care what was I called.”

He shrugged his shoulders and walked nimbly to Jin's side.

"Even so, it's wonderful. To beat that Tenjō all by yourself like this. 'Jin Kisaragi', you are a 'hero'!"

Honoka spread his arms high and wide, speaking in an exaggerated manner like a stage actor.

“The war is now over. Well, it sure lasted for a long time. But, it's a shame, isn't it? So many people fought and fought and fought aaaaaaand... then died. For freedom and peace!! Oh, so many people gave up their lives......."

This person called Honoka enunciated from one end to the other.

He turned around and faced Jin, holding out his arms. It was as if he was holding the corpses of the many lives that died in this war.

“And then! The people of Ikaruga did not win their freedom and peace. They paid the price of so much death... It's sad, it's really sad."

"You..."

“But the war is over! I am glad! I am so glad!”

“Who the hell are you?!!"

(Wrong. I don’t know him. I don’t know that man who says Honoka.)

Jin asked himself as he slipped his hand onto Yukianesa.

At that moment, a dull thud struck Jin in the chest.

“Wha…”

Unsure of what had happened, Jin looked down at himself. A black snake's head was sticking out of his chest.

“Gah…”

He tried to say something, but his voice wouldn't come out. He tried to grip his sword, but his hand wouldn't move. It wasn't just his hands. He couldn't move his legs or his neck either.

Honoka... No, 'someone' walked up to Jin, who was trapped by the snake that had bitten his chest. A disgusting smile, like a crescent moon, clung to his mouth.

"But, you... you shouldn’t have gotten involved where you didn’t belong. "Jin Kisaragi..."

The tone of his voice changed drastically.

As soon as he did, Jin recognized the man in front of him clearly.

A tall man. He was wearing a black suit and a black hat. His hair leaked out from under the hat and turned out as green.

From the mans outstretched arms leaked a black chain that moored to the head of the snake that was biting into Jin's chest.

"You are...!"

Jin glared sharply at the man he had finally been able to see.

Overlapping the man in the suit, he saw a humanoid figure that looked like a mass of black shadow. The shadowy humanoid form had numerous green cracks running through it.

An unpleasant sensation spreads through Jin, one that he has never experienced before. This feeling is the same as the one he had when he saw the lines from Karenjina connecting to... "evil".

Forcing his immobile body to move, Jin tried to grab the sword, Yukianesa.

The double figured man bent over and laughed in amusement.

"Hihihihihi, as expected from the 'Power of Order'. Amazing, truly amazing!”

He wondered which of the two figures the coarse language was coming from. The sarcastic voice still laughed.

"Anyway, thanks for your help, Jin Kisaragi. I'm going to retrieve Tenjō’s body now, if you don't mind me."

With Jin in its grasp, the mass that made up a man in a black suit and the shadow with green cracks walked past him and lifted the fallen and motionless corpse of Tenjō onto its shoulders.

Then he looked back over his shoulder and smiled. He smiled with a crescent-shaped mouth.

“Oh, and... your 'memories' as well."

────。

─────────────────────。

The area was as quiet as if it had been flooded.

Everything in the large room was frozen and Jin was the only person standing in the middle of it, his breath white as clouds.

There were two people lying at his feet.

One was dressed in luxurious clothing with wide cuffs and wearing a 'White mask'.

“H-huh…”

Heavily tingling and aching, Jin pressed his head lightly.

"Damn... Did Yukianesa knock me out for a second...?"

He had held on desperately up to this point, but it seemed he had let his guard down at the last moment. Jin tightened his grip on Yukianesa in his hand.

Jin bent down on his knees beside the masked one who fell at his feet. He gently removes a mask that covered their face.

On the face that was hidden underneath, there was a large old scar that even changed their facial features. It was a scar that Jin wanted to turn away from, which would be enough reason to wear the mask.

“I'm sorry...”

He shouldn't have revealed it. He whispered an apology and put the mask back on their face.

The lord of the mask, Tenjō, was a formidable enemy and for that reason, he wanted to show at least a modicum of courtesy. Thid was the impact that Tenjō left on Jin.

"Jin Kisaragi has defeated Tenjō!"

He heard someone shouting that in the distance. Someones words spread one after another, creating a throb like a wave.

Jin cradled Tenjō’s corpse in his arms and opened the window of the castle tower to reveal himself outside.

Someone pointed at the window, noticing Jin and the word spread around.

A blond-haired young man in a Librarium outfit, along with Tenjō, who had died in his arms. At the sight of him, some jumped for joy with their hands in the air, while others collapsed on the ground and cried out. Some screamed in triumph, while others dropped their weapons in despair.

“Ahaaa!"

In the middle of it all, there was an unexpected scream. Jin could see exactly what had happened.

A soldier from the Librarium swung his sword at the helpless back of the Ikaruga soldier, who was nodding helplessly.

"The people of the Ikaruga Federation have been ordered to be 'exterminated'! Kill them all!"

The guard who had killed and discarded one of them raised his blood-soaked sword and shouted in high spirits.

In response, the surrounding guards of the Librarium took up their weapons one after another. The nearby Ikaruga soldiers fled one by one.

Jin furrowed his brow and kicked the roof he had been using as a foothold. Down, down. He slid down, and as soon as he landed, he pulled out his Yukianesa and stabbed it on the spot.

A cool sound rushed through the area with a chill breeze. Instantly the ground froze, engulfing the feet of all the soldiers standing there.

No one could move. The voices of astonishment and agitation were raised in their mouths.

In the middle of it. Jin stood up and coldly told them.

“The war is over."

(A lot of people died. I'm here to stop it.)

“No more futile killing... will be tolerated by me!"

There was no one who could resist Jin's words.

— On this day, the long lasting "Ikaruga Civil War" has ended.

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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6

2025-08-05T06:48:49Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 6: Hero / True face */

==Chapter 6: Hero / True face==

===Part 1===

When he woke up, Jin couldn't stand up, not because of fatigue or pain, but because of a terrible feeling of helplessness.

Jin was in a small, dimly lit prison cell, surrounded by blackened gray concrete. He seemed to be lying on a mat on a bed that looked like a simple board attached to the wall, covered with a worn blanket.

He remembered what happened much more clearly than in his dreams while he was asleep.

Three soldiers, folded up and dead.

Countless corpses were brought in as if they were something like fuel for a cauldron.

Then there was... Grimwood's body, strangled by the throat and hung midair, Meifang looking up at him and smiling.

A neck that was shredded and a torso that fell.

Jin recalled the scene over and over again in the back of his eyelids as he sat cowering on the cold floor.

There was no rug on the floor, and the concrete was cold, but the sensation of feeling it seemed so far away that it was difficult to realize that it was his own sensation.

Jin was in a branch of the Zeroth Squadron in the sixth level of Yabiko City, in a room where criminals are detained awaiting justice.

The person who retrieved Jin was a member of the Zeroth Squadron who was in the same place at the time, and the wound on his shoulder had received only minimal treatment. What he was wearing was still the same, but all of his belongings were placed together right next to the prison.

...It was Honoka, standing behind the barred door, who explained to Jin.

"Captain Grimwood was a spy for Sector Seven. He has been leaking information to the outside, but this time he was informed that there were important secrets of the Librarium there, and he was trying to sell the contents to Kokonoe of Sector Seven...”

After these few words, Honoka moved his eyes to the document he was holding in his hand. It was a report on the series of events that had taken place after the boy soldier had arrived at the time.

Honoka dropped his thin shoulders and sighed.

“According to the investigation by the Zeroth Squadron, in addition to leaking information, he was involved in a variety of other activities, such as diverting equipment, sabotaging facilities and helping prisoners escape. It may have been because of him that the front line we were on did not produce effective results.”

Cleverly controlling the information and the battlefield, trying to coordinate so that neither side wins too much. They must have been using that place as their base of operations. That was how the Zeroth Squadron viewed it.

"...Lieutenant?"

Perhaps worried by Jin's lack of response , Honoka lowered his papers and peered behind the grate. Jin's eyes remained motionless as he stared blankly into the empty space. Not knowing if he was listening or not, Honoka peeked in, stepped forward and smiled a little.

"It's outrageous that he would involve and take advantage of you, Lieutenant Kisaragi, but since he was a spy, he was likely an expert at deception... And in the first place, there was no way around it.

“.....Ha!”

Apparently, Honoka thought that Jin was shocked by Grimwood's betrayal. An amusing thought, so Jin let out a light chuckle as he gushed.

He slowly raised his gaze to look at Honoka, who was puzzled. His green eyes had the color of exhaustion in them, though he was still able to reason.

"You don't believe it, don't you?"

His voice was hoarse and muddy as he spoke with a dry throat. Honoka tilted his head at the question. Then, he looked back and forth in a troubled way between the document in his hand and Jin, as if comparing them several times.

“Well, whether I believe it or not... it has already been officially accepted as a fact by the Librarium, so..."

Regardless of whether you believe it or not, this was acknowledged as a "fact". There was no room for personal feelings to enter.

Grimwood was recorded as a "sinner". That disgrace will remain with his name for a long time to come.

"With all due respect, I think you were deceived, Lieutenant Kisaragi. Deceived by how much of a good man he was. But I don't think the person you saw is necessarily the person they really are.”

Perhaps there was a side to Grimwood that Jin was completely unaware of. Jin didn't know the big, earnest man well enough to deny that possibility.

After all, it had only been less than a year since they had met.

(One year...)

In that period of time, Jin realized that he was quite fond of the big man. He liked him as a person. If he had stayed with him for a few more years, he might have had some unfamiliar feelings of respect for him, though not as much as Karenjina. He wasn’t sure if he thought that way because his emotions were romanticizing his impressions of his former captain.

"It seems that Lieutenant Kisaragi will be questioned as well. They’re preparing a meal right now, so you’ll probably be summoned when it's over." Honoka said to Jin, who turned his head down again.

It was probably Honoka's role to originally tell him this.

This time, he must have been told something by the Duodecim and the Librarium. He was grateful for the fact that he even brought the report and explained the situation and details.

"Honoka. What happened to Karenjina...?"

He asked in a muddy voice. The area was very quiet, so Honoka could still hear him without a problem.

"She was asked out a lot of questions about Captain Grimwood, but she didn't know anything about him and was not charged with a crime, but she was expelled and will be under surveillance for a while."

How she was interrogated was not in Honoka's words, but he could imagine. Jin felt a distinct sense of regret. Maybe he shouldn't have taken Karenjina with him, or maybe he should have kept her with him until the end.

It occurred to him that the choices she had made with Jin and Grimwood might have set her on the worst possible path.

"She's already been released from detention, but her... condition is not good. She is currently recuperating in a hospital room here."

"...I see."

“She seems to have had a tough time. But I'm sure the hardest part is yet to come.”

Honoka said, with an ambiguous tone.

Jin covered his face with his outstretched hand as the words seemed to pierce him.

“Well... I'll be on my way. If you'll excuse me."

Honoka saluted as he had been taught at the academy and walked away, a little concerned about Jin.

The sound of footsteps moving away echoed in the aisle. After that, it was no longer heard.

Jin clenched his weak hand into a fist and pounded the floor.

Jin's interrogation was surprisingly uneventful.

They started by checking his name and identity and then asked him when and where he was in battle, what he thought of the people of the 9th squad.

Then he asked him a few confirming questions and that was it.

It was probably decided from the beginning that Jin would not be punished. After all, he was the next head of the Kisaragi family, one of the Duodecim. There was no need to go to the trouble of incurring a grudge over something like this.

Jin was immediately released.

But before he left, he wanted to make a stop at a place. He asked a guard in a white robe who was walking behind him as his escort and he told him surprisingly easily where he should go.

He took the elevator up to the fifth floor and walked down the unadorned white-walled corridor. At the end of this straight stretch, Jin stopped in front of the door on the left.

A card labeled "Ward A" was held up.

The door had a small window with a grate on it, suggesting that this was a hospital room for those who were being judged.

He knocked on the door, bottled up the hesitation that was slowly seeping through and said her name.

“Come in.”

A horrifyingly inorganic voice came back, but it was definitely Karenjina's.

Jin opened the door and stepped inside.

It was a small room. There was a bed, an empty shelf, a white bedside table and a chair that was probably used by the doctor. That was it.

Karenjina lay on her bed, staring at the ceiling.

Jin groaned briefly at the sight of her.

They turned her into a mess.

Bandages were wrapped around her neck, shoulders and arms. The blanket was covering the rest of her body, but she must have been injured below her abdomen as well. A large piece of gauze was placed on her cheek, and her eyes were blue and swollen. He wondered what had been done to her, but one of her ears was also covered with a thick layer of gauze. They looked like assault marks, but that's not the case when you're dealing with the Zeroth Squadron. The dreadlocks were completely trimmed and gone. These were the scars of attempted torture in various ways.

Jin went to the side of the bed and stood there without a word.

The dark blue eyes did not look at Jin. They just stared at a point on the ceiling as if they were trying to hold back something and don't waver.

There was silence for a while. Jin didn't know what kind of words were needed at this moment. Was it an apology, an explanation, silence or tears? Indignation or chastisement?

He couldn’t really choose any of these.

“...I used to hate you."

He heard her take a breath, and when Jin looked up, Karenjina chimed in.

Her eyes were still fixed on the ceiling, but her words were clearly directed at Jin.

“You were assigned to us out of nowhere and one of the Duodecim. I thought you had it easy, even taking a valet with you."

Jin listened to Karenjina's words without saying anything. Somehow, he felt that she didn't want him to say anything at all.

Karenjina continued with a monolog-like tone.

"But Grimwood wasn't like me. He welcomed you. I heard over and over again... That with you, 'we could end the war.' But it wasn't with me. I thought, he can't end the war with someone like myself, but he might be able to end it with you. I was jealous. Jealous of Grimwood's expectations of you.”

"..."

“But you're so strong. I can't compare in any way. Until you came, I was the one who stayed by Grimwood's side this whole time. I was the one who was most useful to him."

Her tone was too pale and weak to be called resentment.

With no expression on either of their faces, Karenjina stares at the ceiling and Jin stared at her.

“...If only it was me.” she muttered.

Karenjina went silent for a while.

It was only a little later that Jin noticed that her shallow breathing was shaky.

“Grimmwood is...”

Karenjina's voice trembled.

“He didn't leak anything.”

"..."

Jin gasped in dismay at the assertion, unsure as to why he was so upset. But for a moment, he felt a twinge of envy. Jin couldn't affirm why, but it was envy.

Clutching her right hand, which was covered in bandages to the fingertips, Karenjina spoke as if she were spitting out her last breath.

"Grimwood wanted to end the war more than anyone. He hated the idea of anyone dying. Even though he was a mercenary, he hated war."

Karenjina choked once and sniffed.

"Grimwood was not a spy. I believed in Grimwood. I believed in the man who pulled me out of hell. He's may be asshole when left me with behind, but I'll always believe in him."

Unable to hold it in, her voice turned upside down and tear drops spilled out of the corners of her eyes. Karenjina kept her fists clenched and her eyes closed. Perhaps because she seemed to admit that she was crying when she wiped her tears away.

“But there's nothing left. I have no strength to fight. I have nothing."

Jin looked at Karenjina’s left arm.

Apart from the bandages that hold the fingers and shoulders in place, there were bandages that just cover her forearm area.

He didn't know what they had done to her, but when he saw it, he knew that she was no longer able to use her Drive.

"I'm 'alone' again. There is never a time when I am not."

Karenjina said, as if it was a curse she was placing on herself.

Jin saw the look on her face and emotions of regret spill out. She was a stout soldier, but her face was contorted and distorted. She bit her lips and started sobbing. She was crying incessantly. Then, closed her eyes tightly and stifled her cries with a quivering sigh.

"So please. Just leave me alone already. I don't need anything anymore."

Unable to bear it, Jin turned his head away. At the same time, Karenjina also turned her face away from Jin.

The sobs continued.

He couldn't stay here forever. Jin eventually turned around, keeping his lips pursed.

But before he could leave, her fingers. Karenjina’s fingers grabbed the hem of Jin's dress.

"...Jin."

“What?”

“End this war."

With that, Karenjina removed her fingers from Jin's clothes. After watching her hand go back to the bed, Jin turned his back to Karenjina again.

He walked with a calm and unhurried gait and left the hospital Ward A. Just as he was about to close the door behind him, he heard what sounded like a growl. Jin quickly left the room. He felt that he must not listen to her overflowing cries.

===Part 2===

As Jin exited the building of the Zeroth Squadron, he saw a familiar figure waiting for him.

The girl standing there holding the sword bag was a girl. Her long hair, fluttering in the gentle breeze, was a vivid camellia red.

"...Tsubaki."

Tsubaki Yayoi. She was the childhood friend of Jin, a junior at the academy and also the daughter of the Yayoi family of the Duodecim. The sky-blue eyes that sent Jin off in tears on the day he left for Yabiko were now gazing at him with a sincere look.

"...Jin Niisama. I'm glad you're safe."

She deeply bowed her head. Tsubaki was that kind of person. Polite and calm.

Not wanting to linger too long in a place where he could see the buildings of the Zeroth Squadron, Jin took Tsubaki with him and changed places.

After about ten minutes of walking, they chose a small park where they could see the arrival and departure of Ars Magus Vessels. On a bench painted green, Jin and Tsubaki sat side by side.

It was already evening.

The port welcoming the Ars Magus Vessels was lit up early, and the setting sun from the west added an orange hue to the long deck.

She tucked her hair behind her ears and turned her body to Jin, then lowered her eyes slightly and smiled modestly.

“When I heard that you had been detained, I just had to come over. I'm sorry for startling you."

"No, it's fine."

Jin spoke back shortly.

The moment he had seen her, Jin had understood. The reason why Jin was released had been so easy and straightforward. It was because Tsubaki had lobbied for it using her position in the Yayoi family. This would not have happened in the Kisaragi family. There were many people in that house who wanted to get rid of Jin. It would have been a hassle if they were disturbed and forced to help him. Rather, some would have tried to take advantage of this situation.

But before that could happen, the Yayoi family, no... Tsubaki made the first move.

"I'm sorry, Tsubaki. I'm sorry I caused trouble for you."

One more regret piled up in Jin's mind.

Tsubaki shook her head in panic.

“It's no problem. I wanted to meet you, Jin. That is what I decided myself, so there's nothing for you to apologize for!"

[[File:SS1-5.png|thumb]]

Jin squinted dazzlingly at Tsubaki, whose cheeks flushed red as she tried to excuse herself. It made him feel pain in his chest and he turned away. To the cold head of the Kisaragi household, she was such a brilliant presence, Jin could only squint his eyes to look at her.

Tsubaki gazed at him with a gloomy expression.

A few seconds of silence passed.

A breeze blew through the air. Tsubaki gently called out to Jin as she pulled her flowing hair back over her ears.

"You look in pain."

"Pain, huh?"

The murmur he returned was unexpectedly twisted into self-mockery.

(What exactly is the pain I feel for?)

Was it that Grimwood had betrayed him? Or is it that he couldn't believe that Grimwood betrayed me?

Was it that he believed in Grimwood? Or was it knowing that he did not believe in Grimwood?

Grimwood had 'trust.' He believed in himself and his friends, that he could end the war.

“I'll probably get scolded for saying this, but..."

Tsubaki opened her mouth so as to slip her words into the evening breeze.

“I hate... war."

Jin looked sideways at the girl he had known since childhood.

He remembered that her father was also away from home, in the war zone as a guard of the Librarium.

Tsubaki’s sky blue eyes were filled with melancholy and sadness.

“Of course, I'm also an officer school student of the Librarium. For the sake of order and justice, I am prepared to fight even if I have to use myself as a shield. But it's not because I want to defeat anyone. It's because I want to protect as many people as possible."

Tsubaki clasped her hands tightly around her chest and looked at Jin.

“Because I want to protect the people I care about.”

“...Such naivety."

“I know that, but despite though I know, I still hate... war."

Tsubaki's lips twitched as she said this in a sultry tone. It's one of those habits that he used to see in her when she was little and she can't seem to get over it.

Jin replied, exhaling deeply.

“My feelings are the same.”

(I never used to have any impressions or feelings about war. I was not interested in my own life or death or even the life or death of others and I was just aware of war as something where people die a little more than usual.)

(But now, it didn't feel the same as it had then and at the same time, I can't send Tsubaki to that crazy place called "war".)

(But what can I do now? Do I have the "power" to change anything?)

Grimwood is no longer here.

The war still rages on.

"Jin Niisama. Take this."

As if remembering, Tsubaki held out the sword bag that was propped up beside her. She untied the string that had been around it and opened the bag. Inside was a single sword in a blue scabbard with a silver-green handle.

"Yukianesa...”

The luggage they had been told to pack was almost gone. There were only a few pieces of minimal equipment lying around from when they left the encampment with Grimwood.

Yukianesa was nowhere to be found, but that was a Nox Nyctores. If he needed it, he would just call out to it and it will come back, like a summoning spell. That's what Jin thought when it was gone, so he didn't pay much attention to it.

He didn't expect it to come back to him like this.

“It's valuable to you and I didn't want it to get lost. I've been keeping it at the Yayoi household. This is Jin Niisama's most precious possession, yours truly."

Tsubaki then presented Yukianesa to Jin with the sword bag intact, without touching it directly. When Jin had come to the Kisaragi family as an adopted child, this sword had been the only personal item he had with him. Tsubaki knew that.

As he was offered the sword, Jin took it from the bag. Through the soft cloth, he could feel the cool air of the pale blue scabbard.

Jin chuckled at the corner of his lips.

(Of course, this is the only "power" I have...)

The Nox Nyctores "Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa". This is the weapon that fought the Black Beast. If this sword had saved the world in the past, could it save at least one organization in turmoil during a civil war? Would I be able to protect at least this one girl who cared so much for me?

"Thank you, Tsubaki."

Jin stood up and returned only the sword bag to Tsubaki.

By that time, Jin's eyes had already changed their expression. This quiet, peaceful breaktime was over. It was too early for him to take any break. It was simpily not meant to be for him right now.

"I will do it."

There were still some things I hasn't finished.

"Are you going back to...?"

Tsubaki's lonely voice hung on his back. Jin nodded, gripping Yukianesa's scabbard tightly.

"Yeah. I'm not just going back. I'm going to 'End' it."

(That's what I've been entrusted with and it's the only thing I can do right now.)

Tsubaki stood up and saw Jin off as he started to walk away.

"Take care of yourself. When you return, I will welcome you wholeheartedly."

The gentle girls voice strengthened Jin's resolve.

===Part 3===

After leaving Yabiko, Jin went to the encampment to collect his belongings first. Fortunately, the base was still there and his luggage was still intact.

Currently, they were in the middle of a campaign to bring down Wadatsumi Castle and there were few of their people left here, making it easy for Jin to get his hands on them.

What he took out was a blue outfit. The battle dress of the Kisaragi family. Underneath it, he put an inner layer designed to resist cold air. He also put on a pair of gloves that were thicker than his usual and specially treated to block out the cold air.

Yukianesa is an ice sword. If you are half equipped, you will freeze yourself.

But with all this, he is able to run while swinging Yukianesa around with all his might. No need of worrying about the damage to his surroundings and without worrying about his bloodflow.

Once he was equipped, Jin quickly left the encampment.

He was headed to a battlefield — Wadatsumi Castle.

Now that Grimwood was gone and Karenjina broken, there was no time to find the someone who wanted to prolong the war.

That they are attacking Wadatsumi Castle again, makes this the perfect opportunity to end the war.

If this war were to end, when would it be? When Grimwood asked him that before, Jin replied that when they take the head of Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation, this war would be over.

That is the only "way to end the war" that Jin can choose.

He didn't know if he could kill Tenjō. He didn’t even know what Tenjō looked like.

But when that young soldier died, when his comrades died... When Grimwood died. When Karenjina lost even a place to cry.

And every time he thought of Tsubaki.

His mind was in 'discomfort'.

He didn’t care if he died in this mission. He didn’t care about anything, but to end the war. Jin's heart, which had before didn't care about the civil war, lit up. A cold flame flickered in his cold, frozen heart.

(That's enough. I've had enough! I don't want any more sacrifices, but still... There are people who need to be 'sacrificed' for this war to end. And I have a question for that... person.)

I don't care about the Librarium. I don't care about the Ikaruga Federation. I don't care about Wadatsumi Castle.

There is only one destination in sight. Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation.

Night had fallen and the sky was a refreshing light blue.

Wadatsumi Castle.

It was a large castle, spread out with the city at its feet. The towering keep was looking beautiful in the clear sky.

It was the residence of the head of the Ikaruga Federation, Tenjō, and is also the political center of the Federation. With the castle, which is also the symbol of the land of Ikaruga, as a magnificent backdrop, the battle between the Novus Orbis Librarium and the Ikaruga Federation forces had been going on since early morning on the plains before entering the city.

The firearms were larger, the Ars Magus and Armagus were flying about and people were out to kill each other with weapons in their hands.

The war situation was not looking good for the Librarium side. The persistence of the Ikaruga Federation Army, which had prepared itself for the end if it was allowed to cross this point, was tremendous and the Librariums forces were gradually being overwhelmed by their unending morale and momentum.

In addition, there was a great deal of distrust of the commander who was forcing the army to march without a plan, resulting in the soldiers of the Librarium gradually beginning to lose their will to fight.

The soldiers on the front line began to retreat, one by one. Finally, Ikaruga’s soldiers chase after the soldiers of the Librarium and raised their weapons.

That's when it happened.

Suddenly, a breath-chilling cold air streamed into the battlefield, creating a wall of ice so thick that the Ikaruga Federation soldiers, who were about to slay the Librarium soldiers, could not see beyond it.

"Wha... What the hell?"

The Ikaruga soldier, who had dashed at the ice with such force, backed away in confusion.

One after another, the walls appeared, cutting in between the Ikaruga soldiers and the Librarium soldiers. Their numbers grew quickly and eventually they surrounded the soldiers like a wall protecting them.

With his back to the wall of ice, a young man walks straight toward the Ikaruga Federation soldiers.

It was a blond young man dressed in blue. In his hand is a sword in a pale blue scabbard.

Cold green eyes glared at the Ikaruga Soldiers.

“Get out of the way unless you want to die.”

The cold air that swirled through the battlefield was generated around the young man.

The young man was even colder than the cold air that surrounded him. This became clear to Ikaruga soldiers the moment they set their sight on this young man.

A soldier of Ikaruga, realizing that the clothes he was wearing were of the design of the Librariums army, raised his weapon and said, "Don't fool with us, NOL scum!!”.

The surrounding soldiers followed suit, raising their guns or pointing their blades. But Jin, after taking just one look at them and walked right past them without a care in the world.

The soldiers with their weapons were unable to move. The moment they turned to face the enemy, ice crawled up from under their feet and covered their bodies, leaving their necks exposed.

There was a squad that spotted Jin and ran towards him. Turning around as he walked, Jin drew his sword and swung in the emptiness around him.

At that moment, ice ran across the ground and turned the entire squad into ice statues. The only thing that remained of them was their necks, so that they would not die.

One swing, then another. While icing anyone who comes near him, Jin aimed for the main gate of the castle.

Every time he used Yukianesa's power, he felt his heart grow colder.

— Kill

As if fed up with Jin, who has yet to kill a single person since entering the battlefield, Yukianesa invited him to kill them.

— Kill, slaughter, murder. Kill them all. Kill! Kill! Kill!

The harder he swung, the louder the voice disturbed Jin. But with each swing of the blade, Jin killed his own heart.

Wadatsumi Castle was surrounded by a strong defensive barrier.

This was not something that can be easily broken. Because of their inability to do so, the Librarium has been forced to retreat many times before.

A Ars Magus Barrier.

"...Yukianesa."

Jin called out with a breath the temperature of a blizzard and slashed with his sword. That was enough to freeze the barrier. The thrust that followed cracked the barrier with the ease of breaking thin ice.

The barrier will be repaired soon. However, after opening a hole just large enough for him to pass through, Jin entered the castle and looked up.

The highest point. The castle tower. There it was.

There she is. Tenjō.

The person sitting at the far end of the castle looked up at the shock of the barrier breaking.

Surrounded on all sides by bamboo screens, this was the place where Tenjō would sit. This is where she was waiting.

And she knew that it finally arrived.

"...Ah, so you are here. My 'death'."

The room was empty.

She made them all backoff. She told them there was no need to fight, but only few of them left the castle without a desire to fight.

That made her a little sad.

They shouldn't have to die. This sacrifice should have been minimal.

“It’s already more than enough.”

Yes, more than enough.

The seated figure, Tenjō, stood up and lifted the bamboo screen in front of her to welcome the icy wind that carried death.

At the same time, there was another person who noticed that the barrier had been broken.

He was a strong man who had been leading the evacuation of the inhabitants under Tenjō’s orders. He was wearing a special armor that has been handed down from generation to generation in Ikaruga. It is the costume of a Ninja, designed for speed and movement.

“Boss, what’s wrong?”

Called by his subordinate Ninja, the man in the deep green costume looked over with a difficult frown on his face.

"...I ask you to go ahead. I will catch up soon after!"

“Eh, wait! BOSS!!”

The figure who was called the "boss" kicked the ground and jumped into the air. He ran up on the roofs at a speed that no ordinary person could keep up with, using that speed to head for the castle tower in the shortest distance.

(It's falling...)

The Boss thought as he ran like the wind, if not faster than the wind.

He thought about the falling of... Wadatsumi Castle.

===Part 4===

Jin was running at full speed down the corridor of the tower he had stepped into, freezing every obstacle that stood in his way.

He was in a hurry. There was no time. He couldn’t afford to be lenient anymore.

He saw it just before he entered this place. He could see it clearly from the high tower.

The barrier that Jin had broke through in order to get here was still intact and the soldiers of the Librarium who had rushed inside were engaging the Ikaruga soldiers.

It was a place where the enemy should not have dared to enter. In addition, Jin had already passed through the area. With so few troops and so little time to react, the Ikaruga soldiers were unable to push back the Librarium soldiers and were being killed one by one.

(Why haven’t they repaired the Barrier yet...!)

They knew it was open. They knew that if they left it alone, the enemy would come in. Tenjō, the one who put up the barrier, knew that.

And yet it was not restored.

(Won't or can't?)

Does this mean that something happened to Tenjō, or was she already gone? All sorts of speculations swirled in his mind, but he couldn't be bothered with them.

(I will know when I get to the top. I won’t fall until then.)

He climbed over the railing, went out the window to the roof, and jumped across the building diagonally into a corridor that resembles a bridge.

That's when it happened. A number of fireballs flew across the corridor where Jin had landed. They were from Armagus, probably stray bullets from the brawl going on below.

Jin stopped in his tracks to avoid a direct hit, but the fire Ars Magus broke through the wall and landed in the back room, instantly turning the room into a sea of fire.

The fire flew across the corridor and started to burn from the end.

The freezing cold air that Jin had brought with him turned into hot, heat haze as the flames fanned it.

As if the heat called to him, a figure appears in his path. He was tall and had the type of physique in his silhouette, that makes one know he was armed with muscles.

Jin was familiar with the dark green costume worn in front of him. It must have been the costume of a Ninja, the spies who have lived in the land of Ikaruga since ancient times.

So the person who appeared in front of him, a man with his habitual hair pulled up high, was a Ninja from Ikaruga.

“Get out of the way. You are a nuisance.”

Looking at him coldly, Jin put his hand on the hilt of his sword and told him. Whoever the opponent, anything that blocked his way was an obstacle.

The Ninja standing on the other side of the corridor stared back at Jin with a powerful gaze as he brushed aside the hot air from the room that was burning nearby and prepared himself.

"No. I can't let you go any further!"

His grunch, thick voice twisted around the roar of the flames.

Jin clicked his tongue. It would be pointless to waste time here, even though he had walked across the roof to shorten the route.

But the other Ninja seemed to have no intention of giving way. His strong-willed eyes were blazing with hostility.

"My name is Bang Shishigami! I am a Ninja of Ikaruga, and I am the one who will defeat you!!"

He howled like a battering ram.

At the same time, the Ninja who called himself Bang came right at Jin in an instant, twisted in midair and unleashed a quick knee kick.

"...?!"

It happened so fast, like the blink of an eye.

Jin barely caught Bang's blow as he dove at him, right in front of his nose, just out of reach of his breath. As he caught the kick, Yukianesa's scabbard seemed to creak. The impact numbed his arm for a moment.

On recoil, Bang jumped and shot countless nails from high above.

Jin immediately pulled out Yukianesa and flicked the nails back, then ran down the hallway.

(He's fast!)

It was nothing compared to the average Ikaruga soldiers he had dealt with in the past. Jin's face twisted into a bitter expression as he dove into the back room, turning around and swinging his Yukianesa.

Sure enough, Bang was right on his heels. He jumped in and thrust his fist into Jin.

Jin half-accidentally caught it and parried it away.

Using his momentum to leap backward, Jin thrusts Yukianesa into the floor.

White ice ran. In an instant, it froze the floor in the area, but Bang's reaction speed was faster. In a single leap, he climbed to the ceiling and used the pillars as footholds to attack Jin again.

"Damn it...!"

He was in a hurry. As he clicked his tongue for what seemed like the hundredth time, Jin released the ice blade.

Countless shimmering ice blades shot through Bang's body one after another, knocking him down to the cold, icy floor.

He thought that was it... But it wasn't Bang that fell down, it was shabby wood from who knows where.

At the same time that Jin recognized, a hint of heat was generated behind him.

He turned around. At that moment, Jin received a strong impact on his chest and was blown backward.

He was slammed into the wooden floor and engulfed in several sliding doors supported by a thin framework. The blow to his head from the fall gave him a slight dizziness. He held his head and pulled himself up.

Bang bursts into his view.

"Don't think you can get away with the same move over and over again."

With these words, Jin cut. Yukianesa's slash, perfectly timed with the release of Bang's nails as shurikens, flicked off all three thrown with a single swipe.

The nails flew off in the wrong direction and made a rhythmic sound, piercing the floor at the back of the room, away from Jin and Bang.

Their gazes naturally turned to each other for a moment. Then they found something unexpected and swayed in dismay.

Right next to the nail stuck in the floor, there was a human figure.

Both Jin and Bang gasped in unison. The person who was looking at them quietly, without moving even though a nail flew at their feet, was a person with long purple hair flowing down their back. They were wearing a garment with wide cuffs and a white mask with a red pattern covering their face.

“My Lord... Why are you still here?”

At this sight, Bang shouted in clear agitation.

With that one word, Jin finally knew. He knew that the person there was Tenjō, the head of the Ikaruga Federation.

“Are you Tenjō?”

Muttering, Jin turned to the figure on the surface.

He was wondering what they looked like, but this only raised more questions. He couldn't even tell if they were a man or a woman. He felt a strange presence from Tenjō, as if they were neither.

"Don't look away!!"

Jin was about to head for the back when Bang's angry voice jumped at him.

Unhappy with his lords appearance, Jin kicked the floor and swung his fist at Bang, who flipped it back with a swiftly drawn sword. He instantly twisted around and slammed the tip of his scabbard into Bang's abdomen.

Unable to bear it, Bang bent over and moved backward to avoid Jin's continuous kicks.

“Huff, huff, huff.”

But still, with a ragged breath, Bang braced himself for more.

The unwavering hostility in his gaze caused Jin's heart to tremble.

— Kill, Kill, Kill.

(Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah.....!!!)

It was unbearable. Jin thrust the blade into his heart to resist the urge to kill.

While tearing out his heart and soul and giving them to Yukianesa, he struggled to keep his unstoppable desire to kill from flowing outward.

(I don't kill...)

— Kill.

(I won’t kill!)

— Kill!.

(No more.........)

His mind couldn’t take it. If it was swallowed up, it will be the end.

The blade, driven mad by Yukianesa's murderous intent, would probably go on a rampage, wanting to kill everyone in the castle. That would be meaningless. If the sword would take over and kill everyone... What was even the point of coming here?

Jin inhaled deeply. His own breath was so cold that it froze him to the bottom of his lungs. The temperature dropped so fast that icicles formed around Jin.

Without a second thought, Bang came running in. Jin looked at him and cleaved the air with his Yukianesa.

“Arctic Dungeon.”

With a powerful ars, the breath that weaved words and the slashing stroke froze the whole area. The floor, the ceiling, the walls, the windows, the pillars and even Bang who tried to escape by jumping into the air.

“What!?”

Bang's body stiffened as his body could not withstand the temperature that had dropped too low.

“Trash...”

He did not realize that his short-sighted loyalty would lead to unnecessary sacrifices.

Jin slashed down on Bang's frozen body without hesitation.

"Aaaargh!!"

With a heavy wet sound, fresh blood splatters on the ice floor. After taking a slash to the forehead and then to the torso, Bang collapsed onto the floor on his back.

Jin brushed off the blood, sheathed Yukianesa, and strode to the back of the room without a glance at the fallen bang.

"And you...."

Tenjō was still standing at the back of the room. They could have escaped in this short time, but the white-masked lord did not.

It was as if they had stayed there to watch the situation unfold.

Bang crawled across the floor, staring up at Jin's back as he stepped toward Tenjō. He desperately reached out and shouted with all his might.

“My Lord! Please, run away! My Lord..!”

But he could no longer raise himself. His vision rapidly darkened and he choked back a scream, losing his consciousness at last.

A cold silence soaked the area.

In the frozen room, Jin faced Tenjō.

Tenjō, who until then had been as motionless as a doll, jerked slightly and changed the angle of their neck, shaking their long purple hair.

“Nox Nyctores Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa.”

The calm voice leaked through the mask with a hint of murkiness.

"...You're Tenjō, aren't you?"

Standing directly in front of them, Jin asked expressionlessly. Tenjō raised their face.

“Indeed and you, what are you called?”

[[File:SS1-6.png|thumb]]

“Jin Kisaragi."

Answered Jin as he put his hand on the silver hilt. He could pull it out at any time. If he pulled it out, he could kill her.

"No hard feelings, but... I will kill you and end this war."

With frozen determination, Jin looked coldly at Tenjō.

Slowly, the face with the white mask moved. Tenjō nodded deeply. It seemed to show understanding and deep acceptance.

With his eyes fixed on them, Jin opened his mouth without changing his stance.

"I have one last question. Is it true that you are the Imperator?"

"...Hm?"

Tenjō sounded impressed by the question.

"Knowing that I am the Imperator, why do you turn on me? Jin Kisaragi.”

The reply was affirmative. Jin swallowed the meaning slowly, as if gulping down a melting block of ice.

“Because you are the enemy."

The one to be defeated. That is the enemy.

“My enemy.”

Jin replied, and Tenjō chuckled slightly.

There's no time.

There is no time for unnecessary words.

"Tenjō. What was 'that thing'?"

At the question, Tenjō paused for a beat and dropped her thin shoulders.

"Oh, so, did you see that 'thing'?"

“Answer me.”

Jin's words were cold and sharp, as if he was thrusting the edge of a blade.

After a few moments of thoughtful silence, Tenjō turned their masked face upward. It was as if they were seeing a vision of that strange coffin that Meifang had told him existed for the Imperator.

"The price of freedom and peace: 'Death'... It is this war itself that death eats away at."

"The war itself?"

"And I am but a puppet that creates death."

Tenjō’s abstract words were not the answer Jin wanted.

However, the hints of despondency, resignation and emptiness in their voice made him feel that further questions were pointless.

The questions to ask and the one who has the answers that Jin seeks, was probably someone else.

"...Jin Kisaragi. End it."

Tenjō's whispered words sounded too gentle to be appropriate for this occasion.

"And resist against 'death' that will be born."

After saying that, Tenjō spread their hands. In their white ceramic-like hands that peeked out from their wide sleeves, there were a few talismans.

Somewhat mischievously, the 'woman' underneath the mask laughed.

"It must be a little painful to slay an unresisting opponent. However, there is no time for hesitation."

Just as Jin didn't have time, Tenjō seemed to not have it as well.

Jin raised his eyebrows in a quizzical manner. He didn't know why Tenjō didn't have time, but he also didn’t have a reason to find out.

Why?

Because this is where Tenjō ends.

Taking a deep breath, Tenjō spoke softly.

"Come now, I will accept it. With this, even if you were to die, it's the end."

"Nonsense."

Jin spat coldly, while gripping the silver hilt.

“I will survive.”

Underneath the mask, Jin thought he saw Tenjō smile faintly.

Jin closed his eyes, concentrating on his consciousness.

He saw the talisman released from Tenjō’s hand.

(What did she mean by “accepting it”...)

He muttered inwardly as if he were poisoning himself and Jin felt a moment of pity for Tenjō. Tenjō had been waiting. Letting death be the one who comes to kill her.

The blow of this talisman was only a bait to entice its cutting edge.

Then he must respond.

“Judgment...”

With a low chant, a pale blue magic circle spread out at Jin's feet. As soon as Tenjō’s talisman touches the circle, Jin releases it.

—Snowstorm.

The trajectory of the blade that he pulled out and swung caused the white ice to run.

The flash that he released froze Tenjō’s body instantly.

After a moment of complete silence, the ice shattered. At the same time, bright red blood spurted from the wound that had been slashed diagonally.

First, their knees hit the floor, then their slender body collapsed.

Walking to the side, Jin looked down at Tenjō, who was sinking in fresh blood.

They were still breathing. As he approached them, he noticed that the body, which was unexpectedly small, was trembling slightly as if it was responding to life.

Suddenly, a dry sound was heard. It was the sound of Tenjō’s mask falling off.

Her hidden face naturally appeared in Jin's vision. White skin, pale lips and eyelashes as purple as her hair. Beneath her eyelids, which looked as if they were about to fall, were bright red eyes.

Jin's eyes blinked.

Tenjō was a woman. She was youn, and had what most people would describe as a beautiful one.

Tenjō managed to lift her eyelids, which were losing strength, and looked up at Jin. Her red eyes were sad, but the expression on her face was in peace.

"Magnificent, such is the Power of Order..."

"The Power of Order?”

With an to him unknown name, Tenjō calls out to Jin and then draws her last breath.

Jin just stared dumbfounded at her dying face.

What surprised Jin was not that Tenjō was a woman.

It was because of the resemblance.

To a young girl.

“Saya...”

To his sister, with whom he had lived for a time as a child.

It made Jin understand all of Tenjō’s words that he hadn't been able to fully comprehend earlier.

“You don’t mean the 'purpose'... That things purpose... That coffin-!!”

"Oh, so, did you see that 'thing'? It is this war itself" Tenjō said, "that death eats away at."

So you could say this "war" is "that thing" itself. No.

(This 'war' IS for 'that thing'!)

That is assumption frightens Jin. For the past several years, both the Librarium and the Ikaruga Federation have been fighting. Countless people have died in a endless cycle without a clear end in sight for both sides. Seemingly, no one was benefiting from it other than scientists trying out new third party weapons. So, for what reason? For what use? For what purpose was this war for?

After seeing that cauldron of dead people being melted in masses, the way the 9th squad got rid of and the words of Tenjō herself, it became painfully obvious.

It was death.

'Death' was the purpose.

This war is about letting people die...

"Ohh, so here you were. I finally found you... Lieutenant Kisaragi."

Suddenly, he heard a voice and looked up with a gasp. His deep chain of thoughts were cut off as if a thread had been snapped.

Pulling himself up, Jin looked back toward the voice.

There was 'someone' there.

===Part 5===

Someone was standing at the entrance of the sliding door that Jin was blown through by Bang in the large room.

But Jin did not know who it was.

He could at least make out someone. There were two legs, a torso, two outstretched arms, a neck and a head on top of it.

Although he knew it had a human shape and he knew he could hear voices coming from it, he didn’t know 'what' it was. It's as if his vision had gone blurry and he couldn’t distinguish anything.

"At any rate, aren’t you cruel? I was the only one left behind. I'm still pretty hurt."

The person spread his hands around his shoulders and came towards Jin with a leisurely gait.

Jin gripped the scabbard of his sword tightly and stared at the 'someone'.

“Who are... you?”

Jin asked sharply and with caution.
　
The person paused as he entered the room.

"Who? Hmmm, this is troublesome. I don't know how to explain it... Oh, yes, I had a name, didn't I? It was Honoka, Lieutenant. Do you remember? Ohhhh, I hope so!"

Honoka.

Yes, that's the name of the boy soldier that the Duodecim forced on him when I left for the war. He was shorter than Jin and spoke without a sense of urgency, but once he started talking, he couldn't stop. However, when faced with dangerous situations, he cowered in fear and backed down.

On the battlefield and in the encampment, he was often worried about Jin's condition and was also busy with other chores such as making tea and fetching luggage.

He was there, however...

(What did he look like...? Why can't I remember?!)

What color was his hair? What color were his eyes? The color of his skin. He had assumed he was small, but he wondered how far his head actually stood in comparison to Honoka's. Even his voice. What was his voice like?

Jin's thoughts are jumbled and he can't put them together.

Honoka smiled at Jin as he stood there, unsure of what to do.

"Well, I don't really care what was I called.”

He shrugged his shoulders and walked nimbly to Jin's side.

"Even so, it's wonderful. To beat that Tenjō all by yourself like this. 'Jin Kisaragi', you are a 'hero'!"

Honoka spread his arms high and wide, speaking in an exaggerated manner like a stage actor.

“The war is now over. Well, it sure lasted for a long time. But, it's a shame, isn't it? So many people fought and fought and fought aaaaaaand... then died. For freedom and peace!! Oh, so many people gave up their lives......."

This person called Honoka enunciated from one end to the other.

He turned around and faced Jin, holding out his arms. It was as if he was holding the corpses of the many lives that died in this war.

“And then! The people of Ikaruga did not win their freedom and peace. They paid the price of so much death... It's sad, it's really sad."

"You..."

“But the war is over! I am glad! I am so glad!”

“Who the hell are you?!!"

(Wrong. I don’t know him. I don’t know that man who says Honoka.)

Jin asked himself as he slipped his hand onto Yukianesa.

At that moment, a dull thud struck Jin in the chest.

“Wha…”

Unsure of what had happened, Jin looked down at himself. A black snake's head was sticking out of his chest.

“Gah…”

He tried to say something, but his voice wouldn't come out. He tried to grip his sword, but his hand wouldn't move. It wasn't just his hands. He couldn't move his legs or his neck either.

Honoka... No, 'someone' walked up to Jin, who was trapped by the snake that had bitten his chest. A disgusting smile, like a crescent moon, clung to his mouth.

"But, you... you shouldn’t have gotten involved where you didn’t belong. "Jin Kisaragi..."

The tone of his voice changed drastically.

As soon as he did, Jin recognized the man in front of him clearly.

A tall man. He was wearing a black suit and a black hat. His hair leaked out from under the hat and turned out as green.

From the mans outstretched arms leaked a black chain that moored to the head of the snake that was biting into Jin's chest.

"You are...!"

Jin glared sharply at the man he had finally been able to see.

Overlapping the man in the suit, he saw a humanoid figure that looked like a mass of black shadow. The shadowy humanoid form had numerous green cracks running through it.

An unpleasant sensation spreads through Jin, one that he has never experienced before. This feeling is the same as the one he had when he saw the lines from Karenjina connecting to... "evil".

Forcing his immobile body to move, Jin tried to grab the sword, Yukianesa.

The double figured man bent over and laughed in amusement.

"Hihihihihi, as expected from the 'Power of Order'. Amazing, truly amazing!”

He wondered which of the two figures the coarse language was coming from. The sarcastic voice still laughed.

"Anyway, thanks for your help, Jin Kisaragi. I'm going to retrieve Tenjō’s body now, if you don't mind me."

With Jin in its grasp, the mass that made up a man in a black suit and the shadow with green cracks walked past him and lifted the fallen and motionless corpse of Tenjō onto its shoulders.

Then he looked back over his shoulder and smiled. He smiled with a crescent-shaped mouth.

“Oh, and... your 'memories' as well."

────。

─────────────────────。

The area was as quiet as if it had been flooded.

Everything in the large room was frozen and Jin was the only person standing in the middle of it, his breath white as clouds.

There were two people lying at his feet.

One was dressed in luxurious clothing with wide cuffs and wearing a 'White mask'.

“H-huh…”

Heavily tingling and aching, Jin pressed his head lightly.

"Damn... Did Yukianesa knock me out for a second...?"

He had held on desperately up to this point, but it seemed he had let his guard down at the last moment. Jin tightened his grip on Yukianesa in his hand.

Jin bent down on his knees beside the masked one who fell at his feet. He gently removes a mask that covered their face.

On the face that was hidden underneath, there was a large old scar that even changed their facial features. It was a scar that Jin wanted to turn away from, which would be enough reason to wear the mask.

“I'm sorry...”

He shouldn't have revealed it. He whispered an apology and put the mask back on their face.

The lord of the mask, Tenjō, was a formidable enemy and for that reason, he wanted to show at least a modicum of courtesy. Thid was the impact that Tenjō left on Jin.

"Jin Kisaragi has defeated Tenjō!"

He heard someone shouting that in the distance. Someones words spread one after another, creating a throb like a wave.

Jin cradled Tenjō’s corpse in his arms and opened the window of the castle tower to reveal himself outside.

Someone pointed at the window, noticing Jin and the word spread around.

A blond-haired young man in a Librarium outfit, along with Tenjō, who had died in his arms. At the sight of him, some jumped for joy with their hands in the air, while others collapsed on the ground and cried out. Some screamed in triumph, while others dropped their weapons in despair.

“Ahaaa!"

In the middle of it all, there was an unexpected scream. Jin could see exactly what had happened.

A soldier from the Librarium swung his sword at the helpless back of the Ikaruga soldier, who was nodding helplessly.

"The people of the Ikaruga Federation have been ordered to be 'exterminated'! Kill them all!"

The guard who had killed and discarded one of them raised his blood-soaked sword and shouted in high spirits.

In response, the surrounding guards of the Librarium took up their weapons one after another. The nearby Ikaruga soldiers fled one by one.

Jin furrowed his brow and kicked the roof he had been using as a foothold. Down, down. He slid down, and as soon as he landed, he pulled out his Yukianesa and stabbed it on the spot.

A cool sound rushed through the area with a chill breeze. Instantly the ground froze, engulfing the feet of all the soldiers standing there.

No one could move. The voices of astonishment and agitation were raised in their mouths.

In the middle of it. Jin stood up and coldly told them.

“The war is over."

(A lot of people died. I'm here to stop it.)

“No more futile killing... will be tolerated by me!"

There was no one who could resist Jin's words.

— On this day, the long lasting "Ikaruga Civil War" has ended.

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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5

2025-08-05T06:33:57Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind */

==Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind==

===Part 1===

They left the tent where the wounded were crammed and walked through the desolate wilderness.

The night breeze was chilly, cooling down the euphoria of the battle they had been in just a few hours before.

Once they were some distance away from the encampment, Jin stopped in his tracks.

There were many clouds in the sky and the moonlight was scarce. They had come out without lights, so the only source of light allowing them to see each other's faces was from the campfires burning at a distance.

"You said you had a way to end the war. Tell me."

As soon as they faced each other, Jin immediately broached.

The area was dark. The land was empty. From the vantage point, it would have been easy to see from the camp that Jin and Grimwood were together. But at the same time, the clear view made it obvious that there was no one nearby.

Indeed, there was no one nearby.

Grimwood propped up his wounded body with the great axe that had taken the place of his staff, and grinned at him from a distance suitable for their secret talk.

“Are you ready to believe me now?"

"I don't believe it. But if it will end this war, I will cooperate."

“Even at a time like this, you're this weirdly composed."

The reason Jin doesn't say he trusts him is because there are things in his mind that take precedence over that. Ending the war. Whether that will come true with the card that Grimwood has. Grimwood understands that this is the most important thing for him right now.

In the same way, it was important to Grimwood whether or not Jin would cooperate with him, so he trusted in Jin’s cooperation, even if he said he didn’t believe him.

"I've told you before that there is “someone” behind the Ikaruga Civil War who wants to prolong it.”

"Yes. The war is being dragged out for the purpose by these 'someones', right?”

That's the reason why he and Karenjina joined this war in the first place. There is something wrong with this war, it is distorted. There was someone somewhere controlling the war. He couldn’t help but feel that way himself after hearing about that thing. That thing... The specific reason lies in the relationship between Tenjō and the Imperator, but before that, as a mercenary who has spent a long time on the battlefield, Grimwood couldn't help but feel uncomfortable.

This became more apparent the more as he got involved.

Irrational operations, opaque organizational structure and incomprehensible instructions. The development of the war was so amateurish that it was hard to believe that it was the work of a huge organization trying to win the war, the greatest authority in the world no less.

“In the end, we still don't know who's behind all this, but I was able to find out a little bit about its purpose, the purpose of the Second War of Ars Magus... Jin. Have you ever heard of a weapon that can stop the activity of seithr?"

At Grimwood's question, Jin's eyes sharpened.

“I've never heard of it. I don't even think... such a thing can exist."

Since the Dark War a hundred years ago, the world has been flooded with a large amount of seithr. It has become a matter of course to have it.

It is for this reason that the use of seithr has developed and taken root as Ars Magus. Even many transportation systems use seithr, as represented by Ars Magus Vessels. It is not only used in warfare, but is now deeply involved in the daily lives of ordinary people.

"If it existed, it would be a tremendous. It would be able to stop everything in the world, even a war.”

One huge button that could stop the whole functionality of this world. Something worth to fight wars over in some peoples eyes.

Grimwood nodded his head in agreement. If it connects to the acquisition of the weapon in question, it is a reason to continue the civil war that divides humanity.

“You think that's the reason of this 'someone'?”

“Very likely."

When Jin asked sharply, Grimwood replied firmly.

There is no proof that the weapon that stops seithr is the objective of these people. But in his own way, Grimwood seemed to be confident in his assumption. And the most important thing is not whether or not the weapon to stop seithr is a so-called third party objective. The fact that it might exist is what is important.

“If there is a weapon and it's for 'someone' elses purposes, we can't let that person get what they want, no matter what. They are still trying to get it in a civil war that is in such a horrible state. I don't think it will be used for any good purpose.”

What could be more horrible than a war? Grimwood tightened his grip on the handle of the axe that supported his body.

"Then... The one who uses it will be you? Grimwood?"

Jin asked, looking at him carefully.

If they could use a weapon that can stop the activity of seithr, they could stop the war right away. Small weapons, large weapons, Ars Magus that greatly affects these battles, they cannot be used anymore if seithr is gone. Even the vehicles used to move around the battlefield would not work. It becomes physically impossible to wage war.

But that means that the world will be under the control of one persons decision. If Grimwood uses it, then at that moment, Grimwood has taken control of the world.

Is that really stopping the war?

Jin's suspicion went straight to Grimwood.

He shook his stout head in denial.

“It's too much for me to handle. I can't use it. I don't even know how to use it."

“Though, if there was a polite explanation attached, I might think about it a little.” Grimwood smiled as he added that.

Jin couldn't help but gasp along with him. It didn't seem like Grimwood was the type of guy who would read the manual and learn how to use it.

With a single blink of an eye, Grimwood's expression changed to one of sincerity and he assured Jin in his typical unflappable voice.

“I'm going to destroy it when I find it. If someone wants to use the Ikaruga civil war to get their hands on it, then the weapon itself should be gone. Isn't that right?"

“That's a wild theory, but not that wrong.”

And in typical Grimwood fashion, Jin shrugged his shoulders at his logic.

No matter how long you prolong the war, if the objective does not exist, it is meaningless.

“And if there is a weapon that can stop seithr, even if this civil war is over, another one will start and there would be many more over that weapon. We have to avoid that.”

“...I agree."

Jin pulled his chin once toward Grimwood's serious face.

In fact, Jin was more concerned about that than about anyones "purpose."

If a device capable of influencing the activities of seithr were to fall into the hands of any individual, the order of the world would be turned upside down in no time.

Jin held out the Yukianesa he carried to Grimwood to show him.

“If you find it, I'll destroy it.”

Grimwood laughed, his eyes flashing.

“Actually, that's what I was hoping for when I approached you. It must be a huge weapon to stop seithr and I don't think it can be destroyed by a little bit of effort.”

In this regard, he trusted the Nox Nyctores, the Causality Weapon that had a run-in with the Black Beast. In fact, what else can it be destroyed with?

"So it's not me, it's the Nox Nyctores that's of use."

Jin carved a smile on the corner of his mouth even as he used the word self-mockingly.

Now it was Grimwood's turn to relax his cheek.

“That's not all. Rather... The next thing I want your help with is the main issue."

“What is it?"

When Jin tilted his head, Grimwood twisted his head to look behind him. He could see the lights from the torches and bonfires that had been lit. There were still many soldiers moving back and forth, looking busy. There were more than twice as many injured people moaning in the tents.

What Grimwood saw was a tent where the 9th squad was helping to treat the wounded.

"You remember the other day in the basement, don't you? That thing with the Necromancer."

“Yeah.”

“I want you to work with Karenjina to locate it, just as you did then."

It goes without saying what kind of place it is. This is the location of the "weapon that stops the activity of seithr".

“...Is it around this area?"

There was still no sign of anyone around, but Jin couldn't help but lower his voice even lower.

Grimwood growled crisply.

“I've done some research and I think I know where it is, but I don't know the exact location. Even with Karenjina's ability, I couldn't pinpoint it."

So, just as Jin helped Karenjina find the Necromancer that she couldn't identify that night in the basement, now it's time to find out where the weapon was.

He understood what he was saying, but at the same time he had his doubts.

Where did he get the information about the weapon and its location in the first place? Doesn't he know too much information for a simple mercenary?

At this rate, he might still have a story hidden away that Jin has never heard of.

(Does he have any special connections to the Librarium or to the executives of the Ikaruga Federation? Where is this guy chained to?)

A reliable squad leader wielding a large axe. Jin couldn’t help but feel a disturbing shadow over this man that can't be contained in such a position.

He still couldn’t trust him.

(No. I didn't trust him in the first place.)

A thought popped into Jin's mind, as if to excuse himself. He was not trying to work with Grimwood because he trusted him, but because his arguments spoke to his own interests.

But there was something that was bothering him, because he was unhappy that Grimwood hadn't revealed everything to him, so that he wouldn't have the option of not trusting him.

(Maybe it's that I want to trust...)

He didn’t even know how to do that. He was too inexperienced. Maybe he was a little taken aback by the trusting relationship between Grimwood and Karenjina and her fellow mercenaries, as if logic doesn't matter.

"...Okay. Let me help you."

“Thank you. I am relying on you.”

"But remember. If you ever try to get on the side that disrupts the order of this world, I will cut you down without mercy."

Even if that process stops the war, it must be stopped if it results in a disruption of order. This was not a sense of justice or morality, but an instinctive feeling engraved in Jin. A higher "power" obligating him to restore "order" for the world. If it disturbs the world, it will be eliminated. No exceptions.

Grimwood looked back into Jin's sharp, glaring eyes and saw a contrastingly calm color in them.

"All right, then. When it looks like that to you, don’t hesitate."

And then, with a hand that formed the shape of a hand knife, he made a gesture as if to cut his own neck. There was no alertness here.

That was a little less interesting to Jin. The more Grimwood trusted him, the more he felt a kind of innate difference between himself and him.

“...For now, you don’t seem to be 'evil'."

This was the extent of trust that Jin could show to Grimwood now.

When he focuses his attention, Jin can see. It's a black thread that leads to "evil" that disturbs the order of the world.

But it's fun around Grimwood and his squadron.

He couldn't fully trust this Grimwood fellow, so Jin decided to trust in his own abilities, which only he could understand and which were too sensual to share with others.

"Well, now that that's settled, let's get moving. When do we leave?"

Grimwood raised the body that had been supported by the ax. Looking at the white bandage wrapped around his tight chest, Jin thought for a few seconds.

“How's your wound?"

“It's no big deal."

The reply was immediate. It seemed that Jin already knew what he wanted to do.

Then there will be no need to hold back. Jin told him as he started to walk away.

“Right then."

“Roger that," came a low, gruff voice from the man walking right next to Jin.

===Part 2===

Upon returning to the camp, Grimwood gathered Karenjina and the three soldiers.

The location was on the outskirts of the encampment.

The first aid for the injured was finally completed, but the real medical care has yet to come. There might have been injured people or stragglers from other units still rolling in. In the midst of the confusion of information leaks, each of them had to do what they could now. Under such circumstances, no one cared if a few soldiers gathered in a corner and talked in private.

Briefly, he explained to Karenjina and the others the story of their trip out to the wilderness just a short while ago.

When she was told they were leaving right now, Karenjina hung her eyes and grabbed Jin by the chest.

"Are you insane!? Grimwood has just been treated for his injuries and just look at all this chaos here! Are we supposed to just walk out of here!?"

Karenjina looked back at the base and spread her arms, asking Jin to look at the situation.

From a distance, the state of the base could be objectively viewed.

They looked like they were able absent, not wishing to be here and just confused. No one even looked back when Karenjina shouted. Everyone had their hands full with themselves and their surroundings. Jin reaffirmed the correctness of his decision and pulled away from Karenjina’s hand.

“Because of this distortion in order, we have to.”

"What?"

Karenjina’s indignation was against the act of abandoning her friends even if they were fighting within the same framework of the Librarium.

She took the initiative in the tent to give first aid to the injured, as she had some experience in this area. There must have been many badly injured people that she could not help but to feel sorry for.

"But now is not the time to let cheap sympathy and camaraderie drag us down." Jin spoke with calm, emotionless eyes as he looked at Karenjina and the soldiers.

“It's about a two-hour walk from here to the place Grimwood is trying to find. It would be too conspicuous as an extra-operational activity if we headed there after things had settled down. Now it's the perfect opportunity to go off on our own without attracting suspicion."

Karenjina's lips tightened. Her fist that she clenched as she lashed out was unraveled

Jin continued.

“Furthermore, this area has just finished a large-scale battle. There are no extra civilians wandering around, liners have been temporarily suspended and civilian facilities, if any, have been closed. In addition, the amount of seithr consumed is far greater than normal.”

This was after a large number of weapons and Ars Magus had been used. Seithr drifts in from everywhere, but it does not recover instantly. If it is consumed locally in a short period of time, the amount of seithr in the air will temporarily drop to a certain level, making the use of Ars weaken if even impossible. That was now.

"I see... Less noise you mean, huh..."

Karenjina voiced her admiration bitterly.

Karenjina’s Seagull Drive probes her surroundings all at once. The more targets she investigates, the more confusing and ineffective the information will be, just as it was when she was underground with the dead.

But now, she should be able to find what they were looking for in a much clearer and a more orderly state than usual.

It's now or never. In fact, now was the best time.

Jin's words gave Karenjina and the others an immediate sense of resolve.

“All right. Let's go."

Karenjina said, and the other soldiers nodded.

Packing the bare minimum, Jin and the others quickly slipped out of the small encampment and ran through the uneven wilderness, skirting the shadows of the rocks.

Honoka was left behind on purpose. They didn’t even explain to him that they were slipping out.

It all started when Grimwood told them that he could not be trusted. Karenjina and the others have been working with Grimwood for a long time now and they were fighting with the same goal of ending the civil war.

But Honoka was different. He was a guard assigned by the Librarium to serve as Jin's caretaker and monitor. If anyone was going to leak information about Grimwood and the others selfish actions to the NOL, it would be Honoka first and foremost. Honoka was in a position where the Librarium should take precedence over mercenaries, Jin and squad members. He didn't trust him and he didn’t think it was in their best interest for him to be drawn into this.

Jin agreed with that decision.

Jin, more than Grimwood, had a hard time trusting Honoka.

On the way, he ran and hurried to reach his destination in the shortest possible distance while letting Karenjina use her "Seagull" to grasp the terrain.

It was about an hour and a half after leaving the encampment when Grimwood stopped and said that it was around that area.

The landscape had changed from a wilderness to a mountainous area. Although one might say, the land has probably turned barren. The trees were thin and weak, and vegetation was scarce. The ground seemed to be rocky, with complex silhouettes forming here and there from the rocks jutting out from the earths surface.

Upon finding a place as open and flat as possible, Karenjina put her hands on the ground.

"The range is quite large. It's a bit overwhelming, but..."

Standing a little further away, Grimwood looks apologetic.

Karenjina looked up and shook her head so loudly that her gathered hair swung from side to side.

“This is my job. Let me do it. I'll use all my strength."

“Take it easy. The less seithr you have, the less noise you'll make, but the heavier your burden will be. Worst-case scenario..."

“I know."

Crisply, Karenjina interrupted Grimwood's words.

In order to activate the drive, seithr is consumed as energy. However, if the output is greater than the amount of seithr that can be consumed, it is the soul of the practitioner that will be used up as an energy source.

Worst case scenario, you die.

“Jin."

With her hands still on the ground, Karenjina now was looking up at Jin. Instead of replying, Jin's eyebrows moved slightly.

Deep, profound eyes that had the color of the night sky stared straight into Jin's green eyes with the purity of a wild beast.

“I don’t like you.”

"...I know."

“But..."

A grin. The fleshy lips carved a challenging smile and disappeared.

“I trust you.”

Jin was bewildered and at a loss for words when he was told.

Trust. That again. He was getting fed up. Anger swelled inside. Grimwood, Karenjina and the others were quick to look at him that way.

Ignoring Jin's furrowed brow, Karenjina took a deep breath, focused and lowered her eyelids.

“...Let’s begin”

She strongly put it into words. The next moment a dull gold light emerged from her hand, and the light spread out in an intricate pattern.

The scale was different from what she had viewed in the basement of the research facility of Sector Seven. The light spread out and traced the surface of the earth at 360 degrees.

“...Ku”

A muffled groan escaped from Karenjina's throat. Her brown forehead was sweating profusely. The small amount of seithr was quickly consumed. Even so, Karenjina expanded her range.

Not yet. She still couldn't find it. Karenjina shouted as she continued to expand her range.

“Jin, do it!"

Without pausing, Jin stood behind Karenjina and pressed his palm against her back. His senses sharpened as he followed Karenjina's concentration.

When he closed his eyes, he could see the dull gold light emitted by Karenjina spreading out all around him. Jin searched, in the light that spread so finely and traced the terrain

Black... A black line.

They were easy to see. Rather, there were too many of them. Countless black lines running in Karenjina’s lights.

They were all stretched straight toward a point.

(What the heck is this...?)

He had never seen a line like this before. Most of the time, lines were more or less irregular, wavy and curved. However, the lines that he saw now were all straight, undisturbed and without hesitation, as if they were drawn by a machine, converging on a single point.

Jin followed Karenjina's consciousness further to the end of the black lines.

The distance was about ten kilometers from here.

(Where is... What is this line? Where are you gathering...)

He wanted to know where the line led to. As he desperately traced the line, he suddenly felt a shock as if he had been pushed from the inside and Jin collapsed on the spot.

"Uhh!"

It was such an unexpected shock that he fell to the hard ground without even taking any precautions. He let out a distracted and pathetic voice. A terrible headache followed. It was as if his brain was being pushed open from the inside. At the same time, a wave of nausea rushed through his internal organs, and Jin quickly clamped his mouth shut.

At the feet of the fallen Jin, Karenjina had collapsed. Unlike Jin, she was already unconscious and was convulsing violently.

“Karenjina!”

Grimwood rushed over and held her, but there was no response. The spasms only became somewhat more mild.

One of the soldiers took her pulse. From the look of relief on his face, it seemed that her pulse was fine. The blood from her nose slid down her cheek and stained it.

"...Are you okay?"

Swallowing down the nausea and holding his head against the terrible headache, Jin sat up.

Karenjina must have been under a load many times greater than the one he had been under. Even so, she did not stop the Drive until the limit. If her survival instinct hadn't refused to continue, she might have used it until she really died.

"She's just unconscious, but breathing fine."

One of the soldiers spoke up and Grimwood finally felt relieved as he laid the small body he was carrying on the ground. His brown fingertips, not even slightly relaxed, rubbed the soil and drew short lines.

“Did you find it?”

Grimwood asked Jin in a low voice.

Jin stared into the distance to the west. He remembered clearly where the lines had gathered.

"Yeah."

“Really?”

Without answering Grimwood, who leaned forward to ask, Jin stood up unsteadily.

His gaze remained fixed on the west, where the line had run.

“That’s.... What the-?”

When he remembered it with his limp brain, a tar-like fear crept up from his feet to his head. His body naturally cowered and trembled.

He has never felt this way about these lines before. Was this fear? Or was it something else?

His head was numb and he couldn’t think straight.

It was not coherent, but that invasive discomfort at the end of the line that seemed to absorb all evil was stuck to the back of his skull and won't come off.

Jin shook his head, trying his best to push that tremendously disgusting image to the edge of his consciousness so that it would not interfere with his minimal thinking.

“Th-There's something about ten kilometers west of here. It was very different, disgusting to be exact. Never was there nothing else that looked like this, so it was probably there."

"Ten kilometers... So far, huh."

With a sigh of surprise, Grimwood looked down at Karenjina.

The range of Karenjina's "Seagull" is usually limited to a radius of about one kilometer. If it reached ten kilometers away, that means she has searched a hundred times the usual area at once. With a sly grimace, Grimwood moved Karenjina into the shade of a nearby rocky outcrop. Here, the jutting rocks and the short trees that nestled against them would conceal her from a distance.

That would mean the choice to leave her here.

“Are you sure?"

"It's not like there were any enemy soldiers hiding in the vicinity, judging from using the Seagull earlier. But even so, leaving a woman alone in the middle of nowhere like this was a moralists unnecessary sense of ethics poking at something as trivial as the conscience."

Grimwood replied to Jin's question as he backed away from Karenjina.

"I wasn't planning on taking her with me originally. If it weren't for Seagull, I wouldn't have told her about this either."

With that, he turned away.

“I see." was all Jin said as he stepped out in front of Grimwood. Now that Karenjina had fainted, Jin was the only one who could see their destination.

(Ten kilometers west...)

That's where the black line ended. Was it the weapon that Grimwood was talking about to stop seithr, or was it something more sinister than that?

Still having that uncomfortable feeling inside his head, Jin ran down the slope where the earth was exposed.

The night had been quiet, but now there the wind blew strong.

It wasn't a dark night anymore. The moon must have risen very high.

The clouds that had covered the sky thickly were being swept away by the strengthening wind. The navy of the deep night resembled the color of the eyes of a female soldier, cowering in the shade of a rock.

The wind rustled the thin branches of the short, overgrown trees.

Karenjina, still unconscious, had not opened her eyes. Her limp, weak body laid on the dry ground, her cheeks motionless, her hair curling in a peculiar way.

Beside her, there was a foot.

It was a corner of the wilderness where a war was going on nearby. And yet, a pair of brown leather shoes with not a speck of dirt on them was right next to the fallen and sleeping Karenjina.

“Oh dear, you were left behind.”

The owner of the foot spoke to her with theatrical sympathy.

Karenjina couldn’t hear him.

The owner of the leather shoes bent his tall, slender body into an exaggerated peek at the face of the woman who was not speaking.

The clouds were peeled away and the moon appeared, illuminating the earth with its cold moon white color.

“Oh, I feel sorry for you."

Brown leather shoes, a black suit, and a black hat. The green-haired man grinned in a sadistic manner.

===Part 3===

The clouds that had covered the sky had gone away and the white moonlight was faintly illuminating the ground.

Before they knew it, the reddish-brown soil under their feet had changed into a grayish pebbly soil.

He walked down the gentle slope, then up, then down again. After repeating this process several times, Jin stopped for the first time in a while at the destination he had reached.

“This is it.”

Grimwood stepped forward from behind Jin. One of the soldiers illuminated it with a light from his equipment.

As Jin and Grimwood looked at each other, they saw a cave in the rocky wall, a mixture of rock and earth. It was not a natural cave. The entrance was chained, and the dark passage was reinforced with wood.

“It has the air of a mine... Do you think it’s a coal mine?"

The soldier with the light said and another soldier gave him a difficult look.

“Coal mines, who uses coal nowadays?”

“Who knows?”

“No, it doesn't look like a coal mine."

It was Jin who said this to the soldiers who were tilting their heads. He walked up to the entrance of the cave and picked up a small, black ore lying there.

Only about the size of a thumbnail. It had a tough texture and was much lighter than it looked. When he put pressure on his fingertips, it cracked and crumbled like dry clay.

A blue light flashed momentarily on the small section. Jin raised an eyebrow slightly.

“It's the same as the crystallized seithr that the Titan used back then.”

The rock giant that ran amok in the forest when Jin first went out with the 9th squad. Come to think of it, they still didn't know who on either side of the camp had summoned that Titan.

“It was probably made here."

Grimwood muttered bitterly as he stared into the cave.

“Our enemies have ties to the Librarium, the Ikaruga Federation and even Sector Seven. Coming along with all their distributing weapons.”

He took out a light from his equipment and led the way, illuminating the area as he went.

(Again...)

The entrance to the not-so-narrow cave was filled with huge bodies, and as he followed Grimwood's back, Jin's mind dripped with disquiet. Grimwood said that it was not a prediction, but a fact that the "enemy" was distributing weapons in various directions. Perhaps it is true.

But then, where did he find out? How did a mercenary who was running around the battlefield day in and day out know so much? Grimwood was the one who connected all the dots, wasn’t he?

(Oh well. If he's an “enemy”... Then I'll cut him down.)

Jin warned himself to not be too eager in trusting him as he leaned toward the man walking in front of him as the captain. When the time comes, he won’t let his cutting edge wander.

The cave soon turned into a long staircase. The stairs seemed to go on and on, downward with no end in sight.

"Hmm......"

After more than ten minutes of descent, Grimwood stopped and groaned quizzically.

It was a dead end. There was a landing slightly wider than the width of the stairs and the landing was cut off by a flat wall of earth.

But something didn't feel right.

“Grimwood, step aside.”

Pushing his body forward, Jin slowly pushed the tip of his Yukianesa against the earthen wall. The tip of the scabbard touched the wall and then dug in. The space was filled with ripples that can described as plunges into water, shaking the view of the earth wall.

He dug his sheath further into the ground and eventually buried himself in the earthen wall.

Then the view Jin looked at changed. The stairs, which had been a dead end, turned into a passageway and continued onward.

“Camouflage Ars Magus.”

When Jin said it out loud, it seemed to convey the understanding to the rest of the group. After Jin slipped through the wall and entered the back, Grimwood and the others followed him inside.

He wondered if the air had changed a little. It was hotter and more humid than before.

He had the chilling feeling that he had entered the body of a reptile. It was not a good feeling.

“Stay sharp.”

Muttering quietly, Grimwood turned off the light. Following suit, the soldiers who had their lights on also turned them off.
　
Then it was pitch black, he couldn't see a thing around him, not even the faintest bit.

It was not so easy to stand out in the dark with lights on. Now that they had passed through the camouflage Ars Magus, they should consider this to be enemy territory. Jin also pulled himself together and moved forward, keeping an eye on his surroundings.

As long as they were careful, the darkness was not a problem if they just wanted to keep going. They put their hands on the wall and walked forward, using each other's breathing as a guide to the distance.

“It's going downhill...”

One of the soldiers behind them said. The road was indeed gently descending.

After descending so many stairs, were they still going down? Growing more cautious with each step, Jin carefully pumped his saliva into his thirsty throat.

There was one more thing that grew on them as they went on. The smell.

It was a stinking smell that Jin, Grimwood and the other soldiers remembered. Rather, they were familiar with it for some time now

It was the smell of death. Naturally, they all remembered the incident with the ghouls in the basement. Come to think of it, the lift had gone down a long way that time too.

"Oh, light."

Jin, who was walking in the lead, took a small breath and sharpened his voice in alarm.

He saw a pale blue light down below. Once they reached the bottom of the hill, they arrived at the place where the light had been. It was a room with a domed ceiling. At least it was much larger than the two-connected tents of the ninth squad. The walls did not seem to be bare earth, unlike the passageways they had come through. The area was dark and the color and texture were visibly not clear, but it was seamless.

There was nothing that looked like lighting anywhere in the room. The blue light that Jin saw was actually water that was shallowly soaking the floor of the room.

There was water all over the floor, almost to the level of Jin's ankles. The water glistened with a blue light, illuminating the area around his feet.

When he stepped on it, it felt a little heavier than water. Still, it was not so heavy as to interfere with his walking.

“...Liquid seithr?”

As he said this, Grimwood walked past Jin, who stopped to look around, and dragged the sound of water to the center of the room.

The light was the same as the momentary glow of the section of mineral Jin picked up at the entrance. But he didn’t know where it was coming from.

“Captain, up there.”

One of the soldiers pointed at the ceiling. Jin looked up with Grimwood. The ceiling was inscribed with what looked like ancient letters, spreading out in a circle around the apex of the dome. In the center of the circle of letters was a coffin-like object.

“Jin, can you read?"

Grimwood asked, looking up at the letters with his eyes. Jin was also looking up at the strings of letters on the ceiling, looking for something to help him decipher them.

"No, I've never even seen them before..."

"Oh, yeah. Ancient ruins or something?"

Such is the look of the place. Giving up on deciphering the words on the ceiling, Grimwood turned his head around. He stopped his gaze at a point on the wall.

"This may be a hit"

As Grimwood said this, there was what looked like a door in the corner of his eye. The border of the wall, not found anywhere else, was made up of squares. There was more to it in the back.

Grimwood made his way to the door, making a sound of the water. He folded the handle of his great axe on his back so that he could remove it at any time and placed one hand on the handle of his back weapon.

The soldiers followed, guns ready. After some delay, Jin also started walking. But... Suddenly.

He could hear a voice.

— Niisama.

A young girls voice, stuttering. Jin could not immediately remember whose voice it was. But he knew it was a voice he should remember. It was a voice he had heard before.

At the same time, a feeling of discomfort like mud rose up in him.

He reflexively reached out and summoned Yukianesa, then turned around and positioned himself low.

“Jin, what's wrong?"

As he opened the door, Grimwood turned and asked. Without looking in his direction, Jin replied sharply.

“Go ahead.”

“But-."

On the verge of saying something, Grimwood bottomed out his words.

He felt a presence from somewhere. Something was there. It was an overwhelming and bizarre presence that grabbed up every instinctive fear in Grimwood. Even though he couldn't see it yet, his throat slumped and he heard the sound of air escaping.

The water at his feet, the walls and ceiling right there, and the empty space in front of him all seemed to be coming at him with mass and pressure, and he felt frightened. The fear of not knowing the reason or identity of such a thing led to more threads of fear that sewed Grimwood's spirit.

"Jin... This is..."

“Go! You're in the way."

He spat lowly. Grimwood understood what was unreasonable in that harsh but overwrought voice.

He pushed the soldiers, who were already hunched over and trying to escape to the next room, into the door and turned around.

“Finish up quickly!"

"I know, I know. I’ll catch up soon."

With Jin's reply, Grimwood and the nineth squadron left the room.

At that moment, the door slammed shut behind Grimwood with a sound like scratching metal.

With no time to interrupt anything, the doorway was blocked, and Grimwood and his soldiers held on to it, pulling and pushing with all their might, but it did not budge.

"Damn it!"

Unable to bear it, Grimwood slammed his fist against the door. The impact was oddly dull.

There was no sound from the other side of the door. Jin must have heard the door close, but he didn't see any reaction to it.

"What should we do, Captain...?"

One of the soldiers asked anxiously.

Beyond the door was another passage. It stretched without side passages into the unseen depths of darkness.

“...Jin said he would catch up. Let's just trust him now and move on."

If anything, at least a Nox Nyctores would be able to destroy this door.

He was very curious about the presence he had felt in that room, but there was nothing he could do standing here. Grimwood began to walk down the corridor with his men behind him.

===Part 4===

When the door was completely closed, the area was filled with silence. It was so quiet that the sound of his own breathing and heartbeat became noisy.

Jin stood in the shallow water and focused his attention. He was aware that he was separated from Grimwood and the others, but he didn't have time to focus on that right now.

— Kill.

An impulse whispered in his head.

— Kill. Kill. Kill. Slay. Murder. Slaughter.

Regardless of his intentions, the nauseating feeling of something that was not himself were penetrating Jin's nerves like cold water seeping in.

But no. This was not the voice he heard earlier.

It was not like the voice of Yukianesa, who always comes up with something to shake Jin's spirit and give him the will to kill in the hand that holds the sword.

Earlier, the voice that he heard was...

“.......Rugrurururugrururu...”

In place of the girls voice, which had sunk somewhere in his memory, he heard what sounded like the low roar of a beast. But at the same time, a voice with a strange undulation that would never be uttered by a beast approached from beyond the darkness where Jin was looking, beyond the blue glow of the liquid seithr.

Suddenly, the darkness moved. A shadow abruptly struggled as if it had a mass in the deep blackness and without a sound, a reddish-black line ran like a crack across its surface.

A pair of large eyes blinked at Jin.

And out of the darkness, it emerged.

A large head that seems to have developed only a jaw.

It crawled out of the darkness and fell to the surface. It didn't have a clear torso under its head, and it seemed to be dragging the darkness it had crawled out of.

It was as if only the neck had been forcibly pulled out of the torso and some of the flesh had been peeled off. The head was large and the top was higher than Jin's. Jin would be like a toy to that head. He could easily be swallowed whole.

But even so, Jin felt that the head was still on the small side of its kind. He didn't even know what kind of head this was, yet he was able to tell that.

Jin noticed that his breath was trembling. It was terrifying. The head that appeared in front of him. The very existence of it. The fact that it existed. His soul shriveled up in fright.

But a wave of murderous intent washed over it.

The urge to kill shook Jin.

His head was a mess. He wanted to escape, but he wanted to kill. He wanted to kill it even though he was afraid. He wanted to slash at it, cut off its jet-black flesh, bathe it in black blood and gouge out its red eyeballs.

Kill, Kill. Slay. Murder. Slaughter. Destroy.

"Argh! Shut up a already!"

The voice in his head was ranting and raving, and Jin resisted by biting his lips.

It was the voice of the Nox Nyctores, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa that urged him to kill. It was Yukianesa's will. If he let his impulses take over and slashed upon the beast, Jin's consciousness would be easily swallowed and bend Yukianesa's will.

Whether looking at Jin or Yukianesa, the black head trembled as if it were rattling. The jaws, lined with huge black fangs, opened wide.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaahhh!"

It barked in a voice so loud that it gave the illusion of the earth shaking.

That was the signal to start the battle.

"Haaaaaaa!"

The water that had dissolved the seithr splashed up and Jin ran.

The urge crawling up his neck made Jin pull out his sword. The silvery white blade froze the air around him. As the cold air spread, a black feeling spread inside Jin.

“I'll kill you!”

Shouting unconsciously, Jin swung his sword sharply at the throat of the head.

The slash made a sound of wet flesh and cut off the heavy object.

But it was not the throat of a black beastly head, but one of the countless black tentacles protruding from an irregularly shaped body part extending from it.

The tentacle that flew through the air splashed up and fell behind the head. As it was, the tip of the tentacle melted into the water and disappeared. The rest of the tentacles attacked Jin at once. Some glided across the surface of the water, while others leapt up high and swung down like whips.

Jin responded to this with the blade of Yukianesa.

He flashed his blade to the left and right, cutting and discarding at random.

But no matter how many tentacles he slashed, the number did not decrease. In fact, the number seems to be increasing instead, and finally, one of the tentacles that he couldn't handle and missed, plunged deeply into Jin's abdomen in a horizontal cut.

"Fu...gu."

His lungs rumbled as he was forced to exhale. He was blown away with such force that he slammed into the wall behind him and fell into the shallow water.

"Ku... Cough!"

When he woke up, choking on the air he hadn't been able to inhale properly, countless tentacles were already closing in on him. He jumped sideways to avoid them and rolled in the water covered with seithr. As if chasing after him, the tentacles slammed into him one after another.

The flying droplets fell like rain.

Jin managed to pull himself up, shoveling his wet sticky hair into a muddled mess and raising his sword.

The sliced tentacles flew up again and fell into the water, melting and disappearing.

The tentacle that had been severed in the middle trembled finely and immediately regenerated from its cross section. The black whip that flew out came at Jin's face.

He almost evaded the powerful thrust, but the force of the graze sliced through Jin's ear and shoulder. The pain that raced through Jin's body disturbed his nerves. Something black was slowly rising from the bottom of his stomach.

He groaned and tried to swallow it, and when he looked up, he thought he saw a black head... laughing at him.

It ridiculed him.

Red eyes twisted, deeply cleft corners of mouth distorted, fangs lined up.

The inside of Jin rumbled.

"Ah...... Hah... Aah. AAAAAAAAAAAAAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"

— Kill, kill. Kill the beast. Kill that pitch, black “BEAST!”

His throat trembled, and an unbearable scream rose up. His lungs filled up. His throat collapsed and he stopped breathing. It was as if black water of murderous intent began to circulate through his body instead of his blood. It was as if he was being swallowed whole.

He became awre of so immediately.

But before he could resist, a black emotion rushed in and engulfed Jin from the inside.

"Come on, this isn't like you."

“...Huh?”

Jin's movements stopped as he was startled.

He wondered if I had finally lost his mind. If not, he might have been temporarily addicted to the seithr that soaked his feet.

A voice that shouldn't have been heard over any other voice, but it was so close.

A calm, low, gentle voice. Yet, because he spoke with a coarse inflection, his voice sometimes sounded intimidating and even scary.

The voice of his brother.

"Don't get so hot tempered, you idiot."

It was right behind him. Or maybe it was at his feet. Anyway, the voice of his brother, who had no form, spoke to him as if he was melting into the air around him.

With a single breath, it washed away Jin's spirit, which was coated with Yukianesa's murderous intent.

Like a receding wave, Jin's heart became lighter. The sludge-like heaviness recedes from his internal organs.

His vision stabilized and his breathing was normal.

"Huh... Hehehehe... Yeah, that's right. This is not like me."

Wiping his dirty mouth, Jin smiled thinly.

Jin Kisaragi is calm and collected. In his school days, he was so polite to everyone that he was well-liked and was even made student president.

If he could talk to his brother about such things, he wondered how he would look at him.

Would he be surprised? It would be nice if he was, but he was sure he didn't know much about the school system, so he would probably just ignore it, without much interest.

Whatever it was, his brother is gone.

Jin killed him.

Thinking of this, his disturbed mind was flattened and he felt terribly calm.

"My brother is dead, so there's no one left for me to kill."

There was no one left to kill that can scorch his soul and freeze his heart.

Jin straightened his back and sheathed "his" Yukianesa, eyeing the head of that black beast. His hands remained on the hilt and he sat back.

“I just want to get rid of you."

(To go to the back of this room. To catch up with my friends who went ahead of me. I can't just sit around and wait forever.)

The beasts head roared and another wave of tentacles attacked Jin.

One by one, Jin slashed them away, dodging those that don't make it in time.

There was already no killing intent or fear. His cool green eyes calmly read the movement of the beast's attack. The trajectory was not complicated. He could dodge it if he calmed down. He didn’t have to focus on one thing, just look at the whole picture and slash as necessary.

The tentacles sliced off by Yukianesa fall off and disappear again.

At that moment, Jin noticed that the surface of the liquid seithr had taken on a blue glow. As if to absorb the light, a section of the beasts tentacles lit up and new tentacles regenerated from it.

In short, it sucked up the seithr in the water and used them to rebuild new parts of its body. In other words, the neck itself does not store an inexhaustible supply of seithr.

“...I see, that's how it works."

That small realization gave him a number of ideas on how to deal with it. So, he jumped backward to dodge the tentacles that came at him from above and below, as if they were trying to bite him and as he landed, he thrust Yukianesa to the floor.

At that moment, the water that had spread across the floor of the room, starting with Yukianesa, froze.

The black head reacted as if in agitation. Both he and his tentacles were half-buried in the ice, unable to move. Even so, a few of the tentacles flailed about, shattering the ice and lifting it up, but before they could swing down, Jin's ice blade struck through every last one of them.

The shredded tentacles fell and bounced on Jin’s ice. They didn’t soak up the seithr dissolved in the water and regenerate.

Perhaps sensing its inferiority, the beasts head roared.

As he shook his neck alone, countless cracks appeared in the ice. Without a pause, he jumped up as if to raise himself up, and his neck escaped the ice.

It went straight for Jin.

With that in mind, Jin swung his sword.

A blue-white light ran. Countless ice blades stuck out from below and pierced the flying black neck. The ice that spread out from there covered the neck, turning it into a lump of ice.

“Shatter...”

The flash that Jin released shattered it into pieces.

The cool, sharp sound of shattered glass work littered the area. The ice fell onto the still frozen floor and shattered again, eventually leaving no trace.

Jin puts his sword in its sheath and looked down at Yukianesa.

That murderous voice was no longer heard. It was quiet as if it were just a plain sword. The black head has been taken care of.

“You've taken up a lot of time...”

He wondered if Grimwood and the others have already reached the back. He said he would be right behind them, but it would be bad manners to keep them waiting and worrying too much. Jin turned his back on the frozen room and stepped towards the door leading to the back to follow Grimwood and the others.

===Part 5===

The pathway leading to the back of the building seemed to curve as they walked along the wall. A soldier walking right behind Grimwood, who was hurrying ahead without turning on the lights to avoid being spotted by the enemy, called out to him in concern.

"Lieutenant Kisaragi is all right, isn’t he?"

They couldn’t imagine what was going on behind the closed doors.

But just before the door closed, Jin noticed something and braced himself, which made the soldiers feel uneasy inside.

Grimwood replied calmly, without breaking stride.

"He'll be fine. He's the man chosen by the Nox Nyctores. In fact, it would be more dangerous for me not to be with Jin."

“I know, right?”

No matter what happens, Jin will get through it. Everyone, including Grimwood, had absolute faith in his abilities.

Rather than that, one person behind him said in a muffled voice.

“Hah.”

That was all Grimwood said.

He was worried about Jin, but he was more worried about the smell that was getting worse as he went deeper. The dense stench of death was almost nauseating. What could be in the back? He didn’t want to see another pile of corpses like the last time, Grimwood thought to himself.

Eventually, the passage was cut off and a gaping hole opened up at the end of it.

It was bright on the other side. A flaming orange light leaked out and illuminated the end of the passage.

They heard some kind of mechanical noise.

Cautiously and distractedly, Grimwood peered inside.

Then his eyes widened at what he saw.

“What is this...?"

He wandered into the room as if he were being sucked in.

It was a large room. The ceiling was domed and in the middle of it was a large......

“Gahh!”

“Wha-!?”

Suddenly there was a sound like the simultaneous crushing of air and a puddle of blood and Grimwood turned around.

The soldier next to him took a few steps back and let out a cramped scream.

A white arm protruded from the abdomen of the subordinate soldier who was right next to the entrance. Looking down at it, the subordinate soldier spat out a large amount of blood from his mouth.

“Cap...tain...”

“Owl!”

His subordinate looked up at him with eyes that didn't understand what was happening. Grimwood, in a scream, called out to his subordinates.

Grimwood stretched out his arms, not knowing what that is for.

However, before his hand could touch the body of his subordinate, it was thrown away without a second thought by a thin white arm protruding from his abdomen.

Owl’s body fell to the floor, drawing a band of blood.

Grimwood, who followed him with his eyes in dismay, was approached from the place where his men had been standing until a moment ago.

"You bitch... What are you doing here?"

It was a woman's voice that spoke with a smile of cold ridiculing mockery.

Grimwood turned around at the sound of the voice. It was an unbelievable sight, but it was real. Unmistakably she was-.

"You bastarrrrrd!"

With a grisly bark, Grimwood unfolded his battle axe and swung it wide.

The hem of a soft, white robe swept across his vision.

At the scream he heard, Jin was running in the dark.

The door that had separated him from Grimwood and the others opened straightforwardly with a flash of Yukianesa.

The passage ahead was dark and seemed to curve gently. Even without lights, it was not too difficult to follow the wall.

He was going along, paying attention to his surroundings, when he heard it.

He kicked the ground and ran down the long, narrow passageway as fast as he could. The dark walls echoed Jin's ragged breathing eerily.

Over there, behind here. The scream he heard belonged to the soldier who was with Grimwood, Owl. After a beat, he also heard Grimwood's angry voice, like the roar of a beast.

Something happend, else the calm Captain wouldn't have screamed like that. His heart was beating like a fast-ringing bell, alerting him continuously. He had a bad feeling about this. The blood in his body was rushing noisily. Seeing a flame-colored light at the end of the passageway, Jin abandoned his caution and jumped in.

It was an unexpectedly large room and Jin reflexively stopped in his tracks.

It was a circular room just like the previous one, with a domed ceiling as well. This structure also reminded Jin of that corpse-strewn underground facility of some time ago, but this one was much larger than that one. It was big and horrifying.

The room was filled with the stench of death, but no corpses were piled up this time.

Instead... Jin found them in a corner of the room.

Three corpses rolled around in a messy manner as if they were broken dolls.

One had a large hole in his abdomen. The other two had been torn to shreds all over their bodies. They were Grimwood's men who had been with him earlier.

“What happened...?"

It wasn't long before Jin rushed to the scene after hearing the scream. And yet.

He felt bad. It was a very unpleasant feeling. While enduring the discomfort that tugged at the back of his head, Jin looked around the room again, feeling slightly dizzy.

There was something bizarre about it.

A coffin.

A coffin-like box with some kind of writing on the surface hung in the middle of the room. Numerous pipes from the ceiling, walls and floor connected to it. It looked like a device of some kind. At the same time, he remembered the letters carved on the ceiling of the room before and the symbol of a coffin.

Below the floating coffin, there was a large hole in a circle. If the chain that hung the coffin were to break, it would easily fall into the hole. The hole was wide enough to do so, but narrow enough to cover the entire floor.

From within it. An orange light was flooding the room. It was similar to the color of a flame, it illuminated the room so brightly that he could see the whole room.

On closer inspection, the hole seemed to be boiling with a flame-colored sludge swirling inside.

It was like a "cauldron" filled with lava.

But he didn't feel any heat. In fact, the air was chilly. It was sticky and cold, like a corpse.

The sound of something hard hitting the ground came from the wall. He quickly braced himself and turned around, but as he looked back, a part of the wall slid out from under him.

It stretched out in a straight line until it reached the side of that lava-filled hole in the middle of the room, and then stopped. After that, a cheap driving sound started.
　
Jin ran up to it.

When he looked closely, he saw that the wall that extended to the side of the hole was like a conveyor belt. On the other side of the wall, he heard the sound of some heavy objects being dropped. The conveyor belt started to carry them away.

Jin froze in place in astonishment as the packages arrived in the room illuminated by the flaming light.

Unconsciously, his eyes widened and his mouth opened thinly, losing strength.

They were human beings that were brought to him. They were also ...... corpses. Some were wearing the clothes of soldiers of the Librarium, and others wearing the uniform of the Ikaruga Federation. He couldn’t tell which one they belonged to, but they were wounded bodies with bandages wrapped around them.

One after another, the corpses flowed in and were thrown straight into that hole.

It was as if they were stoking coal.

Suddenly, Jin's vision caught sight of a familiar figure. It was the corpse of a young man still wearing the uniform of the Librarium. His chest was stained black with blood that must have been his own. The face of a student soldier with a twitching expression and downcast eyelids that were the same as that of that student soldier who Jin took care of at the encampment and said he was a junior at the academy.

He flowed forward on the belt and eventually he too was thrown into the cauldron of heatless flame.

Immediately after that, the pipe above Jin's head made a muddy gurgling sound and swished. It was as if something was being fed into it. The end of that pipe was that coffin.

The idea itself was horrifying, but the device looked as if the corpses had been boiled in a cauldron and sucked up, then poured into the coffin.

A chill crept up the inside of Jin's spine.

He felt a different and more horrible fear than the one he felt when he confronted the black head earlier.

The smell of death lingered in the air unpleasantly.

And this crawling fear was much like the unpleasantness of the smell of death.

"Hmm? You're... Jin Kisaragi?"

Suddenly, he heard a voice. This time it wasn't an auditory hallucination. It was a human voice.

With minimal movement, Jin turned toward the voice.

He was so distracted by the large coffin and equipment that he didn't notice that there was a small figure on the other side of the cauldron. He couldn't see the details of the figure clearly because the light of the cauldron flame shining from below was too close. But he recognized her immediately by her voice and her clothes, which were too conspicuous for someone who belonged to the Librarium.

"You are... of the 'Zeroth Squadron'."

Meifang Lapislazuli. She was the commander of the Zeroth Squadron, whom he passed by at the Librarium branch in Yabiko.

The challenging clothes that deliberately expose her body lines. The fact that she exposes her true face without a mask. The unpleasant and conceited gaze, and the cruel smile. It's the same as that time.

Jin's heart thudded and trembled. The Yukianesa in his hand pulsated.

— Kill.

It whispered to him again. That she was a dangerous "enemy" and an "evil" that should be killed. A murderous intent lightened up in Jin.

(You're noisy... Shut up!)

For a moment, his mind went blank and he grabbed Yukianesa tightly as if to scold it, clenching his teeth to cement his stance. He resisted the urge to run and slash at Meifang.

But maybe that was a bad idea after all.

"Wha......"

When he regained his blurred consciousness, Jin was surrounded by white robed figures. Everyone of these figures wears a white mask over their face and a hood that covers eyes. The Zeroth Squadron. The "Garbage Disposal" squad. It is responsible for disposing of traitors who betray the Librarium in their own ranks.

Jin glanced around at all the white-robed people surrounding him, then glared sharply at Meifang.

"Why are you here? What have you done to them?"

He asked in a low, hostile tone. By them, of course, he meant Grimwood's men who were lying at the entrance of the room.

No one had passed them in that narrow passage before Jin came to this room. If a suspicious person had gotten to them, Meifang and the men of the Zeroth Squadron would not have let them escape.

The ones who killed them are the ones from the Zeroth Squadron here. No, it was definitely Meifang. Her white arms and the white robe she wore were covered with the red of blood.

"'What do you think you're doing?' That's my line. You 'renegades'."

Licking her blood-red fingertips, Meifang looked at Jin with emotionless, glass-ball eyes.

Jin clenched his teeth tightly.

It's true that they ignored orders and left the camp on their own. Acting on your own is a serious breach of discipline. Especially in an emergency situation like the current one, it is a serious crime.

But is it even possible to be called a traitor? Is it so bad to call for an end to the war as soon as possible so that no more unnecessary casualties will occur? It's absurd, Jin's stomach churned as he wondered if this was what an orderly world should look like.

But what Meifang continued to say was not exactly what Jin had assumed.

“This is a sacred place created for the "Imperator" of the Librarium... You were not only satisfied with trespassing, but you are also trying to sell it over to Sector Seven of all things. This is outrageous."

“Sector Seven?”

Why has that name come up? When Jin raised his eyebrows and asked incomprehensibly, Meifang licked off her fingertips and put her blood-soaked hand on his white cheek.

"Why didn't you know? Fufufu, was the man who could be the next head of the Kisaragi family used for such a puny mercenary?"

As she said this, she shook her loosely bundled hair and looked down at her feet. Underneath her high heeled boots, there was some kind of raised lump lying around. Grabbing it carelessly, Meifang lifted it with one thin arm.

"Uuu..."

The lump hanging lazily from the floor groaned. Jin was blinded by the sight. The one where Meifang grabbed a person by the neck and held him in midair.

"Grimwood!"

With an almost shouting voice, Jin called out the name.

His well-trained body, strong shoulders, sturdy arms and legs had no strength, and he was left hanging slackly. His whole body was wet with blood. His axe was also lying on the floor, smashed and broken. There was a muffled sound and blood bubbled in Grimwood's mouth as he was forced to look up. His ash gray mustache was stained with a sticky red liquid.

"You...!"

Jin braced himself with indignation.

Grimwood was quite strong. The soldiers in the 9th squad were also considerably powerful. It was hard to believe that she could so easily turn them into nothing.

But what he was seeing was undeniably true. It was an unforgivable fact.

Looking at the angry Jin with a tilted head, Meifang smiled smugly.

“What are you so upset about...? This is the man who leaked the information about our sides formation to the Ikaruga Federation during the last invasion. He is an informer and is also tied to that scum, Kokonoe.”

“......What?"

That's absurd. Grimwood was a traitor? On one hand, Jin also remembered that he had a number of doubts about his actions. Even Jin had looked at Grimwood with suspicion a few times, as he had been so well-informed. Was it that transparent?

Meifang made a deliberate sound of pity.

“Such innocence. You've been used.”

The next head of the Kisaragi family, a user of the Nox Nyctores. Jin was self aware of how he can be used in many ways.

But he was not easily convinced that Grimwood was using him.

It was not based on circumstantial evidence or logic, but on a silly emotional argument that he was not that kind of person. He simply had faith in Grimwood. That's why he couldn’t believe what Meifang said.

"Jin..."

A muffled voice came from the other side of the cauldron, causing Jin to look up breathlessly.

Grimwood, who seemed to be unconscious, desperately reflected Jin in his eyes while hanging in the air.

"Run... This one's bad... She’s a 'monster'...”

Grimwood complained in desperation, spitting blood from his strangled throat.

The next moment, however, his expression became that of frenzy, his eyes nearly popping out of his head.

"Gu, gaaaaah!"

The hand of Meifang grasping his neck was filled with a lethal force. Grimwood's neck creaked under the strain.

Narrowing her eyes as if enjoying the sound, Meifang sneered at the large, suspended man from below.

“'Monster'? Oh, who is the real 'monster'?

He was speaking very slowly, as if he was trying to make sure, as if he was trying to tell Jin something, but then his eyes were wide open and he was screaming like a broken man with rage in his eyes.

“You are garbage! You are trash who betrayed the Imperator, so watch how you talk!"

"Ohhhh..."

Her finger tips dug into his throat, breaking the skin and causing blood to flow.

“Stop it! No more!”

As Grimwood struggled to wriggle out with a completely weak body, Jin let out a cry of grief that surprised even him.

[[File:SS1-4.png|thumb]]

At the sound of his voice, Meifang glanced back at him, then huffed and relaxed the force that had almost snapped his neck.

Grimwood's body slackened and lost tension again. Jin wondered if he had fainted, but that didn't seem to be the case. He repeatedly opened and closed his mouth like a fish seeking oxygen and glared at Meifang with his light green eyes. Animalistic hostility can only describe his current image.

"Fufufu... Listen, trash. The Imperator is a generous person and they will give trash like you a chance to atone for your sins.

Meifang asked, looking back into Grimwood's eyes as he stared at her.

"Answer me. "Who” sent you here?"

“I don't know what you mean by..."

"Do I have to explain everything to trash like you so you can understand? I'm asking who's giving you orders? You're in the Librarium, right? It's someone with the equivalent authority of... Ah, yes. For example..."

She was about to say someone's name, but Grimwood interrupted her as if to shake her off.

"I don't know what you are misunderstanding... 'monster'. I'm here of my own volition, under no one else's direction..."

Grimwood's words were muffled in mid-sentence. Maifang's hand grabbed his neck and crushed it.

Looking up at the large man, Meifang made a smile with her mouth as she glared at him.

“I didn't give you permission to say anything. Well, if you really don't want to tell me, I'll thoroughly ask that woman eventually. Fufufu..."

It was obvious who "that woman" was referring to. Grimwood's face instantly changed color as he struggled, but he could not free his body.

"Hey, wait you bitc- Kuh!"

“I will not allow you to speak. You have disrespected the Imperator’s mercy. From now on, you are forbidden to speak at all."

With a tone of voice that judged any disobedience, Meifang licked her lips with her red tongue and traced them. A sign of decleration.

"Now, the charges. 'Disrespect' and 'rebellion' against the Novus Orbis Librarium and the Imperator!”

Meifang's high-pitched declaration reverberated through the basement.

Meifang tells her white brethren as he hangs up the sinner, Grimwood, even higher.

“With the blade of retribution and scales of judgment, I come to deliver... righteous justice! I am the condemner... I am the wing of judgment. This trial is over!”

At Meifang's sonorous declaration, the white-robed people surrounding Jin declared one by one.

“Death penalty!”

“Death penalty!”

“Death penalty!”

“Death penalty!”

The voices of dozens of people, seemingly endlessly repeating the words "Death penalty" one by one echoed loudly on the high ceiling.

Jin felt like he was going crazy with all the death threats blathering on around him. What the hell is this?

“Stop it... Let him go!”

Dazed and confused, Jin's voice was weakly overshadowed by the white robes that surrounded him. Eventually, the last one said, "Death penalty!”, and then…

Grimwood's body was thrust forward and Meifang walked up to the cauldron.

"The Apostle's judgment is fair. Therefore, in the name of the Imperator, you, Grimwood Huster, are condemned."

There was already no response from Grimwood's body. The legs of his body slumped down and stopped over a hole that had the color of boiled lava.

With a grin, Meifang put a touch of torment on her lips.

“You are... sentenced to death!”

“Stoooooooooop!”

The sound of Meifang's voice echoing with ecstasy caused Jin to run. He had expected to be seized immediately, but the people of the Zeroth Squadron did not move.

Running straight ahead, he put his hand on the hilt of Yukianesa.

Meifang was watching him with amusement. The womans slender arms strangled Grimwood's neck with unbelievable force as she watched Jin run impatiently.

— For one moment, he thought he saw Grimwood jump.

But the next thing he knew.

Pop.

A wet light sound was mixed in with a heavy wet sound, and it made Jin want to cover his ears. The red liquid flowed and Grimwood's body and neck separated. The neck and body, separated by the bloodstained hand, fell apart.

It fell down, into the hole.

And was swallowed into the boiling cauldron.

A thick pipe moved above Jin's head, sending something into the coffin. The spilling sound felt like the pulse of life,

That... was Grimwood, wasn’t he?

At that moment, Jin felt something as cold as a snowstorm pass through his body.

— Kill.

The ice sword whispered.

An urge swirled inside Jin.

(Kill......kill.....kill....kill...kill..kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill kill.)

His legs ran faster than he've ever run before, and his eyes widened even more as he stared at the white flesh before him. He was going to slice through that skin, through that flesh, and he was going to spill everything that's in there. The color, the sound, the heat, everything, everyone, cut, mince, reject.

"I'll kill you, I'll kill you, you bastard!"

The taste of blood rose in his throat as he howled on his own.

He stepped forward and with the same momentum, Jin pulled out Yukianesa. The silver blader, colder than ice, sliced through the air and tore at Meifang's skin, ripping flesh from body.

At the thought, a moment of unbearable pleasure made Jin smile.

But immediately after, Meifang was not there. Jin gasped as he swung out his blade, which ended up striking the air.

"I'll dismiss your current rudeness as temporary insanity. Fufufu, be grateful."

"Wha…!"

The voice whispering leisurely and seductively suddenly came from right beside him.

That's absurd. What kind of reaction and speed is that? Who the hell is this Meifang Lapislazuli? Jin turned around, feeling an instinctive danger like prey being gazed upon.

"Don't get so heated... BOY!"

She smiled gently with lips that had red blood printed on them as if it was lipstick and Meifang's palm bottom plunged into Jin's side.

"Argh......ku!"

He didn't even have time to brace himself. In an instant, his breathing stopped and his consciousness became clouded as the shock shot up to his brain. His knees lost their strength, and despite his will, he collapsed and fell to the floor.

Maifang grabbed Jin's hair and held him back as he tried to fall, then looked into his eyes and put her face close to his ear.

"Oh, and didn't I told you to watch your language around your superiors. Or is that also... 'none of your business'?"

After she told him that, Meifang let go of his hand. When he was released, Jin did not have the strength to resist. He slumped to the floor, hitting his forehead hard. The floor was cold, and above his head, he could hear the sound of pipes rattling in the distance.

In his cloudy vision, he could see a cracked and broken ax.

Grimwood's axe.

After that, Jin's consciousness was cut off.

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Hero / True face]]
|-
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4

2025-08-02T07:58:58Z

Bloodedge666:

==Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening==

===Part 1===

There was a person walking at a quick pace down the long corridor. The wooden-floored corridor creaked as he stepped on it, but there was no sound of his footsteps as he was half running.

The unique attire that seemed to blend into the shadows, covering the entire body and even the head and most of the face with cloth of the same color, was the attire of a "Ninja", the ancient spies of the Ikaruga Federation.

It was night. The sun had already set and the area had been swallowed up by darkness. The ninja hurried noiselessly through the corridor that was dimly lit and visited the room.

This is Wadatsumi Castle.

This is the castle where Tenjō, the sole person who rules over the Ikaruga Federation, lives.

Then the ninja slipped in and kneeled down, behind the sliding door.

"My lord, I'm back."

“Come in."

The reply was immediate. The voice was quiet and composed.

The ninja replied briefly, then turned himself around and quickly went inside.

He closed the sliding door noiselessly and turned around to see that there was a place at the back of the room that was a few steps up, surrounded on all sides by a light brown bamboo screen.

Normally, all the blinds should be down and you can only get a faint glimpse of what's behind them, but now only the one in front has been lifted and you can see the figure of the person sitting behind it.

At the back of the boarded-up room, behind a bamboo screen, sitting on a chair waiting for the ninja was a person dressed in the distinctive Ikaruga garb with its generous sleeves. The black, white, and red tones of the garment gave off an air of nobility that stood apart from that of the average person.

Their long, waist-high purple hair flowed from her shoulders to her back like a glossy shoulder strap, reaching the floor besides her chair.

The posture was flawless. Lifting her hands slightly from her lap, the one named lord spoke to her kneeling subordinate spy.

“Your hard work is appreciated. Lift your face up. Report."

Their voice was clear and unhurried, but somehow lacked a sense of energy and vitality.

The ninja raised his head and saw the lords face for the first time in a long time.

There was no human face there. What was there instead was a white mask.

The male ninja had heard that it was to hide a large scar on their face from an old battle. Very few people had ever seen the lord’s true face. This ninja had also never seen it.

A white-faced figure with an unblemished and noble appearance. That was the lord, or in other words, Tenjō Amanohokosaka, who was the ruler of Ikaruga.

"The Nox Nyctores "Deus Machina: Nirvana" stored in the Sector Seven facility in the northeastern part of Ikaruga, has been seized by the Novus Orbis Librarium. It seems that a large-scale battle occurred at the facility and many people died."

The purple-haired figure, Tenjō, exhaled deeply, their chest rising and falling at the whimsical report.

The ninja continued.

“Relius Clover, who was in charge of analyzing the Nox Nyctores, is currently missing, and Nirvana's current location is unknown. Kokonoe of Sector Seven was also at the scene and was injured..."

Just as he was about to say something, a violent cough interrupted the Ninja’s words. It was Tenjō, bent over, holding their chest and coughing bitterly.

The Ninja hurriedly raised his hips. However, Tenjō sensed this and controlled their subordinate with their hand while still suffering and gasping in pain.

“C-Continue.”

“But...”

“I'm sorry to interrupt. No need to worry."

They then raised themself heavily and their voice was so muddy it was impossible not to worry.

However, if he was asked to continue, he would not be able to avoid doing so. Pushing aside the uneasiness that came to mind, the ninja straightened his posture once again.

“So, uhm... Professor Kokonoe, who was present at the scene, was also injured, but it is not life-threatening and she is currently being transported to the headquarters of Sector Seven. Also, as the lord can conjecture... a high density of seithr reaction was confirmed.”

The ninja spoke with uneasiness.

“...I see.”

After a full few seconds of pause, Tenjō also responded in uneasiness, then they closed their mouth again under the mask.

It was a thoughtful silence, but no one could see what Tenjō was thinking about, what their feelings were and what expression they were making.

Eventually, Tenjō looked at the Ninja from beneath their mask.

“Where is Bang?”

“The head is on a reconnaissance mission, my lord.”

“Tell him to come to me when he gets back.”

"Certainly!"

“You can go now. Get some rest."

The ninja remained on his knees, bowed deeply one last time and walked silently out of the room with the same swiftness with which he had come.

For a while after that, Tenjō was alone in the large wooden room.

After a certain while, they stood up slowly, their long purple hair shaking. They turned their feet to another sliding door, located on the opposite side of the one the ninja had left from.

They pulled open one of the sliding doors to enter the next room and then opened the sliding door at the far end to go further in.

There was a small bed on the floor. It was made of soft-colored wood and wrapped with a fluffy comforter and clean white sheets.

On top of it, a baby who probably couldn't even stand up on their own was sleeping peacefully.

Tenjō’s footsteps crept up to the baby's side and they peered into the bed. The baby seemed completely at ease and didn't seem to be awakened by the approaching presence.

Tenjō wondered if the baby was having a good dream.

Their soft lips moved in small gulps as if they were trying to eat something.

A lovely child. Their eyes and nose were clear and they would grow up to be beautiful one day. Their hair was soft and lush, still pale, but black.

(I think your face looks a lot like mine, now that I think about it, but it would seem your hair color is closer to your father. It's better that way.) Tenjō thought as ''she'', that baby's mother, gently stroked the baby's head.

"For you, a life of hardships has been decided. If my wishes would be granted, I would have preferred that you live in tranquility, but..."

It’s beyond her power.

As she whispered to her, Tenjō seemed to regret leaving, but she still gently let go of their hand and sat up.

For a while, she stared at the baby's sleeping face, and then left the room.

Bang hadn't arrived yet when she went back to the room where she had met the ninja earlier.

As expected. However, if she were to be at leisure here, her reliable head ninja might rush in like the wind.

Before doing so... Tenjō went around to the back of the screened area.

There was a small sliding door that you can only enter by bending down. Tenjō walked through it and down the dimly lit corridor that led to it. The wooden floor was old and occasionally creaked under her weight.

Every time she took a step, it felt as if she was being separated, from the small sliding door that was gradually moving away and from the sleeping face on the other side of the door.

At the end of the corridor, an old wooden door was waiting. It opened in both directions, with a crest carved across the two doors. Standing in front of it, Tenjō quietly chanted something and touched the crest with a finger that peeked out from her generous sleeve.

Then the heavy-looking double doors moved by themselves and opened.

Just enough for one person to pass through. Just enough for a Tenjō to get through.

There was no hesitation now. She walked in, her lustrous purple hair fluttering. The door closed slowly and naturally, locking the area into darkness.

Soon, however, a small purple light appeared at Tenjō’s feet. It wasn't a room. It was a device. A lifting device.

When the device sensed the lord, it made a small cowering sound and started to move. Down, down, so far down that it seemed to go on forever. Eventually, the device carried the lord to the lowest level of the castle and opened its mouth again without anyones intervention.

What was there was a small room made into a perfect cube.

It was not really a room though, but a "space". No walls, no floor, but a place that clearly exists somehow.

Talismans were attached one by one to the part corresponding to the apex of the cube so as to surround it.

Tenjō stepped out into the empty space surrounded by the talisman and stopped right in the middle of the cube, then crawled her white palm over the empty space in front of her.

A fine bell-like sound was heard, and a vertical straight line of light was created in the space Tenjō touched with her hand. With that light as its boundary, the space opened to the left and right like a door.

As soon as she did, the scenery around her changed completely.

What surrounded Tenjō was not a space covered with protective charms, but a large room lined with thick pillars inscribed with what looked like ancient scripts.

A series of pipes and cords ran from the pillars up to the high ceiling, connecting to various devices that filled the walls.

In addition, all the pillars had sturdy-looking chains attached to them. At the end of the chains, there was something large suspended in the air.

It was shaped like an upside-down triangular pyramid. A metaphor for it would be a huge lynchpin.

The size was incomparable with that of Tenjō. It wasn’t something that a human can carry.

The blackish surface was smooth, with vaguely greenish glowing streaks running in all directions.

It was a relic of the past, discovered after the Dark War.

It is called "Kushinada's Lynchpin."

On top of the wedge hung a smaller one of a similar shape that seemed to follow. If the huge wedge was a lynchpin, then the smaller one on top of it was probably a nail.

The nail was also heavily sealed with a chain wrapped around it.

Tenjō looked up at the huge lynchpin and jumped like a feather towards it. The small leap softly lifted her body and carried her straight to the top of the lynchpins upper platform.

Silently, she landed on the Lynchpin of Kushinada. As soon as she did so, she saw that nail hanging above her, tied to the chain.

The nail was big if one might say. It was probably bigger than Tenjō’s body.

(I should stop. I shouldn't be thinking about it right now.)

Shaking off a sudden feeling of emotion, Tenjō looked up at the dangling nail and hurriedly removed her mask. Her face underneath, she was thin, gaunt, but beautiful.

Her skin was translucent white, and the blood in her cheeks was far gone.

It was not the beauty of life, but the beauty of death. The true face of Ikaruga was as beautiful as a dead woman.

There were no major scars anywhere, because that white mask was not meant to hide any scars.

Tenjō slowly lifted her eyelids and breathed in air that she hadn't felt in her lungs in a long time.

Her eyes were red. Like blood.

But soon, her blood-colored eyes flickered. A violent cough overflowed from her throat, shaking her whole body.

The whooping coughing that wrecked her lungs and tore her throat was due to the fact that her body was being poisoned by seithr. The mask was meant to hide Tenjō’s true identity and protect her weakened body from the seithr in the air.

It shouldn't be widely known. The broken body of Tenjō, that was on the brink of collapse. “Who” she really was.

But now, no one will see.

And for what she was about to do, any aspect that blocks even a small part of herself from the outside world is only a hindrance. The coughing finally subsided. Tenjō grabbed her chest and breathed heavily, trying to get her badly erratic breathing under control.

If she were to handle ''it'' too roughly, it would break.

"...It seems my "vessel" is about to reach its limit very soon. If I could, I would have stopped... “it” from coming back, but I can't anymore, I failed."

It's very hard to achieve anything with her current body. This is why the lord needed a vessel that could withstand for her purpose. For this reason, she sought out the Nox Nyctores "Deus Machina: Nirvana". To inject her soul into it and make it a new vessel.

But that, too, was now lost.

She doesn't have time. This body, this vessel, is in a state that could break at any moment.

So, this right now is the best she can do before her vessel becomes unable to do anything.

"A new 'order' is about to be born in this world. One day, the world will regain it. That’s why..."

As she spoke, Tenjō reached for the large nail hanging in front of her, as she touched it with both hands and pressed her forehead against it, avoiding the cold chains, the lord closed her eyes.

"Nox Nyctores... "Phoenix: Rettenjō". For the sake of when that time comes, I entrust my soul to you."

The moment she whispered, something like a heartbeat pulsated in Tenjō’s chest. It was as if a shockwave that was blinde for everyones eyes had struck her heart or even her soul.

But the shock soon wore off and Tenjō’s heart returned to its calm and serene state.

She quietly lifted her eyelids. It was dark all around and the sensation of something seeping in, like cold water, surrounded Tenjō’s senses.

(...I see 'myself' in front of me... I see 'myself' looking at 'myself' with a sad look.)

(A feeling as if I were looking into a mirror, but what I see here is not a mirror. It is a gap in matter and space. The inside and the outside of Rettenjō.)

Tenjō could no longer move a single finger. She was only conscious. She has no arms, no fingers, no mouth and no eyes.

She will never hold someone again. She won't be able to touch anyone anymore. If she won’t be able to talk to anyone. Nothing will see her.

(This never ending “Death”... It is such a sad thing. I'm sure it's much, much sadder than I could imagine right now.)

However, Tenjō’s heart was not in despair, it was infact in hope.

(But aside from me, the one who is closest to “Death”. My child... "Homura." Because “Life” was born, the possibility of ending this unfortunate world of death will also be born...”.

Without a voice, Tenjō spoke to the "self" standing on the other side.

(I believe in it. I will bet my all on that... "Possibility.")

It may or may not turn out the way she wants it to, but that is no longer in her hands. It is for those who will be born and grow up after this to find and choose.

(Goodbye... Homura.)

If only one wish would be granted, please let this child "live", no matter how much pain there is. No matter How much suffering there is.

With Tenjō’s wish, the connected chain flew vigorously high, as if something had pulled it up, then fell straight down with a sharp-pointed tip in high speed ── towards Kushinada's Lynchpin.

Higher and louder, the sound of clashing metal echoed through the air.

For a moment, something like a shockwave spread, but without destroying anything. The lowest level of Wadatsumi Castle was enveloped in silence.

The heavy chains that had restrained Rettenjō' were gone before she knew it.

The large nail was released and held in the air just before it touched Kushinada's Lynchpin, holding it still.

There was no sign of anything anymore.

She was staring at the scene and before she knew it, that white mask was covering her face. Keeping her face covered, she touched the nail that was standing still in front of her with the palm of her hand. At that moment, a red pattern appeared on the white mask that should have been empty.

The pattern was tinged with a liquid glow only once. Tenjō muttered under her red mask.

"...Well. I don't want to keep Bang waiting for too long."

The quiet tone of her voice quickly disappeared into the dimness of silence.

Turning around, Tenjō climbed down from the Kushinada's Lynchpin and headed back the way she came.

Her steps were unsteady and unaccustomed. It is like she was a doll that had just started to walk by herself.

===Part 2===

Night— At the frontline base in the jungle of the Ikaruga Federation.

Most of the guards had already finished dinner and the ones who were on late lookout duty began to fall asleep.

It was then. Suddenly, all the lights in the base went out.

“What in the hell?”

The battalion commander, who was enjoying his after-dinner coffee in his tent, hurriedly kicked over his chair.

He walked out of the commander's tent, spilling his still-hot coffee and feeling very angry, then the lights came back on without a moments hesitation.

The guard straightened his posture into a salute and replied.

"Sir! It seems that for a short time, the power supply has stopped. It's working fine now."

“Power outage?”

“Yes... The cause is unknown, sir.”

The battalion commander clicked his tongue in disapproval at the guards answer and walked back to his tent.

It didn't matter if the cause was unknown or not, as long as it was working. His priority was to get a new cup of coffee ready.

===Part 3===

At the exact same time, in the dark forest of night...

Honoka, who was gathering twigs with a handheld light, looked up when the light in his hand suddenly flickered.

He looked up at the night sky and gasped, opening his eyes wide as if he had noticed something.

The next moment, the light in Honoka's hand disappeared completely, and at the same time, a panicked voice came from a short distance away.

"Whoa!?"

“What’s the matter, what's wrong?"

It was one of the soldiers from the 9th squad who raised his voice.

Another soldier nearby turned around to see what was going on.

The one who suddenly spoke up stared at his outstretched hands and dropped his shoulders with a scowl.

"My Vigilance Ars Magus suddenly ran out in the middle of work. Shit, now I have to start all over again..."

For a brief moment, it felt as if seithr had completely disappeared.

Muttering and swearing, the soldier began to construct the Ars Magus again. It was an Ars Magus that alerts them when an unidentified entity is approaching them.

"You may be tired, but you're still in enemy territory. It's not safe here either. Don't let your guard down."

Grimwood slurped down a canteen of water and drank it when he called out to the extent that it didn’t interfere with the Ars Magus procedure.

They were in the middle of the forest, only a short distance from the dead bodies of Sector Seven’s research lab.

They hadn't yet met up with the Ars Magus Vessel to return to the main force. If they had, they would have been able to get to an open area in 30 minutes by jeep, but the jeep they relied on had been completely destroyed and is of course now useless. No one mentioned what had caused it, but everyone thought that it was most likely the work of those moving corpses. Above all, no one had the energy left to discuss the culprit.

It didn’t matter who it was. If they can’t move, they wouldn’t be able to leave the forest. That was the only thing that mattered and it was because of that fact that Grimwood and the rest of the 9th squad were preparing to camp, unable to move far from the laboratory where they had suffered so much.

"Honoka. Where's the firewood?"

Jin called out to Honoka when he spotted him standing there a little distance away. Honoka came to his senses and rushed over to him.

“I'm sorry, I found it. It's just this..."

"This won't last a night. Oh well, I'll look for more later. You can rest now."

He took a handful of dead branches from Honoka and placed a few of them in the small fire that was already flickering.

When they escaped from the laboratory, it was nighttime.

If the jeep hadn't been destroyed and if Karenjina had been able to use her Seagull, they would have been able to travel to a place where they could meet up with the Vessel without having to deal with the night. But now they had neither. All their vehicle options are out and Karenjina could no longer sense a rabbit a meter away without rest.

Looking at the burning twigs, Honoka bowed apologetically.

"I apologize. Now, if you'll pardon me."

Honoka, his valet, would have recommended that Jin, his boss, to take a rest, but Honoka seemed to have reached his limit. With staggering and unsteady steps, he collapsed into a sofa seat near the fire.

The sofa seat originally belonged to the jeep. When it became apparent that it had been destroyed beyond repair and that encampment was inevitable, Grimwood half-heartedly pulled it out of the jeep and set it down. Likewise, he dragged down a sofa from one of the other destroyed Librarium vehicles left behind from the battle before they arrived, so he was able to make enough beds for all of them.

Grimwood's dexterity with the battle axe and dismantling of the jeep and other vehicles was quite impressive and when Jin mentioned it to him, he smiled broadly with a hint of exhaustion and said that he might start work like that when the war was over.

Incidentally, Karenjina was already asleep in her leather-smelling bed, covered with a blanket, as if she had fainted. She was barely conscious until the moment she collapsed, though she might actually be in a state of unconsciousness now.

“Well then," said the soldier who had just finished applying the Vigilance Ars Magus, apologizing to Jin and slipping into the sofa seat.

Grimwood stood beside Jin as he lightly patted his subordinate on the back and sent him off to a simple bed to get some early rest.

"Are you sure you don't want to rest first? You're the one who's most worn out."

He said with concern, raising an eyebrow at his troubled face.

Jin nodded lightly. Grimwood was talking about watchkeeping.

They were going to spend the night in a place like this and no matter how many precautions they took with their Ars Magus, they never knew what might happen while they slept. That's why it was decided to set up lookouts in turn and Jin was one of the first to be nominated.

Jin split a long, thin branch in two and threw it into the fire.

"I'm too nervous to sleep anyway. I need you to leave me alone for a bit."

“Is that how it’s gonna be?”

“That's how it's gonna be. Just go to sleep. Your body is in the way when you're standing next to me."

When Jin said it plainly without even looking at him, Grimwood chuckled as he spewed. He patted Jin on the shoulder and turned away.

Dragging his strong, well-trained body, he sank into the sofa he had peeled off.

All of them, not to mention Jin, were badly worn out.

The air of repose has the effect of making the body aware of a great deal of fatigue. Lying on the couch, the members of the 9th squad soon stopped moving and deep slumber could be heard from every coach.

Jin turned to the fire that he had built for light and protection and pulled Yukianesa from beside him.

The night in the forest was quiet.

There were no sounds of animals, no sounds of insects. There were no signs of any presence other than their own.
What he had said to Grimwood had not been out of strength or concern. He was indeed very tired, but right now he wanted to be alone with his thoughts rather than resting with the rest of the 9th squad.

The fire sparks scattered.

Jin looked up at the night sky.

He couldn't see the moon. That was convenient.

He hated the moon.

(...Still, I am glad we made it out safely.)

Leaning on Yukianesa as a staff, Jin exhaled from being tired.

As he recalled, it was a messy situation. They finally arrived at the site of the mission, where there were no allies or enemies, only the bodies of dead people and then all of them got up and started attacking them out of nowhere.

It was an unbelievable number to the point it was hard to believe that no one had lost their lives or even been seriously injured and then be able to return to the surface
while being tangled up in all of that. He was also curious about the puppet master, who was controlling that many at once.

(...Ha...Unbelievable.)

Jin thought to himself.

He still couldn’t believe it, even though the crisis is over and he was now doing things like watching the fire.

It was not about that pile of dead bodies that bothered him though. It's about his own actions inside the lab. The moment where they reached the "Cauldron".

Looking at his hands with narrowed eyes, Jin pulled off the gloves he was wearing.

...A long time ago, Jin killed his 'brother'.

With these hands and with this sword.

The feeling of that moment was still firm in Jin's hand. He thrust Yukianesa's cold blade into his 'brother's' back as he fell, stumbling and screaming in anger.

After losing his brother and the home he grew up in, Jin was taken in by the Kisaragi family. Ever since then, Jin's life has had no meaning.

His 'brother' was everything to him. Everything about him had been established through his 'brother's existence'.

So the world without his 'brother' has no meaning and Jin's days have always been lacking without him. There was no desire for the environment around him. There were no expectations from the people around him. He thought he would just consume his remaining life span for a few more decades and eventually die for no reason.

But in that time. When he was surrounded by moving corpses in the basement. When Grimwood was alone.

For perhaps the first time, Jin wielded his power for... "friends".

To survive together...

As Jin watched the fire in his lamenting thoughts, he suddenly smelled a scent. Jin looked around and saw a flower blooming on a nearby tree. They were red flowers. Each one was large, probably as big as Jin's palm. He didn't know the name of the flowers.

But the color of the flowers reminded Jin of a girl.

A girl with the same hair color and unironically the same name as these red flowers.

The last time he saw the girl was at the port of an Ars Magus Vessel heading to Yabiko.

At the port, many of Jin’s classmates and juniors from the Academy had gathered to see him off. A little outside of the circle of these people, she was quietly looking at him.

She was not the kind of person who would push her way through a crowd of people. Jin looked her in the eye, received her troubled and sorrowful look instead of a farewell and planned to leave.

But just before he boarded the Vessel, her friends half-heartedly brought her before Jin.

He thought she was embarrassed and troubled, because she probably wasn't good at these kinds of occasions.

But as she looked back at her friend for help. She was still pushed forward and turned to Jin with big eyes filled with tears that looked like they were about to burst.

However, looking back at her friend asking for salvation, she was pushed forward and turned to Jin with big eyes that looked like they were about to burst into tears.

Amidst the expectations of good luck and success, and the concerns of injury and illness, she looks at Jin with the deepest sadness anyone could muster.

Her red lips were trembling. She was searching for words while being lost for them. She bit her lips and held back the tears that threatened to spill. Then she said it...

“Please 'live'... and return safely.”

That seemed to be all she had to say.

At that time, Jin simply thought that if he died, this girl would cry...

So he tried to reassure her with a little smile.

“I promise you, Tsubaki.”

With that, he boarded the Vessel.

Burnt twigs snapped and crumbled in the orange and fine sparks of fire fluttered in the air.

"...Promise, huh?"

As he plunged the new branch into the fire, Jin muttered to himself.

But before he could step into the swamp of sentimentality, Jin called out towards the back.

“What is it?"

"...You surprised me. I thought I'd erased my presence."

A voice came back, sounding impressed. It was Karenjina.

This time, she didn't pay attention to her presence and walked up to Jin's side.

“I'm taking over. Time to go."

Jin's eyebrows moved slightly when he was told. He felt a little clumsy. He didn't realize how long he had been seriously lost in thought.

“...I am still good to go."

He turned away from Karenjina and quickly put on the gloves he had removed.

As he tried to escape her gaze, Karenjina moved to the other side and looked down at Jin.

“You should get some rest, too. I'm fine now. Besides, I'm better at "spotting the enemy" than you are."<ref>Karenjina Parsett’s Drive: Seagull, is written with the Kanji for Search and Enemy 索敵 or Sakuteki, but is pronounced Seagull in Katakana: (シーガル) in the novel instead of the Onyomi pronunciation of each kanji, therefore, Seagull literally means spotting/searching for the enemy, or in this context, she is better at “seagulling.”</ref>

Karenjina said appealingly, as if she thought Jin was concerned about her health. Missing the point, Jin ignored the brown-skinned female mercenary.

An exasperated sigh fell from her lips. Jin expected her to just walk away, but Karenjina betrayed his expectation and sat down next to him.

With her chin resting on her lap, Karenjina gazed at the small bonfire. The flames that lit up her deep blue eyes looked rather wondrous.

“...Thanks.”

After a few moments of silence, Karenjina spoke.

"We're sleeping alive tonight because of you. If it weren't for you, we'd all be dead in that basement. So, thank you..."

She says it in a softer tone than usual.

Jin peeked at the person next to him for a moment. At the same time, Karenjina turned to look at him.

Their gazes collided and it was awkward for both of them, so averted them almost simultaneously.

“You don't have to thank me."

When Jin replied curtly, Karenjina raised her body and looked up as if she was trying to mend her usual tone.

“I haven't forgiven you for calling me a 'shit,' though."

After he was told, Jin remembered that he might have said something like that. It surely would have been a surprise to his juniors at the academy to hear him use language like that towards someone.

“I don't remember that.”

"Hm...Feigning indifference. That's just like you."

She sniffed in frustration and rested her cheek on her lap. Looking at the flames, she chuckled lightly. The tickling tone of her voice made Jin's mouth unconsciously break into a smile.

“Oh.”

Immediately, Karenjina shouted in surprise.

“What is it?

"No, It's- ...I guess even you can laugh. First time seeing that side of you."

She said with a look of deep surprise on her face.

Immediately, Jin pulled back his smile and raised an eyebrow. He must have relaxed his mind without even realizing. It's a little embarrassing for him to have his carelessness pointed out like that. Jin closed his mouth and there was silence again. The person from his side seemed much softer and calmer than usual.

The fire flickered. The night sky was distant and silent as the dancing sparks of fire were sucked in.

Karenjina rested her shoulders and took a deep breath. It was as if she was trying to let out all the energy she has been holding in.

“But this time it was really bad. Really a miracle that we survived down there."

After a short pause, Jin affirmed with an attentive gesture and replied, "Yeah, that’s right.”

He used short words as an answer, but inwardly he was holding a greater agreement than words.

It was true that Jin's work led to their survival. But if Jin had made a different decision or if he had already used up all of his power, they wouldn't be here tonight.

Karenjina was right, what happened in the basement was indeed, to use her words, incredibly "bad".

There were a few things that were stuck in Jin's mind.

Why did the Puppet Master leave this necromancer doll behind when there were no survivors left on the side of the Librarium or Sector Seven? It's as if they knew in advance that someone would come after this.

And those corpses had waited until Jin and the others had entered the deepest room in the basement before moving. It was as if they had been waiting for them to advance to a position where they could surround them.

(Were we ambushed?)

The situation might have to many holes to fill yet to determine that this was the case. But Jin, who was standing in the middle of all of this, was convinced of the ambush by his gut. They've been waiting for them. He could feel it.

But how did they manage to ambush them? Did they get word that Jin's squad was the only one delayed? Was that why they had set up the trap, knowing that the rest of the squad was coming?

For what purpose?

No, to begin with.

For “whom” was the arrangement?

Jin? Grimwood? The 9th Squad itself? Or else...

“Did you say something?"

Karenjina, who couldn't hear Jin's mumbling, turned to Jin as she threw a twig,too small to be used as firewood, into the fire.

Jin shook his head lightly.

"No, it's nothing."

He didn't want to cause unnecessary confusion by spreading uncertain doubts. If he was going to talk about it, it would be better to do it some other time.

Karenjina smiled bitterly at his curt attitude of not looking at her. She seemed to have gotten used to his deliberate lack of interest in her.

After waiting for Karenjina to gaze to the fire, Jin asked abruptly.

"What are you fighting for?"

When he pushed the disturbing doubts to the corner of his mind, an inexplicable question arose instead.

He thought it was a casual question, but Karenjina blinked a few times with a puzzled look on her face.

“I never thought you'd ask me that kind of question..."

“What do you mean? There isn't really a deep meaning to it."

It was Jin himself who chose his usual attitude, but when everyone feels surprised every time at it, he felt uncomfortable. Karenjina on the other hand was always poking at Jin with hostility, but tonight she had no stabs in her attitude.

Was it because of the fire? For some reason, Jin thought so.

Next to him, Karenjina rested her cheek on her knee again.

"I'm a mercenary and there is only one reason for mercenaries to participate in the war. Money."

“I didn't know that. That is why I asked.”

“Huh? What do you think you know about me?”

“Nothing much.”

I don't know anything. That's why I ask.

Jin waited for Karenjina's words, not coldly and without disrespect.

Karenjina was silent for a moment, then whispered to the flickering campfire.

"...It's about revenge."

He hadn't intended to turn around, but at the unexpected words, Jin couldn't help but look at Karenjina. With her beautiful blue eyes, she shimmered in the light of the fire.

"My drive ability is... 'Seagull'. It is not something I was born with. It is an acquired trait."

There are two types of people who have the ability to use a Drive. There are those who are born with the right qualities and power and as they grow, their power gets active. Then there are those who suddenly awaken it one day for some reason. A Drive is considered to be an ability that comes from the soul of an individual. For example, let's say a Drive is stored in a box. If the box is unlocked and the lid opens naturally over time to reveal the Drive inside, the latter is like the key unexpectedly bursting out of nowhere and the Drive flying out from inside.

Karenjina picked up a branch and continued onward, playing with it.

“I was born in a poor family. When I was still a child, I was bought by a research facility, where there were many 'friends' who came from similar backgrounds. There we became... laboratory animals."

The emotions were fading from Karenjina’s voice as she spoke, as if the fire was dying out along with them. She was always energetic and emotional up to now, so her sudden tone switch comes as somewhat frightening across.

At the facility, Karenjina and her friends were used for various experiments on a daily basis. They were repeatedly subjected to things that were not meant to be forced upon humans. Karenjina did not know what the experiments were for.

However, when most of her friends were disposed of due to their inability to endure the experiments, Karenjina suddenly awakened to her Drive ability.

“This power was the worst. After I got it, I was locked in a room and there was nothing I could do about it. I could hear them consulting about me to use me for their experiments. I could see from a long way off that the researcher who was going to make me suffer through unpleasant things coming this way. But this wasn't the actual hell, I was more afraid that my friends' voices would fade away. I felt myself becoming more and more 'alone'."

One day, she would be the last one. This was the greatest fear of the young Karenjina and it became reality.

The days continued, but one day...

The research facility where Karenjina was working was attacked by a certain mercenary group.

"I was in a room that looked like a prison and then... Grimwood found me.”

Karenjina had a smile on her face as she mentioned the name of the man who was now leading them as their reliable captain.

For her, affection, repose, joy and pleasure were accompanied by his name. Even if she didn't say it, Jin could somehow sense it from her expression.

Feeling like he shouldn't touch that part so casually, Jin asked something else.

“It was a research facility under Sector Seven?”

Is that why she was cooperating as a mercenary with the Librarium that antagonized Sector Seven? Jin's hypothesis was immediately rejected by Karenjina, who shrugged her shoulders.

"It seems that it was a facility of "someone" that neither belonged to Sector Seven nor The Librarium. I don't know their name, but it seems that they were researching the 'soul '."

She guessed she was somehow influenced by that research to awaken to her Drive ability. That's what Karenjina said.

"Is this revenge directed at that 'someone'...?"

Jin's face twisted in a quizzical manner. They used her for experiments and killed her friends. Whether it's an organization or an individual, that's who Karenjina would have to want to take revenge on.

But Karenjina shook her head to the side. Her lips hung up in a wry smile.

“No, no. I have nothing against the research facility. I'm sorry if I misled you, but I was 'sold' to the facility, not 'bought' by them. I sold myself."

“What?”

“I sold myself to the institution.”

When Jin asked again, Karenjina pulled her lips into a light grin and smiled.

“I had two parents and two younger brothers. Life was hard, but I was happy to be with my family. But then the war... The Ikaruga Civil War started and my parents got caught up in it and died. I had to protect my two younger brothers somehow.”

That’s why... she sold herself?

“That in itself was not a big deal.” Karenjina said calmly.

"My family, my two brothers, were the ones I wanted to protect, not a single thought went into my wellbeing, even if I had to led myself get reduced to an animal for researchers."

Her brothers. These words brought back childhood memories to Jin's mind. Jin had an older brother. He had a sister. But now, he had neither.

Karenjina’s eyes narrowed as she spoke.

“...After being rescued by Grimwood, I quickly returned to my house. But there was no one there anymore. It was just wilderness and no trace of it was left behind. I don't know what happened to my brothers."

"Our house was located in..." Karenjina voice seemed to fade upon revealing this. "In the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido."

(Ibukido-!)

During the civil war, a research facility set out a massive explosion and left Ibukido in the state it is now apparently. Though depending on who you asked, the reason for a entire Hierarchical City to be wiped are plenty. Before leaving for the frontline base, Jin stopped by at Ibukido on his way to Yabiko. The area where he engaged the Red Devil should be the location of the facility where the accident occurred.

That is where Karenjina’s brothers probably died. After all, they say that only one single girl survived the destruction of Ibukido.

"So I asked Grimwood to let me fight. To fight for revenge!”

Who or what is this revenge against? Jin had a suspicion.

Karenjina is seeking revenge on the one who took her family from her. It's not the research facility that used her as a lab animal and it's not the Ikaruga Federation or the Librarium.

"My revenge is to end this stupid 'war'."

Because war has taken everything away. The existence of this war was unforgivable to her. The word determination is not so easy to use. More like, it seems as if there were any margin for a different choice for Karenjina, her blood would freeze and her heart would stop. That was the kind of determination she had.

Karenjina fluttered her eyelids once and then turned her entire upper body to face Jin. Her dark blue eyes looked much like those of a wild predator.

“Why are you fighting?"

"Huh?"

"For the Kisaragi family? Or for the Librarium?"

“I'm..."

"Before, I thought you were fighting for something as simple as that. But now, I don't think you are 'that kind of Jin'."

As if the answer she sought was already there, Karenjina stared into Jin's eyes. They didn't look like the eyes of a human looking at another human. They were not that complicated and murky. They were pure and beautiful.

Why do you fight? Jin thought to himself when asked by Karenjina.

It wasn't for the Kisaragi family. It wasn't for the sake of the Librarium. He thought that he was just a residue of life, walking the path laid out by a flimsy name.

But now... for Jin of the "now" as Karenjina calls it.

“There is a... promise."

"Promise?"

“I'm gonna make it back alive.”

That's what I promised. To the girl with the name of that flower.

The promise to her meant something a little special to Jin.

(After all, I would hate to swallow a thousand needles...)<ref>Jin is referring to the traditional gesture of a pinky promise or pinky swear in Japan. Pinky swearing has origins in Japan from 1600-1803, where it is called yubikiri (指切り, "finger cut-off") and often additionally confirmed with the vow "Pinky swear, whoever lies will be made to swallow a thousand needles." (指切り拳万、嘘ついたら針千本呑ます, "Yubikiri genman, uso tsuitara hari senbon nomasu").</ref>

"The promise I shredded my little finger for on that childhood day is probably still valid..." Jin mumbled that so no one could hear it.

If you lie, they will make you swallow them.

“So why don't you help us out?"

A third voice came from behind her. Karenjina jumped up and looked back at where the deep voice echoed from with power. A voice so powerful, even though it was kept low so as not to wake the others.

"Grimwood, since when!"

"You have finally come out. You've been eavesdropping for too long."

When Karenjina panicked, Jin sighed and turned his head astoundedly. Karenjina was dismayed by this as well.

“It seems that even our vaunted Seagull can't sense everything all the time.” When Jin chuckled, Karenjina’s ears flared.

“Haha, so I've been noticed. My bad."

Smiling at their exchange, Grimwood comes over, raising his hand to soothe Karenjina.

As he walked up to the fire, Jin saw the color of the flames reflected on his strong body. His smiling, fearless face took on a rather disturbing air, perhaps due to the shadows cast by the flames.

"Jin Kisaragi. You have 'power'. Please lend it to me."

The voice that announced it was full of energy, even more so than the expression on his face.

A thin piece of firewood burns in the fire. The scattered sparks of the fire flutter in the night wind.

Jin stood up and faced Grimwood head-on. There was no smile there anymore. Not for Jin, not for Grimwood.

“What are you going to do with it?"

The moment he asked, he felt his chest beating faster.

Grimwood answered without hesitation. With eyes that were far too serious to speak of dreams and ideals.

"Jin. Let's end this war."

===Part 4===

A rough sound echoed through the office at night.

“You gotta be kidding me! What the hell is going on!?”

With a swung of his fist slamming down on his own desk, Kagura yelled at the man standing in front of him.

The man who was being shouted at reflexively cramped and took a step back as he was hit head-on with a sense of intimidation that can almost be seen as violent. He was wearing the uniform of a Librarium guard and had just arrived from Headquarters as a messenger.

Kagura's fists that swang downwards were still shaking with anger. Thereunder a cracking noise was heard that came from the desk broken in half.

“I'm sorry, but it's an imperial decree of the NOL Headquarters.”

Perhaps seeing himself in the destroyed desk, the guard desperately appealed in a thin, trembling voice.

"Imperial decree?"

Kagura's eyes stared at him. It was enough to make the guard freeze like a weak frog, unable to even speak.

Without a second thought, Kagura kicked his now broken desk with even more strength this time. There was a loud cracking sound and naturally, the desk completely shattered. But that didn't stop Kagura from shaking his head wildly and growling in frustration.

"Are they fucking kidding me!! What are they thinking... haven't we killed enough!??”

Instead of Kagura, who couldn't keep his cool anymore, Hibiki, his secretary, picked up a document that had been thrown on the floor after Kagura's rampage. It was an order brought by the guard in form of just a piece of paper.

It stated that they should quickly take down Wadatsumi Castle, the centerbase of the Ikaruga Federation.

A deep forest spread out in the territory of the Ikaruga Federation. The frontline base of the Novus Orbis Librarium stretched out in the middle of it.

It was on the evening of the day after the nightmarish event that Jin and the 9th squadron returned to the city aboard their Ars Magus Vessel.

Against the backdrop of the western sky, where the sun was swelling up, they descended to their familiar base, a place they would consider their home at this point.

The inside of the base was looking rather hectic, even though there was no siren sounding for the sortie.

Several soldiers are gathering supplies and spare equipment, which are usually left spread out in just one place to some extent. In another area, a large number of weapons were being spread out and inspected, while in a communications tent, hurried guards were busily coming and going, occasionally bumping into each other.

It was different from usual. That much was obvious at first glance.

One of the guards jumped out from the side of the vessel and hurried towards the commander's tent. Quickly, Jin grabbed his arm and forcibly stopped him.

“What's going on?”

"Huh? Oh, the 9th squad. You still hadn't heard? We got an imperial decree this morning."

"Imperial decree? From NOL Headquarters?"

This is something they indeed haven't heard. Grimwood stepped forward with his beloved axe in his hand.

The guard who had been halted by Jin was slightly pressured by him and Grimwood, but he told him quickly.

“I haven't heard the details either, but I'm told that we are to take down 'Wadatsumi Castle' immediately."

“Huh...?”

Jin couldn't help but reply in an absent-minded voice. The guards words didn't enter his head as quickly as they should have.

After escaping from Jin's hands, the guard man bowed his head, holding a piece of paper with the message on it.

“I'll hurry up now.”

With that, he hurriedly ran to the battalion commander's tent.

Jin couldn't help but look away with a look of confusion on his face.

There is a civil war going on right now. In order to bring it under control, they will eventually seize the leader of the Ikaruga Federation. For that reason, he could understand why they were attacking Wadatsumi Castle.

But what he didn’t know is the time.

The war situation is not in any way dominated by the Librarium. In fact, just yesterday, they lost a large number of soldiers at Sector Seven's laboratory.

It's not like they have a formation in place to take down Wadatsumi Castle. It was too abrupt, too far-fetched for a plan.

Even so, it is said that it is a direct command from NOL Headquarters, which is the pinnacle of the Librarium, and by extension, its ruler, the Imperator.

"Foolishness... It's too sudden no matter how you look at it. The schedule should still be ahead."

With his thick eyebrows furrowed and deep wrinkles etched, Grimwood stared into the void and muttered in a hushed voice.

There was no time to lose. He ran up to Karenjina with an urgent look on his face.

“Let’s get in touch right away.”

With that instruction, Grimwood ran deeper into the base.

Jin and the others hobbled to the tent of their squad, carrying the expedition's luggage.

Grimwood knows that there is “something” behind this war. Karenjina also knew from what Grimwood had told her. The other soldiers in the squad seemed to have heard of it too, judging by the expressions on their faces.

Now, Jin knows.

The story he had heard last night around the small campfire was going around in Jin's mind like a signal.

— To end the war.

This was a rather important confession, but Grimwood's words were confusing to Jin.
　
Feeling the heat from the small fire on one cheek, Jin looked up at the large man in front of him with a dubious expression on his face.

“...End the war? Yeah, I guess so. There's no reason to oppose it. It's what we're fighting for."

In order to end the war with a victory for the Librarium, he will go to war when ordered, no matter if it is late at night or early in the morning. It is his duty as a soldier.

“I didn't realize you were so green, you idealistic giant."

Jin said in a dumbfounded tone, as if he was making fun of him.

But Grimwood's question was in this serious tone, you could only take it for honesty.

"Well, listen. Jin, if this war were to end, when do you think it would be?"

The large man, his face painted in two colors, the darkness of the night and the burning orange of the fire, was not offended by Jin's agitated tone, nor did he waver in the slightest.

It seems that he had some serious intentions. Reading that, Jin once again, inhaled deeply into the night air.

In the middle of the forest, a decaying laboratory nearby, their friends sleeping exhausted around us, and a burning twig.

The exhaustion that was weighing him down was no longer in the forefront of his mind. He was more concerned about what Grimwood was trying to tell him.

Jin thought quietly in the silence of the night.

“...We have been ordered to annihilate The Ikaruga Federation. Peace negotiations and surrender are unacceptable. Therefore, if the war is to end, it will be when we take the head of Ikaruga’s former head, Tenjō."

Grimwood nodded deeply, "Yes, that's the general gist.”

“But as you know, Wadatsumi Castle, where Tenjō is located, is protected by a special battle formation. If you want to invade it, you have to break the encirclement first and the castle must have an adequate number of troops.”

After all, their leader, Tenjō, is there. If they lost them, they would be defeated. It would not be a half-hearted defense. An easy invasion would cause considerable damage to both sides. In order to defeat Tenjō and win the war, careful preparation and information gathering are essential. However, at this point, the Librarium was probably not prepared to do so.

“I don't have any proof, but I have a feeling that the Librarium is not really planning to bring down the castle. It's more like they're deliberately not dropping it."

If the Librarium really wanted to attack the castle, it would be ready and able to bring it down immediately. However, the Librarium will not do so.

It's not that they were not prepared to attack. It's that they not dare to do so.

Jin slid his gaze across the room and pondered. It's not that he didn't feel what Grimwood was talking about. He often felt uncomfortable with the attitude of the Librarium towards the civil war.

In the past, this would not have been much of a concern for him. He thought it didn't matter what the Librarium had in mind.

But now, that he remembered his little verbal agreement with that certain girl, he felt a little differently.

If the war drags on like this, that girl might end up being a soldier in this war someday. She admired Jin and even followed him to become a guard of the Librarium. Surely, she would aspire to fight in the same way and same war.

He wanted to avoid that.

He didn't want to dip her feet in this shallow, trivial quagmire.

"Even if you're right, why don't they drop the castle and try to end the civil war? What benefit would that be to the Librarium?"

Jin glared at Grimwood with a sharp stare.

There is no reason to continue a war when there is no profit in it. Something has to be done.

Grimwood thought for a few seconds and opened his mouth.

“Jin. You're the next head of the Kisaragi family, right?”

“That's how it's supposed to be, yes, and?"

"The Duodecim exist for the sake of the Imperator. One question, have you ever met the Imperator?"

Why did he suddenly bring up the subject of the Duodecim and the Imperator? Jin shook his head as he wondered.

“No, we've never met."

Then Karenjina, who realized Grimwood's intentions, jumped in front of the big man and held out her hands as if to stop him.

"Grimwood, no more!"

Grimwood stopped Karenjina’s words with a hand as she tried to stop him. The bright, youthful grass-colored eyes that looked at Jin were filled with a glint of light that matched their gentle hue.

"I will tell you now. The head of the Ikaruga Federation, Tenjō Amanohokosaka...

They are the head of the Novus Orbis Librarium, the Imperator.”

For a moment, Jin could not understand Grimwood's words.

He thought he must have a dumb look on his face right now. He couldn't find any words to say, but tried to say something. He opened his mouth halfway and was appalled.

“It's... That's not right. That can't be..."

The words he finally managed to squeeze out were such a cliché.

The Ikaruga Civil War began as a rebellion by the Ikaruga Federation against the Librarium.

The head of the Federation and the ringleader of the rebellion is Tenjō.

And the Imperator is the supreme head of the Librarium who ordered to take it down.

If they are the same person, then who is the Ikaruga Federation opposing and who is the Librarium being revolted by?

Grimwood nodded firmly.

"Yes, there's something fundamentally wrong here. This war is a farce. That's why we think there is 'someone' who is deliberately causing this war and in addition, is working in the dark to take away all forms of convergence.”

"Someone."

The one who established this crazy war and is stalling its end without giving either side a decisive victory.

Grimwood frowned sternly and said with a hint of indignation.

“The Ikaruga Civil War is not a “war”, it's a “farce” where “someone” is delaying the end of the war for some purpose. The war will not end even if we continue to fight as instructed by our superiors. “Someone” else's goal will be accomplished here."

And when "someone's" purpose is complete, the farce will be thrown out, having served no purpose. The pain, suffering, and sorrow will be thrown away, leaving them scattered on the stage.

"So I'm going to destroy that 'someone's' purpose."

If the reason for continuing the war is the purpose of some unknown person, then once that purpose is lost, there will be no reason to continue the war. That was the simple point Grimwood was trying to make.

Simple, but impractical.

It has not been proven here that Tenjō and the Imperator are really the same entity, nor have they identified the "someone" who wants to prolong the civil war. If there is someone, they don't even know if they have a real purpose as Grimwood says.

And yet, if nothing is done, the war will continue as it is. The death toll will be even higher than it is now. Maybe even unwittingly supporting someone else's shallow desires.

“It's up to you whether you believe what I say or not. I'd absolutely like to borrow your power, but I won't force you."

Grimwood calmly told Jin, who remained silent. He huffed and puffed, then he slapped himself hard on the chest with his wide hand.

“If you trust me, I'll tell you how to end the war.”

Let's give a blow to "the one" who is taking advantage of this situation. We're no puppets.

With that said, Grimwood grinned.

Jin looked back quietly. After all, he had not said whether he would cooperate or not this night.

"To end the war."

Jin kept thinking about the conversation he had had with Grimwood last night.

Back at the 9th squad's tent, with nothing better to do, he sat in a chair in the corner and continued to stare at a point in the sky and think. He didn’t think he could trust Grimwood's story in its entirety. but that didn’t mean that he could fully trust the Librarium. In the first place, Jin doesn't trust anyone, because he can't.

So the important thing here is not who or what to trust. It's what Jin himself decides he should do.

(What Should I do... What the hell for? Now it is to end the war, right?)

"Lieutenant Kisaragi?"

When he was suddenly called out, Jin looked up with a gasp.

Honoka was coming right next to him. From the expression on the boy's face, it could be inferred as he gently peeked at Jin that he had a very grim look on his face.

“What's wrong?"

He asked, and Honoka held out a plastic cup. There was warm black tea inside, and a faint scent of lemon.

"...Nothing."

Honoka smiled in relief as he took the cup and sipped it, then passed the tea around to the other people in the tent.

(It's the war.)

If it had not been for this civil war, the boy would not have been sent to this place.

He took a small sip of tea, which was a little astringent.

Then he heard a crunching sound as the entrance to the tent was flung open. Immediately, Grimwood came stumbling in with a hurried and clumsy gesture.

“Is everyone here?”

At the sound of Grimwood's taut voice, everyone in the tent turned and stood up. Jin recognized his voice and his mood immediately. It was work.

Grimwood's face twisted grimly as he waited for everyone's eyes to focus on him.

“Listen up. A new operation is about to begin. The target is Wadatsumi Castle. We will push the front line right up to the castle."

"Wadatsumi Castle? Wait, is that the imperial decree we just heard about?"

Taking a step forward, Karenjina spoke up.

Grimwood looked towards her and nodded.

“All units are being mobilized for a large-scale invasion. The commander-in-chief is Colonel Kagura Mutsuki."

Jin's eyebrows rose at the familiar name. He knew immediately that this was not Kagura's idea of a plan. Even so, he felt he could hear the rage of Kagura, who had been thrown into command as commander-in-chief.

Grimwood sighed loudly.

“The operation starts in six hours. Everyone be ready."

“Six hours? Are you serious? Even though it's such a big operation?"

Honoka was the one who asked back in an upturned voice, the other soldiers were just as dazed by this surprise. How much preparation can be done in just six hours? And it was night. This was a poorly lit encampment.

"Six hours."

Grimwood repeated once more with a pained expression on his face. Taking the upset in stride, Karenjina shook her head weakly.

"That's crazy and will absolutely fail!"

Jin agreed with her on that. He doesn't see that deep thought that went into this mission. What's the advantage of launching from this base in six hours?

They didn't even know where the Federation troops were camped beyond the forest. They also needed to find out if there were any enemy soldiers in the forest. No matter how he looked at it, it seemed to him that this was just an operation to force a breakthrough by putting all the manpower they have at their disposal immediately. This can't be called an operation.

In the first place, the idea of going through this vast forest in the middle of the night was out of the ordinary.

But while everyone knew it was crazy, everyone already understood. This operation was an imperial decree from NOL Headquarters.

A mere piece placed on the battlefield has no veto right.

===Part 5===

On this day, the Novus Orbis Librarium suffered a historic defeat.

Kagura Mutsuki, the commander-in-chief, was leading the troops on the front line, but he was injured in the middle of the battle when he engaged the cyborg soldiers of Sector Seven known as the "Red Devils” and was forced to retreat.

Colonel Mutsuki ordered the withdrawal of all troops in an attempt to rebuild his troops after being blindsided. However, some officers from the aristocracy, who interpreted his absence as a convenient opportunity, ignored the order and, at their own discretion, notified the entire army to continue the battle.

They were also the ones who took command of the entire army in place of Kagura Mutsuki. Their textbook command of the operation was completely outmaneuvered by the Ikaruga army, which was accustomed to guerrilla warfare, and they were destroyed from one side to the other.

The battle began at eleven in the morning. It was four o'clock in the afternoon when the scattered troops began to retreat at their own discretion, having been driven into a situation where they could no longer fight. There were hardly any soldiers left on the battlefield, and it was 5:00 p.m. when the official announcement of the withdrawal was made.

At that time, Jin was still in the middle of the battlefield.

The sun was just setting over the distant mountains when Jin led his troop of wounded men back to the nearby encampment.

Here and there in the messy tents, which seemed to have been erected in a hurry, soldiers wearing the uniforms of the Librarium sat, collapsed, or walked around busily.

The dizzying clamor was almost too much for the eyes.

Everyone was injured. Everyone was exhausted.

Jin hurried through the crowd, carrying the most seriously wounded of the party he had just brought back on his shoulders, and leading them into one of the tents.

"Lieutenant Kisaragi! Good, you're back."

The one who immediately spotted Jin and called out to him was Honoka, who was in the tent helping to treat the wounded. When he saw that the soldier Jin was carrying was in bad shape, he immediately turned pale, but helped him lay down on a blanket at the edge.

“Where are the medics?”

"They are in the tent two doors down. They will be coming to us in turn."

"If so, first aid until then"

“Yes, sir. But, you, the lieutenant is also injured..."

This was the second time Honoka had told him this.

The first time was when he rolled into this encampment with the 9th squad. This time, when they heard that there was a squad that was running late, they went to help them retreat and had just returned.

“It's no big deal. Give priority to the seriously injured."

Jin said extremely calmly. Honoka was overly concerned, but it really wasn't anything serious. He had a cut on his shoulder and leg, and bruises on his head and arm. All of them were minor.

He was more uncomfortable with the bloodstains he was exposed to here and there from enemies and allies. It seemed to have flown into his hair as well, and when he annoyingly wiped it off, it made an unpleasant crunching sound with the dried blood.

"Damn it!"

The muffled sound of a regretful voice was accompanied by the sound of a rough beating.

Jin looked up at the noise. It was the sound of Grimwood, sitting in a small folding chair, slamming his fist into his thigh.

"Those idiots... were completely ambushed. They're leaking information!"

A voice that still held the tension of the battlefield made the air in the tent go numb.

Karenjina, who had a first aid kit in her hand, turned around with a downcast look on her face.

"Grimwood, be quiet. There's still a lot of people hurt.”

"Oh...... I'm sorry."

Grimwood apologized sincerely, and leaned back against the poor back of his chair.

Speaking of injured people, so was Grimwood. He took a bullet in the back while defending an ally. His head was also bleeding lightly. First aid had been administered, but the bandage that covered his back was stained red in places.

"U-uh...... Gah......"

A weak groan and cough could be heard at Jin's feet. It was the soldier he had just brought in. Karenjina kneeled down beside him to give him first aid and was at a loss for words when she saw his wounded form.

His condition was terrible. He was covered in scars all over his body, as if he had been caught in an explosion, and his face and body were stained with blood and dirt. He had a particularly bad wound on his chest, and every time he moved his chest up and down weakly, clots of blood overflowed from under his clothes.

"Lieu…tenant…Kisa......ragi..."

He called out in a faint voice, his lips already bloodless and trembling.

Jin furrowed his brows and gasped. He realized who this soldier was.

"I never thought that Kisaragi-senpai would save me.......Thank you...very much......."

Behind his lifted eyelids, his large, still-childish eyes were shaking with tears. Even though he was hurt so much, his voice, which was almost snatched away, seemed somehow happy.

Jin took his hand and held it tightly. He spoke to him as softly as he could, as he had tried to do when he was a student.

“You're from the academy?”

"Yes... This year.......Ugh..."

He was about to say it, when he coughed up some clotted blood along with a cough from his throat.

Karenjina whispered Jin's name. Jin nodded shallowly without turning around.

He didn't have any specialized knowledge or skills, but he knew what she hinted at. Even if he were to apply a healing Ars Magus right now, he would not be able to survive.

The soldier's trembling eyes looked up at Jin, as if he was staring at something dazzling. His face was still that of a boy. That was to be expected. He was still a student at the military academy.

"I've always admired...... Kisaragi-senpai and when I heard that you were active on the battlefield......."

“Is that why you volunteered?"

"......Yes. I wanted to fight with you. I...I wanted to be close to...someone like you......”

His voice trembled as he spoke. Tears fell from the corners of his dirty eyes.

Jin heard that for this operation, the Librarium had recruited volunteers from the commoner cadets and sent them in as recruits. That's what he had heard.

It was ridiculous and reckless. There was no way they would put them into actual combat. That's what Jin thought.

Until this very moment.

The recruit, who was supposed to be a student, coughed and spat out blood instead of words as he moved his mouth to say something. The chest of his blue uniform was completely stained with blood. Jin wondered if he could see it. He squirmed on the blanket, shaking his motionless body.

“Am I... going to die?"

"...It's okay. You don't need to worry."

"I don't want to die. I don't...want to die..."

Jin held the boys fleeting hand and put a slight pressure on his fingertips as if he were clinging to it.

The boy from the Kisaragi household clenched his hand.

Until this morning, he was probably still proud and hopeful. He would have been thrilled to be on the same battlefield as the person he admired.

The reality of the scene was chilling.

"Help me...please... Kisaragi Senpa..."

The words he could squeeze out didn't last. The boy died with his lips pursed and his eyes wet with tears, clinging desperately to Jin and finally the hand that had been grasping him lost its strength and slipped from Jin's hand.

A different figure overlapped the image of the boy soldier lying in front of him in the form of familiar red-haired girl in a blue uniform, Tsubaki. She looks up at Jin, her chest turning red with overflowing blood. With a relieved smile, she extends her hand to touch Jin, but her fingers couldn't reach and fell to the cold floor.

The lips that have lost their color call out without a voice. She said “—Jin Niisama.”

"Jin? Hey, Are you okay?"

He was shaken lightly by a voice that came from right beside him, making Jin came back to himself.

Karenjina looked at Jin with a pained, caring expression on her face.

Jin clasped his hands, which were still in the air and nodded. That was all he could do and to him, it felt awfully sluggish.

“...It's okay.”

Yes, it’s fine. Jin was barely injured and was indeed 'okay'. He was not the same as the dead man. He was different. The dead man was not Jin. That boy didn't have the skills to fight, he didn't have the knowledge.

Jin was sure there were many other soldiers like him, volunteering.

Honoka worriedly filled a plastic cup with water and offered it to Jin. Jin took it and drank it all at once. As he watched, Honoka sighly rested his shoulders.

"The details of the operation... Where the hell did this leak come from?"

If it continues to leak, the Librarium will have little chance of winning.

Turning his gaze to the boy soldier with a blanket put over him, Honoka sighed even more. The dead boy looked to be about the same age as Honoka.

“I can't believe they're even inviting students to volunteer. It's unthinkable. It's like recruiting shooting targets. At this rate, even if you're not a volunteer, you can still go to..."

Honoka was about to say something but stopped, looking at Jin's face as if he had noticed something. Jin somehow guessed what he was going to say. At this rate, there might be a replenishment of the military force from the cadets, even if they are not volunteers.

Naturally, a familiar face flickered in Jin's mind.

What Honoka said could definitely happen in the near future.

It might be the girl he saw in his hallucination. Here, with a soiled blanket, the next time she breathes her last, covered in blood.

Looking down at the twitching, dead face of the unnamed junior who had stopped moving, Jin couldn't take it anymore and gently lowered his eyelids and stood up.

"Grimwood."

He stood in front of a large, strong man with a uniform jacket pulled over his naked, bandaged upper body.

“We need to talk.”

Leaning forward on his knees, Grimwood lifted his head only to look back at Jin and made a large nod in agreement.

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind]]
|-
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3

2025-08-02T07:32:19Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near */

==Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near==

===Part 1===

Jin learned that after a month of living in the jungle, it is easy to lose track of what day of the month it is, what time it is, and other things that he used to unconsciously pay attention to.

The unpleasant heat and the suffocating smell. The occasional arrows of rain, the unrestrained splashing of mud. The food was poor and the beds were far from clean. It wasn't the most comfortable living environment, but even so, Jin was beginning to feel more comfortable in his new surroundings.

Then, one day. The 9th squad, including Jin, received a request from the Librarium and were ordered to sortie to a place far from the jungle that he just started to get used to.

The location was a certain research facility near the mountain area. The building looks like a large block with gray walls, blending in with the rocks and barren trees.

There were very few windows and on top, the ventilation system roared low like the sleep of a giant creature.

Undecorated lighting lined up at regular intervals in a seamless, perfect flat corridor with no visible horizon. The dimly lit white walls were all fitted with black doors of exactly the same design.

The inside of the laboratory, with an interior that seems to have been assembled inorganically, has been... cruelly destroyed.

There were large holes in the doors and walls and many cracks in the ceiling and floor. Lights were broken and shattered and pieces of glass were scattered everywhere.

Only a small quantity of lights were left. The few that remained barely gave off a faint glow that seemed to be about to fade, but it was not enough to light up this large laboratory at all, making the area be bathed in an eerie dimness.

It was awfully quiet.

It smelled terrible.

"This is horrible..."

Standing in the corridor where some torn and burnt papers were scattered with pieces of shattered furniture, Honoka said aloud in dismay.

It was a sight that could no longer be described as anything other than that.

There were countless corpses lying at Honoka's feet as he stood stock stil and all around inside the destroyed laboratory, which still bore the scars of an obvious battle that took place. The corner of the corridor where Jin was looking, as well as under the gaze of Karenjina, who walked around and looked into the nearest room were the same.

Soldiers in the uniform of the Librarium were lying on top of each other, creating a small red fountain on the floor.

Right next to them, laying down dead, was an old man wearing a white coat over another uniform. He must have been a staff member of this institute, or in other words, one of Sector Seven’s personnel.

This is the research facility of Sector Seven.

Sector Seven is a group of rebels who disagree with the methods of the Librarium and work to disrupt their current order. The mission that Jin and the others were called up for this time was to retrieve a certain "Nox Nyctores" that they had stolen from the Librarium.

But Jin and the others arrived two hours late.

For some reason, the 9th squad was not notified until the last minute. In addition, arrangements for an Ars Magus Vessel to travel nearby were also delayed.

But still, it was just two hours. The number of people at the scene were not that many to begin with, but there was still a battlefield that took place here. Why weren't there some reinforcements? Still, even if the conflict was over, they wanted to help with the aftermath. That’s what they decided to do and hurriedly made their way with the jeep to the place from were they were at moments ago.

“Looks like we're too late.”

Bending down, Jin let out a heavy breath when he saw that the fallen Librarium guard had no pulse.

“But what the hell is this all about? Did the mission fail?"

Karenjina shook her head in disbelief after looking into a room that seemed to be some kind of office and came out with an face full of anguish.

“I didn’t receive a confirmation about that yet.”

Answered Grimwood, who had entered a another room, came out into the hallway and shook his head in denial. It seems there weren't any in this room either. Survivors.

Whether they succeeded or failed in retrieving the Nox Nyctores or if the operation had produced any results in the past two hours, it would have been reported to the NOL. Outside the research facility, there were a number of vehicles that the guards of the Librarium must have used for transportation. All of them were equipped with communication facilities and the guards themselves were also equipped with communication devices.

But when Jin and the others had left the Ars Magus Vessel for the jeep about thirty minutes ago, they had not received any such information.

One possible explanation for why there has been no contact is that the operation was still ongoing in the depths of the facility. Then there is the possibility that there was no one left in the Librarium to contact...

(But that's unlikely, because the other party is Sector Seven.)

Jin's expression clouded in thought.

The basic philosophy of Sector Seven is the convenient development of seithr through pure science, rather than through Ars Magus. Because of this aspect, the people who belong to Sector Seven are mainly researchers with a wealth of scientific knowledge. Many of them are considerably rational, logical and pragmatic.

(...although I can't rule out the possibility if it makes the most 'sense'.)

If possible, that was a possibility he didn't want to consider.

Grimwood stepped over a lied-down corpse in a white coat and into the corridor leading to the back of the building.

"Let's check ahead. There might still be survivors."

As things were, there was no point in dwelling here dumbfoundedly counting the bodies, smeared in the smell of blood and rust. No one disagreed with Grimwood as he looked toward the end of the long corridor. Grimwood was in the lead, followed by the soldiers of the 9th squad and Karenjina, then Honoka, with Jin at the tail of the line.

Everyone's footsteps were careful as they walked, keeping a distance that would allow each of them to move around sufficiently.

They opened all the doors they saw along the way and checked them. Some of the rooms seemed unharmed, only slightly ransacked and not particularly destroyed. But in non were living people.

The hallway grew darker and darker as the lights became less and less useful. The air was cold with a metallic odor and the temperature seemed to drop even lower as they stepped into the darkness. While they continued on with their handheld lights, they found a staircase leading up and down at the far end.

As a test, someone peeked upstairs and shone a light on it. There was still a dead body lying on the stairs,
with a red thread dripping down from the top to the bottom.

"Is anyone there?"

Jin raised his voice in a pitch, but the only answer was an empty echo.

Grimwood then looked at the stairs leading to the lower level. The light from a thrown light revealed a lift-like elevation device just ahead.

"So, what now? Up or down..."

Honoka asks softly about which way they were supposed to go, while peering cautiously into the lift.

Grimwood pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Karenjina. Karenjina squinted at the tip of Grimwood's light, and shook her head after a moment.

"I'm not sure about down below. But upstairs... there are probably no survivors."

"Okay. Down it is then. Everybody, get on the lift."

After making his decision, Grimwood's movements were swift. He quickly got into the lift while giving instructions, and Jin and the others followed him. One of the soldiers checked the lift's control panel and flipped a few switches. A yellow light came on in the control panel and the lift began to slide silently, descending diagonally downward.

A faint orange glow told them that there were walls and a ceiling, but it made it impossible to see where they were going. Still curious about what lay ahead, Karenjina grabbed the thin railing at chest height and stared at the destination of the lift, her voice irritated with frustration.

“What's even going on? It's just a mission to get one weapon back, right? Is the Nox Nyctores so great that it has to cause this much damage?"

"You don't know what a Nox Nyctores is, do you?"

The soldier who was operating the panel mischievously said to Karenjina, who choked on her words now and puckered her lips in frustration.

“...It’s an old, awesome weapon, right? You talk big game, but do YOU even know what that thing really is?"

Staring at him, Karenjina appealed to her colleague to explain. The soldier who had been making a joke of it immediately flinched and averted his gaze.

“It's a, um... an old weapon yes. I believe it was made a very long time ago..."

“See, you only know as much as I do."

Karenjina took a step forward as if to accuse him. The soldier moved back by that same amount.

Grimwood, who was watching the scene, shook his large shoulders and laughed briefly.

“Nox Nyctores are superweapons of extraordinary power that were created during wars long ago.”

Leaning his beloved great axe on his shoulder and placing his muscular arm on top of it, Grimwood answered his subordinate in a calm tone. He had a soft smile on his face, but his eyes were glaringly sharp.

"The Nox Nyctores were created about a hundred years ago during the Dark War. When a monster called the Black Beast was trying to destroy humanity, one of the Six Heroes developed them in order to defeat that monster.”

The Six Heroes. The name was well known to both Karenjina and the soldier who teased her.

They were the legendary heroes who defeated the Black Beast, the monster that caused the disaster that nearly destroyed the human race. As young children, they would encounter them in fairy tales. When they grow up a little, they become the subject of make-believe games. And when they are older, they meet them in biographies and history textbooks, in stage plays and in various other media. Time after time.

Everyone has admired them at one time.

Against the background of the faint driving sound of the lift sliding quietly down, the soldiers of the squad, intrigued by the term "Six Heroes," were drawn to Grimwood's story.

Jin watched from a short distance away, leaning against the railing.

“These weapons were all different in shape. Each of their uses and abilities also differed. There were 8 or 9 of them in total I believe... Anyhow, the Six Heroes used them to defeat the Black Beast. But after the end of the Dark War, the Nox Nyctores were lost. Only few people know where or what they even are now.”

“So," Grimwood continued, looking at Jin. He made a boyish face for a moment.

“It's a pretty miraculous coincidence that he's got one of those.”

Karenjina and the soldiers turned to Jin as they were drawn into the story. One of them was Honoka. The petite boy nodded his head repeatedly, looking deeply moved.

"That's right. That sword might have been used by one of the six heroes too!"

One of the soldiers muttered, to which Honoka nodded in agreement. Jin's shoulders slumped in disgust at such a reaction.

"I don't care how it was used in the old wars. I only use it because it's in my possession."

Jin said curtly and turned away from them.

But that was a bit of a lie. He doesn't use it because he has to. He has to use it, because he can't let go of it. This is a curse placed on Jin. All the while, it is also a testimony.

For what he did — to his brother.

“Sorry, my bad. Don't be mad, 'kay?”

“I am not particularly..."

Perhaps his voice was more prickly than he realized. The admiring soldier laughed and held up his hands in surrender. It must have been his bad habit again. It wasn’t that he was angry. It was not even something to be angry about. He was going to say that, but before he could finish the words, the lift came to a silent stop.

At the same time, the view around Jin and the others opened up. They had arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

It was a much larger space then the facility above.

It was surrounded by square walls, dimly lit by orange emergency lights on the walls and a few white bulbs left on the ceiling.

It was large enough to accommodate the five jeeps that they had driven here.

They might have been using this lifts to carry large items up and down on a regular basis. There were several large dollies lying on the wall, probably used for transportation.

The ceiling was high, probably higher than two stories of a normal building. They have been down here long enough to have wasted a lot of time talking, so they are anticipating rooms and facilities beyond the ceiling or there may just be a thick layer of ground separating them from the surface. Thouge at this point, it didn't matter what the underground structure was.

The yellow light on the lift's panel went out. The handrails slid down, creating a doorway.

Grimwood descended first to the end of it. Then Jin, Karenjina, and the rest.

No one spoke a word now.

Maybe he had imagined it somewhere in his head. At least, when Jin saw this scene, he was naturally convinced that it would be so.

The underground lift station was a pile of dead bodies.

There were a number of bodies lying around the room in a state of disarray. Most of them were wearing the uniform of the Librarium, as could be seen from their scattered clothes.

“What happened here...?"

Karenjina asked in a weak voice, not to anyone in particular. There was no one who could answer her words. Rather, everyone was thinking the same thing.

“Oh, look there. T-there is an interior..."

Honoka, who was cowering at the very back, his face pale, pointed ahead with a trembling hand. At the back of the square room, there was a rectangular opening that probably had a door in it, and another room seemed to be leading to it. The back of the room seemed to be even bigger than this one. They could see a few pale blue lights, probably emergency lights.

“Let's go.”

Grimwood announced lowly, still leading the way as he walked off. It was hopeless to look for survivors in this room. If the room ahead was a dead end, that would be their last hope in the basement.

Through the square entrance, Jin also stepped into the back room.

Then he let out a long, deep breath at the sight of despair spreading.

At the back was a semi-circular room. Its purpose was not clear, but various machines and devices were set up along the curving walls, and they were arranged in such a way that they observed the larger devices that took up most of the room.

The large device looked like a giant lid. Various cables, large and small, moored together, and at the end of the mooring was a circular mouth that seemed to open.

However, the mouth was tightly closed and half of it was buried by the rubble of the collapsed ceiling, so it was not in a condition to be opened and checked.

In this room, the most quantity of people were lying on the ground yet, as if to mock what they had seen so far as trivial.

The room was large. It was very spacious.

From the moment they entered that large room to the opposite end of the room, dozens of meters away, there were people lying everywhere.

None of them moved. There were so many of them that it didn't feel that they were corpses anymore, but instead they looked like a pile of discarded dolls.

Even more bizarrely, there were countless boxes strewn around the large device, which added to the eeriness of the scene. The boxes, neither blue nor black, were just large enough to hold a single person.

They were like coffins.

Some of them were twisted and cracked as if beasts had eaten through them, and a thick human-like fluid was flowing out from inside.

The moment he saw it, Jin's heart leapt.

"Ugh..."

A crushing moan was caught in his throat. Jin instantly lost his balance. It would look like dizziness from the outside, but it was different. He felt as if he had been swallowed by something, consuming his darkened consciousness and then...

he saw it.

A "Cauldron" that swirls the unworldly and submerges emptiness beyond the throbbing heat.

It's approaching from behind. It comes. It overflows, and it takes shape.

Black... a black beast. A black monster with sharp fangs, a thick neck, a giant jaw and all.

The creature dragged its indistinct body around, eating people at random, killing them as it went.

But the fangs do not tear flesh. The jaws do not crush bone.

All it had to do was slip by the living and occasionally let out a loud roar.

When touched by the black head, a black mist overflows from the human body. The human body collapses, losing all its strength, as if its life had been sucked out along with it.

The word associated with it would be predation. The black mass ran around the vast underground room like the winds of death, sucking and devouring the life of every human being in the room.

The head suddenly turned to look at Jin as if it had noticed something.

It looked more like an exaggerated version of a head, with only fangs and jaws. On top of its ferocious mouth, there was a glittering eye.

A red eye. Among the countless red streaks that run across the surface like blood vessels, the eyes that seem to have collected and hardened the most ominous reds in the world stared at Jin.

— Kill.

Someone's voice whispered to Jin.

— Kill it.

Yes. I have to kill it.

There is no other choice but to kill it.

(Who... is the monster?)

The higher the concentration of the seithr the more the urge swells inside Jin.

A murderous intent. It is a straightforward, pure, and single-minded murderous intent that is like nothing else.

(No, what I, what I... want to kill is...)

It's not a monster. What I want to kill is. What I want to kill with my own hands is...

A spark of lightning flashed behind his eyes, and Jin's vision instantly turned orange.

— It’s burning.

The whole area was ablaze.

This is a memory. Inside Jin, they were the pages of a burned and scorched memory that got torn to pieces and disordered.

In the flames, Jin was standing with his sword in his hand. In the hot, blazing flames, he was holding a cold, freezing Yukianesa.

Someone collapsed in front of him.

Who is the one who was down? It could have been someone, it could have been no one.

The boy was lying there helplessly. Bright red blood was pouring from his small back.

Red. Red. Everything. Red.

The rush of exuberance was so cold that he didn't feel any emotion when the burning church roared to life and collapsed, even when the hot wind blew against it.

The moon was laughing in the distance.

The bright red crescent moon was laughing joyfully.

No, it's not. It's a shadow. The shadow of a person. Laughing behind all.

A pair of pitch-black eyes stared at Jin.

The dark gloom kept staring at him, firmly, without a single motion.

===Part 2===

──in!!

The sound revived him.

The roaring sound of flames receded like a wave and in its place is now the dull drive of machinery along with the sound of human voices flooded Jin's consciousness.

“Jin!! Hey, Jin! Stay with me!"

"......ah... what is...?"

As if with a click of a switch, Jin's vision became clear and fixed.

The area was dimly lit and surrounded by achromatic colors such as black and gray. The small lights were pale, and the air was cold as metal. Before his eyes, stood a figure of a man with a large high stature. He grabbed Jin by both his shoulders with his large hands and shook him.

When Jin blinked a few times and looked up, Grimwood, the man who had been holding his shoulders, dropped his broad shoulders and breathed deeply.

“Don’t give me that. You suddenly stiffened and stopped moving in a panic. What in the hell happened to you?”

“...No, I was...”

As he tried to answer, Jin lost track of his words. He had no idea what had happened.

(A hallucination?)

He hasn't been snapped back for a while now, but he still had a numb feeling in the back of his head.

“I'm sorry, I'm fine. I just got dizzy all of a sudden..."

Holding his cheek and forehead with the palm of his hand as if to confirm that he was really here, Jin let out his voice along with his choked breath.

He suddenly felt a sharp gaze on him and turned around, and there was Karenjina, glaring at Jin with a face that was clearly in a bad mood. Her deep navy eyes collided with his gaze and Karenjina blatantly looked away.

(...She's like a jealous child.)

She likely didn't like the fact that Jin had worried Grimwood, but he didn't have the time to point it out and get himself in trouble. Letting out another sigh, he shook off the annoyance and looked around with eyes that finally reflected a sane reality. While Jin was in a daze, the soldiers had apparently gone to check on the equipment they had lined up. The three who had dispersed came running back to Grimwood.

“Captain, all the equipment's been destroyed. It's unlikely we'll be able to see the data inside."

“No luck here either. What is the cause of all this violence? Communications and recording facilities are also dead."

“I see..."

Grimwood's face twisted in bitterness. One of the last to return opened his mouth, his words and expression muddled, as if he was having trouble saying it.

“Err. There's one thing that's been bothering me...”

“What is it?”

“Aren’t the corpses in this room too "clean"? I didn't check all of them, but compared to the ones before we went down here, they are completely uninjured. It's as if only their souls have been pulled out... It's creepy."

With these words, he must have remembered some of the faces he'd seen while checking the equipment. The soldier shuddered and rubbed his arm vigorously. Without saying a word, Jin approached the nearest body. It was the one that had fallen right next to the entrance. It was lying with its arms outstretched in a desperate attempt to find a way out. When he turned the body over from its prone position, he saw that it had died with a miserable expression on its face, twitching with fear.

Honoka, who peeked in with Jin, let out a twitching scream and backed away to escape.

Indeed, there was no resemblance of any injuries. In fact, there was no reason for the corpse to have died, as if only the soul had been extracted.

(The soul... You don’t mean the hallucination I just had was-)

With a tingling headache, Jin remembered the head of the Black Beast that had popped out of the Cauldron earlier.

The monster that sucked up the souls of humans just by touching them. The black head that absorbed the human of that time was probably the seithr from the Cauldron. Jin wondered if that scene had actually happened here. If so, what the hell was that black head?

“Tsk…..”

As he thought about it, another sickening sensation crawled up his spine and he shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it. He didn't know what's going on with him, but he needed to get rid of any signs of strangeness. He was on a mission as one of the 9th squad.

Grimwood looked around again and placed the great axe he was carrying on the floor.

“...I heard that Kokonoe of Sector Seven was here, but... it seems that she escaped.”

The giant captain muttered while pondering something.

Honoka looked up quickly at his words.

"Does Kokonoe mean the Dr. Kokonoe? Isn't she the famous Grimalkin of Sector Seven?”

Jin had heard that name before. She is a scientist belonging to Sector Seven, and her genius mind is said to be unrivaled. She has the blood of a beastkin, and the ears and tail of a cat, which gives her a special appearance.

Grimwood looked down at Honoka and nodded.

“Yeah. I've heard that she was taking part in the Nox Nyctores research that was being conducted here. I was told to 'politely' take her in if I found her. ...... but there's no sign of her."

“If Kokonoe of Sector Seven was here, no wonder they deployed so many troops.”

Jin said quietly as he moved away from the corpse and looked at the large device at the back of the room.

You could say that Kokonoe was the brain of Sector Seven itself. If Kokonoe could be eliminated, it would be easy for the Librarium to overpower Sector Seven. That's how important she is and that's also why she is considered as so troublesome. With this in the picture, it could be seen that this was not just a usual laboratory.

If a person of Kokonoe's talent had been in and out of this place, she must have been doing some kind of special research. What it was, though, was something they had no way of knowing now.

“What do you think, Karenjina?"

Grimwood turned and asked Karenjina, who had been crouched down for some time and was just about to stand up.

Jin didn't understand the meaning of Grimwood's question. What is the "What" here? But despite Jin's small doubt, Karenjina's expression clouded over.

"...No. There are no survivors. Underground's wiped out."

She clearly said so.

How did she know? Jin was puzzled further. Grimwood not so. Why were they asking her? It was another group of soldiers who had been searching the room to check the equipment. Before Jin could ask that, Grimwood looked around at his men and said in a thick voice.

“That's it for the investigation. I'm going back upstairs. I'll contact headquarters."

“Oh, if so should I contact them? There are some things I haven't checked yet. If you want me to go back to the car and call them, I can do it by myself.”

Honoka put his hand on his chest and stepped forward, but Grimwood shook his head with a difficult look on his face.

“No. Let's all go back. I have a bad feeling about this place. We should get out of here as soon as possible-"

In the middle of his words, he suddenly heard a noise.

The sound, which was neither a rumble nor a thud, sounded like a creature crawling out from under something and for a moment everyone held their breaths and fell silent, then Grimwood turned and raised his axe that he just picked up from the ground earlier.

“Who's there?"

“Grimwood, t-that can't be!”

“I know."

Trying to calm Karenjina with his hand, who called out to him in panic, Grimwood stared at the area where the sound had come from in alarm. The sound came from the area where about five people were folded up and dead, slightly in front of a large device in the room.

There was no immediate reply. Honoka slowly retreated, and Jin prepared to move at any moment.

There was no sign of life. None. But...

The pile of corpses stirred, and one of the people underneath sluggishly got up.

“Wha…!?”

Karenjina choked out in astonishment at such absurdity.

"A Survivor?"

“No. Wrong.”

The soldier's words, shouted in an expectant but trembling voice, were dismissed with alarm by Jin.

“He's not alive anymore.”

It was a corpse. The corpse had suddenly risen and was heading straight towards them with the awkward movements of a puppet.

"W-WHAAAAA!! Lieutenant! Lieutenant!!"

Before they could fully comprehend the current situation, Honoka screamed and shouted. He shuddered exaggeratedly and pointed to a room with a lift in the back.

He could have guessed what was going on without looking, but he still looked back.

Just as expected. On the other side of the square entrance, countless corpses that were supposed to be lying in the room had all risen up and were heading towards them. Indeed, each corpse, one after another inside the room were starting to rise. It was not a number they could count on the spur of the moment.

"Wha-what should we do, Captain!?"

In dismay, one of the soldiers asked the obvious.

The first corpse that stood up was almost upon them. After slashing the body in half with a swinging axe, Grimwood turned around and shouted.

“Everybody, run!! Get to the lift!"

At that moment, as if he had been pushed back, Jin ran, knocking down the moving dead corpses that had been positioned between the room swith a single swing.

===Part 3===

With his scabbard, he hit the corpse that ran towards him at the side of its head and kicked the other one that came at him from the other direction with his leg that made them cracked like a whip. Several bodies were caught up and lost their balance when they were slashed together in one go with Jin’s Iai technique. After that, he stepped over the collapsed ridge of bodies and moved forward.

The underground space, which had been so quiet when they arrived that the only sound present was the driving force of the running machine, was now filled with a ghastly noise.

The corpses revived, or to say arose like they were waking from a slumber, now attacking Jin and the others without hesitation, as if they had no other choice.

At first glance, the bodies with few external injuries looked like living people. However, their faces were unmoving from the expression of fear and anguish they had shown when they died and their open eyes were as vacant as a cloudy glass ball.

"Shit! What in the hell are these things??"

"A trap from Kokonoe!?"

As the soldiers whined and cursed, they fired their guns at the ghouls, who were slowly closing in distance. The sound of wild gunfire blasted away the arms and heads of the corpses, but they continued to move without a care in the world.

Grimwood used his large axe to flick them all the way to the wall with every ounce of his strength.

“No, Kokonoe would never use these kinds of Art. Necromancy Ars Magus is the most detestable means on the battlefield. She is a genius far beyond the average, but she is apparently also a woman of common sense when it comes to such things!”

"Apparently," he said, but Grimwood said it as if he knew her personally. Jin wondered if they might have known each other, but now was not the time to mention it.

Jin reversed his grip on the ghouls arm and slammed it to the floor, crushing his head with his hard heel. A gunshot rang out right next to him. It was Honoka who fired the shot. He seemed to have completely gotten cold feet and turned terribly afraid, but his shooting skills were accurate. One by one, he carefully hit the moving corpses right between the eyes.

"Whoever did it, we are in big trouble, because of them now!!"

When Honoka shouted in a shameful, falsetto voice, to which Grimwood's mouth twisted up in a bitter, twisted smile.

“Sure we are.”

Then Grimwood swung his great axe again and blew off the tops of three corpses at once.

Karenjina shot an approaching corpse in the forehead with her short rifle and responded to a near one with a large knife she held in her other hand. She kicked away the corpse that had its throat quickly slit and immediately pointed the muzzle at the next one.

The corpse took several bullets to the face and fell down in a big heap. It jumped around for a while, but eventually got up and joined the fray with a distorted head as if nothing had happened.

Jin clicked his tongue at that.

“Necromancy, is it?”

Grimwood nodded.

It was possible to use magic or medicine to make the corpses move, but in that case they will attack on their own in a disorderly fashion. However, it was clear that the mass of corpses that filled the underground room was moving under the direction of someone.

They did not indiscriminately attack the dead bodies in front of them, nor did they move unevenly. They knew that the target is Jin and the rest of the 9th squad and they also knew that their path of retreat was the lift.

"Nonsense! You can't control all these bodies in here at the same time!"

While firing her gun, Karenjina’s voice rang with impatience.

Jin thrust the tip of his scabbard down on the dead man's head, who had grabbed his leg.

"It doesn't matter if it's possible or not. These guys can sustain a head injury and still get up and move with no trouble."

A corpse that can move by Arts or medicine acts according to its ego, albeit poorly. They think and move with their dead brains, so if they lose their heads, they lose their functions movement. However, a necromancer is someone that can manipulate a ghoul at will. A moving body is nothing more than a puppet for the practitioner. Even if the head is lost, the body will continue to move as long as the chain of connection with the practitioner is not broken.

"If it's a necromancer, then wouldn’t defeating the practitioner stop these guys from moving!”

To the right and the left. Grimwood asked in his crude voice as he swung his large axe and cleaved down any approaching corpses. Jin replies calmly.

"Yeah. They are controlling so many of them, they can't be that far away."

“Karenjina, find them!”

“Understood!”

When Grimwood gave his instructions, Karenjina responded quickly and took a few steps back, shoving her gun into the holster on her hip. She bent down on the spot and pressed her hands against the cold floor. Grimwood wedged himself in front of Karenjina. He used his great axe as a weapon and shield to protect Karenjina from the hands of the ghouls.

In the meantime, Karenjina took a long breath and closed her eyes to focus her attention.

A dull golden crest spread around her hands with a thin, high-pitched squeak that sounded like ringing in the ears.

“Wait, it's a Drive!”

Jin's voice jumped up uncharacteristically in surprise.

Drive.

It is a special kind of power that is inherent in the individual, fundamentally different from the kind of power that can be used to some extent through training and Arts, such as an Ars Magus.

The mechanism is not completely elucidated and there are those who can use it and those who cannot. It is more like a constitution than a talent. Its origin lies in the form of the soul. Jin was also someone with a Drive, but it's not something that the usual person would carry with them. In fact it is very rare, so he didn't expect to encounter someone with Drive abilities in the 9th squad.

Behind Jin, who was unintentionally blinded by Karenjina's talent, Grimwood ran in and mowed down the ghouls.

One after another. There was no end to them.

“It's called "Seagull". Karenjina can sense the movements of her surroundings even though she can't actually see them, it's a power that has saved our lives many times before.”

Jin understood and was convinced at the same time. The questions that had been lingering in the corner of his mind were now resolved.

Why was the 9th squad able to disrupt the enemy lines and lead the enemy soldiers to their allies with such precision, as if they knew the enemys position? Why did Grimwood often ask Karenjina for her opinion on the situation, and why was she able to answer him without hesitation?

Karenjina was the too-good-to-be-true nose and ears of the 9th squadron, the Hounds.

But Karenjina, who had been concentrating on the crest that emerged with a faint light, distorted her expression as if in pain and finally stood up, holding both ears.

The crest disappears as it was sucked down to her feet.

"No, there's too much noise. I can't locate it!"

She must have dived into a very deep state of concentration, since they could see the greasy sweat on Karenjina's forehead. Grimwood impatiently frowned at Karenjina, who was breathing heavily, while keeping an eye on their surroundings and state of affairs.

Each of the ghouls was no great threat, but there were just too many of them. No matter how hard they tried to kill them, they kept coming as long as they had legs or hands. It was like a wave of ghouls.

"Oh, hey, there!"

Honoka, who was holding the gun with his hands crossed as if in prayer, shouted out in a most sorrowful voice.

Jin followed his gaze and looked up to see the path of the lift they had just come down. On top of it, bodies, probably from inside the facility, covered in wounds and blood, were descending towards them.

There was no doubt what their purpose was. The dead eyes, cloudy and empty, were all looking at the only seven people alive in this place.

"Damn it! I guess we should clear a path of retreat first."

Grimwood growled in abhorrence. The lift was already occupied by the bodies that had rushed in. It would be faster to run up the passageway than to retrieve it and use the device to move slowly forward.

“I'll make it happen. Follow me!"

Quickly, Grimwood regained his grip on his great axe and charged forward with a mighty yell from the pit of his stomach.

“Oooooooooooooohhhh!"

Grimwood swung his great axe from side to side as he ran with a much shocking force.

The large blade, swung with all its power, kept slashing, blowing and reaping corpses one after another as if it were reaping dead branches. Along with the sound of crushing flesh, there was the light sound of crunching bones.

Kicking away even the sound, Grimwood rushed forward and forcefully stepped into the lift corridor.

Exactly as the word "cut through" implies, a path was formed behind Grimwood. Karenjina and Honoka were ahead of him, followed by Jin, while the rest of the soldiers chased after the captain with their guns firing in a mess. But still the numbers were overwhelmingly violent. Grimwood's steps were gradually blocked and slowed.

A ghouls nails clawed relentlessly at his face and another corpse clutched at his big shoulders, trying to drag him down.

It was not just Grimwood, but also Karenjina and Honoka, who were following close behind, blocking their progress.

"Grimwood!"

Karenjina let out a thin scream right near Jin, who slashed down the ghoul in a wide arc.

Grimwood was pushing too hard for the ones in the back to catch up. A large number of ghouls interrupted the carelessly opened distance and quickly surrounded Grimwood with a thick wall of dead flesh.

On the other hand, more than a dozen corpses jumped at their side with such force that Honoka was knocked over by the momentum.

The head of the corpse that was about to bite his throat was chopped off by Jin with a single stroke. As the head flew off, the distance between him and Grimwood was no longer something that could be easily bridged.

"Captain!"

The soldiers shouted in unison.

It would be bad if he didn't join up. It was too dangerous for anyone to be isolated against this number.

But when he tried to run to him, the corpses formed a wall as if they were trying to keep him away from Grimwood. Punching and kicking down. There was no end to the shooting and slashing.

On the other side of the writhing corpses, Jin saw Grimwood still shouting and swinging his axe.

The axe that was swung down created shockwaves that were bigger than the eye could precive, blowing away a group of corpses.

“ِAbandon me! Run!”

That was Grimwood's decision.

Karenjina gave a horrified voice.

“I can't... I can't do that!”

“Go, Jin!”

“You cut it open, while I'm pulling most of the weight, maybe Jin can do it.”

Jin looked up at the top of the lift with a grim expression at Grimwood's words, entrusting him with a such heavy responsibility.

The number of corpses pouring in was small compared to the ones chasing them from underground, but it was not an easy task to get through. If they were separated by the narrow passageway, Honoka and Karenjna would be torn apart in a matter of seconds.

"Don't fucking joke with meeee!"

A swear word escaped from Jin's mouth unconsciously. If he was even able to run, he would have done it by now.

(Forcing a breakthrough is not a good idea. Then...)

Jin stabbed at his feet with Yukianesa. The impact blew up in a white color, instantly turning the surrounding corpses to ice.

Using it as a makeshift wall, Jin grabbed Karenjina’s arm as she was about to run to Grimwood.

"Hey. Use that Drive again."

“What? What are you talking about? I told you we'd never find the necromancer, so this is not the time at all!　Get out of the way and let me help Grimwood!!"

Karenjina twisted and tried to shake off Jin's hand. but Jin would have none of it. He holded her arm even thigher and pulled her to him.

"Calm down, you'll only add to the bait if you jump in. Instead, I'll hit the necromancer."

“Shut up! You don't get to tell me what to do! Let go of me! Grimwood's at..!”

Karenjina flailed about in a mess, trying to escape Jin's clutches. He could feel Karenjina's nerves screaming in fright under her skin. It was as if he could feel the vibrations. Fear gripped her as she writhed and flailed. The fear that she might lose Grimwood was driving her into delirium.

That's how important he, Grimwood was, to Karenjina. This thought crossed Jin’s mind, but-

Jin shouted in frustration.

"Shut up, you piece of shit!!!"

At the sound of Jin's angry voice, which came from up close and personal, Karenjina’s eyes blinked as she forbore to speak.

She was pressured by Jin's change in attitude.

It didn’t matter, it's rather convenient like that. There's no point in making any more noise. Jin shouted at Karenjina with a intensity fitting for their situation.

“Just use it! Who else can do it but you? You want Grimwood getting killed along with you, or what!?”

If Karenjina ran off, she wouldn't be able to help Grimwood. They would die together in a pile of corpses.

She must not be so stupid that she couldn’t understand that. Karenjina opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if lost for words in the blazing cold eyes of Jin that were fixated on her. Then, immediately her eyes sharpened and her lips got frim in determinaion.

She shook off Jin's arm. This time, Jin let go of her hand obediently.

Immediately, Karenjina put her hands on the floor and focused her attention. A dull golden light was created under her palms as they touched the floor.

"Cover Karenjina. Don't let the ghouls near her!"

“Ye-yes!”

Honoka replied as he jumped up and raised his gun along with the other soldiers.

The guns could not fire indefinitely, but the soldiers knew that if they didn't hold out, there was no way out.

Seeing them start firing wildly without caring about the remaining ammunition, Honoka, who was upset, started firing randomly.

After all, Grimwood's squadron was excellent.

Admiringly, Jin stood behind Karenjina with Yukianesa.

A crest spreads at Karenjina’s feet. Immediately, her expression became distorted. Even through her back, Jin could tell that the level of concentration was different from before.

They couldn’t hold out much longer. Neither Karenjina nor the soldiers who were trying to fight off the ghouls and Jin, too.

Even if there is an abundance of seithr in the world, converting it into Ars Magus involves a great deal of wear and tear. In addition, when it comes to dealing with Nox Nyctores, the wear and tear can be life itself.

Therefore, no matter how powerful it is, Yukianesa's power cannot be unleashed. If he were to unleash it at full force, based on the amount of seithr in this place...

(One shot left...)

He will be at lose of power and they won't be able to get through here.

(...No.)

It's different.

If it's just a break through, it's possible. In that case, though, everyone but Jin will have to be abandoned.

“Keep your mind focused.”

He told her in a whisper, then pressed the palm of his hand against Karenjina's back.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, matching his own exhalation to the wavelength of Karenjina beyond the palm of his hand.

Karenjina's body jumped. Instantly, the images she was seeing began to flow into Jin's mind as well.

A dull golden light was spreading across the underground space in every direction. It was as if they were nerves stretched out. However, the spreading light was disturbed by the countless signs that filled the area.

(So this is the noise...)

It's true that they couldn’t explore anything with this.

Even so, he earnestly looked for a different way, in the middle of Karenjina’s spread-out senses.

The Power of Order - with that, “manipulation of corpses” appeared in Jin’s consciousness as a black line in the images he saw through Karenjina's Drive.

It was a special power that he possessed that even Jin himself did not understand, he isn't even aware that he is in posession of it.

However, through it, Jin was able to see. The evil from his standpoint, the opponent to slash, the black "line" that connects to it all, the "line" that he should cut.

The black line that stretched from Jin's feet snaked its way around the underground space until... it reached a certain point.

“......Found it.”

Gently speaking aloud, Jin opens his eyes. As usual, he was surrounded by a pile of moving corpses, but Jin didn't even bother with them.

In the corner of the room where the corpses were stirring, on the floor where the arms and legs that had been blown off by Jin and Grimwood were lying in shreds. There was a strange figure huddled in the shadows of the wobbling corpses.

He couldn’t see it clearly, but it was definitely “there”.

Jin pulled out Yukianesa and ran through the bodies, jumping over Honoka.

The pale, ice-covered blades cut down the corpses in his way one after another. As he kicked them away and iced the ones in his way, Jin headed straight for Grimwood.

It was in the opposite direction of the necromancer he found.

But as he hurled the blades of ice he had created around him at the corpses all at once, Jin called out loudly.

"Grimwood!"

He shouted and jumped high. At the foot of his low leap, an ice blade that he had created at the same time appeared. The flying ice blades slid through the air and carried Jin like a vehicle.

"Come on!"

As he swung his great axe to clear the way around him, Grimwood let go of his axe to meet Jin who was coming straight at him. Instead, he folded his hands and dropped to his haunches.

Jin jumped for his hand.

“Gooooooooooooo!!”

Jin's feet landed on Grimwood's folded hands. He used it as a foothold from which to leap and Grimwood threw him high into the air, swinging his arms with all his might.

After jumping to an unusual height, Jin stared downward.

He didn't know where it came from, but the underground room was filled with more dead bodies than he expected. But in one corner, in the corner of the room indicated by the line, there was a person without a uniform or lab coat, huddled in a black cloth.

That's him.

“Yukianesa!"

In response to Jin's voice, a silvery-white blade sliced through the void. The sliding trajectory froze in the blink of an eye and the ice wrapped around the sword itself, changing its shape.

What appeared in Jin's hand was a bow. A pale, crystal clear bow of ice.

He put his hand on the string and an arrow of ice was born in his hand.

The only thing in the way was the corpses walking on the ground. With such a high jump, there was nothing to impede Jin's aim.

“Ice-Winged Moonsong!”

With a voice announcing this, a huge arrow was released from the ice bow. The pale blue arrow seemed to have a hint of light in it and with the icy wind in its wake, it flew sharply through the air.

The target was the necromancer, who looked like a blackened mass.

The arrow, too large to be fired at a single person, spun at high speed and was not well-aimed, ruthlessly destroying the surrounding walls, floors, and swarming corpses, including the necromancer.

The power was tremendous.

The corner of the room where the necromancer had been was instantly covered with ice, like the inside of a freezer and white frost stuck to it. What used to be the necromancer was stretched out on the floor like was like a remaining splat of abandoned trash, no longer moving.

Jin landed on the ground, returning the bow to its original form of a sword.

"..."

As soon as he did, his knees lost their strength and he almost lost balance. But Grimwood, who had rushed in front of him, supported him.

“You okay?”

"...Yes. I just used too much energy all at once."

“I see,” Grimwood said, his mouth twitching in a smile.

Jin heard a series of sounds like heavy objects falling from around him. It was the sound of bodies that had been moving, losing their strength and falling one after another. The corpse that was just about to bite him fell on him, and Honoka crawled out from under it, screaming.

Then he looked around in a daze and sat down.

“It’s not moving... Did we survive?”

As he let out his thin, trembling words, not a single corpse moved anymore. They collapsed on the spot like threadbare dolls and returned to being mere corpses.

[[File:SS1-3.png|thumb]]

The soldiers still couldn't believe what was happening in front of their eyes, rolling the fallen bodies close at hand to make sure there was no reaction.

Karenjina staggered over to Grimwood and Jin.

But Jin and Grimwood couldn't look up at the sound of her footsteps.

At Jin's feet lay a deadly Necromancer clad in black cloth.

The blow that Jin had unleashed with all his might had already left him breathless. No, he wasn't breathing to begin with.

Jin and Grimwood looked down at what had been the Necromancer, speechless with surprise.

It was not human.

It had long, slender arms and legs and an uncanny bloodless complexion. Wrapped in a black cloth, it was a doll.

"What is this...?"

Karenjina, who was finally standing next to Grimwood, muttered in a muffled voice.

The soldiers and Honoka both noticed the strange situation and looked down at the doll, all stunned.

"You mean the doll was a... necromancer?"

One of the soldiers said to himself.

“No," Grimwood replied lowly, holding Jin for support. “it wasn't a necromancer we were dealing with.”

"A Puppetmaster."

Staring at the battered doll, Jin's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean? Because a while ago, there was actually a body moving..."

Karenjina looked around. The lack of power in her voice was probably due to the fact that she used too much power on "Seagull". As she wondered, it was not a doll that actually attacked Jin and the others, but a corpse. There was no doubt about that. So that meant...

“The Puppetmaster had a puppet play the role of the Necromancer.”

“Such a thing...”

"There is no way. It's impossible, no matter how advanced that Ars Magus is."

"Unless it's magic..."

Magic. Everyone was rendered speechless by the words Jin had spoken.

Magic is an ancient Art that has been in gradual decline since the days of the Dark War due to a drastic decrease in the number of users. It is no exaggeration to say that it has been lost in the modern age.

If the owner of this puppet is indeed a magician, then the other party is not just a mere thing. At the very least, it was not something that a single squadron can handle.
　
And if the opponent was indeed a magician, it's not impossible to think about why all the guards of the Librarium died here.

“We are going back.”

It was too dangerous to stay here any longer. Grimwood carried Jin's arm on his shoulder and started to walk away.

The area was unusually quiet. It smelled of blood and dead bodies.

Jin and the others left the basement as quickly as they could, pushed back by the disquiet.

===Part 4===

There was someone who had been oberserving them closely.

Always observing. They have been observing the guards of the Novus Orbis Librarium descend into the basement while killing researchers of Sector Seven. The way they died there one after another and the confusion and struggles of the seven new samples who arrived late.

Always there. Observing.

A huge, motionless device, surrounded with countless coffins. From behind it, a man stepped out with small, clacking footsteps.

His golden hair was brushed back and he wore fine-looking clothes. If he had been in the right place, he would have looked like a noble gentleman, but the carpet of corpses under his feet, the golden mask covering the upper half of his face, and the eye-catching purple cloak turned that look of a nobel gentlman into a rather odd one.

"Seagull and... the Nox Nyctores, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa. Hmmm. I've observed some pretty interesting stuff today."

The masked man put his white-gloved hand to his chin and spoke to himself in a voice that sounded impressed, but with little human emotion.

Behind him was another figure, even taller than him.

The smooth curves of her body were like that of a woman. The scarlet dress she wore was vivid, but on closer inspection, it was not a human being, but a very finely crafted doll.

The masked man started to walk away. The scarlet doll chased after him.

Eventually, as the undisturbed footsteps of the masked man and the scarlet doll receded into the distance, the basement finally became a space only for the dead.

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| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
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BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3

2025-08-02T07:31:00Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near */

==Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near==

===Part 1===

Jin learned that after a month of living in the jungle, it is easy to lose track of what day of the month it is, what time it is, and other things that he used to unconsciously pay attention to.

The unpleasant heat and the suffocating smell. The occasional arrows of rain, the unrestrained splashing of mud. The food was poor and the beds were far from clean. It wasn't the most comfortable living environment, but even so, Jin was beginning to feel more comfortable in his new surroundings.

Then, one day. The 9th squad, including Jin, received a request from the Librarium and were ordered to sortie to a place far from the jungle that he just started to get used to.

The location was a certain research facility near the mountain area. The building looks like a large block with gray walls, blending in with the rocks and barren trees.

There were very few windows and on top, the ventilation system roared low like the sleep of a giant creature.

Undecorated lighting lined up at regular intervals in a seamless, perfect flat corridor with no visible horizon. The dimly lit white walls were all fitted with black doors of exactly the same design.

The inside of the laboratory, with an interior that seems to have been assembled inorganically, has been... cruelly destroyed.

There were large holes in the doors and walls and many cracks in the ceiling and floor. Lights were broken and shattered and pieces of glass were scattered everywhere.

Only a small quantity of lights were left. The few that remained barely gave off a faint glow that seemed to be about to fade, but it was not enough to light up this large laboratory at all, making the area be bathed in an eerie dimness.

It was awfully quiet.

It smelled terrible.

"This is horrible..."

Standing in the corridor where some torn and burnt papers were scattered with pieces of shattered furniture, Honoka said aloud in dismay.

It was a sight that could no longer be described as anything other than that.

There were countless corpses lying at Honoka's feet as he stood stock stil and all around inside the destroyed laboratory, which still bore the scars of an obvious battle that took place. The corner of the corridor where Jin was looking, as well as under the gaze of Karenjina, who walked around and looked into the nearest room were the same.

Soldiers in the uniform of the Librarium were lying on top of each other, creating a small red fountain on the floor.

Right next to them, laying down dead, was an old man wearing a white coat over another uniform. He must have been a staff member of this institute, or in other words, one of Sector Seven’s personnel.

This is the research facility of Sector Seven.

Sector Seven is a group of rebels who disagree with the methods of the Librarium and work to disrupt their current order. The mission that Jin and the others were called up for this time was to retrieve a certain "Nox Nyctores" that they had stolen from the Librarium.

But Jin and the others arrived two hours late.

For some reason, the 9th squad was not notified until the last minute. In addition, arrangements for an Ars Magus Vessel to travel nearby were also delayed.

But still, it was just two hours. The number of people at the scene were not that many to begin with, but there was still a battlefield that took place here. Why weren't there some reinforcements? Still, even if the conflict was over, they wanted to help with the aftermath. That’s what they decided to do and hurriedly made their way with the jeep to the place from were they were at moments ago.

“Looks like we're too late.”

Bending down, Jin let out a heavy breath when he saw that the fallen Librarium guard had no pulse.

“But what the hell is this all about? Did the mission fail?"

Karenjina shook her head in disbelief after looking into a room that seemed to be some kind of office and came out with an face full of anguish.

“I didn’t receive a confirmation about that yet.”

Answered Grimwood, who had entered a another room, came out into the hallway and shook his head in denial. It seems there weren't any in this room either. Survivors.

Whether they succeeded or failed in retrieving the Nox Nyctores or if the operation had produced any results in the past two hours, it would have been reported to the NOL. Outside the research facility, there were a number of vehicles that the guards of the Librarium must have used for transportation. All of them were equipped with communication facilities and the guards themselves were also equipped with communication devices.

But when Jin and the others had left the Ars Magus Vessel for the jeep about thirty minutes ago, they had not received any such information.

One possible explanation for why there has been no contact is that the operation was still ongoing in the depths of the facility. Then there is the possibility that there was no one left in the Librarium to contact...

(But that's unlikely, because the other party is Sector Seven.)

Jin's expression clouded in thought.

The basic philosophy of Sector Seven is the convenient development of seithr through pure science, rather than through Ars Magus. Because of this aspect, the people who belong to Sector Seven are mainly researchers with a wealth of scientific knowledge. Many of them are considerably rational, logical and pragmatic.

(...although I can't rule out the possibility if it makes the most 'sense'.)

If possible, that was a possibility he didn't want to consider.

Grimwood stepped over a lied-down corpse in a white coat and into the corridor leading to the back of the building.

"Let's check ahead. There might still be survivors."

As things were, there was no point in dwelling here dumbfoundedly counting the bodies, smeared in the smell of blood and rust. No one disagreed with Grimwood as he looked toward the end of the long corridor. Grimwood was in the lead, followed by the soldiers of the 9th squad and Karenjina, then Honoka, with Jin at the tail of the line.

Everyone's footsteps were careful as they walked, keeping a distance that would allow each of them to move around sufficiently.

They opened all the doors they saw along the way and checked them. Some of the rooms seemed unharmed, only slightly ransacked and not particularly destroyed. But in non were living people.

The hallway grew darker and darker as the lights became less and less useful. The air was cold with a metallic odor and the temperature seemed to drop even lower as they stepped into the darkness. While they continued on with their handheld lights, they found a staircase leading up and down at the far end.

As a test, someone peeked upstairs and shone a light on it. There was still a dead body lying on the stairs,
with a red thread dripping down from the top to the bottom.

"Is anyone there?"

Jin raised his voice in a pitch, but the only answer was an empty echo.

Grimwood then looked at the stairs leading to the lower level. The light from a thrown light revealed a lift-like elevation device just ahead.

"So, what now? Up or down..."

Honoka asks softly about which way they were supposed to go, while peering cautiously into the lift.

Grimwood pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Karenjina. Karenjina squinted at the tip of Grimwood's light, and shook her head after a moment.

"I'm not sure about down below. But upstairs... there are probably no survivors."

"Okay. Down it is then. Everybody, get on the lift."

After making his decision, Grimwood's movements were swift. He quickly got into the lift while giving instructions, and Jin and the others followed him. One of the soldiers checked the lift's control panel and flipped a few switches. A yellow light came on in the control panel and the lift began to slide silently, descending diagonally downward.

A faint orange glow told them that there were walls and a ceiling, but it made it impossible to see where they were going. Still curious about what lay ahead, Karenjina grabbed the thin railing at chest height and stared at the destination of the lift, her voice irritated with frustration.

“What's even going on? It's just a mission to get one weapon back, right? Is the Nox Nyctores so great that it has to cause this much damage?"

"You don't know what a Nox Nyctores is, do you?"

The soldier who was operating the panel mischievously said to Karenjina, who choked on her words now and puckered her lips in frustration.

“...It’s an old, awesome weapon, right? You talk big game, but do YOU even know what that thing really is?"

Staring at him, Karenjina appealed to her colleague to explain. The soldier who had been making a joke of it immediately flinched and averted his gaze.

“It's a, um... an old weapon yes. I believe it was made a very long time ago..."

“See, you only know as much as I do."

Karenjina took a step forward as if to accuse him. The soldier moved back by that same amount.

Grimwood, who was watching the scene, shook his large shoulders and laughed briefly.

“Nox Nyctores are superweapons of extraordinary power that were created during wars long ago.”

Leaning his beloved great axe on his shoulder and placing his muscular arm on top of it, Grimwood answered his subordinate in a calm tone. He had a soft smile on his face, but his eyes were glaringly sharp.

"The Nox Nyctores were created about a hundred years ago during the Dark War. When a monster called the Black Beast was trying to destroy humanity, one of the Six Heroes developed them in order to defeat that monster.”

The Six Heroes. The name was well known to both Karenjina and the soldier who teased her.

They were the legendary heroes who defeated the Black Beast, the monster that caused the disaster that nearly destroyed the human race. As young children, they would encounter them in fairy tales. When they grow up a little, they become the subject of make-believe games. And when they are older, they meet them in biographies and history textbooks, in stage plays and in various other media. Time after time.

Everyone has admired them at one time.

Against the background of the faint driving sound of the lift sliding quietly down, the soldiers of the squad, intrigued by the term "Six Heroes," were drawn to Grimwood's story.

Jin watched from a short distance away, leaning against the railing.

“These weapons were all different in shape. Each of their uses and abilities also differed. There were 8 or 9 of them in total I believe... Anyhow, the Six Heroes used them to defeat the Black Beast. But after the end of the Dark War, the Nox Nyctores were lost. Only few people know where or what they even are now.”

“So," Grimwood continued, looking at Jin. He made a boyish face for a moment.

“It's a pretty miraculous coincidence that he's got one of those.”

Karenjina and the soldiers turned to Jin as they were drawn into the story. One of them was Honoka. The petite boy nodded his head repeatedly, looking deeply moved.

"That's right. That sword might have been used by one of the six heroes too!"

One of the soldiers muttered, to which Honoka nodded in agreement. Jin's shoulders slumped in disgust at such a reaction.

"I don't care how it was used in the old wars. I only use it because it's in my possession."

Jin said curtly and turned away from them.

But that was a bit of a lie. He doesn't use it because he has to. He has to use it, because he can't let go of it. This is a curse placed on Jin. All the while, it is also a testimony.

For what he did — to his brother.

“Sorry, my bad. Don't be mad, 'kay?”

“I am not particularly..."

Perhaps his voice was more prickly than he realized. The admiring soldier laughed and held up his hands in surrender. It must have been his bad habit again. It wasn’t that he was angry. It was not even something to be angry about. He was going to say that, but before he could finish the words, the lift came to a silent stop.

At the same time, the view around Jin and the others opened up. They had arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

It was a much larger space then the facility above.

It was surrounded by square walls, dimly lit by orange emergency lights on the walls and a few white bulbs left on the ceiling.

It was large enough to accommodate the five jeeps that they had driven here.

They might have been using this lifts to carry large items up and down on a regular basis. There were several large dollies lying on the wall, probably used for transportation.

The ceiling was high, probably higher than two stories of a normal building. They have been down here long enough to have wasted a lot of time talking, so they are anticipating rooms and facilities beyond the ceiling or there may just be a thick layer of ground separating them from the surface. Thouge at this point, it didn't matter what the underground structure was.

The yellow light on the lift's panel went out. The handrails slid down, creating a doorway.

Grimwood descended first to the end of it. Then Jin, Karenjina, and the rest.

No one spoke a word now.

Maybe he had imagined it somewhere in his head. At least, when Jin saw this scene, he was naturally convinced that it would be so.

The underground lift station was a pile of dead bodies.

There were a number of bodies lying around the room in a state of disarray. Most of them were wearing the uniform of the Librarium, as could be seen from their scattered clothes.

“What happened here...?"

Karenjina asked in a weak voice, not to anyone in particular. There was no one who could answer her words. Rather, everyone was thinking the same thing.

“Oh, look there. T-there is an interior..."

Honoka, who was cowering at the very back, his face pale, pointed ahead with a trembling hand. At the back of the square room, there was a rectangular opening that probably had a door in it, and another room seemed to be leading to it. The back of the room seemed to be even bigger than this one. They could see a few pale blue lights, probably emergency lights.

“Let's go.”

Grimwood announced lowly, still leading the way as he walked off. It was hopeless to look for survivors in this room. If the room ahead was a dead end, that would be their last hope in the basement.

Through the square entrance, Jin also stepped into the back room.

Then he let out a long, deep breath at the sight of despair spreading.

At the back was a semi-circular room. Its purpose was not clear, but various machines and devices were set up along the curving walls, and they were arranged in such a way that they observed the larger devices that took up most of the room.

The large device looked like a giant lid. Various cables, large and small, moored together, and at the end of the mooring was a circular mouth that seemed to open.

However, the mouth was tightly closed and half of it was buried by the rubble of the collapsed ceiling, so it was not in a condition to be opened and checked.

In this room, the most quantity of people were lying on the ground yet, as if to mock what they had seen so far as trivial.

The room was large. It was very spacious.

From the moment they entered that large room to the opposite end of the room, dozens of meters away, there were people lying everywhere.

None of them moved. There were so many of them that it didn't feel that they were corpses anymore, but instead they looked like a pile of discarded dolls.

Even more bizarrely, there were countless boxes strewn around the large device, which added to the eeriness of the scene. The boxes, neither blue nor black, were just large enough to hold a single person.

They were like coffins.

Some of them were twisted and cracked as if beasts had eaten through them, and a thick human-like fluid was flowing out from inside.

The moment he saw it, Jin's heart leapt.

"Ugh..."

A crushing moan was caught in his throat. Jin instantly lost his balance. It would look like dizziness from the outside, but it was different. He felt as if he had been swallowed by something, consuming his darkened consciousness and then...

he saw it.

A "Cauldron" that swirls the unworldly and submerges emptiness beyond the throbbing heat.

It's approaching from behind. It comes. It overflows, and it takes shape.

Black... a black beast. A black monster with sharp fangs, a thick neck, a giant jaw and all.

The creature dragged its indistinct body around, eating people at random, killing them as it went.

But the fangs do not tear flesh. The jaws do not crush bone.

All it had to do was slip by the living and occasionally let out a loud roar.

When touched by the black head, a black mist overflows from the human body. The human body collapses, losing all its strength, as if its life had been sucked out along with it.

The word associated with it would be predation. The black mass ran around the vast underground room like the winds of death, sucking and devouring the life of every human being in the room.

The head suddenly turned to look at Jin as if it had noticed something.

It looked more like an exaggerated version of a head, with only fangs and jaws. On top of its ferocious mouth, there was a glittering eye.

A red eye. Among the countless red streaks that run across the surface like blood vessels, the eyes that seem to have collected and hardened the most ominous reds in the world stared at Jin.

— Kill.

Someone's voice whispered to Jin.

— Kill it.

Yes. I have to kill it.

There is no other choice but to kill it.

(Who... is the monster?)

The higher the concentration of the seithr the more the urge swells inside Jin.

A murderous intent. It is a straightforward, pure, and single-minded murderous intent that is like nothing else.

(No, what I, what I... want to kill is...)

It's not a monster. What I want to kill is. What I want to kill with my own hands is...

A spark of lightning flashed behind his eyes, and Jin's vision instantly turned orange.

— It’s burning.

The whole area was ablaze.

This is a memory. Inside Jin, they were the pages of a burned and scorched memory that got torn to pieces and disordered.

In the flames, Jin was standing with his sword in his hand. In the hot, blazing flames, he was holding a cold, freezing Yukianesa.

Someone collapsed in front of him.

Who is the one who was down? It could have been someone, it could have been no one.

The boy was lying there helplessly. Bright red blood was pouring from his small back.

Red. Red. Everything. Red.

The rush of exuberance was so cold that he didn't feel any emotion when the burning church roared to life and collapsed, even when the hot wind blew against it.

The moon was laughing in the distance.

The bright red crescent moon was laughing joyfully.

No, it's not. It's a shadow. The shadow of a person. Laughing behind all.

A pair of pitch-black eyes stared at Jin.

The dark gloom kept staring at him, firmly, without a single motion.

===Part 2===

──in!!

The sound revived him.

The roaring sound of flames receded like a wave and in its place is now the dull drive of machinery along with the sound of human voices flooded Jin's consciousness.

“Jin!! Hey, Jin! Stay with me!"

"......ah... what is...?"

As if with a click of a switch, Jin's vision became clear and fixed.

The area was dimly lit and surrounded by achromatic colors such as black and gray. The small lights were pale, and the air was cold as metal. Before his eyes, stood a figure of a man with a large high stature. He grabbed Jin by both his shoulders with his large hands and shook him.

When Jin blinked a few times and looked up, Grimwood, the man who had been holding his shoulders, dropped his broad shoulders and breathed deeply.

“Don’t give me that. You suddenly stiffened and stopped moving in a panic. What in the hell happened to you?”

“...No, I was...”

As he tried to answer, Jin lost track of his words. He had no idea what had happened.

(A hallucination?)

He hasn't been snapped back for a while now, but he still had a numb feeling in the back of his head.

“I'm sorry, I'm fine. I just got dizzy all of a sudden..."

Holding his cheek and forehead with the palm of his hand as if to confirm that he was really here, Jin let out his voice along with his choked breath.

He suddenly felt a sharp gaze on him and turned around, and there was Karenjina, glaring at Jin with a face that was clearly in a bad mood. Her deep navy eyes collided with his gaze and Karenjina blatantly looked away.

(...She's like a jealous child.)

She likely didn't like the fact that Jin had worried Grimwood, but he didn't have the time to point it out and get himself in trouble. Letting out another sigh, he shook off the annoyance and looked around with eyes that finally reflected a sane reality. While Jin was in a daze, the soldiers had apparently gone to check on the equipment they had lined up. The three who had dispersed came running back to Grimwood.

“Captain, all the equipment's been destroyed. It's unlikely we'll be able to see the data inside."

“No luck here either. What is the cause of all this violence? Communications and recording facilities are also dead."

“I see..."

Grimwood's face twisted in bitterness. One of the last to return opened his mouth, his words and expression muddled, as if he was having trouble saying it.

“Err. There's one thing that's been bothering me...”

“What is it?”

“Aren’t the corpses in this room too "clean"? I didn't check all of them, but compared to the ones before we went down here, they are completely uninjured. It's as if only their souls have been pulled out... It's creepy."

With these words, he must have remembered some of the faces he'd seen while checking the equipment. The soldier shuddered and rubbed his arm vigorously. Without saying a word, Jin approached the nearest body. It was the one that had fallen right next to the entrance. It was lying with its arms outstretched in a desperate attempt to find a way out. When he turned the body over from its prone position, he saw that it had died with a miserable expression on its face, twitching with fear.

Honoka, who peeked in with Jin, let out a twitching scream and backed away to escape.

Indeed, there was no resemblance of any injuries. In fact, there was no reason for the corpse to have died, as if only the soul had been extracted.

(The soul... You don’t mean the hallucination I just had was-)

With a tingling headache, Jin remembered the head of the Black Beast that had popped out of the Cauldron earlier.

The monster that sucked up the souls of humans just by touching them. The black head that absorbed the human of that time was probably the seithr from the Cauldron. Jin wondered if that scene had actually happened here. If so, what the hell was that black head?

“Tsk…..”

As he thought about it, another sickening sensation crawled up his spine and he shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it. He didn't know what's going on with him, but he needed to get rid of any signs of strangeness. He was on a mission as one of the 9th squad.

Grimwood looked around again and placed the great axe he was carrying on the floor.

“...I heard that Kokonoe of Sector Seven was here, but... it seems that she escaped.”

The giant captain muttered while pondering something.

Honoka looked up quickly at his words.

"Does Kokonoe mean the Dr. Kokonoe? Isn't she the famous Grimalkin of Sector Seven?”

Jin had heard that name before. She is a scientist belonging to Sector Seven, and her genius mind is said to be unrivaled. She has the blood of a beastkin, and the ears and tail of a cat, which gives her a special appearance.

Grimwood looked down at Honoka and nodded.

“Yeah. I've heard that she was taking part in the Nox Nyctores research that was being conducted here. I was told to 'politely' take her in if I found her. ...... but there's no sign of her."

“If Kokonoe of Sector Seven was here, no wonder they deployed so many troops.”

Jin said quietly as he moved away from the corpse and looked at the large device at the back of the room.

You could say that Kokonoe was the brain of Sector Seven itself. If Kokonoe could be eliminated, it would be easy for the Librarium to overpower Sector Seven. That's how important she is and that's also why she is considered as so troublesome. With this in the picture, it could be seen that this was not just a usual laboratory.

If a person of Kokonoe's talent had been in and out of this place, she must have been doing some kind of special research. What it was, though, was something they had no way of knowing now.

“What do you think, Karenjina?"

Grimwood turned and asked Karenjina, who had been crouched down for some time and was just about to stand up.

Jin didn't understand the meaning of Grimwood's question. What is the "What" here? But despite Jin's small doubt, Karenjina's expression clouded over.

"...No. There are no survivors. Underground's wiped out."

She clearly said so.

How did she know? Jin was puzzled further. Grimwood not so. Why were they asking her? It was another group of soldiers who had been searching the room to check the equipment. Before Jin could ask that, Grimwood looked around at his men and said in a thick voice.

“That's it for the investigation. I'm going back upstairs. I'll contact headquarters."

“Oh, if so should I contact them? There are some things I haven't checked yet. If you want me to go back to the car and call them, I can do it by myself.”

Honoka put his hand on his chest and stepped forward, but Grimwood shook his head with a difficult look on his face.

“No. Let's all go back. I have a bad feeling about this place. We should get out of here as soon as possible-"

In the middle of his words, he suddenly heard a noise.

The sound, which was neither a rumble nor a thud, sounded like a creature crawling out from under something and for a moment everyone held their breaths and fell silent, then Grimwood turned and raised his axe that he just picked up from the ground earlier.

“Who's there?"

“Grimwood, t-that can't be!”

“I know."

Trying to calm Karenjina with his hand, who called out to him in panic, Grimwood stared at the area where the sound had come from in alarm. The sound came from the area where about five people were folded up and dead, slightly in front of a large device in the room.

There was no immediate reply. Honoka slowly retreated, and Jin prepared to move at any moment.

There was no sign of life. None. But...

The pile of corpses stirred, and one of the people underneath sluggishly got up.

“Wha…!?”

Karenjina choked out in astonishment at such absurdity.

"A Survivor?"

“No. Wrong.”

The soldier's words, shouted in an expectant but trembling voice, were dismissed with alarm by Jin.

“He's not alive anymore.”

It was a corpse. The corpse had suddenly risen and was heading straight towards them with the awkward movements of a puppet.

"W-WHAAAAA!! Lieutenant! Lieutenant!!"

Before they could fully comprehend the current situation, Honoka screamed and shouted. He shuddered exaggeratedly and pointed to a room with a lift in the back.

He could have guessed what was going on without looking, but he still looked back.

Just as expected. On the other side of the square entrance, countless corpses that were supposed to be lying in the room had all risen up and were heading towards them. Indeed, each corpse, one after another inside the room were starting to rise. It was not a number they could count on the spur of the moment.

"Wha-what should we do, Captain!?"

In dismay, one of the soldiers asked the obvious.

The first corpse that stood up was almost upon them. After slashing the body in half with a swinging axe, Grimwood turned around and shouted.

“Everybody, run!! Get to the lift!"

At that moment, as if he had been pushed back, Jin ran, knocking down the moving dead corpses that had been positioned between the room swith a single swing.

===Part 3===

With his scabbard, he hit the corpse that ran towards him at the side of its head and kicked the other one that came at him from the other direction with his leg that made them cracked like a whip. Several bodies were caught up and lost their balance when they were slashed together in one go with Jin’s Iai technique. After that, he stepped over the collapsed ridge of bodies and moved forward.

The underground space, which had been so quiet when they arrived that the only sound present was the driving force of the running machine, was now filled with a ghastly noise.

The corpses revived, or to say arose like they were waking from a slumber, now attacking Jin and the others without hesitation, as if they had no other choice.

At first glance, the bodies with few external injuries looked like living people. However, their faces were unmoving from the expression of fear and anguish they had shown when they died and their open eyes were as vacant as a cloudy glass ball.

"Shit! What in the hell are these things??"

"A trap from Kokonoe!?"

As the soldiers whined and cursed, they fired their guns at the ghouls, who were slowly closing in distance. The sound of wild gunfire blasted away the arms and heads of the corpses, but they continued to move without a care in the world.

Grimwood used his large axe to flick them all the way to the wall with every ounce of his strength.

“No, Kokonoe would never use these kinds of Art. Necromancy Ars Magus is the most detestable means on the battlefield. She is a genius far beyond the average, but she is apparently also a woman of common sense when it comes to such things!”

"Apparently," he said, but Grimwood said it as if he knew her personally. Jin wondered if they might have known each other, but now was not the time to mention it.

Jin reversed his grip on the ghouls arm and slammed it to the floor, crushing his head with his hard heel. A gunshot rang out right next to him. It was Honoka who fired the shot. He seemed to have completely gotten cold feet and turned terribly afraid, but his shooting skills were accurate. One by one, he carefully hit the moving corpses right between the eyes.

"Whoever did it, we are in big trouble, because of them now!!"

When Honoka shouted in a shameful, falsetto voice, to which Grimwood's mouth twisted up in a bitter, twisted smile.

“Sure we are.”

Then Grimwood swung his great axe again and blew off the tops of three corpses at once.

Karenjina shot an approaching corpse in the forehead with her short rifle and responded to a near one with a large knife she held in her other hand. She kicked away the corpse that had its throat quickly slit and immediately pointed the muzzle at the next one.

The corpse took several bullets to the face and fell down in a big heap. It jumped around for a while, but eventually got up and joined the fray with a distorted head as if nothing had happened.

Jin clicked his tongue at that.

“Necromancy, is it?”

Grimwood nodded.

It was possible to use magic or medicine to make the corpses move, but in that case they will attack on their own in a disorderly fashion. However, it was clear that the mass of corpses that filled the underground room was moving under the direction of someone.

They did not indiscriminately attack the dead bodies in front of them, nor did they move unevenly. They knew that the target is Jin and the rest of the 9th squad and they also knew that their path of retreat was the lift.

"Nonsense! You can't control all these bodies in here at the same time!"

While firing her gun, Karenjina’s voice rang with impatience.

Jin thrust the tip of his scabbard down on the dead man's head, who had grabbed his leg.

"It doesn't matter if it's possible or not. These guys can sustain a head injury and still get up and move with no trouble."

A corpse that can move by Arts or medicine acts according to its ego, albeit poorly. They think and move with their dead brains, so if they lose their heads, they lose their functions movement. However, a necromancer is someone that can manipulate a ghoul at will. A moving body is nothing more than a puppet for the practitioner. Even if the head is lost, the body will continue to move as long as the chain of connection with the practitioner is not broken.

"If it's a necromancer, then wouldn’t defeating the practitioner stop these guys from moving!”

To the right and the left. Grimwood asked in his crude voice as he swung his large axe and cleaved down any approaching corpses. Jin replies calmly.

"Yeah. They are controlling so many of them, they can't be that far away."

“Karenjina, find them!”

“Understood!”

When Grimwood gave his instructions, Karenjina responded quickly and took a few steps back, shoving her gun into the holster on her hip. She bent down on the spot and pressed her hands against the cold floor. Grimwood wedged himself in front of Karenjina. He used his great axe as a weapon and shield to protect Karenjina from the hands of the ghouls.

In the meantime, Karenjina took a long breath and closed her eyes to focus her attention.

A dull golden crest spread around her hands with a thin, high-pitched squeak that sounded like ringing in the ears.

“Wait, it's a Drive!”

Jin's voice jumped up uncharacteristically in surprise.

Drive.

It is a special kind of power that is inherent in the individual, fundamentally different from the kind of power that can be used to some extent through training and Arts, such as an Ars Magus.

The mechanism is not completely elucidated and there are those who can use it and those who cannot. It is more like a constitution than a talent. Its origin lies in the form of the soul. Jin was also someone with a Drive, but it's not something that the usual person would carry with them. In fact it is very rare, so he didn't expect to encounter someone with Drive abilities in the 9th squad.

Behind Jin, who was unintentionally blinded by Karenjina's talent, Grimwood ran in and mowed down the ghouls.

One after another. There was no end to them.

“It's called "Seagull". Karenjina can sense the movements of her surroundings even though she can't actually see them, it's a power that has saved our lives many times before.”

Jin understood and was convinced at the same time. The questions that had been lingering in the corner of his mind were now resolved.

Why was the 9th squad able to disrupt the enemy lines and lead the enemy soldiers to their allies with such precision, as if they knew the enemys position? Why did Grimwood often ask Karenjina for her opinion on the situation, and why was she able to answer him without hesitation?

Karenjina was the too-good-to-be-true nose and ears of the 9th squadron, the Hounds.

But Karenjina, who had been concentrating on the crest that emerged with a faint light, distorted her expression as if in pain and finally stood up, holding both ears.

The crest disappears as it was sucked down to her feet.

"No, there's too much noise. I can't locate it!"

She must have dived into a very deep state of concentration, since they could see the greasy sweat on Karenjina's forehead. Grimwood impatiently frowned at Karenjina, who was breathing heavily, while keeping an eye on their surroundings and state of affairs.

Each of the ghouls was no great threat, but there were just too many of them. No matter how hard they tried to kill them, they kept coming as long as they had legs or hands. It was like a wave of ghouls.

"Oh, hey, there!"

Honoka, who was holding the gun with his hands crossed as if in prayer, shouted out in a most sorrowful voice.

Jin followed his gaze and looked up to see the path of the lift they had just come down. On top of it, bodies, probably from inside the facility, covered in wounds and blood, were descending towards them.

There was no doubt what their purpose was. The dead eyes, cloudy and empty, were all looking at the only seven people alive in this place.

"Damn it! I guess we should clear a path of retreat first."

Grimwood growled in abhorrence. The lift was already occupied by the bodies that had rushed in. It would be faster to run up the passageway than to retrieve it and use the device to move slowly forward.

“I'll make it happen. Follow me!"

Quickly, Grimwood regained his grip on his great axe and charged forward with a mighty yell from the pit of his stomach.

“Oooooooooooooohhhh!"

Grimwood swung his great axe from side to side as he ran with a much shocking force.

The large blade, swung with all its power, kept slashing, blowing and reaping corpses one after another as if it were reaping dead branches. Along with the sound of crushing flesh, there was the light sound of crunching bones.

Kicking away even the sound, Grimwood rushed forward and forcefully stepped into the lift corridor.

Exactly as the word "cut through" implies, a path was formed behind Grimwood. Karenjina and Honoka were ahead of him, followed by Jin, while the rest of the soldiers chased after the captain with their guns firing in a mess. But still the numbers were overwhelmingly violent. Grimwood's steps were gradually blocked and slowed.

A ghouls nails clawed relentlessly at his face and another corpse clutched at his big shoulders, trying to drag him down.

It was not just Grimwood, but also Karenjina and Honoka, who were following close behind, blocking their progress.

"Grimwood!"

Karenjina let out a thin scream right near Jin, who slashed down the ghoul in a wide arc.

Grimwood was pushing too hard for the ones in the back to catch up. A large number of ghouls interrupted the carelessly opened distance and quickly surrounded Grimwood with a thick wall of dead flesh.

On the other hand, more than a dozen corpses jumped at their side with such force that Honoka was knocked over by the momentum.

The head of the corpse that was about to bite his throat was chopped off by Jin with a single stroke. As the head flew off, the distance between him and Grimwood was no longer something that could be easily bridged.

"Captain!"

The soldiers shouted in unison.

It would be bad if he didn't join up. It was too dangerous for anyone to be isolated against this number.

But when he tried to run to him, the corpses formed a wall as if they were trying to keep him away from Grimwood. Punching and kicking down. There was no end to the shooting and slashing.

On the other side of the writhing corpses, Jin saw Grimwood still shouting and swinging his axe.

The axe that was swung down created shockwaves that were bigger than the eye could precive, blowing away a group of corpses.

“ِAbandon me! Run!”

That was Grimwood's decision.

Karenjina gave a horrified voice.

“I can't... I can't do that!”

“Go, Jin!”

“You cut it open, while I'm pulling most of the weight, maybe Jin can do it.”

Jin looked up at the top of the lift with a grim expression at Grimwood's words, entrusting him with a such heavy responsibility.

The number of corpses pouring in was small compared to the ones chasing them from underground, but it was not an easy task to get through. If they were separated by the narrow passageway, Honoka and Karenjna would be torn apart in a matter of seconds.

"Don't fucking joke with meeee!"

A swear word escaped from Jin's mouth unconsciously. If he was even able to run, he would have done it by now.

(Forcing a breakthrough is not a good idea. Then...)

Jin stabbed at his feet with Yukianesa. The impact blew up in a white color, instantly turning the surrounding corpses to ice.

Using it as a makeshift wall, Jin grabbed Karenjina’s arm as she was about to run to Grimwood.

"Hey. Use that Drive again."

“What? What are you talking about? I told you we'd never find the necromancer, so this is not the time at all!　Get out of the way and let me help Grimwood!!"

Karenjina twisted and tried to shake off Jin's hand. but Jin would have none of it. He holded her arm even thigher and pulled her to him.

"Calm down, you'll only add to the bait if you jump in. Instead, I'll hit the necromancer."

“Shut up! You don't get to tell me what to do! Let go of me! Grimwood's at..!”

Karenjina flailed about in a mess, trying to escape Jin's clutches. He could feel Karenjina's nerves screaming in fright under her skin. It was as if he could feel the vibrations. Fear gripped her as she writhed and flailed. The fear that she might lose Grimwood was driving her into delirium.

That's how important he, Grimwood was, to Karenjina. This thought crossed Jin’s mind, but-

Jin shouted in frustration.

"Shut up, you piece of shit!!!"

At the sound of Jin's angry voice, which came from up close and personal, Karenjina’s eyes blinked as she forbore to speak.

She was pressured by Jin's change in attitude.

It didn’t matter, it's rather convenient like that. There's no point in making any more noise. Jin shouted at Karenjina with a intensity fitting for their situation.

“Just use it! Who else can do it but you? You want Grimwood getting killed along with you, or what!?”

If Karenjina ran off, she wouldn't be able to help Grimwood. They would dietogether in a pile of corpses.

She must not be so stupid that she couldn’t understand that. Karenjina opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if lost for words in the blazing cold eyes of Jin that were fixated on her. Then, immediately her eyes sharpened and her lips got frim in determinaion.

She shook off Jin's arm. This time, Jin let go of her hand obediently.

Immediately, Karenjina put her hands on the floor and focused her attention. A dull golden light was created under her palms as they touched the floor.

"Cover Karenjina. Don't let the ghouls near her!"

“Ye-yes!”

Honoka replied as he jumped up and raised his gun along with the other soldiers.

The guns could not fire indefinitely, but the soldiers knew that if they didn't hold out, there was no way out.

Seeing them start firing wildly without caring about the remaining ammunition, Honoka, who was upset, started firing randomly.

After all, Grimwood's squadron was excellent.

Admiringly, Jin stood behind Karenjina with Yukianesa.

A crest spreads at Karenjina’s feet. Immediately, her expression became distorted. Even through her back, Jin could tell that the level of concentration was different from before.

They couldn’t hold out much longer. Neither Karenjina nor the soldiers who were trying to fight off the ghouls and Jin, too.

Even if there is an abundance of seithr in the world, converting it into Ars Magus involves a great deal of wear and tear. In addition, when it comes to dealing with Nox Nyctores, the wear and tear can be life itself.

Therefore, no matter how powerful it is, Yukianesa's power cannot be unleashed. If he were to unleash it at full force, based on the amount of seithr in this place...

(One shot left...)

He will be at lose of power and they won't be able to get through here.

(...No.)

It's different.

If it's just a break through, it's possible. In that case, though, everyone but Jin will have to be abandoned.

“Keep your mind focused.”

He told her in a whisper, then pressed the palm of his hand against Karenjina's back.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, matching his own exhalation to the wavelength of Karenjina beyond the palm of his hand.

Karenjina's body jumped. Instantly, the images she was seeing began to flow into Jin's mind as well.

A dull golden light was spreading across the underground space in every direction. It was as if they were nerves stretched out. However, the spreading light was disturbed by the countless signs that filled the area.

(So this is the noise...)

It's true that they couldn’t explore anything with this.

Even so, he earnestly looked for a different way, in the middle of Karenjina’s spread-out senses.

The Power of Order - with that, “manipulation of corpses” appeared in Jin’s consciousness as a black line in the images he saw through Karenjina's Drive.

It was a special power that he possessed that even Jin himself did not understand, he isn't even aware that he is in posession of it.

However, through it, Jin was able to see. The evil from his standpoint, the opponent to slash, the black "line" that connects to it all, the "line" that he should cut.

The black line that stretched from Jin's feet snaked its way around the underground space until... it reached a certain point.

“......Found it.”

Gently speaking aloud, Jin opens his eyes. As usual, he was surrounded by a pile of moving corpses, but Jin didn't even bother with them.

In the corner of the room where the corpses were stirring, on the floor where the arms and legs that had been blown off by Jin and Grimwood were lying in shreds. There was a strange figure huddled in the shadows of the wobbling corpses.

He couldn’t see it clearly, but it was definitely “there”.

Jin pulled out Yukianesa and ran through the bodies, jumping over Honoka.

The pale, ice-covered blades cut down the corpses in his way one after another. As he kicked them away and iced the ones in his way, Jin headed straight for Grimwood.

It was in the opposite direction of the necromancer he found.

But as he hurled the blades of ice he had created around him at the corpses all at once, Jin called out loudly.

"Grimwood!"

He shouted and jumped high. At the foot of his low leap, an ice blade that he had created at the same time appeared. The flying ice blades slid through the air and carried Jin like a vehicle.

"Come on!"

As he swung his great axe to clear the way around him, Grimwood let go of his axe to meet Jin who was coming straight at him. Instead, he folded his hands and dropped to his haunches.

Jin jumped for his hand.

“Gooooooooooooo!!”

Jin's feet landed on Grimwood's folded hands. He used it as a foothold from which to leap and Grimwood threw him high into the air, swinging his arms with all his might.

After jumping to an unusual height, Jin stared downward.

He didn't know where it came from, but the underground room was filled with more dead bodies than he expected. But in one corner, in the corner of the room indicated by the line, there was a person without a uniform or lab coat, huddled in a black cloth.

That's him.

“Yukianesa!"

In response to Jin's voice, a silvery-white blade sliced through the void. The sliding trajectory froze in the blink of an eye and the ice wrapped around the sword itself, changing its shape.

What appeared in Jin's hand was a bow. A pale, crystal clear bow of ice.

He put his hand on the string and an arrow of ice was born in his hand.

The only thing in the way was the corpses walking on the ground. With such a high jump, there was nothing to impede Jin's aim.

“Ice-Winged Moonsong!”

With a voice announcing this, a huge arrow was released from the ice bow. The pale blue arrow seemed to have a hint of light in it and with the icy wind in its wake, it flew sharply through the air.

The target was the necromancer, who looked like a blackened mass.

The arrow, too large to be fired at a single person, spun at high speed and was not well-aimed, ruthlessly destroying the surrounding walls, floors, and swarming corpses, including the necromancer.

The power was tremendous.

The corner of the room where the necromancer had been was instantly covered with ice, like the inside of a freezer and white frost stuck to it. What used to be the necromancer was stretched out on the floor like was like a remaining splat of abandoned trash, no longer moving.

Jin landed on the ground, returning the bow to its original form of a sword.

"..."

As soon as he did, his knees lost their strength and he almost lost balance. But Grimwood, who had rushed in front of him, supported him.

“You okay?”

"...Yes. I just used too much energy all at once."

“I see,” Grimwood said, his mouth twitching in a smile.

Jin heard a series of sounds like heavy objects falling from around him. It was the sound of bodies that had been moving, losing their strength and falling one after another. The corpse that was just about to bite him fell on him, and Honoka crawled out from under it, screaming.

Then he looked around in a daze and sat down.

“It’s not moving... Did we survive?”

As he let out his thin, trembling words, not a single corpse moved anymore. They collapsed on the spot like threadbare dolls and returned to being mere corpses.

[[File:SS1-3.png|thumb]]

The soldiers still couldn't believe what was happening in front of their eyes, rolling the fallen bodies close at hand to make sure there was no reaction.

Karenjina staggered over to Grimwood and Jin.

But Jin and Grimwood couldn't look up at the sound of her footsteps.

At Jin's feet lay a deadly Necromancer clad in black cloth.

The blow that Jin had unleashed with all his might had already left him breathless. No, he wasn't breathing to begin with.

Jin and Grimwood looked down at what had been the Necromancer, speechless with surprise.

It was not human.

It had long, slender arms and legs and an uncanny bloodless complexion. Wrapped in a black cloth, it was a doll.

"What is this...?"

Karenjina, who was finally standing next to Grimwood, muttered in a muffled voice.

The soldiers and Honoka both noticed the strange situation and looked down at the doll, all stunned.

"You mean the doll was a... necromancer?"

One of the soldiers said to himself.

“No," Grimwood replied lowly, holding Jin for support. “it wasn't a necromancer we were dealing with.”

"A Puppetmaster."

Staring at the battered doll, Jin's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean? Because a while ago, there was actually a body moving..."

Karenjina looked around. The lack of power in her voice was probably due to the fact that she used too much power on "Seagull". As she wondered, it was not a doll that actually attacked Jin and the others, but a corpse. There was no doubt about that. So that meant...

“The Puppetmaster had a puppet play the role of the Necromancer.”

“Such a thing...”

"There is no way. It's impossible, no matter how advanced that Ars Magus is."

"Unless it's magic..."

Magic. Everyone was rendered speechless by the words Jin had spoken.

Magic is an ancient Art that has been in gradual decline since the days of the Dark War due to a drastic decrease in the number of users. It is no exaggeration to say that it has been lost in the modern age.

If the owner of this puppet is indeed a magician, then the other party is not just a mere thing. At the very least, it was not something that a single squadron can handle.
　
And if the opponent was indeed a magician, it's not impossible to think about why all the guards of the Librarium died here.

“We are going back.”

It was too dangerous to stay here any longer. Grimwood carried Jin's arm on his shoulder and started to walk away.

The area was unusually quiet. It smelled of blood and dead bodies.

Jin and the others left the basement as quickly as they could, pushed back by the disquiet.

===Part 4===

There was someone who had been oberserving them closely.

Always observing. They have been observing the guards of the Novus Orbis Librarium descend into the basement while killing researchers of Sector Seven. The way they died there one after another and the confusion and struggles of the seven new samples who arrived late.

Always there. Observing.

A huge, motionless device, surrounded with countless coffins. From behind it, a man stepped out with small, clacking footsteps.

His golden hair was brushed back and he wore fine-looking clothes. If he had been in the right place, he would have looked like a noble gentleman, but the carpet of corpses under his feet, the golden mask covering the upper half of his face, and the eye-catching purple cloak turned that look of a nobel gentlman into a rather odd one.

"Seagull and... the Nox Nyctores, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa. Hmmm. I've observed some pretty interesting stuff today."

The masked man put his white-gloved hand to his chin and spoke to himself in a voice that sounded impressed, but with little human emotion.

Behind him was another figure, even taller than him.

The smooth curves of her body were like that of a woman. The scarlet dress she wore was vivid, but on closer inspection, it was not a human being, but a very finely crafted doll.

The masked man started to walk away. The scarlet doll chased after him.

Eventually, as the undisturbed footsteps of the masked man and the scarlet doll receded into the distance, the basement finally became a space only for the dead.

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3

2025-08-02T07:27:08Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near */

==Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near==

===Part 1===

Jin learned that after a month of living in the jungle, it is easy to lose track of what day of the month it is, what time it is, and other things that he used to unconsciously pay attention to.

The unpleasant heat and the suffocating smell. The occasional arrows of rain, the unrestrained splashing of mud. The food was poor and the beds were far from clean. It wasn't the most comfortable living environment, but even so, Jin was beginning to feel more comfortable in his new surroundings.

Then, one day. The 9th squad, including Jin, received a request from the Librarium and were ordered to sortie to a place far from the jungle that he just started to get used to.

The location was a certain research facility near the mountain area. The building looks like a large block with gray walls, blending in with the rocks and barren trees.

There were very few windows and on top, the ventilation system roared low like the sleep of a giant creature.

Undecorated lighting lined up at regular intervals in a seamless, perfect flat corridor with no visible horizon. The dimly lit white walls were all fitted with black doors of exactly the same design.

The inside of the laboratory, with an interior that seems to have been assembled inorganically, has been... cruelly destroyed.

There were large holes in the doors and walls and many cracks in the ceiling and floor. Lights were broken and shattered and pieces of glass were scattered everywhere.

Only a small quantity of lights were left. The few that remained barely gave off a faint glow that seemed to be about to fade, but it was not enough to light up this large laboratory at all, making the area be bathed in an eerie dimness.

It was awfully quiet.

It smelled terrible.

"This is horrible..."

Standing in the corridor where some torn and burnt papers were scattered with pieces of shattered furniture, Honoka said aloud in dismay.

It was a sight that could no longer be described as anything other than that.

There were countless corpses lying at Honoka's feet as he stood stock stil and all around inside the destroyed laboratory, which still bore the scars of an obvious battle that took place. The corner of the corridor where Jin was looking, as well as under the gaze of Karenjina, who walked around and looked into the nearest room were the same.

Soldiers in the uniform of the Librarium were lying on top of each other, creating a small red fountain on the floor.

Right next to them, laying down dead, was an old man wearing a white coat over another uniform. He must have been a staff member of this institute, or in other words, one of Sector Seven’s personnel.

This is the research facility of Sector Seven.

Sector Seven is a group of rebels who disagree with the methods of the Librarium and work to disrupt their current order. The mission that Jin and the others were called up for this time was to retrieve a certain "Nox Nyctores" that they had stolen from the Librarium.

But Jin and the others arrived two hours late.

For some reason, the 9th squad was not notified until the last minute. In addition, arrangements for an Ars Magus Vessel to travel nearby were also delayed.

But still, it was just two hours. The number of people at the scene were not that many to begin with, but there was still a battlefield that took place here. Why weren't there some reinforcements? Still, even if the conflict was over, they wanted to help with the aftermath. That’s what they decided to do and hurriedly made their way with the jeep to the place from were they were at moments ago.

“Looks like we're too late.”

Bending down, Jin let out a heavy breath when he saw that the fallen Librarium guard had no pulse.

“But what the hell is this all about? Did the mission fail?"

Karenjina shook her head in disbelief after looking into a room that seemed to be some kind of office and came out with an face full of anguish.

“I didn’t receive a confirmation about that yet.”

Answered Grimwood, who had entered a another room, came out into the hallway and shook his head in denial. It seems there weren't any in this room either. Survivors.

Whether they succeeded or failed in retrieving the Nox Nyctores or if the operation had produced any results in the past two hours, it would have been reported to the NOL. Outside the research facility, there were a number of vehicles that the guards of the Librarium must have used for transportation. All of them were equipped with communication facilities and the guards themselves were also equipped with communication devices.

But when Jin and the others had left the Ars Magus Vessel for the jeep about thirty minutes ago, they had not received any such information.

One possible explanation for why there has been no contact is that the operation was still ongoing in the depths of the facility. Then there is the possibility that there was no one left in the Librarium to contact...

(But that's unlikely, because the other party is Sector Seven.)

Jin's expression clouded in thought.

The basic philosophy of Sector Seven is the convenient development of seithr through pure science, rather than through Ars Magus. Because of this aspect, the people who belong to Sector Seven are mainly researchers with a wealth of scientific knowledge. Many of them are considerably rational, logical and pragmatic.

(...although I can't rule out the possibility if it makes the most 'sense'.)

If possible, that was a possibility he didn't want to consider.

Grimwood stepped over a lied-down corpse in a white coat and into the corridor leading to the back of the building.

"Let's check ahead. There might still be survivors."

As things were, there was no point in dwelling here dumbfoundedly counting the bodies, smeared in the smell of blood and rust. No one disagreed with Grimwood as he looked toward the end of the long corridor. Grimwood was in the lead, followed by the soldiers of the 9th squad and Karenjina, then Honoka, with Jin at the tail of the line.

Everyone's footsteps were careful as they walked, keeping a distance that would allow each of them to move around sufficiently.

They opened all the doors they saw along the way and checked them. Some of the rooms seemed unharmed, only slightly ransacked and not particularly destroyed. But in non were living people.

The hallway grew darker and darker as the lights became less and less useful. The air was cold with a metallic odor and the temperature seemed to drop even lower as they stepped into the darkness. While they continued on with their handheld lights, they found a staircase leading up and down at the far end.

As a test, someone peeked upstairs and shone a light on it. There was still a dead body lying on the stairs,
with a red thread dripping down from the top to the bottom.

"Is anyone there?"

Jin raised his voice in a pitch, but the only answer was an empty echo.

Grimwood then looked at the stairs leading to the lower level. The light from a thrown light revealed a lift-like elevation device just ahead.

"So, what now? Up or down..."

Honoka asks softly about which way they were supposed to go, while peering cautiously into the lift.

Grimwood pondered for a few seconds, then looked at Karenjina. Karenjina squinted at the tip of Grimwood's light, and shook her head after a moment.

"I'm not sure about down below. But upstairs... there are probably no survivors."

"Okay. Down it is then. Everybody, get on the lift."

After making his decision, Grimwood's movements were swift. He quickly got into the lift while giving instructions, and Jin and the others followed him. One of the soldiers checked the lift's control panel and flipped a few switches. A yellow light came on in the control panel and the lift began to slide silently, descending diagonally downward.

A faint orange glow told them that there were walls and a ceiling, but it made it impossible to see where they were going. Still curious about what lay ahead, Karenjina grabbed the thin railing at chest height and stared at the destination of the lift, her voice irritated with frustration.

“What's even going on? It's just a mission to get one weapon back, right? Is the Nox Nyctores so great that it has to cause this much damage?"

"You don't know what a Nox Nyctores is, do you?"

The soldier who was operating the panel mischievously said to Karenjina, who choked on her words now and puckered her lips in frustration.

“...It’s an old, awesome weapon, right? You talk big game, but do YOU even know what that thing really is?"

Staring at him, Karenjina appealed to her colleague to explain. The soldier who had been making a joke of it immediately flinched and averted his gaze.

“It's a, um... an old weapon yes. I believe it was made a very long time ago..."

“See, you only know as much as I do."

Karenjina took a step forward as if to accuse him. The soldier moved back by that same amount.

Grimwood, who was watching the scene, shook his large shoulders and laughed briefly.

“Nox Nyctores are superweapons of extraordinary power that were created during wars long ago.”

Leaning his beloved great axe on his shoulder and placing his muscular arm on top of it, Grimwood answered his subordinate in a calm tone. He had a soft smile on his face, but his eyes were glaringly sharp.

"The Nox Nyctores were created about a hundred years ago during the Dark War. When a monster called the Black Beast was trying to destroy humanity, one of the Six Heroes developed them in order to defeat that monster.”

The Six Heroes. The name was well known to both Karenjina and the soldier who teased her.

They were the legendary heroes who defeated the Black Beast, the monster that caused the disaster that nearly destroyed the human race. As young children, they would encounter them in fairy tales. When they grow up a little, they become the subject of make-believe games. And when they are older, they meet them in biographies and history textbooks, in stage plays and in various other media. Time after time.

Everyone has admired them at one time.

Against the background of the faint driving sound of the lift sliding quietly down, the soldiers of the squad, intrigued by the term "Six Heroes," were drawn to Grimwood's story.

Jin watched from a short distance away, leaning against the railing.

“These weapons were all different in shape. Each of their uses and abilities also differed. There were 8 or 9 of them in total I believe... Anyhow, the Six Heroes used them to defeat the Black Beast. But after the end of the Dark War, the Nox Nyctores were lost. Only few people know where or what they even are now.”

“So," Grimwood continued, looking at Jin. He made a boyish face for a moment.

“It's a pretty miraculous coincidence that he's got one of those.”

Karenjina and the soldiers turned to Jin as they were drawn into the story. One of them was Honoka. The petite boy nodded his head repeatedly, looking deeply moved.

"That's right. That sword might have been used by one of the six heroes too!"

One of the soldiers muttered, to which Honoka nodded in agreement. Jin's shoulders slumped in disgust at such a reaction.

"I don't care how it was used in the old wars. I only use it because it's in my possession."

Jin said curtly and turned away from them.

But that was a bit of a lie. He doesn't use it because he has to. He has to use it, because he can't let go of it. This is a curse placed on Jin. All the while, it is also a testimony.

For what he did — to his brother.

“Sorry, my bad. Don't be mad, 'kay?”

“I am not particularly..."

Perhaps his voice was more prickly than he realized. The admiring soldier laughed and held up his hands in surrender. It must have been his bad habit again. It wasn’t that he was angry. It was not even something to be angry about. He was going to say that, but before he could finish the words, the lift came to a silent stop.

At the same time, the view around Jin and the others opened up. They had arrived at the bottom of the stairs.

It was a much larger space then the facility above.

It was surrounded by square walls, dimly lit by orange emergency lights on the walls and a few white bulbs left on the ceiling.

It was large enough to accommodate the five jeeps that they had driven here.

They might have been using this lifts to carry large items up and down on a regular basis. There were several large dollies lying on the wall, probably used for transportation.

The ceiling was high, probably higher than two stories of a normal building. They have been down here long enough to have wasted a lot of time talking, so they are anticipating rooms and facilities beyond the ceiling or there may just be a thick layer of ground separating them from the surface. Thouge at this point, it didn't matter what the underground structure was.

The yellow light on the lift's panel went out. The handrails slid down, creating a doorway.

Grimwood descended first to the end of it. Then Jin, Karenjina, and the rest.

No one spoke a word now.

Maybe he had imagined it somewhere in his head. At least, when Jin saw this scene, he was naturally convinced that it would be so.

The underground lift station was a pile of dead bodies.

There were a number of bodies lying around the room in a state of disarray. Most of them were wearing the uniform of the Librarium, as could be seen from their scattered clothes.

“What happened here...?"

Karenjina asked in a weak voice, not to anyone in particular. There was no one who could answer her words. Rather, everyone was thinking the same thing.

“Oh, look there. T-there is an interior..."

Honoka, who was cowering at the very back, his face pale, pointed ahead with a trembling hand. At the back of the square room, there was a rectangular opening that probably had a door in it, and another room seemed to be leading to it. The back of the room seemed to be even bigger than this one. They could see a few pale blue lights, probably emergency lights.

“Let's go.”

Grimwood announced lowly, still leading the way as he walked off. It was hopeless to look for survivors in this room. If the room ahead was a dead end, that would be their last hope in the basement.

Through the square entrance, Jin also stepped into the back room.

Then he let out a long, deep breath at the sight of despair spreading.

At the back was a semi-circular room. Its purpose was not clear, but various machines and devices were set up along the curving walls, and they were arranged in such a way that they observed the larger devices that took up most of the room.

The large device looked like a giant lid. Various cables, large and small, moored together, and at the end of the mooring was a circular mouth that seemed to open.

However, the mouth was tightly closed and half of it was buried by the rubble of the collapsed ceiling, so it was not in a condition to be opened and checked.

In this room, the most quantity of people were lying on the ground yet, as if to mock what they had seen so far as trivial.

The room was large. It was very spacious.

From the moment they entered that large room to the opposite end of the room, dozens of meters away, there were people lying everywhere.

None of them moved. There were so many of them that it didn't feel that they were corpses anymore, but instead they looked like a pile of discarded dolls.

Even more bizarrely, there were countless boxes strewn around the large device, which added to the eeriness of the scene. The boxes, neither blue nor black, were just large enough to hold a single person.

They were like coffins.

Some of them were twisted and cracked as if beasts had eaten through them, and a thick human-like fluid was flowing out from inside.

The moment he saw it, Jin's heart leapt.

"Ugh..."

A crushing moan was caught in his throat. Jin instantly lost his balance. It would look like dizziness from the outside, but it was different. He felt as if he had been swallowed by something, consuming his darkened consciousness and then...

he saw it.

A "Cauldron" that swirls the unworldly and submerges emptiness beyond the throbbing heat.

It's approaching from behind. It comes. It overflows, and it takes shape.

Black... a black beast. A black monster with sharp fangs, a thick neck, a giant jaw and all.

The creature dragged its indistinct body around, eating people at random, killing them as it went.

But the fangs do not tear flesh. The jaws do not crush bone.

All it had to do was slip by the living and occasionally let out a loud roar.

When touched by the black head, a black mist overflows from the human body. The human body collapses, losing all its strength, as if its life had been sucked out along with it.

The word associated with it would be predation. The black mass ran around the vast underground room like the winds of death, sucking and devouring the life of every human being in the room.

The head suddenly turned to look at Jin as if it had noticed something.

It looked more like an exaggerated version of a head, with only fangs and jaws. On top of its ferocious mouth, there was a glittering eye.

A red eye. Among the countless red streaks that run across the surface like blood vessels, the eyes that seem to have collected and hardened the most ominous reds in the world stared at Jin.

— Kill.

Someone's voice whispered to Jin.

— Kill it.

Yes. I have to kill it.

There is no other choice but to kill it.

(Who... is the monster?)

The higher the concentration of the seithr the more the urge swells inside Jin.

A murderous intent. It is a straightforward, pure, and single-minded murderous intent that is like nothing else.

(No, what I, what I... want to kill is...)

It's not a monster. What I want to kill is. What I want to kill with my own hands is...

A spark of lightning flashed behind his eyes, and Jin's vision instantly turned orange.

— It’s burning.

The whole area was ablaze.

This is a memory. Inside Jin, they were the pages of a burned and scorched memory that got torn to pieces and disordered.

In the flames, Jin was standing with his sword in his hand. In the hot, blazing flames, he was holding a cold, freezing Yukianesa.

Someone collapsed in front of him.

Who is the one who was down? It could have been someone, it could have been no one.

The boy was lying there helplessly. Bright red blood was pouring from his small back.

Red. Red. Everything. Red.

The rush of exuberance was so cold that he didn't feel any emotion when the burning church roared to life and collapsed, even when the hot wind blew against it.

The moon was laughing in the distance.

The bright red crescent moon was laughing joyfully.

No, it's not. It's a shadow. The shadow of a person. Laughing behind all.

A pair of pitch-black eyes stared at Jin.

The dark gloom kept staring at him, firmly, without a single motion.

===Part 2===

──in!!

The sound revived him.

The roaring sound of flames receded like a wave and in its place is now the dull drive of machinery along with the sound of human voices flooded Jin's consciousness.

“Jin!! Hey, Jin! Stay with me!"

"......ah... what is...?"

As if with a click of a switch, Jin's vision became clear and fixed.

The area was dimly lit and surrounded by achromatic colors such as black and gray. The small lights were pale, and the air was cold as metal. Before his eyes, stood a figure of a man with a large high stature. He grabbed Jin by both his shoulders with his large hands and shook him.

When Jin blinked a few times and looked up, Grimwood, the man who had been holding his shoulders, dropped his broad shoulders and breathed deeply.

“Don’t give me that. You suddenly stiffened and stopped moving in a panic. What in the hell happened to you?”

“...No, I was...”

As he tried to answer, Jin lost track of his words. He had no idea what had happened.

(A hallucination?)

He hasn't been snapped back for a while now, but he still had a numb feeling in the back of his head.

“I'm sorry, I'm fine. I just got dizzy all of a sudden..."

Holding his cheek and forehead with the palm of his hand as if to confirm that he was really here, Jin let out his voice along with his choked breath.

He suddenly felt a sharp gaze on him and turned around, and there was Karenjina, glaring at Jin with a face that was clearly in a bad mood. Her deep navy eyes collided with his gaze and Karenjina blatantly looked away.

(...She's like a jealous child.)

She likely didn't like the fact that Jin had worried Grimwood, but he didn't have the time to point it out and get himself in trouble. Letting out another sigh, he shook off the annoyance and looked around with eyes that finally reflected a sane reality. While Jin was in a daze, the soldiers had apparently gone to check on the equipment they had lined up. The three who had dispersed came running back to Grimwood.

“Captain, all the equipment's been destroyed. It's unlikely we'll be able to see the data inside."

“No luck here either. What is the cause of all this violence? Communications and recording facilities are also dead."

“I see..."

Grimwood's face twisted in bitterness. One of the last to return opened his mouth, his words and expression muddled, as if he was having trouble saying it.

“Err. There's one thing that's been bothering me...”

“What is it?”

“Aren’t the corpses in this room too "clean"? I didn't check all of them, but compared to the ones before we went down here, they are completely uninjured. It's as if only their souls have been pulled out... It's creepy."

With these words, he must have remembered some of the faces he'd seen while checking the equipment. The soldier shuddered and rubbed his arm vigorously. Without saying a word, Jin approached the nearest body. It was the one that had fallen right next to the entrance. It was lying with its arms outstretched in a desperate attempt to find a way out. When he turned the body over from its prone position, he saw that it had died with a miserable expression on its face, twitching with fear.

Honoka, who peeked in with Jin, let out a twitching scream and backed away to escape.

Indeed, there was no resemblance of any injuries. In fact, there was no reason for the corpse to have died, as if only the soul had been extracted.

(The soul... You don’t mean the hallucination I just had was-)

With a tingling headache, Jin remembered the head of the Black Beast that had popped out of the Cauldron earlier.

The monster that sucked up the souls of humans just by touching them. The black head that absorbed the human of that time was probably the seithr from the Cauldron. Jin wondered if that scene had actually happened here. If so, what the hell was that black head?

“Tsk…..”

As he thought about it, another sickening sensation crawled up his spine and he shook his head, trying to stop thinking about it. He didn't know what's going on with him, but he needed to get rid of any signs of strangeness. He was on a mission as one of the 9th squad.

Grimwood looked around again and placed the great axe he was carrying on the floor.

“...I heard that Kokonoe of Sector Seven was here, but... it seems that she escaped.”

The giant captain muttered while pondering something.

Honoka looked up quickly at his words.

"Does Kokonoe mean the Dr. Kokonoe? Isn't she the famous Grimalkin of Sector Seven?”

Jin had heard that name before. She is a scientist belonging to Sector Seven, and her genius mind is said to be unrivaled. She has the blood of a beastkin, and the ears and tail of a cat, which gives her a special appearance.

Grimwood looked down at Honoka and nodded.

“Yeah. I've heard that she was taking part in the Nox Nyctores research that was being conducted here. I was told to 'politely' take her in if I found her. ...... but there's no sign of her."

“If Kokonoe of Sector Seven was here, no wonder they deployed so many troops.”

Jin said quietly as he moved away from the corpse and looked at the large device at the back of the room.

You could say that Kokonoe was the brain of Sector Seven itself. If Kokonoe could be eliminated, it would be easy for the Librarium to overpower Sector Seven. That's how important she is and that's also why she is considered as so troublesome. With this in the picture, it could be seen that this was not just a usual laboratory.

If a person of Kokonoe's talent had been in and out of this place, she must have been doing some kind of special research. What it was, though, was something they had no way of knowing now.

“What do you think, Karenjina?"

Grimwood turned and asked Karenjina, who had been crouched down for some time and was just about to stand up.

Jin didn't understand the meaning of Grimwood's question. What is the "What" here? But despite Jin's small doubt, Karenjina's expression clouded over.

"...No. There are no survivors. Underground's wiped out."

She clearly said so.

How did she know? Jin was puzzled further. Grimwood not so. Why were they asking her? It was another group of soldiers who had been searching the room to check the equipment. Before Jin could ask that, Grimwood looked around at his men and said in a thick voice.

“That's it for the investigation. I'm going back upstairs. I'll contact headquarters."

“Oh, if so should I contact them? There are some things I haven't checked yet. If you want me to go back to the car and call them, I can do it by myself.”

Honoka put his hand on his chest and stepped forward, but Grimwood shook his head with a difficult look on his face.

“No. Let's all go back. I have a bad feeling about this place. We should get out of here as soon as possible-"

In the middle of his words, he suddenly heard a noise.

The sound, which was neither a rumble nor a thud, sounded like a creature crawling out from under something and for a moment everyone held their breaths and fell silent, then Grimwood turned and raised his axe that he just picked up from the ground earlier.

“Who's there?"

“Grimwood, t-that can't be!”

“I know."

Trying to calm Karenjina with his hand, who called out to him in panic, Grimwood stared at the area where the sound had come from in alarm. The sound came from the area where about five people were folded up and dead, slightly in front of a large device in the room.

There was no immediate reply. Honoka slowly retreated, and Jin prepared to move at any moment.

There was no sign of life. None. But...

The pile of corpses stirred, and one of the people underneath sluggishly got up.

“Wha…!?”

Karenjina choked out in astonishment at such absurdity.

"A Survivor?"

“No. Wrong.”

The soldier's words, shouted in an expectant but trembling voice, were dismissed with alarm by Jin.

“He's not alive anymore.”

It was a corpse. The corpse had suddenly risen and was heading straight towards them with the awkward movements of a puppet.

"W-WHAAAAA!! Lieutenant! Lieutenant!!"

Before they could fully comprehend the current situation, Honoka screamed and shouted. He shuddered exaggeratedly and pointed to a room with a lift in the back.

He could have guessed what was going on without looking, but he still looked back.

Just as expected. On the other side of the square entrance, countless corpses that were supposed to be lying in the room had all risen up and were heading towards them. Indeed, each corpse, one after another inside the room were starting to rise. It was not a number they could count on the spur of the moment.

"Wha-what should we do, Captain!?"

In dismay, one of the soldiers asked the obvious.

The first corpse that stood up was almost upon them. After slashing the body in half with a swinging axe, Grimwood turned around and shouted.

“Everybody, run!! Get to the lift!"

At that moment, as if he had been pushed back, Jin ran, knocking down the moving dead corpses that had been positioned between the room swith a single swing.

===Part 3===

With his scabbard, he hit the corpse that ran towards him at the side of its head and kicked the other one that came at him from the other direction with his leg that made them cracked like a whip. Several bodies were caught up and lost their balance when they were slashed together in one go with Jin’s Iai technique. After that, he stepped over the collapsed ridge of bodies and moved forward.

The underground space, which had been so quiet when they arrived that the only sound present was the driving force of the running machine, was now filled with a ghastly noise.

The corpses revived, or to say arose like they were waking from a slumber, now attacking Jin and the others without hesitation, as if they had no other choice.

At first glance, the bodies with few external injuries looked like living people. However, their faces were unmoving from the expression of fear and anguish they had shown when they died and their open eyes were as vacant as a cloudy glass ball.

"Shit! What in the hell are these things??"

"A trap from Kokonoe!?"

As the soldiers whined and cursed, they fired their guns at the ghouls, who were slowly closing in distance. The sound of wild gunfire blasted away the arms and heads of the corpses, but they continued to move without a care in the world.

Grimwood used his large axe to flick them all the way to the wall with every ounce of his strength.

“No, Kokonoe would never use these kinds of Art. Necromancy Ars Magus is the most detestable means on the battlefield. She is a genius far beyond the average, but she is apparently also a woman of common sense when it comes to such things!”

"Apparently," he said, but Grimwood said it as if he knew her personally. Jin wondered if they might have known each other, but now was not the time to mention it.

Jin reversed his grip on the ghouls arm and slammed it to the floor, crushing his head with his hard heel. A gunshot rang out right next to him. It was Honoka who fired the shot. He seemed to have completely gotten cold feet and turned terribly afraid, but his shooting skills were accurate. One by one, he carefully hit the moving corpses right between the eyes.

"Whoever did it, we are in big trouble, because of them now!!"

When Honoka shouted in a shameful, falsetto voice, to which Grimwood's mouth twisted up in a bitter, twisted smile.

“Sure we are.”

Then Grimwood swung his great axe again and blew off the tops of three corpses at once.

Karenjina shot an approaching corpse in the forehead with her short rifle and responded to a near one with a large knife she held in her other hand. She kicked away the corpse that had its throat quickly slit and immediately pointed the muzzle at the next one.

The corpse took several bullets to the face and fell down in a big heap. It jumped around for a while, but eventually got up and joined the fray with a distorted head as if nothing had happened.

Jin clicked his tongue at that.

“Necromancy, is it?”

Grimwood nodded.

It was possible to use magic or medicine to make the corpses move, but in that case they will attack on their own in a disorderly fashion. However, it was clear that the mass of corpses that filled the underground room was moving under the direction of someone.

They did not indiscriminately attack the dead bodies in front of them, nor did they move unevenly. They knew that the target is Jin and the rest of the 9th squad and they also knew that their path of retreat was the lift.

"Nonsense! You can't control all these bodies in here at the same time!"

While firing her gun, Karenjina’s voice rang with impatience.

Jin thrust the tip of his scabbard down on the dead man's head, who had grabbed his leg.

"It doesn't matter if it's possible or not. These guys can sustain a head injury and still get up and move with no trouble."

A corpse that can move by Arts or medicine acts according to its ego, albeit poorly. They think and move with their dead brains, so if they lose their heads, they lose their functions movement. However, a necromancer is someone that can manipulate a ghoul at will. A moving body is nothing more than a puppet for the practitioner. Even if the head is lost, the body will continue to move as long as the chain of connection with the practitioner is not broken.

"If it's a necromancer, then wouldn’t defeating the practitioner stop these guys from moving!”

To the right and the left. Grimwood asked in his crude voice as he swung his large axe and cleaved down any approaching corpses. Jin replies calmly.

"Yeah. They are controlling so many of them, they can't be that far away."

“Karenjina, find them!”

“Understood!”

When Grimwood gave his instructions, Karenjina responded quickly and took a few steps back, shoving her gun into the holster on her hip. She bent down on the spot and pressed her hands against the cold floor. Grimwood wedged himself in front of Karenjina. He used his great axe as a weapon and shield to protect Karenjina from the hands of the ghouls.

In the meantime, Karenjina took a long breath and closed her eyes to focus her attention.

A dull golden crest spread around her hands with a thin, high-pitched squeak that sounded like ringing in the ears.

“Wait, it's a Drive!”

Jin's voice jumped up uncharacteristically in surprise.

Drive.

It is a special kind of power that is inherent in the individual, fundamentally different from the kind of power that can be used to some extent through training and Arts, such as an Ars Magus.

The mechanism is not completely elucidated and there are those who can use it and those who cannot. It is more like a constitution than a talent. Its origin lies in the form of the soul. Jin was also someone with a Drive, but it's not something that the usual person would carry with them. In fact it is very rare, so he didn't expect to encounter someone with Drive abilities in the 9th squad.

Behind Jin, who was unintentionally blinded by Karenjina's talent, Grimwood ran in and mowed down the ghouls.

One after another. There was no end to them.

“It's called "Seagull". Karenjina can sense the movements of her surroundings even though she can't actually see them, it's a power that has saved our lives many times before.”

Jin understood and was convinced at the same time. The questions that had been lingering in the corner of his mind were now resolved.

Why was the 9th squad able to disrupt the enemy lines and lead the enemy soldiers to their allies with such precision, as if they knew the enemys position? Why did Grimwood often ask Karenjina for her opinion on the situation, and why was she able to answer him without hesitation?

Karenjina was the too-good-to-be-true nose and ears of the 9th squadron, the Hounds.

But Karenjina, who had been concentrating on the crest that emerged with a faint light, distorted her expression as if in pain and finally stood up, holding both ears.

The crest disappears as it was sucked down to her feet.

"No, there's too much noise. I can't locate it!"

She must have dived into a very deep state of concentration, since they could see the greasy sweat on Karenjina's forehead. Grimwood impatiently frowned at Karenjina, who was breathing heavily, while keeping an eye on their surroundings and state of affairs.

Each of the ghouls was no great threat, but there were just too many of them. No matter how hard they tried to kill them, they kept coming as long as they had legs or hands. It was like a wave of ghouls.

"Oh, hey, there!"

Honoka, who was holding the gun with his hands crossed as if in prayer, shouted out in a most sorrowful voice.

Jin followed his gaze and looked up to see the path of the lift they had just come down. On top of it, bodies, probably from inside the facility, covered in wounds and blood, were descending towards them.

There was no doubt what their purpose was. The dead eyes, cloudy and empty, were all looking at the only seven people alive in this place.

"Damn it! I guess we should clear a path of retreat first."

Grimwood growled in abhorrence. The lift was already occupied by the bodies that had rushed in. It would be faster to run up the passageway than to retrieve it and use the device to move slowly forward.

“I'll make it happen. Follow me!"

Quickly, Grimwood regained his grip on his great axe and charged forward with a mighty yell from the pit of his stomach.

“Oooooooooooooohhhh!"

Grimwood swung his great axe from side to side as he ran with a much shocking force.

The large blade, swung with all its power, kept slashing, blowing and reaping corpses one after another as if it were reaping dead branches. Along with the sound of crushing flesh, there was the light sound of crunching bones.

Kicking away even the sound, Grimwood rushed forward and forcefully stepped into the lift corridor.

Exactly as the word "cut through" implies, a path was formed behind Grimwood. Karenjina and Honoka were ahead of him, followed by Jin, while the rest of the soldiers chased after the captain with their guns firing in a mess. But still the numbers were overwhelmingly violent. Grimwood's steps were gradually blocked and slowed.

A ghouls nails clawed relentlessly at his face and another corpse clutched at his big shoulders, trying to drag him down.

It was not just Grimwood, but also Karenjina and Honoka, who were following close behind, blocking their progress.

"Grimwood!"

Karenjina let out a thin scream right near Jin, who slashed down the ghoul in a wide arc.

Grimwood was pushing too hard for the ones in the back to catch up. A large number of ghouls interrupted the carelessly opened distance and quickly surrounded Grimwood with a thick wall of dead flesh.

On the other hand, more than a dozen corpses jumped at their side with such force that Honoka was knocked over by the momentum.

The head of the corpse that was about to bite his throat was chopped off by Jin with a single stroke. As the head flew off, the distance between him and Grimwood was no longer something that could be easily bridged.

"Captain!"

The soldiers shouted in unison.

It would be bad if he didn't join up. It was too dangerous for anyone to be isolated against this number.

But when he tried to run to him, the corpses formed a wall as if they were trying to keep him away from Grimwood. Punching and kicking down. There was no end to the shooting and slashing.

On the other side of the writhing corpses, Jin saw Grimwood still shouting and swinging his axe.

The axe that was swung down created shockwaves that were bigger than the eye could precive, blowing away a group of corpses.

“ِAbandon me! Run!”

That was Grimwood's decision.

Karenjina gave a horrified voice.

“I can't... I can't do that!”

“Go, Jin!”

“You cut it open, while I'm pulling most of the weight, maybe Jin can do it.”

Jin looked up at the top of the lift with a grim expression at Grimwood's words, entrusting him with a such heavy responsibility.

The number of corpses pouring in was small compared to the ones chasing them from underground, but it was not an easy task to get through. If they were separated by the narrow passageway, Honoka and Karenjna would be torn apart in a matter of seconds.

"Don't fucking joke with meeee!"

A swear word escaped from Jin's mouth unconsciously. If he was even able to run, he would have done it by now.

(Forcing a breakthrough is not a good idea. Then...)

Jin stabbed at his feet with Yukianesa. The impact blew up in a white color, instantly turning the surrounding corpses to ice.

Using it as a makeshift wall, Jin grabbed Karenjina’s arm as she was about to run to Grimwood.

"Hey. Use that Drive again."

“What? What are you talking about? I told you we'd never find the necromancer, so this is not the time at all!　Get out of the way and let me help Grimwood!!"

Karenjina twisted and tried to shake off Jin's hand. but Jin would have none of it. He holded her arm even thigher and pulled her to him.

"Calm down, you'll only add to the bait if you jump in. Instead, I'll hit the necromancer."

“Shut up! You don't get to tell me what to do! Let go of me! Grimwood's at..!”

Karenjina flailed about in a mess, trying to escape Jin's clutches. He could feel Karenzina's nerves screaming in fright under her skin. It was as if he could feel the vibrations. Fear gripped her as she writhed and flailed. The fear that she might lose Grimwood was driving her into delirium.

That's how important he, Grimwood was, to Karenjina. This thought crossed Jin’s mind, but-

Jin shouted in frustration.

"Shut up, you piece of shit!!!"

At the sound of Jin's angry voice, which came from up close and personal, Karenjina’s eyes blinked as she forbore to speak.

She was pressured by Jin's change in attitude.

It didn’t matter, it's rather convenient like that. There's no point in making any more noise. Jin shouted at Karenjina with a intensity fitting for their situation.

“Just use it! Who else can do it but you? You want Grimwood getting killed along with you, or what!?”

If Karenjina ran off, she wouldn't be able to help Grimwood. They would dietogether in a pile of corpses.

She must not be so stupid that she couldn’t understand that. Karenjina opened and closed her mouth a few times, as if lost for words in the blazing cold eyes of Jin that were fixated on her. Then, immediately her eyes sharpened and her lips got frim in determinaion.

She shook off Jin's arm. This time, Jin let go of her hand obediently.

Immediately, Karenjina put her hands on the floor and focused her attention. A dull golden light was created under her palms as they touched the floor.

"Cover Karenjina. Don't let the ghouls near her!"

“Ye-yes!”

Honoka replied as he jumped up and raised his gun along with the other soldiers.

The guns could not fire indefinitely, but the soldiers knew that if they didn't hold out, there was no way out.

Seeing them start firing wildly without caring about the remaining ammunition, Honoka, who was upset, started firing randomly.

After all, Grimwood's squadron was excellent.

Admiringly, Jin stood behind Karenjina with Yukianesa.

A crest spreads at Karenjina’s feet. Immediately, her expression became distorted. Even through her back, Jin could tell that the level of concentration was different from before.

They couldn’t hold out much longer. Neither Karenjina nor the soldiers who were trying to fight off the ghouls and Jin, too.

Even if there is an abundance of seithr in the world, converting it into Ars Magus involves a great deal of wear and tear. In addition, when it comes to dealing with Nox Nyctores, the wear and tear can be life itself.

Therefore, no matter how powerful it is, Yukianesa's power cannot be unleashed. If he were to unleash it at full force, based on the amount of seithr in this place...

(One shot left...)

He will be at lose of power and they won't be able to get through here.

(...No.)

It's different.

If it's just a break through, it's possible. In that case, though, everyone but Jin will have to be abandoned.

“Keep your mind focused.”

He told her in a whisper, then pressed the palm of his hand against Karenjina's back.

He closed his eyes and concentrated, matching his own exhalation to the wavelength of Karenjina beyond the palm of his hand.

Karenjina's body jumped. Instantly, the images she was seeing began to flow into Jin's mind as well.

A dull golden light was spreading across the underground space in every direction. It was as if they were nerves stretched out. However, the spreading light was disturbed by the countless signs that filled the area.

(So this is the noise...)

It's true that they couldn’t explore anything with this.

Even so, he earnestly looked for a different way, in the middle of Karenjina’s spread-out senses.

The Power of Order - with that, “manipulation of corpses” appeared in Jin’s consciousness as a black line in the images he saw through Karenjina's Drive.

It was a special power that he possessed that even Jin himself did not understand, he isn't even aware that he is in posession of it.

However, through it, Jin was able to see. The evil from his standpoint, the opponent to slash, the black "line" that connects to it all, the "line" that he should cut.

The black line that stretched from Jin's feet snaked its way around the underground space until... it reached a certain point.

“......Found it.”

Gently speaking aloud, Jin opens his eyes. As usual, he was surrounded by a pile of moving corpses, but Jin didn't even bother with them.

In the corner of the room where the corpses were stirring, on the floor where the arms and legs that had been blown off by Jin and Grimwood were lying in shreds. There was a strange figure huddled in the shadows of the wobbling corpses.

He couldn’t see it clearly, but it was definitely “there”.

Jin pulled out Yukianesa and ran through the bodies, jumping over Honoka.

The pale, ice-covered blades cut down the corpses in his way one after another. As he kicked them away and iced the ones in his way, Jin headed straight for Grimwood.

It was in the opposite direction of the necromancer he found.

But as he hurled the blades of ice he had created around him at the corpses all at once, Jin called out loudly.

"Grimwood!"

He shouted and jumped high. At the foot of his low leap, an ice blade that he had created at the same time appeared. The flying ice blades slid through the air and carried Jin like a vehicle.

"Come on!"

As he swung his great axe to clear the way around him, Grimwood let go of his axe to meet Jin who was coming straight at him. Instead, he folded his hands and dropped to his haunches.

Jin jumped for his hand.

“Gooooooooooooo!!”

Jin's feet landed on Grimwood's folded hands. He used it as a foothold from which to leap and Grimwood threw him high into the air, swinging his arms with all his might.

After jumping to an unusual height, Jin stared downward.

He didn't know where it came from, but the underground room was filled with more dead bodies than he expected. But in one corner, in the corner of the room indicated by the line, there was a person without a uniform or lab coat, huddled in a black cloth.

That's him.

“Yukianesa!"

In response to Jin's voice, a silvery-white blade sliced through the void. The sliding trajectory froze in the blink of an eye and the ice wrapped around the sword itself, changing its shape.

What appeared in Jin's hand was a bow. A pale, crystal clear bow of ice.

He put his hand on the string and an arrow of ice was born in his hand.

The only thing in the way was the corpses walking on the ground. With such a high jump, there was nothing to impede Jin's aim.

“Ice-Winged Moonsong!”

With a voice announcing this, a huge arrow was released from the ice bow. The pale blue arrow seemed to have a hint of light in it and with the icy wind in its wake, it flew sharply through the air.

The target was the necromancer, who looked like a blackened mass.

The arrow, too large to be fired at a single person, spun at high speed and was not well-aimed, ruthlessly destroying the surrounding walls, floors, and swarming corpses, including the necromancer.

The power was tremendous.

The corner of the room where the necromancer had been was instantly covered with ice, like the inside of a freezer and white frost stuck to it. What used to be the necromancer was stretched out on the floor like was like a remaining splat of abandoned trash, no longer moving.

Jin landed on the ground, returning the bow to its original form of a sword.

"..."

As soon as he did, his knees lost their strength and he almost lost balance. But Grimwood, who had rushed in front of him, supported him.

“You okay?”

"...Yes. I just used too much energy all at once."

“I see,” Grimwood said, his mouth twitching in a smile.

Jin heard a series of sounds like heavy objects falling from around him. It was the sound of bodies that had been moving, losing their strength and falling one after another. The corpse that was just about to bite him fell on him, and Honoka crawled out from under it, screaming.

Then he looked around in a daze and sat down.

“It’s not moving... Did we survive?”

As he let out his thin, trembling words, not a single corpse moved anymore. They collapsed on the spot like threadbare dolls and returned to being mere corpses.

[[File:SS1-3.png|thumb]]

The soldiers still couldn't believe what was happening in front of their eyes, rolling the fallen bodies close at hand to make sure there was no reaction.

Karenjina staggered over to Grimwood and Jin.

But Jin and Grimwood couldn't look up at the sound of her footsteps.

At Jin's feet lay a deadly Necromancer clad in black cloth.

The blow that Jin had unleashed with all his might had already left him breathless. No, he wasn't breathing to begin with.

Jin and Grimwood looked down at what had been the Necromancer, speechless with surprise.

It was not human.

It had long, slender arms and legs and an uncanny bloodless complexion. Wrapped in a black cloth, it was a doll.

"What is this...?"

Karenjina, who was finally standing next to Grimwood, muttered in a muffled voice.

The soldiers and Honoka both noticed the strange situation and looked down at the doll, all stunned.

"You mean the doll was a... necromancer?"

One of the soldiers said to himself.

“No," Grimwood replied lowly, holding Jin for support. “it wasn't a necromancer we were dealing with.”

"A Puppetmaster."

Staring at the battered doll, Jin's brows furrowed.

"What do you mean? Because a while ago, there was actually a body moving..."

Karenjina looked around. The lack of power in her voice was probably due to the fact that she used too much power on "Seagull". As she wondered, it was not a doll that actually attacked Jin and the others, but a corpse. There was no doubt about that. So that meant...

“The Puppetmaster had a puppet play the role of the Necromancer.”

“Such a thing...”

"There is no way. It's impossible, no matter how advanced that Ars Magus is."

"Unless it's magic..."

Magic. Everyone was rendered speechless by the words Jin had spoken.

Magic is an ancient Art that has been in gradual decline since the days of the Dark War due to a drastic decrease in the number of users. It is no exaggeration to say that it has been lost in the modern age.

If the owner of this puppet is indeed a magician, then the other party is not just a mere thing. At the very least, it was not something that a single squadron can handle.
　
And if the opponent was indeed a magician, it's not impossible to think about why all the guards of the Librarium died here.

“We are going back.”

It was too dangerous to stay here any longer. Grimwood carried Jin's arm on his shoulder and started to walk away.

The area was unusually quiet. It smelled of blood and dead bodies.

Jin and the others left the basement as quickly as they could, pushed back by the disquiet.

===Part 4===

There was someone who had been oberserving them closely.

Always observing. They have been observing the guards of the Novus Orbis Librarium descend into the basement while killing researchers of Sector Seven. The way they died there one after another and the confusion and struggles of the seven new samples who arrived late.

Always there. Observing.

A huge, motionless device, surrounded with countless coffins. From behind it, a man stepped out with small, clacking footsteps.

His golden hair was brushed back and he wore fine-looking clothes. If he had been in the right place, he would have looked like a noble gentleman, but the carpet of corpses under his feet, the golden mask covering the upper half of his face, and the eye-catching purple cloak turned that look of a nobel gentlman into a rather odd one.

"Seagull and... the Nox Nyctores, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa. Hmmm. I've observed some pretty interesting stuff today."

The masked man put his white-gloved hand to his chin and spoke to himself in a voice that sounded impressed, but with little human emotion.

Behind him was another figure, even taller than him.

The smooth curves of her body were like that of a woman. The scarlet dress she wore was vivid, but on closer inspection, it was not a human being, but a very finely crafted doll.

The masked man started to walk away. The scarlet doll chased after him.

Eventually, as the undisturbed footsteps of the masked man and the scarlet doll receded into the distance, the basement finally became a space only for the dead.

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2

2025-08-02T00:41:02Z

Bloodedge666: removed some redundancy

==Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man==

===Part 1===

In the midst of the gunfire, Jin hid behind the trees that filled the dense forest.

No matter which way he turned his head, whether he looked up or down, he could only see dense foliage, branches, trunks, and grass. The smell of earth was so thick that it was almost nauseating while there was no breeze to be felt at all.

It was terribly hard to hide his breath in this. The sweat on his forehead had never seemed so annoying.

After being prodded by the siren and shortly briefed on the enemy's formation, Jin ran into the forest under Grimwood's command.

He ran and stopped repeatedly, following the others, for what seemed like... over twenty minutes. There was a gunshot somewhere, and Jin knew that the battle had begun.

Grimwood immediately split the squad in two. The four soldiers, including Karenjina, went ahead. Grimwood, Jin, and Honoka stood by at this spot.

During the instructions, Karenjina kept her hands on the ground and listened intently. Eventually, she stood up and said…

“I can go.”

As if on cue, the advance team of the ninth squad dispersed into the forest.

Jin, who had been assigned to the waiting group, gripped the large pistol that had been provided to him, ready to attack at any time, and leaned his back against a thick tree trunk to focus on the sounds around him.

He didn't have time to get a detailed explanation of what kind of strategy the squad was going to take. The only thing he was told by the huge captain was that enemy soldiers were wandering into the area and that they should be defeated.

"...The enemy, do you think they'll come this way?"

At Jin's feet, Honoka, clutching his gun, which was also supplied to him, shrank in the shade of the overgrown grass, He peered hurriedly at the other side and then pulled his head back.

Taking one glance at it, Jin tilted his head shallowly.

“Who knows.”

He had meant to say, "Don't waste your breath," but it seemed that Honoka hadn't heard him anyways.

He peeked his head out once more, then quickly pulled it back and let out a long, yet very low sigh.

"Ah, I'm so nervous. I can't believe we're going to have a real fight as soon as we get here."

“That’s right.”

At first, he wanted to warn him about the private conversation, but all that escaped from Jin's mouth was a murmur of agreement.

Since they had come to a war zone, they were prepared to fight at any time, but they didn't expect it to start so suddenly.

It felt like reality was being thrown into their mouths one after another when they were not ready to swallow it. It was not a good feeling, by any means.

"Lieutenant Kisaragi."

"Ah!"

Honoka's voice hardened as he gasped for breath. Earlier, Jin had focused his consciousness sharply.

Grimwood raised his hand at face level as he disappeared into the jungle. Behind him were only Jin and Honoka.

His hand cleaved the sky. Forward.

Jin moved as if he were sliding. Immediately after that. A soldier with his muzzle pointed in the wrong direction came flying out of the forest ahead.

He was a soldier of the Ikaruga Federation.

Instantly judging the situation, Jin attacked the soldier who was about to turn around from behind. He grabbed the soldier's arm with his gun in his hand, twisted it, and threw him down on the ground. Without waiting for the soldier to breathe, he slammed the bottom of the gun into the base of the neck, causing the Ikaruga soldier to faint in a daze.

“Damn it, get out of here!"

"What the hell are they doing, where did they come from?!"

Panicked voices were heard from the front again and Ikaruga soldiers appeared one after another from behind the bushes. It was as if they were being chased by something.

When the four soldiers finally found Jin, they jumped out and hurriedly raised their guns. However, a large battle axe snatched all four of them in one fell swoop.

It was Grimwood who was swinging the big axe.

The battle axe, which was even taller than his large frame, had a large blade and took up a lot of space. But despite its apparent unsuitability for the dense jungle, Grimwood skillfully wielded it.

The long handle shot straight through the intervening vegetation and accurately struck an enemy soldier between the eyes at a distance.

An axe with a large blade can fell a tree as thick as Jin with a single swing.

Without letting his momentum get the better of him, he knocked down a poor enemy soldier who had jumped out of the bushes to the ground.

But it was the back of the axe that took the enemy soldier in one swipe, which saved Jin from getting the blood of the soldier blown up in front of him.

This was not for Jin's sake, but simply for the ease of fighting. In the forest, where footholds are poor, the scattering of flesh and blood is a hindrance.

"...It seems like he isn't just big muscled, huh?"

A few words of truthfulness spilled out of Jin's mouth.

Because of his rough appearance, he thought that he would be more of a rampaging fighter, but it seems that Grimwood was not that simple of a man.

Rather the opposite. While wielding his axe with gusto, he instantly judges from which direction the enemy soldiers are coming and prepares to intercept them.

And from the direction he had turned his attention, the enemy soldiers would indeed appear, as if they had escaped from somewhere.

(Escaped? No, wrong. We're being driven into a corner here.) Jin thought and before he even knew it, he prepared himself to follow Grimwood's sharp consciousness and steel up for the enemy soldiers.

The ones who were driving the enemy soldiers back are undoubtedly Karenjina and the others who were ahead of them. They spotted the enemy troops, disrupted them, and led them to the rear where Jin and Grimwood were.

It was Grimwood who commanded them and gave them detailed instructions. Occasionally, he would glance into the distance or raise his axe as a signal to Karenjina and the others.

While firing bullets from behind the bushes at the enemy soldiers who reappeared, Jin looked sideways at Grimwood.

He was a rugged man for whom the battlefield suited him well. However, his weapon was not his well built body or the axe he wielded with his strong arm, but his excellent leadership, flexible grasp of the battle situation, and precise instructions.

(This is like a hunt.)

Jin thought, and strongly convinced himself.

That's right. This was a hunt.

Unleashed hounds find their prey and drive them away, while their masters wait and kill them.

But in order to do that, you need a good commander who can give precise instructions to the troops, a good sense of direction that keeps you on track even in the forest, and the sense of smell of a beast that can find its prey.

Jin wondered if that's what Grimwood and his team were carrying as a whole squad.

Suddenly, Jin remembered. The ninth squad of this base is sometimes called the Hound Squad. This may have originated from their fighting style.

(But how is that even possible?)

When Grimwood gave him a look, Jin turned and pointed his gun at him. Three Ikaruga soldiers appeared ahead of him, and without a moment's hesitation, Jin shot the first one in the shoulder.

He closed the distance between them and kicked the first one in the side of the head, knocking him into a coma. Then, he immediately switched to his gun and hit the second one in the face with the bottom of the gun, followed by a knee to the stomach.

"Damn... it..."

The third person finally understood what was going on and raised the muzzle of his gun. Jin kicked him in the arm and elbowed him in the chest. After firing a few more bullets, the soldiers were all stretched out on the grassy ground.

“Not bad.”

Grimwood chuckled a little further away. Jin returned a cool glance.

That was Jin’s line, too. Before he knew it, there were three new soldiers lying at Grimwood's feet.

His skill was unquestionable. In addition, he had an excellent ability to command his men. He was not stupid.

Karenjina and the others under her seemed to be quite useful soldiers, as they were able to disperse the enemy soldiers and guide them to here.

So why is it that this frontline base is struggling to the point of being called the "worst" while having troops like them that can be called "excellent" without question? Jin wondered.

In fact, even now, the battle situation was clearly in their favor. Ikaruga’s soldiers have already lost all semblance of control and there was no such thing as a formation.

If Grimwood and his men were so inclined, they could toss around soldiers of this caliber and take over this jungle and push the front line to the stronghold beyond.

(So why don't we do that...?)

Either the other troops are blindingly incompetent or there is a secret about Ikaruga that Jin has yet to see.

Otherwise, there is a more different reason.

He was tracing the barrel of an unfamiliar gun with his gloved finger.

From his side of the line, he heard a strange rhythmic sound of gunfire. It sounded like a joke for a gunfight. Jin looked up to see what was going on, and Grimwood lowered his axe at almost the same time.

"It's about time. All right, let's get out of here."

"Wh-what?"

Grimwood's words, as he lowered his broad shoulders, caused Honoka to roll out of the bushes in dismay.

“By "retreat," you mean withdraw, right? Why is that? I've already gone through so much trouble today and now this~..."

It looked like they were going to win. Although they faltered and broke off, Honoka's words were clear.

Jin also looked at his large superior with a puzzled expression on his face.

Grimwood placed the blade of his axe down on the ground like a staff and leaned against it, his lips hanging up in a smile. It was a wry smile.

“This is our 'job'.”

“What's that supposed to mean?"

It was Jin who asked the question. He didn't know what Grimwood's smile meant, nor did he know what the words meant.

"We're also known as the Hound Squad. Have you heard of us?"

“Yes.”

"As the name suggests, we are 'hounds'. We find our prey, drive them away and then let our superiors (alternatively 'masters') 'hunt' them."

While Grimwood was talking, Karenjina and the others came back from the deep forest. They were much dirtier than when they had left, with small scratches here and there, but none of them seemed to have any life-threatening injuries.

After confirming that his men were safe, Grimwood nodded his head.

“Let's go back then. Job's done."

A rough voice was heard from the center of the allies, so that it might have been mistaken for his words.

“Go, go! Ikaruga’s soldiers are nothing to be afraid of, kick them all to the curb!"

It was the voice of that commander.

Through the trees, He could be seen charging straight into the enemy line with many of his men, making his presence known to the enemy in the dense jungle where visibility was poor for better or worse.

The soldiers surrounding him had a somewhat different atmosphere than Grimwood and the others. They were more unfamiliar with the battlefield, and smelled like the well-behaved and well-mannered guards of the Librarium headquarters that Jin had seen every day until a short while ago.

They charged into the enemy lines, which had already been thrown into chaos by Grimwood and the others, and began to "hunt" the remaining Ikaruga soldiers with loud gunfire.

"...So that's how it works."

As expected, Jin understood. He could feel his emotions cooling down.

In other words, this is a battlefield, but it is also a hunting ground.

The guards of the Librarium were originally born into respectable families and were treated with a certain amount of favor. They may be relatives of political executives or of aristocratic lineage. It was a hunting grounds for those who go into battle as guards in order to acquire the prey of victory.

The skirmishes never connect to a decisive victory because they are wreaked by "superiors" who don't know or understand war very well.

But as long as this is a hunting ground, it must continue to be a battlefield that is exposed to moderate danger.

So this is war. The "worst" front?

(Trash...)

(Is this what I came here for? I came here to be a dog that chases down its prey for the sake of "masters" who mistakenly thinks it is something special.)

The thought of the head of the Mutsuki family, who had taken on more responsibility than anyone else for this war and was probably still busy in his office or somewhere else, flashed through Jin’s mind.

Did he know about this reality? Did he send Jin away knowing this? If he did, what were his feelings about it?

But, at the end.

“...it doesn't really matter."

Jin muttered in a faint voice that no one could hear.

He didn’t care what kind of place this is or how many petty pretensions and agendas it's infested with. It didn’t matter who dies and who survives for it.

With that in mind, he shouldered his gun.

And then... came the moment.

Suddenly, there was an explosion in the forest.

“Wh-what happened!?”

Honoka shouted in a voice that was raised in surprise.

The area was shaken by the aftermath of the explosion and orange flames shot up in a corner of the forest.

Some kind of scream echoed through the jungle. It was not a human voice. This was a howl... the howl of a "Seithr Beast".

"There they go again, those idiots!"

Looking back at the roar, Grimwood's voice rang out in anger, but his anger was not directed at anyone here. It wasn’t known who it was directed at.

But more than that, Jin gasped at the unpleasant presence. When he sensed the unfolding of an unknown Ars Magus around the roar and flame, he rushed out at full speed.

“Hey, wait!”

Grimwood and the others wanted to stop him, but the voice of restraint was already out of Jin's consciousness.

He shook off the thin branches sticking out of the ground, roughly shoveled through the thick grass and headed straight for that presence.

It took a few dozen seconds. After passing through the ivy-covered and crooked trees, Jin shook off the bushes and jumped out of the way, only to see the soldiers looking up at him, speechless, and inching backwards.

It was the uniform of the Librarium.

Kicking the dirt again, Jin turned to meet their gaze.

"Gaaaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh!"

The roar of that Seithr Beast came from right in front of him. The owner of the voice painted with destructive intent, which a human throat could not possibly emit, was a giant whose entire body was made of rock.

Its height was still less than two Grimwoods combined. The huge demonic beast, with its eyeless and noseless face, was looking around from side to side and rampaging, reaping trees and people at random.

There was no longer any distinction between friend and foe.

The Ars Magus that Jin had sensed earlier had probably been used to summon or manipulate this giant, however, it had already escaped the control of said Ars Magus and was no longer capable of making decisions on its own, but only of reaping and crushing those around it.

Someone was crushed by the rock fist that swung down. One of them, covered in spattered blood, screamed insanely and fled into the forest.

With that, everyone scattered and ran away, shouting something incomprehensible.

There was not a shred of 'order' or 'leadership' in it.

Some of them ran without thinking and collided with someone they didn't know and fell down, only to be crushed to death by the giant.

The sound of flesh crushing flesh was drowned out by the horrible screams and helpless gunfire.

“Jin, are you okay?”

Grimwood and the others caught up with him, scrambling through the bushes behind Jin.

But as soon as they realized what was going on, they both stood back.

“I've never seen a Seithr Beast like this before in this forest!”

Karenjina’s voice was strained and disconcerted. As Grimwood held his ax up to protect his men, his face twisted into a bitter, grim expression.

"This one... we are not going to be able to handle it with our current equipment. We'll have to retreat and join up with the main force."

It would certainly be difficult to take on this guy with bullets or an axe. Grimwood's judgment was spot on. With that in mind, Jin stepped forward, interrupting Grimwood's words.

“Hey, back off, Jin!"

Grimwood reached out to stall him, but the sliding Jin slipped through his fingers and stopped in front of the giant.

The rock giant was still surrounded by the hapless figures of soldiers who had failed to escape. Keeping them at the edge of his vision, Jin threw away the gun in his hand.

A clatter with a frivolous sound bounced off the dirt.

"Ji-!"

Grimwood's impatient voice was absorbed and faded from Jin's consciousness.

Standing quietly, Jin lowered the sword he had been carrying on his back. A blue scabbard with a green handle. He held it horizontally in front of him, looking straight at the giant and gripped both handle and scabbard firmly.

The air was cold.

The forest was so hot that if you just stood still, you would sweat instantly, but as if the scene had changed completely, cold air flowed in from somewhere and spread.

At the center of the coldness was Jin.

Or, more accurately, the sword he held.

The air grew even colder.

Still, even more.

It was as sharp and cold as the edge of a sharpened blade and it surrounded Jin and the rock giant.

—Kill

There was a whisper in Jin's mind.

It is like a voice but not really a voice actually, like a will that is not a will actually.

It was like a vibration, a tremor of something dark that was born and lit deep in his chest.

Gradually, it began to circulate through Jin's bloodstream. As he savored the sensation of it spreading, Jin glared coldly at the rock giant.

Seithr Beasts are beings that are made and affected through seithr and this giant was summoned by an Ars Magus that uses seithr as its medium.

Jin's neck muscles buzzed with the presence of the dense seithr swirling around inside his huge body.

—Kill, Kill...

—Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill, Kill.

——Kill it.

The moving boulder swung its misshapen arms high in the air. The faceless head looked down with an eyeless gaze at Jin, who remained motionless with his sword at the ready.

I thought I heard someone shouting.

I wonder who it was. Was it... the voice of my brother, who I had parted from in death on a distant childhood day?

No way. He's dead. He was murdered.

Then what are these voices? It was noisy. It resembled the moaning of a beast.

(Shut up! Be quiet! Stop interrupting me!)

Jin exhaled. It was an icy cold breath.

The wind roared overhead. The giant swung their arms down in unison.

He looked up at that.

“Activate, Yukianesa.”

The moment Jin whispered the words, everything froze.

In accordance with the words, the freezing began to take root. The ground that Jin stepped on, the grass that surrounded him. The tree beside him, the ivy running through it, and the rock giant who was about to swing his fist down at Jin.

After a beat, a cool sound like hitting ice was heard.

Immediately, the giant's body split into four pieces and fell to the ground. It was as if it had been slashed crosswise with a very sharp blade.

The blade was none other than the sword that Jin was carrying. However, no one present could see the moment when Jin pulled out his sword.

It was all over in a blink of an eye.

“What the hell was that...?"

Karenjina muttered in a stunned voice as she was dumbfounded

It was Honoka, who had retrieved the gun that Jin had thrown away.

“It’s a Nox Nyctores. Nox Nyctores Causality Weapon: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa.”

Honoka's voice trembled with joy and his cheeks were pale with elation.

Beside him, Grimwood was staring desperately at the unbelievable reality.

"That's the Nox Nyctores... It really exists...?"

Karenjina’s agitation, Honoka's excitement, and Grimwood's astonishment did not reach Jin's ears.

The blond-haired recruit, who had slashed and discarded the giant in an instant, lowered his sword in its cold blue scabbard and quietly turned on his heel.

Before he knew it, the sky had taken on the color of dusk. In the distant sky, a small star twinkled dimly, as if it were a piece of scattered ice that stuck to the sky.

===Part 2===

The inside of the tent was filled with shadows. The result of the light from a lantern on the desk was kept to a minimum, and the subdued light directed in all directions cast black shadows all around the tent walls.

In the small light of the lamp, a man sitting on a chair laughed, and the shadows on the tent wall also laughed.

“More than anything, it went well.”

"Yes, sir. There was no problem in activating the Nox Nyctores. We've confirmed that it was activated successfully."

There were two men in the tent.

One was a middle-aged man with a broad belly on his belt, the commander of a battalion of the Novus Orbis Librarium which was camped in the jungle of the Ikaruga Federation.

The other was a slender young man, wearing a black suit, black hat, with green hair and a thin smile on his mouth.

“So. It was more than planned... or is it on schedule? That's Jin-Kisaragi for you."

It was the general commander who sat on the chair and talked pompously.

“But it's really powerful, this Nox Nyctores thing. To conquer and bury that many beasts. I'm looking forward to the day when it’s put to practice as a real weapon.”

“I couldn’t agree more. Thanks to you, the data collection is going well. Thank you very much for your cooperation.”

The words of a man in a black suit, which sounds exaggerated, seem to be comforting for the battalion commander. He was very pleased with the attitude of the other person, who was overly abasing himself.

With a scheming look on his face, the battalion commander smiled greedily.

The man in the suit looked at it from behind his hat and smiled.

===Part 3===

Jin, Grimwood and the others returned to the base just before the sun went down and the forest was enclosed in darkness.

Here and there in the base, generators powered by seithr were working with a low hum, providing minimal lighting to the tents and serving areas. The iron frames that held the dirty white light bulbs were quite rusty from exposure to the wind and rain and looked as if they had been here for years.

Jin and the others returned to their tents, receiving thanks and praise from the fleeting soldiers who had escaped with them, and even more gratitude and praise from their comrades who had heard their stories after that.

Feeling a little fed up with the different welcoming mood from when he arrived, Jin ducked into the dark and quiet tent and turned on the white light.

As he took off his gloves, which were stained with dirt and blood from the enemy soldiers, he thought he could finally take a break, but this time Jin was met with compliments from the soldiers of the 9th squad.

"That was amazing earlier, Lieutenant Kisaragi!"

As soon as he put down his gun, one of the soldiers ran up to him with a glow on his face and a hint of excitement, but then another one grabbed Jin's shoulder with a friendly smile, a far cry from the daytime.

"I've never seen such a powerful Ars Magus before ...I apologize for having been so rude."

"...No, You don’t need to worry about it. And besides, I was helped a lot by your leader a while ago. It's thanks to you all that I came back mostly unscathed from my first battle."

It was uncomfortable to suddenly be praised openly. The words came out as a way to gloss over the issue, but what Jin said was the undeniable truth.

Grimwood's troops were excellent. In a battlefield where you never know what tomorrow will bring, Jin thought he may have been lucky to be assigned here.

The two soldiers who spoke to him smiled tantalizingly and shook their heads.

“No, it's my pleasure. It's very encouraging to have someone like Lieutenant Kisaragi as the captain's adjutant."

“Adjutant?”

Jin couldn't help but ask back at the unexpected appearance of the word.

This made the soldiers roll their eyes rather puzzledly.

“After Captain Grimwood, the next highest in rank is you, Lieutenant Kisaragi. Wouldn't that be obvious?"

The other soldier, who had been fiddling with his gun a little off to the side as if something was bothering him, looked up and said.

“Now that you mention it, that’s right.”

Jin was less impressed and more convinced.

He hadn't paid much attention to their ranks because he wasn't interested in them, but as he recalled, Karenjina said she was a corporal. He didn’t remember asking the other three what their ranks were, but if they didn't say, it must mean that they were lower than Karenjina.

(So that's what it means.)

Jin looked at Karenjina, who was untying her equipment.

Perhaps she was also concerned about this, and soon their eyes collided. Karenjina frowned in a sullen manner and turned away.

“I'm going to wash my face.”

She spoke that over her shoulder, then quickly got out of the tent.

Grimwood arrived at the same time.

"Oh, the food's ready. Make sure you eat well after you get some rest."

As he spoke, he placed his favorite weapon, the large axe, in a corner of the tent. Jin walked up to it.

"Grimwood. There's something we need to talk about..."

The slight hush in his voice was to let him know that it was a confidential conversation. Grimwood immediately sensed this and looked at the back of the tent.

“Do you want to go inside?”

“No, preferably..."

He wanted to get rid of all eyes except for Grimwood. This time, the soldiers sensed his intentions and emptied the tent so that they could eat dinner. If this flexibility was also a tribute to his earlier achievements, then it was worth to defeat that rock giant.

The entrance to the tent that had been shoveled closed back up with a heavy thud and they waited for the outgoing soldiers to leave for a good minute.

In the meantime, Grimwood sank his strong body into a simple chair.

The tents assigned to each of the squads were too spacious for two people to occupy, no matter how big they were. A lonely ambiance hanged in the air.

“I told the commanding officer to gloss over the earlier matter.”

“Is that so? Thanks, that saves me some trouble.”

Jin replied briefly to Grimwood's words. The case in question was Yukianesa. As the name implied, a Nox Nyctores is a unique weapon. It was not a good idea for anyone to know that a new recruit was carrying one. Jin asked him to keep it under wraps and Grimwood said he understood and will assume responsibility for it.

But Jin's talk was a different topic.

There was no one in the vicinity of the tent. After looking around him once more, Jin placed a hidden object in front of Grimwood.

It was a stone block half the size of Jin's face. A yellowish-gray stone with fine black sand in it. Grimwood could see what it was at a glance.

“Is this a piece of the giant from earlier?”

“Yes.”

“How did you get this...?”

He looked down at the lump of stone lying on the table.

"This was created by a non-Librarium Ars Magus."

Ars Magus is a kind of artificially created form magic that uses seithr to create various phenomena. In order to activate it, you need to have an aptitude for it, as well as something called a "Grimoire".

It is also the Librarium that gathers and manages the countless number of Grimoires in one place. The number of Grimoires managed by the Librarium is enormous and for this reason, it is sometimes sarcastically referred to as thr "Library" by rival organizations such as Sector Seven.

In other words, most of the Ars Magus in the world are under the control of the Librarium.

The fact that other Ars Magus are being used in the civil war suggests the possibility that Ars Magus are being developed somewhere that is not under the control of the Librarium. There is a fear that the technology of Ars Magus owned by the Librarium may have been leaked, or one can imagine a more sinister scheme.

With all this in mind, Jin turned his sharp gaze to Grimwood.

"When you first heard the explosion, you said 'those idiots'. What did you mean by that?"

It wouldn't make any sense to try to trick this guy or probe him in a roundabout way. It would only put him on unnecessary alert. Determining that, Jin asked the question too directly and straightforwardly.

“...You are indeed the owner of a Nox Nyctores."

His mouth twisted into an indescribable shape that was both bitter and amusing, then Grimwood grabbed the stone block that Jin had placed infront of him.

Suddenly, he put a lot of strength into his hand and crushed the lump of stone as if it were a glass ball. He had a tremendous grip.

“It seems that Mr. Commander was not aware of the Nox Nyctores... am I right? Jin, 'who' is the one who sent you here?"

The way he shrugged his shoulders caught Jin's attention. It was as if he had found something he shouldn't have.

Jin scowled. If Grimwood knew 'who' sent him here, then would it be inconvenient for him?

"I'm the one asking the questions. Answer it."

He said as if he was thrusting words at him.

Instead of answering, Grimwood dropped his gaze. He opened his stone-crushing hand lightly and fragments of sand spilled from between his fingers onto the desk.

Grimwood did not answer. The silence clearly meant that there were some circumstances.

Should he have asked again? Just as Jin was about to open his mouth, the cloth at the entrance of the tent was pulled open.

“Grimwood. There's a transmission for you from Yabiko.”

The one who got inside was Karenjina, the petite woman with brown skin and dreadlocks. Grimwood immediately stood up.

"Yabiko. Okay."

Jin chased after him, his voice slightly hoarse, as he made his way out of the tent without hesitation.

“Wait, we're still talking!”

"Headquarters's on the line. Do not interfere."

Quickly turning around, Karenjina blocked Jin's path.

As he was leaving the tent, he thought he saw Grimwood looking at him for a moment, but in the end, the muscule packed captain left without saying a word.

The heavy cloth at the entrance came down, and now Jin was left alone in the tent with Karenjina.

Grimwood's heavy footsteps moved further away.

As he listened, Jin glared at Karenjina, who looked up at him as if she was looking down at something annoying.

Looking back at the cold ice green eyes undauntedly, Karenzina lifted the edge of her lips sarcastically.

"That Art you just used. Is that the 'Nox Nyctores'?"

She said, somewhat mockingly. Her hands rested on her smoothly curved hips, her eyes fixed on the pale scabbard in Jin's hand. She gave him a depreciating look.

"You've brought in some pretty extravagant stuff, but using a person from the Duodecim... It seems even a privileged family like the Kisaragi family can be used as 'guinea pigs'.”

"Guinea pigs? What are you talking about?"

He didn't know what Karenjina was talking about. When Jin frowned and clouded his voice with doubt, Karenjina raised her eyebrows up in mockery.

"Didn't you realize it yet? What a pity. You're just like those noblemen around here who flaunt their great power conceitedly."

“I don’t understand what you are getting at. What are you trying to say?"

There was a dark feeling of pent-up resentment in the way Karenjina spat out her words at him.

He well understood the fact that she was accusing him of being a member of a prestigious family and she made it clear that she felt ill will towards people of that kind. However, just because of that, it doesn’t mean Jin could just be convinced with her taking it out on him as an individual. That was a different matter.

“The lab animals are getting high and mighty is what I am saying. It's really annoying that they're forcing their 'nuisance' onto our troops."

Saying this as if spitting it out from the bottom of her heart, Karenjina glared at Jin without hiding her aggressive tone.

It was not even a matter of shunting. He was no different than being directly accused of being an abomination.

Jin was not so gentle as to try to keep a calm attitude after being told so much. He was going to let some of it slide, but it was frankly unpleasant for him to have to go on like this forever.

“You seem to be trying to irritate me, which is annoying. If you don't like me, that's fine. Don't talk to me."

"How can a recruit be so high and mighty? Are you saying that the Duodecim are more important than a bunch of rogue mercenaries? Or do you already feel like a superior?"

“I don't mean to, but I'm not going to play along with your paranoia either. Are you really that unhappy that you were forced out of your position as second-in-command? If you don't want to be despised as a mercenary, you should learn a little more about the military organization.”

"Wha-!?"

Karenjina raised her voice, her dark skin flushed with red. She took a big step forward and tried to grab Jin's chest, but just as she was about to do so, a different hand reached out from her side and pulled her away.

"Hey, hey, hey. You two need to calm down."

It was Honoka who half-heartedly and forcefully stepped in between Jin and Karenjina, who were staring at each other. Jin didn’t know where he’d been before and come to think of it, he couldn’t find him until now. As he pushed the chests of his two superiors apart until they were barely out of reach, Honoka looked from side to side and smiled wryly.

“You can't have a fight on base. We're all in the same squad after all, right?”

Honoka, while repeating the last bit many times over, tried desperately to persuade the immature adults to calm down. Jin had no choice but to put his unsettled emotions in check when that boy, who was probably much younger than him, said that.

Karenjina seemed to think the same way and with a bitter expression on her face, she reluctantly stepped aside.

“It's not like we were fighting."

She said this in an attempt to disguise her lack of decorum, her arms crossed as if she was holding her taut chest.

Sighing, Karenjina slipped past Honoka with a supple gesture, then headed for the place where Grimwood had been a moment ago. She stopped in front of a chair and looked down at the pile of sand and pebbles scattered on the table.

It was the remnants of the stone that Grimwood had crushed moments ago.

“...You were asking the Captain about this earlier if I recall correctly?"

Unclasping her crossed arms, Karenjina softly spoke up.

Her voice was quiet. She looked down at the small pile of sand with an indifferent gaze and dug her finger into it, taking a scoop in the palm of her hand.

"This is some experimental Ars Magus."

The sand spilled from Karenjina's hands and fell again onto the table. Jin's eyes blinked. It was just as he thought. Hearing the faint sound of his breathing, Karenjina turned around with a thin smile on her face.

“You're not so stupid after all."

She said that with a girlish softness, rather than the stiff, masculine voice of a soldier. This must have been the real tone of Karenjina's voice. It was a throbbing voice that suited her well.

"I don't know how they make Seithr Beasts, but the Librarium gives it to “them” as new weapons. To the stupid nobles, to specific."

Said Karenjina, who had stopped behaving in her stiff demeanor,as she crumbled the pile of sand with her fingers. With a cold glare, she flicked a small piece of the stone with her fingertips and rolled it around as if this object holds height to her.

"Those fools use it with glee. They think they're the chosen ones, without thinking about how dangerous what they've been given is."

The nobel people who were born and raised in this area come here on a regular basis to take advantage of the hunting grounds, to build up their military prowess. Without merit, there is no promotion. So if they were given special weapons for that purpose, who wouldn't use them on the battlefield? After all, they are coming to this base to earn merit. In the first place, those who truly want to participate in the war as soldiers and fight for the Librarium are the troops that will be sent to a more proper battlefield.

“Of course, there are times when the new weapon will produce unexpected results, but most of the time it doesn't. Sometimes it'll just kill lots of people and other times it's..."

"...taken by the enemy."

A murmur spontaneously escaped from Jin's mouth as he scooped up the muddled end of Karenjina's words.

Karenjina didn’t say anything, but her closed lips spoke affirmation.

Subconsciously, Jin clicked his tongue.

“Just as I expected, that giant was originally an Ars belonging to the Librarium, wasn’t it? But, It was used by the Ikaruga Federation...”

As a result, the rock giant summoned by the unofficial Ars Magus lost control and went berserk.

Perhaps one of the several bright red blotches on the ground at that time was the casters who had summoned the giant. Whatever the actual situation was, the fact of the matter lied in how more than a few people had died in vain thanks to that annoying "new weapon".

Karenjina brushed the sand off her fingertips and leaned over the table.

"The Library and Ikaruga guys are both the same. They don't give a damn about human life."

She must have encountered scenes like today's one many times. Probably the other soldiers of the 9th squad, and Grimwood as well.

"This is not a 'battlefield'. It's a 'testing ground' for those idiots."

There are enemies, there are allies and there are reasons to fight. There is no better place than the lively battlefield to test a large-scale new weapon such as new Ars Magus. It is also a good place to get data on the actual situation, to see how much damage the weapon will cause to the enemy and the allies.

(So this will continue to be the "worst" battlefield with no progress or retreat?)

It was a hunting ground for noblemen to earn achievements and a testing ground to measure the results of weapons development.

Therefore, no matter how hard you fight, the war situation will not move. There is no need to move it. In fact, it is "meaningless" if it is moved. Jin gripped the scabbard of Yukianesa in his hand tightly to the point it could break if it were a normal scabbard.

(Then why was I assigned here?) Jin asked himself.

At least it was not to change the situation at this base. They were not expected to be a force to be reckoned with in order to win the battle and push deeper into Ikaruga.

If that is the case.

(...Yukianesa.)

Finally, Jin understood what Karenjina meant by "guinea pig" earlier.

It is not Jin himself who was being sought after. It is Yukianesa, Jin's personal possession.

The purpose of this research was to find out how powerful the Nox Nyctores sword would be on the battlefield, and whether it would be able to withstand actual use as a weapon. Jin guessed the purpose was to investigate such things.

That's why Jin was sent to the "testing ground" instead of the "battlefield. That was probably, no, that was the reason.

Jin chewed on his lips in secret. He felt a lingering twinge of annoyance.

He hadn't originally intended to stand on the battlefield for anything. Jin hadn't become a soldier for the sake of the Librarium, nor for a sense of righteous indignation and definitely not for justice, but because the Kisaragi family, who raised him, demanded it.

So he had no intention of playing a leading role in dramatically changing the situation of the civil war. But he didn’t want to be made into a clown playing a farce. More importantly, he was uncomfortable with the idea that someone unknown would be using this sword.

“Anyway, I don't want to die 'cus I'm caught up in your aristocratic complacency. Just remember that."

Once again, with hostility and rejection in her voice and eyes, Karenjina said in a biting tone.

Jin remained silent, but stared back at the brown-skinned female mercenary with an unsettling look in his eyes. The information he was able to get out of her was useful, but that doesn't mean he was going to accept this attitude. In between Karenjina and Jin, who were once again creaking the air, Honoka dropped his shoulders and sighed like he was fed up.

"Now, now. Corporal Karenjina Parsett, I'll pretend that I didn't hear you say anything 'rebellious' against the Librarium, so why don't we make up now?”

Honoka may have meant to soothe the situation, but his comment was even more offensive to Karenjina. The word "rebellious" was particularly wrong.

Karenjina, who steeply lifted the corners of her eyes, glared at Honoka as if he was her enemy. But before she said anything, things were brought to a close by another voice.

"Just as he said. Leave it at that."

Karenjina raised her eyes at the calm, powerful, and deep voice. Grimwood had come back through the entrance of the tent. As soon as she saw Grimwood, Karenjina turned her head in an uncomfortable way and her tone faltered.

"I'm sorry, I... I was out of line."

She bowed lightly to Grimwood, ignoring Jin and walked quickly out of the tent.

“She’s not a bad girl, but she's a mercenary, she's got a lot on her plate. Don't be offended."

“I don't really care about it."

Jin answered in a composed tone, without any facial expressions, without a hint of emotions.

Yes, there was no need to worry about it. All he had to do is do the work that was required of him in the way that was required of him. That is all. There was nothing anymore left for him to do in his life but this.

After becoming aware of what this base was, it was still the “worst” frontline base in the world.

Attacks from the Ikaruga Federation took place at morning and night. Sortie orders were issued as many times a day as needed.

Whenever that siren sounded, Jin took his weapon and went into the forest to engage the so-called "enemy soldiers". Then make up a winnable battlefield and retreat.

He had become accustomed to working as a "hound" through repetition.

As many battles as he had, Jin had shown his outstanding strength to the members of the 9th squad, and his strength had built a certain amount of trust between him and the members of the 9th squad.

But Karenjina was different.

On the battlefield and at the base, she did not acknowledge Jin. She never accepted him. She never looked at Jin the way she looked at her friends. Jin also didn't want to try to repair his frayed relationship with her. If she didn’t want to be acknowledge him, then that is fine. If she didn’t want to accept him, then that is also fine. In Jin's opinion, it had nothing to do with the fighting.

Karenjina and Jin mutually felt the same in that regard.

However, there was still something concealed in her heart. At the bottom of it something was obvious, but how could he trust someone who wouldn't show it to him?

The people around them became accustomed to the stinginess of their relationship before anyone else tried to mediate between them. Occasionally, there was an exchange of sarcasm, and there were also voices raised in frustration. However, They weren’t obsessed with trying to completely eliminate each other, and before they knew it, many days passed...

Before he knew it, Jin's life at the frontline base had lasted more than a month.

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 1|Chapter 1: The Human of the Kisaragi Family / Distorted recognition]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate

2025-08-01T07:30:47Z

Bloodedge666:

==Prologue-The Day of Fate==

'''Relius:''' A merciless event that suddenly occurs without any warning, before you can even think, it can destroy, it can trample, it can rob.

'''Ragna:''' Guaaagh! Aaaugh! Uuuaaaaaaagh! Auagh!

'''Relius:''' And so, you become unable to do anything but hate. The reality you're faced with, the fragility of everyday life, one's own powerlessness, everything is just as difficult…

'''Hazama:''' Hey, hey, hey, hey! A poem while carefreely gazing at a huge bonfire? Relius-san!?

'''Relius:''' How's the Avatar?

'''Hazama:''' Tch, as usual, nothing but selfish. Here ya go!

'''Saya&Jin:''' ...

'''Relius:''' It's a precious vessel, treat it with care.

'''Hazama:''' My bad, my bad.

'''Relius:''' Hm? What is that?

'''Hazama:''' Ah? Aaaah… What was it again? I think their name was like Jin or something?

'''Relius:''' I'm only trying to get a vessel.

'''Hazama:''' I need this guy though! The Power of Order you see, his use is still different though.

'''Relius:''' How's the Man of the Azure?

'''Hazama:''' He was rolling around during the day, all spaced out, so I tried cutting off his arm a little and he went on a rampage. Cuz of that, he ended up passing out again. Keheh, It's funny isn't it? The next time he opens his eyes there'll be nothing at all. No home, no siblings, and no hope. Writhing around in pitch-black darkness, he might just cry~ Maybe he’ll die of despair. Kehehehe HAHAHA! It's seriously funny.

'''Relius:''' It seems an Onlooker has arrived. That's enough chit-chat.

'''Hazama:''' Yeah, yeah, see ya later Relius-san. Work hard for my sake too you know.

'''Relius:''' Your vessel will take a bit of time. Besides, there's no meaning even if it sticks a little.

''Relius picks up Saya and walks off''

'''Hazama:''' Well then. See ya, Ragna-kun. Please work hard for me from now on. Hehehehe hahaha!

'''Relius (narration):''' BlazBlue Drama CD "The Wheel of Fortune"

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| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again|Long Reunion-Meeting Again]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue

2024-12-22T04:01:17Z

Bloodedge666:

...It was like she was sinking, or maybe floating.

Like she was falling, or maybe soaring.

As she felt like she was being embraced in someone's soft arms... she heard a voice.

──Can you hear me?

A strict, powerful... and gentle voice.

It drew her attention, and she opened her weightless eyelids. She saw a faint light, then she was inside a room she had no memory of ever being in.

It was too dim for her to see clearly, but she thought that she could make out a line of some sort of rectangular devices and some red and green lamps shedding candy-colored light.

She was surrounded on all four sides by walls, neither seeing the light of the sun nor feeling the wind on her skin. She thought... that she'd rather be out somewhere more open than in a place like this. For instance, the path leading from the courtyard to the Cathedral would've been nice. She liked how the sunlight had filtered through the leaves there. Or maybe the little hill overlooking the town would've been good; whenever a gentle breeze blew over it, the grass on top would sway like waves.

──Hey, are you listening to me? Celica A. Mercury!

The voice called out to her. It called her name. Like an electric shock running through her, all the feeling came back to her body in a flash. Blood flowed all the way to her toes, and body heat returned all the way to her fingertips.

Her consciousness returned like she had suddenly leapt up through the surface of water, and she── no, and Celica blinked several times in surprise.

"Um... huh? Do you, mean me?"

She was confused by the sudden influx of colors, feelings, and smells. She had been floating inside of some strange device this whole time, looking like she was standing on her tip-toes, but now gravity suddenly took hold. Celica plopped down onto a circular metal plate, leaning forward.

Where was she?

She couldn't grasp what she was doing right now, and her mind was finally starting to ask questions. The bare skin of her legs extending out of her skirt felt the cold metal beneath her.

(Just a moment ago, I... I was in some sort of empty, pure white place...)

Indeed, her memory wasn't failing her: she remembered how, until moments before, she had been in a mysterious world of whiteness. She had thought that she was looking at a reflection in a mirror, but then her reflection returned to reality without her somehow, leaving her alone. The next thing she knew, she was in this room she'd never seen before.

She had thought that she had gotten quite used to handling the unexpected, but this situation she had suddenly found herself in was throwing her for a loop. She didn't even think to get up as someone walked from the corner of the room to stand before her.

Reflexively lifting her head, she looked up at the person standing in front of her.

At first glance, she was a dainty girl, but there was no innocence or sweetness in her eyes. Her expression was well-guarded and dispassionate. She had an unmistakably adult aura, and Celica got the feeling that this girl was much older than her.

Her white outfit looked well-worn on her slender body, and she had distinct bags under her eyes. She looked like a burnt-out researcher, and the faces of Celica's scientist father and her zealous researcher sister came to her mind.

"Celica A. Mercury, right?"

As Celica listened to this voice that she had heard again and again deep within her mind, she noticed something long and thin swaying behind the woman's back. It was a tail.

It was cat-like, split into two partway down, and was white at the tips. This time, Celica thought of Jubei. Now that she looked a little closer, she saw little triangular pink ears peeking out of her tied-up hair of the same color. The way they were slightly bent forward was very cute.

If Nine were here, she would have loved them. Unconsciously letting her mouth open a little as she thought that, Celica gave a firm nod to answer her question.
[[Image:BB_PS4_301.jpg|thumb]]
"Oh, yes, I am. Who are you?"

"Hm... looks like her consciousness is stable. No problem with the brain waves either. Not too bad, all in all."

Checking something on the meters off to her side, she swished her tails and stuck some sort of lollipop into her mouth.

Turning back to face Celica with a complicated look on her face, she opened her mouth again. Her face looked a lot like Nine's did when she was about to give a complicated explanation.

"...My name is Kokonoe. Welcome to a future without a future, O you who have strayed outside of your rightful place in Logic..."

"──And have become a {{Furigana|Chronophantasma|Phantom of Time}}"

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Phase_Shift_4_Chapter_6|Chapter 6]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Phase_Shift_4_Afterword|Afterword]]
|-
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue

2024-12-22T02:21:13Z

Bloodedge666:

{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:BBCFCover.PNG|thumb|BBCF: Console Release Main Design]]

'''BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger''' (ブレイブルーカラミティトリガー Bureiburū: Karamiti Torigā) is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation.

The game is currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 16:9 ratio and 768p resolution and was released on November 19, in Japan and November 20, 2008 in the United States. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles on June 25, 2009 in Japan. A port for the PlayStation Portable, titled BlazBlue Portable (ブレイブルーポータブル Bureiburū Pōtaburu), was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan. The PC version was released in Europe on August 20 and in Japan on August 26, 2010. The PlayStation Portable port was released in Europe on September 9, 2010. The PC port is a direct conversion of the Xbox 360 version, and contains cross-platform compatibility via the Games for Windows - Live service.

A sequel, also next episode featuring new content and characters, titled '''BlazBlue: Continuum Shift''' (ブレイブルーコンティニュアムシフト Bureiburū: Kontinyuamu Shifuto) has also been released for the arcade, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Other game sequels include '''Blazblue: Chronophantasma''' and '''Blazblue: Central Fiction''' both released on various systems.

Additionally an anime adaptation titled '''Blazblue: Alter Memory''' was released for both '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' 's main plot.

Lite novel adaptations for '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' also exist and are listed below.

Two visual novel spinoffs titled '''Xblaze: Code Embryo''' and '''Xblaze: Lost Memories''' were released and are the original story to feature the character Es recently announced for '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''. It is believed Nine and Celica A. Mercury make cameo appearances in Lost Memories as well.

A loosely linked spinoff, '''Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience''' was released in two parts and provides some questionable links and backstory to Blazblue featuring returning characters Relius Clover, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Clavis Alucard and stars Naoto Kurogane, a new addition to the cast of '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''.

'''Phase Shift''' is a novel series based on that game written by Komao Mako and the illustrations by Yuuki Katou. It provides insight into the backstory of the Dark War, the conflict with the Black Beast between 2100-2110 in Blazblue's timeline and culminated with the introduction of Celica A. Mercury to the game's plot in '''Chronophantasma''' as the final Phase Shift novel was released right before the game came out.

'''Bloodedge Experience''' came out between '''Chronophantasma''' and '''Central Fiction's''' game releases and before Naoto Kurogane's introduction as a playable character to Blazblue.

Additionally several canon short-stories were released in various formats, including inside Material Collections and Drama Cds.

==Organization==
Due to the convoluted and non-linear flow of how lore is presented in Blazblue, this site will organize the releases in '''order of release'''.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''BlazBlue'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[BlazBlue:Phase~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==
Before the events of the game, humanity was on the verge of extinction from a creature called the "Black Beast." The world was saved by six heroes who wielded magic. They helped humanity create "Ars Magus", a fusion of magic and science, to defeat the Black Beast. This event would be later known as the First War of Magic.

After the war, the Novus Orbis Librarium (the Library or NOL for short) was created to govern the world with the use of Ars Magus. A great deal of dissent was caused by the Library, partly due to Ars Magus' use in nearly every facet of society, and the widening socioeconomic gap between those who could and couldn't use Ars Magus. This dissent would eventually form years later into the Second War of Magic or also known as the Ikaruga Civil War, when the city of Ikaruga openly rebelled against the NOL. Upon winning the war, the NOL imposed a harsher rule on the world, punishing any rebellion against the NOL with death.

In December AD 2199, several years after the Second War of Magic, a branch of the NOL was utterly destroyed by an SS-class rebel named "Ragna" also known as the "Grim Reaper", in an attempt to destroy the Librarium. The NOL, hoping to stop him, immediately announced the largest bounty ever, available to anyone who could capture him. Interestingly, Ragna possesses a powerful form of Ars Magus known as the "Azure Grimoire." This led the NOL, as well as the other fighters, to hunt Ragna not just for his bounty, but also his Azure Grimoire.

The games slowly develop Ragna's battle with his nemesis Yuuki Terumi and other fighters as various factions follow their agendas to harness the Azure, destroy the Master Unit: Amatarasu, or protect those they care for.

==Updates (Bloodedge666)==
*31 July 2024, The Wheel of Fortune is fully translated and published. All credits for the translation and editing goes to CMYOGS and Umberwolf respectively.
*21 December 2024, Phase Shift 4 is fully uploaded onto the site, making the entire Phase Shift series complete.
==Updates (Ziggurat)==
21 Septermber 2017 Lowtier asked me to pick this up since he got salty and stopped caring about BB lore after CF's story mode. Use message or Talk to communicate with me.

== Updates (Lowtierscrub)==
* 7 November 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 2 is complete. RIP. We're getting their. Holidays get busy at my household so next update might take slightly longer, but we'll see. I'm shooting for a chapter a month so release in February/March?
*18 October 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 1 is complete. Hold me fam, Overtime + Translating = Sadness. At least I'm not CF Kagura... Also updated the page a lttle.
*4 September 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Guesslation Project Began (Got novels, will translate in free time and '''will upload once entire novel done''' so I can proofread and make sure all translations are consistent).
B-baka, it's not like I want this translation to be as good as possible or anything... (tilts head to side as twin-tails sway in the wind). kappa. Post in Dustloop short story thread if you have questions or comments for me.

== Updates (Spesialo)==
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 3 started.
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 2 completed.
*10 July 2014 - Phase Shift 2 started.
*1 July 2014 - Phase Shift 1 completed.
*28 July 2013 - Phase Shift 1 started.
*28 July 2013 - Phase 0 completed.
*7 April 2013 - BlazBlue project created.

== Updates (zephyr07 from Dustloop)==
*Hakumen's story added (20-8-2010)
*Rachel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Noel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Carl's story added (21-8-2010)
*Arakune's story added (24-8-2010)
*Bang's story added (25-8-2010)
*Tager's story added (6-9-2010)
*Taokaka's story added (19-9-2010)
*Litchi's story added (5-10-2010)

== Updates (Suzaku from Dustloop)==
*Ragna's Short Story "Memory of Blue"
*Jin's Short Story "purgatory hell"

== Translation ==

===[[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback Thread]'''

 
 

== Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Material Collection==
[[File:BlazBlue Material Collection (Cover).jpg|thumbnail|Material Collection Cover]]
===Calamity Trigger Material Collection ([[Calamity Trigger Material Collection|Full Text]])===
'''Synopsis:''' Canon short stories for the Calamity Trigger cast.

::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Ragna Short Story "Memory of Blue"|Ragna Short Story: "Memory of Blue"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"|Jin Short Story: "purgatory hell"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"|Rachel Short Story: "Endless Waltz"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"|Litchi Short Story: "Borderline"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Arakune Short Story "The Diary"|Arakune Short Story: "The Diary"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"|Bang Short Story: "Fortune favours the bold"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Carl Short Story "Puppeteers"|Carl Short Story: "Puppeteers"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Hakumen Short Story "Innocent Black"|Hakumen Short Story: "Innocent Black"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Nu Short Story "an evil sign"|Nu Short Story: "an evil sign"]]

 
 
 
 

==Blazblue Continuum Shift Material Collection: Trigger Shift==
[[File:BBCS Material Collection Cover.jpg|thumb]]
===Trigger Shift ([[Trigger Shift|Full Text]])===

This is an official short story that was written specifically for the Continuum Shift Extend Material Collection.

"BlazBlue Calamity Trigger" to "BlazBlue Continuum Shift".

A story about a day in the lifes of the characters who moved into the world of "possibility".
A story about those who can live on from the never ending world.
May the wheel of fate turn in their fortune.

Author: Mako Komao, Designer: Toshimichi Mori

::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side|Kagatsuchi's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Jin's Side|Jin's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side|Hazama's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side|Carl's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Ragna's & Noel's Side|Ragna's & Noel's Side]]
 
 
 
 

== Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD ==
[[File:BBWoF.jpg|thumbnail|Drama CD Cover]]
'''Synopsisː''' The story of how Hakumen came to exist in the main Blazblue timeline in an alternate Kagasuchi where Noel Vermillion never existed and Tsubaki Yayoi became Jin Kisaragi's secretary instead.

::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate|Prologue-The Day of Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again|Long reunion-Meeting Again]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell|Snake venom-Farewell]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
 
 

 
 

 

== BlazBlue: Phase 0==

===Phase 0 ([[BlazBlue:Phase 0|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/li75i629i25hvva/ PDF])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_Phase0_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase 0 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Ragna the Bloodedge. That man is nicknamed Grim Reaper and possesses the power of Azure Grimoire. Yet, he awakens in an unfamiliar land and has lost both the Azure's power and his memory.

In this unknown world, he comes across Celica, a girl who is able to use healing magic, and a beastkin warrior named Mitsuyoshi. Their journey is closely related to the Black Beast, a being which drive humanity to devastation. However...

The popular fighting game series BlazBlue's history, previously shrouded in history, is about to be laid bare. The official story leading to where it all begins  has arrived!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Lost White]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Destructive Black]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Reality's Red]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Chance-met Silver]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Sealed Green]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Promised Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Phase Shift'' Series==

===Phase Shift 1 ([[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1|Full Text]])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift1_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2106. The world is in chaos from the threatening Black Beast. At the Mage's Guild-governed island Ishana, a student Kazuma lives a normal life. But when he meets Yuuki Terumi by chance, history receives a new Phase Shift.

"If you can get the Azure, you can take back whatever you want. Things you lost, things you forgot, whatever."

Is that the prelude of destruction? Or a gospel of salvation...?

Within the light and darkness of the Boundary, hope and despair blend together. The curtain for a new episode of BlazBlue's official story has been raised!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Island of Green Wisdom]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cat of Crimson Sunset]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mind of Azure Deviation]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Doubt of Yellow Equilibrium]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Night of Black Betrayal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Voice of Emerald Evil]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' "Mr. Hero."

"How would you like to become a real hero?"

Jin Kisaragi, in the brink of death, meets one young girl. At that moment, the last gear to truth begins to turn...

Finally, the ''Black Beast'' is about to be resurrected. The ones who fight, the ones who protect, and the ones working in the shadows... Many feelings and thoughts are entangled, and the stage of the final battle for mankind's survival is set.

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in BlazBlue history that leads to all possible futures. All of its secrets will be revealed here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: White Blade, A Flower]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Purple Ones, Their Theory]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Scarlet Guardian, the Doll]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Indigo Heart, the Conception]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Black Beast, Reappears]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 3===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift3_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 3 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Nox Nyctores: Take-Mikazuchi. It appears all of a sudden during the decisive battle between mankind and Black Beast. With one blow, it overturns the battle situation. Nine, rejecting the powerful weapon, deepens her conflict with the other Ten Sages. Furthermore, she is restrained from participating in the battle.

During the intensifying chaos and hopeless situation, Celica reunites with 'that person' once more. That meeting leads to a new fateful Phase Shift, and yet...

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue. The heroes are advancing to the final battle. Their thoughts and bonds are weaving a tale of truth, a tale that will be recited here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Battlefield with Blue Sky]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Ashen Current]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Copper Catgirl]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Silvery Illusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Hope and Despair on the Green Hilltop]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 4===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift4_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 4 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Since the fall of Take-Mikazuchi, the Magical City of Ishana finally acknowledges the Black Beast's threat. Within desperation, the Six Heroes and the entire human race are about to start their last counterattack!

Just what is the fateful Phase Shift that waits for the heroes after their battle...? This shocking novel series will draw the truth of the biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue's history, 'The Dark War'. The time for conclusion has come!

"...Later, Celica. If we meet again, teach me properly, okay?"

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Swirling Tea]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Azure Wish's Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Colorless Guiding Light]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Blue Snake's Crazed Play]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue'' Series==

===Volume 1: Calamity Trigger — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2199. The world is covered in seithr and mankind is forced to live in Hierarchical cities, ascending constructions similar to towers.

The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi has been infiltrated by a man with the most bounty in the world. He is Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', a man who possesses the ''Azure Grimoire''. Thus, the wheel of fate begins to turn.

"Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field deployed! BlazBlue, activate!"

The popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. The new legend starts here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Stratum city — Hierarchical City]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Spiral fate — The Board's Pieces]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Grim Reaper — The Man Called Death God]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Burned church — Brothers]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity black — Dark Demise]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue: A Certain's Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Volume 2: Calamity Trigger — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Part_2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' During his journey, Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', travels to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi to destroy the Cauldron. At the same time, Noel Vermillion, carrying the magic guns Bolverk, also heading to Kagutsuchi in accordance with the order from Librarium. Ragna and Noel... When both of their destinies intertwine, the eternally turning wheel of fate shall be altered!

The super popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. Its legend will be concluded!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Prologue|Prologue: A Certain's Prologue]] (blank page)
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Orient town — Orient Town]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cross fate — The Thing That Is There]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: False hero — The Man Called Hero]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Memorable church — Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity trigger — Successor of the Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 3: Continuum Shift — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 1 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 1 Cover]]
After the intervention of ''Calamity Trigger'' Noel Vermillion, the loops that appear to last forever came to an end. However, when a warrior from Sector Sever named Tager encounters a 'prime field' in the ruins of the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido, fate changes to a new phase.

On the other hand, after he went through a struggle to death with Nu, the 'Grim Reaper' Ragna the Bloodedge sees the image of his sister on a Librarium girl named Noel. However, a shadow aiming for them is inviting Ragna to a new battle——. A new Continuum Shift of the super popular fighting game BlazBlue begins!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Wheel turns — A New Gear]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Recollection Dream — The Children Are Dreaming]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Fragile balance — The Power of Order]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Sister's illusion — Vestiges]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Dead once — Phenomenon Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 4: Continuum Shift — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 2 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 2 Cover]]
"...Irregularity: none. Resuming combat action."

Λ – 11, the girl who assaulted Ragna the 'Grim Reaper'. He meets with the 'prime field' girl, but she invites Ragna to an even harsher battle. Meanwhile, Noel was hurrying to meet her best friend Makoto Nanaya. But before her, her other best friend Tsubaki Yayoi appears. Toward Noel who is glad with the meeting, Tsubaki——.

Continuum Shift. It is all the possibilities of the world. The result of many destinies and infinitely equal endings is waiting for Ragna and the others. Now, the decisive battle that shakes the world begins!!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Code number — Sector Seven]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: The despair — Truth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Continuum shift — Probability Phenomenon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Material girl — Murakumo]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Call name — Human to the End]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience'' Series==

'''Synopsis:'''
This new expansion to the Blazblue universe follows the story of Naoto Kurogane
a high school boy with a special right eye and connection to the Amanohokosaka Clan.
Learn the story of Blazblue: Central Fiction's newest playable character in this multi-part story
that bridges the gap between Xblaze and Blazblue that includes familiar characters as well!

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 1 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 1 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 1 Cover]]

'''Synopsis:'''
"Kurogane Naoto was a mostly ordinary high schooler who lived a peaceful life
with his childhood friend Hayami Haruka. What wasn't ordinary with Naoto is that
his right eye is a little special, it possesses a special ability, "Hunter's Eye",
that make it possible for Naoto to see other people's Life Force in numerical values.

But his ordinary days ended when he met a girl with such high Life Force that she couldn't
possibly be human. The girl introduced herself as Raquel Alucard, a vampire. She ordered
him to get the hold of the Azure.

And so Naoto was dragged into a bloody battle surrounding the Azure." [From BB wikia; verify if from back cover]

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Prologue|Prologue: Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Contact]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Immortal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mitsurugi]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Secret]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Interlude]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 2 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 2 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:'''
"The swung down red blade, will carve a new legend of BlazBlue!

Kurogane Naoto, who have awaken the "Bloodedge". His little sister Saya's deadly sword is approaching him! A collision of several special ability users. And what awaits at the end of the Azure seeking Raquel Alucard's wish... " Outside Chapter is speculated to be set after Central Fiction's events, but before Central Fiction Naoto enters main Blazblue Central Fiction. It's similar to how the Black Beast existed in 2100 even though Ragna was not created until 2190s.

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Prologue|Prologue:Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7|Chapter 7: Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8: Thought and Felt]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9|Chapter 9: Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Fusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue: Heartbeat]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Outside Chapter|Outside Chapter: Fragment]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Sprial Shift'' Series==

=== Blazblue : Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu - Hero of the Iceblade ([[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu|Full Text]])===
[[Image:SpiralShift.jpg|thumb|Announcment Image]]
'''Synopsis:'''
The story follows the graduation of Jin Kisaragi from the Military Academy as he enlists to fight in the Second War of Ars Magus or the Ikaruga Civil War for the NOL. In this tale, some light is shed on the brutality of NOL in dealing with the insurrection of the Ikaruga Federation for freedom against the NOL hegemony and monopoly of Grimories. Being deployed to the most contested region with the most violent opposition, Jin must deal with social tensions of being a Duodecim member among lower-class allies with the tide turning against their forces. There is more than meets the eye to this war though, as Jin and his new unit encounter signs of Sector Seven (the other faction against the NOL) experiments. Not only that, but Jin's new unit, the 9th Unit or "The Hounds" exist to only weaken enemy forces enough so that higher-class units can sweep in and claim both the spoils and glory of war in a battlefield meant only to test new weapons and never to retreat or advance. What other hidden-agendas will Jin Kisaragi discover in this farce of a war?

::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu STORY|STORY]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 1|Chapter 1: The Human of the Kisaragi Family / Distorted recognition]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Eiyu (Hero) / True face]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Afterword|Afterword]]
 

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Ziggurat|Ziggurat]]
*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Suzaku|Suzaku]]
*[[User:Hayashi_s|zephyr07]]
*[[User:Spesialo|Spesialo]]

===Editors===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Emma|Emma]]
*[[User:Nerokun|Nerokun]]

== Series Overview ==

<big>''' BlazBlue: Material Collection'''</big>
*BLAZBLUEー設定資料集 (2009 ISBN 9784797354836)[CT Short Story Source]

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase 0'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ─ブレイブルー─ フェイズ０ (August 20, 2010 ISBN 978-4829145920)[Phase 0]

<big>'''Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD'''</big>
BLAZBLUE 「THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE ～運命の輪～」ドラマCD (September 2010)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase Shift Series'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト１(April 20, 2011 ISBN 978-4829146170)[Phase Shift 1]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト２(January 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146309)[Phase Shift 2]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト3(May 19, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146712)[Phase Shift 3]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト4(September 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146897)[Phase Shift 4]

<big>'''The BlazBlue Series'''</big>

Calamity Trigger Retelling
*BLAZBLUE‐ブレイブルー‐1 カラミティトリガー〈上〉(January 19, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147078)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―2 カラミティトリガー〈下)(May 18, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147290)

Continuum Shift Retelling
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―3　コンティニュアムシフト〈上〉(September 20, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147474)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―4 コンティニュアムシフト〈下〉(January 18, 2014 ISBN 978-4040700175)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience Series'''</big>

*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―ブラッドエッジエクスペリエンス(上) (June 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702254)[Bloodedge Experience Part 1]
*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルーブラッドエッジ・エクスペリエンス（下） (November 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702155)[Bloodedge Experience Part 2]

<big>'''The Blazblue: Spiral Shift Series''' </big>

*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルースパイラルシフト氷刃の英雄 (October 20, 2016 ISBN 978-4040708577 (4040708571) )[Hyokin no Eiyu/"Ice Blade-Wielding Hero"]

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Fujimi Dragon Book]]
[[Category:Mako Komao]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Afterword

2024-12-22T02:19:31Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Afterword== Thank you for picking up BlazBlue: Phase Shift 4. I am the author, Komao Mako. This work is a novelization of Arc System Works Co., Ltd.'s 2D fighting game seri..."

==Afterword==
Thank you for picking up BlazBlue: Phase Shift 4. I am the author, Komao Mako.

This work is a novelization of Arc System Works Co., Ltd.'s 2D fighting game series, BlazBlue. This novelization lifts the curtain on the events that happened 100 years before the story of the games. The games have dense, rich, charming stories of their own that are well worth the read, so please go play them as well if you haven't already! Seriously, please do!

Now then... I will proceed with my afterword.

It's over... The Dark War is finally over... This book marks the end of this series chronicling the Dark War period of the BlazBlue franchise.
[[Image:BB_PS4_305.jpg|thumb]]
[[Image:BB_PS4_306.jpg|thumb]]

Man... that was so moving. The Six Heroes were quite the beloved group already, but I'm so glad that so many people grew attached to the characters debuting in these novels. Celica, in particular. Thank you all so much for your loving words about her.

She is... a mysterious sort of character for me. I often got this vibe like she's ready to dash forward like a tube of fabric unfurling and leave me standing there dumbstruck. Her concept is someone who is always looking straight ahead and moving at full speed. Part of me admires her for being that way and wants to be like that too, so when I wrote her, she inevitably ended up being a real good, friendly girl. I'm kind of bummed that I probably won't get to write her in a novel anymore... but it looks like fate still has a little more in store for her.

Finally, some words of thanks. To my editor, I'm so sorry for constantly asking you to adjust the schedule and giving you so many headaches from start to finish. Thank you very much.

From the bottom of my heart, I give my thanks to Katou-san, who did all the illustrations. The joy I felt at seeing how fast you made the model sheets for the new characters for me is still engraved into my heart.

To Mori the Producer, I thank you once again for your reassuring support. The absolute best outcome for me would be if this novel series is something that you can enjoy, too, Mori-san.

To you readers, both of this book and of the whole series: thank you so very much. We were only able to come this far because of your support.

Has this become one more ingredient that further deepens your enjoyment of your BlazBlue franchise? I hope so.

And with that, I hope we meet again in BlazBlue in some other way. Until then, I hope you have a fun life of gaming!

Komao Mako

“Congratulations on finishing the 5th BlazBlue volume! Congratulations on finishing the whole series!! I’m Katou, the one in charge of the illustrations. We’ve finally completed the Dark War chronicle! If you want to remember what happens right after this, please go back and play Calamity Trigger again. We’re right in the middle of our last stretch for the new work, Chronophantasma, so everything feels like it's exploding around me, though. Thank you for all your hard work, Komao-sama, our editor, and MoriP. My thanks to all of you readers who have read all the way to the end. That’s a wrap for Phase Shift.”

“Good day, everyone, I’m Mori from Arc System Works. My thanks to all of our readers: the Dark War has come to a close. Many thanks to Komao-sensei, Katou-san, and everyone else who was involved in the process as well. I still kinda get the feeling that I was the one who was the most hyped about the Phase Shift series though? Changing the subject, though, what does fate have in store for Celica? I hope everyone is looking forward to finding out.

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BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue

2024-12-22T02:12:29Z

Bloodedge666:

...It felt similar to sinking, yet also similar to floating.

Similar to descending, but also ascending.

It was like being embraced by tender arms. Within the sensation... a voice could be heard.

''———Can you hear my voice?''

A stern and strong... but gentle voice.

The referred consciousness was drawn to it. Its numb eyelids were opened.

Dim lights were seen. Next, there was a room never seen before.

It was not clear since it was quite dark, but there were rows of rectangular equipment. There were red and green lights like the colors of a candy on them.

There wasn't any sunlight or breeze. The room was enclosed by walls on all sides. Within such a room, it felt like... someplace less cramped would be preferred.

Like, on a lane within a courtyard which leading to a church with glaring sunlight filtering through trees. Or on a slightly elevated hill looking over a town with a gentle breeze which made grasses rustled like a wave.

''———Hey, Celica A. Mercury! Can you hear me?''

A voice was calling out. A name was mentioned. On that moment, it felt like some electric current was going back and forth on her whole body.

It caused her blood to circulate and body heat to rise all over the body, all the way to the end of her feet and fingers.

Her consciousness was awakened. It was like emerging to surface from underwater in one breath. Her... Celica's eyes were blinking.

"Wh... huh? Umm, me?"

Colors, warmth, and smells became visible to her at once. A confused voice was heard.

Simultaneously, her body, which was floating within a strange device with a posture similar to standing on tiptoes for all this time, was struck by gravity. Unable to stand up, Celica sat on a circular metal plate.

Where is this?

She was unable to grasp the situation around her. Bit by bit, questions were surfacing. From the skirt, her bare legs felt the cold surface of the metal plate.

(I... Before... I was in an empty, pure white space...)

Yes, her memory was not damaged. She recalled that she was certainly in a mysterious white world a little while ago.

Then, what she had thought akin to image reflected on mirror somehow became real. And, she was left all alone in that reality.

Now, she noticed that she had never seen that room before.

She had experienced many unexpected incidents, but her mind still couldn't follow this sudden circumstances.

Even getting up didn't cross her mind. In the meantime, a human figure walked toward a corner of the room where Celica was located.

Reflexively, Celica raised her face. She was looking at the person before her eyes.

The person looked like a petite girl at one glance.

However, that human figure wasn't just a plain girl. The glint on her eyes didn't look innocent or adorable. Her observant face expressed disinterest. The atmosphere surrounding her was somehow similar to a grown-up's. She felt much older than even Celica.

The white gown she wore felt natural on her slender body. Under the golden eyes, there were distinct dark circles. Her appearance looked somewhat like an exhausted researcher. Celica identified the girl's appearance with her scientist father and research-loving sister.

"Celica A. Mercury, right?"

She was the owner of the voice which frequently addressed Celica from within her mind. Behind the girl's back, something long and narrow was swaying around. It was a tail.

It branched to two parts on the middle. The tips were colored white, different than the rest. It was similar to a cat's tail and made Celica thinking about Jubei at that time.

When she looked closer, within the bundled up pink hair, there were triangular ears of the same color peeked out. The fact that her ears were slightly crooked forward made them really cute.

Nine would definitely be in great joy if she ever saw the girl. After she thought about all that, Celica began to open her mouth as she plainly nodded to the girl's question.

[[Image:BB_PS4_301.jpg|thumb]]

"Ah, yes. That's right. And you are?"

"Hm... Your consciousness seems to have stabilized. No abnormality on the brain waves. The result is passable."

Her eyes stared on the nearby gauges as she confirmed something. Once again, her tails were shaking around. The object she was holding was similar to a lollipop. She put it in her mouth.

She turned her serious face to Celica and talked again.

When she was about to give some complicated explanation, her expression resembled Nine's.

"...My name is Kokonoe. Welcome to the futureless future, you who have strayed outside of your rightful place in Logic..."

''———Or should I say, {{Furigana|Chronophantasma|Phantom of Time}}.''

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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6

2024-12-22T02:09:14Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Chapter 6: Blue Snake’s Crazed Play== ===Part 0=== The room was unusually cold. It was technically winter, but the world was still blanketed in seithr, which was wreaking..."

==Chapter 6: Blue Snake’s Crazed Play==
===Part 0===
The room was unusually cold.

It was technically winter, but the world was still blanketed in seithr, which was wreaking havoc on the seasons with no sign of them ever recovering. It was chilly at best outside, and compared to the cool air of the seemingly endless corridor leading up to it, this room was practically freezing.

The owner of the room thought nothing of it, however, as he gracefully offered a seat to his female visitor with a serene look on his face.

"Hey, why is this room so cold?"

Grumbling, the woman wearing a luxurious fur mantle sat down in the chair.

The man stood up just as she did so, practically switching places with her. The tea the man had brewed was the only warm thing in the room, and mercifully so.

"My apologies for the discomfort. The issue will be resolved shortly, so you'll have to bear with it for a little while."

"...Let's hope it will."

The woman's current less-than-ecstatic attitude wasn't just because of the temperature of the room. She didn't particularly enjoy having to spend time alone with this man, either. As both a member of the Ten Sages and the rightful heir to his clan, this room was his private property for all intents and purposes. She felt like she had been lured into his personal domain… the Kisaragi clan's home.

Nevertheless, she had still come when this man said he had a favor to ask of her. Supposedly it was a very serious favor, one that concerned the Nox Nyctores causality weapons.

"So? What do you want me to do?" "Look here."

With an air of calm pervading his demeanor, the man placed a sword on the table. It was a katana in a blue scabbard. One of the Nox Nyctores, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa.

The woman gasped the moment she saw it, and the man smiled thinly as he watched her reaction.

"I would like to leave this in your care."

"Huh? Wha- what are you talking about? Weren't the Nox Nyctores supposed to be sealed..."

"Would you have let this be sealed away if you had been in my position?"

The man was speaking as calmly as if he was just having an ordinary, everyday conversation. He lightly pushed his glasses up with one of his white-gloved fingers.

"I'll say it again. Please, hold on to this for me. The Kisaragi Family will report that it went missing in the turmoil of the war, and with how fast the world is changing around us, everyone will forget all about this thing before long. Once that's happened, we'll be able to study it to our hearts' content."

"You're going to privatize a Nox Nyctores, just like that?"

"Three has already claimed that hers was lost."

The woman was at a loss for words as she listened to the man's ever-calm voice. She gripped her tea cup, thinking she had to calm herself down. She couldn't take her eyes off of the katana on the table in front of her.

Eventually, she opened her mouth.

"Alright. If all I've got to do is hold onto it for a while... then there'd be no problem with me analyzing it in the meantime, right?"

"By all means."

The man's smile grew wider. He beckoned with his white-gloved hand, and the woman took her cue to reach for the katana. She was overcome by curiosity. This was a Nox Nyctores, one of the weapons created to defeat the Black Beast, in which hid an utterly unnatural power. It was hard for her to resist the temptation to take possession of one of those, given the chance.

The man was no different. Watching the woman as she took the sword in hand and pulled it toward herself, he crossed his legs and placed his white fingers on his knees.

"Please do try to analyze it, if you can."

"Huh...?"

The woman hadn't understood what he meant, but in the moment when she lifted her head to look at him, the room froze around her.

In the most literal sense... the inside of the room was encased in ice. The formerly warm tea, the cup it was in, and the woman half-standing out of her chair with sword in hand, all frozen solid.

The only two things left untouched were the sword laying horizontally in the woman's grasp and its master, the man.

"I'll provide a brief explanation for you. You will steal my Yukianesa and disappear without a trace. No one will ever find you, but once the world has forgotten about the Nox Nyctores, Yukianesa will mysteriously find its way back to the Kisaragi Family... That's the scenario we will be going with, Eight."

His voice was as peaceful as could be as he took the ice blade from her hand. Casually drawing it from its scabbard, he cut down the ice sculpture erected before him with a flick of the wrist. The ice fell and shattered on the floor, and his long blond hair fluttered as he left the room, the sword with the blue scabbard still in hand.

Once the war with the Black Beast came to an end, the Ten Sages' top priority was to seal the Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

It was much harder to control Take-Mikazuchi than any of the other Nox Nyctores because it could be summoned, and they were worried about possible instability from its core being incomplete. Its creator, Nine, wanted to just destroy it, but in the immediate aftermath of the war, neither the Mage's Guild nor the Orbis Librarius Norma had enough manpower left to carry out such an operation.

Thus, they decided to pull Take-Mikazuchi out of its summoning circle, stick it inside a different container, and seal it somewhere where no one would ever be able to reach it, with plans to destroy it later once the state of the world had become more stable. The 'somewhere' that they had chosen to send it to was a place far out of reach and not within the jurisdiction of any country... outer space. Take-Mikazuchi disappeared from the surface of the earth, bound under layer upon layer of locks and control devices in a coffin-like apparatus.

They didn't have the means to immediately dispose of the other Nox Nyctores either, so for the short term they simply disabled their cores.

Deus Machina: Nirvana. Mucro Somnio: Musashi. Interfectum Malus: Ookami. Arma Reboare: Muchourin. Those four Nox Nyctores were returned as ordered and the power of their cores was released to make them inert, leaving them as nothing more than finely crafted, but mundane weapons.

Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa, Arcus Diabolus: Bolverk, and Geminus Anguium: Ouroboros couldn't be recovered because they were lost after the fighting, and their whereabouts were currently being investigated.

...Meanwhile, on the outside of the cloudy postwar world.

In the rose castle of eternal night, Rachel slept in the innermost bedroom of her manor. The world between the posts of her bed that had only just reclaimed peace was already falling into disarray again, like it was trying to cling to what little power it still had.

Her butler, Valkenhayn, had left Ishana and rushed back home to his princess' side as soon as possible after the war to resume his duty as her bodyguard. He had told his allies that he wouldn't be returning until Rachel woke up, and in fact, he ended up not leaving her side for a single moment at any point for the next several decades.

As a result, it was a long time before word reached him of how things went after the war and what ended up happening.

──And, of who lived and who died.
===Part 1===
On a certain day a year after the final battle with the Black Beast, a single girl walked down a long flight of stairs.

Her curvaceous body; flowing, glossy hair; and the direct, sharp look in her eyes were instantly recognizable even at a distance. She was beautiful, but her unapproachable aura was overpowering.

Her name was Nine.

The triangular purple hat on her head was the symbol of the Ten Sages, formerly the highest governing body of the Mage's Guild which had been dedicated to the protection of all the world's secret history. After the war she was heralded as a hero in addition to the praise she already received for her uncommon beauty and talent, becoming known as a Great Magister and an unparalleled genius.

She was a woman, and an older sister... but she was also a wife, and a mother.

At the bottom of the long staircase was a magically controlled elevator, and she used it to descend to an even deeper level. At the end of a high-ceilinged corridor stood a stately wooden door. Nine stood before the door alone and opened it, walking in once it had finished swinging. The high-heeled shoes she was wearing made a stiff clacking sound with every step.

Beyond the door was a large, circular hall.

Its domed ceiling was even higher than that of the corridor behind her, and a strange engraving that looked like a coffin supported by branches sticking out of the walls decorated its center. The floor was like the polished surface of a mirror, and mosaic tiles created a pattern like a swirling flame in the center of the room.

There was nothing noteworthy in the room other than that.

Except, of course, for the tall, thin man standing alone with his back turned toward her, his arms dangling limply at his sides.

"I never expected you would just show yourself like it's no big deal, instead of me finding you."

Nine's cold tone made small ripples in the air of the massive room.

Sluggishly, the man turned to face her voice. He wore a long, yellow coat and had green hair. His bangs were long enough to cover his eyes, so she could only see half of his face. The bridge of his nose, his pallid skin, and the way the corners of his mouth turned up in a snake-like grin were his defining physical characteristics.

"It's been such a long time, Nine-san of the Ten Sages. How long has it been since the last time we met...? I can't quite remember, actually."

"I've got a mountain of questions for you, Yuuki Terumi."

At the mention of that name, the air in the room froze over.

The man called Yuuki Terumi gave a lifeless smile that was at odds with the tension between them.

"Is that so? What a coincidence, I actually have quite a lot I want to ask you as well. But before that... let me correct you on one thing."

He tilted his head, seeming to be earnestly trying to convince her of something. He pointed to himself with a long finger with prominent knuckles.

"I am Kazuma Kval, not Yuuki Terumi."

Watching him intently, Nine's eyebrows furrowed. She crossed her smooth, bare arms beneath her ample chest. This was a habit that she often showed when she was annoyed.

"Spare me the nonsense. Yuuki Terumi and Kazuma Kval are the same person at the end of the day."

"No, really, I know this is complicated, but that's not quite right. But, well, I guess thinking that was your fatal mistake after all, so it's no surprise that you don't believe me."

"What do you mean?"

Nine's eyebrows twitched slightly at the words 'fatal mistake.' Her face clouded with suspicion as she asked her question, but Kazuma just casually shrugged his shoulders and moved right on to another topic.

"Let's just both get down to business then. I called you all the way out here because I have a lot of things I want to tell you. Please, ask away, and I'll answer anything that I know the answer to."

Nine's unwavering gaze revealed how little she trusted him, but she didn't refuse him. She rose to Kazuma's provocations with a provocative glare of her own.

"Hm... alright then. I'll play along with your charade."

"Then, by all means."

Glancing at Kazuma as he urged her on, Nine maintained her composure by brushing her hair over her back.

"First question. Where did you take the heart?"

She was careful to not let emotion creep into her voice, sounding as disinterested as possible. Her voice came out a little too strongly, however, and it reverberated off the walls of this room that was a little too big for just two people.

Kazuma looked startled, his mouth opening slightly as he lightly grabbed at his hair.

"Ah, so you noticed that after all... I didn't think that would be the first thing you would ask me, I'm a little surprised."

Or so he said, but his voice was utterly carefree, not revealing even a shred of tension.

Nine felt like he was making fun of her with that attitude of his, and it was pissing her off.

"Answer the question. I'll tolerate your little game, but idle chatter is one thing I won't put up with."

Kazuma wore a strained smile. Nine took it as him saying that he was the one who was annoyed, not her, and she dug her nails into her crossed arms.

"Terumi-san took the heart. Apparently he had been wanting to get his hands on it for a long time."

"Why?"

"Who knows? It seems like he was making something, but I don't really know what it might've been. I've never been much good at alchemy..."

Kazuma's jaw slackened unambitiously, and he seemed to be trying to placate Nine.

Nine's brow furrowed deeper than ever. Resisting the impulse to give into emotion and resort to violence, she bit down on her lip with her canine. She breathed deeply until she was able to restore enough composure to control herself.

"Next question. If you're Kazuma Kval, then where did Yuuki Terumi go?"

"He's still inside this body, just staying quiet deep inside it. This was always going to be a difficult conversation, after all."

Kazuma placed a palm on his chest as he spoke, smiling thinly.

A dull light flashed across Nine's eyes, but she didn't press that question any further. That wasn't the important part.

"In that case, third question... Were you the one who released him from Mind Eater?"

Her voice had a tone unlike what it had been for any of the previous questions. It had suddenly dropped an octave, and it sounded very threatening. Her eyes flashed sharply, and she should have been quite daunting, but Kazuma nonetheless replied with exactly the same expression he had during his previous response.

"No, I wasn't."

"Then who did it...!"

"Someone you know quite well."

He shot that answer right back at her, the unpleasant thin smile seemingly stuck to his face. Nine finally lost her temper and let blatant anger flare in her voice.

"Don't screw with me."

Kazuma shrugged his shoulders.

Nine partially uncrossed her arms and continued her questioning, ready to summon a lightning bolt on him at any moment.

"What... are you planning to do with the Master Unit?"

"...What's that?"

At this particular question, Kazuma's previously easy going demeanor stiffened up. He had been answering all the previous questions immediately, seemingly trying to rile Nine up, but at this one he suddenly had to pause... and he suddenly gave a very mediocre answer.

She had found a lead she could pursue. The light in Nine's eyes said that she wasn't going to let him get away, and she pressed him further.

"You said you'd answer all my questions, so get to it. Why are you trying to meddle with the Master Unit? Is it for the same reason that Relius Clover and Shuichiro Ayatsuki summoned the Black Beast?"

Her voice echoed around the circular chamber as she questioned Kazuma like she was cross-examining a witness, driving him into a corner.

Kazuma kept his silence for a while, but it wasn't long before he dropped his shoulders with a big sigh.

"Haaa... I should've expected no less from the Great Magister Nine. I didn't expect you to have worked it out all the way to there. I'm sorry I underestimated you."

He hung his head in regret so far that it looked like his neck would break, but as he did, his ears picked up the barely perceptible sound of footsteps coming from a hidden corner of the chamber. With a few steps, the owner of that sound came out from where they had magically hidden themselves in the shadow of a thick pillar before timidly asking a question of their own.

"The Master Unit? Summoning the Black Beast... what are you talking about...?"

The dainty, sweet voice trembled in bewilderment, and Nine whirled around to face it.

"Trinity!?"

Her brown eyes had shined with a light that showed that she was itching for a fight up until then, but now they were stained with confusion so deep that they seemed to be a whole different color.

The third member of the conversation who had just suddenly revealed herself was Trinity. She drew attention with her soft platinum blond hair and warm green eyes, making her the polar opposite of the unapproachable Nine.

She clutched a long, thin staff in the white hands that were peaking out of her voluminous sleeves. It was the Nox Nyctores that Nine had made for her, Arma Reboare: Muchourin. Its core was sealed, so now it was nothing more than a staff that could help with magic control, but to Trinity, it had become a precious possession that she couldn't be parted from.

Her eyes clouded over with confusion as she hugged her precious staff to her chest, and Kazuma looked disappointed. He tilted his head like he was watching a child do something senseless.

"Why are you coming out already? We were going to have you wait a little longer then surprise Nine-san by you coming out when I called you."

"Ka- Kazuma-san...!"

Trinity rushed over to Kazuma's side in a panic. She gripped the staff so tightly in front of her chest that her hands turned white.

"You said that you would answer all of her questions, right? What is the Master Unit? And you said that the Black Beast was summoned..."

Trinity's cheeks went pale at the dreadful sound of what she was saying. Her morality was rejecting the idea that something that horrible could have been intentionally brought into this world.

Another thought came to her mind right after, one that made her hang her head and hug the staff closer to her chest.

"Why did you give such a half-hearted answer just now? Didn't we call Nine here today to tell her all about what we're planning to do and get her to cooperate with us?"

"No way..."

Nine muttered low and quiet.

The realization that came to her mind was so shocking that she couldn't get her voice out properly. With her eyes opened wide in astonishment, Nine clumsily turned to look at Kazuma. She didn't want to believe that it was true, but she had no choice but to admit it. It was written on his face.

"You can't mean, that the one who released Terumi from Mind Eater..."

"Oh yes, it was Trinity Glassfille-san. She was quite impressive actually, it took some time but she really did manage to nullify it."

Kazuma's chest puffed up a little as he expressed his pride in her. Like he was giving a full formal introduction, he waved a gesture towards Trinity with his hand as he said her name.

"Ah, I guess there are some after effects, though. Terumi-san and I aren't very well synced right now. That's not exactly an inconvenience for me, though, so I don't mind at all."

Kazuma bent his elbows and wrists a few times to show that there was nothing wrong with his body, at the very least.

It seemed like Nine couldn't even see him anymore, though: she was just staring at Trinity with a look of utter shock.

"Trinity... why...?"

“I'm sorry, Nine, but please hear me out. If you had left Terumi-san under the effects of Mind Eater, he might have used Mind Eater himself to control Kazuma-san and attack you..."

Just the thought of it alone scared Trinity, and her soft hair swayed as she shook her head to push the idea out of her mind.

Her eyes dampened with sadness behind her round glasses.

"You've got the wrong idea, Nine. You think Terumi-san and Kazuma-san are one in the same, but they really aren't. Kazuma-san has his own thoughts, and his own feelings."

Trinity remembered everything that Kazuma had said during that conversation they had had just before the final confrontation with the Black Beast as she spoke.

"I know that we needed Terumi-san's power in the fight against the Black Beast, but the war is over now. Can't we give this body back to Kazuma-san already?"

Her words carried a hint of accusation as she stuck the end of her staff onto the ground. A pleasant, beautiful sound like what a musical instrument would make rang out across the room.

As the sound faded away, Nine followed in its wake by slowly parting her lips.

"I see, that's what this man told you?"

Nine smiled as she whispered softly, not a hint of her previous severity on her face. In fact, she sounded quite peaceful.

"Y- yes..."

Trinity nodded, but her face showed confusion.

Nine hung her head like every ounce of strength had just left her body. She didn't have any words of reproach left in her, so she just let herself sink into a deep sigh. Nine just shook her head weakly. She put a hand on her forehead and fluttered her eyelids like she was trying to bear some great internal weight.

"You really are such a... such a... nice girl."

With nothing but affection in her voice, she managed to raise her head again. Nine touched Trinity's lovely hair. Compared to her own smooth, flowing locks, Trinity's hair was always so fluffy and soft.

"Kazuma Kval... no, Yuuki Terumi!"

All she did was turn her body 90 degrees. In that short of a span of time, Nine's face changed from affection to fury... no, to pure loathing.

"You'll pay for this. You'll pay, you hear me!?"

As she was turning, lightning sprung to her open hands and a thunderous sound boomed through the chamber.

In the same instant, though, a chain with a snake-like head on the end appeared behind her and stabbed into her shoulder like it was taking a bite out of her.

"Ugh, aaaa!"

Nine screamed in agony. The sudden pain made her lose concentration on her magic, and she fell onto the hard floor.

Watching her best friend hold her shoulder as she shakily tried to get back to her feet, a half-frantic Trinity reached her arm out to her.

"Nine... kya!"

A chain crawled up her tender waist and held her fast. She was bound so tightly that her bones were creaking, and her hands were stuck so firmly to her sides that it made Muchourin fall powerlessly to the ground.

"...W- why... why are you doing this!?"

She looked like she was about to collapse, but Trinity, on the verge of tears, planted her feet and looked at Kazuma.

Kazuma, however, was walking over to where Nine lay on the floor, and didn't return Trinity's gaze.

"Hrg... finally showing your true colors, are you?"

Nine knelt on the floor, holding her shoulder so tightly that her fingers were sinking into it. Unfortunately, she wasn't born with a talent for healing magic like her little sister, so she had to settle for a spell that killed the pain.

Looking down on her as she struggled pitifully, Kazuma turned the corners of his lips up in an exasperated smile.

"I'm sure you understand just what kind of a mistake you've made at this point, Nine-san. You were convinced that Yuuki Terumi and I were the same person. Well... that wasn't really wrong, but you certainly never expected that we would be able to separate ourselves."

Kazuma stood before Nine and pointed at her with his index and middle fingers pressed together. He then spread his fingers apart like he was making a peace sign.

"Just before you cast Mind Eater on him, he split his consciousness from mine. As a result, Mind Eater took full effect on Terumi-san, but I was left totally unaffected."

His index finger represented the Terumi half and his middle finger represented the Kazuma half. They may have been connected by the same 'hand,' but they could choose which one was at the forefront.

"If that's the case... then this time, I'll just make both of you my menservants for the rest of eternity!"

Nine punctuated her scream by swinging her arm. She launched countless projectiles of light straight at Kazuma's torso. The point-blank attack sent Kazuma's body flying and he hit the ground hard without so much as a cry of pain.

Kazuma seemingly wasn't moving a muscle, yet nevertheless, a chain suddenly crept out of thin air next to Nine's ear and wrapped around her arm and up her body before constricting her neck, apparently as an afterthought.

"Ah, ufh..."

Unable to rip the chain that was restricting her breathing off of herself, Nine's face contorted with anguish. The chain crawled up the soft flesh of the nape of her neck and pulled even tighter, and Nine couldn't get a single sound out of her mouth.

"Please... please stop, Kazuma-san! What are you doing? I..."

Trinity shouted out louder than she ever had before.

Kazuma got up with leisurely slowness and dusted off his clothes as if to recover his pride. Any wounds that he may have gotten from Nine's magic attack had already closed up. Back on his feet, Kazuma looked over his shoulder at Trinity. He showed her his open palms like he was a performer about to explain a trick.

"Surely even you are getting an idea of what's going on here at this point, right? It's exactly what you think it is."

The answer was already there in Trinity's head.

Trinity only asked because she already knew, and knowing that, Kazuma put it into words for her.

"It was aaaaall a lie. What a shame for you."

His regret and his apology. Saying that he 'had fun' and that he 'wanted to come back.' Every word they had shared with each other before the final battle. The warmth she had felt in his body when they held each others' hands. Every single moment he spent with that sincere look on his face.

Every last one of them was a lie.

"No, way..."

Shocked. No other word could describe the sound of Trinity's voice as it escaped from her lips. All the strength had abandoned Trinity's knees and she had fallen to the floor, and Kazuma just laughed at her in pity.

"You really never learn, do you? I'd already betrayed you once before, you know."

Putting his hands on his thighs and leaning over, Kazuma peered down at Trinity as she cried with her face turned skyward. Little gaps in his bangs showed occasional glimpses of reptilian yellow eyes. They were filled with pure joy and pleasure.

"But hey, chins up, you two, don't be so miserable. It's never too late to learn from the mistakes of the past, after all."

Kazuma happily chatted away with a certain good-humored attitude that he had never shown in his student years. His tone, expression, and demeanor were clearly Kazuma, but the faint chill of Terumi permeated his every action.

"To hell with... your, mistakes of the past... this won't, be enough to..." Kazuma lifted his head in response to the broken voice. Nine, not caring that she could hardly even breathe, was putting all the power her body could muster into trying to break out of the chains.

Kazuma's shoulders started shaking uncontrollably at the sight.

"Oh no, please, come on now, this is one of the Nox Nyctores that you made yourself, you know? Are you trying to tear it off?"

"Ngh... I am the one, who made it. Do you think, I can't...?"

As soon as she finished her sentence, he thought he heard a sharp, distorted sound coming from the chain.

That wiped the smile right off of his face, and he scrunched it up instead.

"Oh, dear... you're just so scary, Nine-san. There's no sense in playing around here all day... so how 'bout we just get right down to show time～!"

Mid way through his sentence, a smirk split his face. It was like someone had flipped a coin to its opposite side.

There was no mistaking who had spoken that line.

Tracing his teeth with the tip of his tongue in ecstasy, Terumi raised his hand.

Nine tried to burst out of Ouroboros. Trinity could do nothing but look on, dumbfounded.

And Terumi recited a chant like he was singing a song.

"Restriction 666 released... Dimensional Interference Field deploy..."

As if responding to his voice, the ground beneath them began to tremble slightly. There was no way it was an earthquake. They were deep below Ishana, so if this room was shaking, it could only be because of the artificial cauldron that the mosaic tiles on the floor symbolized.

"BlazBlue, activate!"

Heat rose from the nonexistent flames of the pattern beneath their feet. Trinity reflexively shrunk in on herself. Nine felt an unpleasant sensation creeping up her body from within, and she knew it wasn't the heat.

The man standing before her immediately gave her the answer to what it was.

"Drag 'em in, Ouroboros!"

Terumi gave the chain a hearty tug as he shouted an order at it.

Nine felt like her guts were being pulled along the floor.

"No... way...?"

Nine struggled against the chain, looking desperate now. The chain seemed to be drawing some kind of power from the cauldron, however, and Nine was trapped even more completely than she was before. She got pulled a little further. As for where she was being pulled... all she had to do to find that out was look down.

The inside of the cauldron.

"Ple- please don't do this, Terumi-san!"

Trinity's cry of grief echoed around the chamber.

Nine's consciousness was fading fast, but she kept on struggling and straining. She tried to cast a spell, but she just couldn't get her voice out, and she couldn't connect her mind with her mana either. Ouroboros had already yanked her voice and her focus out of her and chucked them into the cauldron.

As she lost more and more control of her body, Nine bit her lip and glared at Terumi, filling her gaze with more hatred than ever before.

"Kehehehe, now that's what I'm talkin' about. That face, that one right there. That's EXACTLY the face I always wanted to see you make!

Hyahahahahahaha!"

Laughing shrilly, Terumi planted a kick in Nine's head. Nine, still wrapped up in the chains, rolled across the floor with a dull thud. Her triangular purple Ten Sages hat had just barely managed to stay on her head this whole time, but now it finally went flying.

"Hehyaaaahahahaha! Look at you, you call yourself a Sage!?"

This time he stomped down on the back of her head and started mercilessly grinding his heel in.

Nine never stopped glaring at him all the while. She couldn't so much as lift a finger anymore, but she used the last of her strength to move her blood stained lips.

"............"

But she couldn't get any sound out.

Her lips shut after failing to deliver her final words, and she went as still as a wax doll.

"...Ah, ah... Ni- Nine..."

Trinity just watched it all happen, and a rattling sob escaped her throat.

Hearing her faint voice, Terumi turned around dramatically. Stomping violently with his black-booted heels, he made his way to Trinity.

"Man, you really saved my ass this time. Thanks a lot, Trinity. It sure is great having such a kind friend!"

He started lightly slapping her cheeks, soaked in tears flowing from her wide-open, upturned eyes. For the first time ever, Trinity wanted to get away from those hands, and so she turned her head.

Like he was chasing prey that was trying to escape, Terumi grabbed her by the chin and yanked her head back up to face him. As the tears kept flowing down her face, Trinity wisely glared at him. No matter who or what she was looking at, she always faced them with a gentle smile in her green eyes, but now she was gathering up every scrap of hostility she had within her and putting it into this look.

"Oh, man, I'm shakin' in my boots! Kehehe, you call that a glare? Clearly you've never been on the receiving end of one of Nine's real glares. Talk about a scary mug."

"Why are you such... such a..."

"Huh? Hey, what, why don't you go on and say it? Hey, hey, c'mon!"

Terumi pulled her hard by the chin, but Trinity didn't have the heart to finish. She felt like there was a weight stuck in her chest that was going to strangle the sobs right out of her, along with all the air in her lungs.

"Oh, yeah, almost forgot to pay you back for all your help." Pretending to have just remembered something, Terumi stood back up. As he looked to the ceiling and spread his arms wide with palms up, a single chain appeared.

"Here's your reward... I'll send you to the same place as your beloved best friend. Go kiss and make up in the Boundary or something, Hyaaa-hahahahaha!"

Laughing with a voice so shrill that it shook the air around him, Terumi gave the chain another forceful pull. Trinity was attacked by that same sinking, dragging feeling.

"Welp, I'm too busy to hang around here much longer."

As Trinity felt a strange sensation of something crawling up from inside her and contracting her entire body at once, Terumi punted her. After giving Trinity one last look of contempt as he sent her tumbling head over heels across the floor, he strolled away, the rough sound of his footsteps ringing out as he went.

Sinking. Sinking. The mosaic tiles felt like a hot wind as they touched her cheek. Her consciousness dimmed and she could hardly move a muscle.

From her spot laid out on the ground, Trinity could see the already entirely immobile body of Nine. Between them, Muchourin rested where it had rolled across the floor.

She apologized over and over again to Nine's face-down body, but Nine couldn't hear her anymore.

She sank deeper.

Suddenly, a thought came to her.

Take-Mikazuchi's core, which the Nox Nyctores used, was made up of an incredible number of human souls. If the Nox Nyctores functioned by tapping into the power of those souls, then... if she were to give a new soul to Muchourin, which was currently sealed off from soul power, then it would return to being a full-fledged Nox Nyctores... probably.

If she moved her own soul into Muchourin and restored it to its status as a causality weapon, then maybe she would get a chance to atone for her foolishness one day.

Her soul was being pulled into the Boundary.

She didn't have time to deliberate.

"I'm, so sorry... Nine..."

If she was just going to disappear anyway, she'd rather set fire to her regrets and atone for an eternity instead.

Trinity managed to move her body a tiny bit, wringing out every dredge of strength she had left to pull herself next to Muchourin.

She began to chant an incantation in the faintest, weakest of voices.
===Part 2===
Newly reorganized in the aftermath of the war, the Orbis Librarius Norma was poised to unite the whole world under its banner, and was currently working on establishing branches everywhere it could. They had a system in place to quickly handle any disputes over whose territory they were establishing themselves in, which kept things running smoothly.

The world, having survived the menace known as the Black Beast, didn't want to further destroy itself with wars of self-interest or other conflicts, so the OLN championed resolute propositions and ideals, skyrocketing their general clout.

What very few people knew was that all of the OLN buildings established all across the world were located above one of the world's many cauldrons.

The war with the Black Beast was over and the Mage's Guild had been completely absorbed.

Unable to get used to the new world order, Jubei and Hakumen had left Ishana and started traveling the world. They had one goal: the destruction of every single cauldron on Earth. The cauldrons were contact points to another dimension from which the Black Beast had been summoned. There was no telling what kind of tragedy could arise from continuing to meddle with them.

"If the world cannot survive without cauldrons, then it is no world of humankind."

That's what Hakumen said when he had set out for his first target. Jubei was in total agreement with Hakumen, so he chose to accompany him.

They hadn't even been married a year yet, so his wife Nine was stunned at his decision, but she allowed him to go on the condition that he would come back at least once per season to let his daughter see his face. Nine, too, must have had serious misgivings about the idea of letting the cauldrons continue to exist.

Jubei wanted to destroy all of them as fast as possible so he could finally relax and enjoy the rest of his life with his wife and daughter. He had been secretly thinking about that as they had left the area of the tenth cauldron they destroyed, but today, he wasn't sure how many cauldrons they had destroyed anymore. It felt stupid to even try and keep count at this point.

They hadn't chosen this cauldron today for any particular reason: it was just the closest, and it reeked of the Black Beast.

Ear-splitting alarms echoed through the dimly-lit corridor.

Flickering red lamps gave the passageway they followed a very serious atmosphere.

Hearing the footsteps and voices of nearby guards looking for the intruders, Jubei and Hakumen ran into the massive, air conditioned facility. This was the Orbis Librarius Norma's Asian branch of their geological survey department, located on the western tip of Asia.

Asia had suffered particularly severe damage from the Black Beast, so the OLN had established various different research labs across the continent to help facilitate its recovery.

Jubei and Hakumen hadn't snuck in for research data, though. Just like every other facility, this lab had a cauldron underneath it. As usual, the cauldron was very deep underground. The OLN had used it as a foundation when erecting the facility.

The pair eventually found an elevator leading down to it beyond a stack of fans that were liable to make their ears ring if they were to stay around them too long. Wrenching out a piece of the wall and crawling into the wire-lined interior, they descended deeper and deeper into the facility, with Jubei climbing down easily and skillfully while Hakumen just barreled down sloppily, not fearing the possible fall.

Finally, and without getting into a knock-down drag-out fight with the guards for the first time in a long time, they made it to the deepest level of the facility.

"Whew... we made it down pretty easy this time, huh?"

They could see simple measuring instruments placed around the circumference of the cauldron, but it didn't seem like the OLN was conducting any large scale research or experiments here. Keeping a close watch on his surroundings, Jubei stretched his flexible body.

"This place must have been created solely to suppress the cauldron. There are countless places like it."

Hakumen had taken Ookami off of his back so it wouldn't impede his movement, but he put it back on now as he spoke.

The OLN didn't want to let other organizations have cauldrons. Their intentions were clear even during the war with the Black Beast, when the OLN members could often be found spending comically long amounts of time studying maps showing the locations of cauldrons.

Jubei walked right next to the cauldron, where the OLN had installed a lid-like device that they could open and close.

"The cauldron's closed up right now."

"Naturally. With so few personnel, this facility has no intention of using it."

"Sure enough."

They barely had enough people to man the facility here, so they had probably just been unable to bear leaving the cauldron alone.

"The OLN's folks sure do work hard."

With mild exasperation in his voice, Jubei extended the sharp claws of both of his hands.

"Let's get this done before someone shows up looking for trouble. I wanna leave riding an elevator the normal way for once."

He may have been a cat beastkin, but climbing five stories up in an elevator shaft still wasn't an easy task. It would put a damper on his day, at the very least.

Hakumen drew the nodachi that he had just put on his back out of its scabbard and walked up to the cauldron. Just before he was ready to unleash one clean slash on it, however, the formerly silent and motionless lid on top of it began to open.

"Wha..."

Jubei, who was on lookout, was the second to notice when he turned to look behind him.

Rooms that contained cauldrons always had very high ceilings, no matter where they were. Far above the cauldron, there was what must have been a control room sticking out of the wall, inside of which a silhouette was visible.

"That's..."

Jubei flattened his ears back when he saw who it was.

"Terumi..."

Hakumen said that man's name with a low growl.

Possibly realizing that Jubei and Hakumen had recognized him, Terumi brazenly strolled out of the control room toward them. His unnaturally laid back and composed body language gave Jubei pause.

"What do you want?"

He was dressed in his usual long-hemmed coat, and his big hood was completely hiding his eyes. It had been at least two months since the last time they had seen this man. They had been looking for him ever since, but they hadn't caught wind of him until today.

"Yo. You two are really moving on up in life, going from being part of the ‘Six Heroes’ of the war to playing terrorists."

Terumi gave a throaty, sarcastic laugh as he looked from Jubei to Hakumen, hands stuffed in his pockets.

Hakumen reiterated his companion's question.

"He told you to state your business."

"Aw, c'mon, why the cold shoulder? I brought you guys some seriously huuuuuge news."

"News?"

Jubei's ears perked up at Terumi's uncharacteristic word choice. Terumi was indeed strangely knowledgeable about all sorts of things, despite how he seemed, but he wasn't the type to just tell you something without you wringing it out of him first.

Smiling delightedly at the puzzled Jubei, Terumi spoke like he was telling him some great joke he'd been saving.

"Nine's dead."

For a few seconds, Jubei was convinced that time had stopped around him.

He couldn't process what he had just heard. As he stood there with his mouth half open, he registered Hakumen shifting into a ready stance in his peripheral vision.

That little movement snapped Jubei out of it. He heard the sound of the cauldron slowly opening up behind him.

"Wh- why, did she die? What was the cause? Was she killed?"

Hakumen held Jubei back with one arm as the latter fired off a barrage of questions. From deep within the mask, Hakumen asked for the truth.

"Who killed her?"

Terumi smirked. He was smiling beneath that hood.

Without giving an answer, he kept on talking.

"Trinity's probably dead too. That means the only ones left are... Hakumen, Jubei, Valkenhayn, and that damned shitty vampire!"

He sounded like he was counting on his fingers at first, but it devolved into a scream at the end. Terumi yanked his hands out of his pockets and thrust them forward, and in response, chains shot out from either side of his body. The one on the left went for Jubei, the one on the right went for Hakumen, and they both cut a straight line through the air as they hurtled toward their targets.

"Kuh!"

Using his claws to repel the chain, Jubei jumped away. At his side, Hakumen cut down the chain aimed at him with one strike from his blade.

Switching to offense immediately, he swung Ookami diagonally at Terumi, but his slash landed an instant too late, cutting only the air where Terumi had just been. Terumi had kicked off the ground to launch himself backward and swung his arm wide as he landed. This time, he attacked Jubei with both chains.

"Grimalkin, to the side!"

Just as Hakumen shouted a warning, he suddenly felt a presence below him.

"...!?"

He tried to put his guard up, but he was too late. Snapping like a whip, Terumi's leg caught Hakumen on the chin with a kick.

A normal human's chin would've been crushed, but Hakumen endured the otherworldly impact, stumbling back several steps but not losing his footing. Blocking the follow-up round kick by raising one arm, he sliced upward with the nodachi held in his other hand.

"Tsk!"

Terumi bent backwards to avoid the attack and immediately threw a magic barrier up, but Ookami still left a diagonal cut on his chest. Only a shallow one, though.

Ookami no longer had the abnormal power from when Hakumen wielded it against the Black Beast with its core released. His so-called normal slashes would struggle to inflict any lasting damage on Terumi, whose body currently had abnormally fast regenerative powers.

Jubei, fighting the chain, wasn't having an easy time either. The chain chased him down relentlessly and caught hold of one of his claws as he tried to escape it. The claw was clearly at a disadvantage against the chain, so he immediately drew one blade of Musashi with his free hand and sliced down on the chain fast enough to split the wind.

"Yeah, figured I couldn't cut it...!"

He was fighting a Nox Nyctores, and one that still had a functional core to boot. This chain was capable of stabbing straight through the Black Beast.

Knowing that was the case, Jubei instead cut his own claw away from the chain with Musashi, escaping from the chain's binding spell. Drawing the other blade of Musashi without missing a beat, he connected the two sides into one sword.

From behind him, he heard a thunderous roar. With a glance over his shoulder, he saw that the cauldron had finished opening up, baring its simmering, lava-like contents. A deep-seated assurance that that was not something of this world flowed through his body.

Its presence flowed through Terumi in a more literal sense, further increasing his strength.

"Dieeeeeee! Hyaaaa-hahahaha!"

Drunk on his own blood lust, Terumi laughed as countless black, snake-like things appeared from beneath his feet and reared up, combining into one. Clearly possessing far greater mass than Terumi himself, the massive thing could easily swallow Jubei and Hakumen whole.

The black snake struck down with its mouth wide open, looking like it was going to slam its head into the ground. Jubei immediately tucked and rolled, just barely managing to jump away from it in time. Hakumen tried to block it with his sword instead of avoiding it, and he took a glancing blow on the side of his mask that sent him sprawling on the hard metal floor. The slash he made while still halfway through standing back up managed to fend off the snake's next attack.

Terumi had made some distance between them, and he stood there with a smirk like a gash across his face on his lips, shoulders shaking as he chuckled.

"Being next to a cauldron really makes a difference... Kehehe, this way, the two of you together are barely enough to make me break a sweat."

"Rgh, what the hell... I know he's using Ouroboros, but his reaction speed's way faster than normal."

Jubei muttered as his shoulders rose and fell from breathing hard. He had found himself out of breath at some point. He'd been completely at the mercy of the chain for a while now, and apparently it was taking its toll.

Hakumen, having taken a hit from the massive head, shook his head lightly and finally brought his sword back into position. He was sensing something unusual from Terumi as well.

"He is strong..."

Perplexed, Hakumen put his thoughts into words.

"Ahhh, I'm having so much fun. Oh yeah, by the way, about that scary wife of yours."

Lazily fending off Jubei and Hakumen's counterattacks, Terumi spoke with utter contempt.

"Come to think of it, she bit the dust in the exact same place as where I beat your little brother to death. You'd better hurry up and die, or your little bro might cuck you! Hyahaha!"

"You son of a bitch..."

A thrill of murderous intent ran along Jubei's spine. With a quick breath, all feeling left his body at once.

His red eye burning with hatred, Jubei charged forward.

"Uwoooooooooooo!"

Shouting from deep within his belly, he swung his double-bladed sword down on Terumi's head from above. Unfortunately, he evaded the blade, but Jubei followed it up by springing off the ground and diving in between Terumi's arms.

"Guh!"

The tip of the blade caught Terumi in the stomach, slicing him open. It was then that Jubei realized he wouldn't be able to kill him this way. He'd have to cut Terumi into pieces so small that he couldn't move before tossing them into the cauldron, at the very least.

But even that was too good for him. Jubei would never be satisfied, no matter how many times, no matter how many dozens of times he beheaded and dismembered this man. It would never be enough.

"Grimalkin!"

Paying Hakumen no heed, Jubei pounced again. In exchange for a deep cut on his arm, Terumi summoned a chain out of thin air to bite Jubei's leg and slam him into the ground. Jubei never felt the pain, though. He was back on his feet in an instant, brandishing his sword.

"Go to Hell... you bastaaaaaaard!"

He jumped, and he slashed. Carefree in the face of the reckless attacks, Terumi occasionally let himself eat a slash so he could pay it back twofold.

A snake-headed chain appeared and tried to bite out Jubei's one remaining eye as he was trying to stand back up. One second before that could happen, though, a nodachi swung down on it and smashed it to the floor.

As it did, the sharp blast of wind it generated restored some sense to the out-of-control-Jubei.

"I... I'm sorry, Hakumen."

"Tell me, Grimalkin. Do you want to defeat him?"

Hakumen raised his blade, turned his back, then asked that question.

For a moment, Jubei struggled to understand what that wide back was asking him, but then he gave his answer straight from the heart.

"Of course I do. How could I ever let him get away with this? How could I! After what he did to Nine, to Tomonori... and now he's making their deaths into a joke!"

The very words felt like they were setting his guts on fire.

Perhaps sensing that behind his back, Hakumen gave an exceedingly calm answer.

"Then use that. You may not have your brother's sword with you, but you do have his eye."

A gasp. Jubei breathed in hard, turning his attention to the right side of his face that he'd kept covered with an eye patch for years. The eye that had been gouged and ruined by seithr had long since been removed from the socket. In its place, he had the artificial eye of Tomonori that he had received from Rachel.

"But even if I use this, we still won't be able to do any damage to him..."

"All you must do is catch hold of his true form for an instant. I will take him with me, body and all."

"Take him with you? What the hell are you planning, Hakumen!?"

"Hey hey hey, what've you two been whispering about? I'm feeling pretty left out over here～."

Terumi spread his arms wide, and two chains peaked up over his shoulders.

"Save your buddy-buddy time for the afterlife!"

The chains whistled straight through the air, but all of a sudden they jumped through space and appeared below Jubei's feet.

"Shit!"

"Use it now, Grimalkin! You still have family left! Do you intend to let your daughter die as well!?"

Another chain that had jumped through space aimed for Hakumen's back, but he cut it down with Ookami.

Intermittently attacking him with the chains, Terumi swung kicks down at Jubei with his higher stature. Jubei crouched so low that his hands touched the ground, jumped, and escaped.

In the moment that he was recovering from his landing, Hakumen's words hit so close to home that it made him dizzy. If he were, in this very moment, to run away somewhere where no one could see him, he might have cried. His left eye was burning and growing damp.

What had become of the small, precious life that Nine had left behind?

"Konoe..."

Whispering his wife's name, Jubei put his hand on his eye patch. Hakumen knew what he was about to do.

There was no other option.

"Open, Sekigan!"

He howled out to steel himself. Throwing the eye patch away, he opened his atrophied eyelid.

The moment he did, Terumi's appearance changed before him.

He wasn't a tall, thin man. He could hardly even be called human. He looked like an indistinct black shadow holding the vague shape of a human, with a face-like segment floating on top. He was a hazy and indistinct existence, bearing a passing resemblance to Take-Mikazuchi.

"Wha- huh...!?"

Terumi cried out, his voice trembling. He looked down at his own body in a panic, then glared at Jubei's right eye like he had just figured out the secret behind a cheap trick.

"Tsk, that damned vampire again!?"

As he shouted in anger, Hakumen closed the distance between them faster than a rushing gale and sunk Ookami straight into his chest.

"Ookami cannot cut through the spirit of a monster... but for as long as you're manifested in physical form like this, it can have some effect on you by interfering directly with your body and mind together."

Speaking like he was muttering a curse, he left Terumi skewered and grabbed him by the neck before breaking into a run. He bent his knees deep and launched himself... jumping right in.

He jumped into the cauldron, where the bright red, lava-like substance swirled about.

"AaaaAAAAAAAA, this ain't a joke, don't friggin' screw with me! My body... my vessel's gonna disappear...! Let go, you sonuva bitch let me gooooooo!"

"Close it!"

Reaching for the rim of the cauldron, Terumi was trying to crawl out, but Hakumen grabbed his arm and dragged him back in.

"Grimalkin!!"

"...Forgive me, Hakumen!"

Shaking off his regrets, Jubei jumped all the way to the control room, breaking the thick glass with his sword and rolling inside. He didn't know how to operate the mechanism, so he just flipped every switch in sight. Apparently one of them was the right one, because the cauldron's lid began to shut.

"You damned caaaaaaaaat, open it! Don't think you've pulled a fast one on me, you bastard!"

He kept on roaring in resentment, but his shadowy hand was no longer on the rim of the cauldron.

"I'll be back...I'll be back for all of yoooooooooou!"

With that, Terumi's voice finally stopped.

Jubei couldn't hear Hakumen's voice.

The cauldron was shut. Just moments before, firelight had colored even the high ceiling bright red, but now there was nothing but a metal box wrapped in lonely gray.

Standing with the cauldron before him, Jubei was awash with remorse.

He never wanted to run away and let someone else sacrifice themself in his place ever again. He had carved that resolution into his heart, and yet here he was.

"Dammit... Damn iiiiiiiiiiiiiit...!!"

Jubei, the last man standing, let out a wail, and as he did, the sound of him punching the control room floor rang out alongside it.

Over, and over, and over again.

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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Colorless Guiding Light]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5

2024-12-22T01:29:42Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "== Chapter 5: Colorless Guiding Light== The Black Beast was gone. At first, that was an obscure fact, unknown to many and hardly believed by those who were aware. But just as..."

== Chapter 5: Colorless Guiding Light==
The Black Beast was gone.

At first, that was an obscure fact, unknown to many and hardly believed by those who were aware. But just as feeling returns to limbs as blood resumes coursing through them, the reality of what had happened spread across humanity.

They all raised their voices and rejoiced as one. Victory is ours. The Black Beast is gone. Everyone was singing to the skies about the glorious fact that the world was now free from its menace.

Like a gear that suddenly started turning again, everyone was busy.

One month passed in the blink of an eye.

In the school courtyard on a mild afternoon, with sunlight filtered through the leaves of the trees above pouring down on her, Celica was idly gazing upon the green scenery spreading as far as her eyes could see once again.

Even though the Black Beast had been defeated, the world hadn't instantly returned to this sort of mundane everyday life. Ishana still wasn't even halfway done restoring the buildings that had been crushed beneath Take-Mikazuchi, and they hadn't finished sorting out all the dead from the final battle until just the other day. There had been talk of erecting a monument for all those who had died in battle for a while, but now the rumor around town was that the Duodecim was in an uproar trying to decide who would succeed the heads of the families, and that things were getting more and more complicated by the day.

Celica was sitting on a courtyard bench, idly kicking her legs.

She didn't have any particular reason for coming here. There weren't enough teachers left, so the school still hadn't reopened. Celica missed her chance to graduate during the mess they had all just gone through, but she had been granted a diploma in recognition of her contributions during the war.

She didn't have to be here, but she came anyway just to kill time and reminisce on her school life that had been cut short. She thought it was a bit of a shame how it had worked out.

Celica had the option to re-enroll, but she didn't want to do that. She certainly had some lingering attachments to her school life, but if she were to restart attending now, Nine and Trinity wouldn't be with her anymore, and she would have felt uncomfortable with everyone looking at her as the little sister of one of the 'Six Heroes.'

"Hm... the Six Heroes."

Celica murmured to herself as the light kept on filtering through the trees and down onto her head.

Hakumen, Nine, Trinity Glassfille, Jubei, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Yuuki Terumi. They were the brave warriors who had given their all to save the world, inspiring their allies with their overwhelming power enhanced by the Nox Nyctores causality weapons they wielded unflinchingly on the front lines in the final battle... that's the sort of praise that they were receiving alongside the honorable name of 'Six Heroes.'

Celica knew that, in reality, not a single one of them were happy about being called by that name. Nine and Valkenhayn in particular thought it was so stupid that it made them genuinely angry. Trinity and Jubei had convinced them to bear with it so that people could have a symbol of hope to look up to in this time of need.

There had recently been another newly-created name, too. The alliance of the Mage's Guild and the Orbis Librarius Norma, which they had been temporarily calling their 'Joint Headquarters' during the war, had officially become a single organization under the Orbis Librarius Norma name. The fact that they used that as their name after officially reforming as a new entity proved that the Mage's Guild wasn't the one calling the shots.

In light of that, Ishana was likely going to undergo some big changes beyond just the state of the academy. With that thought in mind, she didn't have too much hope for the future.

"Haaa... So much has changed this past month."

She suddenly wasn't a student anymore, and Nine and Trinity had become heroes. Ishana, the place she had lived in since she was a little girl, wasn't governed by the Mage's Guild anymore.

The world was finally at peace again, but the reality of it wasn't as nice as it sounded. Sighing listlessly, Celica leaned back in the bench and tilted her head up to look at a figure standing behind her.

"It's kind of a lonely feeling. Don't you think, Nirvana?"

Nirvana was accompanying her.

Nine had said that she was going to seal the Nox Nyctores if they won the war... but she was so busy with administrative matters that she'd been putting it off. Celica, for one, was glad to have more time to spend with Nirvana, but the fact that it was entirely contingent on how busy Nine was gave her some mixed feelings.

"Hm? What is it?"

Celica pulled herself up off the bench with a little huff.

Nirvana would normally just silently watch Celica, but now she was turned around facing the other direction. She was looking at a winding, overgrown footpath. At the end of that trail... was the Cathedral of the Mage's Guild.

"Do you... want to go see the Cathedral?"

She had a bad feeling about it even as she asked. She wasn't sure if Nirvana was even capable of simply wanting to go see something.

While Celica was standing there thinking about it, Nirvana started tottering away.

"Huh? Huh!? W- wait up!"

She had just started walking down the path like someone had called her over, so Celica chased after her in a panic.

It looked like Nirvana really was heading for the Cathedral. Guards used to be commonplace around here, but now there were none to be seen. The former Mage's Guild was so severely short on manpower that they had stopped posting human sentinels for the time being.

They found themselves standing in front of the small building before long, sunlight pouring through the cracks in its white outer wall. Nirvana pushed open the double doors.

"Huuuh!? Hey, wait wait, don't do that!"

Ignoring Celica's bewildered pleas, she stepped inside and turned around, seeming to urge Celica to follow her with her glass ball eyes.

"Um, Nirvana? We're not supposed to just walk right in here whenever we want to, so..."

Nirvana turned away before Celica could finish her sentence and walked right in, just as she wanted to. She headed straight for the staircase at the back of the Cathedral, which was a place where students typically weren't allowed in at all.

Celica knew that it would spell trouble if she just let her go, so she figured she had to follow Nirvana. There was something weird about a Nox Nyctores like Nirvana suddenly deciding to lead someone somewhere, and the cause of it might be waiting inside.

They passed through countless doors and descended countless flights of steps before finally arriving at a magically-powered elevator. At the bottom of it was what must have been the deepest level of the Cathedral.

They passed through a corridor with a high, arched ceiling before arriving at a tall set of double doors. The wooden doors were clearly very old.

Nirvana stood before them and stared at Celica, seemingly urging her to go on.

"Is it really alright for me to open these?"

Celica glanced over her shoulder nervously, but Nirvana neither nodded nor shook her head. Her only response was to start staring silently at the doors.

Celica couldn't get any kind of read on her expressionless face, so she furrowed her brow and reappraised the doors. They were majestic, and looked incredibly heavy. Her common sense as a former student in the Mage's Guild was telling her that the place lying behind them would not be the sort of place you should enter casually, but still... she had a funny feeling. Even beyond the fact that Nirvana had led her here, Celica felt like something was inviting her to go past these doors. She wasn't hearing anyone's voice or even feeling anyone's presence, but she had a feeling that she needed to go on as if someone had just called her name.

She put her slightly flushed hands on the door and gave it a gentle push. It swung open far easier than she had expected, almost like it was opening on its own. The wood creaked a little, but the tiny sound it made was swallowed up by the massive ceiling of the room beyond, even higher than the corridor behind her.

"Wow..."

It was a circular hall. It was completely deserted, but it was incomparably wider than the chapel on the surface above it. Mosaic tiles on the floor made a pattern that resembled something like a flower, the sun, or perhaps swirling fire, giving the whole room a sort of ritualistic feel.

Walking in slowly, Celica felt like she was being invited to continue.

The moment the tip of her leather shoe touched the floor, with neither a sound nor a warning…

Celica's world was dominated by white.

Whiteness.

Nothing but pure white.

No floor, no walls, and no ceiling.

Even the concept of an 'end' to the whiteness was vague at best, and Celica found herself standing alone in that world of nothing but white. She looked around in bewilderment, but even Nirvana, who was standing right beside her just a moment ago, was now nowhere to be found.

Instead... she didn't know when it had appeared, or if it had been there from the start, but she saw a single rectangular mirror standing upright in the pure white space.

(A mirror...)

She couldn't manage to speak the words aloud, as if they had been sucked away from her. Her memories rustled like ripples on the surface of water. She had seen this before.

No, she hadn't simply seen this in passing once. She had seen this countless times. This scenery had appeared before her countless times before, and countless times it had melted away both from her sight and from her memory. She had always thought it was a dream, but looking back on it, the first time she had slipped into this monochromatic world had been a similarly sudden visit.

...Why had she forgotten?

Why…

(Why was I called here...?)

Stepping forward in a daze, Celica muttered without thinking, but the words didn't actually come out.

Even her breath was simply melting into the whiteness.

Had someone... really called her here?

Who? Why? Who were they calling for?

Like intermittent droplets creating ripples that eventually faded into the distance, her sporadic questions slowly disappeared.

Just what was this place?

With this final question in her heart, Celica found herself drawn before the mirror. It was just tall enough to reflect Celica's entire body, as if it existed here solely for Celica's use.

...Just how many times had she thought that before?

The mirror reflected Celica's appearance perfectly, but something about it was strange. It seemed like, rather than showing the Celica who stood here in this pure white world, the mirror was actually a window showing a different Celica standing on the other side.

The uncomfortable feeling Celica had had ever since she appeared in the pure white world finally became a vivid chill running down her spine.

That's right. The mirror wasn't reflecting her standing here on the white ground in front of it... or at least, it didn't feel like it was.

(No, that's not right. It is me, but it isn't. It's not reflecting the me that's standing here. It's like I'm watching a me from a different place...)

She tried to feel around in her heart for the right words, but she couldn't find a good enough way to describe what she was feeling. It was frustrating. Annoying. What should she call this feeling?

(But... it's weird. I haven't really been able to stand here and just think about stuff before, have I...?)

She was getting more and more confused and uncertain, and she was even less sure about her self that she was seeing in the mirror. It was like the indefinite outlines of ink after spilling water on it.

(...Huh?)

Celica suddenly realized something.

That was weird.

The world in the mirror wasn't white.

It seemed like some kind of circular, sanctuary-like hall. The ceiling was so high that she couldn't see it, but the floor had a mosaic tile pattern that looked like the sun or a flower.

It was the underground room below the Cathedral that she had opened the doors to just moments ago. The Celica reflected on the mirror's surface stood in the center of the mosaic and looked at the Celica in the pure white world with wonder in her eyes.

(What's... going on?)

Once again, her question couldn't pass her lips. However, Celica did realize something else: even though her voice wouldn't come out, her lips did move, but every time they did, the Celica on the surface of the mirror's lips stayed still. That Celica was just standing there, perplexed.

She still wasn't certain about anything even though she had remembered this place, so she couldn't say anything for sure, but she felt like this was the first time something like this had happened. There was a clear separation between this side and that side, with the rectangle forming the boundary.

Maybe she should have felt fear at this realization... but instead, Celica felt a strange emotion similar to nostalgia from deep within her heart. It wasn't as if she was looking at herself from the past, so she didn't understand why she felt that way.

(Is this... really a mirror?)

She told herself that it wasn't as she slowly raised her arm.

This couldn't be a mirror. At the very least, it wasn't an ordinary mirror like the one Celica looked into every morning at home.

She wanted to know what it would feel like. Inside the frame, the Celica standing in the room beneath the Cathedral raised her hand at the same time.

However, just before they touched their fingers together, the Celica on the other side of the mirror suddenly turned to look behind her. She smiled bitterly like a child who had just been caught doing something wrong. She shuffled her feet on the mosaic tiles and made eye contact with a woman who had just entered the room.

The woman had soft hair beneath her large hood, and a soft smile graced her face.

(Trinity-san?)

She tried to call out to the other side of the mirror, but it seemed like her voice wasn't reaching them.

As if doing it in her place, the Celica on the colorful side of the mirror called out to Trinity in exactly the same way. Taking graceful steps, Trinity walked toward her with a gentle smile as she raised her index finger, seemingly admonishing her.

Her voice wasn't audible in the pure white world, which gave Celica a hunch about what was going on here.

They were different. Her side and the other side were different places. The rectangular mirror looked like it was connecting the two, but it really wasn't. Either that... or the mirror had previously connected them, but now it wasn't anymore.

The mirror in front of Celica wasn't showing her a reflection of herself at this point: it was just a window for her to peek into the other side through. That was why she had had an uncomfortable sense that she and the image in the mirror weren't one in the same.

She could tell that Trinity was asking the other Celica to leave with her now. The Celica on the other side sheepishly walked to Trinity as Trinity beckoned her.

She turned her back to the mirror... no, to the window, and left it behind. Past her, Celica could see Nirvana standing at the entrance to the room as well.

(H- hey, wait!)

Seeing that, Celica finally started to panic.

If the Celica on the other side was going to leave with Nirvana, who had brought her here in the first place, then what was going to happen to her here on this side?

(Wait, Nirvana! I'm still here... Trinity-san!)

She screamed and beat on the rectangular frame that was no longer a mirror with her fists.

Not a sound escaped her throat, though, and her fists made as little impact as if she were swinging through thin air... until she suddenly stopped cold as if she simply couldn't do it anymore.

(Nirvana! Trinity-san! ...What do I do?)

After the fear and sadness had set in, her thoughts became surprisingly clear. No matter how much she struggled on this side, no one on the other side would be able to perceive her even in the slightest. The fact that Nirvana hadn't even glanced back slightly proved that quite well.

(Back when I got stuck inside the Black Beast... he came and saved me...)

This, however, was an entirely different situation. She was in some unknown place that even Nirvana couldn't interfere with, not the inside of a monster made of seithr.

(Where is this place, really?)

Celica couldn't think of anything even remotely like this. Could a place more unbelievable than the inside of the Black Beast really exist?

As if in response to her question, she heard a voice.
──ca.

(Wh- who's there...!?)

That was the first sound she had heard in this world of whiteness. Hearing someone else's voice filled her with equal parts relief and anxiety. She didn't know if that was a voice she really wanted to hear or not. She wasn't sure if she ought to respond or keep quiet, but as things stood, Celica didn't have any straws to grasp at other than this voice.

──ca... ury…

The voice was slowly getting clearer, and as it did... Celica began to feel a strange, oppressive sense of pressure closing in on her. The atmosphere around her changed. The supposedly empty space around her seemed to be filled with molasses, trapping her body.

It was a familiar feeling, somehow.

──Ce...ca...Me...cury…

(They're... calling my name?)

Oh, of course: it felt like water. Just as soon as the realization struck her, Celica's body sank.

She was sinking into a body of white water.

Even as she did, the voice continued to call out, growing ever clearer and ever closer.

──Celica.

(This voice... sounds familiar...)

──Celica A. Mercury.

(Oh, I know... It sounds like how Onee-chan does... when she's thinking about something too hard.)

A strict, strong voice... hiding deep kindness within it.

The voice dispelled every trace of fear she was feeling. Feeling like she was rising to the surface now even as she continued to sink, Celica closed her eyes.

...She couldn't clearly remember what happened then.

Celica turned with a start when she heard someone calling her name to see Trinity standing behind her with a troubled expression. She felt like a child being caught in the middle of doing something wrong and tried to talk her way out of it.

At that point her surroundings had already switched back to being the underground room of the Cathedral instead of a blank white world... and they had been that way for some time. Nirvana stood silently between the open doors, like she was some kind of gate warden.

Obviously, Trinity wasn't fooled in the slightest by Celica's excuses, and she firmly scolded Celica by saying, 'you shouldn't come in here,' with a tender expression on her face. Celica wanted to try and explain herself, but even she didn't really understand what she was doing here. In the end, she gave a sincere apology and let herself be led back up to the surface.

...What had happened to her when she went below the Cathedral? When she was back out under the sunlight again, for some reason, it felt like she was waking up from a dream that she couldn't remember clearly. The memory of the mysterious experience that she had just had melted away into the sunlight. In just a few days, she completely forgot about the entire thing.

After that, she just quietly and peacefully drifted through the rest of those days when the world was slowly healing its wounds.

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Azure Wish's Fate]]
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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Blue Snake's Crazed Play]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4

2024-12-22T01:15:02Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Chapter 4: Azure Wish’s Fate== ===Part 1=== The time they had left to them passed as inexorably as sand being eroded by a river. Morning came, night came. The sun rose,..."

==Chapter 4: Azure Wish’s Fate==

===Part 1===

The time they had left to them passed as inexorably as sand being eroded by a river.

Morning came, night came. The sun rose, the sun fell. The wind blew, the wind died away. Whenever something moved, someone flinched. The passage of time was like a stairway to oblivion, but that seemingly endless, illusory stairway was already nearing its end. Waiting at the bottom was their final battle. The final confrontation with the Black Beast, with humanity's survival on the line.

The city now seemed less like the Magister's City of Ishana and more like the Military City of Ishana. Soldiers were everywhere and combat vehicles rolled down the cobblestone streets. The curtain was just about to fall on dusk to make way for night. The sky shifted from a pale light blue color into a whimsical pink, and the western horizon was painted with a single orange line.

At this moment, the entire Mage's Guild was abuzz with activity, with everyone running to-and-fro looking for any more preparations still needing to be made. Inside one of the guild's spacious conference rooms, a solemn atmosphere reigned over a meeting in progress. More than thirty people were in attendance, but counting the secretaries, messengers, and the like who were coming in-and-out periodically, it was more like fifty.

The attendees consisted of the Ten Sages and the Duodecim of the Mage's Guild and the top executives and military directors of the Orbis Librarius Norma. Hakumen, Celica A. Mercury, Trinity Glassfille, Jubei, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Yuuki Terumi were also present.

Nine looked out over the faces of everyone who had been summoned to the meeting as she stood before them, giving a briefing. An alchemical screen projected a large map that already had three points marked on it.

First, a black x-mark indicated the location of the cauldron on the furthest western edge of the continent, where the Black Beast would appear in less than ten days.

Next, a white circle showed the antibody-bearing cave near the Kaka village.

Lastly, a red circle was drawn on the spot closest to where the Black Beast would appear that was still within range for their teleportation spell.

Indicating the black x-mark with a magical light and using magic to amplify the volume of her voice, Nine continued with her explanation.

"When the Black Beast appears from within the seithr, the Ars Magus Corps station directly to the north will commence a coordinated attack. This will restrict its vision and slow it down. In addition to halting its progress for a few seconds with a barrage, we hope to make it think that it is being assaulted from long range."

Her magical pointer traced the Ars Magus Corps' location, then she drew another mark in the woods to the east, very close to where the Black Beast would appear, indicating a second deployment of the Ars Magus Corps.

"Here, Hakumen and Jubei will lead their unit in a charge out of these woods to ambush the Black Beast, executing a direct assault on it. Using hit-and-run tactics, their objective will be to bait the Black Beast into following them."

In reality, the charge would actually serve another purpose as well. Using the Ars Magus assault and the charge as a smokescreen, Jubei would slice open the Black Beast with Hihiirokane and Nirvana would infiltrate the creature through the resulting rift with Celica in tow. Hakumen would be there to support them.

The part about Celica entering the Black Beast was kept strictly secret from anyone who hadn't been at the meeting in Trinity's workshop. No one else would have been able to understand it in the first place, and if the army didn't understand, they wouldn't cooperate with the plan. The second reason for their decision was that if they made this plan common knowledge, then Celica's special characteristic, the presence of Hihiirokane, and the existence of the Black Beast's heart would all become common knowledge too.

There would be no telling how some people might deviate from the plan if they got it in their heads that all they had to do was destroy the heart. Nine had been the one to propose keeping it a secret among their group, and even in this moment she was being careful to hold her cards close to her chest. To that end, Nine was slipping in lies during her briefing at this conference, which would be the final meeting of all the movers and shakers of Ishana.

"Those who participated in the one-month battle to delay the Black Beast will be familiar with the tactics we will employ to lead it along. That is the reason why command of this unit has been entrusted to Hakumen and Jubei."

Jubei had been sitting in an uncomfortable conference room chair and pretending to not be paying too close attention, but in this moment he unconsciously threw a glance at Nine. He had noticed how her statement had differed from the truth a little bit, but he wasn't foolish enough to speak up about it. But when he heard Terumi, sitting on the opposite side of Trinity from him, let out a cackle, Jubei couldn't help but shoot him a nasty glare.

"We will bait the Black Beast until we reach this location."

Nine's pointer moved to the red mark.

"All of the Ten Sages, myself included, will prepare a massive teleportation circle here. Once the Black Beast reaches the circle, our forces will surround it. Ideally, we don't want to let it take even a single step outside of the circle. Valkenhayn R. Hellsing will be serving as supreme commander of our army. Also, regarding the teleporation magic..."

Nine took a deep breath. This was the part she was most worried about. Running her eyes across the Ten Sages sitting together in a line, she surreptitiously peeked at Three and Seven, seemingly not wanting to meet their gazes.

She had given both of them a Nox Nyctores so that they would, theoretically, be able to bring much more magical power to bear in the fight. That was only going to matter if they managed to survive until after completing the teleportation spell, though.

"If we are able to catch the Black Beast in the middle of our formation and complete our preparations, we will carry out the teleportation spell. The teleportation circle will transport anyone standing inside it, so those who do not wish to be teleported should retreat when they see the circle start to glow."

Finally, the pointer moved to the white mark. It was a spot close to where a subway line had once run under a city.

"This will be the destination of the teleport. For some reason, something about this place gives it the power to suppress seithr. Once the Black Beast is teleported here, the activity of its seithr will be restrained, and it won't be able to go on a rampage like it has in the past. A unit of mages centered around the Duodecim will be stationed here, with Trinity Glassfille and Yuuki Terumi standing in reserve. We can also expect support from the Kaka Clan positioned in the nearby village. If we confirm the teleportation of the Black Beast, we will launch an all out attack utilizing every unit at our disposal and defeat it."

Finishing her speech, Nine used the back of her hand to push her long glossy hair behind her back and extinguished her pointer light with a motion like flicking away lint.

That was it for the complicated explanation, and Nine felt a small sense of relief. She didn't even want to count how many times she had already repeated this briefing in front of various organizations, bureaus, and executives. Doing this briefing that she had grown so sick of so many times was yielding results, however, as she had done it so many times at this point that no one in this meeting spoke up with their dissenting opinions or nit-picky concerns. Thanks to that, they were able to wrap up early.

Nine took another look at the meek-looking faces lined up on the other side of the desk, adding another lair of tension to the air as she stared them down with her aggressive eyes.

"As I've said before, if this plan fails, the Black Beast will resume its progress towards Ishana, and this time, it will almost certainly raze us to the ground. If that happens, there will be hardly anyone capable of using magic that can damage the Black Beast remaining and the techniques to make alchemical weapons will be lost along with the ones that currently exist, which will leave us with nothing more than the fledgling Ars Magus technology."

They were still reliant on the magic of the Mage's Guild to determine who was suitable to wield Ars Magus, so if all the mages were to disappear, it would be difficult to find any potential new Ars Magus wielders.

"The defeat of Ishana will spell defeat for all of mankind. On the other hand, if we win here, then humanity can be free from this calamitous war. We will be able to rebuild ruined buildings, cultivate withered land, and create new countries."

Then she wouldn't have to work without food or sleep to develop weapons or thrust her little sister into life threatening situations anymore.

"We all must bring everything we have to bear on this, and I don't mean that we must callously sacrifice lives... I am requesting that everyone contribute everything we have to offer to our common cause."

She made her declaration with a quiet yet hard-to-defy vigor that did not suit a young woman like her.

Nine's final words signaled the end of the meeting. All that was left was to look onwards toward their decisive moment, like they were being swept away by inescapable rapids.

There had been several days left still, but somehow the time passed in a flash.

It was the early morning. The sun hadn't risen yet, but the sky was growing faintly brighter. In about an hour, the rising sun would be visible and the temperature would go up a little.

Celica, staring through her bedroom window from where she sat on her bed, turned her attention back to the rucksack resting on her lap and, packing away the hand towel she had been holding, closed it tightly shut.

"That should do it."

Giving it a light pat with her hands, she hopped off her bed.

She swung the light rucksack around and onto her back and turned her attention away from it to look up at Nirvana.

"It's finally time, huh?"

On this day, Celica was about to leave Ishana. She was going to get on one of the Joint HQ Army's massive ships and set sail for the continent, then from there get in a car and go to the forest where Hakumen and Jubei’s unit would be taking up position.

Her destination was somewhere that could already be considered part of a battlefield. There was no telling how long after she arrived that the Black Beast would appear, but the decisive battle should take place within the next two or three days.

If she was being honest with herself, it still didn't feel real to her. She wondered if she was really scared and anxious deep down, but perhaps because of the clear early morning air, she wasn't feeling any serious, paralyzing fear at that moment.

Instead, she actually felt a little bit optimistic. Her heart was racing nonstop like she was looking forward to something. Would it really all end with this? Would the Black Beast disappear, and would the war go away with it? Would everyone be able to eat and sleep in peace again? She hoped so, and she felt like this had to be the end. With a smile filled with an earnest wish and her sense of responsibility, Celica took Nirvana's hand.

"Let's go, Nirvana. We'll be together until the end."

Whether Hakumen's plan went well or not, Celica would probably be with Nirvana in the moment when the battle came to a close either way.

The tall machine woman descended the staircase that was a little too tight for her, and they left the house the same way they always did. This time both they and Nine would be gone for a long while, so they made sure the doors and windows were securely locked, turning the key in the lock of the front door when they got outside.

Someone touched Celica's shoulder like they were patting her on the back, and her ponytail swung as she turned to face them. It was Nine.

"Onee-chan! Wait, why are you here?"

She had been working overnight at the Mage's Guild, and she had said yesterday that she was going to go straight from there to the ships.

"Did you forget something?"

"No, that's not it. I just figured we may as well go together, and you happened to be leaving right as I got here."

Nine shrugged and smiled wryly. With a hint of irony, she added on an extra comment, saying,

"Plus, what would we do if you got lost on the way to the harbor? "

Celica pursed her lips in protest.

"I'm not a kid anymore, I wouldn't get lost!"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever you say. I guess you really don't get lost in Ishana very often."

"Yeah, see?"

"...The fact that you do get lost sometimes is the problem, though."

They walked off together while having their silly conversation.

Usually, the streets were quiet and the atmosphere was refreshing in the early morning in Ishana. This morning, however, things were understandably quite different. Countless men in military uniforms were running around busily while tanks rolled down the cobblestone paved slope, taking care not to run over anyone.

The sight of it served to make it clear that today was no ordinary day.

"We've never taken a walk together at this time of day, have we? "

Nine spoke up while looking onward toward their destination. The crisp sound of her high heels regularly striking the cobblestones sounded good.

"I don't think so. You don't like getting up early, after all."

"I just stay up too late."

This time Nine was the one to protest, making a slightly embarrassed face. Brushing some hair off her cheek, she narrowed her eyes and looked at Celica with incredible determination.

"...Did you eat breakfast?"

"Just bread and tea. I overslept a little. How about you, Onee-chan?"

"There's no way I could eat right now."

"Aww, I brought you something though. I made a jam sandwich."

"I'll pass. They'll ration me something at noon anyway."

"How can you say that after telling me to eat... you're always thinking of other people before yourself, Onee-chan."

Celica shook her head wearily. Nine, looking just as exasperated, crossed her arms under her chest.

"I don't want to hear that from you, of all people. I don't even want to think of how much you've worried me by being the way you are up 'til now."

"I don't wanna hear that from you, either, Onee-chan."

Celica intentionally said it in a bratty-sounding way, and Nine's hand immediately shot out and started patting her head like she was petting a kitten.

"Ahhh, how are you always this cute? Maybe I should specially teleport just you over after all. If you get on a boat full of shady soldiers I've never even met before and they all start leering at you, I'd have to dispose of every last one of them. Then the boat wouldn't be able to sail anymore."

"O- Onee-chan, you're messing up my hair! "

Trying to protect her ponytail that she had gone out of her way to tie up really nicely this morning, Celica bent over to escape Nine's hand. Feeling her hair with her hands, it seemed fortunately alright.

Watching Celica rub her head with her own hands, Nine breathed out lightly. She wasn't so much laughing at how silly Celica looked; it was more of a gentle sigh, like she was reflecting on something.

The pace of her high heels got slightly slower.

"...It's been a while since we last got to have a stupid conversation like this."

Her whispering voice was as fresh as the first breeze of the morning. Conveniently, in that moment, just such a breeze blew down the slope toward the harbor, tousling Nine and Celica's hair.

"You've been really busy."

Combing her hair one more time, Celica gave an honest smile.

Pushing a lock of windswept hair behind her ear, Nine returned with an unenthusiastic smile of her own.

"I'm glad I didn't go straight to the ships. I probably won't get any more chances to just spend time with you, after all."

She didn't just mean that she would be too busy attending meetings and giving orders as a member of the Ten Sages to spend time with Celica once they boarded the ships, though. The words that slipped out of her mouth sounded strangely ominous, and Nine furrowed her brow with a troubled expression on her face.

Celica, however, didn't pick up on how ominous they were at all; instead, she heard loneliness in her big sister's words. The rucksack on her back bouncing along with her ponytail, she shot out in front of Nine.

"It'll be okay. We can spend a lot of time together when we get back home."

Laughing without a care in the world, Celica looked from Nine to Nirvana.

Looking back at them from the front like this, it looked like Nine and Nirvana were walking side-by-side together. Faced with such a reliable sight, Celica's chest swelled with pride.

"Yeah, you're right."

Answering with a wry smile, Nine picked up her pace to catch up with Celica and continued forward, Nirvana following along behind them.

They could see the ocean at the bottom of the slope. The eastern sky would be turning white soon.

When the sun rose, the last fleet set sail for the decisive battle with the Black Beast.

The island of Ishana, with only those without the strength to fight remaining on it, saw them off.

===Part 2===

A scattering of bonfires lit up the village in the night. Crudely constructed metal cages containing burning logs held the bright red fire in an embrace while shadows danced across the trees of the forest surrounding the village.

Last time, a party of seven had barged into this place unannounced, but this time, they had brought an incomparably bigger army for their return visit. Nevertheless, the women of the village were astoundingly unperturbed, and when they were asked if they would lend them the village and the forest as an encampment for ambushing the Black Beast from, they agreed on the spot.

This was a small village in a forest thick with seithr, the village of the Kaka Clan. It was the night of the second day since the army's arrival.

The voices of no small number of Kaka clansmen among the crowd proved that they had already forgotten what little wariness they had had and were now helping with the preparations like any other military unit.

The Kakas were an innocent and kind people. They were created solely to fight the Black Beast, but none of them dwelled on that fact, simply living in the moment. If they could, they would have been happy to just lead quiet, peaceful lives forever.

As Trinity was leaving the meeting she had to attend every night, even when they were traveling, she was thinking about the Kakas. She held a staff roughly as long as she was tall in her hand while she walked toward the tents for female soldiers in the forest. Arma Reboare: Muchourin. She never let go of this precious item Nine had entrusted her with for even a moment.

The year was going to come to an end in two more days. She wondered if Nine and Celica, who departed on ships that set out later than hers, would be reaching their respective positions soon. Perhaps it was because she spent every moment of every day thinking about battle, but her head was spinning with incoherent thoughts whenever she was alone at night.

Going past the huts that made up the Kaka village, she set foot on the game trail leading into the encampment in the forest. In that moment, a tall silhouette suddenly appeared from out of the woods.

She only had to wonder who it was for a moment before the nearby bonfire revealed their identity. It was Terumi.

The firelight seemed to be casting an even deeper shadow than normal over his face, which he always kept hidden beneath his hood.

"Is something the matter, Terumi-san?"

Tilting her head slightly, Trinity softly called out to him.

Terumi usually had his hands shoved in his pockets, but this time they were hanging by his sides as he walked steadily towards Trinity. His mirthless face looked uncharacteristically sincere, and Trinity found herself a little taken aback.

"Umm...? "

Thinking it strange that he hadn't responded, Trinity tried to speak up again, and in place of a response, Terumi just kept on walking right past her.

In the instant when their bodies were side-by-side, she heard a low whisper in her ear.

"...We need to talk."

With that, Terumi proceeded deeper into the forest, in the opposite direction of where the tents were. His thin back seemed to be telling her to follow him as he pressed on into the deeper shadows.

Trinity hesitated. Terumi was acting strange. But that was all the more reason to not leave him alone, and so she quickly ran off after him.

Terumi took one look back to make sure Trinity was following him into the woods, and after that he simply walked on in silence.

They left the village and got clear of the forest. Once they got all the way to a rubble-scattered plain that Trinity had once gone to with Celica and Nine, Terumi stopped. A nearly-full moon hung in the sky, and its pale light so different from that of the bonfires crisply illuminated the surrounding area. Now, it was also illuminating Trinity, standing there slightly out of breath, and Terumi, with his back turned to her.

A little embarrassed by her labored breathing, Trinity put a hand on her gently rising and falling chest and caught her breath. Once she had done that, she spoke quietly, like she was whispering into the wind.

"What did... you want to talk about, Terumi-san?"

He was acting very strangely tonight. Normally he would look Trinity in the eyes and throw some sarcastic comments her way, but he didn't do that now. Even now his arms were dangling limply at his sides and he was hanging his head, like he was struggling to endure something as he stood there silently with his back turned. Trinity felt an indescribable anxiety as she watched this disquieting display from behind and waited for him to break his silence and end the suffocating atmosphere between them.

The moon took a breath. In that space of time, Trinity grew uncharacteristically impatient and heaved a little sigh, but Terumi cut it short by suddenly turning around.

"...You've got it wrong, actually."

The way he turned to face her and the voice he spoke to her with were nothing like the Terumi she was used to. Trinity couldn't breathe for a moment.

She was getting dizzy, experiencing déjà vu that made her feel like she was struggling to keep her head above water. She shook her head weakly, denying the images that were rushing to her mind one after another. There was no way that was possible. They just had similar builds. It would be unthinkably rude to just stack the memory of someone else... of that person on top of Terumi.

Her inner thoughts desperately tried to talk her out of it in a ridiculous sort of self-deception. Stirring up Trinity's heart even further, Terumi placed a hand on the hood hiding his face.

He pulled it back like he was slipping out of it, baring his face before Trinity in the pale moonlight. His real, unconcealed face, which he had kept hidden all this time.

"Ah- ah..."

Sounds unwittingly spilled from Trinity's pink lips, her voice trembling. Her green eyes slowly went wide.

"I'm not Terumi-san."

The person who said that to her... had green hair. He had distinctive bangs, long enough to hide the upper part of his face, and the upturned eyes beneath them stared at her while his face showed an unambitious expression.

"Kazuma...san...? "

Trinity's mouth felt like the teeth didn't fit inside it anymore, but she managed to get it moving again and called that name.

It was the name of someone she had once spent her school life in Ishana with, the name of a friend. But something had happened to him, something had happened to him that Trinity didn't know about, and he had left the school.

It was him. He was wearing the same clothes as Terumi, was the same height as Terumi, and had the same voice as Terumi.

"So you remembered me... I'm glad. Thank you, Trinity Glassfille-san."

That nostalgic voice cut the last thread inside of Trinity.

Big tear drops overflowed from her wide-open eyes, running down her cheeks in rapid succession. Forgetting to wipe them, Trinity placed a hand that was trembling all the way down to the fingertips over her mouth that seemed to be on the verge of breaking down into sobs.

Kazuma was clearly bewildered, raising his arms ineffectually halfway up his body and watching Trinity with concern.

"Tri- Trinity-san? What's wrong? Um, please don't cry."

His flustered voice fanned the flames of nostalgia once more, making Trinity cry even harder. Kazuma messed up his own hair as he rubbed his head, either at a loss for what to do or just feeling discouraged.

"I'm sorry. I've made you sad once again."

"No... no, you haven't. I was just, so surprised. I mean, I can't... I can't believe this."

She had been holding out hope that she might get to see him again, but it wasn't like the conviction that Celica held on so tightly to. It was more of a fleeting, pale fantasy of a thing. Somewhere inside her, she had been sure that they would never meet again. That's why she had really never expected something like this... Something like this…

Trinity took off her glasses and wiped the tears off. She had managed to cry a river without even realizing it, so much so that even her chest was stained with tears. Wiping the last teardrops from her eyes with a fingertip, she put her glasses firmly back on and earnestly raised her head.

"Are you really Kazuma-san?"

"Yes, I am. I never thought I would get to talk to you in this form, though."

Kazuma scratched his cheek with his index finger and gave a strained smile.

His unassuming face was just like how it had been when they went to school together, stimulating Trinity's déjà vu.

The fact that his appearance and the way he talked were just like her classmate Kazuma Kval, but he was wearing Terumi's clothes, was extremely bizarre.

"But, why are you here? You were Terumi-san this whole time... but now you're Kazuma-san～... Ah, excuse me～ I'm a little confused. I don't know what to think..."

"That's no surprise. Here I am standing right in front of you, but... I don't know where to start explaining, or even what I should explain."

His thin shoulders, so much higher up than Trinity's, sagged helplessly. Gathering his thoughts a little, Kazuma's lips tightened.

"I just wanted to talk to you so badly... so I decided to show myself, prepared for you to despise me."

"I would never despise you."

Trinity was about to shake her head from side to side, but a sudden thought came to mind that stopped her.

Kazuma shook his head in her place, his face heavy with strong conviction and intense grief.

"There's no way you've forgotten, right? Not after what I said to you, and what I did to you..."

"That..."

Trinity unconsciously cast her eyes to the ground at his self-accusatory tone. Of course there was no way she could have forgotten. It was the moment her peaceful school life was flipped on its head: the moment of her not at all peaceful parting from him.

"I remember it very clearly, and I've regretted it all this time."

Kazuma forced the words out, blaming himself.

"Something was wrong with me back then. It was all just like you said it would be... before I realized it, Terumi had completely taken control of me, in both mind and body."

Spreading his powerless arms wide, he looked down at his own body.

Feeling led to do the same, Trinity looked him up and down. She had had a feeling ever since she had first met Terumi. His stature, body type, and voice had all reminded her of Kazuma, and it was no wonder that it did. Under the name of 'Terumi,' she had walked with and talked to that same body, and occasionally she had been supported by those same thin but firm arms as well. She had often caught herself remembering Kazuma when she looked at him, but little did she know that that really was the Kazuma Kval she knew.

"What do you mean, he took control of you? Just who is Terumi-san...? "

Confusion was written on her face as she desperately tried to cool her faltering brain down before it gave up on thinking entirely. She felt like she was going to stop breathing. It seemed like everything that she had accepted as fact had just completely changed in the space of a blink.

Kazuma puzzled over how he should answer for a few seconds before eventually giving a hesitant answer.

"I don't know all the details myself, but apparently he's actually someone who exists only in a spiritual sense. He wanted a body so he could do things for himself, so he approached me. Right now his consciousness happens to be drifting off, which is why I'm able to act freely, but usually it's quite the opposite. I've just been watching you all, Trinity-san..."

Sounding like he was searching for words as he was saying them, Kazuma's tone gradually grew weaker and weaker until he finally bit back his words and shut his mouth before he became unable to hide the quiver in his voice anymore.

He tried to gloss it over with a sigh, messing up his hair by grabbing at it again.

"It seems like Terumi doesn't do too well in this general area, for some reason."

Roaming about with his eyes, he glanced toward his feet and then off in the opposite direction of Trinity.

"You were... really..."

Trinity suffered a dull, stabbing shock to her chest and felt like she needed to sit down. She clasped her hands together like she was praying, desperately trying to rouse herself, but she couldn't feel her fingers.

"Of course, I was still in control of my consciousness when I was in the Mage's Guild. I remember eating lunch and drinking tea in the dining hall with you, Nine-san, and Celica-san. I couldn't find the words to say it at the time, but... that was a lot of fun."

Kazuma smiled slowly, thinking back to how things were back then, but his smile was tinged with pain because he knew that he could never return to those days.

Trinity's chest ached like it was creaking under a heavy weight.

"You thought, it was fun?"

The question came out before she even realized she was speaking, and a look of surprise came over Kazuma's face. That was when Trinity finally realized what she had just asked him, and her eyes widened far later than they should have as she touched her lips with her fingertips like she was pointing at herself.

"Oh, I- I'm sorry for saying something so weird～. I just always thought that I was bothering you."

"Yes... it was fun. I never felt like I deserved it, but I really enjoyed myself. I wanted life to be like that forever."

Hanging his head listlessly, Kazuma let his words trail off. He was only standing here right now because those days came to an end. It felt like there was a deep ditch dug in the space between Kazuma and Trinity.

Kazuma's shoulders dropped as he sighed, this time without a hint of a smile.

"My daily life changed the moment Terumi told me he could give me my memories back. I felt like I had some sort of purpose to fulfill. Thinking back on it, I guess Terumi already had me under his control right then and there."

What Kazuma was saying was exactly what Trinity had been worried about back then. She had watched Kazuma slowly but surely change into a different person, as if he was a man possessed.

Even now, she wasn't sure if it would be more appropriate to call this body that was supposed to be Kazuma Kval 'Kazuma' or 'Terumi.' Trinity had only just now learned of the connection between Kazuma and Terumi, so there was no way she could answer that question.

Checking the sensation in his hands, Kazuma lightly clenched and unclenched his fist.

"I suppose talking about it is really just complaining at this point, but I just had to apologize to you. You were very important to me, and I hurt you. This all happened because of my own weakness. I'm truly sorry for what I've done... I'm so pathetic."

His last few words were so loaded with self-loathing that you could almost taste it.

What could she possibly say to that? What words could she conjure up in her heart that would soothe Kazuma's?

She had no idea. Trinity reflexively grabbed one of Kazuma's hands, still dangling weakly at his sides. Holding her staff with her chest, she wrapped his hand in both of hers and squeezed it softly.

"Please, don't say things like that. It makes me sad hearing my precious friend talk that way... Please, don't hate yourself."

"You're so kind, Trinity Glassfille-san. To think you would still call someone like me your friend."

Looking down at the hand she was holding, the corners of Kazuma's lips turned up in a faint smile. There was no happiness there though, only sorrow.

Trinity furrowed her brow and frowned like she was trying to keep herself together when she heard the word 'kind' come from that face of his.

"I'm not kind. I just..."

It was just like with Nine. She just didn't want him to get hurt, neither from his own words nor from her actions. She just didn't want to be thought of as cruel.

As her feelings of self-reproach threatened to overflow, Trinity felt a faint brush of body heat. Kazuma had put his other hand on top of Trinity's. He squeezed her hands hard enough for his knuckles to turn white, but not hard enough to hurt her.

"How did it come to this? I just wanted everything to stay how it was. I was so happy before I met Terumi... why did I lose sight of that?"

His voice was shaking slightly, heavy with lament.

"I want to be free of Terumi's control. I want to... go back to being your friend."

"Kazuma-san..."

"Please help me, Trinity-san! I know I'm in no position to be saying this, but please... save me."

Clasping his fingers together within the knot of their hands like he was praying, Kazuma appealed to her from the bottom of his heart.

His voice pressed in on Trinity's heart and she lost the words to respond with. Pure confusion danced across her green eyes, open as wide as they could go, and she couldn't read the expression of her lanky friend as he looked down at her. She thought she saw a deep, deep sorrow, however, and it felt like it was blocking her throat.

"But... But, what can I do...? I..."

Can't do anything. The sense of powerlessness that Trinity had pushed down time and time again was steadily building up in her heart.

"I... can't believe that Terumi-san is as bad a person as you say he is."

How could such a half-hearted person like her do anything?

Fragments of countless memories awakened in Trinity's mind, leaving her perplexed. Nine treated Terumi with extreme hostility, and Jubei and Valkenhayn were always incredibly cautious around him. Hakumen certainly didn't seem to like him either.

Even still, he had helped her countless times with his incomprehensible form of kindness.

"Don't be fooled, Trinity-san."

As if he was trying to snap Trinity out of it as he saw her drop her eyes in bewilderment, Kazuma blurted out a warning. Kazuma's grip on her hands got a little bit tighter, like he was clinging on to her.

"Trinity-san, I of all people know very well just how kind of a person you are. Even still, you can't take mercy on Terumi. That's exactly how I ended up losing everything I cared about. If you keep on trusting him, you're going to lose what you care about too..."

Kazuma stopped speaking mid-way, the words refusing to come out anymore. He wasn't sure if it was okay for him to continue. Realizing what he was thinking, Trinity took a breath.

"Do you know what he's planning to do?"

She asked on a reflex.

Knowing that he had said too much, Kazuma lightly bit his lip and shrank back. It wasn't long before he resigned himself to the situation, however, and opened his mouth to speak.

"He's... planning to kill Nine-san."

His answer carried a serious weight.

It didn't sound like an assumption or a guess in the slightest, and so Trinity knew that Kazuma's words were fact.

"But how could he... he's still under the effects of Nine's Mind Eater."

Terumi couldn't disobey Nine. He was compelled to obey all of her orders, and he couldn't tell her lies either.

However, he might have known of a way that he could kill her anyway, and that's why he was planning something so dreadful.

Kazuma put the anxiety in Trinity's heart into words.

"That's right, which is why Terumi is planning on using me, who isn't under Nine-san's control. Of course, I don't want to do it, but Terumi has already figured out how the Mind Eater she cast on him works. He's going to cast it on me and take Nine-san by surprise... and I think he can really pull it off, too."

Nine probably never ordered Terumi to 'never learn Mind Eater' or 'never use Mind Eater.' The more open-ended an order was, the more leeway to work around it there would be.

Trinity's eyes clouded as her anxiety grew deeper. She didn't even want to think about the possibility of Nine being killed. The idea that Kazuma would be forced to kill her was just as frightening.

"The way things are going, you and Celica-san may be in just as much danger as Nine-san. If you... were to get hurt because of Terumi... I don't think I could handle it."

Kazuma shook his head hard, his long bangs swaying.

He trembled with fear, remembering something even worse.

"If Terumi were to gain Nine-san's power, capable of creating something so fearsome, by killing her, then..."

You could practically hear the thrill of fear running through his body in his words, making Trinity look at him a little quizzically. She was trying to make sure she understood what he was getting at.

"Umm... what do you mean by 'something so fearsome,' exactly?"

"Hm? Take-Mikazuchi, of course. Surely you know what that thing's core is made out of, and what Take-Mikazuchi really is, right?"

Looking surprised and hardly believing the question he was asked, Kazuma answered with a question of his own, sending Trinity's heart into an uproar.

What Take-Mikazuchi really is. Trinity had asked Nine that, but in the end, she never got the answer.

"Um, I..."

Resisting the urge to let her head hang bitterly, Trinity couldn't say any more than that.

Picking up on what words were supposed to come next, Kazuma drew back slightly in dismay.

"Don't tell me you haven't heard!?"

Kazuma's excessive outburst of astonishment stabbed into Trinity's heart like a thorn.

Noticing the slight tremble in her green eyes, Kazuma hesitated with an apologetic look on his face, but eventually decided to tell her the truth.

"Take-Mikazuchi's core is composed of the souls of the millions of people who have died in this war. Take-Mikazuchi's titanic black form comes from a massive amount of seithr gathering around that core. It's... essentially the same thing as the Black Beast."

She had no doubt that he was telling the truth. Trinity's train of thought came to a screeching halt for a moment. Feeling like she was paralyzed, she tried to make herself move again.

"The Black... Beast? "

The words didn't feel real on her tongue. She felt like she would faint as countless emotions drifted through her.

"So that means that Nine created an artificial Black Beast?"

She gingerly gave voice to her thoughts.

Kazuma didn't shake his head, but he didn't nod it either. He didn't say anything, but his apologetic body language was a far clearer answer than any words ever could have been.

Trinity's hands slipped right out of Kazuma's, all their strength disappearing. She put her ice cold fingertips over her mouth like she was trying to hide it.

"Could a..."

Could a human really do something like that? Trinity already had the answer to that question: Nine could do it. She was a truly, truly incredible person.

She didn't know what she had done to deserve having that incredible person as her one and only best friend. She flattered herself by thinking that Nine was willing to talk to her about anything and everything so she was genuinely shocked that she wouldn't tell her about something so important.

Perhaps Nine was worried that Trinity wouldn't be able to look at her the same way again after learning the truth. It's not like Trinity couldn't understand her concern, but it still pained her. It wasn't just about Take-Mikazuchi, either; Nine hadn't told her about Terumi and Kazuma as well.

"Um... please don't get too upset. Nine-san might not have told you because Terumi convinced her not to."

"Terumi-san...? "

In response to Kazuma's conciliatory words, Trinity urged him to continue.

The unassuming young man with hair covering his eyes tried his best to cheer her up, putting both hands on Trinity's shoulders.

"We won't let him do as he pleases anymore. Please, lend me your strength. Let's take back everything that man has ruined together."

It was a very enticing invitation.

Kazuma probably hadn't meant it as an 'invitation,' per se, but nonetheless Trinity half-closed her eyes like she was in a dream. It wasn't a second chance at all the mistakes they had made and the regrets they had, but rather a new start with a blank slate. What a wonderful thing that would be.

Trinity nodded her head, her beautiful platinum blond hair shining brightly in the pale moonlight.

"...Alright. I'll do anything I can to help you."

"Thank you very much, Trinity Glassfille-san."

Kazuma's shoulders sagged with relief. Trinity felt like a weight had been lifted from her shoulders as well, a small, weak smile gracing her lips. Kazuma's expression hardened and he scanned their surroundings. Feeling sure that no one else was around, he whispered so quietly that even the moon wouldn't be able to hear him.

"I already know what we have to do, but you need to not tell anyone... not even Nine-san. If by some chance Terumi catches on to us, we're finished."

With a hint of fear in his voice, Kazuma looked at Trinity with a grave expression.

Firmly returning his gaze, Trinity cautiously nodded her assent... and then Kazuma whispered his secret plan into her ear.

===Part 3===

The fateful day was the same as the one when the Black Beast had been stopped and the one when it had started moving again: the last day of the year.

In the encampment of the ambush forces spread out across the forest, Celica had come to the edge of the woodline with Nirvana and finished her lunch rations as she stared out toward the west. The cauldron where the Black Beast was expected to appear was supposedly somewhere in that direction, far beyond the limit of her sight.

She couldn't confirm it one way or the other, but she had a feeling that it was true. She had felt a sort of haze around her chest since she had woken up this morning, making it impossible to relax. She somehow got the sense that the seithr in the air she was breathing was thicker than it had been the previous day.

"...Do you see something?"

"Wah!"

Suddenly hearing a deep, reverberating voice coming from diagonally behind her, Celica jumped up like a small animal and turned around to look. There she saw the owner of the voice, Hakumen, and Jubei, dressed in his battle armor. She felt like she had been caught doing something wrong, so she ducked her head and turned her lips up in a smile.

"Nope, nothing. I just thought it'd be neat if I could see something from here."

"The cauldron, you mean?"

"I guess."

Answering vaguely, Celica leaned her back against a nearby tree trunk, turning her gaze westward again.

"My chest has felt all tingly since this morning. It's pretty rough, knowing that this is going to be the end."

"You nervous? Well, no surprise there."

Jubei walked to Celica's side, breaking twigs beneath his feet. Following Celica's lead, he turned his red eye in the direction of where the cauldron was supposed to be.

"Don't get too worked up now. No sense in wearing yourself out when nothing's even happened yet."

He was wearing two swords on his back. One was a sword in a red sheath with hilts sticking out of both ends, Mucro Somnio: Musashi. The other had a black sheath, and was the last blade that Jubei's younger brother ever wielded: the Time Killing Blade, Hihiirokane.

"Yeah, you're right. Nothing's even happened..."

Yet. As if it was trying to prove those words wrong, Celica, Jubei, and Hakumen all saw black smoke suddenly rise before them.

No, it wasn't smoke... it was more of a mist. It was seithr.

Celica took her back off the tree trunk like she was bouncing off of it. Jubei swiftly leapt to the top of a tall tree and stared off into the distance from an overhanging branch. After a few seconds, Jubei shouted down to Hakumen in alarm.

"Hakumen! It's starting!"

"Indeed."

Hakumen turned on his heel and headed back to the camp, leaving a brief response in his wake. Smashing dry twigs beneath his feet with every step, he spoke to Celica.

"You two make haste and return as well. We're sallying out."

"I- I'm on it!"

"Jubei already said as much, but do not strain your nerves. We will escort you safely."

When he said 'we,' he meant himself, Jubei, and Nirvana.

"Okay!"

Chasing after Hakumen with Nirvana and Jubei, Celica answered clearly.

The time had finally come.

The end had finally begun.

The seithr splitting the earth and spilling into the air increased in intensity and volume in the blink of an eye, and it looked almost like a black lake in the west as it spread out over the bare rock beach. Its edges spread out like they were groping around for something, but there were no people within their range. Everyone had already been evacuated. Nevertheless, the seithr writhed like a wave, or perhaps more like a snake, and found its way to the nearby abandoned coastal town and crashed over it, destroying it utterly.

As if doing that was the last step in its preparations, the seithr pooled towards its center. Rising out of the seithr like a snake uncoiling came a single massive head, followed by a second, then a third. Countless heads lifted themselves up and glared sinisterly with glowing red eyes, all looking to the west at once.

Past the waves that withered beneath the seithr, beyond the muddied sea, floating alone off the coastline, there sat a single small island. It was Ishana.

The innumerable heads let out a chaotic roar, making the air tremble and the ocean froth. Big arms and legs ripped themselves free of the seithr and a colossal body fell out all at once, like the seithr had given birth to it. The grotesque scene was plainly visible even from far outside where the seithr could reach. Everyone was mercilessly subjected to the same repulsive and dreadful sight.

Now that the Black Beast had fully materialized, arrows of light fell down upon it from the north like incessant rain. It was the Ars Magus Corps lying in wait for it. Stationed on a plateau with barely enough of a view to overlook the seithr on the coastline, they fired and fired for all they were worth. The sound that their veritable hail of arrows made as it rent the air and struck the seithr was similar to the sound it would've made if it were hitting the ground instead.

A great portion of the seithr protecting the Black Beast was shaved away, and the beast itself squirmed in annoyance as it was bathed in the arrows of light. Its great feet stopped moving and it turned its heads away from Ishana to find the Ars Magus Corps. The monster had strayed from its previous path, and in so doing it was immediately met with a pounding right to its abdomen from the Ars Magus rain.

Its long necks thrashed about in frustration, and it swung its massive legs through the sky and smashed the earth beneath it, sending countless fissures running through the ground. The Black Beast charged forward with a roar, seeming to pull its body along behind the sound, and from its mouths shot a wave of seithr. That single attack blasted away a portion of the Ars Magus Corps along with the very ground they stood on atop the plateau, but in the instant after it did, a white shadow darted past the wave and assaulted the Black Beast from a diagonal, slicing into its side.

Seithr sprayed from the wound in place of blood. The man responsible for that gushing wound was Hakumen, half of his body now drenched in the stuff. He paid it no mind, bringing the naked blade of his nodachi down once more. He stabbed his long blade so deep into the base of one of the Black Beast's necks that it seemed like it had simply sunk right into it.

Its roar, previously sounding like an enraged animal trying to cow its opponent, now changed to a high-pitched shriek.

Its heads writhed madly. Hakumen moved his arms like he was driving the beast. Changing his grip on the still-buried nodachi, he sliced it from the inside like he was trying to throw it over his back. The resulting cut was many times deeper than the actual length of the blade itself, causing the Black Beast visible harm.

"This is Ookami..."

Kicking the rampaging Black Beast in the side and jumping to its front, Hakumen muttered with admiration. Nine had said that it would show its true power when it was wielded against the Black Beast, but he was only now truly understanding what that meant.

The sword was becoming sharper and more forceful than a sword should be, cutting his enemy ever deeper. He could swing it with the weight of a guillotine and the speed of the racing wind.

Leaping out in front of its red eyeballs, Hakumen swung Ookami down to strike one of its heads right in the brow. Even though the blade didn't reach all the way through, he still smashed the giant head downward so far that it nearly hit the ground.

That one strike was the decision maker for the Black Beast's heads: they were now considering Hakumen to be a greater threat than the Ars Magus Corps, and prioritized crushing him first.

The heads swooped down at Hakumen from left and right, trying to devour him with colossal fangs. He took the first one on with Ookami. He used the recoil from that clash to narrowly dodge the second head, but in avoiding the fangs of the third one he ate an intense head-butt, and Hakumen's body got sent flying.

Realizing that a neck was stretching out to pursue him, Hakumen shouted, "Cut it now, grimalkin!"

A grazing slash ran along the neck in time with his voice, and it pulled the seithr that was pursuing him away as it slipped out toward the Black Beast's hindquarters. Jubei had taken that as his cue, jumping into the fray from who knows where.

The sword he had swiftly drawn from his back in mid-air was Hihiirokane. He gripped the sword in his right hand while he used the claws of his left hand to cut down and kick away the pursuing seithr.

With speed and precision that would be impossible for a human, he raced above the seithr and jumped again, this time swinging his right arm wide.

"Hihiirokane!"

The sword responded to Jubei's leap, trembling in his cat paw as he took a big swipe. It changed into a different form, but remained just as sharp as ever; it now appeared less like a sword and more like an animal's claw. The blade of the sword split into three, and he aimed it at the towering Black Beast with its spear-like fangs.

Jubei took a breath. Then he bit into the Black Beast's collar with the sword and pulled it all the way to the bottom of the creature in one go. The Black Beast roared madly as its very soul was sliced open rather than just its body. Jubei felt a sensation strangely different from the feeling of cutting flesh or seithr before he scrunched up his face, pulled Hihiirokane out, and shouted at the top of his lungs.

"Nirvana, Celica!"

"Here we go!"

Celica answered Jubei's call, and Nirvana, who had been busy fighting using her arms as blunt weapons up until then, picked her up.

Grabbing and mowing down the seithr in front of them like she was sweeping it away, Nirvana easily bashed her way through. Arriving at Jubei's side, she stood before a massive gaping rift.

The Black Beast's entire body was crawling with vein-like, pulsating, dark red lines. Three distorted vertical gashes now ran over that pattern, as if someone had painted over it. This was the wound left by Hihiirokane, and the entrance Celica and Nirvana would now use.

"Watch yourself in there. Don't overdo it."

Turning to face the seithr alone, Jubei was thinking that he was hardly one to talk as he gave Celica a little lecture.

He returned Hihiirokane to its scabbard and drew Mucro Somnio: Musashi in its place. He gripped the two separate parts of the sword in his left and right hands and touched their pommels together, which connected their hilts and turned the whole thing into one long, strangely shaped two-bladed sword. He held the sword in his mouth and extended his sharp claws.

Seithr swelled before him before assaulting him like a massive wave. Jubei watched it coming with only his left eye, then did a flip.

One heartbeat. That was all it took for Jubei to scatter the roiling wave of seithr many hundreds of times larger than himself.

He was truly moving faster than the eye could follow as he spun through the air, cat claws and sword leaving who knows how many cuts in his wake.

He was strong. As Nirvana leaped through the air and forced the rift open, Celica was watching Jubei from her arms.

"You too, Jubei-san! Don't lose!"

Celica raised her voice as loud as possible so it wouldn't be drowned out by the sound of the wriggling seithr and gave a single wave of her hand before throwing herself along with Nirvana into the monochrome black rift.

===Part 4===

By the time she took her very next breath, her surroundings were already nothing but pitch black.

The blackness was so deep that she couldn't tell if her eyes were open or closed. She couldn't tell how far it continued, or even if it had an end at all. It might have been a mistake to even be thinking about it in terms of distance.

Isolated in darkness so deep that it overrode the very concept of being 'deep' at all, Celica and Nirvana stood in stark contrast to their surroundings as obvious irregularities, being the only two entities that possessed chromatic color.

Celica steeled herself and quickly checked her surroundings.

This was her second time here.

This was the inside of the Black Beast.

Last time the deep darkness of her surroundings had been so irrationally terrifying that she had felt like she was slowly being swallowed by it, but she didn't have the time to waste on being stupefied by something like that this time.

"Nirvana, are you alright?"

She looked toward where her partner was standing directly behind her, and Nirvana looked back with her big, solid eyes. Reacting to the question may have been her way of saying that she was fine. After all, Nine had remodeled her into a Nox Nyctores for the express purpose of fighting the Black Beast. She was incomparably stronger than Celica, so she was okay.

Deciding to go with that convenient bit of reasoning, Celica took a step closer and huddled next to Nirvana. She thought that she could see herself a little better that way, and the surrounding seithr felt far less suffocating as well.

"First, we've gotta hurry and find Ragna."

Or so she said, but she didn't know how she was going to find anyone in this pitch black darkness with neither a path nor lights.

She did have an idea though. It was an idea that only Celica would have thought of. She unconsciously ran her hand along Nirvana's arm as she took a deep breath in, forgetting about the thick seithr all around her. And then…

"Ragnaaaaaaaaaaa!!"

Using all the air in her lungs at once and bending her body forward, she shouted as loud as she possibly could.

Then she took Nirvana by the hand and started running straight forward in the direction her eyes were facing.

She wouldn't be able to figure out which direction she ought to go or where she ought to look no matter how much time she spent thinking about it, after all, so she just started running and planned to keep on yelling until she found Ragna. This is what she had planned on doing even before jumping in here.

"Ragna, answer if you can hear me! Raaaaaagnaaaaaaaa!!"

The black nothingness she was stepping on felt like a hard floor beneath her feet. It was an incredibly strange feeling, like a sort of phenomenon where simply thinking that there was a floor beneath her made it so.

Celica kept on running straight ahead, continuously calling out Ragna's name. No one answered. She didn't hear any sounds that made her think that someone was out there, either. Naturally, she couldn't even hear the sounds of the battle that deviated from the boundaries of common sense that must have still been going on outside.

Loneliness started to sink into Celica's chest.

There was nothing there.

Her mind was on the verge of being filled with nothing but that thought and the feelings that came with it. Like she was trying to wipe away those feelings, Nirvana suddenly and forcefully wrapped her arms around Celica and brought her to a halt.

"Hya!"

Surprised by the sudden bodily contact, Celica jumped with a yelp. A moment later, however, a far more shocking phenomenon made the arm-bound Celica forget to breathe.

The monochrome black landscape was changing. Like little black pieces flipping over to reveal color hidden on their other sides, their surroundings were widening out into a definite scene... until eventually they changed into a thick but pitifully lifeless forest.

"This is..."

Her lips moved on their own.

Celica gently pressed on Nirvana's chest to get her to let go then walked into the forest like she was being drawn in. It was just like last time, when she had accidentally gone inside the Black Beast. It was the same scenery as then, and it had appeared before her in the same way. This was the deserted village in the forest where Celica had first met Ragna.

"Which means... Let's go, Nirvana! "

A baseless hunch set Celica's legs in motion. She ran off like a kitten and Nirvana followed after her.

She didn't have to run long before she saw something.

In the middle of the deserted village, overgrown with grass and scattered with rotting old houses, a thick tree seemed to be pointing toward the entrance to the forest.

A young man in a brilliant red coat stood before it. Celica sprinted at top speed and leapt onto his red-coated back with all her momentum.

"Ragna!!"

"Uoogh!?"

The man made a sound of surprise as she landed on him with a dull thud.

Reflexively shaking Celica off and turning around with his guard up, his grim face stiffened in shock.

"Wha... huh!? You dumbass, why are you still here! Didn't I just see you leave!?"

He shouted with more agitation than anger in his voice.

He stood much taller than Celica, had distinctive white hair, and seemed to only be able to open his beautiful green left eye. It was Ragna. They really had met again. Completely forgetting that she was inside of the Black Beast, a smile overflowing with joy covered Celica's entire face.

Then the words Ragna had said a moment ago finally clicked with her.

"What do you mean, you just saw me leave?"

Celica had an idea of what had happened even as she asked.

Thinking back on it, she remembered hearing a while ago that there was a strange phenomenon where time passed extremely slowly near cauldrons. The Black Beast had passed through countless cauldrons, so they might have had an effect on it that makes the flow of time all weird here.

"I mean that I just saw you leave, what... oh, I get it. Time flows differently here."

Muttering as he figured the situation out faster than Celica had, Ragna had a discontented look about him as he took his hand off of his chin.

He looked annoyed as he gave a big sigh. Every one of his mannerisms was so nostalgic, and they made Celica so happy, but she took a deep breath and came back to her senses. She didn't have time to be standing around in a nostalgic daze. Squeezing her small hands tight, Celica took a big step closer to Ragna.

"That's right! Ragna, I need your help!"

"Huh? Help? With what?"

"I want to defeat the Black Beast!"

Celica looked up at Ragna with passion in her eyes, but Ragna gave her a hard frown.

"The Black Beast?"

He was obviously perplexed, but before he even finished getting the words out, Ragna's expression changed from doubt to understanding, as if he had suddenly remembered something.

His eyes said that he knew the gist, and he prompted Celica to continue.

"It's that time already, huh... What about the Nox Nyctores? They're done, right?"

"Huh? Why do you know that, Ragna?"

It was Celica's turn to be surprised this time. Her eyes went wide as she took another step toward him, and Ragna got a troubled look on his face.

"Well, uh... that doesn't really matter, right? Do you have them or do you not?"

"Oh, yeah, we have them. Onee-chan made them. Nirvana's one too."

Celica raised her arm to introduce her, and Nirvana stared at Ragna as she continued to stand there silently.

Shrinking away from her inorganic gaze, Ragna's expression looked a little bitter.

"Nirvana..."

Celica stared blankly and tilted her head as she watched him mumble, but before she could ask, Ragna belted out his next question.

"So, how do you want me to help?"

As he spoke, he leaned back on one of the trees making up the forest surrounding the village with a plop. His right arm dangled limply at his side, apparently still unable to move.

Celica's cheeks relaxed with relief. It was no surprise, but she was glad that he was hearing her out like it was the only natural thing to do. With a nod, she started explaining Hakumen's plan.

In order to defeat the Black Beast, they had to strike at both its body and its heart.

In order to defeat the body, they were going to teleport the Black Beast to a certain special place. Its seithr would be repressed there, which would keep the Black Beast in check.

While that was going on, Celica's job was to go inside the Black Beast and find Ragna. She and Ragna were then supposed to find and destroy the Black Beast's heart... doing so at the same time as when its body was destroyed on the outside.

She got mixed up and confused herself as she gave the explanation, but Ragna, still leaning against the tree trunk, listened all the way to the end (occasionally looking exasperated). Celica was worried that she might have forgotten something, but she whispered to herself that she was okay and waited for a response.

Ragna moved his body off the tree, twisting his mouth like he had swallowed something bitter.

"...So that's that masked bastard's plan, then. And my job is to destroy the Black Beast's heart? Jeez, when did I become part of his crew?"

Ragna grumbled a little, but Celica's eyes started sparkling.

"I knew it! You and Hakumen-san know each other."

She had been curious about that for a long time. Ragna had never mentioned Hakumen and Hakumen wouldn't give her a straight answer no matter how many times she asked, but she had thought that there must be some connection between them. Above all, they had that sense of similarity that occasionally stirred Celica's memories, making her think that they resembled each other too much to be complete strangers.

Her curiosity overflowing, Celica's innocent eyes bored into a flustered Ragna.

"You mean Hakumen-san when you say 'masked bastard,' right?"

"You... weren't you in a hurry?"

Ragna's eyes narrowed as he gave her his most exasperated look of the day, and Celica abruptly reigned in her curiosity.

"Oh, right. Well anyway, that's the plan, and I need your help. I don't even know where I would look on my own..."

"No need to look anywhere."

A disturbing note suddenly mixed itself into Ragna's pleasant voice. His green eye was sharp and vigilant, and he slowly rose to his feet.

Ragna's eye was looking over Celica's shoulder at something behind her rather than at Celica herself. Nirvana stood at the ready next to her. Picking up on what was happening slower than the other two, Celica turned around.

When had she gotten there, and how long had she been there? A silver-haired girl clad in a white cape was standing barefoot behind her.

(She's... the girl from last time!)

Celica had seen her before. A memory of a single fleeting glimpse came back to her mind. It was the girl she had seen right as she was leaving Ragna and escaping from inside the Black Beast.

"Ragna..."

The silver-haired girl called out with a lovely, flirtatious voice, looking truly delighted as a smile of ecstasy spread across her face.

"Here you were all along. Nu was looking for you for so, so, sooo long... how cruel of you."

Her name must have been Nu. Baffled, Celica took a step back. Her back bumped into Ragna, and she looked up at him questioningly. Celica's wet soil-colored eyes were met by Ragna's green one as he answered.

"She's what you came looking for."

There was only one thing that Celica was looking for right now, which meant…

"She... is the Black Beast's heart."

Hakumen had said the same thing once before, too. The girl she saw inside the Black Beast was the very heart of the monster that threatened the world.

Celica gulped nervously.

She was here to destroy the heart of the Black Beast, but it was easier said than done. In order to save the people outside, and to save all the people in the entire world, she had to kill this girl standing in front of her.

"...Hey, Ragna? Who's that?"

Exhaling heavily, the smile vanished from the heart-girl's face as ice-cold blood lust lit up her eye. She could only open her left eye, just like Ragna, and it was staring straight at Celica.

"Nu hates her. Hey, Ragna, hurry up and kill her. Nu will do it if you don't."

Her words were as cold as a blade of glass, but she trembled like raging fury was burning her away from the inside as she said them. She was looking at Celica, but it was questionable whether or not she recognized her as a living being. It felt more like she saw Celica as a concept to direct her hatred towards, and Celica was left dumbfounded.

Pushing Celica back behind him, Ragna pressed forward unflinchingly. He seemed to be very familiar with this girl.

"Stay back. Dealing with her is my job."

Firmly instructing Celica to stay behind him, Ragna drew his wide-bladed sword from his hip and stood ready to fight. Nirvana wrapped her arms around Celica and pulled her close to keep her safe and far away from them.

The girl wasn't looking at Celica anymore. A twisted, childish smile rose to her face as she opened her arms wide for a hug.

"Good, come here, Ragna. I'll love you. Ragna is all, all, aaaaaall mine, after all... ahahahaha!"

Her musical voice suddenly gave way to a shrill laugh. She pulled off her white cape and started floating soundless above the ground.

===Part 5===

On the outside, the clash between the Black Beast and humanity was intensifying like a balloon being pumped full of air.

The Ars Magus Corps ambush unit maintained formation and alternated between trading blows with the Black Beast and gradually retreating northward, with Hakumen and Jubei having a massive impact on the flow of battle as they wielded Ookami and Musashi.

The plan to lure it in a direction other than where Ishana sat was going unexpectedly smoothly. The Black Beast had suddenly started getting impulsive at some point, which made it less vital for the humans to cleverly choose when to start running.

In exchange, its attacks had grown all the fiercer.

Its countless heads started haphazardly devouring anything they could reach, not caring whether it was a living organism or not. The heads flailed about chaotically, mowing down soldiers along with the very ground they stood upon and tearing them to shreds with their fangs.

Hakumen's Ookami felled three of the Black Beast's heads while Jubei's Musashi regularly crushed eyes. No matter how deeply they wounded it, however, the grotesque colossus never slowed down or let up its attack. What's worse, it would use the seithr surrounding it to repair itself on the spot.

Falling back step-by-step in that way, the ambush unit finally led a seriously wounded Black Beast and a massive quantity of seithr all the way into the magic circle, looking like they were being chased by a massive raging wave. Flowing together in complete harmony, the unit and the seithr continued to brawl with each other atop the massive magic circle.

Valkenhayn's force quickly moved to support them, turning the magic circle into a platter of human screams and writhing seithr.

Human voices and the seithr's noises got jumbled together.

Trying to not lose her grip on consciousness, Nine focused on preparing to cast a spell. The rest of the Ten Sages were standing on the edge of the circle spaced at regular intervals, pouring their massive mana reserves into it.

Feeling a sudden wave of cold, Nine glanced across the circle and saw a dragon made of ice shooting through the air. The dragon, fangs bared, was accurately targeting only seithr entities, freezing them solid before shattering them to pieces.

It was Seven's magic. Nine looked at Seven, knowing that the ice must have been created using Yukianesa's power. Seven was currently not chanting the incantation to control the dragon.

The other Nox Nyctores wielder, Three, was pouring mana into the circle as she used her magic to wield Bolverk. Unseen hands held the pair of guns, using them to stop seithr cold in the vicinity of wherever its projectiles made impact.

The magic circle just needed a little more. Just a little more mana and it would be ready to teleport at any time.

As Nine prayed for everyone to hold out for just a little bit longer, a massive shadow abruptly shot over her head.

"Huh...?"

An ominous chill ran down her spine.

Nine wasn't sure what it was at first, but she instantly lifted her head to look. She saw one of the heads of the Black Beast.

Having charged into the magic circle, scattering soldiers and seithr alike, the Black Beast looked down on her.

"Oh no..."

She needed to break off her teleportation spell immediately and intercept it with an attack. As Nine panicked and lost her focus on the magic circle, a bulky wolf flew in from behind.

It was Valkenhayn.

Changing back into a human in the space of a breath, he raised both arms and blocked the head that was about to crush her flat.

"Nng, grrrrrr..."

"Valkenhayn, that's absurd, get away from it!"

As the person managing the magic circle, the place where Nine was standing was significant. Nine knew that he was doing this so that she wouldn't be forced to move.

Grabbing the errant head by the top and bottom of its jaws and holding it back with sheer strength, Valkenhayn threw a reprimand over his shoulder as he withstood the incredible weight.

"If you've got the time to give me lip, why don't you finish the teleportation? This thing seems to be in a good enough position!"

"!"

He was right. The Black Beast had thoughtlessly charged straight at Nine, which meant that it was practically in the center of the magic circle. It was never going to put itself into a more ideal position than this. Nine hurried up, closing her eyes and focusing her consciousness on her task. She blocked off all the noise around her and wove her magic with great haste.

Jubei and Hakumen leaped onto the scene, simultaneously cutting off the head that Valkenhayn was holding back from either side. They heard an unpleasant ripping sound as the giant head fell clear of its neck and onto the ground, scattering into a massive cloud of seithr, but a new one would surely grow in its place soon.

Before that could happen, however, the magic circle that spread as far as the eye could see was bathed in purple light as it activated.

"Here we go!"

No sooner had Nine shouted out a sharp warning than the magic circle began turning like a cog wheel, shooting out ever stronger light. Several heartbeats later, the Black Beast teleported away along with the great crowd of soldiers and mages around it, as if something had plucked them all up between its fingers.

When the teleport ended, they were standing on a gently sloping plain, the forest containing the Kaka village visible in the distance.

She wasn't sure when the sun had set, but Nine finally realized that night had fallen when they reached their destination. A full moon hung in the sky and a generous quantity of moonlight shined down on their surroundings, ensuring that they could see whether they had magic lights or not.

The nearby city had already been trampled by the Black Beast some time ago, but this plain alone seemed to have been left untouched by both seithr and the creature, so they were surrounded by lush greenery. Only six of the people present had seen why exactly that was the case with their own eyes.

Below this plain, and in fact directly below the spot they had set as their teleportation destination, there was a vast cave. Within it was a spacious natural room full of strange, beautiful, sparkling crystals and air that was remarkably different from that of the rest of the planet. It was a place devoid of seithr, and more than that, it was a place that suppressed seithr. The air in that underground cavern below the plain was so fresh and light that even the soldiers, who had no special knowledge of such things, could tell.

And that air being so perfectly clean meant that, for the Black Beast, it was practically the same as a human being in a room without oxygen.

The creature's massive body that didn't quite fit in with reality, seemingly having come from a nightmare, landed on the plain. The moment it did, it started moving in an awkward, distorted manner, as if it had been entangled in invisible strings.

Its countless heads tried to go on a rampage, but the creature had lost the smooth movements that it had had moments before, its snake-like necks thrashing about in pain.

Hakumen had made the right read.

Now free from her role as the teleportation coordinator, Nine looked up at the Black Beast right next to her, spread her arms wide, and created as many balls of lightning as it had heads.

"Now... be a good boy and accept your fate!"

Zig-zagging through the air, each lightning ball struck true and slammed into one head apiece, making sounds on impact loud enough to split eardrums as the Black Beast roared.

Jubei had started running as she was doing that, and he had one of the heads in his sights. He drew a line with his claws as he ran along its long neck, and as soon as he jumped over its massive head, he sliced open the monster's throat with the Musashi blades he was holding with his mouth and one of his tails.

Musashi glided through it like it was butter. Jubei adjusted the tips of the swords with a subtle movement and cut up the Black Beast's neck like he was carving a captivating pattern into its body.

Following in Jubei's wake, Valkenhayn leaped in with a roar. He slammed a rock-hard fist into the head, still staggered from Musashi's strike. Even without a weapon, his merciless fist smashed through the seithr, slamming the head down into the ground. He followed it up by swinging a wolf leg down onto the beast's brow with all the weight of a blunt weapon, and the head shuddered irregularly like it was seeing stars.

Jubei jumped in again toward the stunned head and used one blade and both claws to slice it to pieces.

Countless particles of seithr fell like torrential rain.

By the time the rain of black mist cleared, whether it was alive or dead, the black head was lying motionlessly on the ground.

In that moment, the atmosphere changed all across the plain.

We can fight it. We can win.

Jubei and Valkenhayns' flurry of attacks was so brilliant and encouraging that it made everyone think that.

Even more troops that had been lying in wait at the teleportation site joined the fray and began sweeping away the seithr.

Leading the charge was the Kaka clan, with Suzukaka at their head. Their inhuman athleticism allowed them to truly lay waste on the battlefield. Many members of the Duodecim were present in this force as well, launching a hail of magical attacks from behind and slowly but steadily peeling away at the beast's seithr.

But even though the Black Beast's seithr was being repressed, it wasn't just going to take this lying down.

Shaking pesky humans off like they were flies around its massive body, it spat up seithr, blanketing an entire column of troops in black in an instant. It howled at the moon like it was venting its hatred, so loud that it made those who heard it want to cover their ears. It snatched up and devoured anyone who stopped moving when they heard that sound, completely erasing their existences from this world.

Even if it couldn't regenerate its wounds anymore, it still had the seithr that was teleported with it and the seithr of its own body. Narrowly dodging the sword-like masses of seithr swinging around her as she jumped back, Nine furrowed her brow in hatred.

"Even after all that, we're just equal now?"

They hadn't closed the gap in power: they had just narrowed it.

"Are you all okay, everyone～?"

From within the army that had just charged into the fray came Trinity, calling out to Nine, Jubei, and Valkenhayn and running toward them. Terumi followed behind her, then finally Hakumen fell from above and landed in their midst.

He looked at everyone around him.

"We won't last long. Cut down every head, then wait for the signal from the inside."

Hakumen gave his orders without hesitation or doubt. So saying, he sprang high and grabbed onto one of the beast's necks.

The neck bucked and heaved, trying to shake Hakumen off, and a different head opened its mouth wide, trying to devour him along with its own fellow head. Making another jump to get above the head, Hakumen swung Ookami down.

His massive slash rent the air and severed the seithr. The wave from his slash cut through its throat and he followed it up with another strike, this time burying the blade directly into it and slicing the head right off.

Innumerable specks of seithr sprayed out across a wide area, but they disappeared as the air purified them. If the seithr disappeared, then the Black Beast wouldn't be able to regenerate.

"Alright...!"

Jubei followed in his wake. He cut into the beast like he was grabbing a snake by the neck with both claws, then spun in the air to slide Musashi easily through it. He could have diced it into cubes if he had wanted to, and he used that sharpness to fell another one of the Black Beast's heads.

The beast howled again. It seemed to be directing its desire to kill every living thing in the area at the untainted air. It spit out a burst of seithr that fell over the entire area like a rain of needles.

"I'll handle this...!"

Trinity rushed forward with an uncharacteristic confidence. She thrust her long, thin staff into the ground. With a clear ring of the bell, she cloaked the entire area that the seithr was going to land on with a layer of metal, instantly creating a roof.

The seithr was unable to break the thick layer of metal reinforced with Trinity's defensive magic, and Trinity returned it back to the thin air it had come from when all the needles had been blocked.

Nine was already poised and ready by the time the instant roof went away. She assaulted the creature with countless rays of light wreathed in lightning all at once. The lights relentlessly targeted a single head, exploding on its black-and-red face one after the other. By the time the mind-boggling number of lights had finally been spent, there was nothing resembling a head left.

While that was happening, Valkenhayn had turned into a wolf and broken into a sprint. He sprung forward to meet one of the crook-necked heads, fangs bared, but he changed back into a human just before the massive thing was about to swallow his wolf form whole, leaving only his limbs in their lupine shape.

"Taste this!!"

Bellowing vigorously from deep in his belly, he simultaneously slammed a punch and a kick carrying all the power a beastkin could muster into the seithr of the creature's jaws. Below him, Trinity cast her magic and bestowed his strikes with even greater power than they already had.

He was already as tough as a rock, but now he also had the hardness of steel. Valkenhayn's cataclysmic punch pierced so deep that it buried his arm up to the shoulder and burst out of the creature's forehead.

A seemingly endless chain shot out into the action, slicing through the air as it entangled another head. The chain was Terumi's Geminus Anguium: Ouroboros. Moving like a real, living creature, the chain wrapped around the black head and constricted it, and the Black Beast bucked and writhed mightily as it tried to shake its infuriating restraints off.

The chain only dug in all the deeper, though, seemingly warning the thing against trying to resist. Appearing out of thin air, another length of chain with knife-like fangs at the end ran the head straight through in one go before slicing it from top to bottom, like it was dissecting the thing.

Many certainly died as the Black Beast struggled, but nevertheless it was losing more and more of its sinister heads before their very eyes.

Six turned to five, three turned to two.

Finally, the last head was left looking down at the ground from on high, its eyes burning with rage and blood lust. Holding the tip of his blade low and dropping his hips deep, Hakumen took his stance.

Just as he leaped forward and brought Ookami down on its final neck, the Black Beast suddenly came to a halt.
===Part 6===
In the world of endless darkness, the silver-haired girl crumbled to her knees. Celica reflexively tried to run to her side, but Ragna held his arm out to stop her.

Unable to stand back up, the girl turned her pitiful, resentful eye up at Ragna.

"How could you... Ragnaaa... why? Why are you being mean to Nu?"

The girl kept on repeating the words, 'how could you, how could you’ as she sobbed.

Ragna walked to her side... and raised his arm. He wasn't going to console her: he was lifting his sword above his head.

"I'm not trying to be mean."

Ragna whispered quietly to her one more time before he ran his sword through the blue-and-silver girl, looking like he was shaking something off of himself as he did it.

That was the end.

Her dainty body quivered and started to crumble, from her fingertips to her toes. Her body broke apart like a clay doll returning to the earth... and only her face with its one red eye wide open remained by the end. Eventually, that too disappeared. She melted into the surrounding darkness, vanishing without a trace.

"...The Black Beast's heart is done for. The rest is up to the masked bastard."

Turning his back on the girl who disappeared, Ragna walked back to Celica as he returned his sword to his hip. His face looked relieved, but it also seemed to be hiding remorse.

"Ragna..."

Celica didn't know how best to say what she was thinking. She hesitated a little, but she only had one thing in mind, so in the end she just went with it.

"Thank you. You always, always come to my rescue."

"I wasn't really trying to save you just now. Our goals just happened to line up perfectly this time."

Ragna gave a little scornful laugh as he told her that he didn't know why she was thanking him.

A smile broke out on Celica's face when she saw that mannerism of his.

"Aw, no need to get embarrassed."

"Huh? Come again?"

"It's alright, I get it. You act like a big brother, but you're really just shy."

She clasped both hands behind her back and peaked up at him mischievously as Ragna shrank away and darted his eye around, his face uncomfortable.

He scratched his white-haired head with his left hand, which was a bit of a bad habit of his. Suddenly remembering something, he wheeled back around to face Celica.

"I... really gotta leave now."

His words came out as a deep sigh.

Celica was about to cock her head to one side in confusion... but she had a hunch about what he meant, so instead she put on a smile.

"I don't know the details, but you mean you have to go back to where you came from, right?"

She had gotten a vague sense about that the last time they had reunited inside the Black Beast. She had thought that she and Ragna were probably not going to be returning to the same place. Just like Celica had to go home to Nine, Ragna had somewhere he needed to return to as well, somewhere different.

Ragna gave her a firm nod in response. Celica forced herself to smile wider, but she couldn't stop her eyebrows from drooping, revealing her true feelings.

"That makes me feel kinda lonely, since I waited so long for this."

"Yeah. Looks like... I'm really making you wait for me."

"Huh? Do you want me to keep on waiting?"

"I'm not telling you to. In fact... I can't tell you to."

Celica sensed a hidden meaning behind Ragna's words and his all-knowing face, but she had no idea what it was.

Whatever Ragna wasn't saying wasn't important to Celica right now.

"Will we meet again?"

Her voice lit up.

For a moment, Ragna was taken aback, but then he broke out into a laugh.

"Yeah, we will. I came here to fulfill my promise to you, after all."

Celica's eyes shone with vitality. Her cheeks turned a bright peach color and the genuine, full-faced smile that she couldn't manage before bloomed on her lips.

"Oh, jeez. Hearing that makes me so happy."

She folded both hands over her chest and squeezed tight, like she was trying to keep the words she had just heard safe.

"Wow. We're gonna see each other again, huh? How about that. I really thought this was gonna be the last time."

"H- hey, just so we're clear, I don't know how far down the line that's gonna be for you. At the very least, it ain't gonna be tomorrow or the next day."

Ragna stuck his arm out as he rushed to stop her from getting her hopes up. He couldn't guarantee it was going to happen on some specific date. It might be years, even decades.

Celica understood what Ragna was trying to say well, but she shook her head, her ponytail swaying.

"That's alright. I don't mind waiting for you, Ragna. I found you a lot faster than I expected this time too, although I was sure I'd see you sooner or later."

She was thinking that the time when she would get to see him again would come faster than she anticipated this next time too. Instead of worrying about how things would turn out, she was just happy with that thought.

Where had the lonely, miserable girl who had been on the verge of crying as she laughed from just moments ago gone? With equal parts exasperation and admiration, Ragna shook his head.

"You're incredible. I really respect you."

Ragna put his hand on Celica's head with a little thud.

"Welp... guess I gotta head back before the Black Beast's body completely disintegrates... but..."

Ragna swiveled his head around, scanning the area before scratching his cheek. No matter how hard he looked, they were surrounded by nothing but blackness.

With a hint of shame, Ragna finished his sentence.

"...how do I get out of here?"

"Huh? Wait, you... don't know how to get back home!?"

As Celica burst out in shock, Ragna's expression grew increasingly more sullen.

"Gimme a break, I was in a hurry."

He mumbled an excuse before ruffling his hair, trying to think of a solution.

Suddenly, they smelled an aroma that they couldn't believe would be in a place like this.

It was the smell of roses.

They knew exactly who had just arrived from that scent alone, and Celica looked around for the scent's owner. Just as Celica turned her back, a small silhouette appeared behind her.

It was a girl with two long, golden twintails and a big ribbon. The current master of the castle of eternal night, the Alucard Manor: Rachel Alucard.

Ragna's temper flared the moment he saw her.

"Dammit, rabbit!"

"I don't have the time to waste on disciplining you for your every uncouth outburst. Do you not want to return to where you came from? I will connect the dimensions for you, so make haste and leave."

Rachel waved her small white hands like she was shooing him away.

While Ragna was getting all bent out of shape by her haughty attitude, Celica asked her an honest question.

"Rachel-san, you can connect dimensions?"

"...Of course I can. Although more precisely, it's less so that I am able to do it and more so that it can be done from here."

Rachel looked at Celica through the corner of her eye, seeming to take in everything about her from her head to her toes as she replied. Celica thought that she had sounded a little reluctant to tell her.

Rachel twined her lovely, silky golden hair around her fingertip, then let it go, her red eyes taking in her surroundings all the while.

"The interior of the Black Beast has a very close relationship with the cauldrons, you know."

She turned to face Ragna, her palm pointed out at him, and a rose-red magic circle appeared beneath his feet.

"I'm going out of my way to perform such an advanced technique as interdimensional teleportation for you, so you ought to show some gratitude... Mr. Manservant-from-the-future."

"Who's the manservant!? Screw you!"

Ragna looked so mad he might bite her, but he stayed on the magic circle. Celica remembered that they were pressed for time, so she stood next to Nirvana and gave Ragna a smile tinged with sorrow.

"...Hey, Celica. When we meet again, don't be a stranger."

Ragna raised his hand in a casual wave as he disappeared from the world of monochrome blackness.

The moment he was gone, the ground started shaking beneath Celica's feet. Nirvana supported Celica's body just before she lost her footing, but now they were surrounded by an unpleasant noise, almost like a sandbag being turned inside-out and spilling its contents all at once.

The sound grew louder and louder.

"Wha- what's happening!?"

"Isn't it obvious? ...The Black Beast has been defeated."

The sand-like noise she was hearing was in fact the sound of the Black Beast losing all of its seithr and crumbling to bits.

"You people are really such a handful."

With a single dignified sigh, Rachel waved her palm through the empty air. A sudden wind blew from who-knows-where, reinforcing Nirvana's shaky footing.

From within the wind, Rachel summoned a faintly glowing magic circle with herself at the center. The sound of the collapse was coming from so close now that it was practically in Celica's ear, but Rachel teleported them all outside of the seithr before they could sustain any damage to their minds.
[[Image: BB_PS4_239.jpg|thumb]]
The moon was watching over them when they arrived.

The previously verdant plain had been completely trampled in the furious battle and turned into a wasteland. The wind raged across the jagged earth, and all that remained was a small, black clump of shadow.

It was about as big as an adult man, so perhaps calling it 'small' wasn't quite accurate. The black clump looked so transient and insubstantial that it seemed like it would disappear if you shined a light on it. Compared to its previous insurmountable size and hopelessly intimidating presence, it now looked so feeble that it actually inspired pity.

It was the only fragment of the Black Beast remaining.

It was the final, sputtering breath of the monster made of pure seithr.

It rolled into the shadows of the plain, looking like it might disintegrate at any moment, and stared out in confusion with one deep red eye.

Standing right in front of that eye was a shadow in white, Hakumen. Jubei and Valkenhayn stood right behind him, Trinity and Nine were a few paces away, and Terumi was way in the back.

Looking at that scene from behind the fragment of the Black Beast, it seemed to Celica like it was something happening on some distant, foreign world. Nirvana stood right behind her, silent as ever, and Rachel quietly watched for what was about to happen.

The air was heavy with all the scattered seithr, but the weight Celica felt pressing down on her chest was certainly not just because of pollution.

Hakumen whispered something imperceptible as he slowly raised his nodachi high. The white blade flashed brilliantly as it caught a white ray of sunlight.

Without a sound... the blade fell.

It severed the head of the vaguely humanoid clump, the final piece of the Black Beast.

The moment its head hit the ground, tears ran down Celica's cheeks.

It was dead. That fact made her so sad.

So, so very sad.

She couldn't hold back the pain in her chest. She crouched down where she stood, shoulders shaking as she quietly wept.

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BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 3

2024-12-22T00:38:08Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon== ===Part 1=== The sky was unbelievably clear. The weather was refreshingly fair, the sunlight was gentle, and a peaceful breeze was blowi..."

==Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon==

===Part 1===

The sky was unbelievably clear.

The weather was refreshingly fair, the sunlight was gentle, and a peaceful breeze was blowing. On this day, when the world was overflowing with so much proof of how beautiful and warm it could be that it seemed like an optical illusion, the army returned.

People disembarked from their massive ships one after another in Ishana's port. Well, rather than saying they 'disembarked,' it would be more accurate to say that they were carried off of their ships. Most of them had to be helped down by the people waiting on the dock when they finally got to port, and all the rest had to be carried on one of the countless stretchers prepared for them.

Aside from the sailors, not a single soul was uninjured. The ships were rank with the stench of blood, pus, and grime, and the people who came from them were in such a state that all they could manage was to slowly trudge up the gentle slope leading out of the harbor. The putrid smell of death that accompanied them was a somber indicator of how many people had died on the return trip over the sea. The blood-curdling scene made the bright, lovely sunshine seem like a lie.

At the end of the slope leading out of the harbor, Celica, Nine, and Trinity stood watching on in horror. Chills were coursing up and down their bodies, they felt nauseated, and their hearts were pounding uncomfortably. Just an hour ago they thought the blue sky above was nothing less than stunningly beautiful, but now it seemed to be laughing and mocking them down below.

"J... Jubei!"

All of a sudden, Nine screamed in a tearful voice and dashed down the slope.

Jubei had just trudged clear of the disorganized gaggle of soldiers coming from the harbor, holding onto Valkenhayn's arm for support. It was obvious from his gait that he was barely keeping himself upright, and the normally white fur of his feet had turned black.

Nine ran to him and dropped to her knees to throw her arms around his beaten and battered body, not caring that her triangular purple hat had fallen off along the way.

Burying her face into the shoulder of his cracked and half-destroyed battle armor, Nine hugged Jubei gently so as not to hurt him.

"Welcome back home..."

"Thanks. Sorry about this. In the end, we couldn't hold out for more than the one month we promised."

Letting go of Valkenhayn's arm that he had been clinging to this whole time, Jubei rested his filthy chin on Nine's shoulder. He tried to let out a self-deprecating laugh, but he couldn't manage it, and his pain showed on his face.

Nine nuzzled his cheeks as she shook her head, her long hair becoming disheveled as she did.

"Don't be stupid. You did plenty... so much that you ended up like this..."

In the end, the Joint HQ Army had lost more than half its number by the time they formed back up. Nevertheless, they kept on fighting and didn't return to Ishana until the end of the month.

Trinity retrieved Nine's hat and stood behind her friend who looked like she was about to break down and weep. Celica kneeled next to Nine and started casting healing magic on Jubei with an earnest look, but Jubei refused her help, the agony still evident on his face.

"I'm fine, don't mind me. Save your mana for someone else."

It was quite the statement for someone with blood dripping down their face to make.

Celica hesitated for a moment before continuing with her healing magic, but most of the wounds wouldn't heal. She could handle the wounds from mundane sources, but wounds inflicted by the Black Beast weren't so easy to fix.

"Just let me try right now. I promise I'll go help other people afterward."

She was talking more to herself than anyone else, continuing to heal the smaller wounds.

"Ah..."

Celica looked up as she heard a conspicuously heavy footstep.

Just as she expected, Hakumen had arrived. Unlike Jubei and all the other soldiers, he didn't have any visible, external wounds. Nevertheless, his white clothing was absolutely filthy, having deteriorated over the course of a whole month.

Hakumen walked until he stood just behind Jubei, and with his eyeless, noseless, mouthless mask, he somehow managed to bring a defiant aura to bear as he looked down at Nine.

"What of the weapons?"

That's all he wanted to know. He was too burnt out to ask about anything else. That was the state he was in at that moment.

Nine, having been holding Jubei up to that point, flipped the switch inside her and looked up to return Hakumen's gaze. There was an aggressive light shining in her bright eyes.

"I finished them."

She had confirmed that the weapons were maintaining stability, and they had passed their stress tests just two hours before the ships had landed.

The month that countless soldiers had paid for with their lives had been an immeasurably valuable month for humanity.

"Now they just need to be calibrated to their wielders."

They were complete.

There wasn't much time left before the Black Beast would make it to the last cauldron on the continent and move on to Ishana.

This was to be the final confrontation between humanity and the Black Beast.

===Part 2===

A few days later, Jubei, Valkenhayn, Terumi, Hakumen, Trinity, and Celica all gathered in the room beneath the Mage's Guild at Nine's behest.

The room was by no means bright, lit only by a flame-colored magic light in each corner, which created a creepy atmosphere. All four walls, the ceiling, and the floor were made of aged wood, and there wasn't a single window in sight. This room, essentially one big wooden box, was the room where Nine kept Take-Mikazuchi's core. The core that had once been floating above the ground in here was now nowhere to be seen, and the magic circle that had stood below it had been erased too.

In its place, there was now a wide table with six different armaments lined up on top of it. Nirvana stood by the side of the desk as the seventh of the group.

"...We're all here. It's time we got started."

Her high heels clacking on the dark brown floor, Nine stepped in front of the desk and faced everyone else gathered in the room.

Her competitive eyes and tightly pursed lips betrayed her slight anxiety. No one had any doubt that the source of her nerves was that set of weapons behind her.

"I'm sure you could tell at a glance, but these are my newly developed weapons... the 'Nox Nyctores' causality weapons."

Jubei was the quickest to respond to her unfaltering declaration, thrusting his long whiskers forward as he wrinkled the bridge of his nose.

"Nox Nyctores? Ain't that Take-Mikazuchi's..."

"Yes. As I mentioned before, all of these weapons were created using Take-Mikazuchi's core as the base. Thus, they're all derived from Take-Mikazuchi... and all constitute a part of it. Basically, their fundamental structure is the same, so they're all Nox Nyctores too."

As Nine was giving her explanation, she waved her hand toward the weapons sitting silently behind her. A gun, swords, a staff... they came in some very familiar forms as far as weapons go, but it was hard to believe that they were all a part of that black colossus that had burned the Black Beast.

However, the strange weightiness of them seemed to speak volumes of just how abnormal they were.

"I'm sure I've said this to all of you individually at some point already, but let me say it again: the Nox Nyctores are far more powerful than they look on the surface. They're all purpose-built for just one thing, and that's defeating the Black Beast. Taking the Black Beast down is the whole reason that these weapons exist. If they're wielded in battle against the Black Beast, they'll manifest extraordinary power, but in exchange for all that power, they'll take an appropriately large toll as well."

"What do you mean, they'll take a toll?"

Jubei cut in to ask her what she meant by that ominous phrase.

Nine's eyes got even more serious, and she nodded her head before answering.

"Simply put, it's stress. These things constantly want their wielders to bring out more and more of their power. Their demands put mental pressure on the wielder, which manifests as stress, and the sensations and emotions that arise from that stress serve to further hone the weapons."

"So, their ability to kick ass depends on the mental condition of their wielder?"

"That's right."

If a Nox Nyctores' wielder could effectively control their weapon's influence on their mind, there'd be no limit to how strong the weapon could become. On the flip side, if the wielder were to be overcome by the weapon's influence, they wouldn't be able to preserve their own personality anymore and would eventually break down.

Nine knitted her eyebrows and continued her explanation with great reservation.

"The Nox Nyctores are very dangerous. You need to be careful what you choose to use them against, and you'll suffer more and more of the repercussions the more you use them. That being the case... I'm only going to hand them out to people who either have a very strong will or highly stable magical power."

Nine paused and took a breath to center herself, then addressed the six people before her once more.

"I always intended to give a Nox Nyctores to each of you. I believe that's the decision that's most likely to lead humanity to victory."

By this point, everyone in the Mage's Guild knew that Jubei, Valkenhayn, and Hakumen all had fighting skills far exceeding anything a normal person could do. For his part, Terumi was an expert in both close quarters combat and sorcery, and he had proven that he knew more about the Black Beast than anyone else. Trinity was outstanding both in her knowledge of and ability to use both alchemy and defensive magic, and Celica was second to none when it came to purifying seithr and casting healing magic. You couldn't find a better group for the job.

"The person who defeats the Black Beast is probably going to be one of us. In order to make that happen, I want you to use these."

Nine reached her hand out towards the weapons on the table as she spoke, but then she suddenly stopped short and looked back over her shoulder. She was looking at Valkenhayn, who stood one step back from the group.

"...Just to confirm one last time, Valkenhayn... are you really not going to use a Nox Nyctores?"

Nine asked the question just to be doubly sure of his answer.

Throwing a sidelong glance at Celica and Trinity, who had turned around to face him, Valkenhayn shook his head no like he was answering the two girls instead of Nine.

"My answer will stay the same no matter how many times you ask. There's no need... I already exist outside of Logic. It makes no difference in the fight against the Black Beast whether I wield a powerful weapon or not."

"Hm... alright then. In that case..."

Nodding deeply, Nine faced the table again and picked up a staff.

The long stick was made of some strange material that looked like it might have been either metal or wood. It had a big, bell-like decoration affixed to the top.

Nine grasped it in both hands and walked over to Trinity.

"Let's start with yours, Trinity. This is Arma Reboare: Muchourin. It can supplement your diverse magical abilities and you can use it to create substances through embodiment."

Depending on what substances she made and how she used them, Trinity could turn her defense-oriented magic into attacks or further strengthen her already formidable defensive capabilities. Above all, Trinity excelled at alchemy, so if she could combine it with sorcery, she would be able to create arms and armor out of nothing.

Looking at the staff's feminine, curved outline, Trinity accepted it gratefully. Squinting her eyes like she was looking at something bright, Nine smiled at her.

"Thank you very much, I will take good care of it."

"You don't have to take care of the staff, just worry about taking care of everyone else."

"I will. You can leave that to me～"

Answering softly, Trinity gazed at the staff in her hands.

In the end, Trinity hadn't been entrusted with hardly any part of the development of this staff, save for the final calibrations. Nevertheless, this thing in her hands was without a doubt the product of Nine's efforts, so Trinity placed the end of the staff on the floor and hugged it to her chest, as if to pull in her overflowing feelings of affection.

The next one that Nine grabbed was a sword in a red scabbard. It was a strangely designed scabbard with hilts sticking out of both ends, and Nine passed it to Jubei.

"Mucro Somnio: Musashi. This one's for you, Jubei. It's a two-in-one sword, so you can draw it from both ends at once. It was made especially for you."

"Thanks. I'll have to put in the effort to be worthy of it."

Jubei didn't hesitate over the question of whether to take it or not. His big cat hand skillfully took the scabbard and hung it on his shoulder, managing to withstand his childish curiosity and not immediately draw it.

"Terumi next."

High heels tapping on the wooden floor, Nine picked up a metal chain coiled up like a massive snake off the table.

"Geminus Anguium: Ouroboros. I'm sure you can figure out how to use it on your own."

She dropped the cold chain into Terumi's hand. As the links slithered and coiled against each other, the chain seemed like a real snake for a moment.

Terumi unfurled it as soon as he got it, feeling it with his hands and twisting his lips into a smile.

"Hmmmm, would ya look at that. This is the real Ouroboros. It's just like back then, talk about interesting..."

He mumbled to himself in a low voice, looking like he was having fun.

Nine caught a bit of what he was saying and immediately furrowed her brow and got up close to Terumi, her bright eyes glaring at him with overflowing hostility.

"Interesting? You sound like you've seen that before."

"Hey, hey, hey now, don't go making such a scary face, would ya? I saw the blueprint during the development process. Didn't you hear me? I said 'this is the real thing.'"

Playing the fool, Terumi swung one end of the chain around in the air to make a swishing sound. The tip of the chain was adorned with a weight that looked like a snake head.

"...Whatever. This is the next one, Interfectum Malus: Ookami"

Sweeping her hair out of her face, Nine picked up the next weapon. It was a long-bladed katana, a nodachi. Actually, it was too long to qualify as even a nodachi. Its length easily exceeded Nine in height.

"This is Hakumen's sword."

Hakumen took the sword he was handed, and it became obvious that it was indeed made for him.

The abnormally long sword perfectly suited Hakumen, who stood over two meters tall. With Ookami resting comfortably in his hand, he looked every bit the demon clad in white.

"Lastly... Celica."

"Uh, yeah..."

Unlike anyone before her, Celica took a big step forward, unable to hide the emotions in her wavering voice.

Watching Celica awkwardly straighten her posture and stick her chest out, no one was surprised when Nine brought forth Nirvana from behind the table.

"Nox Nyctores Deus Machina: Nirvana. I'm entrusting her to you once again."

As if responding to Nine's words, Nirvana walked to stand in front of Celica.

Celica shot both arms out to grab onto Nirvana's big, solid hand.

"Welcome back, Nirvana."

This was their first time seeing each other in quite some time. They hadn't met at all during the span of several weeks in which Nirvana was being upgraded into a causality weapon.

Celica's reliable bodyguard didn't look any different on the outside, so even though this was their reunion after she became a Nox Nyctores, Celica still didn't get the impression that anything had changed about her.

On the other hand, Nine, who had been the one to upgrade her, had a dark look on her face. She tried to put her feelings aside, but there was an apologetic look lurking in her eyes nonetheless.

"...I'm sorry, Celica. I know you love Nirvana, but I didn't have the time to make a whole new model. And..."

"You made Nirvana to be a weapon against the Black Beast from the start, right? You've apologized a thousand times, and I keep telling you it's alright."

Celica had indeed heard the same apology from Nine over and over again over the last few weeks.

Nirvana was created to be Celica's bodyguard, but she was also created as an experimental autonomous weapon, and now she had been remodeled to become a purpose-made anti-Black Beast weapon. Nine had planned to eventually remodel her from the start, and to that end she had loaded her with systems she would need when she reached the next step. Creating a new model would have taken far too long.

The fact that Celica had come to love Nirvana and treat her like family was a big miscalculation on Nine's part.

Celica laughed lightly as she gripped Nirvana's hand.

"I was shocked, of course. You came to me with such a scary look on your face, I had no idea what was going on. But, I mean, she still looks the same now that she's a Nox Nyctores, and she can still be with me like she used to, right?"

They could still walk around town together, go shopping, clean the house, and spend the night in the same room. Celica cared about her ability to do stuff like that far more than she cared about how good of a bodyguard or a weapon she was.

In response to Celica's question, Nine pursed her lips tightly.

"About that... everyone, listen up."

The atmosphere in the room went cold as the conversation took a sharp turn, and Nine crossed her arms beneath her chest. She looked at everyone present with determination in her eyes.

"If we win the war against the Black Beast, I'm going to seal away the Nox Nyctores."

Her unforgiving tone said that she would brook no arguments. This was her final decision and she wasn't open to discussing it, and she was making it clear to everyone in the room that they had no say in the matter.

Trinity, still hugging her staff, raised her hands reservedly and spoke up.

"You mean... you'll seal every weapon here?"

"Yeah. Nirvana, Take-Mikazuchi... all of them. These aren't the kinds of things that we can just pass down to future generations."

She looked at the desk behind her as she spoke, where a sword in a blue sheath and a pair of guns still sat.

"If the Black Beast dies, humanity will go back to waging war on each other someday. If the Nox Nyctores still exist when that time comes, they could throw the entire world out of balance. People who can't handle the mental burden the weapons inflict might lose their sanity and perpetrate unthinkable massacres. Having a Nox Nyctores or not could determine the fate of nations or give them an unreasonable amount of political sway."

That's just how much power they possessed.

What Nine was saying was nothing more than theories, but since she was the weapons' creator, she knew just how realistic those theories were.

"The Nox Nyctores are too strong. Even more than the weapons themselves, the pieces of Take-Mikazuchi's core within them... are far too dangerous."

Nine ran her finger along the cold surface of the gun she hadn't yet given to its owner. It wasn't a decoration: it was a magnificent weapon, meant to be wielded in a person's hand.

"Which means... I won't be able to see Nirvana anymore, then?"

Normally Celica would be bringing up so many arguments that the people around her would be surprised that she could spit so many out, but now, she stumbled over her words as she struggled to find any to say.

Nine lowered her chin.

"...That's right."

Celica had been touching Nirvana's hand this whole time, but now, she let go like her hand was slipping off. There was no helping her disappointment.

"Okay... so, when the war is over, we'll say goodbye..."

Celica didn't wish for even an instant that the war wouldn't end. Nevertheless, knowing that that would mean the end between her and Nirvana, she felt an incredible sense of loneliness.

Seeing Celica's despondent expression, Nine had to take on a cold attitude in order to keep any meaningless regret from leaking into her voice.

"I won't ask you to forgive me. I did this knowing that it was going to hurt you.

Nine absolutely needed Nirvana. She was strong and tough. As an autonomous weapon, her body wouldn't break easily, and even if she got damaged, she would simply continue stubbornly following her orders without panicking.

"Nirvana has a job to do. In the unlikely event that humanity is beaten by the Black Beast... Nirvana will summon Take-Mikazuchi and blast it. After that, she'll first dispose of Take-Mikazuchi, then herself."

That was humanity's last resort.

Take-Mikazuchi only had half of its core left, and while it could still be summoned and fire a shot, firing a second shot after that would require several years of recharging first.

If Nirvana summoned Take-Mikazuchi and fired one shot but failed to finish the Black Beast, the world probably would come to an end after all.

"But let's not let it come to that, of course. We will defeat the Black Beast, but..."

The word that followed immediately after her strong promise was conversely weak. Nine placed her hand on Celica's shoulder with the delicacy of a gentle embrace.

"As Nirvana's master, it's up to you to decide when Nirvana uses the last resort. If it ever comes to that... I'm counting on you."

With a faint sorrow in her eyes, thinking that she ought to at least look straight ahead without flinching, Celica laughed brightly as she gave her assent.

"Alright, I'll do it."

She nodded. Her affirmative nod was so straightforward that anyone other than Nine would have wondered whether or not she really knew what she was agreeing to. There was no worry in her face; in fact, it seemed like she thought she would never have to make that choice.

Nevertheless, if the time ever did come, she would undoubtedly make that decision. Celica had enough confidence to do that.

Nine couldn't bear it anymore, so she let out a sigh. She furrowed her brow in the shadow cast by the brim of her triangular purple hat.

"I'm sorry to give you such a grim job."

As an older sister, Nine was filled with regret at having to ask something like this of Celica, but Celica immediately shook her head. Her long ponytail swung from left to right.

"How selfish would it be if I didn't make even that simple of a promise?"

She was grateful enough that her sister had made a bodyguard just for her, and she had even gotten to spend all that time with Nirvana.

She was never going to resent Nine or blame her for how things turned out.

"And besides, we can still be together until the war ends, right?"

Nine's eyes watered as she thought of how often she found comfort in Celica's innocent nature. Looking exasperated, she crossed her arms under her chest.

"Yes, of course. She's still your bodyguard, even if she's a Nox Nyctores now."

"I'm glad."

Celica looked up at Nirvana with a joyful smile, and Nirvana seemed to be smiling back as she looked down.

"Let's keep on going like we have been, Nirvana."

Celica squeezed both her hands into fists and tried to hype up both herself and her bodyguard as those big, glassy, artificial eyes looked tenderly back at her.

===Part 3===

Nine gave the sword in a blue scabbard, Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa and the twin guns, Arcus Diabolus: Bolverk to Seven and Three of the Ten Sages, respectively.

Yukianesa used the element of ice, so it was a perfect fit for Seven, who was better at controlling water than anyone else and who had some skill with swords. Three preferred magic that affected wide areas all at once, so the long range and high rate of fire of the guns was tactically advantageous in her hands.

As the survivors of the force that had returned on the brink of decimation were sorting out the living and the dead, soldiers, armaments, provisions, and other military necessities from all around the world were brought into Ishana. Ishana's clean air started to smell more and more like iron rust with each passing day as the final confrontation loomed. The largest Ars Magus Corps in history was formed up, and even Ishana's hill was being used to create alchemical weapons.

Around the time Jubei, Valkenhayn, and Hakumen's wounds healed (which happened much faster than any humans would have), Hakumen suddenly called a meeting of Nine, Celica, Trinity, Jubei, Valkenhayn, and Terumi.

They gathered in a room that was a little too snugly packed with miscellaneous items to be called a conference room, a peaceful room that smelled of flowers and black tea. The wooden table they sat at had a white cup of herbal tea for everyone, and someone had quickly set out a plate of crackers garnished with jam.

The place they had gathered in wasn't a Mage's Guild establishment: it was Trinity's workshop. Hakumen was no Mage's Guild employee, and he thought going through their procedures was far too much trouble, so Trinity had offered up her workshop.

Compared to their usual wide, dimly lit conference room, Trinity's bright, cramped little workshop let everyone relax a little. When they were all gathered, Hakumen opened his invisible mouth.

"I have a proposal. This is about how we will fell the Black Beast."

As he cut straight to the point with his severe and grim opening topic, Nine's face immediately went serious. She had just been discussing the very same thing with the Joint HQ while organizing the troops, but no one there had been able to come to any sort of agreement.

Leaning over the table, Nine looked across at Hakumen with a fierce glare.

"I'm interested. By all means, go on."

Nine was glad that they weren't in a Mage's Guild conference room.

Their conference rooms were soundproofed so that no conversation would ever leak beyond their walls, but the Mage's Guild being what it was, there were countless people who would be doing their best to overhear your conversation, no matter who you were, where you were, or what you were talking about. If what Hakumen was about to propose was realistic and practical, it would be conceivable that someone might have overheard it and taken it to a Joint HQ meeting with them. Such scoundrels wouldn't be able to pull tricks like that at Trinity's workshop, and this room was protected by a barrier just as strong as any Mage's Guild conference room.

Everyone gathered, not just Nine, was waiting expectantly for Hakumen to continue, so he grabbed the scabbard of his nodachi that was as long as a person and thrust it forward. One of the Nox Nyctores causality weapons, Interfectum Malus: Ookami.

"First, I need to make one thing clear: even with the Nox Nyctores, if humanity faces down the Black Beast head on, we will lose."

A weighty declaration. Emphasizing this immutable truth with Ookami, he took the relaxed atmosphere right out of the room.

Nine's eyebrows shot together in a furrow.

"For the record, the power you'll feel when you use it on the battlefield will be on a whole other level to the power you felt when you were swinging it around at the Mage's Guild to calibrate it. The Nox Nyctores exist purely to kill the Black Beast. When you stand face-to-face with the Black Beast, both its power and its associated burden will skyrocket."

"That goes without saying. I am not claiming any dissatisfaction with these weapons."

"Then what are you getting at?"

Nine flipped her hair as she started to get irritated with Hakumen, who hadn't gotten to his point yet.

With a slight movement of the neck, Hakumen turned his face to Nine.

"The Nox Nyctores are strong, but no matter how strong a weapon might be, it serves no purpose if the one wielding it cannot endure the Black Beast's onslaught."

As someone who had faced the Black Beast in the flesh just half a month ago, his words carried dreadful weight.

One of his comrades on that battlefield, Jubei, hung his head as he crossed his arms.

"...I get what Hakumen's saying. I couldn't fight like I wanted to by the end there, after all."

"There's more to it. Without a doubt, the beast has become wise. We cannot outwit it with weapons alone."

Valkenhayn's usual grim expression contained the gravity of his recent experiences as he lowered his chin.

He knew that this wasn't the sort of problem that could be solved with a good enough weapon. No matter which people or what weapons they gathered, it wouldn't be enough. The Black Beast existed on an entirely different level.

Cowed by the sudden change of atmosphere mixed with the pressure of an unfamiliar battlefield, Trinity quietly listened to the words of those who had lived through that fight. Next to her, Celica listened with a serious face and rapt attention while she made little cracking sounds with the jam-coated crackers she was continuing to eat. Standing behind her as naturally as if she was Celica's shadow was Nirvana.

"So? Are you going to make any suggestions today?"

Exposing her voluptuous thighs as she shifted her legs, Nine tapped the table with her finger to hurry the conversation along.

Hakumen placed Ookami lengthwise on the table and started giving an answer.

"Do you remember the cave we found underground near the Kaka Clan village?"

"You mean the one we found near the subway line～"

Following Trinity's lead after she raised her hand and softly answered Hakumen, Celica got a little excited as she spoke up.

"I remember. That really pretty one, right? Didn't you say it was like the planet's antibodies or something..."

"Indeed. That place had a power to eliminate seithr within its area just like your own, Celica. The Black Beast is essentially a large mass of seithr, so it would lose considerable strength if we were to lead it there." "How're you gonna do that when there're no cauldrons anywhere near there?"

Sitting close to the wall and leaning back and forth in his chair, Terumi chimed in with little more than passing interest.

In response, Trinity pulled up her personal map. It wasn't as big as the one in the Mage's Guild, but it showed Ishana, the nearby continent, and all the major cities on them. It was at least ten years old, however, so it showed the names of many cities that no longer existed as well.

"The closest cauldron to Ishana is this one right here. The Kaka village is..."

"Right 'round here."

Trinity drew a circle in red pen around the location of a cauldron, then Jubei reached in from her side and pointed out the next location. Using the red pen again, she drew a triangle around that point.

Peaking over her shoulder, Celica's mouth opened in surprise.

"They're pretty far away..."

Celica summed it up well.

It would be more than a stretch of the imagination to say that the cauldron where the Black Beast would likely show up last and the Kaka village were close to each other. They might have looked relatively close on the map, but even leading a pursuing human army that far would have been unrealistic, to say nothing of the Black Beast. Furthermore, the Kaka village was unfortunately relatively far inland, practically in the opposite direction of Ishana from the perspective of the final cauldron.

"At the very least, leading it that far on foot is impossible. Even traveling in motor vehicles would be unrealistic. At that distance, magic would be the only viable option..."

Hakumen nodded to Valkenhayn's words.

"Indeed. We will use teleportation magic. We teleport the Black Beast to the cave as it appears from the cauldron, then lay waste to it."

"Hold on."

Nine interrupted Hakumen with a tone that indicated that she was far from on board with this plan. She took her hand off of her chin and stared him down with a sharp glint in her eyes.

"This place you're talking about has no seithr, so you think that if we can get the Black Beast there, it'll be seriously hampered. I understand that well enough. The idea of teleporting the Black Beast there is interesting, too. It's going to be impossible though."

“Is distance the reason?"

"It sure is."

Hakumen and Nine went back-and-forth from across the table.

"Teleportation takes you a shorter and shorter distance the more mass you add. If you tried to teleport something as big as the Black Beast all the way from that cauldron to that cave, all of the Ten Sages working together wouldn't be enough to pull it off."

If it was something that all of the Ten Sages together couldn't do, then even adding all the rest of mages in the Mage's Guild to the equation wouldn't make much of a difference.

Nevertheless, Hakumen answered immediately.

"Then where would you need to start from to reach the cave?"

"Huh?"

She hadn't expected him to ask something like that. Nine was visibly taken aback, but she put her expression back in order after a moment.

"Well... if it was just me alone, I could probably only make it from within walking distance of the Kaka village, but if we assumed all of the Ten Sages were working together on this... maybe from about here."

Nine lit a bright light on her fingertip and drew a circle on the map.

The paper didn't burn even though she touched it directly, and Hakumen, Celica, Trinity, and Valkenhayn all looked down at the circle on the paper at once. The circle was much bigger than any of them had expected, but it was still obviously not somewhere they could reach from the cauldron. And yet...

"...I'm not sure how much distance this is in reality, but for the Black Beast, it's not all that far. Hakumen-san?"

After some brief thought while lightly touching her chin with her hand, Celica looked up with a clear thought in her mind. Hakumen nodded lightly to indicate that he was listening.

"I can handle that. If it works out, we might win, after all."

"Wha- hold on just a minute!"

Like she was trying to wedge herself between Celica and Hakumen as they looked at each other, Nine raised her voice in a panic.

"Don't you two go deciding things on your own. Hakumen, just who do you think you're trying to rope into this?"

From beneath the shadow of her big, triangular purple hat, she glared with unconcealed fury at the expressionless white mask.

Quietly returning her gaze with indifference, Hakumen answered.

"We will have Celica lead the Black Beast into teleportation range."

Faster than he could get the words out, Nine slammed the table and stood up.

"Huh!? Don't screw with me, you want a repeat of last time!? And there was an ambush already set up back then, plus we need a certain amount of prep to use teleportation, so she'd need to lead it all the way there you know!? What do you mean, just lead it into teleportation range? Are you telling Celica to go play tag with the Black Beast!?"

Even at the best of times, they were dealing with a genuine monster boasting atrocious destructive power and devious cunning to boot. She looked like she was about to climb over the table and throw a punch, so Jubei and Trinity came in from her left and right and put their hands on her in the hopes of soothing her rage a bit.

"Hey, cool it."

"Let's just hear him out first～"

But before those two could manage to calm her down, Celica stood up straight as an arrow.

"Listen to me, Onee-chan. I actually already talked to Hakumen-san about this, and I was the one who suggested that I lead the Black Beast along."

"I don't care whose idea it was, I won't let you! Do you want to die!?"

"It's not like that. I've been thinking of something other than standing in front of the Black Beast with Hakumen-san and the army people to lure it away."

Pressing her fingers on the edge of the table, Celica looked straight at Nine.

Normally when Nine got emotional and lost her cool like this, Celica would be yelling right back at her, wondering if they were having a conversation or a simple sisters' fight. Today, however, Celica maintained her composure. More specifically, her bearing showed that she had nothing but calm, tranquil resolve in her heart. She took one comforting glance at Hakumen before beginning her sincere speech.

"I haven't told you this yet, but remember when a piece of the Black Beast teleported into Ishana with Take-Mikazuchi? In that moment, I don't know how it happened, but I went inside of the Black Beast."

[[Image:BB_PS4_149.jpg|thumb]]

"Inside it..."

Nine asked with a severe expression on her face.

Everyone else in the room reacted much like Nine, looking at Celica with surprise mixed with a little curiosity, save for Hakumen, who was the only one who already knew this fact. Even Terumi, still sitting by the wall, was no exception.

"Yeah. And... I found Ragna in there."

Jubei gasped in shock, and Nine once again could not hide her astonishment from Celica.

"We didn't get to spend much time together, but Ragna seemed to be doing something specific inside the Black Beast. Something that he could only do from there."

"So... are you implying that you want to enter the Black Beast and lead it into position from there... Celica-san?"

Confused anxiety clouded Trinity's beautiful green eyes as she threaded her white fingertips over her chin.

Celica didn't nod. Instead, she tilted her head and tried to think of the right words to express herself.

"No, not really that exactly... more like, I could put it in a state where it could be led? That's how Hakumen-san put it, anyway. I'll go inside the Black Beast, find Ragna and get him to help me, then look for the Black Beast's heart."

Celica unconsciously clenched her hand so tightly that it started shaking as she laid out her plan. Her small fist didn't show that she was trying to put on a brave face: it proved how strongly she wanted to do anything she could.

Supplementing Celica's awkward explanation, Hakumen picked up where she left off.

"The Black Beast came about by means of flesh and a heart. If those two components are not eliminated simultaneously, it will not fall. If viewed from the opposite perspective, that means that the beast can be vanquished if we strike down both at once. If we interfere with the heart somehow, it will turn its attention inward. It will forget all about going to Ishana, and it may even bite at simple bait, allowing it to be lured away."

"And by 'simple bait,' you must mean..."

Large numbers of people and unspoiled establishments or buildings were the perfect bait for tickling the Black Beast's base instincts.

Valkenhayn couldn't help but think about the day that Take-Mikazuchi had fallen on Ishana, groaning.

"Heh, I get it. If you scrape up every poor sap who thinks he can fight and shove 'em in the Joint HQ Army, you'd have a force way bigger than the number of people still hanging out in Ishana. A stupid, bloodthirsty monster would obviously come running for the one that has the most prey."

Leaning his chair so far back that it creaked, Terumi looked like he was having a blast, a thin smile spreading across his face.

Hakumen picked Ookami up off the table and returned it to his back as he put more vigor into his voice.

"If we can disrupt the Black Beast from the inside out, we will be able to lead it into teleportation range. We will have all the Ten Sages work together to teleport the Black Beast directly above the cave, thereby incapacitating it, and from there we strike the heart from the inside as we strike the body from the outside... and put an end to this."

That was the plan Hakumen had been thinking up for the decisive battle ever since Celica told him that she had gone inside the Black Beast and found Ragna.

From the existence of an 'inside' of the Black Beast, to the beast being composed of 'flesh' and 'heart' components, to the efficacy of the cave's power against the beast itself, not a single piece of this information was proven with absolute certainty. Nevertheless, Hakumen's words had something that went beyond meticulously recorded and calculated data: they were facts of life. Just like how air is air and water is water, the concepts that Hakumen founded his plan upon carried a sort of gravity that put them beyond reproach. Nine, Trinity, Jubei, and Valkenhayn could all tell that, if everything went according to plan, they really would be able to defeat the Black Beast. They knew it was true by intuition rather than logic, as if the very words coming out of Hakumen's mouth themselves were showing them the path to victory.

Nine bit her lip but kept her silence, thinking hard about something. Noticing Nine, Trinity gracefully raised her hand.

"You say that Celica-san needs to get inside the Black Beast, but how would we make that happen? And surely you have some way to safely get her out, don't you?"

Her gentle, composed question was intended to slow the conversation down a little before they all separated their emotions from their sense of duty too much. Trinity certainly wasn't one of the ones in danger of doing that, though.

Before Hakumen could respond to her sweet voice, Jubei looked over at her with anguish apparent on his face.

"I got a way to get her in. My clan has this sword, called the 'Time Killing Blade,' Hihiirokane... it's got the power to cut through a body and a soul at the same time."

The feet of Terumi's chair clattered to the ground when Jubei said the name of the sword, but no one paid him any mind. Or, at least, no one let it show on their face if they did pick up on it.

"That sword would be able to cut through the Black Beast's spirit, which might make it possible to get inside it. Never tried it though, so I dunno how it'd actually work."

He couldn't say it would work for certain, but then again, hardly anything was certain with the Black Beast. It wouldn't do them any good to split hairs over every uncertain detail; they had to just play every card they could.

"Where's that sword now? Do you have it, Jubei-san?"

Celica asked with hope sparkling in her eyes.

Jubei shook his head no, but he didn't seem very despondent about it.

"It's in storage in a certain place. I know where it is, so I can easily go and get it."

"There's no problem, then. Jubei-san can make an entrance for me."

Celica gave a big nod. Just as it seemed like every problem had been solved…

"Please wait a moment. How are you going to get out, then?"

Reigning in Celica before she got carried away, Trinity brought up what she considered to be the main problem at hand again.

Celica nodded at that question too.

"Don't worry, I'm sure I'll just naturally return to the outside world when you defeat the Black Beast. Even if I don't, Nirvana can just get me out. That's what she did last time."

Nirvana's hands could physically touch and interfere with seithr, so she could rip open the Black Beast from the inside and bring Celica back out. That was something she had already proven. With her hands, it was possible that she really could attack the heart from the inside and the flesh from the outside.

Just as the conversation seemed to be drifting toward that idea…

"Do we really have to put this all on Celica again...? Can't the six of us handle one little monster without her?"

Nine couldn't hold back her bitterness and pain anymore.

Trinity and Jubei's expressions both went dark at the same time. Nine wasn't the only one who would have loved to keep Celica off the front lines, if only there were any other way.

Hakumen's words came down like a cut from a sword.

"Thinking that we cannot fight the Black Beast without Celica A. Mercury is a false assumption: The truth is that we can only fight it because we have her."

"That's a fallacy..."

She could hardly get the words out. Nevertheless, Hakumen's words stuck in her chest.

She didn't want to use her little sister like a tool, and she didn't want to put her in danger, but she knew that if they went to battle without Celica, their chances of victory would become yet another uncertainty.

Victory would become an unlikelihood, if anything.

Celica shot away from the table like a speeding bullet. She scurried around the cramped room and took Nine's lovely cheeks in her hands, lifting her head up to look her in the eyes. Nine's cheeks were as smooth as ever, but they had become noticeably sunken recently.

"I don't want to have to use Nirvana's last resort. I'd much rather we all do everything we can do and win this fight together. I wouldn't be even a little bit happy if we could only beat the Black Beast and restore peace after everyone I love had already died."

She understood what Nine was feeling. If Celica were in Nine's position, with all her abilities and everything, she wouldn't want to send her little sister out onto a battlefield either.

Nevertheless, Celica stared her older sister down with assertive eyes, having to look up at Nine because she was taller.

"You guys are all always looking out for me. If I go inside the Black Beast and give this plan everything I've got, I can do something to make all that trouble worth it for you. And that's not the only thing..."

"Do you not understand just how dangerous of a situation this is going to be?"

"I do understand. But, I mean, I am your little sister, you know? I'm a mage, and I'm Nine of the Ten Sages' little sister."

Her big, wet soil-colored eyes held a profound strength as she gazed straight ahead. She had the same fierce look in her eyes as Nine, who intimidated everyone in the Mage's Guild.

"Someone has to do this, and since I'm the only one with the power to do it, I want to do my part. If I back out of this and we lose... if we can't beat the Black Beast after all, then I'm just going to end up dead anyway, you know?"

Nine's eyes trembled at the word 'dead.'

Nine put her hands on Celica's, which at this point were less so 'holding' her cheeks and more so 'gripping' them.

"...Of course I know that."

How many times now had her stubbornness lost out to Celica's stubbornness? Even Nine understood the situation they were in here. No matter how hard she wracked her brain, she would always come to the same conclusion: that this was their best plan. They had no more military assets waiting in reserve beyond what they currently had, they had nowhere they could retreat to, and they wouldn't have the strength to stand back up and try again if they lost this fight. This would be their last battle, and they had to play every card in their hand.

However, Nine was hesitating precisely because this was the end, and it was Hakumen's words that steeled her emotions.

"You do not have to put your faith in anything or anyone else. You do not even have to accept or approve of this. But, you must believe in your sister and Ragna the Bloodedge."

"...Ragna..."

Nine's whispering voice died in her throat, and she let go of Celica's hands.

Sitting back down heavily in her chair, she crossed her long legs over one another and crossed her arms beneath her chest.

"...First things first, we retrieve Hihiirokane. While we're waiting for that, I'll talk to the Ten Sages about the teleportation thing."

Nine spoke with a clear, rational voice, bouncing all the things they would have to do in preparation around in her head, before draining her cold herbal tea in one gulp.

===Part 4===

In the castle of perpetual night, the Alucard Manor.

Surrounded in rose gardens as far as the eye can see, this eerie, beautiful castle was playing host to two guests this night. Rather than sunlight, pale moonlight was pouring through the large window of one of the countless parlors. The moon was eternal above this castle. It was a quiet, perfectly full moon that simply looked on from above.

Rachel Alucard, the current head of the Alucard family that ruled this castle, was sitting on a luxurious sofa with an ivy design crawling up the sides, wearing a black dress over her small frame.

"Please excuse the delay."

Leading the guests, Valkenhayn had put his butler face back on. With refined mannerisms that didn't quite suit his brawny figure, he brought cups of black tea to the mistress and her guests.

Rachel's white cup emitted white steam that carried the flowery scent of roses with it, and she raised it off the table after giving her glossy golden ponytails a slight shake. Her eminently childlike lips took a single sip of tea.

"Valkenhayn, give it to them."

She gave her order as her blood-red eyes gazed across the table at her guests──Jubei and Hakumen.

That being said, the only one sitting on a sofa was Jubei; Hakumen stood behind the sofa with his back to the wall, standing so perfectly motionless that he could have been a still life painting. Feeling the tension in his companion behind him, Jubei scratched his ears beneath his hood a little uncomfortably.

Hakumen's attitude wasn't the only reason that he couldn't calm down, however. Jubei had gotten quite used to Alucard Castle in his comings and goings in the past, but the castle had shifted into a new phase to suit its new mistress when Rachel succeeded Clavis Alucard as the head of the family, so now everything felt uncanny to Jubei. Even this parlor sofa had been different before, feeling like an old antique from a bygone age, complete with a dusty smell and an austere color scheme better fit for an elderly person than a young girl. He was wracked with an indescribable discomfort being in this place that he once knew well appearing completely different.

"As you wish, Rachel-sama."

At his mistress' command, Valkenhayn went to his disoriented old friend's side, holding a thin wooden box he had brought with the tea. As carefully as he would handle a bouquet of flowers, he gave the box to Jubei.

Rachel waved her finger, and the red rose brand on the box faded away, temporarily removing the seal that her predecessor Clavis had placed.

"...Been a while since I laid eyes on it."

Murmuring nostalgically, Jubei put a hand on the wooden box. Opening the box with a little clattering sound, he revealed the long, black object laying within it.

It was a sword in a black sheath, and its name was the Time Killing Blade, Hihiirokane.

"After retrieving it along with Tomonori, father kept it sealed constantly. He said that it mustn't be lost before the time came to use it again."

The timbre of her words showed that Rachel was reminiscing on bygone times as well.

Rachel and Jubei had both lost people dear to them who were involved with this sword. Rachel had lost her father while Jubei lost his little brother.

"Thanks again, for what happened with Tomonori."

"I wasn't the one to handle the matter. All the more reason to proceed with caution. Especially with regards to..."

"Yuuki Terumi."

Jubei finished Rachel's warning for her.

The last time someone wielded this sword, it was against Yuuki Terumi. The result was that he was sealed in the Alucard Manor for a time, until he had his free will restrained by Nine's Mind Eater.

In place of a nod, Rachel took another sip of tea and placed the cup back on the table.

"Just as you surmised, Hihiirokane is capable of cutting through the Black Beast's spirit and creating a passage inside of it. But before I allow you to depart with this sword, you must commit to fulfilling one more duty."

"A duty?"

Lifting his gaze from the glossy black scabbard, Jubei looked at Rachel.

Rachel looked back into his big cat eye with her own deep crimson ones.

"Killing Yuuki Terumi."

With a frigid voice ill-befitting her youthful appearance, she stated her terms without a hint of hesitation.

Jubei's breath caught in his throat for a moment and his muscles tightened subconsciously. His brother Tomonori had once resolved to kill Yuuki Terumi and took Hihiirokane from their hidden village in order to do it. The young vampire was telling him to take up Tomonori's final mission along with the sword he had held in his final moments.

Staring hard at the black scabbard in the box, Jubei gave his reply.

"So... just sealing him up again while he's still under Mind Eater's influence isn't an option, then?"

"Indeed, obviously not. Father was only able to seal him because his consciousness was completely absent at the time. Tomonori gave his life to make that seal possible."

A tiny bit of sentimentality slipped through Rachel's exasperated sigh.

"Hihiirokane is the only weapon that can kill Terumi, and you are likely its most worthy possible wielder in the world right now. I believe that I can entrust this matter to you."

Rachel's small voice carried a nobility that far exceeded her youthful exterior. The sublime, dreamlike atmosphere of Alucard Castle was certainly not the only reason that it was hard to believe that she existed in reality.

The vampire girl pressed him for an answer with her unrealistic voice.

"The choice is yours to make. Now... what will you choose?"

She was giving him two choices: take the sword, or don't take the sword. If he chose to take it, he would also be choosing to carry on his brother Tomonori's will.

For Jubei, there was no question.

"I humbly accept this charge."

Jubei took Hihiirokane out of the box.

He felt like he had been punched in the gut by a wave of emotions as he lifted the sword, thinking of his brother's lingering regrets contained within. Rachel's condition was convenient for him, really. He had secretly wanted to take revenge for Tomonori all this time, if only he had the chance. Skillfully grasping the hilt with his big cat paw, he drew the blade from its scabbard. It shone with an unbelievable sharpness as it caught the light from the antique golden chandelier.

As he returned it to its scabbard once more with a crisp click, Rachel studied him closely.

"...I see. In that case, I'll prepare one more weapon for you, Jubei."

"Another one?"

"Would you be interested if I called it something like an extra special item, perhaps?"

Seeming briefly like a mischievous child, Rachel's lips shifted into a cold smile.

"The eye of the man who cut Yuuki Terumi and observed his spirit."

The man who recklessly tried to take Terumi on all by himself, but didn't have enough strength to see it through, and was killed by Terumi instead.

"You don't mean..."

Jubei took a long, hard look at Rachel, his eye wavering as he tried to call her bluff.

The truth came in words, however, through Rachel's rose-red lips.

"Indeed, I'm referring to Tomonori's eye."

Hakumen had left the parlor and was currently walking alone through the castle, looking for a certain place.

He walked below the cold stone wall surrounding the castle, down a long flight of stairs. The candle-shaped lights ensconced here and there in the wall were woefully unreliable as light sources, and stepping into the spaces between them was like walking through the darkness of a bottomless swamp. Nonetheless, Hakumen's steady pace showed no hesitation, fear, or doubt, as if he could always see where he was placing his feet no matter what path he might be walking. He alternated between walking through the swamps of darkness and the ponds of light as he marched on.

The young vampire princess had taken the cat and the wolf somewhere else in the castle. Their goal was to transplant the eye of Jubei's brother, Tomonori, into Jubei. What they called an 'eye' was not in fact an eyeball taken from Tomonori's corpse, but rather an artificial eye based on it. Rachel had said that Yuuki Terumi could not be killed unless his spiritual body was cut down along with him, and according to her, Tomonori's prosthetic eye would be able to observe Terumi's spirit.

Jubei had agreed to this plan quickly. With just as little hesitation as when he claimed Hihiirokane, he decided to accept his brother's eye. He must have felt very strongly about his departed younger brother. Hakumen couldn't imagine what sort of emotions that sword and that eyeball must have been stirring up in the cat-man's heart.

All he could think was that that is what brothers should be. His thoughts on the matter never formed into such coherent words as that, but he believed that to be true.

His unerringly uniform footsteps came to a halt as he arrived at the small, hole-like space at the bottom of the very long staircase. This was the very deepest point in the entire convoluted, maze-like Alucard Manor.

The first thing he saw after descending the seemingly endless passage was a solemn pair of tightly shut double doors that were so incredibly sturdy looking that they seemed like they had gone to sleep at some point and would never wake up again. Hakumen stepped in front of them like they were drawing him in, but he did not reach his hands out and try to open them. There was no need for him to open the doors, because there was nothing behind them anymore. All that was left was the memories and sentiments that Hakumen had abandoned.

This was the final place that Hakumen had visited when he was still a person with a different name.

"...Nii ...hng."

He would always remember something when he came here. His final memory from the time axis he originated from, from before he put on the white mask, when he had been someone with a different name.

Something thick and scorching hot like lava whirled about. A single man fell into a wide-open cauldron like he was being pulled into it, the light coming from the depths of the cauldron reflecting off of his white hair. His red jacket fluttered in the hot wind.

The man, together with a dainty girl, was run through by a massive sword. The two were inseparably bound to each other as they fell deeper and deeper in.

The Hakumen of the past followed after them, but he couldn't catch up. He watched as the two people pierced by the sword were swallowed up by the fiery cauldron. And eventually, Hakumen saw the man and the girl melt together into one...

──and become the Black Beast.

"...Nii-san."

Since there was no one around to hear him, who knows if that mumbled word ever left his mouth.

He had remembered. Seeing what Jubei was going through had stirred up his memories. Memories of his brother. He wondered what the man he had once called his older brother would think if he could see him now. If he was more pure like Jubei and cherished his brotherly bonds, he wouldn't fight this battle. After all, the enemy that he was trying to slay was his brother.

"...Foolishness."

This time, Hakumen's voice rang clear as he spoke to himself.

The final battle loomed before them, and here he was drowning in nostalgia over a brother who he had forgotten he had an attachment to. He was being far too meticulous, like he was trying to show off. No matter how many armies he commanded or how many weapons he collected, in the end, he wasn't fighting to save the world.

Everything he did was for himself. He was fighting for his own desires, impulses, and sentiments. He was fighting for his instinct to not let the world be destroyed.

Suddenly, he felt the presence of someone moving above him. It must have been Jubei. It seemed that the transplant had been completed, which meant there was no need to waste any more time in this castle.

Getting in touch with who he had been when he was still human and drowning in self-inflicted torment made for a poor way to kill time.

"So long."

Quietly uttering some parting words, Hakumen turned his back on the past and returned the way he came.

All that was left was darkness, silence, and cold, like the bottom of a well that even ripples couldn't reach.

===Part 5===

As the castle of perpetual night played host to visitors in the light of a pale full moon, Ishana was lit by the more erratic light of a waning moon.

Lamp posts set at regular intervals lined the cobblestone streets, and when Trinity arrived at a certain house on one of those streets, it was already deep into the night hours. Nine, walking ahead of her, unlocked the door and invited her in with a wave. Accepting the invitation, Trinity held her breath so as not to make any noise as she stepped through the entrance. Both of them were using silencing magic, so neither Nine's high heels tapping the ground nor Trinity's staff bumping it made any noise.

They were in Nine and Celicas' house, but Nine hadn't taken Trinity here because it was her and her sister's dwelling. They were here for Nine's personal workshop underground.

Taking painstaking care to not wake Celica, who was sleeping on the second floor, the two descended a spiral staircase.

It was quite a long walk. The stairs were so long that after a while one would start to wonder if they were some kind of optical illusion, but nevertheless they eventually ended at a door. It was heavily guarded by both a magical and an electrical lock, both of which Nine opened.

The magical lighting that came through the now-open doorway was somewhere between white and orange. The square-shaped stone brick room beyond was packed with bookshelves, racks, and general clutter. Trinity had been here countless times, so she was quite familiar with it. As she followed Nine inside, the door quietly shut behind her.

Nine waited until the door was securely shut before she spoke, tossing her long hair back behind her neck.

"Sorry for bringing you over so late at night, but who knows when the next time I'll have the time to spare will be."

She breathed a fatigued sigh. Feeling gentle sympathy for her friend, Trinity replied softly.

"Oh, don't worry about it～"

"...Thanks. I figured you'd say that though, so I'm still feeling kind of guilty."

Nine gave a little apologetic look. After another sigh, she narrowed her eyes into a tense expression and walked deeper into the workshop, Trinity following behind her. The silencing magic had faded by now, so realistic sounds now accompanied the two girls' passage.

Overflowing with stuff similar to the previous room, which would be hard to call 'orderly' even in the best of circumstances, this room was mostly occupied by large-scale materials and equipment, and there was no space remaining for anything without a practical use.

Amidst the cold atmosphere of machinery, a single distinctive wooden box sat on its own. Nine didn't need to point it out, because Trinity's eyes had naturally landed on it on their own. It was roughly the size of a human child, making it pretty big and probably fairly heavy.

Nine extended her hand, dispelled the seal on it, and opened the lid. What was inside was something that Trinity had never seen before.

To put a name to it... it was a nail, but it was an incredibly big one. It was a nail the size of a human child. It had no ornamentation, which made it all the more perplexing because it was difficult to determine its function.

Trinity lifted her gaze to look at Nine.

"Nine, what's this...?"

"The ninth Nox Nyctores."

"The ninth?"

"Yeah. Its name is Pheonix: Rettenjo."

Nine furrowed her brow and made a complicated expression. She couldn't take her eyes off of the large nail laying in the box.

"This... you see, this one... this is the only one that isn't a weapon of war. Rettenjo is the anti-Nox Nyctores. I created it to destroy the other Nox Nyctores."

"Destroy them? Didn't you say that you were going to seal them once the war is over...?"

Listening to Trinity's graceful, hesitant voice, Nine nodded her head quietly.

"Yeah. This is insurance, just like Nirvana."

Trinity picked up on the shame in her words and glanced down at the staff in her hands. Arma Reboare: Muchourin.

She understood what was on Nine's mind.

"For the off-chance that something happens and you aren't able to seal the Nox Nyctores away, and someone uses them against humans... right?"

Nine didn't trust that all of the Nox Nyctores would be returned to her to be sealed after they had served their intended purpose in the war. Their wielders may die in combat and someone else may come along and take the weapons. Or... some of their current wielders may refuse to return them.

Nine thought she had to account for all of the possibilities while still prioritizing their survival, their victory over the Black Beast. She was even considering the chance that she herself wouldn't survive this fight, which is why she had created Nirvana's last resort and the Rettenjo.

Trinity realized that, and her eyes clouded with sorrow. No one could know who was going to live and who was going to die.

Nine gently closed the wooden lid and recast the seal like she was turning a key in a lock.

"I want to entrust this to you, Trinity. If I die, this house will be seized by the Joint HQ. If that happens and they possess the Nox Nyctores, and then they find this, there won't be any way for humanity to resist the power of the Nox Nyctores anymore."

"But, I..."

Don't know if I'll survive or not either. Knowing what Trinity was about to say, Nine cut her off with a piercing, unreserved look.

"If you die, I'll take it back. Even if I have to become a phantom and come back from the dead to do it."

Her voice was thick with the strength of her will. She prayed that no one would have to use this nail, but she seemed to have a hunch that someone would.

Nine picked the box up in both arms and held it out to Trinity. Beyond the strength in her gaze there was a glimpse of a weary, somber girl. Looking at the face of Konoe Mercury, rather than Nine of the Ten Sages, Trinity felt her breath rattle just as badly as her feelings were rattling in her chest.

Nine's words came out as a low, indistinct mumble.

"...The truth is that Rettenjo is really just a tiny Kushinada's Lynchpin. I gave Nirvana to Celica, so... I want you, who was there to see the Lynchpin with me, to have this."

Kushinada's Lynchpin was the device that could sever connections to the Boundary which may have been able to stop the Black Beast. To Nine, it was the creation of a man who she detested to no end, but at the same time, it was a keepsake of her father. She did not love her father, but Kushinada's Lynchpin was a very special device. She had used the peculiar metal that interfered with seithr that it was composed of to make Nirvana's claws, and she used its special ability to sever seithr as a reference to make Rettenjo. Nine's desire to entrust those two creations to Celica and Trinity, who had witnessed her father's final moments together with her, was Nine's sentimentality showing through.

Trinity pursed her lips before taking the box from Nine. She awkwardly tried to hold the box and Muchourin at the same time, hugging the box to her chest as she smiled softly.

"I'll take good care of this. But, Nine, I'm just holding onto it for you～"

In other words, she was telling her to not get careless just because she had insurance now. Telling her not to rush to her death. Nine understood what she meant even though she didn't put it into words. She smiled wryly, her usually tough eyes softening into something weaker.

"...I'm sorry for asking so much of you, Trinity."

"...Don't mention it. It's perfectly fine by me."

Trinity shook her head like she was trying to convince Nine.

Nine cast one more smile at her before exiting the room, leading Trinity out.

"I'll walk you home. Thanks for coming out so late."

Nine glanced over her shoulder, and the side of her face showed that she had shaken off her momentary weakness and had returned to her usual unyielding self.

Wondering whether that was a good thing or not, Trinity left the underground workshop, still clinging on to Muchourin and Rettenjo.

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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2

2024-12-22T00:33:53Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief== ===Part 1=== In a conference room in the Mage's Guild. The line of long, thin windows was covered with thick curtains, hiding the w..."

==Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief==
===Part 1===
In a conference room in the Mage's Guild.

The line of long, thin windows was covered with thick curtains, hiding the wide nighttime expanse of Ishana from view. The room was dimly lit by orangish-white lights in its four corners, but the only other light source illuminating the people gathered within was the clear sphere floating in the center. As large as a human head, it shed pale white light as it was used to project images of various locations around Ishana.

There were six people surrounding this glowing white ball. The glamorous woman wearing a triangular purple hat, Nine. The woman whose lovely platinum blond hair peaked out from beneath the hood of a white robe, Trinity Glassfille. The werewolf in the prime of his life who had crammed his brawny body into a high-class shirt and vest, Valkenhayn. The cat-type beastkin, with his two tails swaying behind him and his right eye hidden beneath an eyepatch, Jubei.

Then, the man who wore the hood of his long coat low over his eyes to hide his face in shadow, Terumi... and the man clad in white with an equally white mask whose whole being oozed intimidation, Hakumen.

It was the night two days after Take-Mikazuchi fell on Ishana. Terumi, being the only one who hadn't been teleported along with the Black Beast and Take-Mikazuchi, had just gotten back in town this morning. This was the first time all six of them had been together in one place since they had taken shelter in the Kaka Clan village.

"Weapons powered by Take-Mikazuchi's core..."

Looking beyond the orb that was standing in for a normal screen to look at Nine, who had just finished explaining her plan, Jubei whispered like he was mulling it over. His tails swayed slowly behind him.

"But no matter how many fragments you break the core up into, they'll never pack the same punch as Take-Mikazuchi, right?"

"Of course not. If I were to make Take-Mikazuchi-class weapons, even a tough beastkin like you would get blasted to a million pieces if you tried to wield one."

Saying something very frightening with a nonchalant expression, Nine crossed her arms under her chest.

The orb in the center of the room was showing an image of the wasteland of debris that the Ishana town scape had been reduced to. Take-Mikazuchi had still been lying atop it all this morning, but they had just managed to send it to a different dimension after a full day's work making adjustments.

"Naturally, we're going to be losing out on some firepower, but what I'm going to make won't be a plain-and-simple weapon like Take-Mikazuchi. I'm going to create weapons that need to be wielded in the hands of people. They'll be more powerful the more skillful their wielder is, and in turn, they'll let the wielder make the most of their own skill. You'd agree that there's a big difference between an amateur swinging around a legendary sword and a master wielding a wall decoration, right? A sword's sharpness isn't everything."

About to continue her speech, Nine cast her gaze across the faces of the people gathered with her, and her eyes met Trinity's for a moment. The sharp light in her eyes dimmed a bit as Trinity flashed a tiny smile at her, and she breathed out a light sigh.

"The weapons I'm going to make from Take-Mikazuchi's core will be special. If we stick with the sharpness metaphor, they'll be able to out-cut any legendary sword in the world. So long as the right people are wielding them, they should bring plenty of firepower to the table."

By 'the right people,' she meant people with far higher battle prowess than the average person.

Obviously, the ones she had in mind were the five people in the room with her. The five people she had personally selected to help her.

"The thing is... I do need to get your input about one problem I have."

Nine's tone of voice got markedly less confident.

"It'll take me half a year at the very least to make weapons that are worth anything, but we predict that the Black Beast will most likely make it here in about four months."

It was just a prediction at the end of the day, but no matter what, those two extra months were going to be too long to fit into a margin of error.

An anxious wrinkle cut across Valkenhayn's brow as he scratched his chin.

"So then the weapons will come too late..."

"Not necessarily. I want you all to do everything you can to slow the Black Beast down and buy me time."

With a shake of her head, Nine requested the cooperation of everyone present. Speaking in an exceedingly calm voice, she neither ordered them to do it nor did she beg them for help.

Jubei, Trinity, and Valkenhayn all gave their assent like it was the only logical course of action, but Terumi had something to say. Leaning on the wall in a shadowy part of the room, he made his opinion known without much delicacy.

"What, are you insane? You want us to slow down the Black friggin' Beast? If that's supposed to be a joke, I ain't laughing."

"It wasn't a joke. I am in fact quite sane, and serious too. If we're going to defeat the Black Beast, we're going to need weapons made from Take-Mikazuchi's core, but they're not going to be ready in time if we keep letting the Black Beast run free like we have been."

That was an immutable fact, and one that all of mankind had to accept, not just Nine's crew.
If the Black Beast made it to Ishana and wiped out the Mage's Guild and Orbis Librarius Normas' Joint HQ, Ishana would be obliterated, their last hope of standing against the Black Beast would be lost, and humanity really would have to start counting down their last few days before extinction.

"It's all over if Ishana falls. I need to create something we can use to oppose it before that happens."

In order for that to happen, they had to do something to delay the Black Beast's arrival in Ishana.

"...How convenient."

The atmosphere of the room trembled ominously as Hakumen mumbled to himself.

Everyone turned their eyes and their attention to his tall, stark-white body.

Nine's eyebrows shot up in surprise. Just as Terumi had said, slowing down the Black Beast's advance was an insane, reckless idea, and surely Hakumen knew that too. Nine couldn't imagine that white-masked man would ever bluff or bluster.

Of course, she was right: Hakumen hadn't spoken up to act tough.
"I spoke with Jubei about this not long ago. If we meet that creature in battle on this island, deploying troop formations and utilizing artillery will prove difficult, which will inevitably lead to intolerable losses. We were contemplating whether there was no way we could intercept it somewhere on the continent, before it made it to this island... before it crossed the sea."

As Hakumen spoke, Jubei flicked his tails again and stared into the orb with a glimmer in his eye.

"We did some spit-balling. You know how the Black Beast can come up out of the ground from any cauldron in the world? And then it disappears again after it’s caused some mayhem. Not many people know about the cauldrons, so they think it just appears outta nowhere, but there is actually a pattern to it. If ya follow the trail of all the cauldrons it's used so far, you'd probably be able to guess which one it's using to get to Ishana."

At Jubei's request, Nine pulled up a map on the orb. It was a map only used in Ishana, one where Ishana Island was located in the center and the nearby continent and islands were drawn in around it.

Dozens of red dots were scattered over the surface of it, each one indicating the location of a cauldron.

"The beast is heading roughly northward from this point, making for Ishana. If it's planning to go straight to Ishana, then, barring any major detours... it's really only got three ways to go."

His cat arms were too short, so Jubei pulled one of the swords from his back and used the tip of the scabbard to trace the Black Beast's path, and a red line drawn by magic followed in its wake.

With a complicated look on his face, Valkenhayn watched with great interest as he drew out the path of a calamity.

"But it would be difficult to reliably determine which one the Black Beast will appear from next with only these cauldrons to go off of. If we guess incorrectly while trying to deploy a large army, we'll just tire out the troop. Have you thought of a way to narrow it down?"

"More or less, yeah. Can't guarantee it'll really do the trick, though."

Jubei frowned with his cat lips and Hakumen took over for him.

"No matter which route it chooses, there are several cauldrons that it certainly has to pass through. We station our armies there and engage it the moment it appears."

"All our previous observations show that the Black Beast has to appear on the surface once every now and then following a certain period of time, like it's coming up for air. Based on the distance between these cauldrons, we should be able to catch it in a guaranteed ambush."

A powerful glint flickered in Jubei's eye.

The information they had on the Black Beast was gained by dint of a staggering number of sacrifices. Even still, they couldn't cut to the heart of the Black Beast problem; all they knew was what route it would take. They still didn't have any idea how to actually take it down. If the scrap of a lead that those sacrifices had secured for them could become a flickering light of hope for a brighter future, Jubei was ready to do whatever it took to make that happen.

"Of course, I don't think we've got any shot at actually standing toe-to-toe with it right now. We'd all be finished for sure if we tried to do something like that, but I think we can at least be enough of a thorn in its side to buy some time before it makes it here."

It was quite the reckless plan, but it was the only one Jubei had.

"Can we really do something like that..."

The words escaped Trinity's mouth in a mournful whisper. Trinity wasn't the only one to have her doubts: Nine, Valkenhayn, and even the one who had had the idea in the first place, Jubei, were all short on confidence too.

Nevertheless, Jubei kept his head raised high, looking across the floating orb and the map to sweep his unwavering gaze across the faces of everyone in the room.

"Three times I've fought against the true body of the Black Beast. Can't say I survived thanks to raw skill, but I did survive. If I'm still alive, that means I can still fight."

Jubei knew that he had been incredibly lucky. Ever since the Black Beast appeared, Jubei had lost so many people dear to him that it made his head spin. Countless people who wanted to fight but didn't have the strength to carry on had died wallowing in regret.

Keeping them in mind, he could at least push his fear aside while standing in this conference room.

"My swords can cut through Seithr. Magic and Ars Magus can do some damage to the Black Beast, and Hakumen even took one of its heads off."

Jubei took a single, deep breath before calling his comrades to action, putting his entire being into four words.

"We've gotta do this."

They didn't have the luxury of looking for a better option. They had a little time left, but not as much time as they needed.

Nine's face went stiff, as if she was challenging him.

"How much time can you buy that way? One month. Even if I have to trade my life for it, I swear that we will do it."

Hakumen answered, his voice not faltering for even an instant. There was no doubt that he wasn't being cocky. In fact, it was the opposite: he knew now, before ever drawing his sword, that they wouldn't be able to hold out longer than a month no matter what they did.

Even if they did manage to catch the Black Beast like they thought they could, Jubei and Hakumens' plan wouldn't succeed without casualties.

Without a doubt, a lot of people were going to die, and at the same time, they would lose valuable combat power. Even knowing that, Nine nodded deeply and firmly.

"Understood. I'll leave it to you. In the meantime, I'll complete these weapons even if I have to will them into existence."

If she couldn't finish them in time, it would mean the end of Ishana, then the end of the world shortly after it.

Nine placed a single black marker on the map indicating the location of the cauldron at the furthest edge of the continent. That meant it was also the cauldron closest to Ishana. Before the Black Beast could cross over to Ishana, it would almost certainly have to pass through this cauldron.

"Five months from now, when the Black Beast materializes out of this cauldron, will be the moment when we make our last stand."

Nine's words were a needle of fierce determination that carved the resolve to do what they must into their hearts.

===Part 2===

Take-Mikazuchi had disappeared from the city, and everyone moved on to working to restore the ruined townscape left in its wake.

Like afternoon shifting to night, the atmosphere in Ishana took a turn. Most people who had been busy frantically clearing rubble and tending to the injured were now focusing on a different kind of work. Instead of gathering construction tools and medicine, they were stockpiling weapons and armor. They were looking at maps of Eurasia instead of at maps of Ishana.

The war against the Black Beast had resumed, and this wasn't the time to be dedicating time and manpower to restoring the Magister's City of Ishana. After all, Ishana might disappear before they finished rebuilding it.

Tension was building among the army that the Mage's Guild and the Orbis Librarius Norma had worked together to raise at their Joint HQ, and that tension was rippling out to cover the rest of the island.

Numerous days passed like this, and one night, Celica was walking down one of Ishana's cobblestone roads.

The sky was cloudless and the distant moon was plain to see. It was a full moon tonight, and its swollen, yellow-tinged form looked like a lemon in the sky. The breeze felt cool, and while the barrier wrapping around the island blocked most of it off, the faint smell of the sea was refreshing.

It was late enough that the date was going to change before long. Hardly any houses had lights on anymore and all the shops were closed, but the glittering lamp posts in the city of sorcery kept the streets bright just as they should, holding the darkness at bay and relieving the sense of silence.

This area was on the edge of town, and the port where the army was busy preparing to depart was in the opposite direction, so no one else could be seen walking around here. The footsteps Celica heard were hers alone, and the shadow she saw swaying in the light of the street lamps was hers too. For some reason, she found that really refreshing.

Right now, Celica was indeed alone. Nine and Valkenhayn weren't with her, and even the Orbis Librarius Norma agents who had been tailing her since she had returned to Ishana were nowhere to be seen. Even Nirvana was absent. Celica was alone for the first time in a very long while, and like she was following directions from someone she couldn't see, she was headed for the hill overlooking Ishana.

She knew from the start who was on the hill. The last time she had been drawn to this hill and felt this person's presence, she had mistaken them for someone else, but now she could easily tell the two apart.

Walking clear of the rows of buildings, she winded her way along the promenade until she got to the hill road hidden from view by grass, then followed it to the crest of the hill. There weren't any streetlamps on the hill, so she used magic to make a tiny dot of light on her fingertip. The grass made a crunching sound as she walked across it. Having put some distance between herself and the lights and buildings of the city, the sky seemed to suddenly expand around her.

She felt great.

Drinking in the cool night air, Celica took a few more steps and called out to the white shadow standing at the summit.

"Good evening, Hakumen-san."

She was relieved to see it was exactly who she thought it would be. The wind smelling of grass and soil caressed her skin as she naturally broke into a smile.

Celica heard a crunching of the grass much heavier than the one her feet had made, and his wide shoulders turned halfway around as he looked back at Celica.

Long silver hair swayed in the wind as the expressionless white mask looked at Celica.

"...You're alone. What of Nirvana?"

Hakumen's puzzled voice reverberated from inside the mask.

"Onee-chan said she needed her up at the Mage's Guild for two or three days. She said she needed to examine her or something."

Answering with a laugh, Celica walked over to stand next to Hakumen.

Hakumen stood there facing her with his upper body turned toward her all the way until she stood next to him, then he turned back to face the city again. The cool breeze spiraled between their legs before blowing past them.

"You guys are leaving tomorrow morning, aren't you?"

Celica asked him casually, with her hands clasped behind her back, her head held high, and the night scenery of Ishana reflected in her wet soil-colored eyes.

She could see countless ships anchored in the harbor from up here. They weren't ships meant to ferry passengers. They were warships, made to carry far more people and equipped with large-scale weaponry.

Hakumen responded with neither words nor even a nod of the head, but Celica knew that his unwavering silence was affirmation.

"You won't be coming back in one month, will you..."

She was trying to keep her tone light, but Celica couldn't stop her voice from coming out a little weaker than it had been a moment earlier.

One month wasn't a short amount of time. That wouldn't be so bad if they were just going off to some random place for a month, but the so-called ‘one month’ that Hakumen and all the rest were headed to tomorrow was like a deep, dark swamp to Celica.

"Returning after only one month is merely the worst-case scenario."

Hakumen's voice, just like his body, didn't waver in the least.

If they had any strength left at the end, they planned to stay and keep the Black Beast in check for as long as they could, even if they could only keep it up for one day longer. That was the duty of the expeditionary force that Hakumen was going to lead.

Celica thought she had a good idea of just how reckless and perilous a task that was, but she also realized that she could never fully understand it. She was keenly aware of just how much of a difference there between what was she could do and what Hakumen could do.

"You'd better come back, okay?"

"Of course I will. This won't be the end."

"Yeah... of course not."

They weren't setting out with plans to lose their lives in vain; they were just going to buy some time. In one month or a little more, they were going to come back to Ishana.

Celica couldn't believe that that would be the case, so she smiled as the sorrow threatened to overcome her. It was the dead of night, but lights were still flickering across the harbor. The ships were still being loaded with supplies for tomorrow morning's departure.

The ships would set sail and eventually make it to the continent, and from there a horde of extra-large cars would take them on a seemingly endless expedition heading southeast. Finally they would arrive at a field near the cauldron where the Black Beast was most likely to appear next and lie in wait to ambush it.

(The Black Beast)

Celica thought those words in a mutter, as if she was whispering in her own head.

How many times had she witnessed that monster made of Seithr and cloaked in fear itself? Four... no, just three times. The first time she didn't see it herself because she escaped to safety before it showed itself in full.

Celica clenched her teeth together a little too hard.

"Hey, Hakumen-san. We haven't really had a chance to talk about it yet, so there's something I want to tell you while I still have the chance."

As she spoke, she turned to face him so sharply that it seemed like she was about to break into a sprint. She shook off all the sappy emotions she had been displaying up until just now and looked right up at Hakumen.

In response to her pleading voice, the white mask met her gaze, silently urging her to continue. Keeping her gaze steady, Celica slowly and purposefully spoke one word at a time.

"The truth is, I saw him. I saw Ragna."

There was a big difference between keeping that fact hidden in her heart and putting it into words to get it off her chest. The instant she put what she was thinking into words, Celica felt a rush of warmth well up in her heart.

She clasped her hands and squeezed them together like she was trying to see what they felt like.

"I think it happened when the Black Beast teleported with Take-Mikazuchi. In that moment, I got stuck inside the Black Beast. Everywhere I looked was pitch black and I was all alone."

Just as Celica was being crushed by the loneliness and fear within the suffocating darkness, she had felt something pull on her arm.

Her hand could still feel the body heat and texture she had felt at that moment. It was neither a dream nor an illusion, and it wasn't a simple intuition or a mere presence either; it was Ragna, in the flesh.

"Ragna found me. He protected me, and he saved my life."

Celica set her overflowing emotions ablaze, and Hakumen's entire mask was reflected in her eyes.

Hakumen looked silently into those eyes. From beneath the mask that betrayed no emotions came a question, asked in a low voice that sounded like he was being crushed to death.

"...Did he... say anything to you?"

"Ragna saved me but stayed inside the Black Beast himself. He said he still had something to do. And... he said it was something he had to do on his own."

That being the case, she wondered if Ragna was still inside the Black Beast at this very moment. Maybe he was fighting something all alone right now. Thinking that, her legs started trembling terribly. She wanted to give into her impulses and just start running. She knew there was nothing she could do, but she just wanted to run right to where Ragna was all by himself.

Suffering from the same impatience as Celica, Hakumen, standing right next to her, turned his mask away from her and lowered his chin as if in deep thought.

"Ragna the Bloodedge..."

He muttered like he was tracing the words with his voice. His voice was faint and detached, like he was dominating the emotions he was supposed to have for that name.

Celica let out a short ‘ah’ sound. She had remembered something.

"I almost forgot, Ragna was with a woman too."

"A woman?"

"Yeah. I only caught a glimpse of her, but she was small and had silver hair. Her left eye was covered with an eyepatch, but her other one was red."

Hakumen's attitude changed palpably, like something was stirring within him. They had been standing in a refreshing night breeze, but now there was slowly smoldering anger mixed into the air as well.

"...Then, that woman... is inside the Black Beast..."

Bitterness the likes of which Celica had never heard from Hakumen muddied his voice. If he had a human face, he probably would have been scowling menacingly and grinding his teeth together.

Seeing Hakumen quietly losing his temper before her, Celica tilted her head slightly to one side.

"You know that girl too?"

That's what it had sounded like to her.

Hakumen kept his silence for a few seconds before answering solemnly.

"That woman is the heart of the Black Beast."

The heart. Celica had no idea what he meant by that. She tilted her head even further and looked at him blankly. Was he talking about the organ in a living creature that enabled all of its bodily functions, or did he mean it in a more metaphorical sense?

Before she could ask him to explain what he was talking about, Hakumen looked off toward the distant ocean as if he could no longer see her.

He kept silent and stared into space as he lost himself deep in thought.

"Hakumen-san?"

Turning at the waist to peak at Hakumen, Celica called his name. Hakumen was silent for a little while, but eventually he responded.

"...Nevermind. We'll finish this another time."

No sooner had he said that than Hakumen turned on his heel and set off, flattening grass beneath his feet. His broad shoulders and flowing silver hair caught the moonlight as he passed through the black of night, making him look like the very moon itself.

"Return to your home. I'm leaving too."

"But-"

She wanted to ask him about what he had just said, but she suddenly changed her mind and stopped her question short.

Hakumen had said 'another time' just then. He never lied. That meant she would just have to wait until the not-too-distant future of a little more than a month from tomorrow before that 'another time' arrived.

"...Are you going to take me home?"

Celica skipped over to Hakumen's side as he stood there waiting with his back turned, the moon hanging in the sky high above his tall white form.

He turned his attention to Celica for a brief moment before setting off at a walk, and Celica followed behind him. Hakumen's footsteps, which he kept in pace with Celica's, were his answer.

"Thank you, Hakumen-san."

Hakumen didn't look at Celica this time as she smiled at him.

The night breeze brushed over both of them as they walked side-by-side. Only at a time like this, with the moon watching over them from on high, can the passage of time feel gentle and calm for a change. It felt like this moment might last forever.

The eastern sky was turning gray as the night began to give way to morning.

When the sun was fully above the horizon, the ships left Ishana.

===Part 3===

Starting at a certain point, the mountains and the wide plains between them had been unnaturally stripped of their color.

The Joint Headquarters Army that had set out from Ishana arrived at its destination half a day ahead of schedule and had set up camp overlooking the location of the cauldron where the Black Beast was likely to appear next. Preparations for battle were underway and proceeding steadily. They had erected a barricade in a semicircle in front of the camp, in front of which they had set up magical land mines. Before long, they will have finished doing everything they can to prepare this area, and once they'd done that, all they'd be able to do is wait for the Black Beast to appear at the foot of the nearby mountains.

They weren't going to be kept waiting here for days on end; it would either be tomorrow or the day after it. It would all start once they heard that disgusting, earth-shaking roar split the sky. ...Thus, would begin their one month long losing battle.

"...Yes. This will do the trick～, thank you for all your help."

Finishing checking the left side of the barricade and the magic circle traps scattered around it, Trinity smiled as sweetly as she could at the Joint HQ Army soldiers who were responsible for setting them up. The soldiers had been stiff as boards as they grappled with their tension and struggled to do work that they weren't used to, but they all loosened up a little bit at the sight of her.

The barricade was reinforced with magic that improved its physical strength, and the magic circles were set to fire off attack magic when they detect high-density compressed Seithr nearby. They wouldn't amount to more than cheap tricks against the Black Beast, but they were a lot better than nothing. They weren't fighting to win this time: if they could delay the Black Beast by even a single second longer, that would be a victory.

Clutching a bundle of documents to her chest, Trinity hurried off to the next place she needed to check. Her surroundings were filled with things you would never see in the Magister's City of Ishana. Military vehicles, military tents, and weapons laying around like they were the most ordinary items in the world. The multitude of people coming-and-going around her all seemed terribly busy, and Trinity felt like time had sped up for everyone but her.

Trinity's chest felt tight as this atmosphere she couldn't get used to pressed in around her. The air she breathed tasted like sand and irritated her lungs. It was entirely unlike her ordinary life in Ishana, and it made her skin tingle as she felt the weight of what was about to happen anew.

Hanging her head unconsciously, Trinity saw a familiar pair of black boots walking toward her, coming from the direction she was headed in. Reflexively lifting her head, she pushed her glasses back up on her nose. Standing out from his hectic surroundings, Terumi strolled leisurely forward.

"'Sup, four-eyes? I'm all finished."

With both hands stuffed in his pockets, Terumi came to a stop in front of Trinity. He must have ditched his bundle of documents containing a checklist, relevant information, and work details somewhere. Unlike Trinity, he was walking around empty-handed.

"Good work, Terumi-san～ I'm sorry, I still have two more places left～"

Terumi already looked burnt out, but hearing Trinity's words, he jutted his chin out to the side and heaved a bored sigh.

"So? We gonna leave once you're done?"

"No, before that we have a briefing with Hakumen-san and some other people."

"Seriously, more? ...tsk, what a pain."

Seeing Terumi looking just as fed up as can be and watching him dramatically click his tongue without a care what people around him might think, Trinity got an uncomfortable look on her face.

"Oh, don't be like that～"

As she said it, her line of sight naturally fell to her feet and her clear green eyes clouded over with guilt. Her voice went as dark as her eyes, but she still managed to sound sweet as she muttered,

"We get to go home and leave them all behind, after all, so we ought to at least do everything we can now."

Indeed, Trinity and Terumi were just here to do final checks and perform maintenance on the barricade and magic circles. They and a few dozen outstanding mages were going to return to Ishana shortly.

The ones staying behind to fight were the Joint HQ Army, the Ars Magus Corps, several particularly powerful fighters hand-picked by the Duodecim, and the trio of Hakumen, Jubei, and Valkenhayn. There were two main reasons why the mages were going home: because they needed to keep as many people capable of using sorcery in reserve as possible for the decisive battle against the Black Beast and because Nine needed as many people knowledgeable about sorcery as possible to aid in her weapons development. While others were away buying time by keeping the Black Beast busy, Nine needed to finish developing her weapons as fast as she possibly could. To that end, they weren't deploying people skilled in sorcery in this army. Terumi was also exempt because he was deeply knowledgeable about sorcery and things relating to it.

"Yeah, yeah, how sweet."

Terumi raised both hands up to head level in surrender and waved them around. It felt like he was just exasperated rather than making fun of her, and the corner of his mouth turned downward to display his boredom.

"...Is it fun for you, going through life taking everything so seriously?"

"Huh?"

Surprised by his sudden change of topic, Trinity's eyes went wide, and she did a double take.

With his mouth curved into an irritated frown, Terumi took a couple steps closer to Trinity.

"If you ignore your attack magic and teleportation magic skills, you're every bit the mage that that bitch is, ain't you? And your seals and alchemy blow hers out of the water."

With how close they were to each other; it became even more apparent how tall Terumi was in comparison. With Terumi looming over her and raining his words down upon her head, Trinity timidly looked up at him.

"That's not true..." She did indeed have a knack for sealing magic, but she couldn't compare to Nine in raw amount of mana, and there was no getting around that. Evaluating relative skill with magic was no simple thing: the act of seeing through to the true nature of something complicated and finding a loose thread in it to weave an effective seal and the act of controlling a massive amount of mana at one time to create a huge explosion required completely different inclinations and skill sets.

Terumi, however, didn't care about cliches like that. A knowing grin split his face.

"You really think so? I mean, c'mon. If you wanted to, you could remove this Mind Eater she's got on me without breaking a sweat. Right? Right?"

At the mention of the Opprimo Vinculum "Mind Eater" curse, Trinity's body stiffened up a little.

"If you're trying to get me to dispel Nine's magic, you know that I won't do it, don't you?"

With the stern face of someone who takes life seriously, she stares at Terumi with reproach.

Trinity had no idea who Terumi really was, where he came from, or what about him Nine feared enough to put Mind Eater on him. All she knew was that they needed Terumi's knowledge to have a chance at beating the Black Beast and that, apparently, they wouldn't have been able to get that knowledge if they hadn't restricted his free will.

Nine wasn't the type of person to simply shackle someone and force them into her service for her own selfish benefit, so there must have been a good reason for her to take control of Terumi's actions. It's not like she didn't have some negative feelings about Nine not telling her the whole story, but she wasn't going to go against Nine's wishes just because of that.

Looking down at Trinity, who had quite the nasty expression on her face by her standards, Terumi burst out laughing.

"Hey now, don't get me wrong here, it was just a hypothetical. And even if you were willing to do it, I wasn't gonna ask."

Trinity was a bit shocked by his light-hearted words. She assumed that he would want to be freed from his bonds as soon as possible, so she was genuinely surprised to hear that.

"I mean, yeah, no doubt it's one hell of an infuriating spell. But still, if it wasn’t for this thing, I'd still be rotting in the world's dustiest jail cell right now. I'm getting a nice breath of fresh air in exchange for this collar around my neck, so it ain't really that bad a deal."

Terumi raised his hands up toward the sky like some sort of actor performing on stage. His narrow shoulders and the hood he wore low over his eyes shook in unison as he cackled like he was having the time of his life.

Then his arms suddenly went slack and fell back to his sides, and Terumi shook his head listlessly beneath his hood.

"But I've gotta say, I pity you."

He sighed with genuine sympathy.

Was he making fun of her, or was he really worrying about her? Trinity got flustered and seemed to shy away from him.

"What... do you mean by that?"

"Are you gonna act the good girl and be that bitch's pawn forever? Coming when she calls, letting her use you for all you're worth? If that's all you're ever gonna be to her... what's the difference between you and me, right now?"

Like he was sticking his hands into a wave of emotions and stirring them up, Terumi's intense voice alternated between moments of exaggerated force and understated quiet.

"Doesn't she piss you off? C'mon, you can tell me. That so-called friend of yours who does nothing but keep secrets and withhold information? Some best friend she is."

"Please stop. I don't..."

Think of her that way. It would be absurd to resent her. Trinity's hair waved about in wide swings as she shook her head.

"Whenever Nine refuses to tell me something, she always has a good reason for it. I've never once thought she was being unreasonable."

The only thing that bothered Trinity was that Nine suffered from her own silence, and there was nothing she could do to help her.

Terumi's mocking voice fell down upon her from over her head.

"Reallyyy? ...Well, if you say so, then I guess that's good enough for me. It's incredible how women can pretend to be friends like that."

With an implied 'but,' Terumi leaned over to peak at Trinity's face as she hung her head.

"Nine might already be headed down a path you can't follow her on though..."

His piercing glare cut straight to Trinity's heart. His disquieting whisper came from the smile peeking out from under the shadow of his hood, looking like a jagged cut on his face.

He knew everything. Trinity raised her panicked face as she heard him give voice to her hidden anxiety, but by the time she did, all she saw was the hem of Terumi's fluttering coat disappearing into the shadow of a nearby tent.

"Please wait, Terumi-san. What did you... mean by..."

The sound of his footsteps was quick and heavy, and before long they vanished. Her voice died off and faded into the sandy air.

Trinity pressed the papers she was holding even tighter to her chest. That shouldn't have been the sort of thing that could get to her so badly, but she just couldn't stop the storm of thoughts swirling through her head. She didn't understand the man who called himself Terumi. He had protected her from danger before, he would often engage her in friendly conversations, and she felt like he was a fun-loving, good-natured person... but now here he was suddenly, leaving nothing but disturbing words behind him as he walked away.

It was like he was subtly hinting that he knew something that Trinity didn't.

Trinity couldn't tell when it had begun, but she realized now that an unquenchable anxiety had sunk deep into her chest and was weighing her down like it was made of solid lead.

Around that time, Hakumen, who was serving as the ranking officer of this entire force, was walking around the encampment.

There was a reasonable degree of tension straining the air around him, and he was enveloped in premonitions of the battle to come. Just being on the soon-to-be battlefield put Hakumen in his element, and he clenched his fist without even realizing it. The ground beneath his feet was firm.

The Joint HQ Army, seemingly made up of soldiers from all around the world, was showing an unexpectedly high degree of cooperation thanks to good leadership and everyone was focusing on their appointed tasks without much unnecessary friction.

The one primarily responsible for keeping this force running so smoothly was likely Valkenhayn: Hakumen was by no means lacking as a wartime commander, but Valkenhayn seemed to have an incomparably higher amount of experience accumulated over a long lifetime. Beastkin had very long lifespans, after all. Valkenhayn had lived a longer life than any human, and he had walked more battlefields and overcome more brushes with death than any soldier. Thus, he excelled at deploying troops, and by extension understood how to organize an army.

If it weren't for that abundantly experienced werewolf, this camp would probably have a very different atmosphere. With that thought passing through his head, he passed through a road delineated by tents and rows of grimoires.

Sparse weeds occasionally obscured his vision and Hakumen felt bitter feelings well up every time they did. The lives of everyone here and the gently swaying weeds that grew out of the ground were exactly the same in the eyes of the Black Beast. They were just something that needed to be destroyed: nothing more, nothing less.

There was nothing he could do to protect these weeds from what was about to come. The only thing he could protect was his own life. No matter how they might struggle and cling to life, these brittle weeds were probably about to die, leaving no trace behind.

"Oh, I'm sorry, please excuse me."

Suddenly, bounding out from behind the shadow of a magical artillery battery came a person. Barely avoiding crashing right into him, they dug their heels into the ground and pitched forward to stop their momentum.

In the instant that the person registered in his field of vision, Hakumen felt like he was transported somewhere far away.

It was a woman. She was relatively tall, wore a coat that reached down to her knees, and had skin as white as snow. She looked up at Hakumen with a face that was a little too dignified to be called girlish and her blue eyes widened in surprise. Her hair, bundled into one by a hair tie, was red.

"Ah... you're Hakumen-san, aren't you?"

The red haired woman seemed a little flustered as she asked, but Hakumen didn't answer. He couldn't find any words to say.

Not waiting for a reply, the woman opened her mouth to speak again.

"To think we would meet this way. The last time we confronted the Black Beast, I was deployed in a different unit. I can still remember your imposing figure on that day as you met the Black Beast in battle faster than anyone else and laid waste to it with one fell strike, as clearly as if it had just happened!"

Her pale white cheeks flushed faintly as her spirit soared. Squeezing a white hat to her chest with both hands, she had an expression like an excited young boy that didn't match her mature body.

"I'm honored to be able to serve on the battlefield with you like this. By all means, I shall obey your every command."

She must have had considerable confidence in her own skills. Hakumen could tell from the unyielding spirit displayed on her face and in her words.

They didn't look alike. Their faces and general bearings weren't the same.

But Hakumen saw a memory in the color of her eyes and the color of her hair. His memories quaked. Surging emotions boiled up from the depths of the mask, but he pushed them back down as his mind was stricken with a delusion.

"...What is your name?"

He was worried that his voice would come out trembling, but he couldn't help but ask. He had a hunch- no, it wouldn't be an exaggeration to say that he was certain.

The woman straightened her posture like a proper soldier and answered firmly.

"Yes, sir. Hailing from the Yayoi family of the Mage's Guild's Duodecim, I am Ayame Yayoi."

Just as he thought. The confirmation sunk into Hakumen's chest, and a distant, impossibly far-off whiff of homesickness grazed his heart as it blew past.

In the end, Hakumen never said anything else after asking for her name, so the woman who called herself Ayame Yayoi gave him a salute before running off. He couldn't even turn around to watch her go. He just stood there like his body was made of stone.

Only once the woman's lingering presence and afterglow had completely faded from the dry air around him did Hakumen manage to pry his feet from the ground. With feeling slowly returning to his feet with every step, he headed straight out of the encampment. He had a mountain of emotions to contend with, but Hakumen distanced himself from them at that moment.

He had more important things to think about, things that required his attention. The perfectly uniform sound of his footfalls sounded heavily on the dirt with every step, like they were disciplining him.

Once he got a little ways out from the campsite, he got to a position where he could thoroughly survey the surrounding area. Sandwiched between two mountains like it was creating space between them, the plain was so wide that it outlined the distant horizon.

Beyond the low-growing grass and the tree line at the feet of the mountains, however, the middle of the plain underwent a jarring change. If you were to call it something, you would call it scorched earth. The grass disappeared, the dirt was charred, and there wasn't a living thing in sight. Looking closely, he could make out masses of concrete scattered about here and there, but there were relatively very few of them to be seen in the burned land. There wasn't even rubble lying around.

This area of scorched earth was destroyed a few days ago, when the Black Beast had last appeared.

The cauldron that the Black Beast came from at the time must have been quite far away, but the monster's path led it all the way to this plain, where a single city was unfortunate enough to just barely be caught in its sights and wiped off the face of the planet. Ishana may have been half-destroyed by Take-Mikazuchi falling on it, but it still retained its function as a city and an organization. How many people could have been looking out over the earth stained red by the horizon here, unable to stop themselves from biting their lips in anxiety?

Jubei was thinking about just that as he stood there petrified, inspecting this ghost of a lost city.

"...What a terrible sight."

Hearing someone call out to him from behind, Jubei simply flicked his tails as he continued to face forward. He realized it was Hakumen once the latter drew closer.

The tips of his two tails lost their strength and naturally drooped downward.

"Think of all the people we coulda saved if we'd just gotten here sooner..."

Looking at the scenery spread out before him like he was bewitched, Jubei whispered regretfully.

No trace remained of the lives of the people who once inhabited this place, and Jubei couldn't even imagine how many people had died here.

Standing next to Jubei as he suffered under the weight of guilt, Hakumen quietly shook his head.

"Grimalkin. Even had we arrived before the Black Beast, the outcome would have likely been the same. We currently have no means of stopping the beast ...though it irks me to say it."

"Even you get frustrated sometimes, huh?"

Seemingly surprised, Jubei grinned playfully. The grin quickly died on his face, however, and Jubei sighed like he was trying to breathe out all of his bitter feelings, shoulders dropping.

"I know there's no sense in thinking about it... but I still wish Nine was here."

She might have been able to teleport as many people to safety as possible while Jubei, Hakumen, and Valkenhayn distracted the Black Beast. Thinking he was naive for even considering that, Jubei scrunched his brow.

"In any case, she must focus all of her attention on creating weapons right now... such considerations are pointless at this juncture."

Hakumen muttered while staring off into the distance, letting his words fade into the barren wind.

Hearing his hoarse voice, Jubei looked up and blinked. He was surprised by Hakumen's sentimentality, but he sighed his agreement with a frown.

"You're right. That's the whole reason we came out here."

Nine was probably running herself ragged in the Mage's Guild right now, trying to finish her work even a day faster than anticipated.

She was the girl who always tunnel-visioned on her goal, did her own thing, and ended up taking it way too far, after all. She was probably working so hard that she didn't have time to stop and think about whether she was worrying Celica or Trinity. All of them who had come out here so that Nine wouldn't have to carry even more of a burden on her shoulders needed to stand strong and buy her as much time as they possibly could.

Jubei gripped one of the prototype swords he had gotten from Nine.

"If Nine finishes her weapons, we've got a chance at winning this. Even these prototypes are good enough to let us tangle with the Black Beast. If we can just do a little more..."

"...Grimalkin."

A little forcefully, Hakumen cut off Jubei mid-sentence. Rather than the barren wasteland before them, his white mask was looking at the sword Jubei was gripping in his hand.

"What is it, Hakumen?"

"Is that really the right way?"

His monologue-like words resounded heavily between the two. Jubei bristled his whiskers, looking confused, and waited for the voice beyond the mask to continue.

"This is our only choice, but I still cannot condone this course of action."

"...You mean Nine's weapons?"

"Imbuing them with the awesome destructive capabilities of Take-Mikazuchi's core and entrusting that power to humans. Such power... will drive a man mad."

Hakumen's concerns were well-founded. Even Jubei had his misgivings about the danger of Nine's idea. But nevertheless...

"Hakumen. The world's already gone mad. Just take a look at this plain, at this whole planet! We're dealing with a genuine monster who can do all this without breaking a sweat, and we've gotta fight it somehow!"

Unable to control his seething emotions, Jubei swung his arm in a wide arc. Everywhere it pointed, there was nothing but cruel, barren earth.

How many lives had ended here, how many regrets had seeped into this soil? This silent ground evoked nothing but unwanted thoughts.

"We've got it way better. You and Nine in particular can actually fight the thing, but with just you two, it's never gonna go down no matter how hard you try!"

It was unclear if the emotion making him yell himself hoarse was anger or fear. Even Jubei himself couldn't tell which it was.

His arm still remembered the fear he had felt, shaking like he had just sprinted a long distance with all his might. No matter how many times he stood face-to-face with the Black Beast, the fear inspired by its mere presence always made his legs freeze up.

That included the very first time he encountered the Black Beast's main body, as well.

"...That day, I couldn't do anything but stand there and tremble. Couldn't do anything but watch it devour my friend."

Jubei scrunched his brow as he relived the memories of that moment.

"I want power. I don't care if it comes from Ars Magus or some crazy new weapon. If the alternative is losing because my better judgment told me to not use every weapon available, I'd rather die a mad man."

He kept on gripping the scabbard in his hand harder and harder. He was sick of feeling sorry for his own helplessness. The regret burning away in his belly spilled out along with his words.

Like he was clearing that regret away, Hakumen whispered his words into the wind as he gazed far into the distance.

"Even if at times you have crumbled under the weight of your fear, you have always stood back up. The courage to choose to face one's fears is the true strength of humanity... strength without bravery is nothing more than insanity. And insanity... invites one's own destruction."

His voice sounded composed and impersonal, but there was still a vague sense that he was thinking of someone in particular as he spoke.

"...That is my only cause for concern."

With the slightest movement, Hakumen turned his mask to face Jubei as the wind blowing across the wasteland tossed his silver hair... or rather, the stuff that looked like his hair.

Looking up at that faceless mask, Jubei put his face in his hands in shame.

"Sorry. I lost my cool there."

"I understand. Worry not."

"It's pretty weird hearing you say something like that."

The out-of-character words tickled him a little bit. Shrugging his shoulders with a wry grin, Jubei got sentimental after being so worked up and let out a deep sigh. In accordance with his sentimental mood, he let out a low murmur.

"Hakumen, I wanna beat the Black Beast."

That was his honest, unembellished, truest desire.

"As do I."

The wind blew harder, still carrying a scent of grass in from behind them.

They listened to the wind that still carried evidence of life with it for a while until they heard Terumi's voice calling to them from a distance. The mages must have finished their work. Now it was time for the ones who were going to stay behind in this camp to do their part. After confirming the chain of command and working through various procedures, they needed to come up with a battle plan and figure out how and where best to deploy the different units.

It wouldn't be long before they drew swords.

Feeling the approach of a battle they had no hope of winning, Hakumen and Jubei returned to the encampment.

===Part 4===

Two days later, a pillar of black mist rose from the foot of a mountain.

It was followed by a second, then a third, then a fourth... fifth, sixth, ninth, seventeenth, thirty-eighth, sixty-second... As fast as the blink of an eye, a massive number of pillars arose as Seithr filled the area to the brim.

It was so bizarre that no one was in doubt about what was happening.

The Black Beast was coming.

Like a small wave transforming into a massive surge, the Joint HQ Army encampment erupted with screams of terror. With their backs to the panicked chaos of the army readying for battle, Jubei, Hakumen, and Valkenhayn stood at the front.

"Here it comes."

Unable to keep his voice from cracking, Jubei announced its arrival to no one in particular.

First a massive amount of seithr spurted out of the ground, then shortly afterward the main body followed in its wake: that's how it always went when the Black Beast appears.

Hakumen took a big step forward, ready to be the first into the fray.

"Let us scatter this seithr before the body comes."

This flowing seithr was essentially the vanguard, so he wanted to get rid of as much of it as possible before the real fight began.

In fights between humans, which side took the initiative and attacked first held great significance and affected morale. In a fight against the Black Beast, the monster's morale wasn't a factor, but the opposing side was still human. This was a great chance to bolster the fighting spirit of their troops to stand against it.

Valkenhayn agreed, and he nodded his head in assent even as a little nervousness showed on his grave face.

"We'll launch an all-out attack just as it materializes, then we retreat before it starts focusing on us, leading it into the magic circles. Understood?"

Confirming their orders one last time, the army bravely shouted a war cry before charging into the black mist, kicking up a dust cloud behind them.

The black mist welling up from the broken earth took on grotesque shapes, as if showing its hostility. A certain clump of Seithr took the form of a four-legged beast and started cantering toward the army, while elsewhere another one took the form of a jaw slithering on the ground, rows of teeth bared. In reality they were all nothing more than an amalgamation of the black mist, but in no time at all there was an army of unsettling, animal-like Seithr creatures on the battlefield.

The Joint HQ Army's tanks sped forward all together as soldiers rained down gunfire using alchemically created guns that fired mana-infused bullets. Some wielded Ars Magus-infused swords while Ars Magus bombs were used to clear out the repulsive mist.

Valkenhayn led the army's vanguard. He stooped over for a moment to transform into a wolf then charged onto the plain, seeming to drag everyone else along behind him. When it came to running in a wide-open area, no one was faster than him.

Just as a distorted, six-armed black clump took shape and raised its wriggling head to face him, Valkenhayn transformed back into a human and used his momentum to nail it with a kick. That kick would have easily knocked a human's head clean off their shoulders, but in the six-armed Seithr amalgamation's case, it literally got kicked to dust.

Valkenhayn was a wolf again before he even touched the ground. He jumped and soared through the air, tearing the next abomination apart with his jaws. His merciless fangs and claws tore through the monsters like a hot knife through butter, ripping them to shreds and turning them back into black mist.

His howl ignited the fighting spirit of all those who heard it. His form of encouragement that a human couldn't imitate made the soldiers feel like they weren't powerless.

On a different part of the battlefield, Hakumen was bringing his overwhelming destructive power to bear. Fighting right in the middle of the host of black mist creatures, advancing ever forward without taking a single step back, he swung his nodachi, completely controlling his corner of the battle. Swinging first vertically, then horizontally, his blade rent the very air and scattered Seithr amalgamations along with the ground they stood on. Raising his nodachi high and swinging it down with all his might, the force he generated kicked up the dirt and rose like a wall along the ground to cut a massive Seithr beast in two.

Meanwhile, Jubei ran around the wide plain so quickly that he made it look cramped, scattering black monsters left and right. Suddenly jumping on a half-formed maw that tried to devour him as it let out an ear-piercing shriek, he used his claws and the sword he held in his mouth to slice it to bits faster than a blink.

With a small, light-footed movement, he easily evaded a Seithr projectile aimed for him. His small, easily-maneuverable body allowed him to unleash unexpectedly sharp and precise slashes, and he chased down and eliminated countless targets.

Two beastkin and one tall, white-clad man. Their very presence set the tone of the whole battlefield. As long as they were fighting alongside those three, the soldiers couldn't imagine losing. Maybe they could even tear out the Black Beast's throat in this fight, and then they might actually win this after all.

Everyone fighting near one of them had that thought. We can win. That mindset slowly gained momentum across the entire army.

However... it was then that Valkenhayn felt an ominous premonition, and his expression distorted.

"Hakumen-dono!"

Seeing that white form beyond the head of a black amalgamation that he had just kicked free of its body, Valkenhayn called out and closed the distance between them, standing in the wake of a destructive slash from the nodachi.

"Something's wrong. Is this not strange?"

In the instant following his question, his voice laced with doubt, he let out a vigorous shout as he slashed an eight-legged beast with a massive head approaching him from behind with a sweep of his arm.

Hakumen's nodachi came down an instant after the wolf claws left their mark, finishing the strange creature off.

"...Indeed, something is amiss."

Pulling his nodachi back after the swing, Hakumen also expressed his apprehension.

"Their assault is lack-luster."

"Agreed. The seithr that gushes forth before the beast arrives ought to feel denser than this. But above all else..."

No matter how long they fought, the Black Beast's true body wasn't showing up.

It had already been quite some time since the seithr had started welling up. Normally it would have already shown itself by now, but there was still no sign of it.

"Oi, Hakumen, Valkenhayn! The troops are pushing too far forward!"

Looking like he was in a hurry, Jubei jumped over to them. He must have taken a hit at some point, because there was a big, black-stained dent in the shoulder segment of his battle armor.

Valkenhayn's face grew more grim than ever.

"Too far forward? What are you talking about? Gaining ground isn't part of the plan."

In fact, they were supposed to form and maintain a semi-circle, then quickly change formation when the Black Beast appeared inside the seithr in order to let the front line hit it with maximum firepower.

Jubei impatiently started talking faster.

"I know that, but right now we're spread too wide in the seithr!"

"We've broken formation?"

"No..."

Answering Hakumen's question bitterly, Valkenhayn observed their surroundings.

Their formation wasn't breaking down. While it's true this army was cobbled together out of fighters from many different nations, most of them were still highly disciplined soldiers. However, this host of seithr beasts was unexpectedly weak, and the troops were fired up from their success.

"This is almost like..."

They were being invited in.

"...It can't be!"

The bad feeling Valkenhayn had had turned to a chill running up his spine, and he turned into a wolf and raced back across the battlefield.

He was heading for their army's back line. All along the way he saw that what Jubei had said about their troops being too far forward was more true than he had imagined. Just as he had thought, their formation hadn't broken down to any significant extent, but the seithr taking the form of grotesque creatures was crowding in around them over a very wide area. Once he passed a certain point, he found that the orientation of the battle had turned all the way around. Chaotic screams pressed in all around him.

When he finally reached the point of their formation furthest from the front, he let out a long howl.

It was a sound of warning.

It rang out over the noise of the disoriented battlefield, making it all the way to Jubei's ears on the other side of the formation.

There was no need to put its meaning into words. Jubei's face froze in an instant, and while he cut down one bat-like flying seithr monster after another, he shouted to Hakumen, who was still nearby.

"We're surrounded, Hakumen! They're cuttin' off our retreat!"

Even before Jubei's voice reached him, the tall, white-clad form snapped around with evident shock.

"How could this be...?"

Hakumen's groaning voice was so low it seemed it might shake the ground. Jubei landed next to him.

"I ain't got a clue either. This is the first time I've heard of seithr doing something like encircling an army!"

Seithr and the Black Beast were both supposed to be mindless monsters that did nothing but destroy and massacre. They would simply appear and devour anything in front of them. They were supposed to be just as simple as that. But here they were, baiting soldiers by letting them get fired up, then enveloping them once they pushed too far forward. It was unbelievably logical and clever.

"The Black Beast understands how to use honest-to-goodness battle tactics? You gotta be kidding me..."

The one saving grace about the Black Beast was supposed to be that it simply charged forward thoughtlessly, but now it seemed that not only did it understand tactics, but it could also employ clever strategies of its own. With a quick, harsh exhale, Jubei turned to a cluster of seithr and swept the black mist away like a tornado.

"We've gotta fall back for now! If the Black Beast appears now, when we're completely boxed in..."

Jubei didn't get to finish his sentence.

He forgot what he was planning on saying. Powerless to stop it, he just looked on dumbfounded at what was about to happen.

Suddenly, a shockwave like something trying to break through to the surface shook the earth. Immediately afterward, a blast of black seithr incomparably more powerful than anything they had seen before burst up behind them, in the very center of their formation.

From the black mist appeared... a jet black monster with countless heads. It had uncanny, glaring red eyes and was covered in red lines that looked like blood vessels snaking across its body. Its body was so huge that calling it enormous didn't do it justice, and all who saw its ominous form were gripped by a deep-seated, instinctual sense of fear and despair.

Of all places, the Black Beast had appeared right in the middle of their army.

This was no longer a battlefield: it was a stage upon which they would all be slaughtered in a cage of seithr.

The army split in two by the massive black figure fell into chaos and fear, no longer responding to commands. If they tried to form ranks, they would be facing down the Black Beast, but if they tried to run, they were obstructed by a seemingly endless and ever multiplying army of seithr monsters.

As they scrambled about in panic, with the seithr on one side and the Black Beast on the other, more and more people were burnt to ash, minced into lumps of flesh, or reduced to something else entirely.

"Jubei!"

Hearing a low, strong voice yell like it was reprimanding him, Jubei shook himself out of his stupor. Thanks to that, his nerves started working again and his blood resumed its circulation.

Looking to where the voice came from, he saw Hakumen, nodachi raised, pushing past fleeing soldiers and making for the Black Beast.

"Tear through the seithr and break its encirclement. Evacuate the troops, make some distance, and reform them."

"You're telling me to break through... what are you planning on doing then!?"

"Naturally, I will draw its attention!"

Hakumen didn't show an ounce of fear when he said that. He ran like his feet were physically incapable of taking him backwards, his nodachi slicing through the air. The force of the swing became an invisible blade, hitting the base of one of the Black Beast's necks.

After a moment's hesitation watching him run into the distance, Jubei dashed into action.

"Wait up, I'm coming too!"

"Do not concern yourself with me, I will pull back when the army has escaped. Just open a path of retreat."

"Then you go do it! I'll stay behind!"

He was keenly aware that they didn't have time to waste on arguing, but Jubei quickly belted out his piece.

"I'm not gonna run away. I'm through with leaving it all to someone else while I run for my life!"

His feelings of powerlessness and regret must have really been tearing him up inside. He never wanted to watch someone with their back turned face down the Black Beast all alone ever again. The fighting spirit in his glaring, red cat eye said that he had no intention of retreating.

The tip of Hakumen's sword lowered as he showed a tiny amount of hesitation.

Among the mass of soldiers, he saw a single person running forward.

"In that case, please leave the role of clearing a path of retreat to me."

The composed voice belonged to a tall woman, seemingly unfatigued despite the long fight against the seithr. Her face sparked a memory in Hakumen. Red hair bundled into one by a hair tie and blue eyes. Her dignified, boyish face was covered in streaks of dirt.

"...Ayame Yayoi."

Hakumen muttered her name like he was trying to swallow something.

The red haired woman went to attention once again and looked up at Hakumen.

"I have confidence in both my combat capabilities and my ability to run. Please do not underestimate me because I am a woman. What's more, I wield this sealed weapon."

A seithr beast leapt at her from behind as she spoke, and with a quick turn she sliced it down with the short sword in her hand before turning back to Hakumen. Her blue eyes glowed with honest confidence.

"Sealed weapon... would that be... Izayoi?"

Ayame cheerfully answered Hakumen.

"Indeed it is, so you knew of it? The Mage's Guild entrusted it to the care of the Yayoi family."

Puffing up her chest, the woman had more the bearing of a warrior rather than a mage, and she wore a white uniform different from anyone else on the battlefield. Her mantle gave the impression of folded wings and she wielded a strange shield made to look like a thick tome. The most eye-catching detail, however, was her winged hat adorned with something that looked like an eyeball, both beautiful and unsettling.

Looking at her, Hakumen felt dizzy for some reason. An unsettling feeling, like a black spot on something otherwise clean, encroached on Hakumen's mind.

"If I use the power of the Izayoi, even the seithr of the Black Beast will be no obstacle. Please, leave this to me."

Without waiting for a response from Hakumen, she flipped her mantle and dashed off, headed straight south. Cutting down the seithr amalgamations that had already pushed their way into the center of the army left and right, she gallantly shouted out and rallied the troops.

"We're falling back, stay on me!"

Her shield spread its wings wide, spreading a corona of white light. The seithr army caught in the light cracked like dried-up dirt and lost their shapes, crumbling away one after the other.

[[Image:BB_PS4_111.jpg|thumb]]

It was like watching a saintess smite evil-doers. The light that scorched the black creatures spread out and glowed ever brighter, becoming pure white feathers and floating into the sky.

Running with wings of light streaming behind her, Ayame looked just like a messenger sent from Heaven. So light on her feet that it seemed like the wings on her back might be real, brandishing her shield and using it to repeatedly fire off white light, she cut a path through the battlefield.

"Wait, Ayame Yayoi...!"

Hakumen reflexively raised his hand to try to stop her, but all his fingertips touched were the fading afterglow left by her feathers. The woman's flapping white mantle was on the other side of the sea of seithr and soldiers.

In the meantime, the tide of the battle had changed... and become even worse. The seithr was making such a horrible noise that it seemed like it was suffocating.

"There's nothing we can do now, so let's put our faith in her. If we don't get moving, the bodies are just gonna keep piling up!" The Black Beast's unnatural roar shook the air.

Undaunted, Jubei shifted his grip on his sword and flew off toward it. Hakumen hesitated for a moment, but there was nothing for him to be hesitating over. Ayame just reminded him of a different girl with the name of a flower.

Drawing a crisp arc with his nodachi as he spun on his heel, he vaporized the approaching seithr beasts in an instant before turning his attention to the Black Beast in the distance. That was the target that Hakumen needed to eliminate no matter the cost. It was evil itself.

Everything from its resounding roar, to its glaring red eyes, to the impossibly deep black of the seithr making it up shook Hakumen's soul and roused him to action. The heat burning within him might have been emotion, instinct, or something else entirely.

"OOOOOOOoooo!!"

Unleashing a roar from the depths of his abdomen, Hakumen soared across the battlefield straight toward the Black Beast.

He channeled the inferno pouring out of him into his sword and swung it like he was swinging himself.

"Tsubaki!!"

Unleashing a devastating slash from above, he cleaved a line through the seithr-and-dust-choked air.

Night had fallen at some point.

The night sky was spread out above them before they knew it, and they caught glimpses of the distant, ephemeral moon through the seithr in the air. The popping sounds of torches could be heard all around. The sounds themselves were quite loud, but more importantly, they were impossible to miss because everything else in the area was otherwise too quiet.

It's not like there was nothing else around. A certain number of soldiers had run for their lives and managed to escape with the army's vehicles, tents, and equipment in tow, and now, having struggled to muster the energy to even find a place to relocate to, they were resting near the torches.

Hardly anyone was sleeping. Most of them were so badly dazed that they had forgotten all about sleep. They had ended up in this spot after circumventing a mountain near the plain where they had fought that battle earlier. A copse of thin, feeble-looking trees grew randomly, scattered wide like they were crowding around the soldiers. Using this spot as their new campsite, the soldiers were wearily waiting for stragglers to catch up.

Among them was Hakumen, who had just arrived. He was walking with massive loping strides, cutting through the night at a near-running pace. He made for a cluster of tents at the center of the camp being used to treat the injured. He paid no mind to the occasional soldier looking up at him with suspicion, clearly in a hurry to get somewhere.

He eventually made it to a certain tent and, without saying a word, he ripped the flap open and entered. The doctors and their assistants inside the tent all gasped in surprise, and some of them drew weapons, but Hakumen paid them no mind either and simply strode to one corner of the tent.

There he found a sleeping woman. Her weary body was sprawled across the simple bed, and her eyes were shut so firmly that she seemed dead. The white clothes she wore so proudly were uncannily clean, but she herself was covered in dirt, dust, blood, and seithr. They had probably cleaned her up a bit when they treated her, but the cleanliness of her armaments made her physical condition seem all the worse by comparison.

Hakumen slowed his pace, stood at her bedside, and spoke her name.

"Ayame Yayoi."

It was no louder than a whisper, but her eyelids fluttered nonetheless. She opened her eyes with great effort, like she was lifting something incredibly heavy.

The vivid blue color that he had seen just a little while ago was now nowhere to be found. It had been replaced by a dark, cloudy, lightless blue.

Her eyes moved around like they were looking for something before coming to a rest looking far beyond Hakumen's shoulder.

"...Hakumen-san."

Her strained voice was as powerless as her body. There wasn't even a shred of her old cheerful, vigorous voice remaining.

"You made... so you made it... back alright...?"

She tried desperately to act naturally as she spoke, but she could hardly move her lips and her tongue wouldn't obey her.

She looked like she had already given absolutely everything she could give and had reached the end of the line. She was out of stamina and mana, and even her ability to reason and her very instincts were failing her now.

Hakumen answered calmly, as if everything was alright — even her condition.

"Yes, just now."

"Then... everyone... is safe now?"

"Of course. The credit goes primarily to you. Your timely assault saved the unit."

"I'm no... not deserving of such praise. I am as- ashamed to... be seen in such... a sorry state."

Her stuttering lips were desperately searching for the toughest words she could muster.

She might have been trying to laugh, but she didn't have enough strength left to move her face.

"Is... isn't the Izayoi... strong? The Yayoi clan will surely... be able to prove its worth... in the final battle against..."

"You have already proven yourself. Do not rush to accumulate even more honors, or you will meet an early death."

"...How kind. But please... don't say that... I want... to keep fighting... By your side, if I may... have the honor..."

Her voice faded further and further with each breath she took. At this point, she could only be heard if everyone else in the tent held their breath.

A transparent tear leaked from her lightless eyes. That might have been the moment that she broke. The force of will seemed to vanish from her eyes and tears dampened her ashen skin.

"I still, want to fight... I can't, see... can't... see... Where is everybody... I'm scared... scared that, I'll disappear... disappear, and... I'm going to die..."

Rambling and weeping like a scared child, Ayame lifted her hand like she was trying to find something, and Hakumen's hand grabbed it to support her.

Fear plagued Ayame's eyes as they searched vainly through empty space. Even in the grip of terror, Ayame was desperately clinging to her desire to live as a warrior, and so she said,

"Ha... Hakumen... san. I am truly... proud, to have... fought alongside..."

That was certainly the last thing Ayame would ever be proud of, and her voice faltered, breaking down into sobbing once more. She didn't want to accept that this was to be her end.

Before she could finish her sentence, Ayame stopped breathing.

It was a cold night.

The fire on the torches crackled loudly. Judging by the position of the moon, it was quite late. Exiting the medical tent, Hakumen looked up at the moon far overhead. Something ate away at a weak, tender part of him hidden deep within the mask as the moon shone beautifully in the sky. The moon was so beautiful tonight that it infuriated him.

"We've been looking for you, Hakumen."

Jubei and Valkenhayn stood in a shadow a short way from the tent flap. Valkenhayn must have been injured at some point, because he had bandages wrapped around his shoulder and chest.

They knew why Hakumen had come to this tent, and Jubei's concern for him showed on his face.

"How was she?"

Hakumen's answer to Jubei's question was brief and unflinching.

"She died."

"...I see."

Jubei had been prepared for that answer, but he still couldn't conceal his sorrow, shoulders dropping.

However, now was not the time for them to let their hearts break with grief. Valkenhayn let out a sombre growl then spoke up, changing the subject.

"We must figure out what exactly happened today. The Black Beast's actions were exceedingly irregular."

He distanced himself from the nearby tents as he spoke, not wanting to let the injured or the doctors overhear him.

Hakumen and Jubei followed behind him. Walking to a place out of the light of the torches, Jubei looked back at the camp and made a face like he had just swallowed something bitter.

"Man... we're in one hell of a state."

No other words could describe it better. Hakumen and Valkenhayn couldn't even muster a nod in response, but they were in total agreement.

"Leadership, an encirclement, a surprise attack... I've seen many clashes between humanity and the Black Beast up to now, but what happened in this one was no fluke."

Perplexed, Valkenhayn knitted his eyebrows together as Jubei nodded heavily.

"I ain't ever heard of anything like this either... thinking back to when it got rocked by Take-Mikazuchi too, ain't something been weird about all this?"

"Indeed, there is no longer any doubt about it after what we witnessed today."

Hakumen's low voice cut through the air like a swing from his nodachi.

"I cannot say when it might have happened, but the creature has become wise. It would be dangerous to continue to treat it like a foolish animal incapable of reasoning."

If they attempted to outmaneuver it with a strategy but had the tables turned on them again, they would be annihilated.

"We must proceed with caution. Unfortunately, there is a limit to what we are capable of right now."

What were they going to have to face from tomorrow onward? Valkenhayn put his hand on his chin as he lost himself in thought, but he only got the chance to think for a few seconds.

"Hakumen-dono, Jubei-dono, Hellsing-dono! We have a problem!"

A soldier with bandages around his head came running with a light, screaming bloody murder.

At the same time, the camp suddenly got very noisy. The night had been quiet and peaceful, but suddenly it was illuminated in firelight.

"What's happening!?"

The soldier answered Valkenhayn's question with a grave face. "Seithr, sir! Seithr has suddenly appeared and is launching a surprise attack on us!"

"What!?"

The word fell out of the astonished Jubei's mouth.

The entire army had finally reconvened and was trying to get one night's rest and recovery, but now this was happening.

Valkenhayn gritted his teeth angrily, molars grating.

"Now it's a night attack...!?"

Earlier that day, when the army broke through the seithr's encirclement and staged their retreat, neither the seithr creatures nor the Black Beast had pursued them far. Seeming to lose interest quickly, they had simply disappeared somewhere. Now he knew that that had been in preparation for this moment. The seithr had certainly been waiting until the time when the soldiers were supposed to be resting their bodies and nerves to come up from the ground again and attack them where they slept.

Hakumen rushed off toward the center of the commotion with big strides, giving orders as he went.

"Valkenhayn, split the Ars Magus Corps in two down the middle and evacuate. Jubei, come with me to clear the seithr. We will pull everyone back before they can surround us!"

"Sounds good, no way I'm letting us get crushed here, camp and all!"

Readying his claws, Jubei ran one step ahead and lowered himself closer to the ground, heading for the entrance to the camp. If the seithr completed its encirclement, the Black Beast might appear in their midst and launch a surprise attack again. He had to clear out as much seithr as possible as quickly as he could.

Valkenhayn ran to catch up to Hakumen.

"We'll wait just beyond the tree line. Let the seithr come behind you when you retreat, and we'll catch it in a pincer maneuver."

"That was the plan. I shall withdraw before the Black Beast shows itself. Now make haste."

After quickly exchanging plans, Valkenhayn ran northwest and Hakumen went southeast.

This army had to hold out for one month. They were already in dire straits on their first day, but they still had to buy time for a whole month, no matter what.

The Black Beast was unbeatable. All they could do was slow it down a tiny bit and clear away a little of its seithr.

Hakumen listened to Valkenhayn's valiant voice as he rallied the troops, and his nodachi flashed forward to meet the seithr amalgamations in front of him.

However, Valkenhayn realized their naiveté as soon as he led the men ahead and out of the woods. As he cleared the trees and his field of vision opened up, he saw something...

──The Black Beast was waiting for them.

In the following days, their sense of despair mounted ever higher as they breathed in rust and dirt, feeling like they were constantly writhing on the ground. Death itself had been unleashed. The very fact that they still had legs to run on and arms to fight with was suffering, because they had to stay standing for as long as they were able to move. They had no choice but to leave behind those who couldn't move anymore, but still the decision to do so put ever more pressure on the survivors.

Feeling that weight wrapping around them like chains, it was all they could do to keep their eyes open, trying to retreat from the approaching black nightmare like a receding wave and fighting every step of the way. They would eventually all find themselves paralyzed with dread before being consumed by the bestial blackness dominating their vision.

They weren't fighting to survive: they were fighting to breathe. They weren't running to live: stopping was death in and of itself.

Countless died, countless lost their human forms, and countless more ran like mad, screaming in grief.

It was a hopeless month, like a never-ending well of mud

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BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1

2024-12-22T00:28:38Z

Bloodedge666: /* Chapter 1: Swirling Tea */

==Chapter 1: Swirling Tea==

In a certain conference room in a certain country.

The windowless room was drowned in an oppressive darkness. Several people sat around a donut-shaped desk, the light from their computer monitors illuminating only the lower halves of their faces. They were all clad in fine suits and had their hands folded in front of their mouths, as if to hide their motivations along with their facial expressions. They all projected a solemn, uptight aura, but strangely, an air of sluggishness pervaded the room as well.

People could occasionally be seen leaning back to take a sip of coffee or staring at their monitors like they were trying to drill holes in them.

"...It seems the damage to Ishana Island is enormous. A complete recovery will likely take considerable time."

"Be that as it may, this only happened because they put their faith in such an overwhelmingly powerful force. Surely they were mentally prepared for repercussions like this."

"I doubt they're thinking positively. If they request it, we'll have to raise funds for the island's reconstruction. I'm not sure it'll fit into the budget..."

Talking in a tone that implied that this sequence of events was a foregone conclusion, these men contributed to the strange sense of sluggishness with their utter lack of urgency.

Examining the strife of people on the other side of the planet with disinterest like onlookers on high, their eyes passed over their monitors and their documents placed solely for appearances sake with a drowsy dullness.

The people gathered around the table were all ministers with a responsibility to carry the burden of a specific facet of their governments' authorities. However, not a single representative of a country that had directly suffered from the Black Beast could be found in this room. These were the lucky people who could watch what was happening far away somewhere else in the world and call it a tragedy; people who did not yet know despair.

"It's safe to assume... that the Black Beast has become aware of the Magister's City of Ishana."

Someone murmured with a sour voice, and the groans of several people signified their agreement. However, they were by no means lamenting Ishana's plight. In fact, they saw this as a chance.

"We've already collected plenty of information and techniques concerning the use of Ars Magus and alchemy. Even if Ishana ceases functioning entirely, it won't affect our ability to wage war as we are now."

"In fact, Ishana is currently monopolizing far too much of the world's total power. If the Black Beast wants to just go ahead and destroy them for us, I would actually appreciate it. It saves us having to resort to other methods."

The words being exchanged in this room were all impersonal, indifferent, and cold as ice, untouched by the warmth of emotion. After a little thought, a different man opened his mouth. It was the man responsible for the military affairs of this meeting's host country.

"How long until that thing reaches the island?"

"We can't be certain, but we expect it will be about four months. It should take about a year before it clears the Eurasian Continent."

"Hm, a year... plenty of time for us to get a hold of the situation."

Once again, several voices around the table sounded their agreement, now with a note of satisfaction. To these people, Ishana's present crisis and the destruction of Eurasia were inconsequential. If anything, they were desirable. You might even say that they were pleasing.

"...It's hard to believe this is all working out exactly as that man said it would. It's a little unsettling."

Like a subtle sigh, someone cast a shadow over the room's tepid atmosphere. Tenacious wrinkles carved themselves deeper into the faces of many of the people gathered. Several people reached for their coffee mugs with feigned ignorance written all over their faces while others chuckled wryly through strained smiles.

"If I recall correctly, according to that man's predictions, the Black Beast is supposed to perish within the next few years."

"It will spell trouble for us if that doesn't come to pass. We're already working to get a leg up on how the world will be from here on out, after all."

"We wouldn't want the vast amount of funds the Orbis Librarius Norma invested in us to go to waste either."

"Ah, yes, about the Orbis Librarius Norma..."

Audibly tapping the end of a document he was reading over with a finger, a man who oversees diplomatic affairs cast his eyes across all present. The chatter died out and the room fell silent.

His pretentious turn of phrase caught everyone's attention. Having acquired both silence and an audience, the pretentious man spoke with dramatic weightiness.

"I have succeeded in establishing a new bureau, by which we may collaborate with the OLN. The preparations are all proceeding according to plan."

The one who had advised them to found this new bureau was none other than that man who had been the topic of their discussion earlier. If that bureau were to commence operations, their research into the causality weapons held by the Orbis Librarius Norma would be able to progress by leaps and bounds. If they could do that, it would be possible for them to wrestle global sovereignty in the wake of the Black Beast away from the Orbis Librarius Norma.

──This newly established bureau was to be named "Section 7".

===Part 1===

The island of Ishana floated atop the ocean in isolation. Within its white stone walls that glimmer in the sunlight were green fields and blue rooftops. All sorts of vividly colored trees enclosed the island and a slightly elevated hill watched over both the town and the sparkling sea.

Ishana was a beautiful island. However, that painting-like beauty was currently lying in ruins.

The black giant that had fallen from the sky, Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

That ominous behemoth had crushed roughly half the town beneath its body and reduced an uncountable number of buildings to rubble in an instant. The city was now a hellscape, and it showed no sign of ever returning to normalcy. Ishana benefited from the wealth of hidden knowledge and history collected over the years within the Mage's Guild and the entire island was concealed by a magical barrier. Because of that, it had been known as ‘the safest city in the world.’

Now, it was the exact opposite.

This city, which a fragment of the Black Beast had set foot in, had become the next destination of that living calamity that terrorized the world. Daily reports indicated that the Black Beast and the vestige that constituted a part of it were slowly but surely making their way across Eurasia, heading straight toward the isolated island.

This was a lone island in the middle of the ocean. Ishana was now 'the most dangerous city in the world.'

Within the most dangerous city in the world, a calm and clean wind unbefitting of its ominous title was blowing through the streets. The air in Ishana was refreshing, as it always had been. That was partially because of the powerful barrier that kept all the Seithr from the outside world out, but also because the dense mass of Seithr brought in by the fragment of the Black Beast had been frantically purified by the hard work of the mages who stood at the pinnacle of the Mage's Guild, the Ten Sages.

However, very few people knew that in truth, the presence of one particular girl contributed massively to the Seithr removal operation. Celica A. Mercury, the girl who had quietly inserted herself into the role of Seithr cleaner, breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the wind suddenly stroke her cheek.

The end of her ponytail, tied high on her head, brushed her ear as she gently narrowed her deep brown eyes, the color of wet soil. Her cheeks, slightly dirty from dust and grime, were faintly flushed from fatigue. She wiped her forehead with her hand, brushing away her weariness like sweat. This was no time to complain about being a bit tired.
"...Okay, let's get this done."
Squeezing her hands tight to encourage herself, Celica set off at a jog. Behind her, a female silhouette far taller than Celica herself followed along.

It was Nirvana, with her sturdy, clearly non-human body and robotic movements. Celica and Nirvana were out in the middle of Ishana, but who could say how accurate it was to call it 'the middle of Ishana' anymore? This area was a little special. It was the space between the city of Ishana... and what used to be the city of Ishana.

Just one street over was a mountain of rubble and dust that could no longer be called a city. Atop it all was the massive, black, human-shaped weapon that had made about half of Ishana unlivable.

The Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

Celica couldn't help but get a gloomy expression whenever she thought of that name.

The Mage's Guild's ultimate weapon, capable of repelling the Black Beast with just one strike. Celica didn't know much more about the black colossus than that, but it had crushed many plants, trees, and even people along with the buildings and streets.
Scores of people died. Countless were injured, and many more were left to grieve.
"Celica-dono."

Celica jerked her chin up as someone called out to her from one step behind her, shaking her out of it.

Keeping her feet moving, Celica looked over her shoulder. Behind her stood Valkenhayn, who had removed his working jacket to reveal the fine white shirt he wore beneath it.

"You seem to be doing less than well..."

Looking down at her with his far taller build, his discerning eyes were every bit as sharp and severe as when he was in his wolf form. Nevertheless, his eyes also revealed the sort of kindly reliability that showed he's always ready to catch her if she were to stumble and fall.

"Oh, I'm alright. I just kind of zoned out."

"That's perfectly understandable. You've been running around like this since last evening; it seems you're getting tired."

Breathing a heavy sigh, Valkenhayn knitted his brows together seriously. He surveyed their surroundings with grim eyes.

Even though the buildings around them were hardly damaged, there was no sign of the usual Ishana to be seen. Men and women wearing Mage's Guild uniforms were rushing back and forth across the streets, tending to people who had been rescued from collapsed buildings and trying to transport the severely wounded out of the area.

People were lined up on the roadside awaiting treatment, with those who couldn't stand squatting or sitting down among the uneven terrain. Take-Mikazuchi had fallen with the Black Beast's head just last evening. By the time night had completely fallen, the entire island was illuminated by artificial lights as everyone who could still move participated in the rescue operation.

The rescue operation was still underway now, and Jubei, Hakumen, and the Kakas were pitching in as well. With hardly any food or sleep, Celica had spent the whole night going around casting healing magic on injured people on the side of the road.

"It would do no one any good if you were to faint, Celica-dono. Go and get some rest already."

"Thanks. I really am okay though, no need to worry about me."

"Celica-dono..."

She wasn't going to listen no matter how many times he said it. Valkenhayn was getting fed up with trying to convince the stubborn girl, but Celica refused with a strong look in her eyes.

"Please, let me do absolutely everything I can. There are still so many injured people; I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway."

"...Just a little while longer. If you try to overwork yourself much more, I will drag you back home."

Valkenhayn grimaced as he reluctantly gave his consent, and Celica responded with a smile like a flower's first bloom.

"Got it!"

Emphasizing her words with a vigorous nod, Celica's ponytail jumped around her head as she ran forward.

She went to a woman crouching wearily beneath a street lamp and wasted no time in kneeling down and healing her, starting from a particularly nasty shoulder injury.

"Unbelievable..."

Just how stubborn could those sisters possibly be? Valkenhayn groaned with exasperation and a hint of resentment, then went to kneel down next to Celica. Celica gently touched the woman's shoulder with her hand sheathed in a faint light.

As Valkenhayn was handling the lighter wounds on the woman's limbs, he couldn't help but admire Celica. The efficacy of her healing magic was astonishing, no matter how many times he saw it. Without so much as a sound, wounds disappeared like they were melting into the light.

"That should do it. I'm sure it's still going to feel uncomfortable for a while, but your shoulder is alright now. I healed the cut on your forehead and the bruise on your back for you too. The smaller injuries are still there though, so take it easy!"

Celica gave a sheepish smile, thinking that she would rather have healed her all the way down to the last scrape.

The woman thanked them profusely as she got up and walked away. Celica saw her off, then took a quick breath and headed off to the next person in need.

She turned and called over her shoulder as she set off.

"Hey, Valkenhayn-san... those people are still following us, aren't they?"

The people she was referring to were a pair of men standing on a street corner where some injured people were sitting, staring straight in Celica's direction. She glanced at them with a bewildered look on her face. Wearing blue and white uniforms, not bothering to lend a hand to the people trudging down the street or the guild members running around with first aid kits, they were completely focused on watching Celica and Valkenhayn.

"...It certainly seems so."

Valkenhayn answered in a low voice as his eyebrows knitted together. They were what you would call 'lookouts.' They kept on observing Celica, Valkenhayn, and Nirvanas' every move.

"What Hakumen did likely ruffled some feathers. After the rampage he went on, it's not surprising that they want to keep us on a short leash even in this dire situation."

Valkenhayn's bulky chest heaved beneath his fine white shirt as he let out a sigh.
The soldiers of the Orbis Librarius Norma had recently tried to detain Celica and her friends, but Hakumen single-handedly laid them all out like a gale scattering a pile of leaves. The image of a demon clad in white mowing down an entire squadron with one swing of his nodachi was probably permanently engraved into the memories of the soldiers present right now.

"Hakumen-dono is likely being followed by a detail several times larger than the one following us."

"But we aren't going to do anything funny in a situation like this..."

"Sound logic like that won't dissuade the likes of them... Nine was able to work it out with the Ten Sages and keep us from being arrested, but we'll have to accept certain limits on our freedom."

"I guess so..."

Unsatisfied, Celica pursed her lips.
She understood why they were being watched and she was willing to put up with it. She also understood that the people following her didn't particularly want to do it either, and that they were just following orders.

Even so, Celica cast her eyes around from left to right with open dissatisfaction on her face.

"Can't they at least lend a hand while they watch us?"

There were lots of people in the vicinity who could certainly use some help, but the men following them were flawlessly ignoring every single one of them, as if they didn't even realize that they were there. It was unacceptable.

"I mean, I know those OLN folks see us as just a bunch of people they've never met living on some island in the middle of nowhere, but still."

"The OLN... that Orbis Librarius Norma or whatever?"

"Yeah, them. It wouldn't kill them to have a little sympathy for once. Even if you say something straight to one of them, they pretend like you aren't there!"

Crossing her arms indignantly in a rare display of anger, Celica suddenly remembered something and looked up at Valkenhayn.

"Hey, didn't Onee-chan get called to go somewhere by the OLN? I hope she's okay..."

"...What do you mean, called to go somewhere?"

Valkenhayn answered her question with a question, his face grim. Immediately understanding what he meant with that inquiry, Celica shrugged and forced a smile.

"I just hope she won't lose her temper and go overboard again, that's all."

Nine had half-destroyed Ishana's capitol building, and then Take-Mikazuchi's fall had finished it off. Valkenhayn's not-yet-visible wrinkles were growing deeper by the minute.

"It's well within reason to think she might."

"...Yeah, you're right..."
The place that the Orbis Librarius Norma and the Mage's Guild had summoned Nine to was the guild's miraculously undamaged council room. If Nine went berserk and blasted her way out of the building again like she had done with the capitol building, it wouldn't be so lucky a second time. Sending a prayer up to the sky beyond the barrier that that wouldn't happen, Celica hurried over to the next injured person in need of her help.

===Part 2===

In the joint headquarters of the Orbis Librarius Norma and the Mage's Guild. The Mage's Guild, dedicated to the protection and preservation of human history's accumulated knowledge and technology, had formed a joint headquarters with the Orbis Librarius Norma, a massive organization that had originated as an alliance of various nations but that now specialized in handling beings and technologies that overturned common sense, such as the Black Beast and the Arts, by way of a special focus on Arts themselves. The two groups had established their alliance like they were moving in together, sharing the guild collaboratively and splitting the space half-and-half. The hierarchies of the respective organizations were left as-is, but they smoothly and seamlessly shared information and strategies with one another, working together to stand up against the Black Beast in any way they could.

With humanity on the verge of annihilation, what sense was there in humans butting heads with one another?

Everyone in the Joint HQ sang that mantra to the high heavens, transcending race, nationality, and religion to miraculously join hands and fight off extinction. Whether they were someone who didn't know how complicated the situation really was, someone who was fully aware, or someone who was actively making the alliance more complicated than a tangled ball of yarn, they all said the same thing. It was practically the capital of all things convoluted.

Upon seeing Nine of the Ten Sages, whom they had summoned, the people lined up in a row of seats inside the guild's largest council room found themselves admiring her lovely hair and perfect proportions. These were the people occupying the highest echelons of the Joint HQ's hierarchy. The military brass and diplomatic leadership of all the nations involved were represented, of course, but the Ten Sages of the Mage's Guild were in attendance as well.

Their harsh glares that were clearly looking for an explanation for the current situation were not directed at Nine, but rather at two others nearby. Specifically, at a man with golden hair wearing thin-rimmed glasses over his ice-blue eyes and a gaudy woman wearing a fur-trimmed dress with a deep slit on the side.

It was the Sages Seven and Eight, who had received their triangular purple hats at very young ages (though not quite so young as Nine). The former was maintaining a cool, collected, and intellectual lack of expression, while the latter was standing there with a sullen scowl on her face.

The council had just finished going over the sequence of events that led to Take-Mikazuchi falling on Ishana, why Take-Mikazuchi had not returned to its summoning circle, and how a fragment of the Black Beast had infiltrated Ishana.

"So, to sum it up, they tried to return Take-Mikazuchi to its summoning circle while it was still engaging the Black Beast, but the circle couldn't contain Take-Mikazuchi in that state, so the magic went wild as a result?"

A military official from a certain country sitting amongst the executives lined up behind a conference table went over the account with a grave tone of voice and a sullen face. Nine stood up and met the gazes of the council. Raising her chin and narrowing her eyes like she was looking down on everyone in the room, Nine's eyes flashed sharply as she answered the question in a clear voice.

"That is correct."

"Hold it! Don't act like you had nothing to do with this!"

Eight's scowl had been growing progressively more irritated as Nine gave her explanation, and having now reached the limit of her patience, she shouted at Nine like she was trying to bite her.

With a fire burning in her large eyes, she swung her gaze across the gathered officials.

"The unsummoning magic we used in that moment was imperfect because we were interrupted partway through. It's only natural for sorcery like that to go out of control if it's interrupted during the casting. Take-Mikazuchi fell on Ishana because Nine of the Ten Sages recklessly obstructed us!"

"If you don't know what you're talking about, don't run your mouth. If you had any idea what you were doing, it would have been obvious that the spell was going to malfunction if you tried to unsummon Take-Mikazuchi in that extreme situation."

Nine responded to Eight's spitfire hostility with bone-chilling composure.

Eight's cheeks blazed red with an almost audible pop.

"What did you just say to me!? That I don't know how Take-Mikazuchi works? Do you realize that I'm the one who completed it and crafted its magic circle!?"

"Then why don't you understand!?"

Faster than a blink, Nine's composure burnt to a crisp.

Eight shrank away from Nine's sudden outburst. Regaining control of her firestorm of emotions, Nine addressed everyone in the room and continued.

"If that unsummoning spell had been allowed to complete under those conditions, Take-Mikazuchi would have returned to Ishana with the entire Black Beast in tow. If we had taken a breather and held a meeting about it first, Ishana would have been obliterated. In the worst-case scenario, the Black Beast and now-out-of-control Take-Mikazuchi could have blazed a path of destruction as they started duking it out across the entire planet."

It wasn't hard to envision how the world would have ended up if that had happened. A shiver ran across the room following Nine's vivid statement, but Eight, despite flinching earlier, raised her head and continued undeterred.

"That's just your theory! What proof do you-"

"Eight, just stop already."

Seven, who had kept his mouth shut up until now, chastised Eight with a tranquil voice, but Eight and Nine both knew that his tranquility was just a facade.

Eight glared in dissatisfaction at the side of his face, but Seven kept his cold gaze fixed straight forward.

"What, now you too? at this rate, we're going to be held responsible for-"

"Seriously, shut up. How much clearer do I need to make myself?"

His ice-blue eyes, never once so much as glancing in Eight's direction, said that she wasn't even worth looking at. His voice still sounded peaceful on the surface, but he was out of patience for Eight.

Eight did agree that it would be wise to not make any more of a scene. This was the meeting place for the higher-ups of the Joint HQ. As Sages, Eight and Seven didn't need to bend the knee to this council, but picking fights wasn't going to do them any favors in the eyes of their fellow Sages. Biting back all the things she still wanted to say, Eight cast her big hazel eyes down toward the floor.

Waiting for her to do just that, Seven finally took a glance to his side, but he wasn't looking at Eight: he was looking at Nine, who was standing beyond her. Laughing faintly, he moved his chin down in a half-nod. It was easy to imagine him telling her, 'I've shut her up for you, so by all means, continue your explanation,' and Nine, much like Eight, felt some very unfavorable emotions toward the man.

"...Does anyone have any questions?"

Brushing off his relaxed eyes with a single sharp look, Nine couldn't quite keep the irritation out of her voice as she addressed her question to everyone in the room.

A single hand quietly rose above the crowd. Recognizing the hand's owner, the sharpness in Nine's eyes wavered for a moment. It was a man with white streaks running through his otherwise gray hair and a purple triangle hat sitting atop his head. He was the current head of the Ten Sages, Two.

"The Joint HQ's intelligence indicates that the Black Beast is currently heading toward Ishana. What do you have to say about that?"

With a heavy voice, Nine gave him a straight answer.

"That is the case, without a doubt. Having infiltrated Ishana with one of its heads, the Black Beast is now aware of the existence of this island. It also now knows that this place is... no, that we are a threat to it."

Furthermore, Take-Mikazuchi, which the Black Beast had already gotten its jaws on, was also there. It couldn't ask for a better guidepost.

"But will it really come here? I can't believe that the Black Beast would prioritize us like that."

Someone who worked in military funding sitting at the corner of the table grabbed his head and shook it sullenly from side to side. Voices expressing similar sentiments pressed in from all sides.

In that moment, at least, they must not have been paying attention to the data and reports they all ought to have received. From the bottoms of their hearts, they didn't want to accept the reality that the Black Beast was heading straight for them. Nine didn't want to either, but while they were all sitting in this undamaged building, drinking cold water and having one of their beloved conferences, the Black Beast was on the move, step by inexorable step.

And its destination was Ishana.

"Even if you can't believe it, it's the reality of the situation."

Nine said it like she was stabbing them. They couldn't postpone this problem. She needed to make everyone in this room share her acute awareness of the crisis to come, so keen she could feel it on her skin.

"It is an absolute fact that the Black Beast is coming."

Right that very minute, Seithr was flowing invisibly across the ground somewhere in the world, never slowing down even for a moment.

In the afternoon hours, the temperature of the wind cooled down a little.

A chain of command was finally established for the relief effort and the transportation of the wounded, and the chaos and clamor of the morning abated considerably. There were fewer injured people languishing on the street corners and cases of severely injured people in desperate need of healing magic only cropped up about once every hour.

Seeing things finally begin to settle down, Celica breathed a sigh of relief.

"I guess things are alright for now... wah!"

In that moment, Celica lost all the strength in her knees.

In a flash, Valkenhayn, from her right, and Nirvana, from her left, shot their arms out and caught Celica, supporting her limp body. As a result, Celica dangled there in the air between her two protectors, laughing pitifully.

"A- ahaha... thanks, I'm so sorry."

"...No, excuse me."

Valkenhayn lifted her body up into his arms a little awkwardly.

He sat her down on the stairs behind them just as she was, and she couldn't have stood up if she tried. She was still acting tough at noon, but at this point she really had exhausted absolutely all her mana. All she did was relax her tense body a tiny bit, but that was all it took for the fatigue to catch up with her and hit her body like a truck.

"Fwaaa～ That sure was rough... not that we're anywhere near done."

She wrapped her arms around her thighs and bent her upper body to lay her face on her knees. Valkenhayn grimaced (very understandably) down at her limply dangling ponytail and rained his deep voice down upon her.

"This isn't the first time I've said this, but that's enough for one day. I don't care how much you insist you're alright. I'm not letting you carry on any longer."

"Ugh... sounds good... I'll take a little break. But, we should get back to work in a minute..."

"Did you perhaps not hear me when I said I won't let you?"

Celica raised her head again with a smile, but Valkenhayn shot her down. With the same obstinacy and irrationality as Nine, completely unburdened by the concept of reason, Celica sat herself back up.

"Pouring your very heart and soul into the task of saving lives is profoundly admirable, but what do you expect to accomplish when you pass out? You're just going to take up one of the few open hospital beds. Getting the rest you need so that you have your strength when you're needed most is the responsibility of a rescue worker."

"Valkenhayn nagging Celica, now that's not something you see every day."

A third voice suddenly wedged itself into their conversation.

Celica's face lit up as she realized someone was backing her up, but Valkenhayn frowned disapprovingly and turned to face the owner of the voice.

"...I wasn't nagging: I was giving her a warning."

[[Image:BB_PS4_029.jpg|thumb]]

"Haha, that's pretty much the same thing in your case!"

It was Jubei, laughing merrily. He had changed out of his battle armor in favor of something easier to move in but he was completely covered in dust and dirt, from the hooded jacket covering his triangle shaped ears, to the white and brown two-toned fur beneath it, all the way to his two split tails.

He must have been helping people get out of one of the piles of collapsed roof tiles until just now. As he was powerful despite his small size, Jubei and the Kaka clans folk who had been created from his DNA were very well suited to that sort of work.

"Are you taking a break too, Jubei-san?"

Resting her elbows on her knees and holding her face in her hands, Celica tilted her head to look at him. She was sitting on the staircase while Jubei was standing up straight, so their eyes were at about the same height.

She was getting a much closer view than normal of his one big, red cat eye, the left eye, and she thought that it was really pretty.

"Yup. We've gotten everyone we could detect with magic outta there, so now we just gotta haul Take-Mikazuchi off and clean up all the rubble..."

They had to retrieve the bodies of all the people who had lost their lives.

A despondent shadow clouded Jubei's eye for just a moment, and Celica once again felt pain in her heart for the deceased.

"The real cleanup work starts tomorrow. Apparently they're gathering up people to help with the injured 'til then."

Jubei dropped his shoulders with a heavy breath out, refreshing himself like he was splashing water on his face, then put some strength into his words. His soft cheeks rose as he gave Celica a big smile.

"Because of that, the hospital's at capacity for volunteers tonight. But don't you worry, 'cause tomorrow there'll be enough work to make your eyes spin. For now do what Valkenhayn says and save up your mana."

"Fine... if you both insist, I guess I can't say no."

Even as she said it Celica still had a childish look on her face that said she didn't want to, and Jubei and Valkenhayn met eyes and shook their heads ruefully at each other. Feeling the need to work far harder than was expected of them was a flaw that the Mercury sisters shared.

Celica looked past the two beastkin and suddenly her eyes were sparkling. They could tell what she was looking at just from her body language. Just as Celica bounced to her feet like a baby chicken, Jubei and Valkenhayn turned around to face where she was looking.

It was a little before dusk right now. Backed by a water-blue sky, so beautiful that it was hard to believe that something like the Black Beast even existed in this world, Nine was walking towards them. Celica waved her arms vigorously at her even though she wasn't very far away, and Nine ran straight to her, unhampered by her narrow high heels.

"Celica! I'm so glad you actually stayed with Valkenhayn!"

"Yep. The people tailing us didn't cause any trouble either, don't worry about me."

Celica had actually wanted to talk to her lookouts and try to get them to open up a little bit, but unfortunately, she hadn't gotten a chance to yet.

"More importantly, I hope you're okay. Did you handle whatever they wanted to talk to you about?"

It took a little while before the sisters calmed back down. Celica was laughing happily and Nine let her usual stern expression soften in the space of one breath.

"Yeah, for now at least. The Orbis Librarius Norma seems to love nothing more than setting up tables and holding meetings around them, so they'll probably call me back at some point. I can't believe I have to waste my time putting up with such nonsense from a bunch of impotents."

Still wearing a delighted smile that made her look like a completely different person compared to how she was during the council meeting, Nine uttered some biting criticisms.

Smiling awkwardly at her thorny words that were completely at odds with her face, Jubei asked a question.

"So, what're they gonna do with us?"

"Our sentence is postponed. So long as we don't piss them off, we're free to do as we will, like before. However, any and all operations against the Black Beast have to be done in conjunction with the Joint HQ from now on."

"The 'Joint HQ?' And that is?"

Puzzled, Valkenhayn asked for clarification, and Nine took a shallow breath.

"Simply put, an organization joining the upper echelons of the Mage's Guild and the Orbis Librarius Norma. Forget the Ten Sages, even the Duodecim are best buds with the OLN at this point."

The Duodecim were deeply ingrained in the Mage's Guild dating back to its foundation, and were essentially nobility.

The Ten Sages, chosen purely for their abilities, led the Mage's Guild and passed down sorcery and alchemy to future generations, but the Duodecim, inheriting their positions through lineage, governed the city of Ishana.

"...It may be just a matter of time before the Orbis Librarius Norma swallows up the whole Mage's Guild."

Speaking listlessly, she swept her long hair back.

Seemingly having followed Nine, a group of people approached from further down the street, troubled expressions on their faces.

"Worry not, the Duodecim will not sell Ishana out."

With his placid voice and refined features and bearing, there stood Seven.

Beside him stood Eight, her large earrings swaying as she walked, and behind the both of them stood an old woman and a man in his mid-thirties that Celica did not know. Nine's eyes sharpened to daggers in an instant, and she wheeled around to face Seven so fast that her hair flew behind her.

"Should I take that as an official statement from Seven of the Ten Sages, or from the Kisaragi clan of the Duodecim?"

"No matter which one, you wouldn't care, would you?"

With a suspiciously composed countenance, Seven withstood the naked hostility of Nine's gaze.

The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife. The mild old woman who had come with Seven inserted herself into the conversation, saying,

"You're both members of the Ten Sages, so stop having such a childish fight out in the street."

Her voice itself was very soft, but the words she scolded them with revealed her exasperation.

The old lady was shorter than Celica and she wore a robe and mantle so long that it dragged on the ground. Atop her pure white hair, set in a high bun, sat a triangular purple hat. The tall, black haired man standing next to the old lady also wore such a hat.

They were both Sages.

Celica's jaw dropped as she watched this scene unfold before her eyes.

The Ten Sages could have up to ten members, but she had heard that they currently had fewer than that. There were five Sages present right now. In other words, more than half of the Mage's Guild's Ten Sages were standing on this street corner. Celica may have been a student in the Mage's Guild, but it was still the first time she had seen so many of them bump into each other in a place like this. She was shocked by the sight of so many of these triangular purple hats gathered out on the streets she knew so well.

Not noticing how star-struck Celica was, Nine deferentially shifted her gaze to the old lady. Compared to how she looked at Seven, her eyes were far less sharp. It was clear that Nine had a hard time dealing with this woman.

"If I may-"

"A lady ought to say, 'yes, ma'am' when reprimanded by her elders."

She cut Nine off with her hoarse but hard to disobey voice.

Surprisingly, Nine stopped and went silent. Clearly she really had trouble handling this woman. Celica, sneaking a peak at her sister's face, couldn't help but let a gasp of admiration slip.

Considering that matter handled, the old lady turned her amber eyes to address Celica's group standing dumbfounded to the side.

"I believe this is the first time any of us have met. I am the 3rd seat of the Ten Sages, Three, and this man is Four, another Sage. We're going to be joining you in concocting a strategy to combat the Black Beast, so this is a good time for introductions."

As the old lady, Three, gave her introduction, the taciturn man with posture so straight and well-guarded that he seemed like a bodyguard just stood there silently, bowing the bare minimum amount to count as an introduction when the time came. He was the 4th seat of the Ten Sages, Four.

"Huh? When you say you'll join them, you don't mean you're going to fight too, right, granny?"

Celica asked the question before thinking better of it, and so Four, who had hardly moved his body at all up until this point, looked squarely at Celica.

"Shut your mouth, Celica A. Mercury."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

Feeling like she had been yelled at by a teacher at the academy, Celica hunched her shoulders and covered her mouth with her fingers. It was certainly a rude thing to say to an elderly lady who was also one of the Ten Sages who stood at the pinnacle of the Mage's Guild.

However, the lady in question, Three, just looked at Celica with a little surprise for a moment before her face broke into a smile and she laughed like a witch out of a fairy tale.

"Hoho, I've heard about all of you already. Jubei-san, hailing from a village of beastkin, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing-san, of the Alucard house, and Nine's little sister, Celica-san."

The way Three said her name seemed a little formal to Celica. Celica didn't have any memories of her grandmother, but if she did, she thought she would be like Three. As she was thinking that, she straightened her posture under Four's intimidating influence.

"Yes, I am. I'm grateful for everything you have done for my sister."

"My, what a nice little sister. You have a strange feeling about you too."

Three exhaled quizzically as her amber eyes examined Celica.

As if to obstruct her view, Nine cut in.

"Three. Please don't pay my sister much heed: I don't want her to get involved with the Ten Sages."

Her tone was mirthless. As if the direction of the wind had changed, the already stiff atmosphere became palpably sharper, and Eight barked at Nine.

"Where do you get off talking that way to her, Nine!? Three is the longest-serving member of the Ten Sages and an exemplar of our organization. Are they not teaching propriety to little girls anymore?"

"I respect Three's abilities; she's got a head on her shoulders, unlike you."

Hearing Nine's comeback, dripping with sarcasm, Eight narrowed her eyes sharply.

"What did you just say... care to say it again!?"

"What, are you saying I ought to respect you as much as I respect Three? That sounds pretty insolent to me."

"You- you arrogant little... that's exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about, like you're looking down on me!"

"Well, don't stand so far beneath my notice then. I'm sick of looking at you actually, so why don't you just drop off the face of the earth?"

"Would you two cut it out!? Think of where you are!"

Nine's intense hatred was showing clearly on her face and in her even more irritable than usual words. With sparks so intense flying between Nine and Eight that it seemed like they might catch on fire, Four roared with fury.

Seven, not wanting to get lumped in with them, had taken a step back and place a white-gloved hand on his forehead.

"I can hardly bear to listen to this."

"It's good for young ladies to be so energetic."

In stark contrast, Three's wrinkles deepened as she looked on like she was watching two kittens play.

Five purple hats had gathered on a street corner to bicker with each other: anyone who was familiar with Ishana would have thought that that was a very strange statement. After all, they were the ones who stood at the pinnacle of the Mage's Guild; the very symbols of wisdom. To a mere student like Celica, the sight of people on a level far exceeding hers acting like this was really damaging her perception of the Ten Sages.

"Feels like a bad time to try to join the conversation..."

"You could say that again..."

Celica murmured her thoughts aloud and Jubei agreed bitterly. Valkenhayn, having seen enough, shook his head from side to side.

"So this is what the Ten Sages of the Mage's Guild are like... I'm leaving. I must return to the manor and give a report."

Turning his wide back on the still bickering Nine and Eight, Valkenhayn loped off toward a side street with long strides. It wasn't long before his footsteps could no longer be heard. He most likely crossed through a portal as soon as he got out of sight. His destination was the Alucard Castle.

"Maybe I'll go home too. It looks like Onee-chan will be here a while."

Celica tapped her hands on her cheeks with a bitter smile. Nine would have surely come with her if she had asked, but Celica didn't want to do that.

It seemed like Nine didn't much care for Eight or Seven, but she would have to work together and fight alongside them from now on. It would cause problems if she ignored them and went home with Celica right now, and Celica wasn't going to put her sister in that position.

"Do you want to come too, Jubei-san? You're waiting for Onee-chan, right?"

"Nah, I've gotta go back to my post too. I'm worried about leaving the Kakas on their own for too long."

Jubei cast his gaze toward where Take-Mikazuchi still laid. He couldn't hear any commotion or other signs of trouble, but he was a little worried about how well they could behave themselves in this unfamiliar town. What's more, there was a profound sense of anticipation whirling about Ishana, and for better or worse, the unfamiliar kaka girls were probably standing out like sore thumbs.

With one bow of her head, Celica stealthily walked away so that Nine wouldn't notice her leaving.

"Well, come over if something comes up. The kaka girls are invited too; I'll make tea and set up a place for naps."

"Don't bother. You just get some rest yourself, ya hear?"

Casting a wry smile at the two antagonistic Sages' argument as it escalated into a full-on shouting match, Jubei waved goodbye with one big paw.

"See you later!"

Celica waved in response and ducked into a narrow alley with Nirvana to slip away.

===Part 3===

Upon returning home, Celica found herself lost for words after opening the door. Celica and Nines' house was located a little ways into Ishana's main street. It had just barely avoided being crushed under Take-Mikazuchi thanks to that, but the impact shook the entire island, so there was so much upturned furniture and so many scattered items that there was literally no clear space to step.

"It'll be tough to even make it to my room."

It didn't look like she would be able to offer the Kakas a place to sleep. Dropping her shoulders dejectedly, she rolled up her sleeves and put on a smile to cheer herself up. Looking from the entrance to the middle of the house, she came up with a plan to at least clear a path to the living room.

Nirvana reached with her large hand from behind her to pick up a fallen shoe box. Mindful of Celica, still turned away from her, she set the shoe box back upright.

"Oh, thanks! Could you put it next to the wall too?"

Celica laughed brightly, but Nirvana didn't give any particular response, other than setting the wooden box in the corner like she was asked.

That alone was enough to make Celica vaguely happy. Celica planned to clean up the whole house on her own since Nine seemed busy, but now she had a reliable partner.

"Let's clean this up together."

This was Nine and Celicas' home, so that made it Nirvana's home too. Thinking of it like that, Nirvana felt like a new family member.

Celica cheerfully looked up at her tall figure, seeming like she would touch the ceiling if she stood up straight, and thought that she looked like she was nodding her assent without moving her head.

"I'll pick up all the scattered little things, so could you handle all the furniture and heavy stuff? For starters... the living room door looks unfixable, so could you take it off for me? After that, please take care of the broken glass and tableware before handling the furniture."

Answering with silence, Nirvana walked off somewhat awkwardly, but Celica saw her answer in her back.

"Oh, be careful to not hurt your hands when you pick broken stuff up."

Right after she said it, she realized there's no way broken glass or tableware would be able to hurt Nirvana. She was a very reliable partner. Celica hid her smile as she gathered all the scattered shoes and lined them up in the shoe box.

The effect of Nirvana's aid was enormous, so they were able to clean up the disaster zone of things strewn about the floor in no time flat. Nirvana's large hands weren't suited to precise work, but she was able to right furniture and carry heavy objects much faster than Celica could have done it, even with magic, and she carried out every task she was given as soon as Celica gave it. Celica put everything that wasn't broken or that was especially important back in its place while Nirvana did the heavy lifting, and the work went surprisingly smoothly.

They never stopped moving their hands as they worked to tidy the place up, and eventually the house was awash in the color of sunset from the light coming through a slanted window.

After managing to get the living room back to a state where she could walk through it again, Celica found an envelope that she didn't remember seeing before.

"What's this?"

It didn't have a stamp, or even an address for that matter, so it must not have been a letter. Maybe it belonged to Nine. She was a little hesitant, but she nevertheless peeked inside.

Inside she found several photographs.

"Ah..."

Gently pulling them out, Celica's eyes went wide. Her deep brown eyes displayed nostalgia and joy as her cheeks relaxed.

"Hey, Nirvana, look at these. They're pictures of my family."

Taking a few quick steps over to Nirvana, Celica held one of the photographs up to her beautiful glass-like artificial eyes to show her.

The photo Celica was showing her, vague pride reflected on her face, showed three people standing together. In the middle stood a little girl with brown hair and a big smile, her hands folded behind her back. To the girl's left stood a tall girl with her lips pressed tightly together as she stared sternly at the camera, while to her right was a man with a baffled smile on his face. It was a photo taken over ten years ago, showing Celica, Nine, and their father, Shuichiro Ayatsuki.

There was an old man living in the neighborhood at the time who loved cameras and was close with Celica, and he took this picture for them. There were several more photos in the envelope, including ones with just Celica and Shuichiro and just Celica and Nine.

"I wonder where this was hiding... it's bringing back so many memories."

The nostalgia was so intense that Celica could feel herself tearing up.

Moving the photos out of Nirvana's line of sight again, Celica touched a picture of her father like she was tracing him. Shuichiro had gone missing many years ago, but Celica had seen him briefly in Japan at the end of the year before last, just before he passed away.

Her wryly-smiling father in the picture had a complex expression on his face, but he was still young and his vitality and passion for research were plain to see. After this time in his life, Shuichiro certainly could not have been called a devoted father. He spent almost every day engrossed in his research, devoting his full attention to studying thick tomes and compiling theories. At the time, young Celica had thought he looked really cool.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could take a picture together with Onee-chan sometime soon, Nirvana?"

Then they could decorate a desk or something with it and this old photo. Celica decided to do that as she carefully sealed the envelope back up.

Suddenly, Nirvana raised her head, turning her inorganic eyes to the front door. Wondering what she was looking at, Celica turned around in time to see the lock turn. It wasn't magic, so it must have been someone who lived here.

Just as she had thought, a triangular purple hat came in through the door like it always did, bringing the sunset in with it.

"Celica, are you here? Uwah... the house is a disaster."

The crisp sound of high heels resounded through the house as Nine's flustered voice accompanied it.

Celica hurriedly pulled open a cupboard and shoved the envelope into it before taking Nirvana with her to the living room.

"Welcome home, Onee-chan. Are you done talking to Eight-san?"

Celica asked with mischief in her voice, and Nine pouted sullenly.

"I never wanted to talk to that woman in the first place... more importantly, did you do all this cleaning yourself? We could have done it even faster if you had asked for my help."

Letting out a brief sigh, Nine let the serious expression melt off of her face.

Doing a full 180 from the face of a Sage she had a moment ago, her eyes softened as she returned to being an older sister. Seeing the look in Nine's eyes, showing both exasperation and remorse, Celica cheerfully shook her head from side to side.

"I didn't do it myself. Nirvana helped me out."

When Nine heard those words, a cloud passed over her face.

"Nirvana did?"

"Yep. Nirvana is super tall and strong, you know. I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Is that so... Listen, Celica, about Nirvana..."

Nine fell silent as she thought about her words.

What's up with her? Celica tilted her head in confusion as she waited for her to continue. However, instead of finishing her sentence, Nine turned around and walked back to the entrance that she had just come through a moment ago.

"Sorry to interrupt your cleaning, but could you come with me for a moment? There's somewhere I want to take you and Nirvana."

"Me? Sure, I guess."

She must be busy right now, so was it really okay to take up her time going somewhere with her? Feeling a little awkward, Celica followed her out the front door, closing it behind her.

Outside, she found that another woman had come with Nine.

"Huh?"

Celica was surprised, but the woman smiled at her as gently as sunlight in Spring.

"Good work today, Celica-san～"

Her voice was as sweet as candy. She wore a robe with an extra big hood, had her long platinum hair tied loosely on either side, and covered her kindly green eyes with big round glasses. Trinity Glassfille stood waiting with her hands clasped in front of her.

The place Nine took Celica, Nirvana, and Trinity to was a place at nearly the center of Ishana.

It was an area removed from the town scape that was still bustling even now, despite the city currently lying in ruins. There were men and women dressed in the uniforms of the Mage's Guild and the Orbis Librarius Norma having discussions with each other and rushing to and for. Celica's group stood atop a wooden scaffolding that seemed to overlook the area.

She didn't see the broken townscape below her: she saw the black colossus that had crushed the once beautiful Ishana beneath it, laying so still it seemed like time had stopped. She saw Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

While Nine stood in front of her with her arms crossed nonchalantly, Celica flinched and gasped. Seen from a distance, it looked like it was blackness taken from the darkest part of a shadow. From up close, however, it had a haziness that made it seem like its edges were melting into the air around it.

Its nearby head was featureless. She remembered that it had had eyes and a mouth like empty caverns when she saw it summoned before, but now there was nothing, so it must have closed its eyes and shut its mouth. With its limbs splayed out powerlessly around it, it looked like an abandoned human corpse. Above all, it really was absurdly big. Transcending all reasons, it made you shiver with how unnatural it was.

"This... is Take-Mikazuchi?"

This was the first time Celica had seen it up close.

Having spent a lot of time since the previous night dealing with this thing, Nine and Trinity were sick of looking at it. Even so, Trinity clasped her hands over her chest and lowered her chin as she looked down over it nervously.

"Yes, it is. It's out of commission for the time being, but still, be careful to never touch it directly."

"O- okay..."

Truthfully, she wouldn't have wanted to touch it even if Trinity had asked her to. Celica took a step back without even realizing it. She was shivering uncontrollably. It might have been even more uncomfortable to be around than the Black Beast.

(No, what's a better word than uncomfortable? It feels... torturous.)

Gazing upon the prone black giant, Celica lightly bit her lip. Even more shivers ran down her spine as she thought about how this was a weapon created by mankind.

"So, Nine～? What is it that you wanted help with?"

Trinity accompanied her question to Nine with a small gesture like when she greeted Celica. A little differently from how she asked Celica to go somewhere with her, it seems Nine had asked Trinity to 'help' her with something.

Still with her arms crossed and eyes fixed on Take-Mikazuchi, Nine answered.

"I want to retrieve this thing's core tonight."

"It's core?"

Celica asked while tilting her head in confusion. Looking through her long, gently billowing hair, Celica saw Nine lower her chin.

"This."

Nine stuck her arm out over the edge of the scaffolding as she spoke. Pointing her palm down toward Take-Mikazuchi, she followed up her cryptic statement by reciting a short incantation.

As she did so, the black giant's chest region emitted a single slow pulse of red light. Then its black external layer pulled apart like a line drawn in sand before its chest split in two, swinging open like a double door. Surprised by the unexpected contraption, Celica once again recoiled from the sight. In human terms, it was like watching someone's rib cage open up. Celica shuddered at the thought, but her disgust quickly gave way to kitten-like curiosity.

A red globe was buried inside its now open black chest. It was almost like a heart. It was big enough that Celica might not be able to wrap her arms around it, but compared to Take-Mikazuchi's massive body, it was small.

"I never would have guessed something like that was inside it... but is it alright to just take that out? If you take the core out, it won't be able to move again, right?"

Putting her hands on the scaffolding's rail, Celica stretched her neck out to get a better look below her.

Watching her nervously out of the corner of her eye, Nine answered.

"We'll only be taking half of it out, so it'll still be able to move. I'd rather it didn't move, though. We won't be using it against the Black Beast anymore."

She would clearly brook no arguments to the contrary. Celica and Trinity exchanged a glance.

Bewilderment in her eyes, Celica asked,

"You're not going to use it... will that be okay?"

There were very few ways to damage the Black Beast available at this moment. Hardly any of the world's population was capable of using magic, and while there were plenty of people with an aptitude for Ars Magus, the technology had only just been developed. Hakumen was the only person in the world capable of doing any real damage to the Black Beast, but there was no way he would be able to take it down on his own.

Take-Mikazuchi, which had already dealt a serious blow to the Black Beast, was their ultimate weapon and best chance at success. If they lost that, what would humanity do?

Obviously, that was a question that Nine had asked herself before ever hearing it from Celica or Trinity, so she looked straight ahead and gave her answer.

"I don't care if it's going to be okay or not, I'm not using it. It requires special mana capable of suppressing seithr in order to control it, and if it's not under control, it's a menace to everyone around it... what's more, it sucks the life out of defenseless people, which is way too dangerous."

"If- if it's me you're worried about, I'll be fine!"

Knowing what she meant by 'special mana capable of suppressing Seithr,' Celica put her hand over her chest and took a step forward, but Nine's cold glance over her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.

"That's not my only reason. The Black Beast is thinking about it now."

"Thinking about it?"

Celica had no idea what she was talking about, but Trinity put one white hand to her chest and dropped her gaze in sorrow.

"The Black Beast now sees Take-Mikazuchi as a threat. That's why it prioritized eliminating Take-Mikazuchi over simply destroying everything it could see yesterday when Take-Mikazuchi got unsummoned. It was a fairly simple decision, but it means that the Black Beast has enough intellect to analyze a situation and choose a logical course of action..."

"We had always assumed that the Black Beast was nothing more than a monster devoid of sense or reason that was ruled by an instinct to destroy, but now we know that's not the case. I wouldn't say it's particularly sharp by any means, but still, it can actually think the same way we humans do."

Celica didn't know exactly how big of a deal that was, but she could tell from how Nine and Trinity were acting that it was a truly terrifying prospect.

Nine's hair flowed like a wave on the ocean as the lukewarm wind swirled around her. She ran her finger tips through it to brush away dust and continued.

"The Black Beast has figured out how to deal with Take-Mikazuchi: we won't be able to pull the same trick again. In fact, we need to consider the possibility that it could use Take-Mikazuchi to its advantage."

Just like it did around this time last night, when it hitched a ride on Take-Mikazuchi straight to Ishana.

That moment of utter despair was still burned into all of their minds in great detail, even Trinity and Nines'.

"...So, I've got to create our next weapon. Not a simple but powerful independent weapon like Take-Mikazuchi; a weapon that a human can wield in their hand."

With a sharp tap, Nine took one step forward. With eyes brighter than Celica's, she looked down at Take-Mikazuchi's motionless chest cavity.

"For that, I need the core. If I divide it up into enough pieces, I can suppress its power enough that it won't be fatal for humans to come in contact with. That way, I can make new cores out of the fragments of this one, and use them to make new weapons."

"So that's why you wanted my help～"

Trinity spoke sweetly as she finally understood what she was here for.

Suppressing the power of the core would require applying a kind of seal to it. Nine wasn't particularly good with seals, so she might accidentally make the seal too strong if she did it on her own. Whenever she needed to make very fine adjustments on the strength of a seal, she always asked Trinity for help.

Nine laughed uncomfortably as she felt like one of her weaknesses was out in the spotlight.

"Yeah. I'm also worried about the core affecting the surroundings when I pull it out, so can you put a barrier or seal or something on it right now too? I've got to carry this thing all the way to the guild."

Take-Mikazuchi may be out of commission, but who knows what that core in its chest could do to a person. It was unlikely that they would have an accident on the way, but they couldn't be too careful. Trinity knew that too, so she airily nodded her assent. She was genuinely happy that her area of expertise was helpful to Nine.

Next, Nine turned her eyes to Nirvana standing behind Celica.

"I have a favor to ask of you two as well. Just like Take-Mikazuchi itself, humans can't touch that core. So, I want to have Nirvana help me pull it out."

"Can Nirvana touch the core?"

Celica followed Nine's line of sight and looked up at Nirvana. Nirvana's large eyes were looking straight ahead.

Nine got very serious and turned fully around to face Nirvana- no, to face Celica.

"Nirvana's claws are made of a certain special material... to put it simply, it's a metal that cuts off seithr. It's the same thing Kushinada's Lynchpin was made out of."

"Kushinada's Lynchpin..."

Celica repeated Nine's words like they were reeling her in. It was still a recent memory for her.

The seithr that guided the Black Beast all came from the various cauldrons excavated around the world, which were all connected to a different dimension called the Boundary.

Kushinada's Lynchpin was a device that acts as a dam to Seithr, capable of temporarily cutting off a cauldron's connection to the Boundary. Creating it was the final act of Celica and Nines' father, Shuichiro.

To Celica it was like a memento of her father, but Kushinada's Lynchpin was currently lost.

"Oh, yeah..."

Whispering with a slight chuckle, Celica looked up at Nirvana standing beside her and gently touched her large hand. The silver claws she had in place of fingers had the chilling feel of metal.

Her father's final work may have been gone, but she was deeply moved as she realized that the technology he had created it with was preserved right here. Knowing that it was her sister who had revived that technology lit a warm candle in Celica's heart.

What Celica didn't notice as she was smiling up at Nirvana, however, was the look of pain that flashed across Nine's face. Hiding her anguish from Celica, Nine didn't notice that Trinity had picked up on that look.

"...Nirvana's claws have the ability to physically touch Seithr, which means she's the only one capable of touching Take-Mikazuchi's core. Will she lend me a hand?"

Nine's breath had caught in her throat, but she regained her composure and asked her question.

Celica held Nirvana's hand and nodded her assent.

"Of course. Right, Nirvana?"

The tall robotic doll didn't answer, instead jumping down off the scaffolding to carry out her task.

She landed near Take-Mikazuchi's open chest, right next to one of its armpits. Standing atop one of the chain-like bands of restraining magic stretching over its body, she looked up at the three girls lined up above her as if awaiting orders.

Nine gave the hair laying on her back a big flip.

"First I'm going to split the core into halves, so have Nirvana pull one of them out once I do that. Once she's got it all the way out, Trinity will seal it off from the open air. Everyone got that?"

Nine had already started casting her magic as she gave her no-nonsense instructions and went straight into an incantation as soon as she finished giving them, drawing countless symbols in the air.

A single red line pulsed through the red-black orb embedded in the black giant's chest as an ear-splitting sound shook the air. That sound stabbed their ears for 5 seconds straight before the core split soundless in two.

"You're up, Nirvana."

Celica shouted down from the edge of the scaffold and Nirvana hopped off the magic chain and reached her arms into the open chest cavity.

Even Nirvana, whose arms were a little long for her size, could only barely get her arms all the way around the thing to carry it. Gripping it firmly with her claws, each one thicker around than Celica's wrist, she slowly carried it out. Once she pulled that unsettling heart-like thing free of Take-Mikazuchi, Trinity, who had been ready to cast as soon as Nirvana finished, wrapped the red-black half-orb in a dim golden membrane.

"That should do the trick～"

Trinity breathed a little sigh and took a peek at Nine.

Nine thanked her best friend and her little sister for their help.

"Yeah, that's great. Thanks, both of you."

"You're quite welcome. But, I mean, you should be thanking Nirvana, not me."

As Celica made her mischievous little comment, Nine's smile turned into a grimace.

"Yeah, you're right. Not right now though. I still have another favor to ask. I want her to carry that to the Mage's Guild now, to a room I'm borrowing to house it in."

She closed Take-Mikazuchi's chest back up as she spoke, then carried Celica and Trinity down to the ground with her on a gust of wind.

Nirvana caught up to them a moment later, and once Trinity had cast an extra layer of magical defense against any ill effects from the core on her, the whole group headed off to the Mage's Guild.

===Part 4===

The sight of three girls walking alongside a large robotic doll carrying a disturbingly-colored half of a globe was unusual to say the least, even in the less-than-traditional city of Ishana which had built its culture on sorcery and alchemy.

Nine had chosen a room used for magical experimentation located below the Mage's Guild to store Take-Mikazuchi's core. She had chosen it mainly for the magical compatibility of its old wooden floor and walls, and she had cleared everything she didn't need out of the room in order to hold her tools. When Celica's group entered, the room was lit only by magical lamps casting fire-colored light, and aside from a table with three chairs near the entrance, there was nothing else noteworthy to be seen.

In place of tools or books, a recently drawn magic circle dominating the center of the room awaited them.

"It's a sealing circle designed to restrain the functions and power of the core. Nirvana, put the core in the middle of it."

Figuring that Celica was going to ask anyway, Nine preemptively answered her question as they walked in. The dull thuds of Nine's high heels hitting the wooden floor reverberated throughout the room as she went.

The entrance was a big pair of double doors, designed with the need to carry bulky equipment through them in mind, but Nirvana was still only barely able to get the core through. Once she managed to get into the room, she put the core into the magic circle as ordered.

As soon as she did, the circle started emitting dark purple light and the core floated off the ground and hung in the air.

As if it was being held up by an invisible hand, the flawlessly split core held perfectly still as it was suspended between the ceiling and floor. "...Guess that's a job well done?"

Nirvana retreated back to stand beside Celica, who asked for confirmation uncertainly.

Perhaps it was because they had just carried an incredibly dangerous thing that could have unknown adverse effects on humans though the street, but they were all as tense as a taut bowstring.

Once Nirvana had put the core safely into the magic circle, Celica's words served to slowly ease their tension.

"Yeah. Thanks for your time, you were a big help... all three of you."

Remembering what Celica had said earlier, Nine thanked all three of them this time.

Appreciating her sister's thoughtfulness, Celica clasped her arms behind her back and smiled. The town was still in chaos and the world was in grave danger, but she thought that even at a time like this, a little happiness would do wonders.

"I still have work to do, so you go on home, Celica."

Crossing her arms beneath her bountiful chest, Nine put on her big sister face.

There was no clock in this room, but by the time they had entered the Mage's Guild, the sun had already sunk below the horizon and the sky was turning a dim purple. By now night should have completely fallen and the moon would be rising.

Celica's hair shook as she nodded.
"Okay. In that case, I'll finish cleaning up and make us something to eat. I don't really know what we have left though."

It had been some time since they were chased out of Ishana, so the fruits and vegetables they had at home had probably gone bad by now.

It would be nice if she could go grocery shopping, but she wasn't holding her breath for that to happen right now.

"Do you want to come with me, Trinity-san?"

"Ah... I'm sorry～ I want to talk to Nine about something for a bit."

"Oh, okay. I'll just go back with Nirvana then."

Trinity apologized again, and Celica waved to Nine as the latter saw her off with a loving look before heading out of the wood-enclosed underground room.

The girl and her robotic doll left through just one side of the double door, and it closed shut behind them with a heavy thud.

Celica's light, bouncy steps slowly faded into the distance. Eventually both her and Nirvanas' presences disappeared…

In an instant Nine wheeled around to return to Take-Mikazuchi's core enshrined in the sealing circle. The fire-colored magical lighting cast a solemn atmosphere through the dreary room, reflecting off the dark wooden floor and giving the illusion that time had stopped. The half of the red-black globe floated silently inside the magic circle, looking like the contents of a cup in solid form, flat side facing up. It may have only been half its original size, but it still made this reasonably large room feel cramped.

"Nine... sorry to bother you when you're so busy, but I don't know when else I'll get a chance to talk to you one-on-one～"

Trinity was the one to break the silence. She realized that Nine wasn't going to start up a conversation right now no matter how long she waited.

With a nearly imperceptible gulp, Nine shifted her attention back to her. Trinity couldn't see her face past her long hair and the wide brim of her hat, but she saw her lips, no different from any normal girl's, breath a shallow sigh.

"Is this the kind of conversation we have to have privately?"

"That's a little mean of you, pretending you don't know what I want to ask."

"Then you should know what my answer is going to be."

Her tone was curt, but she wasn't outright refusing to talk to Trinity. She was just begging her not to ask.

She was showing her girlish, fragile side that never came out except when she was alone with Trinity, or sometimes with Celica or Jubei. Her soft center that she kept hidden under a layer of tough armor. It showed itself in the whispering tone of her voice. Normally, Trinity probably would have just left the room with an understanding smile, but Trinity couldn't do that this time.

"You've been hiding something about Take-Mikazuchi from us this whole time... haven't you?"
Humanity's ultimate weapon, capable of taking on the Black Beast, that could scorch the earth and warp the landscape with a single attack, and that sucked the life out of countless people in seconds. It crushed Ishana beneath its incredible mass and brought a piece of the Black Beast back to the island with it. With just a glance anyone could tell just how dangerous that black colossus was to humanity. Everyone was more afraid of that thing than ever before, Trinity included, but hardly anyone knew that it was the intellect and techniques of this girl that had created it. Even her little sister, Celica, thought that it was something the Ten Sages had developed.

Nine rubbed her temples like she had a headache.

"Sorry, Trinity..."

"Why do you insist on doing everything by yourself, Nine?"

Trinity gently interrupted Nine's words.

"This is just hypothetically speaking, but what if the most terrible weapon in human history were to come into being, and then someone were to use it, thereby sacrificing countless lives? In that situation, would the blame lie with the one who used it, or the one who created it?"

Nine didn't have an answer to that question, but regardless of which one she picked, she would definitely blame herself. After all, she was without a doubt the one who had created the problem in the first place.

"You feared Take-Mikazuchi. You regret having ever made it, right? But even if you are the one who created it, I don't think it's reasonable to put all the blame on yourself."

Silently praying in her heart, Trinity walked around to stand in front of Nine. Nine had a confused look on her face, but it was quickly replaced with a frown and an intense expression.

She knew what laid beneath that intensity. Trinity clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"Please tell me what Take-Mikazuchi really is. What scared you so badly that you kept it from us?"

Trinity had a feeling that it had something to do with why Nine said the core could have a fatal effect on people earlier, and that it was weighing on her so heavily that she couldn't bear to say it. If Nine were to say, and if Trinity were to listen... then no matter what the truth was, she would accept it. If Nine told her about whatever heavy weight she had placed upon herself, she wouldn't blame her for it no matter what it was. In fact, she wanted to tell her that she had done the right thing and free her from her regret. After all, Take-Mikazuchi saved many lives the first time it was summoned, too.

But…

"I'm pretty sure I already said I won't tell you."

Nine wouldn't open the lock over her heart.

"If I told you this one thing, I'm sure I'd end up confessing everything to you."

Seeming to fear that more than anything, she hugged herself with her folded arms.

She had more than just one thing she wanted to hide. Take-Mikazuchi wasn't the only sin weighing her down, and she had no intention of unburdening herself to Trinity. Hearing her best friend say that, Trinity's chest ached so badly that it surprised even her. She knew that the stabbing pain she felt wasn't directed towards Nine, but it still hurt.

"Nine, I just..."

Wanted to talk. Just wanted to hear you out. Must have wanted to hear you say, 'you're the only one I can turn to.'
The friend standing before her wasn't the genius mage; she was a girl named Konoe Mercury. Trinity might have just wanted that weak, fragile girl to think of her as the only person who would accept her for who she really is, the only person who would protect her.

She was getting déjà vu because this wasn't the first time Nine had pushed her away like this. Trinity was terribly dejected. Her heart dropped as badly as it had in the gut-wrenching moment when she had watched the Black Beast and Take-Mikazuchi drop on Ishana.

In that moment, Nine let go of herself and unfolded her arms, leaning to one side with casual posture.

"I'm sorry, Trinity. I'll tell you when this is all over."

Nine barely managed to keep herself together and act natural as she said it. Her voice wavered a bit.

Trinity weakly bowed her head. Now Trinity was the one who needed Nine to worry about her feelings and protect her. She didn't want to have to say this.

"...Do you... promise?"

Softly, ever so softly. Trinity exhaled as softly as she possibly could. She didn't want to accidentally put more pressure on Nine. No matter how dejected and bewildered she may be, that was one thing she never wanted to do.

In place of an answer to Trinity's hesitant question, Nine lifted her head. Her face had lost its intensity, and her eyebrows drooped as she chuckled wryly, remembering their many trifling daily conversations.

"On second thought, I'll leave dividing the core and applying the seal to one of the other Sages. Sorry Trinity, you ought to be helping the injured. They don't have many people who know how to make medicine out there."

"Nine..."

"...Making that face doesn't make me want your help more."

Don't make this any harder for me. Regret shone in Nine's eyes as she dropped her gaze.

It's hard to say who this was more difficult for: Trinity or Nine. Nine didn't want to hurt Trinity, nor did Trinity want to hurt Nine. They were thinking practically the same thing, but they still couldn't see eye to eye. They couldn't reach each other. In this moment, they were like shirt buttons put into the wrong holes. This sort of thing happens a lot, but in that moment it was much more difficult than either of them would have thought.

Trinity put her hands over her chest, feeling like she was going to suffocate, but managed to smile.

"Make sure you go home to Celica-san tonight. It'd be a waste if you don't eat the dinner she's going out of her way to make for you～"

If she had kept on pressing the point, would Nine have opened up to her? But knowing so much about her, Trinity couldn't bring herself to hurt Nine even worse, and so she decided to stop asking.

It wasn't kindness. It wasn't consideration, either. To avoid hurting Nine with her actions, she was just running away from the truth that was creating friction between the two of them.

She was such a weakling. Trinity's feeling of powerlessness turned to cold misery and buried itself into her heart.

"...Yeah, I'll make sure to do that. Don't worry about me."

Watching Nine's shoulders relax was Trinity's only consolation.

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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1

2024-12-22T00:26:35Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Chapter 1: Swirling Tea== In a certain conference room in a certain country. The windowless room was drowned in an oppressive darkness. Several people sat around a donut-s..."

==Chapter 1: Swirling Tea==

In a certain conference room in a certain country.

The windowless room was drowned in an oppressive darkness. Several people sat around a donut-shaped desk, the light from their computer monitors illuminating only the lower halves of their faces. They were all clad in fine suits and had their hands folded in front of their mouths, as if to hide their motivations along with their facial expressions. They all projected a solemn, uptight aura, but strangely, an air of sluggishness pervaded the room as well.

People could occasionally be seen leaning back to take a sip of coffee or staring at their monitors like they were trying to drill holes in them.

"...It seems the damage to Ishana Island is enormous. A complete recovery will likely take considerable time."

"Be that as it may, this only happened because they put their faith in such an overwhelmingly powerful force. Surely they were mentally prepared for repercussions like this."

"I doubt they're thinking positively. If they request it, we'll have to raise funds for the island's reconstruction. I'm not sure it'll fit into the budget..."

Talking in a tone that implied that this sequence of events was a foregone conclusion, these men contributed to the strange sense of sluggishness with their utter lack of urgency.

Examining the strife of people on the other side of the planet with disinterest like onlookers on high, their eyes passed over their monitors and their documents placed solely for appearances sake with a drowsy dullness.

The people gathered around the table were all ministers with a responsibility to carry the burden of a specific facet of their governments' authorities. However, not a single representative of a country that had directly suffered from the Black Beast could be found in this room. These were the lucky people who could watch what was happening far away somewhere else in the world and call it a tragedy; people who did not yet know despair.

"It's safe to assume... that the Black Beast has become aware of the Magister's City of Ishana."

Someone murmured with a sour voice, and the groans of several people signified their agreement. However, they were by no means lamenting Ishana's plight. In fact, they saw this as a chance.

"We've already collected plenty of information and techniques concerning the use of Ars Magus and alchemy. Even if Ishana ceases functioning entirely, it won't affect our ability to wage war as we are now."

"In fact, Ishana is currently monopolizing far too much of the world's total power. If the Black Beast wants to just go ahead and destroy them for us, I would actually appreciate it. It saves us having to resort to other methods."

The words being exchanged in this room were all impersonal, indifferent, and cold as ice, untouched by the warmth of emotion. After a little thought, a different man opened his mouth. It was the man responsible for the military affairs of this meeting's host country.

"How long until that thing reaches the island?"

"We can't be certain, but we expect it will be about four months. It should take about a year before it clears the Eurasian Continent."

"Hm, a year... plenty of time for us to get a hold of the situation."

Once again, several voices around the table sounded their agreement, now with a note of satisfaction. To these people, Ishana's present crisis and the destruction of Eurasia were inconsequential. If anything, they were desirable. You might even say that they were pleasing.

"...It's hard to believe this is all working out exactly as that man said it would. It's a little unsettling."

Like a subtle sigh, someone cast a shadow over the room's tepid atmosphere. Tenacious wrinkles carved themselves deeper into the faces of many of the people gathered. Several people reached for their coffee mugs with feigned ignorance written all over their faces while others chuckled wryly through strained smiles.

"If I recall correctly, according to that man's predictions, the Black Beast is supposed to perish within the next few years."

"It will spell trouble for us if that doesn't come to pass. We're already working to get a leg up on how the world will be from here on out, after all."

"We wouldn't want the vast amount of funds the Orbis Librarius Norma invested in us to go to waste either."

"Ah, yes, about the Orbis Librarius Norma..."

Audibly tapping the end of a document he was reading over with a finger, a man who oversees diplomatic affairs cast his eyes across all present. The chatter died out and the room fell silent.

His pretentious turn of phrase caught everyone's attention. Having acquired both silence and an audience, the pretentious man spoke with dramatic weightiness.

"I have succeeded in establishing a new bureau, by which we may collaborate with the OLN. The preparations are all proceeding according to plan."

The one who had advised them to found this new bureau was none other than that man who had been the topic of their discussion earlier. If that bureau were to commence operations, their research into the causality weapons held by the Orbis Librarius Norma would be able to progress by leaps and bounds. If they could do that, it would be possible for them to wrestle global sovereignty in the wake of the Black Beast away from the Orbis Librarius Norma.

──This newly established bureau was to be named "Section 7".

===Part 1===

The island of Ishana floated atop the ocean in isolation. Within its white stone walls that glimmer in the sunlight were green fields and blue rooftops. All sorts of vividly colored trees enclosed the island and a slightly elevated hill watched over both the town and the sparkling sea.

Ishana was a beautiful island. However, that painting-like beauty was currently lying in ruins.

The black giant that had fallen from the sky, Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

That ominous behemoth had crushed roughly half the town beneath its body and reduced an uncountable number of buildings to rubble in an instant. The city was now a hellscape, and it showed no sign of ever returning to normalcy. Ishana benefited from the wealth of hidden knowledge and history collected over the years within the Mage's Guild and the entire island was concealed by a magical barrier. Because of that, it had been known as ‘the safest city in the world.’

Now, it was the exact opposite.

This city, which a fragment of the Black Beast had set foot in, had become the next destination of that living calamity that terrorized the world. Daily reports indicated that the Black Beast and the vestige that constituted a part of it were slowly but surely making their way across Eurasia, heading straight toward the isolated island.

This was a lone island in the middle of the ocean. Ishana was now 'the most dangerous city in the world.'

Within the most dangerous city in the world, a calm and clean wind unbefitting of its ominous title was blowing through the streets. The air in Ishana was refreshing, as it always had been. That was partially because of the powerful barrier that kept all the Seithr from the outside world out, but also because the dense mass of Seithr brought in by the fragment of the Black Beast had been frantically purified by the hard work of the mages who stood at the pinnacle of the Mage's Guild, the Ten Sages.

However, very few people knew that in truth, the presence of one particular girl contributed massively to the Seithr removal operation. Celica A. Mercury, the girl who had quietly inserted herself into the role of Seithr cleaner, breathed a sigh of relief as she felt the wind suddenly stroke her cheek.

The end of her ponytail, tied high on her head, brushed her ear as she gently narrowed her deep brown eyes, the color of wet soil. Her cheeks, slightly dirty from dust and grime, were faintly flushed from fatigue. She wiped her forehead with her hand, brushing away her weariness like sweat. This was no time to complain about being a bit tired.
"...Okay, let's get this done."
Squeezing her hands tight to encourage herself, Celica set off at a jog. Behind her, a female silhouette far taller than Celica herself followed along.

It was Nirvana, with her sturdy, clearly non-human body and robotic movements. Celica and Nirvana were out in the middle of Ishana, but who could say how accurate it was to call it 'the middle of Ishana' anymore? This area was a little special. It was the space between the city of Ishana... and what used to be the city of Ishana.

Just one street over was a mountain of rubble and dust that could no longer be called a city. Atop it all was the massive, black, human-shaped weapon that had made about half of Ishana unlivable.

The Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

Celica couldn't help but get a gloomy expression whenever she thought of that name.

The Mage's Guild's ultimate weapon, capable of repelling the Black Beast with just one strike. Celica didn't know much more about the black colossus than that, but it had crushed many plants, trees, and even people along with the buildings and streets.
Scores of people died. Countless were injured, and many more were left to grieve.
"Celica-dono."

Celica jerked her chin up as someone called out to her from one step behind her, shaking her out of it.

Keeping her feet moving, Celica looked over her shoulder. Behind her stood Valkenhayn, who had removed his working jacket to reveal the fine white shirt he wore beneath it.

"You seem to be doing less than well..."

Looking down at her with his far taller build, his discerning eyes were every bit as sharp and severe as when he was in his wolf form. Nevertheless, his eyes also revealed the sort of kindly reliability that showed he's always ready to catch her if she were to stumble and fall.

"Oh, I'm alright. I just kind of zoned out."

"That's perfectly understandable. You've been running around like this since last evening; it seems you're getting tired."

Breathing a heavy sigh, Valkenhayn knitted his brows together seriously. He surveyed their surroundings with grim eyes.

Even though the buildings around them were hardly damaged, there was no sign of the usual Ishana to be seen. Men and women wearing Mage's Guild uniforms were rushing back and forth across the streets, tending to people who had been rescued from collapsed buildings and trying to transport the severely wounded out of the area.

People were lined up on the roadside awaiting treatment, with those who couldn't stand squatting or sitting down among the uneven terrain. Take-Mikazuchi had fallen with the Black Beast's head just last evening. By the time night had completely fallen, the entire island was illuminated by artificial lights as everyone who could still move participated in the rescue operation.

The rescue operation was still underway now, and Jubei, Hakumen, and the Kakas were pitching in as well. With hardly any food or sleep, Celica had spent the whole night going around casting healing magic on injured people on the side of the road.

"It would do no one any good if you were to faint, Celica-dono. Go and get some rest already."

"Thanks. I really am okay though, no need to worry about me."

"Celica-dono..."

She wasn't going to listen no matter how many times he said it. Valkenhayn was getting fed up with trying to convince the stubborn girl, but Celica refused with a strong look in her eyes.

"Please, let me do absolutely everything I can. There are still so many injured people; I wouldn't be able to sleep anyway."

"...Just a little while longer. If you try to overwork yourself much more, I will drag you back home."

Valkenhayn grimaced as he reluctantly gave his consent, and Celica responded with a smile like a flower's first bloom.

"Got it!"

Emphasizing her words with a vigorous nod, Celica's ponytail jumped around her head as she ran forward.

She went to a woman crouching wearily beneath a street lamp and wasted no time in kneeling down and healing her, starting from a particularly nasty shoulder injury.

"Unbelievable..."

Just how stubborn could those sisters possibly be? Valkenhayn groaned with exasperation and a hint of resentment, then went to kneel down next to Celica. Celica gently touched the woman's shoulder with her hand sheathed in a faint light.

As Valkenhayn was handling the lighter wounds on the woman's limbs, he couldn't help but admire Celica. The efficacy of her healing magic was astonishing, no matter how many times he saw it. Without so much as a sound, wounds disappeared like they were melting into the light.

"That should do it. I'm sure it's still going to feel uncomfortable for a while, but your shoulder is alright now. I healed the cut on your forehead and the bruise on your back for you too. The smaller injuries are still there though, so take it easy!"

Celica gave a sheepish smile, thinking that she would rather have healed her all the way down to the last scrape.

The woman thanked them profusely as she got up and walked away. Celica saw her off, then took a quick breath and headed off to the next person in need.

She turned and called over her shoulder as she set off.

"Hey, Valkenhayn-san... those people are still following us, aren't they?"

The people she was referring to were a pair of men standing on a street corner where some injured people were sitting, staring straight in Celica's direction. She glanced at them with a bewildered look on her face. Wearing blue and white uniforms, not bothering to lend a hand to the people trudging down the street or the guild members running around with first aid kits, they were completely focused on watching Celica and Valkenhayn.

"...It certainly seems so."

Valkenhayn answered in a low voice as his eyebrows knitted together. They were what you would call 'lookouts.' They kept on observing Celica, Valkenhayn, and Nirvanas' every move.

"What Hakumen did likely ruffled some feathers. After the rampage he went on, it's not surprising that they want to keep us on a short leash even in this dire situation."

Valkenhayn's bulky chest heaved beneath his fine white shirt as he let out a sigh.
The soldiers of the Orbis Librarius Norma had recently tried to detain Celica and her friends, but Hakumen single-handedly laid them all out like a gale scattering a pile of leaves. The image of a demon clad in white mowing down an entire squadron with one swing of his nodachi was probably permanently engraved into the memories of the soldiers present right now.

"Hakumen-dono is likely being followed by a detail several times larger than the one following us."

"But we aren't going to do anything funny in a situation like this..."

"Sound logic like that won't dissuade the likes of them... Nine was able to work it out with the Ten Sages and keep us from being arrested, but we'll have to accept certain limits on our freedom."

"I guess so..."

Unsatisfied, Celica pursed her lips.
She understood why they were being watched and she was willing to put up with it. She also understood that the people following her didn't particularly want to do it either, and that they were just following orders.

Even so, Celica cast her eyes around from left to right with open dissatisfaction on her face.

"Can't they at least lend a hand while they watch us?"

There were lots of people in the vicinity who could certainly use some help, but the men following them were flawlessly ignoring every single one of them, as if they didn't even realize that they were there. It was unacceptable.

"I mean, I know those OLN folks see us as just a bunch of people they've never met living on some island in the middle of nowhere, but still."

"The OLN... that Orbis Librarius Norma or whatever?"

"Yeah, them. It wouldn't kill them to have a little sympathy for once. Even if you say something straight to one of them, they pretend like you aren't there!"

Crossing her arms indignantly in a rare display of anger, Celica suddenly remembered something and looked up at Valkenhayn.

"Hey, didn't Onee-chan get called to go somewhere by the OLN? I hope she's okay..."

"...What do you mean, called to go somewhere?"

Valkenhayn answered her question with a question, his face grim. Immediately understanding what he meant with that inquiry, Celica shrugged and forced a smile.

"I just hope she won't lose her temper and go overboard again, that's all."

Nine had half-destroyed Ishana's capitol building, and then Take-Mikazuchi's fall had finished it off. Valkenhayn's not-yet-visible wrinkles were growing deeper by the minute.

"It's well within reason to think she might."

"...Yeah, you're right..."
The place that the Orbis Librarius Norma and the Mage's Guild had summoned Nine to was the guild's miraculously undamaged council room. If Nine went berserk and blasted her way out of the building again like she had done with the capitol building, it wouldn't be so lucky a second time. Sending a prayer up to the sky beyond the barrier that that wouldn't happen, Celica hurried over to the next injured person in need of her help.

===Part 2===

In the joint headquarters of the Orbis Librarius Norma and the Mage's Guild. The Mage's Guild, dedicated to the protection and preservation of human history's accumulated knowledge and technology, had formed a joint headquarters with the Orbis Librarius Norma, a massive organization that had originated as an alliance of various nations but that now specialized in handling beings and technologies that overturned common sense, such as the Black Beast and the Arts, by way of a special focus on Arts themselves. The two groups had established their alliance like they were moving in together, sharing the guild collaboratively and splitting the space half-and-half. The hierarchies of the respective organizations were left as-is, but they smoothly and seamlessly shared information and strategies with one another, working together to stand up against the Black Beast in any way they could.

With humanity on the verge of annihilation, what sense was there in humans butting heads with one another?

Everyone in the Joint HQ sang that mantra to the high heavens, transcending race, nationality, and religion to miraculously join hands and fight off extinction. Whether they were someone who didn't know how complicated the situation really was, someone who was fully aware, or someone who was actively making the alliance more complicated than a tangled ball of yarn, they all said the same thing. It was practically the capital of all things convoluted.

Upon seeing Nine of the Ten Sages, whom they had summoned, the people lined up in a row of seats inside the guild's largest council room found themselves admiring her lovely hair and perfect proportions. These were the people occupying the highest echelons of the Joint HQ's hierarchy. The military brass and diplomatic leadership of all the nations involved were represented, of course, but the Ten Sages of the Mage's Guild were in attendance as well.

Their harsh glares that were clearly looking for an explanation for the current situation were not directed at Nine, but rather at two others nearby. Specifically, at a man with golden hair wearing thin-rimmed glasses over his ice-blue eyes and a gaudy woman wearing a fur-trimmed dress with a deep slit on the side.

It was the Sages Seven and Eight, who had received their triangular purple hats at very young ages (though not quite so young as Nine). The former was maintaining a cool, collected, and intellectual lack of expression, while the latter was standing there with a sullen scowl on her face.

The council had just finished going over the sequence of events that led to Take-Mikazuchi falling on Ishana, why Take-Mikazuchi had not returned to its summoning circle, and how a fragment of the Black Beast had infiltrated Ishana.

"So, to sum it up, they tried to return Take-Mikazuchi to its summoning circle while it was still engaging the Black Beast, but the circle couldn't contain Take-Mikazuchi in that state, so the magic went wild as a result?"

A military official from a certain country sitting amongst the executives lined up behind a conference table went over the account with a grave tone of voice and a sullen face. Nine stood up and met the gazes of the council. Raising her chin and narrowing her eyes like she was looking down on everyone in the room, Nine's eyes flashed sharply as she answered the question in a clear voice.

"That is correct."

"Hold it! Don't act like you had nothing to do with this!"

Eight's scowl had been growing progressively more irritated as Nine gave her explanation, and having now reached the limit of her patience, she shouted at Nine like she was trying to bite her.

With a fire burning in her large eyes, she swung her gaze across the gathered officials.

"The unsummoning magic we used in that moment was imperfect because we were interrupted partway through. It's only natural for sorcery like that to go out of control if it's interrupted during the casting. Take-Mikazuchi fell on Ishana because Nine of the Ten Sages recklessly obstructed us!"

"If you don't know what you're talking about, don't run your mouth. If you had any idea what you were doing, it would have been obvious that the spell was going to malfunction if you tried to unsummon Take-Mikazuchi in that extreme situation."

Nine responded to Eight's spitfire hostility with bone-chilling composure.

Eight's cheeks blazed red with an almost audible pop.

"What did you just say to me!? That I don't know how Take-Mikazuchi works? Do you realize that I'm the one who completed it and crafted its magic circle!?"

"Then why don't you understand!?"

Faster than a blink, Nine's composure burnt to a crisp.

Eight shrank away from Nine's sudden outburst. Regaining control of her firestorm of emotions, Nine addressed everyone in the room and continued.

"If that unsummoning spell had been allowed to complete under those conditions, Take-Mikazuchi would have returned to Ishana with the entire Black Beast in tow. If we had taken a breather and held a meeting about it first, Ishana would have been obliterated. In the worst-case scenario, the Black Beast and now-out-of-control Take-Mikazuchi could have blazed a path of destruction as they started duking it out across the entire planet."

It wasn't hard to envision how the world would have ended up if that had happened. A shiver ran across the room following Nine's vivid statement, but Eight, despite flinching earlier, raised her head and continued undeterred.

"That's just your theory! What proof do you-"

"Eight, just stop already."

Seven, who had kept his mouth shut up until now, chastised Eight with a tranquil voice, but Eight and Nine both knew that his tranquility was just a facade.

Eight glared in dissatisfaction at the side of his face, but Seven kept his cold gaze fixed straight forward.

"What, now you too? at this rate, we're going to be held responsible for-"

"Seriously, shut up. How much clearer do I need to make myself?"

His ice-blue eyes, never once so much as glancing in Eight's direction, said that she wasn't even worth looking at. His voice still sounded peaceful on the surface, but he was out of patience for Eight.

Eight did agree that it would be wise to not make any more of a scene. This was the meeting place for the higher-ups of the Joint HQ. As Sages, Eight and Seven didn't need to bend the knee to this council, but picking fights wasn't going to do them any favors in the eyes of their fellow Sages. Biting back all the things she still wanted to say, Eight cast her big hazel eyes down toward the floor.

Waiting for her to do just that, Seven finally took a glance to his side, but he wasn't looking at Eight: he was looking at Nine, who was standing beyond her. Laughing faintly, he moved his chin down in a half-nod. It was easy to imagine him telling her, 'I've shut her up for you, so by all means, continue your explanation,' and Nine, much like Eight, felt some very unfavorable emotions toward the man.

"...Does anyone have any questions?"

Brushing off his relaxed eyes with a single sharp look, Nine couldn't quite keep the irritation out of her voice as she addressed her question to everyone in the room.

A single hand quietly rose above the crowd. Recognizing the hand's owner, the sharpness in Nine's eyes wavered for a moment. It was a man with white streaks running through his otherwise gray hair and a purple triangle hat sitting atop his head. He was the current head of the Ten Sages, Two.

"The Joint HQ's intelligence indicates that the Black Beast is currently heading toward Ishana. What do you have to say about that?"

With a heavy voice, Nine gave him a straight answer.

"That is the case, without a doubt. Having infiltrated Ishana with one of its heads, the Black Beast is now aware of the existence of this island. It also now knows that this place is... no, that we are a threat to it."

Furthermore, Take-Mikazuchi, which the Black Beast had already gotten its jaws on, was also there. It couldn't ask for a better guidepost.

"But will it really come here? I can't believe that the Black Beast would prioritize us like that."

Someone who worked in military funding sitting at the corner of the table grabbed his head and shook it sullenly from side to side. Voices expressing similar sentiments pressed in from all sides.

In that moment, at least, they must not have been paying attention to the data and reports they all ought to have received. From the bottoms of their hearts, they didn't want to accept the reality that the Black Beast was heading straight for them. Nine didn't want to either, but while they were all sitting in this undamaged building, drinking cold water and having one of their beloved conferences, the Black Beast was on the move, step by inexorable step.

And its destination was Ishana.

"Even if you can't believe it, it's the reality of the situation."

Nine said it like she was stabbing them. They couldn't postpone this problem. She needed to make everyone in this room share her acute awareness of the crisis to come, so keen she could feel it on her skin.

"It is an absolute fact that the Black Beast is coming."

Right that very minute, Seithr was flowing invisibly across the ground somewhere in the world, never slowing down even for a moment.

In the afternoon hours, the temperature of the wind cooled down a little.

A chain of command was finally established for the relief effort and the transportation of the wounded, and the chaos and clamor of the morning abated considerably. There were fewer injured people languishing on the street corners and cases of severely injured people in desperate need of healing magic only cropped up about once every hour.

Seeing things finally begin to settle down, Celica breathed a sigh of relief.

"I guess things are alright for now... wah!"

In that moment, Celica lost all the strength in her knees.

In a flash, Valkenhayn, from her right, and Nirvana, from her left, shot their arms out and caught Celica, supporting her limp body. As a result, Celica dangled there in the air between her two protectors, laughing pitifully.

"A- ahaha... thanks, I'm so sorry."

"...No, excuse me."

Valkenhayn lifted her body up into his arms a little awkwardly.

He sat her down on the stairs behind them just as she was, and she couldn't have stood up if she tried. She was still acting tough at noon, but at this point she really had exhausted absolutely all her mana. All she did was relax her tense body a tiny bit, but that was all it took for the fatigue to catch up with her and hit her body like a truck.

"Fwaaa～ That sure was rough... not that we're anywhere near done."

She wrapped her arms around her thighs and bent her upper body to lay her face on her knees. Valkenhayn grimaced (very understandably) down at her limply dangling ponytail and rained his deep voice down upon her.

"This isn't the first time I've said this, but that's enough for one day. I don't care how much you insist you're alright. I'm not letting you carry on any longer."

"Ugh... sounds good... I'll take a little break. But, we should get back to work in a minute..."

"Did you perhaps not hear me when I said I won't let you?"

Celica raised her head again with a smile, but Valkenhayn shot her down. With the same obstinacy and irrationality as Nine, completely unburdened by the concept of reason, Celica sat herself back up.

"Pouring your very heart and soul into the task of saving lives is profoundly admirable, but what do you expect to accomplish when you pass out? You're just going to take up one of the few open hospital beds. Getting the rest you need so that you have your strength when you're needed most is the responsibility of a rescue worker."

"Valkenhayn nagging Celica, now that's not something you see every day."

A third voice suddenly wedged itself into their conversation.

Celica's face lit up as she realized someone was backing her up, but Valkenhayn frowned disapprovingly and turned to face the owner of the voice.

"...I wasn't nagging: I was giving her a warning."

(Picture here)

"Haha, that's pretty much the same thing in your case!"

It was Jubei, laughing merrily. He had changed out of his battle armor in favor of something easier to move in but he was completely covered in dust and dirt, from the hooded jacket covering his triangle shaped ears, to the white and brown two-toned fur beneath it, all the way to his two split tails.

He must have been helping people get out of one of the piles of collapsed roof tiles until just now. As he was powerful despite his small size, Jubei and the Kaka clans folk who had been created from his DNA were very well suited to that sort of work.

"Are you taking a break too, Jubei-san?"

Resting her elbows on her knees and holding her face in her hands, Celica tilted her head to look at him. She was sitting on the staircase while Jubei was standing up straight, so their eyes were at about the same height.

She was getting a much closer view than normal of his one big, red cat eye, the left eye, and she thought that it was really pretty.

"Yup. We've gotten everyone we could detect with magic outta there, so now we just gotta haul Take-Mikazuchi off and clean up all the rubble..."

They had to retrieve the bodies of all the people who had lost their lives.

A despondent shadow clouded Jubei's eye for just a moment, and Celica once again felt pain in her heart for the deceased.

"The real cleanup work starts tomorrow. Apparently they're gathering up people to help with the injured 'til then."

Jubei dropped his shoulders with a heavy breath out, refreshing himself like he was splashing water on his face, then put some strength into his words. His soft cheeks rose as he gave Celica a big smile.

"Because of that, the hospital's at capacity for volunteers tonight. But don't you worry, 'cause tomorrow there'll be enough work to make your eyes spin. For now do what Valkenhayn says and save up your mana."

"Fine... if you both insist, I guess I can't say no."

Even as she said it Celica still had a childish look on her face that said she didn't want to, and Jubei and Valkenhayn met eyes and shook their heads ruefully at each other. Feeling the need to work far harder than was expected of them was a flaw that the Mercury sisters shared.

Celica looked past the two beastkin and suddenly her eyes were sparkling. They could tell what she was looking at just from her body language. Just as Celica bounced to her feet like a baby chicken, Jubei and Valkenhayn turned around to face where she was looking.

It was a little before dusk right now. Backed by a water-blue sky, so beautiful that it was hard to believe that something like the Black Beast even existed in this world, Nine was walking towards them. Celica waved her arms vigorously at her even though she wasn't very far away, and Nine ran straight to her, unhampered by her narrow high heels.

"Celica! I'm so glad you actually stayed with Valkenhayn!"

"Yep. The people tailing us didn't cause any trouble either, don't worry about me."

Celica had actually wanted to talk to her lookouts and try to get them to open up a little bit, but unfortunately, she hadn't gotten a chance to yet.

"More importantly, I hope you're okay. Did you handle whatever they wanted to talk to you about?"

It took a little while before the sisters calmed back down. Celica was laughing happily and Nine let her usual stern expression soften in the space of one breath.

"Yeah, for now at least. The Orbis Librarius Norma seems to love nothing more than setting up tables and holding meetings around them, so they'll probably call me back at some point. I can't believe I have to waste my time putting up with such nonsense from a bunch of impotents."

Still wearing a delighted smile that made her look like a completely different person compared to how she was during the council meeting, Nine uttered some biting criticisms.

Smiling awkwardly at her thorny words that were completely at odds with her face, Jubei asked a question.

"So, what're they gonna do with us?"

"Our sentence is postponed. So long as we don't piss them off, we're free to do as we will, like before. However, any and all operations against the Black Beast have to be done in conjunction with the Joint HQ from now on."

"The 'Joint HQ?' And that is?"

Puzzled, Valkenhayn asked for clarification, and Nine took a shallow breath.

"Simply put, an organization joining the upper echelons of the Mage's Guild and the Orbis Librarius Norma. Forget the Ten Sages, even the Duodecim are best buds with the OLN at this point."

The Duodecim were deeply ingrained in the Mage's Guild dating back to its foundation, and were essentially nobility.

The Ten Sages, chosen purely for their abilities, led the Mage's Guild and passed down sorcery and alchemy to future generations, but the Duodecim, inheriting their positions through lineage, governed the city of Ishana.

"...It may be just a matter of time before the Orbis Librarius Norma swallows up the whole Mage's Guild."

Speaking listlessly, she swept her long hair back.

Seemingly having followed Nine, a group of people approached from further down the street, troubled expressions on their faces.

"Worry not, the Duodecim will not sell Ishana out."

With his placid voice and refined features and bearing, there stood Seven.

Beside him stood Eight, her large earrings swaying as she walked, and behind the both of them stood an old woman and a man in his mid-thirties that Celica did not know. Nine's eyes sharpened to daggers in an instant, and she wheeled around to face Seven so fast that her hair flew behind her.

"Should I take that as an official statement from Seven of the Ten Sages, or from the Kisaragi clan of the Duodecim?"

"No matter which one, you wouldn't care, would you?"

With a suspiciously composed countenance, Seven withstood the naked hostility of Nine's gaze.

The tension between them was thick enough to cut with a knife. The mild old woman who had come with Seven inserted herself into the conversation, saying,

"You're both members of the Ten Sages, so stop having such a childish fight out in the street."

Her voice itself was very soft, but the words she scolded them with revealed her exasperation.

The old lady was shorter than Celica and she wore a robe and mantle so long that it dragged on the ground. Atop her pure white hair, set in a high bun, sat a triangular purple hat. The tall, black haired man standing next to the old lady also wore such a hat.

They were both Sages.

Celica's jaw dropped as she watched this scene unfold before her eyes.

The Ten Sages could have up to ten members, but she had heard that they currently had fewer than that. There were five Sages present right now. In other words, more than half of the Mage's Guild's Ten Sages were standing on this street corner. Celica may have been a student in the Mage's Guild, but it was still the first time she had seen so many of them bump into each other in a place like this. She was shocked by the sight of so many of these triangular purple hats gathered out on the streets she knew so well.

Not noticing how star-struck Celica was, Nine deferentially shifted her gaze to the old lady. Compared to how she looked at Seven, her eyes were far less sharp. It was clear that Nine had a hard time dealing with this woman.

"If I may-"

"A lady ought to say, 'yes, ma'am' when reprimanded by her elders."

She cut Nine off with her hoarse but hard to disobey voice.

Surprisingly, Nine stopped and went silent. Clearly she really had trouble handling this woman. Celica, sneaking a peak at her sister's face, couldn't help but let a gasp of admiration slip.

Considering that matter handled, the old lady turned her amber eyes to address Celica's group standing dumbfounded to the side.

"I believe this is the first time any of us have met. I am the 3rd seat of the Ten Sages, Three, and this man is Four, another Sage. We're going to be joining you in concocting a strategy to combat the Black Beast, so this is a good time for introductions."

As the old lady, Three, gave her introduction, the taciturn man with posture so straight and well-guarded that he seemed like a bodyguard just stood there silently, bowing the bare minimum amount to count as an introduction when the time came. He was the 4th seat of the Ten Sages, Four.

"Huh? When you say you'll join them, you don't mean you're going to fight too, right, granny?"

Celica asked the question before thinking better of it, and so Four, who had hardly moved his body at all up until this point, looked squarely at Celica.

"Shut your mouth, Celica A. Mercury."

"Oh, I'm sorry..."

Feeling like she had been yelled at by a teacher at the academy, Celica hunched her shoulders and covered her mouth with her fingers. It was certainly a rude thing to say to an elderly lady who was also one of the Ten Sages who stood at the pinnacle of the Mage's Guild.

However, the lady in question, Three, just looked at Celica with a little surprise for a moment before her face broke into a smile and she laughed like a witch out of a fairy tale.

"Hoho, I've heard about all of you already. Jubei-san, hailing from a village of beastkin, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing-san, of the Alucard house, and Nine's little sister, Celica-san."

The way Three said her name seemed a little formal to Celica. Celica didn't have any memories of her grandmother, but if she did, she thought she would be like Three. As she was thinking that, she straightened her posture under Four's intimidating influence.

"Yes, I am. I'm grateful for everything you have done for my sister."

"My, what a nice little sister. You have a strange feeling about you too."

Three exhaled quizzically as her amber eyes examined Celica.

As if to obstruct her view, Nine cut in.

"Three. Please don't pay my sister much heed: I don't want her to get involved with the Ten Sages."

Her tone was mirthless. As if the direction of the wind had changed, the already stiff atmosphere became palpably sharper, and Eight barked at Nine.

"Where do you get off talking that way to her, Nine!? Three is the longest-serving member of the Ten Sages and an exemplar of our organization. Are they not teaching propriety to little girls anymore?"

"I respect Three's abilities; she's got a head on her shoulders, unlike you."

Hearing Nine's comeback, dripping with sarcasm, Eight narrowed her eyes sharply.

"What did you just say... care to say it again!?"

"What, are you saying I ought to respect you as much as I respect Three? That sounds pretty insolent to me."

"You- you arrogant little... that's exactly the kind of attitude I'm talking about, like you're looking down on me!"

"Well, don't stand so far beneath my notice then. I'm sick of looking at you actually, so why don't you just drop off the face of the earth?"

"Would you two cut it out!? Think of where you are!"

Nine's intense hatred was showing clearly on her face and in her even more irritable than usual words. With sparks so intense flying between Nine and Eight that it seemed like they might catch on fire, Four roared with fury.

Seven, not wanting to get lumped in with them, had taken a step back and place a white-gloved hand on his forehead.

"I can hardly bear to listen to this."

"It's good for young ladies to be so energetic."

In stark contrast, Three's wrinkles deepened as she looked on like she was watching two kittens play.

Five purple hats had gathered on a street corner to bicker with each other: anyone who was familiar with Ishana would have thought that that was a very strange statement. After all, they were the ones who stood at the pinnacle of the Mage's Guild; the very symbols of wisdom. To a mere student like Celica, the sight of people on a level far exceeding hers acting like this was really damaging her perception of the Ten Sages.

"Feels like a bad time to try to join the conversation..."

"You could say that again..."

Celica murmured her thoughts aloud and Jubei agreed bitterly. Valkenhayn, having seen enough, shook his head from side to side.

"So this is what the Ten Sages of the Mage's Guild are like... I'm leaving. I must return to the manor and give a report."

Turning his wide back on the still bickering Nine and Eight, Valkenhayn loped off toward a side street with long strides. It wasn't long before his footsteps could no longer be heard. He most likely crossed through a portal as soon as he got out of sight. His destination was the Alucard Castle.

"Maybe I'll go home too. It looks like Onee-chan will be here a while."

Celica tapped her hands on her cheeks with a bitter smile. Nine would have surely come with her if she had asked, but Celica didn't want to do that.

It seemed like Nine didn't much care for Eight or Seven, but she would have to work together and fight alongside them from now on. It would cause problems if she ignored them and went home with Celica right now, and Celica wasn't going to put her sister in that position.

"Do you want to come too, Jubei-san? You're waiting for Onee-chan, right?"

"Nah, I've gotta go back to my post too. I'm worried about leaving the Kakas on their own for too long."

Jubei cast his gaze toward where Take-Mikazuchi still laid. He couldn't hear any commotion or other signs of trouble, but he was a little worried about how well they could behave themselves in this unfamiliar town. What's more, there was a profound sense of anticipation whirling about Ishana, and for better or worse, the unfamiliar kaka girls were probably standing out like sore thumbs.

With one bow of her head, Celica stealthily walked away so that Nine wouldn't notice her leaving.

"Well, come over if something comes up. The kaka girls are invited too; I'll make tea and set up a place for naps."

"Don't bother. You just get some rest yourself, ya hear?"

Casting a wry smile at the two antagonistic Sages' argument as it escalated into a full-on shouting match, Jubei waved goodbye with one big paw.

"See you later!"

Celica waved in response and ducked into a narrow alley with Nirvana to slip away.

===Part 3===

Upon returning home, Celica found herself lost for words after opening the door. Celica and Nines' house was located a little ways into Ishana's main street. It had just barely avoided being crushed under Take-Mikazuchi thanks to that, but the impact shook the entire island, so there was so much upturned furniture and so many scattered items that there was literally no clear space to step.

"It'll be tough to even make it to my room."

It didn't look like she would be able to offer the Kakas a place to sleep. Dropping her shoulders dejectedly, she rolled up her sleeves and put on a smile to cheer herself up. Looking from the entrance to the middle of the house, she came up with a plan to at least clear a path to the living room.

Nirvana reached with her large hand from behind her to pick up a fallen shoe box. Mindful of Celica, still turned away from her, she set the shoe box back upright.

"Oh, thanks! Could you put it next to the wall too?"

Celica laughed brightly, but Nirvana didn't give any particular response, other than setting the wooden box in the corner like she was asked.

That alone was enough to make Celica vaguely happy. Celica planned to clean up the whole house on her own since Nine seemed busy, but now she had a reliable partner.

"Let's clean this up together."

This was Nine and Celicas' home, so that made it Nirvana's home too. Thinking of it like that, Nirvana felt like a new family member.

Celica cheerfully looked up at her tall figure, seeming like she would touch the ceiling if she stood up straight, and thought that she looked like she was nodding her assent without moving her head.

"I'll pick up all the scattered little things, so could you handle all the furniture and heavy stuff? For starters... the living room door looks unfixable, so could you take it off for me? After that, please take care of the broken glass and tableware before handling the furniture."

Answering with silence, Nirvana walked off somewhat awkwardly, but Celica saw her answer in her back.

"Oh, be careful to not hurt your hands when you pick broken stuff up."

Right after she said it, she realized there's no way broken glass or tableware would be able to hurt Nirvana. She was a very reliable partner. Celica hid her smile as she gathered all the scattered shoes and lined them up in the shoe box.

The effect of Nirvana's aid was enormous, so they were able to clean up the disaster zone of things strewn about the floor in no time flat. Nirvana's large hands weren't suited to precise work, but she was able to right furniture and carry heavy objects much faster than Celica could have done it, even with magic, and she carried out every task she was given as soon as Celica gave it. Celica put everything that wasn't broken or that was especially important back in its place while Nirvana did the heavy lifting, and the work went surprisingly smoothly.

They never stopped moving their hands as they worked to tidy the place up, and eventually the house was awash in the color of sunset from the light coming through a slanted window.

After managing to get the living room back to a state where she could walk through it again, Celica found an envelope that she didn't remember seeing before.

"What's this?"

It didn't have a stamp, or even an address for that matter, so it must not have been a letter. Maybe it belonged to Nine. She was a little hesitant, but she nevertheless peeked inside.

Inside she found several photographs.

"Ah..."

Gently pulling them out, Celica's eyes went wide. Her deep brown eyes displayed nostalgia and joy as her cheeks relaxed.

"Hey, Nirvana, look at these. They're pictures of my family."

Taking a few quick steps over to Nirvana, Celica held one of the photographs up to her beautiful glass-like artificial eyes to show her.

The photo Celica was showing her, vague pride reflected on her face, showed three people standing together. In the middle stood a little girl with brown hair and a big smile, her hands folded behind her back. To the girl's left stood a tall girl with her lips pressed tightly together as she stared sternly at the camera, while to her right was a man with a baffled smile on his face. It was a photo taken over ten years ago, showing Celica, Nine, and their father, Shuichiro Ayatsuki.

There was an old man living in the neighborhood at the time who loved cameras and was close with Celica, and he took this picture for them. There were several more photos in the envelope, including ones with just Celica and Shuichiro and just Celica and Nine.

"I wonder where this was hiding... it's bringing back so many memories."

The nostalgia was so intense that Celica could feel herself tearing up.

Moving the photos out of Nirvana's line of sight again, Celica touched a picture of her father like she was tracing him. Shuichiro had gone missing many years ago, but Celica had seen him briefly in Japan at the end of the year before last, just before he passed away.

Her wryly-smiling father in the picture had a complex expression on his face, but he was still young and his vitality and passion for research were plain to see. After this time in his life, Shuichiro certainly could not have been called a devoted father. He spent almost every day engrossed in his research, devoting his full attention to studying thick tomes and compiling theories. At the time, young Celica had thought he looked really cool.

"Wouldn't it be nice if we could take a picture together with Onee-chan sometime soon, Nirvana?"

Then they could decorate a desk or something with it and this old photo. Celica decided to do that as she carefully sealed the envelope back up.

Suddenly, Nirvana raised her head, turning her inorganic eyes to the front door. Wondering what she was looking at, Celica turned around in time to see the lock turn. It wasn't magic, so it must have been someone who lived here.

Just as she had thought, a triangular purple hat came in through the door like it always did, bringing the sunset in with it.

"Celica, are you here? Uwah... the house is a disaster."

The crisp sound of high heels resounded through the house as Nine's flustered voice accompanied it.

Celica hurriedly pulled open a cupboard and shoved the envelope into it before taking Nirvana with her to the living room.

"Welcome home, Onee-chan. Are you done talking to Eight-san?"

Celica asked with mischief in her voice, and Nine pouted sullenly.

"I never wanted to talk to that woman in the first place... more importantly, did you do all this cleaning yourself? We could have done it even faster if you had asked for my help."

Letting out a brief sigh, Nine let the serious expression melt off of her face.

Doing a full 180 from the face of a Sage she had a moment ago, her eyes softened as she returned to being an older sister. Seeing the look in Nine's eyes, showing both exasperation and remorse, Celica cheerfully shook her head from side to side.

"I didn't do it myself. Nirvana helped me out."

When Nine heard those words, a cloud passed over her face.

"Nirvana did?"

"Yep. Nirvana is super tall and strong, you know. I don't know what I would've done without her."

"Is that so... Listen, Celica, about Nirvana..."

Nine fell silent as she thought about her words.

What's up with her? Celica tilted her head in confusion as she waited for her to continue. However, instead of finishing her sentence, Nine turned around and walked back to the entrance that she had just come through a moment ago.

"Sorry to interrupt your cleaning, but could you come with me for a moment? There's somewhere I want to take you and Nirvana."

"Me? Sure, I guess."

She must be busy right now, so was it really okay to take up her time going somewhere with her? Feeling a little awkward, Celica followed her out the front door, closing it behind her.

Outside, she found that another woman had come with Nine.

"Huh?"

Celica was surprised, but the woman smiled at her as gently as sunlight in Spring.

"Good work today, Celica-san～"

Her voice was as sweet as candy. She wore a robe with an extra big hood, had her long platinum hair tied loosely on either side, and covered her kindly green eyes with big round glasses. Trinity Glassfille stood waiting with her hands clasped in front of her.

The place Nine took Celica, Nirvana, and Trinity to was a place at nearly the center of Ishana.

It was an area removed from the town scape that was still bustling even now, despite the city currently lying in ruins. There were men and women dressed in the uniforms of the Mage's Guild and the Orbis Librarius Norma having discussions with each other and rushing to and for. Celica's group stood atop a wooden scaffolding that seemed to overlook the area.

She didn't see the broken townscape below her: she saw the black colossus that had crushed the once beautiful Ishana beneath it, laying so still it seemed like time had stopped. She saw Nox Nyctores Gigant: Take-Mikazuchi.

While Nine stood in front of her with her arms crossed nonchalantly, Celica flinched and gasped. Seen from a distance, it looked like it was blackness taken from the darkest part of a shadow. From up close, however, it had a haziness that made it seem like its edges were melting into the air around it.

Its nearby head was featureless. She remembered that it had had eyes and a mouth like empty caverns when she saw it summoned before, but now there was nothing, so it must have closed its eyes and shut its mouth. With its limbs splayed out powerlessly around it, it looked like an abandoned human corpse. Above all, it really was absurdly big. Transcending all reasons, it made you shiver with how unnatural it was.

"This... is Take-Mikazuchi?"

This was the first time Celica had seen it up close.

Having spent a lot of time since the previous night dealing with this thing, Nine and Trinity were sick of looking at it. Even so, Trinity clasped her hands over her chest and lowered her chin as she looked down over it nervously.

"Yes, it is. It's out of commission for the time being, but still, be careful to never touch it directly."

"O- okay..."

Truthfully, she wouldn't have wanted to touch it even if Trinity had asked her to. Celica took a step back without even realizing it. She was shivering uncontrollably. It might have been even more uncomfortable to be around than the Black Beast.

(No, what's a better word than uncomfortable? It feels... torturous.)

Gazing upon the prone black giant, Celica lightly bit her lip. Even more shivers ran down her spine as she thought about how this was a weapon created by mankind.

"So, Nine～? What is it that you wanted help with?"

Trinity accompanied her question to Nine with a small gesture like when she greeted Celica. A little differently from how she asked Celica to go somewhere with her, it seems Nine had asked Trinity to 'help' her with something.

Still with her arms crossed and eyes fixed on Take-Mikazuchi, Nine answered.

"I want to retrieve this thing's core tonight."

"It's core?"

Celica asked while tilting her head in confusion. Looking through her long, gently billowing hair, Celica saw Nine lower her chin.

"This."

Nine stuck her arm out over the edge of the scaffolding as she spoke. Pointing her palm down toward Take-Mikazuchi, she followed up her cryptic statement by reciting a short incantation.

As she did so, the black giant's chest region emitted a single slow pulse of red light. Then its black external layer pulled apart like a line drawn in sand before its chest split in two, swinging open like a double door. Surprised by the unexpected contraption, Celica once again recoiled from the sight. In human terms, it was like watching someone's rib cage open up. Celica shuddered at the thought, but her disgust quickly gave way to kitten-like curiosity.

A red globe was buried inside its now open black chest. It was almost like a heart. It was big enough that Celica might not be able to wrap her arms around it, but compared to Take-Mikazuchi's massive body, it was small.

"I never would have guessed something like that was inside it... but is it alright to just take that out? If you take the core out, it won't be able to move again, right?"

Putting her hands on the scaffolding's rail, Celica stretched her neck out to get a better look below her.

Watching her nervously out of the corner of her eye, Nine answered.

"We'll only be taking half of it out, so it'll still be able to move. I'd rather it didn't move, though. We won't be using it against the Black Beast anymore."

She would clearly brook no arguments to the contrary. Celica and Trinity exchanged a glance.

Bewilderment in her eyes, Celica asked,

"You're not going to use it... will that be okay?"

There were very few ways to damage the Black Beast available at this moment. Hardly any of the world's population was capable of using magic, and while there were plenty of people with an aptitude for Ars Magus, the technology had only just been developed. Hakumen was the only person in the world capable of doing any real damage to the Black Beast, but there was no way he would be able to take it down on his own.

Take-Mikazuchi, which had already dealt a serious blow to the Black Beast, was their ultimate weapon and best chance at success. If they lost that, what would humanity do?

Obviously, that was a question that Nine had asked herself before ever hearing it from Celica or Trinity, so she looked straight ahead and gave her answer.

"I don't care if it's going to be okay or not, I'm not using it. It requires special mana capable of suppressing seithr in order to control it, and if it's not under control, it's a menace to everyone around it... what's more, it sucks the life out of defenseless people, which is way too dangerous."

"If- if it's me you're worried about, I'll be fine!"

Knowing what she meant by 'special mana capable of suppressing Seithr,' Celica put her hand over her chest and took a step forward, but Nine's cold glance over her shoulder stopped her in her tracks.

"That's not my only reason. The Black Beast is thinking about it now."

"Thinking about it?"

Celica had no idea what she was talking about, but Trinity put one white hand to her chest and dropped her gaze in sorrow.

"The Black Beast now sees Take-Mikazuchi as a threat. That's why it prioritized eliminating Take-Mikazuchi over simply destroying everything it could see yesterday when Take-Mikazuchi got unsummoned. It was a fairly simple decision, but it means that the Black Beast has enough intellect to analyze a situation and choose a logical course of action..."

"We had always assumed that the Black Beast was nothing more than a monster devoid of sense or reason that was ruled by an instinct to destroy, but now we know that's not the case. I wouldn't say it's particularly sharp by any means, but still, it can actually think the same way we humans do."

Celica didn't know exactly how big of a deal that was, but she could tell from how Nine and Trinity were acting that it was a truly terrifying prospect.

Nine's hair flowed like a wave on the ocean as the lukewarm wind swirled around her. She ran her finger tips through it to brush away dust and continued.

"The Black Beast has figured out how to deal with Take-Mikazuchi: we won't be able to pull the same trick again. In fact, we need to consider the possibility that it could use Take-Mikazuchi to its advantage."

Just like it did around this time last night, when it hitched a ride on Take-Mikazuchi straight to Ishana.

That moment of utter despair was still burned into all of their minds in great detail, even Trinity and Nines'.

"...So, I've got to create our next weapon. Not a simple but powerful independent weapon like Take-Mikazuchi; a weapon that a human can wield in their hand."

With a sharp tap, Nine took one step forward. With eyes brighter than Celica's, she looked down at Take-Mikazuchi's motionless chest cavity.

"For that, I need the core. If I divide it up into enough pieces, I can suppress its power enough that it won't be fatal for humans to come in contact with. That way, I can make new cores out of the fragments of this one, and use them to make new weapons."

"So that's why you wanted my help～"

Trinity spoke sweetly as she finally understood what she was here for.

Suppressing the power of the core would require applying a kind of seal to it. Nine wasn't particularly good with seals, so she might accidentally make the seal too strong if she did it on her own. Whenever she needed to make very fine adjustments on the strength of a seal, she always asked Trinity for help.

Nine laughed uncomfortably as she felt like one of her weaknesses was out in the spotlight.

"Yeah. I'm also worried about the core affecting the surroundings when I pull it out, so can you put a barrier or seal or something on it right now too? I've got to carry this thing all the way to the guild."

Take-Mikazuchi may be out of commission, but who knows what that core in its chest could do to a person. It was unlikely that they would have an accident on the way, but they couldn't be too careful. Trinity knew that too, so she airily nodded her assent. She was genuinely happy that her area of expertise was helpful to Nine.

Next, Nine turned her eyes to Nirvana standing behind Celica.

"I have a favor to ask of you two as well. Just like Take-Mikazuchi itself, humans can't touch that core. So, I want to have Nirvana help me pull it out."

"Can Nirvana touch the core?"

Celica followed Nine's line of sight and looked up at Nirvana. Nirvana's large eyes were looking straight ahead.

Nine got very serious and turned fully around to face Nirvana- no, to face Celica.

"Nirvana's claws are made of a certain special material... to put it simply, it's a metal that cuts off seithr. It's the same thing Kushinada's Lynchpin was made out of."

"Kushinada's Lynchpin..."

Celica repeated Nine's words like they were reeling her in. It was still a recent memory for her.

The seithr that guided the Black Beast all came from the various cauldrons excavated around the world, which were all connected to a different dimension called the Boundary.

Kushinada's Lynchpin was a device that acts as a dam to Seithr, capable of temporarily cutting off a cauldron's connection to the Boundary. Creating it was the final act of Celica and Nines' father, Shuichiro.

To Celica it was like a memento of her father, but Kushinada's Lynchpin was currently lost.

"Oh, yeah..."

Whispering with a slight chuckle, Celica looked up at Nirvana standing beside her and gently touched her large hand. The silver claws she had in place of fingers had the chilling feel of metal.

Her father's final work may have been gone, but she was deeply moved as she realized that the technology he had created it with was preserved right here. Knowing that it was her sister who had revived that technology lit a warm candle in Celica's heart.

What Celica didn't notice as she was smiling up at Nirvana, however, was the look of pain that flashed across Nine's face. Hiding her anguish from Celica, Nine didn't notice that Trinity had picked up on that look.

"...Nirvana's claws have the ability to physically touch Seithr, which means she's the only one capable of touching Take-Mikazuchi's core. Will she lend me a hand?"

Nine's breath had caught in her throat, but she regained her composure and asked her question.

Celica held Nirvana's hand and nodded her assent.

"Of course. Right, Nirvana?"

The tall robotic doll didn't answer, instead jumping down off the scaffolding to carry out her task.

She landed near Take-Mikazuchi's open chest, right next to one of its armpits. Standing atop one of the chain-like bands of restraining magic stretching over its body, she looked up at the three girls lined up above her as if awaiting orders.

Nine gave the hair laying on her back a big flip.

"First I'm going to split the core into halves, so have Nirvana pull one of them out once I do that. Once she's got it all the way out, Trinity will seal it off from the open air. Everyone got that?"

Nine had already started casting her magic as she gave her no-nonsense instructions and went straight into an incantation as soon as she finished giving them, drawing countless symbols in the air.

A single red line pulsed through the red-black orb embedded in the black giant's chest as an ear-splitting sound shook the air. That sound stabbed their ears for 5 seconds straight before the core split soundless in two.

"You're up, Nirvana."

Celica shouted down from the edge of the scaffold and Nirvana hopped off the magic chain and reached her arms into the open chest cavity.

Even Nirvana, whose arms were a little long for her size, could only barely get her arms all the way around the thing to carry it. Gripping it firmly with her claws, each one thicker around than Celica's wrist, she slowly carried it out. Once she pulled that unsettling heart-like thing free of Take-Mikazuchi, Trinity, who had been ready to cast as soon as Nirvana finished, wrapped the red-black half-orb in a dim golden membrane.

"That should do the trick～"

Trinity breathed a little sigh and took a peek at Nine.

Nine thanked her best friend and her little sister for their help.

"Yeah, that's great. Thanks, both of you."

"You're quite welcome. But, I mean, you should be thanking Nirvana, not me."

As Celica made her mischievous little comment, Nine's smile turned into a grimace.

"Yeah, you're right. Not right now though. I still have another favor to ask. I want her to carry that to the Mage's Guild now, to a room I'm borrowing to house it in."

She closed Take-Mikazuchi's chest back up as she spoke, then carried Celica and Trinity down to the ground with her on a gust of wind.

Nirvana caught up to them a moment later, and once Trinity had cast an extra layer of magical defense against any ill effects from the core on her, the whole group headed off to the Mage's Guild.

===Part 4===

The sight of three girls walking alongside a large robotic doll carrying a disturbingly-colored half of a globe was unusual to say the least, even in the less-than-traditional city of Ishana which had built its culture on sorcery and alchemy.

Nine had chosen a room used for magical experimentation located below the Mage's Guild to store Take-Mikazuchi's core. She had chosen it mainly for the magical compatibility of its old wooden floor and walls, and she had cleared everything she didn't need out of the room in order to hold her tools. When Celica's group entered, the room was lit only by magical lamps casting fire-colored light, and aside from a table with three chairs near the entrance, there was nothing else noteworthy to be seen.

In place of tools or books, a recently drawn magic circle dominating the center of the room awaited them.

"It's a sealing circle designed to restrain the functions and power of the core. Nirvana, put the core in the middle of it."

Figuring that Celica was going to ask anyway, Nine preemptively answered her question as they walked in. The dull thuds of Nine's high heels hitting the wooden floor reverberated throughout the room as she went.

The entrance was a big pair of double doors, designed with the need to carry bulky equipment through them in mind, but Nirvana was still only barely able to get the core through. Once she managed to get into the room, she put the core into the magic circle as ordered.

As soon as she did, the circle started emitting dark purple light and the core floated off the ground and hung in the air.

As if it was being held up by an invisible hand, the flawlessly split core held perfectly still as it was suspended between the ceiling and floor. "...Guess that's a job well done?"

Nirvana retreated back to stand beside Celica, who asked for confirmation uncertainly.

Perhaps it was because they had just carried an incredibly dangerous thing that could have unknown adverse effects on humans though the street, but they were all as tense as a taut bowstring.

Once Nirvana had put the core safely into the magic circle, Celica's words served to slowly ease their tension.

"Yeah. Thanks for your time, you were a big help... all three of you."

Remembering what Celica had said earlier, Nine thanked all three of them this time.

Appreciating her sister's thoughtfulness, Celica clasped her arms behind her back and smiled. The town was still in chaos and the world was in grave danger, but she thought that even at a time like this, a little happiness would do wonders.

"I still have work to do, so you go on home, Celica."

Crossing her arms beneath her bountiful chest, Nine put on her big sister face.

There was no clock in this room, but by the time they had entered the Mage's Guild, the sun had already sunk below the horizon and the sky was turning a dim purple. By now night should have completely fallen and the moon would be rising.

Celica's hair shook as she nodded.
"Okay. In that case, I'll finish cleaning up and make us something to eat. I don't really know what we have left though."

It had been some time since they were chased out of Ishana, so the fruits and vegetables they had at home had probably gone bad by now.

It would be nice if she could go grocery shopping, but she wasn't holding her breath for that to happen right now.

"Do you want to come with me, Trinity-san?"

"Ah... I'm sorry～ I want to talk to Nine about something for a bit."

"Oh, okay. I'll just go back with Nirvana then."

Trinity apologized again, and Celica waved to Nine as the latter saw her off with a loving look before heading out of the wood-enclosed underground room.

The girl and her robotic doll left through just one side of the double door, and it closed shut behind them with a heavy thud.

Celica's light, bouncy steps slowly faded into the distance. Eventually both her and Nirvanas' presences disappeared…

In an instant Nine wheeled around to return to Take-Mikazuchi's core enshrined in the sealing circle. The fire-colored magical lighting cast a solemn atmosphere through the dreary room, reflecting off the dark wooden floor and giving the illusion that time had stopped. The half of the red-black globe floated silently inside the magic circle, looking like the contents of a cup in solid form, flat side facing up. It may have only been half its original size, but it still made this reasonably large room feel cramped.

"Nine... sorry to bother you when you're so busy, but I don't know when else I'll get a chance to talk to you one-on-one～"

Trinity was the one to break the silence. She realized that Nine wasn't going to start up a conversation right now no matter how long she waited.

With a nearly imperceptible gulp, Nine shifted her attention back to her. Trinity couldn't see her face past her long hair and the wide brim of her hat, but she saw her lips, no different from any normal girl's, breath a shallow sigh.

"Is this the kind of conversation we have to have privately?"

"That's a little mean of you, pretending you don't know what I want to ask."

"Then you should know what my answer is going to be."

Her tone was curt, but she wasn't outright refusing to talk to Trinity. She was just begging her not to ask.

She was showing her girlish, fragile side that never came out except when she was alone with Trinity, or sometimes with Celica or Jubei. Her soft center that she kept hidden under a layer of tough armor. It showed itself in the whispering tone of her voice. Normally, Trinity probably would have just left the room with an understanding smile, but Trinity couldn't do that this time.

"You've been hiding something about Take-Mikazuchi from us this whole time... haven't you?"
Humanity's ultimate weapon, capable of taking on the Black Beast, that could scorch the earth and warp the landscape with a single attack, and that sucked the life out of countless people in seconds. It crushed Ishana beneath its incredible mass and brought a piece of the Black Beast back to the island with it. With just a glance anyone could tell just how dangerous that black colossus was to humanity. Everyone was more afraid of that thing than ever before, Trinity included, but hardly anyone knew that it was the intellect and techniques of this girl that had created it. Even her little sister, Celica, thought that it was something the Ten Sages had developed.

Nine rubbed her temples like she had a headache.

"Sorry, Trinity..."

"Why do you insist on doing everything by yourself, Nine?"

Trinity gently interrupted Nine's words.

"This is just hypothetically speaking, but what if the most terrible weapon in human history were to come into being, and then someone were to use it, thereby sacrificing countless lives? In that situation, would the blame lie with the one who used it, or the one who created it?"

Nine didn't have an answer to that question, but regardless of which one she picked, she would definitely blame herself. After all, she was without a doubt the one who had created the problem in the first place.

"You feared Take-Mikazuchi. You regret having ever made it, right? But even if you are the one who created it, I don't think it's reasonable to put all the blame on yourself."

Silently praying in her heart, Trinity walked around to stand in front of Nine. Nine had a confused look on her face, but it was quickly replaced with a frown and an intense expression.

She knew what laid beneath that intensity. Trinity clasped her hands in front of her chest.

"Please tell me what Take-Mikazuchi really is. What scared you so badly that you kept it from us?"

Trinity had a feeling that it had something to do with why Nine said the core could have a fatal effect on people earlier, and that it was weighing on her so heavily that she couldn't bear to say it. If Nine were to say, and if Trinity were to listen... then no matter what the truth was, she would accept it. If Nine told her about whatever heavy weight she had placed upon herself, she wouldn't blame her for it no matter what it was. In fact, she wanted to tell her that she had done the right thing and free her from her regret. After all, Take-Mikazuchi saved many lives the first time it was summoned, too.

But…

"I'm pretty sure I already said I won't tell you."

Nine wouldn't open the lock over her heart.

"If I told you this one thing, I'm sure I'd end up confessing everything to you."

Seeming to fear that more than anything, she hugged herself with her folded arms.

She had more than just one thing she wanted to hide. Take-Mikazuchi wasn't the only sin weighing her down, and she had no intention of unburdening herself to Trinity. Hearing her best friend say that, Trinity's chest ached so badly that it surprised even her. She knew that the stabbing pain she felt wasn't directed towards Nine, but it still hurt.

"Nine, I just..."

Wanted to talk. Just wanted to hear you out. Must have wanted to hear you say, 'you're the only one I can turn to.'
The friend standing before her wasn't the genius mage; she was a girl named Konoe Mercury. Trinity might have just wanted that weak, fragile girl to think of her as the only person who would accept her for who she really is, the only person who would protect her.

She was getting déjà vu because this wasn't the first time Nine had pushed her away like this. Trinity was terribly dejected. Her heart dropped as badly as it had in the gut-wrenching moment when she had watched the Black Beast and Take-Mikazuchi drop on Ishana.

In that moment, Nine let go of herself and unfolded her arms, leaning to one side with casual posture.

"I'm sorry, Trinity. I'll tell you when this is all over."

Nine barely managed to keep herself together and act natural as she said it. Her voice wavered a bit.

Trinity weakly bowed her head. Now Trinity was the one who needed Nine to worry about her feelings and protect her. She didn't want to have to say this.

"...Do you... promise?"

Softly, ever so softly. Trinity exhaled as softly as she possibly could. She didn't want to accidentally put more pressure on Nine. No matter how dejected and bewildered she may be, that was one thing she never wanted to do.

In place of an answer to Trinity's hesitant question, Nine lifted her head. Her face had lost its intensity, and her eyebrows drooped as she chuckled wryly, remembering their many trifling daily conversations.

"On second thought, I'll leave dividing the core and applying the seal to one of the other Sages. Sorry Trinity, you ought to be helping the injured. They don't have many people who know how to make medicine out there."

"Nine..."

"...Making that face doesn't make me want your help more."

Don't make this any harder for me. Regret shone in Nine's eyes as she dropped her gaze.

It's hard to say who this was more difficult for: Trinity or Nine. Nine didn't want to hurt Trinity, nor did Trinity want to hurt Nine. They were thinking practically the same thing, but they still couldn't see eye to eye. They couldn't reach each other. In this moment, they were like shirt buttons put into the wrong holes. This sort of thing happens a lot, but in that moment it was much more difficult than either of them would have thought.

Trinity put her hands over her chest, feeling like she was going to suffocate, but managed to smile.

"Make sure you go home to Celica-san tonight. It'd be a waste if you don't eat the dinner she's going out of her way to make for you～"

If she had kept on pressing the point, would Nine have opened up to her? But knowing so much about her, Trinity couldn't bring herself to hurt Nine even worse, and so she decided to stop asking.

It wasn't kindness. It wasn't consideration, either. To avoid hurting Nine with her actions, she was just running away from the truth that was creating friction between the two of them.

She was such a weakling. Trinity's feeling of powerlessness turned to cold misery and buried itself into her heart.

"...Yeah, I'll make sure to do that. Don't worry about me."

Watching Nine's shoulders relax was Trinity's only consolation.

<noinclude>
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| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell

2024-08-01T04:16:16Z

Bloodedge666: /* Snake Venom */

==Snake Venom==

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki wait, Tsubaki! Oh Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' I see it, that's the Kagutsuchi branch gate.

'''Makoto:''' Just calm down a little!

'''Tsubaki:''' Back to Major Kisaragi.

'''Makoto:''' Don't do it Tsubaki! Don't touch the gate!

'''Tsubaki:''' AAA

'''Makoto:''' AA ...Ouchy, sorry Tsubaki, I fell a bit too hard there. You're not hurt are you?

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah.

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki, don't overdo it, just a little more and you could've touched the gate! If that happened, we would've instantly been burnt to a crisp by the defense force placed at the gate.

'''Tsubaki:''' You're right, I'm sorry. I just thought I had to get to Major Kisaragi as soon as possible.

'''Makoto:''' Wait, listen Tsubaki, I know how you feel but...Well, in any case stand up. Now then, how do we get in without a written application? It would take a week if it went through the higher-ups. This is why red tape's so

'''Tsubaki:''' Hey Makoto, doesn't something seem off?

'''Makoto:''' Eh?

'''Tsubaki:''' The gate's Ars Magus has been...

'''Makoto:''' ?...! It's been removed.

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah, look.

'''Makoto:''' It's open, why? This shouldn't be happening, this is bad!

'''Tsubaki:''' It seems no one is inside.

'''Makoto:''' What does this mean?

'''Tsubaki:''' I wonder if they evacuated before the Grim Reaper attacked?

'''Makoto:''' That can't be. Whenever received that sort of intel!

'''Tsubaki:''' Then what exactly is this?

...

'''Makoto:''' It's no use. I haven't been able to get in contact at all since then. The line is clearly being jammed.

'''Tsubaki:''' Seems like it.

'''Makoto:''' Should I call for support once the Seithr line is back? But, if this really is the Grim Reaper's doing then it has to be reported to headquarters immediately.

'''Tsubaki:''' Right, so if the Seithr line comes back please report to headquarters.

'''Makoto:''' Roger. Er, Tsubaki? Where are you going?

'''Tsubaki:''' I'll, be searching for Major Kisaragi.

'''Makoto:''' Don't, it's too risky, I've got some kind of bad feeling about this. Don't go, Tsubaki, let's wait for support!

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi's justice is why he came here to take down the Grim Reaper. If that's the case then, my justice is here as well.

'''Makoto:''' But.

'''Tsubaki:''' Maybe, he's already fighting the Grim Reaper.

'''Makoto:''' But, but!

'''Tsubaki:''' Makoto. I'll be fine, I promise I'll return with Major Kisaragi.

'''Makoto:''' Promise you won't be reckless?

'''Tsubaki:''' Yes.

'''Makoto:''' Really?

'''Makoto:''' Yes, really.

'''Makoto:''' You really really mean it!?

'''Tsubaki:''' Hehe~ Why are you making such a face Makoto? It's not like this is goodbye forever. Oh, I know, how about this, tonight let's have dinner together in my room. That's right, after such a long while I want some of Makoto's stew.

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' Did you know? The bread at the cafe where we had the chocolate parfait the other day is also really good.

'''Makoto:''' Hehh I didn't know that.

'''Tsubaki:''' Heh, right? I'll buy some so let's eat it with the stew, ok? Is that alright?

'''Makoto:''' Yeah, I got it. Then I'll quickly call for support too so you really can't be reckless you hear! If things look bad, get out right away.

'''Tsubaki:''' I've got it.

'''Makoto:''' Then, you'll be crying "Holy smokes", cuz I'm a pretty capable young woman if I put my mind to it after all.

'''Tsubaki:''' Hehe, I know that.

'''Makoto:''' Ah, Kisaragi senpai, if, he's doing well then, I'll try asking him out.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh!?

'''Makoto:''' It's fine, it's fine, I'm just trying. Hm.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh, right, if there was such a time then giving it a try might not be so bad.

'''Makoto:''' OK~! Then, Tsubaki, I'll be right back.

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah, I'll be waiting.

...

'''Jin:''' The moon is...falling. Another moon that brings with it the thought of chasing the hiding darkness...is falling Nii-san, hurry, or everything will go crazy.

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi!

'''Jin:''' ! First Lieutenant Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' I finally found you. You disappeared without saying a word and searching for you was terribly-

'''Jin:''' Go back.

'''Tsubaki:''' !

'''Jin:''' You're a nuisance. Go on.

'''Tsubaki:''' Don't tell me, the Grim Reaper really is-

'''Jin:''' I'll be the one who kills him, no one else, but me!

'''Tsubaki:''' Major...Kisaragi?

'''Jin:''' Heh-heheheh…heheHahah

'''Tsubaki:''' Please wait Major Kisaragi

'''Jin:''' Don't touch me!

'''Tsubaki:''' Guh! Keh, ugh. M-major...Kisaragi. Don't, wait, don't…go.

...

'''Tsubaki:''' Where is...this place? The warm sunlight shining down, the smell of the greenery, the murmuring of the river. Ah, this place is...what we're aiming for, the ideal world. Over there...are two small boys. One of them is…heh, I get it, that's Jin-niisama when he was little. And there's one more, a little girl. A soft blonde-haired...girl.

'''Ragna:''' Hey you two, we're heading back now.

'''Jin:''' Yes.

'''Saya:''' Yes~

'''Jin:''' Let's go Saya, Niisan is calling for us.

'''Saya:''' Jin-niisama, look, look at this.

'''Jin:''' That's an amazing flower crown huh, well done. You're pretty amazing Saya, is this for Niisan?

'''Saya:''' Heehee~, nope. Here, I'm giving this to you Jin-niisama.

'''Jin:''' Eh? Me? It's pretty, thanks Saya.

'''Saya:''' I love Jin-niisama too.

'''Tsubaki:''' No, no! Who, Jin-niisama who is that girl? No, don't laugh, don't touch JIN-NIISAMA! no…NO, stop, STOOOOOOOP!

...

'''Tsubaki:''' !!

'''Hazama:''' Are you awake now? First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi.

'''Tsubaki:''' Captain Hazama…

'''Hazama:''' Oh my, oh my, your forehead's been cut, did someone shove you over?

'''Tsubaki:''' Ah, what about Major Kisaragi?

'''Hazama:''' If it's him then he went to the lowest floor.

'''Tsubaki:''' The lowest floor? That's where the Grim Reaper...

'''Hazama:''' Seems like it.

'''Tsubaki:''' Uh-! I have to go.

'''Hazama:''' Will you be alright? Your feet are trembling, I'll lend you a hand.

'''Tsubaki:''' I'll be fine.

'''Hazama:''' It doesn't look like you will, in that condition you can't be anything but a nuisance, you don't understand even that?

'''Tsubaki:''' ...

'''Hazama:''' Oh, that face, don't tell me Major Kisaragi already said that to you? "You're a nuisance, go away"

'''Tsubaki:''' Please move out of the way.

'''Hazama:''' K-Keh, hehehe~ I'm telling you to move away from there!

'''Hazama:''' Ooooh, how scary, how scary. Here you go, right this way.

'''Tsubaki:''' Keh-! Major Kisaragi.

'''Hazama:''' The cauldron on the lowest floor, that's where your beloved is, so.

'''Tsubaki:''' ......!

'''Hazama:''' Please head there right away. Perhaps even you might be of some use...for one last thing. Keh hehehehe. Now then, for the next person, shall I be your advisor as well?

'''Hakumen:''' ... Terumi.

'''Hazama:''' You're right on time aren't you, also it's Hazama right now. Well, whatever is fine, right Relius?

'''Relius:''' Yeah, it's nothing more than another dull symbol.

'''Hazama:''' The problem is that existence.

'''Relius:''' Was it your will that let you slip away from Hazama? Or is something unrefined piloting today? Either way, it's a worthless story.

'''Hakumen:''' The worthless ones are you. You cannot even face forward, all you can do is squirm in the darkness. Scum.

'''Hazama:''' Scum? I can't ignore that. Shall we play a bit?

'''Relius:''' It's time, Hazama.

'''Hazama:''' I know that, just a little bit. He hasn't come to this world just yet, like he's half asleep. Oh and who are you calling SCUM!? I'll beat you so hard you'll wake right up, won't you HAKUMEN-CHAN!!

'''Hakumen:''' I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword! With blade in hand I shall reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction. I am Hakumen! THE END HAS COME!!

'''Hazama:''' THAT AIN'T NO EXCUSE!! Hee-heheheh~ Strong, strong, strong, you're sho shtrong Hakumen-chan!

'''Hakumen:''' Remnant!

'''Hazama:''' Bleh, where ya lookin' cuz I'm not over there!

'''Hakumen:''' It seems you as well are not yet complete, Terumi!

'''Hazama:''' Fucking shut up! Hey, hey, Relius-san! Don't just stand there, shouldn't you be joining in? Actually, help me out a little!

'''Relius:''' Sorry but manual labor doesn't suit me. Can't you finish it up by yourself?

'''Hazama:''' What the hell are you talking about!? Woah, Ha! Here's a serving of dessert!

'''Hakumen:''' Hu- Relius Clover!

'''Relius:''' Can't be helped then. Ignis, come out.

'''Hakumen:''' This is, it can't be!

'''Relius:''' Oh? As expected, you've already realized.

'''Hakumen:''' You carried out the Wave Weapon?

'''Relius:''' It was the daughter. I had help from Kokonoe. Quite the craftsmanship wouldn't you agree?

'''Hakumen:''' Keh! What a wretched path, you filth!!

'''Hazama:''' What is it, what is it? Wanna know more about us?

'''Hakumen:''' What is your aim?

'''Hazama:''' That's another stupid question in a stupid question.

'''Hakumen:''' Answer me, Relius Clover!

'''Relius:''' To bring about a true Azure Grimoire, that's why I'm here.

'''Hakumen:''' What!?

'''Relius:''' For that purpose that girl, Tsubaki Yayoi's existence was unnecessary.

'''Hakumen:''' ! You lead Tsubaki here!?

'''Hazama:''' You get it now? It's cuz you're wearing that mask that you can't clearly see your surroundings. KEE-HAHAHAA!

'''Hakumen:''' Bastards!

'''Hazama:''' Oh? Did he snap?

'''Hakumen:''' HaaaAAAAA! What!?

'''Hazama:''' Huh? This is great timing but...

'''Relius:''' Phenomenon Intervention.

'''Hakumen:''' Khh, at a time like this

'''Hazama:''' Ehh- It was a challenge because my body was tied to the Master Unit, heh how pitiful. Hehehe-eh GAH... This is bad, did I push myself to much too?

'''Relius:''' There are limits to self-observation. You reap what you sow.

'''Hazama:''' Shut up... I'm fine so, take care of the rest.

'''Relius:''' It seems the time...has come

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue

2024-08-01T01:00:39Z

Bloodedge666: /* Phase Shift 4 */

{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:BBCFCover.PNG|thumb|BBCF: Console Release Main Design]]

'''BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger''' (ブレイブルーカラミティトリガー Bureiburū: Karamiti Torigā) is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation.

The game is currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 16:9 ratio and 768p resolution and was released on November 19, in Japan and November 20, 2008 in the United States. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles on June 25, 2009 in Japan. A port for the PlayStation Portable, titled BlazBlue Portable (ブレイブルーポータブル Bureiburū Pōtaburu), was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan. The PC version was released in Europe on August 20 and in Japan on August 26, 2010. The PlayStation Portable port was released in Europe on September 9, 2010. The PC port is a direct conversion of the Xbox 360 version, and contains cross-platform compatibility via the Games for Windows - Live service.

A sequel, also next episode featuring new content and characters, titled '''BlazBlue: Continuum Shift''' (ブレイブルーコンティニュアムシフト Bureiburū: Kontinyuamu Shifuto) has also been released for the arcade, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Other game sequels include '''Blazblue: Chronophantasma''' and '''Blazblue: Central Fiction''' both released on various systems.

Additionally an anime adaptation titled '''Blazblue: Alter Memory''' was released for both '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' 's main plot.

Lite novel adaptations for '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' also exist and are listed below.

Two visual novel spinoffs titled '''Xblaze: Code Embryo''' and '''Xblaze: Lost Memories''' were released and are the original story to feature the character Es recently announced for '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''. It is believed Nine and Celica A. Mercury make cameo appearances in Lost Memories as well.

A loosely linked spinoff, '''Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience''' was released in two parts and provides some questionable links and backstory to Blazblue featuring returning characters Relius Clover, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Clavis Alucard and stars Naoto Kurogane, a new addition to the cast of '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''.

'''Phase Shift''' is a novel series based on that game written by Komao Mako and the illustrations by Yuuki Katou. It provides insight into the backstory of the Dark War, the conflict with the Black Beast between 2100-2110 in Blazblue's timeline and culminated with the introduction of Celica A. Mercury to the game's plot in '''Chronophantasma''' as the final Phase Shift novel was released right before the game came out.

'''Bloodedge Experience''' came out between '''Chronophantasma''' and '''Central Fiction's''' game releases and before Naoto Kurogane's introduction as a playable character to Blazblue.

Additionally several canon short-stories were released in various formats, including inside Material Collections and Drama Cds.

==Organization==
Due to the convoluted and non-linear flow of how lore is presented in Blazblue, this site will organize the releases in '''order of release'''.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''BlazBlue'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[BlazBlue:Phase~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==
Before the events of the game, humanity was on the verge of extinction from a creature called the "Black Beast." The world was saved by six heroes who wielded magic. They helped humanity create "Ars Magus", a fusion of magic and science, to defeat the Black Beast. This event would be later known as the First War of Magic.

After the war, the Novus Orbis Librarium (the Library or NOL for short) was created to govern the world with the use of Ars Magus. A great deal of dissent was caused by the Library, partly due to Ars Magus' use in nearly every facet of society, and the widening socioeconomic gap between those who could and couldn't use Ars Magus. This dissent would eventually form years later into the Second War of Magic or also known as the Ikaruga Civil War, when the city of Ikaruga openly rebelled against the NOL. Upon winning the war, the NOL imposed a harsher rule on the world, punishing any rebellion against the NOL with death.

In December AD 2199, several years after the Second War of Magic, a branch of the NOL was utterly destroyed by an SS-class rebel named "Ragna" also known as the "Grim Reaper", in an attempt to destroy the Librarium. The NOL, hoping to stop him, immediately announced the largest bounty ever, available to anyone who could capture him. Interestingly, Ragna possesses a powerful form of Ars Magus known as the "Azure Grimoire." This led the NOL, as well as the other fighters, to hunt Ragna not just for his bounty, but also his Azure Grimoire.

The games slowly develop Ragna's battle with his nemesis Yuuki Terumi and other fighters as various factions follow their agendas to harness the Azure, destroy the Master Unit: Amatarasu, or protect those they care for.

==Updates (Bloodedge666)==
31 July 2024, The Wheel of Fortune is fully translated and published. All credits for the translation and editing goes to CMYOGS and Umberwolf respectively.
==Updates (Ziggurat)==
21 Septermber 2017 Lowtier asked me to pick this up since he got salty and stopped caring about BB lore after CF's story mode. Use message or Talk to communicate with me.

== Updates (Lowtierscrub)==
* 7 November 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 2 is complete. RIP. We're getting their. Holidays get busy at my household so next update might take slightly longer, but we'll see. I'm shooting for a chapter a month so release in February/March?
*18 October 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 1 is complete. Hold me fam, Overtime + Translating = Sadness. At least I'm not CF Kagura... Also updated the page a lttle.
*4 September 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Guesslation Project Began (Got novels, will translate in free time and '''will upload once entire novel done''' so I can proofread and make sure all translations are consistent).
B-baka, it's not like I want this translation to be as good as possible or anything... (tilts head to side as twin-tails sway in the wind). kappa. Post in Dustloop short story thread if you have questions or comments for me.

== Updates (Spesialo)==
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 3 started.
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 2 completed.
*10 July 2014 - Phase Shift 2 started.
*1 July 2014 - Phase Shift 1 completed.
*28 July 2013 - Phase Shift 1 started.
*28 July 2013 - Phase 0 completed.
*7 April 2013 - BlazBlue project created.

== Updates (zephyr07 from Dustloop)==
*Hakumen's story added (20-8-2010)
*Rachel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Noel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Carl's story added (21-8-2010)
*Arakune's story added (24-8-2010)
*Bang's story added (25-8-2010)
*Tager's story added (6-9-2010)
*Taokaka's story added (19-9-2010)
*Litchi's story added (5-10-2010)

== Updates (Suzaku from Dustloop)==
*Ragna's Short Story "Memory of Blue"
*Jin's Short Story "purgatory hell"

== Translation ==

===[[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback Thread]'''

 
 

== Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Material Collection==
[[File:BlazBlue Material Collection (Cover).jpg|thumbnail|Material Collection Cover]]
===Calamity Trigger Material Collection ([[Calamity Trigger Material Collection|Full Text]])===
'''Synopsis:''' Canon short stories for the Calamity Trigger cast.

::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Ragna Short Story "Memory of Blue"|Ragna Short Story: "Memory of Blue"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"|Jin Short Story: "purgatory hell"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"|Rachel Short Story: "Endless Waltz"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"|Litchi Short Story: "Borderline"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Arakune Short Story "The Diary"|Arakune Short Story: "The Diary"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"|Bang Short Story: "Fortune favours the bold"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Carl Short Story "Puppeteers"|Carl Short Story: "Puppeteers"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Hakumen Short Story "Innocent Black"|Hakumen Short Story: "Innocent Black"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Nu Short Story "an evil sign"|Nu Short Story: "an evil sign"]]

 
 
 
 

==Blazblue Continuum Shift Material Collection: Trigger Shift==
[[File:BBCS Material Collection Cover.jpg|thumb]]
===Trigger Shift ([[Trigger Shift|Full Text]])===

This is an official short story that was written specifically for the Continuum Shift Extend Material Collection.

"BlazBlue Calamity Trigger" to "BlazBlue Continuum Shift".

A story about a day in the lifes of the characters who moved into the world of "possibility".
A story about those who can live on from the never ending world.
May the wheel of fate turn in their fortune.

Author: Mako Komao, Designer: Toshimichi Mori

::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side|Kagatsuchi's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Jin's Side|Jin's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side|Hazama's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side|Carl's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Ragna's & Noel's Side|Ragna's & Noel's Side]]
 
 
 
 

== Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD ==
[[File:BBWoF.jpg|thumbnail|Drama CD Cover]]
'''Synopsisː''' The story of how Hakumen came to exist in the main Blazblue timeline in an alternate Kagasuchi where Noel Vermillion never existed and Tsubaki Yayoi became Jin Kisaragi's secretary instead.

::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate|Prologue-The Day of Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again|Long reunion-Meeting Again]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell|Snake venom-Farewell]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
 
 

 
 

 

== BlazBlue: Phase 0==

===Phase 0 ([[BlazBlue:Phase 0|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/li75i629i25hvva/ PDF])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_Phase0_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase 0 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Ragna the Bloodedge. That man is nicknamed Grim Reaper and possesses the power of Azure Grimoire. Yet, he awakens in an unfamiliar land and has lost both the Azure's power and his memory.

In this unknown world, he comes across Celica, a girl who is able to use healing magic, and a beastkin warrior named Mitsuyoshi. Their journey is closely related to the Black Beast, a being which drive humanity to devastation. However...

The popular fighting game series BlazBlue's history, previously shrouded in history, is about to be laid bare. The official story leading to where it all begins  has arrived!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Lost White]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Destructive Black]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Reality's Red]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Chance-met Silver]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Sealed Green]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Promised Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Phase Shift'' Series==

===Phase Shift 1 ([[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1|Full Text]])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift1_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2106. The world is in chaos from the threatening Black Beast. At the Mage's Guild-governed island Ishana, a student Kazuma lives a normal life. But when he meets Yuuki Terumi by chance, history receives a new Phase Shift.

"If you can get the Azure, you can take back whatever you want. Things you lost, things you forgot, whatever."

Is that the prelude of destruction? Or a gospel of salvation...?

Within the light and darkness of the Boundary, hope and despair blend together. The curtain for a new episode of BlazBlue's official story has been raised!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Island of Green Wisdom]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cat of Crimson Sunset]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mind of Azure Deviation]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Doubt of Yellow Equilibrium]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Night of Black Betrayal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Voice of Emerald Evil]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' "Mr. Hero."

"How would you like to become a real hero?"

Jin Kisaragi, in the brink of death, meets one young girl. At that moment, the last gear to truth begins to turn...

Finally, the ''Black Beast'' is about to be resurrected. The ones who fight, the ones who protect, and the ones working in the shadows... Many feelings and thoughts are entangled, and the stage of the final battle for mankind's survival is set.

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in BlazBlue history that leads to all possible futures. All of its secrets will be revealed here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: White Blade, A Flower]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Purple Ones, Their Theory]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Scarlet Guardian, the Doll]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Indigo Heart, the Conception]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Black Beast, Reappears]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 3===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift3_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 3 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Nox Nyctores: Take-Mikazuchi. It appears all of a sudden during the decisive battle between mankind and Black Beast. With one blow, it overturns the battle situation. Nine, rejecting the powerful weapon, deepens her conflict with the other Ten Sages. Furthermore, she is restrained from participating in the battle.

During the intensifying chaos and hopeless situation, Celica reunites with 'that person' once more. That meeting leads to a new fateful Phase Shift, and yet...

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue. The heroes are advancing to the final battle. Their thoughts and bonds are weaving a tale of truth, a tale that will be recited here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Battlefield with Blue Sky]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Ashen Current]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Copper Catgirl]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Silvery Illusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Hope and Despair on the Green Hilltop]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 4===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift4_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 4 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Since the fall of Take-Mikazuchi, the Magical City of Ishana finally acknowledges the Black Beast's threat. Within desperation, the Six Heroes and the entire human race are about to start their last counterattack!

Just what is the fateful Phase Shift that waits for the heroes after their battle...? This shocking novel series will draw the truth of the biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue's history, 'The Dark War'. The time for conclusion has come!

"...Later, Celica. If we meet again, teach me properly, okay?"

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Swirling Tea]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Azure Wish's Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Colorless Guiding Light]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Blue Snake's Crazed Play]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue'' Series==

===Volume 1: Calamity Trigger — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2199. The world is covered in seithr and mankind is forced to live in Hierarchical cities, ascending constructions similar to towers.

The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi has been infiltrated by a man with the most bounty in the world. He is Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', a man who possesses the ''Azure Grimoire''. Thus, the wheel of fate begins to turn.

"Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field deployed! BlazBlue, activate!"

The popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. The new legend starts here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Stratum city — Hierarchical City]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Spiral fate — The Board's Pieces]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Grim Reaper — The Man Called Death God]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Burned church — Brothers]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity black — Dark Demise]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue: A Certain's Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Volume 2: Calamity Trigger — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Part_2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' During his journey, Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', travels to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi to destroy the Cauldron. At the same time, Noel Vermillion, carrying the magic guns Bolverk, also heading to Kagutsuchi in accordance with the order from Librarium. Ragna and Noel... When both of their destinies intertwine, the eternally turning wheel of fate shall be altered!

The super popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. Its legend will be concluded!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Prologue|Prologue: A Certain's Prologue]] (blank page)
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Orient town — Orient Town]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cross fate — The Thing That Is There]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: False hero — The Man Called Hero]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Memorable church — Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity trigger — Successor of the Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 3: Continuum Shift — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 1 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 1 Cover]]
After the intervention of ''Calamity Trigger'' Noel Vermillion, the loops that appear to last forever came to an end. However, when a warrior from Sector Sever named Tager encounters a 'prime field' in the ruins of the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido, fate changes to a new phase.

On the other hand, after he went through a struggle to death with Nu, the 'Grim Reaper' Ragna the Bloodedge sees the image of his sister on a Librarium girl named Noel. However, a shadow aiming for them is inviting Ragna to a new battle——. A new Continuum Shift of the super popular fighting game BlazBlue begins!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Wheel turns — A New Gear]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Recollection Dream — The Children Are Dreaming]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Fragile balance — The Power of Order]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Sister's illusion — Vestiges]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Dead once — Phenomenon Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 4: Continuum Shift — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 2 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 2 Cover]]
"...Irregularity: none. Resuming combat action."

Λ – 11, the girl who assaulted Ragna the 'Grim Reaper'. He meets with the 'prime field' girl, but she invites Ragna to an even harsher battle. Meanwhile, Noel was hurrying to meet her best friend Makoto Nanaya. But before her, her other best friend Tsubaki Yayoi appears. Toward Noel who is glad with the meeting, Tsubaki——.

Continuum Shift. It is all the possibilities of the world. The result of many destinies and infinitely equal endings is waiting for Ragna and the others. Now, the decisive battle that shakes the world begins!!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Code number — Sector Seven]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: The despair — Truth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Continuum shift — Probability Phenomenon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Material girl — Murakumo]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Call name — Human to the End]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience'' Series==

'''Synopsis:'''
This new expansion to the Blazblue universe follows the story of Naoto Kurogane
a high school boy with a special right eye and connection to the Amanohokosaka Clan.
Learn the story of Blazblue: Central Fiction's newest playable character in this multi-part story
that bridges the gap between Xblaze and Blazblue that includes familiar characters as well!

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 1 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 1 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 1 Cover]]

'''Synopsis:'''
"Kurogane Naoto was a mostly ordinary high schooler who lived a peaceful life
with his childhood friend Hayami Haruka. What wasn't ordinary with Naoto is that
his right eye is a little special, it possesses a special ability, "Hunter's Eye",
that make it possible for Naoto to see other people's Life Force in numerical values.

But his ordinary days ended when he met a girl with such high Life Force that she couldn't
possibly be human. The girl introduced herself as Raquel Alucard, a vampire. She ordered
him to get the hold of the Azure.

And so Naoto was dragged into a bloody battle surrounding the Azure." [From BB wikia; verify if from back cover]

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Prologue|Prologue: Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Contact]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Immortal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mitsurugi]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Secret]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Interlude]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 2 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 2 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:'''
"The swung down red blade, will carve a new legend of BlazBlue!

Kurogane Naoto, who have awaken the "Bloodedge". His little sister Saya's deadly sword is approaching him! A collision of several special ability users. And what awaits at the end of the Azure seeking Raquel Alucard's wish... " Outside Chapter is speculated to be set after Central Fiction's events, but before Central Fiction Naoto enters main Blazblue Central Fiction. It's similar to how the Black Beast existed in 2100 even though Ragna was not created until 2190s.

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Prologue|Prologue:Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7|Chapter 7: Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8: Thought and Felt]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9|Chapter 9: Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Fusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue: Heartbeat]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Outside Chapter|Outside Chapter: Fragment]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Sprial Shift'' Series==

=== Blazblue : Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu - Hero of the Iceblade ([[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu|Full Text]])===
[[Image:SpiralShift.jpg|thumb|Announcment Image]]
'''Synopsis:'''
The story follows the graduation of Jin Kisaragi from the Military Academy as he enlists to fight in the Second War of Ars Magus or the Ikaruga Civil War for the NOL. In this tale, some light is shed on the brutality of NOL in dealing with the insurrection of the Ikaruga Federation for freedom against the NOL hegemony and monopoly of Grimories. Being deployed to the most contested region with the most violent opposition, Jin must deal with social tensions of being a Duodecim member among lower-class allies with the tide turning against their forces. There is more than meets the eye to this war though, as Jin and his new unit encounter signs of Sector Seven (the other faction against the NOL) experiments. Not only that, but Jin's new unit, the 9th Unit or "The Hounds" exist to only weaken enemy forces enough so that higher-class units can sweep in and claim both the spoils and glory of war in a battlefield meant only to test new weapons and never to retreat or advance. What other hidden-agendas will Jin Kisaragi discover in this farce of a war?

::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu STORY|STORY]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 1|Chapter 1: The Human of the Kisaragi Family / Distorted recognition]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Eiyu (Hero) / True face]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Afterword|Afterword]]
 

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Ziggurat|Ziggurat]]
*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Suzaku|Suzaku]]
*[[User:Hayashi_s|zephyr07]]
*[[User:Spesialo|Spesialo]]

===Editors===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Emma|Emma]]
*[[User:Nerokun|Nerokun]]

== Series Overview ==

<big>''' BlazBlue: Material Collection'''</big>
*BLAZBLUEー設定資料集 (2009 ISBN 9784797354836)[CT Short Story Source]

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase 0'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ─ブレイブルー─ フェイズ０ (August 20, 2010 ISBN 978-4829145920)[Phase 0]

<big>'''Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD'''</big>
BLAZBLUE 「THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE ～運命の輪～」ドラマCD (September 2010)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase Shift Series'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト１(April 20, 2011 ISBN 978-4829146170)[Phase Shift 1]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト２(January 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146309)[Phase Shift 2]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト3(May 19, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146712)[Phase Shift 3]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト4(September 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146897)[Phase Shift 4]

<big>'''The BlazBlue Series'''</big>

Calamity Trigger Retelling
*BLAZBLUE‐ブレイブルー‐1 カラミティトリガー〈上〉(January 19, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147078)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―2 カラミティトリガー〈下)(May 18, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147290)

Continuum Shift Retelling
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―3　コンティニュアムシフト〈上〉(September 20, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147474)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―4 コンティニュアムシフト〈下〉(January 18, 2014 ISBN 978-4040700175)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience Series'''</big>

*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―ブラッドエッジエクスペリエンス(上) (June 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702254)[Bloodedge Experience Part 1]
*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルーブラッドエッジ・エクスペリエンス（下） (November 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702155)[Bloodedge Experience Part 2]

<big>'''The Blazblue: Spiral Shift Series''' </big>

*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルースパイラルシフト氷刃の英雄 (October 20, 2016 ISBN 978-4040708577 (4040708571) )[Hyokin no Eiyu/"Ice Blade-Wielding Hero"]

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Fujimi Dragon Book]]
[[Category:Mako Komao]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays

2024-07-31T19:52:16Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Camellia== '''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi… '''Jin:''' Heh. Nii-san more, let's kill each other more! '''Ragna:''' God you're annoying, Jin! '''Tsubaki:''' That's, Major..."

==Camellia==

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi…

'''Jin:''' Heh. Nii-san more, let's kill each other more!

'''Ragna:''' God you're annoying, Jin!

'''Tsubaki:''' That's, Major Kisaragi and… The Grim Reaper!

'''Jin:''' NOT YET, this much isn't it NII-SAN!!

'''Ragna:''' Then this'll settle it. This is the end, Jin!

'''Jin:''' Gah!

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi!

'''Jin:''' Ehh- Gah-aaa…

'''Tsubaki:''' Please hang in there Major Kisaragi.

'''Ragna:''' What's with you? Appearing outta nowhere. You're in my way, move.

'''Tsubaki:''' I won't.

'''Ragna:''' I'll kill you…

'''Tsubaki:''' ! I will...protect Major Kisaragi!! HAAA!

'''Ragna:''' What are you talking about?

'''Tsubaki:''' Prepare yourself! HAAAAAAAA! Geh

'''Ragna:''' Hmph. What's up with you, isn't there something wrong with your head? How could you seriously be coming towards me?

'''Tsubaki:''' Shut up, coward!

'''Ragna:''' Hey, hey, are you for real?

'''Tsubaki:''' ...Yaaa! Haa! Yaa

'''Ragna:''' Hey, stop it

'''Tsubaki:''' I will...Major Kisaragi. HAAA!

'''Ragna:''' Ahh, I can't take this anymore. Tch

'''Tsubaki:''' AAA

'''Ragna:''' What with this person?

'''Tsubaki:''' Keh… Now, draw your sword, Grim Reaper.

'''Ragna:''' No, even if you say that, the one I'm beating is only Jin

'''Tsubaki:''' I won't let you! You won't even lay a finger on Major Kisaragi!

'''Ragna:''' ... You got me. I don't need you speaking so harshly while trembling all over. Man what is it, it's like I've lost my enthusiasm.

'''Jin:''' ...ah Nii-san…

'''Tsubaki:''' Have you regained consciousness, Major Kisaragi?

'''Jin:''' ... First Lieutenant...Tsubaki. You're still here? …I thought I told you to leave.

'''Tsubaki:''' There's no way I can return home, how could I leave Major Kisaragi behind.

'''Ragna:''' Umm, that's...well, there seems to be a lot of excitement going on but, what's with you guys? Tch!

'''Tsubaki:''' What?

'''Ragna:''' The cauldron's opening.

'''Tsubaki:''' What? Something from inside is...coming!

'''Ragna:''' Hey you, it's fine so get back.

'''Nu-13:''' Ragna~?

'''Ragna:''' Kh.

'''Nu-13:''' Ah~ It really is Ragna~ Hee~ You've come again huh.

'''Jin:''' ? Saya...No she's not. Nii-san, what on earth is she?

'''Ragna:''' Shut up, stay quiet Jin.

'''Nu-13:''' It's good to see you, Ragna~

'''Tsubaki:''' No, what is this feeling? No, I'm scared. I'm...going to be crushed.

'''Nu-13:''' Huh? That girl...who is she?

'''Tsubaki:''' No! Don't come this way!

'''Nu-13:''' What words. Ragna, Nu hates that girl. ''Exterminating target''

'''Ragna:''' Stop! Don't go doing things so suddenly. You're opponent is me isn't it!?

'''Nu-13:''' Huh- Why are you helping that girl?

'''Ragna:''' Shut up.

'''Nu-13:''' Even though Ragna belongs to Nu.

'''Ragna:''' Didn’t I tell you to shut up!

'''Nu-13:''' EVEN THOUGH NU BELONGS TO RAGNA TOO!

'''Ragna:''' SHUT UP! Be quiet! Just obediently let me destroy you!

'''Nu-13:''' No way, Ragna~

'''Ragna:''' Hheee!

'''Nu-13:''' Why won't you give me a warm hug?

'''Ragna:''' Asshole. Just be good and get killed already!

'''Nu-13:''' You're so cold Ragna~ Hehehe, AHAHAHA!

'''Ragna:''' GRAAAH!

'''Tsubaki:''' ! Amazing. Darkness is swirling around the two of them, this is...night? What? (I can't tell what she's saying here sorry)...Wings of extermination.

'''Jin:''' Nii-san.

'''Nu-13:''' Ragna let's go together~

'''Ragna:''' Shit, stop fucking around!

'''Nu-13:''' Come on, come this way. I'll give you a hug~

'''Tsubaki:''' The Grim Reaper's been-!

'''Jin:''' Nii-san!

'''Ragna:''' Geh-gehuh Ahaa

'''Nu-13:''' Hehehe~

'''Ragna:''' ...Let go of me goddammit…

'''Nu-13:''' Nope~

'''Ragna:''' Gaah- Gwaaaaha!

'''Nu-13:''' Deeper, and then Ragna will melt together with Nu, in the eternal darkness~

'''Ragna:''' ...Screw you… Uh-Gwaaa...

'''Nu-13:''' ! Ragna's blood, it's so warm~ Hehe, it feels so good~

'''Tsubaki:''' ! It's so wrong.

'''Jin:''' Keh- Nii-san.

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi, moving is

'''Jin:''' Geh- Don't get in my way!

'''Tsubaki:''' !

'''Jin:''' keh- How many times do I have to say it. Go away, get lost, I don't NEED YOU!

'''Tsubaki:''' !.. That's...

'''Jin:''' Nii-san! You, let nii-san go, LET HIM GO!

'''Nu-13:''' ''Target is in possession of Nox Nyctores. Threat level: A-''

'''Jin:''' Damn it! LET NIIi-SAN GO!

'''Nu-13:''' ''Disappear... With regards to the target an obstacle has appeared.''

'''Tsubaki:''' GAHA!

'''Nu-13:''' You got in my way again. Ragna, Nu really does hate that girl~ Well, hehe, whatever. Disappear along with that nuisance.

'''Tsubaki:''' Ah-aaaAAAAAH!

'''Jin:''' First Lieutenant Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' Ah- Hu-ah

'''Ragna:''' Tch- ...Stop it! Geh

'''Nu-13:''' !

'''Ragna:''' Eehe- eh…

'''Nu-13:''' Jeez, don't get in my way Ragna~

'''Ragna:''' ...Screw, you…

'''Tsubaki:''' Uhh Uh-ha

'''Jin:''' ! Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' ! Major Kisaragi...are you alright?

'''Jin:''' Why, why did you protect me!?

'''Tsubaki:''' Because I'm...Major Kisaragi's...secretary.

'''Jin:''' Just wait, I'll use a recovery Ars now What the, why won't it activate, why!?

'''Tsubaki:''' Please don't make that sort of face...Major Kisaragi.

'''Jin:''' Damn it, the bleeding, I can't stop the bleeding.

'''Tsubaki:''' ...fine, it's…fine.

'''Jin:''' What's fine! If it's fine then be quiet Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eheh...

'''Jin:''' Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' heh, it's been a while...since you called me...Tsubaki. Uh- Gaah

'''Jin:''' Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' Ah...that's right...if you'd like...tonight...won't you have dinner together? There'll be...delicious stew...and some yummy bread.

'''Jin:''' Tsubaki, Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' Hey...I'm sure...if everyone eats together...it would taste...even better. Jin...niisa...ma...

'''Jin:''' ...Tsubaki.

'''Nu-13:''' She’s died. Hey Ragna, the girl the Nu hates, she died. Not interested? Hehe~ That's true, Ragna has Nu after all~ Mehe~In that case, let's go~

'''Jin:''' ! Nii-san. You bastard… you bastard, you bastard, YOU BAAAAASTARD!!

'''Nu-13:''' Bye-bye~

'''Jin:''' You're the only one, you're the only one I’LL NEVER FORGIVE!

'''Nu-13:''' You're coming along? That's fine but, I won't hand Ragna over to you. Hey Ragna, when people give up on something...they call it fate you know. Everything goes according to the script, a predetermined story.

...

'''Hazama:''' Ah~ Garbage, like garbage would, turned into a dirty corpse huh, First Lieutenant Tsubaki YAYOI! Gah~ Blood and tears, tragedy and comedy. Covered in lines from something like a cheap tear-jerking drama, it's a total mess. And a lump of flesh and blood worth nothing at all. However, even though you were garbage, you were able to move around in an interesting way. I'd say that's passable. With this, we can get started. But hey, maybe you'd be happier this way, Tsubaki-chan. Heheh, YAHAHAHAHA, YAHAHAHA~

...

'''Suwabe:''' BlazBlue Drama CD "The Wheel of Fortune"

'''Kondo:''' Cast

'''Sugita:''' Ragna the Bloodedge, Sugita Tomokazu.

'''Kakihara:''' Jin Kisaragi, Kakihara Tetsuya.

'''Imai:''' Tsubaki Yayoi, Imai Asami.

'''Nakamura:''' Hazama, Nakamura Yūichi.

'''Isomura:''' Makoto Nanaya, Isomura Tomomi.

'''Suwabe:''' Relius Clover, Suwabe Junichi.

'''Kondo:''' Nu-13, Kondo Kanako. And with that we are finished

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell|Snake venom-Farewell]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell

2024-07-31T19:50:31Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Snake Venom== '''Makoto:''' Tsubaki wait, Tsubaki! Oh Tsubaki! '''Tsubaki:''' I see it, that's the Kagutsuchi branch gate. '''Makoto:''' Just calm down a little! '''Tsub..."

==Snake Venom==

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki wait, Tsubaki! Oh Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' I see it, that's the Kagutsuchi branch gate.

'''Makoto:''' Just calm down a little!

'''Tsubaki:''' Back to Major Kisaragi.

'''Makoto:''' Don't do it Tsubaki! Don't touch the gate!

'''Tsubaki:''' AAA

'''Makoto:''' AA ...Ouchy, sorry Tsubaki, I fell a bit too hard there. You're not hurt are you?

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah.

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki, don't overdo it, just a little more and you could've touched the gate! If that happened, we would've instantly been burnt to a crisp by the defense force placed at the gate.

'''Tsubaki:''' You're right, I'm sorry. I just thought I had to get to Major Kisaragi as soon as possible.

'''Makoto:''' Wait, listen Tsubaki, I know how you feel but...Well, in any case stand up. Now then, how do we get in without a written application? It would take a week if it went through the higher-ups. This is why red tape's so

'''Tsubaki:''' Hey Makoto, doesn't something seem off?

'''Makoto:''' Eh?

'''Tsubaki:''' The gate's Ars Magus has been...

'''Makoto:''' ?...! It's been removed.

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah, look.

'''Makoto:''' It's open, why? This shouldn't be happening, this is bad!

'''Tsubaki:''' It seems no one is inside.

'''Makoto:''' What does this mean?

'''Tsubaki:''' I wonder if they evacuated before the Grim Reaper attacked?

'''Makoto:''' That can't be. Whenever received that sort of intel!

'''Tsubaki:''' Then what exactly is this?

...

'''Makoto:''' It's no use. I haven't been able to get in contact at all since then. The line is clearly being jammed.

'''Tsubaki:''' Seems like it.

'''Makoto:''' Should I call for support once the Seithr line is back? But, if this really is the Grim Reaper's doing then it has to be reported to headquarters immediately.

'''Tsubaki:''' Right, so if the Seithr line comes back please report to headquarters.

'''Makoto:''' Roger. Er, Tsubaki? Where are you going?

'''Tsubaki:''' I'll, be searching for Major Kisaragi.

'''Makoto:''' Don't, it's too risky, I've got some kind of bad feeling about this. Don't go, Tsubaki, let's wait for support!

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi's justice is why he came here to take down the Grim Reaper. If that's the case then, my justice is here as well.

'''Makoto:''' But.

'''Tsubaki:''' Maybe, he's already fighting the Grim Reaper.

'''Makoto:''' But, but!

'''Tsubaki:''' Makoto. I'll be fine, I promise I'll return with Major Kisaragi.

'''Makoto:''' Promise you won't be reckless?

'''Tsubaki:''' Yes.

'''Makoto:''' Really?

'''Makoto:''' Yes, really.

'''Makoto:''' You really really mean it!?

'''Tsubaki:''' Hehe~ Why are you making such a face Makoto? It's not like this is goodbye forever. Oh, I know, how about this, tonight let's have dinner together in my room. That's right, after such a long while I want some of Makoto's stew.

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' Did you know? The bread at the cafe where we had the chocolate parfait the other day is also really good.

'''Makoto:''' Hehh I didn't know that.

'''Tsubaki:''' Heh, right? I'll buy some so let's eat it with the stew, ok? Is that alright?

'''Makoto:''' Yeah, I got it. Then I'll quickly call for support too so you really can't be reckless you hear! If things look bad, get out right away.

'''Tsubaki:''' I've got it.

'''Makoto:''' Then, you'll be crying "Holy smokes", cuz I'm a pretty capable young woman if I put my mind to it after all.

'''Tsubaki:''' Hehe, I know that.

'''Makoto:''' Ah, Kisaragi senpai, if, he's doing well then, I'll try asking him out.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh!?

'''Makoto:''' It's fine, it's fine, I'm just trying. Hm.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh, right, if there was such a time then giving it a try might not be so bad.

'''Makoto:''' OK~! Then, Tsubaki, I'll be right back.

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah, I'll be waiting.

...

'''Jin:''' The moon is...falling. Another moon that brings with it the thought of chasing the hiding darkness...is falling Nii-san, hurry, or everything will go crazy.

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi!

'''Jin:''' ! First Lieutenant Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' I finally found you. You disappeared without saying a word and searching for you was terribly-

'''Jin:''' Go back.

'''Tsubaki:''' !

'''Jin:''' You're a nuisance. Go on.

'''Tsubaki:''' Don't tell me, the Grim Reaper really is-

'''Jin:''' I'll be the one who kills him, no one else, but me!

'''Tsubaki:''' Major...Kisaragi?

'''Jin:''' Heh-heheheh…heheHahah

'''Tsubaki:''' Please wait Major Kisaragi

'''Jin:''' Don't touch me!

'''Tsubaki:''' Guh! Keh, ugh. M-major...Kisaragi. Don't, wait, don't…go.

...

'''Tsubaki:''' Where is...this place? The warm sunlight shining down, the smell of the greenery, the murmuring of the river. Ah, this place is...what we're aiming for, the ideal world. Over there...are two small boys. One of them is…heh, I get it, that's Jin-niisama when he was little. And there's one more, a little girl. A soft blonde-haired...girl.

'''Ragna:''' Hey you two, we're heading back now.

'''Jin:''' Yes.

'''Saya:''' Yes~

'''Jin:''' Let's go Saya, Niisan is calling for us.

'''Saya:''' Jin-niisama, look, look at this.

'''Jin:''' That's an amazing flower crown huh, well done. You're pretty amazing Saya, is this for Niisan?

'''Saya:''' Heehee~, nope. Here, I'm giving this to you Jin-niisama.

'''Jin:''' Eh? Me? It's pretty, thanks Saya.

'''Saya:''' I love Jin-niisama too.

'''Tsubaki:''' No, no! Who, Jin-niisama who is that girl? No, don't laugh, don't touch JIN-NIISAMA! no…NO, stop, STOOOOOOOP!

...

'''Tsubaki:''' !!

'''Hazama:''' Are you awake now? First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi.

'''Tsubaki:''' Captain Hazama…

'''Hazama:''' Oh my, oh my, your forehead's been cut, did someone shove you over?

'''Tsubaki:''' Ah, what about Major Kisaragi?

'''Hazama:''' If it's him then he went to the lowest floor.

'''Tsubaki:''' The lowest floor? That's where the Grim Reaper...

'''Hazama:''' Seems like it.

'''Tsubaki:''' Uh-! I have to go.

'''Hazama:''' Will you be alright? Your feet are trembling, I'll lend you a hand.

'''Tsubaki:''' I'll be fine.

'''Hazama:''' It doesn't look like you will, in that condition you can't be anything but a nuisance, you don't understand even that?

'''Tsubaki:''' ...

'''Hazama:''' Oh, that face, don't tell me Major Kisaragi already said that to you? "You're a nuisance, go away"

'''Tsubaki:''' Please move out of the way.

'''Hazama:''' K-Keh, hehehe~ I'm telling you to move away from there!

'''Hazama:''' Ooooh, how scary, how scary. Here you go, right this way.

'''Tsubaki:''' Keh-! Major Kisaragi.

'''Hazama:''' The cauldron on the lowest floor, that's where your beloved is, so.

'''Tsubaki:''' ......!

'''Hazama:''' Please head there right away. Perhaps even you might be of some use...for one last thing. Keh hehehehe. Now then, for the next person, shall I be your advisor as well?

'''Hakumen:''' ... Terumi.

'''Hazama:''' You're right on time aren't you, also it's Hazama right now. Well, whatever is fine, right Relius?

'''Relius:''' Yeah, it's nothing more than another dull symbol.

'''Hazama:''' The problem is that existence.

'''Relius:''' Was it your will that let you slip away from Hazama? Or is something unrefined piloting today? Either way, it's a worthless story.

'''Hakumen:''' The worthless ones are you. You cannot even face forward, all you can do is squirm in the darkness. Scum.

'''Hazama:''' Scum? I can't ignore that. Shall we play a bit?

'''Relius:''' It's time, Hazama.

'''Hazama:''' I know that, just a little bit. He hasn't come to this world just yet, like he's half asleep. Oh and who are you calling SCUM!? I'll beat you so hard you'll wake right up, won't you HAKUMEN-CHAN!!

'''Hakumen:''' I am the white void. I am the cold steel. I am the just sword! With blade in hand I shall reap the sins of this world and cleanse it in the fires of destruction. I am Hakumen! THE END HAS COME!!

'''Hazama:''' THAT AIN'T NO EXCUSE!! Hee-heheheh~ Strong, strong, strong, you're sho shtrong Hakumen-chan!

'''Hakumen:''' Remnant!

'''Hazama:''' Bleh, where ya lookin' cuz I'm not over there!

'''Hakumen:''' It seems you as well are not yet complete, Terumi!

'''Hazama:''' Fucking shut up! Hey, hey, Relius-san! Don't just stand there, shouldn't you be joining in? Actually, help me out a little!

'''Relius:''' Sorry but manual labor doesn't suit me. Can't you finish it up by yourself?

'''Hazama:''' What the hell are you talking about!? Woah, Ha! Here's a serving of dessert!

'''Hakumen:''' Hu- Relius Clover!

'''Relius:''' Can't be helped then. Ignis, come out.

'''Hakumen:''' This is, it can't be!

'''Relius:''' Oh? As expected, you've already realized.

'''Hakumen:''' You carried out the Snap Weapon?

'''Relius:''' It was the daughter. I had help from Kokonoe. Quite the craftsmanship wouldn't you agree?

'''Hakumen:''' Keh! What a wretched path, you filth!!

'''Hazama:''' What is it, what is it? Wanna know more about us?

'''Hakumen:''' What is your aim?

'''Hazama:''' That's another stupid question in a stupid question.

'''Hakumen:''' Answer me, Relius Clover!

'''Relius:''' To bring about a true Azure Grimoire, that's why I'm here.

'''Hakumen:''' What!?

'''Relius:''' For that purpose that girl, Tsubaki Yayoi's existence was unnecessary.

'''Hakumen:''' ! You lead Tsubaki here!?

'''Hazama:''' You get it now? It's cuz you're wearing that mask that you can't clearly see your surroundings. KEE-HAHAHAA!

'''Hakumen:''' Bastards!

'''Hazama:''' Oh? Did he snap?

'''Hakumen:''' HaaaAAAAA! What!?

'''Hazama:''' Huh? This is great timing but...

'''Relius:''' Phenomenon Intervention.

'''Hakumen:''' Khh, at a time like this

'''Hazama:''' Ehh- It was a challenge because my body was tied to the Master Unit, heh how pitiful. Hehehe-eh GAH... This is bad, did I push myself to much too?

'''Relius:''' There are limits to self-observation. You reap what you sow.

'''Hazama:''' Shut up... I'm fine so, take care of the rest.

'''Relius:''' It seems the time...has come

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue

2024-07-31T19:23:25Z

Bloodedge666:

{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:BBCFCover.PNG|thumb|BBCF: Console Release Main Design]]

'''BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger''' (ブレイブルーカラミティトリガー Bureiburū: Karamiti Torigā) is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation.

The game is currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 16:9 ratio and 768p resolution and was released on November 19, in Japan and November 20, 2008 in the United States. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles on June 25, 2009 in Japan. A port for the PlayStation Portable, titled BlazBlue Portable (ブレイブルーポータブル Bureiburū Pōtaburu), was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan. The PC version was released in Europe on August 20 and in Japan on August 26, 2010. The PlayStation Portable port was released in Europe on September 9, 2010. The PC port is a direct conversion of the Xbox 360 version, and contains cross-platform compatibility via the Games for Windows - Live service.

A sequel, also next episode featuring new content and characters, titled '''BlazBlue: Continuum Shift''' (ブレイブルーコンティニュアムシフト Bureiburū: Kontinyuamu Shifuto) has also been released for the arcade, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Other game sequels include '''Blazblue: Chronophantasma''' and '''Blazblue: Central Fiction''' both released on various systems.

Additionally an anime adaptation titled '''Blazblue: Alter Memory''' was released for both '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' 's main plot.

Lite novel adaptations for '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' also exist and are listed below.

Two visual novel spinoffs titled '''Xblaze: Code Embryo''' and '''Xblaze: Lost Memories''' were released and are the original story to feature the character Es recently announced for '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''. It is believed Nine and Celica A. Mercury make cameo appearances in Lost Memories as well.

A loosely linked spinoff, '''Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience''' was released in two parts and provides some questionable links and backstory to Blazblue featuring returning characters Relius Clover, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Clavis Alucard and stars Naoto Kurogane, a new addition to the cast of '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''.

'''Phase Shift''' is a novel series based on that game written by Komao Mako and the illustrations by Yuuki Katou. It provides insight into the backstory of the Dark War, the conflict with the Black Beast between 2100-2110 in Blazblue's timeline and culminated with the introduction of Celica A. Mercury to the game's plot in '''Chronophantasma''' as the final Phase Shift novel was released right before the game came out.

'''Bloodedge Experience''' came out between '''Chronophantasma''' and '''Central Fiction's''' game releases and before Naoto Kurogane's introduction as a playable character to Blazblue.

Additionally several canon short-stories were released in various formats, including inside Material Collections and Drama Cds.

==Organization==
Due to the convoluted and non-linear flow of how lore is presented in Blazblue, this site will organize the releases in '''order of release'''.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''BlazBlue'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[BlazBlue:Phase~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==
Before the events of the game, humanity was on the verge of extinction from a creature called the "Black Beast." The world was saved by six heroes who wielded magic. They helped humanity create "Ars Magus", a fusion of magic and science, to defeat the Black Beast. This event would be later known as the First War of Magic.

After the war, the Novus Orbis Librarium (the Library or NOL for short) was created to govern the world with the use of Ars Magus. A great deal of dissent was caused by the Library, partly due to Ars Magus' use in nearly every facet of society, and the widening socioeconomic gap between those who could and couldn't use Ars Magus. This dissent would eventually form years later into the Second War of Magic or also known as the Ikaruga Civil War, when the city of Ikaruga openly rebelled against the NOL. Upon winning the war, the NOL imposed a harsher rule on the world, punishing any rebellion against the NOL with death.

In December AD 2199, several years after the Second War of Magic, a branch of the NOL was utterly destroyed by an SS-class rebel named "Ragna" also known as the "Grim Reaper", in an attempt to destroy the Librarium. The NOL, hoping to stop him, immediately announced the largest bounty ever, available to anyone who could capture him. Interestingly, Ragna possesses a powerful form of Ars Magus known as the "Azure Grimoire." This led the NOL, as well as the other fighters, to hunt Ragna not just for his bounty, but also his Azure Grimoire.

The games slowly develop Ragna's battle with his nemesis Yuuki Terumi and other fighters as various factions follow their agendas to harness the Azure, destroy the Master Unit: Amatarasu, or protect those they care for.

==Updates (Bloodedge666)==
31 July 2024, The Wheel of Fortune is fully translated and published. All credits for the translation and editing goes to CMYOGS and Umberwolf respectively.
==Updates (Ziggurat)==
21 Septermber 2017 Lowtier asked me to pick this up since he got salty and stopped caring about BB lore after CF's story mode. Use message or Talk to communicate with me.

== Updates (Lowtierscrub)==
* 7 November 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 2 is complete. RIP. We're getting their. Holidays get busy at my household so next update might take slightly longer, but we'll see. I'm shooting for a chapter a month so release in February/March?
*18 October 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 1 is complete. Hold me fam, Overtime + Translating = Sadness. At least I'm not CF Kagura... Also updated the page a lttle.
*4 September 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Guesslation Project Began (Got novels, will translate in free time and '''will upload once entire novel done''' so I can proofread and make sure all translations are consistent).
B-baka, it's not like I want this translation to be as good as possible or anything... (tilts head to side as twin-tails sway in the wind). kappa. Post in Dustloop short story thread if you have questions or comments for me.

== Updates (Spesialo)==
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 3 started.
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 2 completed.
*10 July 2014 - Phase Shift 2 started.
*1 July 2014 - Phase Shift 1 completed.
*28 July 2013 - Phase Shift 1 started.
*28 July 2013 - Phase 0 completed.
*7 April 2013 - BlazBlue project created.

== Updates (zephyr07 from Dustloop)==
*Hakumen's story added (20-8-2010)
*Rachel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Noel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Carl's story added (21-8-2010)
*Arakune's story added (24-8-2010)
*Bang's story added (25-8-2010)
*Tager's story added (6-9-2010)
*Taokaka's story added (19-9-2010)
*Litchi's story added (5-10-2010)

== Updates (Suzaku from Dustloop)==
*Ragna's Short Story "Memory of Blue"
*Jin's Short Story "purgatory hell"

== Translation ==

===[[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback Thread]'''

 
 

== Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Material Collection==
[[File:BlazBlue Material Collection (Cover).jpg|thumbnail|Material Collection Cover]]
===Calamity Trigger Material Collection ([[Calamity Trigger Material Collection|Full Text]])===
'''Synopsis:''' Canon short stories for the Calamity Trigger cast.

::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Ragna Short Story "Memory of Blue"|Ragna Short Story: "Memory of Blue"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"|Jin Short Story: "purgatory hell"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"|Rachel Short Story: "Endless Waltz"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"|Litchi Short Story: "Borderline"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Arakune Short Story "The Diary"|Arakune Short Story: "The Diary"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"|Bang Short Story: "Fortune favours the bold"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Carl Short Story "Puppeteers"|Carl Short Story: "Puppeteers"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Hakumen Short Story "Innocent Black"|Hakumen Short Story: "Innocent Black"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Nu Short Story "an evil sign"|Nu Short Story: "an evil sign"]]

 
 
 
 

==Blazblue Continuum Shift Material Collection: Trigger Shift==
[[File:BBCS Material Collection Cover.jpg|thumb]]
===Trigger Shift ([[Trigger Shift|Full Text]])===

This is an official short story that was written specifically for the Continuum Shift Extend Material Collection.

"BlazBlue Calamity Trigger" to "BlazBlue Continuum Shift".

A story about a day in the lifes of the characters who moved into the world of "possibility".
A story about those who can live on from the never ending world.
May the wheel of fate turn in their fortune.

Author: Mako Komao, Designer: Toshimichi Mori

::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side|Kagatsuchi's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Jin's Side|Jin's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side|Hazama's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side|Carl's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Ragna's & Noel's Side|Ragna's & Noel's Side]]
 
 
 
 

== Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD ==
[[File:BBWoF.jpg|thumbnail|Drama CD Cover]]
'''Synopsisː''' The story of how Hakumen came to exist in the main Blazblue timeline in an alternate Kagasuchi where Noel Vermillion never existed and Tsubaki Yayoi became Jin Kisaragi's secretary instead.

::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate|Prologue-The Day of Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again|Long reunion-Meeting Again]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell|Snake venom-Farewell]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
 
 

 
 

 

== BlazBlue: Phase 0==

===Phase 0 ([[BlazBlue:Phase 0|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/li75i629i25hvva/ PDF])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_Phase0_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase 0 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Ragna the Bloodedge. That man is nicknamed Grim Reaper and possesses the power of Azure Grimoire. Yet, he awakens in an unfamiliar land and has lost both the Azure's power and his memory.

In this unknown world, he comes across Celica, a girl who is able to use healing magic, and a beastkin warrior named Mitsuyoshi. Their journey is closely related to the Black Beast, a being which drive humanity to devastation. However...

The popular fighting game series BlazBlue's history, previously shrouded in history, is about to be laid bare. The official story leading to where it all begins  has arrived!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Lost White]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Destructive Black]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Reality's Red]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Chance-met Silver]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Sealed Green]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Promised Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Phase Shift'' Series==

===Phase Shift 1 ([[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1|Full Text]])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift1_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2106. The world is in chaos from the threatening Black Beast. At the Mage's Guild-governed island Ishana, a student Kazuma lives a normal life. But when he meets Yuuki Terumi by chance, history receives a new Phase Shift.

"If you can get the Azure, you can take back whatever you want. Things you lost, things you forgot, whatever."

Is that the prelude of destruction? Or a gospel of salvation...?

Within the light and darkness of the Boundary, hope and despair blend together. The curtain for a new episode of BlazBlue's official story has been raised!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Island of Green Wisdom]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cat of Crimson Sunset]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mind of Azure Deviation]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Doubt of Yellow Equilibrium]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Night of Black Betrayal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Voice of Emerald Evil]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' "Mr. Hero."

"How would you like to become a real hero?"

Jin Kisaragi, in the brink of death, meets one young girl. At that moment, the last gear to truth begins to turn...

Finally, the ''Black Beast'' is about to be resurrected. The ones who fight, the ones who protect, and the ones working in the shadows... Many feelings and thoughts are entangled, and the stage of the final battle for mankind's survival is set.

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in BlazBlue history that leads to all possible futures. All of its secrets will be revealed here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: White Blade, A Flower]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Purple Ones, Their Theory]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Scarlet Guardian, the Doll]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Indigo Heart, the Conception]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Black Beast, Reappears]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 3===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift3_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 3 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Nox Nyctores: Take-Mikazuchi. It appears all of a sudden during the decisive battle between mankind and Black Beast. With one blow, it overturns the battle situation. Nine, rejecting the powerful weapon, deepens her conflict with the other Ten Sages. Furthermore, she is restrained from participating in the battle.

During the intensifying chaos and hopeless situation, Celica reunites with 'that person' once more. That meeting leads to a new fateful Phase Shift, and yet...

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue. The heroes are advancing to the final battle. Their thoughts and bonds are weaving a tale of truth, a tale that will be recited here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Battlefield with Blue Sky]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Ashen Current]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Copper Catgirl]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Silvery Illusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Hope and Despair on the Green Hilltop]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 4===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift4_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 4 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Since the fall of Take-Mikazuchi, the Magical City of Ishana finally acknowledges the Black Beast's threat. Within desperation, the Six Heroes and the entire human race are about to start their last counterattack!

Just what is the fateful Phase Shift that waits for the heroes after their battle...? This shocking novel series will draw the truth of the biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue's history, 'The Dark War'. The time for conclusion has come!

"...Later, Celica. If we meet again, teach me properly, okay?"

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Swirling Tea]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Azure Wish's Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5|Chapter : Colorless Guiding Light]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 5: Blue Snake's Crazed Play]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue'' Series==

===Volume 1: Calamity Trigger — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2199. The world is covered in seithr and mankind is forced to live in Hierarchical cities, ascending constructions similar to towers.

The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi has been infiltrated by a man with the most bounty in the world. He is Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', a man who possesses the ''Azure Grimoire''. Thus, the wheel of fate begins to turn.

"Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field deployed! BlazBlue, activate!"

The popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. The new legend starts here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Stratum city — Hierarchical City]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Spiral fate — The Board's Pieces]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Grim Reaper — The Man Called Death God]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Burned church — Brothers]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity black — Dark Demise]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue: A Certain's Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Volume 2: Calamity Trigger — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Part_2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' During his journey, Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', travels to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi to destroy the Cauldron. At the same time, Noel Vermillion, carrying the magic guns Bolverk, also heading to Kagutsuchi in accordance with the order from Librarium. Ragna and Noel... When both of their destinies intertwine, the eternally turning wheel of fate shall be altered!

The super popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. Its legend will be concluded!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Prologue|Prologue: A Certain's Prologue]] (blank page)
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Orient town — Orient Town]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cross fate — The Thing That Is There]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: False hero — The Man Called Hero]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Memorable church — Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity trigger — Successor of the Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 3: Continuum Shift — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 1 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 1 Cover]]
After the intervention of ''Calamity Trigger'' Noel Vermillion, the loops that appear to last forever came to an end. However, when a warrior from Sector Sever named Tager encounters a 'prime field' in the ruins of the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido, fate changes to a new phase.

On the other hand, after he went through a struggle to death with Nu, the 'Grim Reaper' Ragna the Bloodedge sees the image of his sister on a Librarium girl named Noel. However, a shadow aiming for them is inviting Ragna to a new battle——. A new Continuum Shift of the super popular fighting game BlazBlue begins!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Wheel turns — A New Gear]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Recollection Dream — The Children Are Dreaming]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Fragile balance — The Power of Order]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Sister's illusion — Vestiges]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Dead once — Phenomenon Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 4: Continuum Shift — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 2 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 2 Cover]]
"...Irregularity: none. Resuming combat action."

Λ – 11, the girl who assaulted Ragna the 'Grim Reaper'. He meets with the 'prime field' girl, but she invites Ragna to an even harsher battle. Meanwhile, Noel was hurrying to meet her best friend Makoto Nanaya. But before her, her other best friend Tsubaki Yayoi appears. Toward Noel who is glad with the meeting, Tsubaki——.

Continuum Shift. It is all the possibilities of the world. The result of many destinies and infinitely equal endings is waiting for Ragna and the others. Now, the decisive battle that shakes the world begins!!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Code number — Sector Seven]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: The despair — Truth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Continuum shift — Probability Phenomenon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Material girl — Murakumo]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Call name — Human to the End]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience'' Series==

'''Synopsis:'''
This new expansion to the Blazblue universe follows the story of Naoto Kurogane
a high school boy with a special right eye and connection to the Amanohokosaka Clan.
Learn the story of Blazblue: Central Fiction's newest playable character in this multi-part story
that bridges the gap between Xblaze and Blazblue that includes familiar characters as well!

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 1 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 1 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 1 Cover]]

'''Synopsis:'''
"Kurogane Naoto was a mostly ordinary high schooler who lived a peaceful life
with his childhood friend Hayami Haruka. What wasn't ordinary with Naoto is that
his right eye is a little special, it possesses a special ability, "Hunter's Eye",
that make it possible for Naoto to see other people's Life Force in numerical values.

But his ordinary days ended when he met a girl with such high Life Force that she couldn't
possibly be human. The girl introduced herself as Raquel Alucard, a vampire. She ordered
him to get the hold of the Azure.

And so Naoto was dragged into a bloody battle surrounding the Azure." [From BB wikia; verify if from back cover]

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Prologue|Prologue: Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Contact]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Immortal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mitsurugi]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Secret]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Interlude]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 2 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 2 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:'''
"The swung down red blade, will carve a new legend of BlazBlue!

Kurogane Naoto, who have awaken the "Bloodedge". His little sister Saya's deadly sword is approaching him! A collision of several special ability users. And what awaits at the end of the Azure seeking Raquel Alucard's wish... " Outside Chapter is speculated to be set after Central Fiction's events, but before Central Fiction Naoto enters main Blazblue Central Fiction. It's similar to how the Black Beast existed in 2100 even though Ragna was not created until 2190s.

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Prologue|Prologue:Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7|Chapter 7: Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8: Thought and Felt]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9|Chapter 9: Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Fusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue: Heartbeat]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Outside Chapter|Outside Chapter: Fragment]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Sprial Shift'' Series==

=== Blazblue : Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu - Hero of the Iceblade ([[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu|Full Text]])===
[[Image:SpiralShift.jpg|thumb|Announcment Image]]
'''Synopsis:'''
The story follows the graduation of Jin Kisaragi from the Military Academy as he enlists to fight in the Second War of Ars Magus or the Ikaruga Civil War for the NOL. In this tale, some light is shed on the brutality of NOL in dealing with the insurrection of the Ikaruga Federation for freedom against the NOL hegemony and monopoly of Grimories. Being deployed to the most contested region with the most violent opposition, Jin must deal with social tensions of being a Duodecim member among lower-class allies with the tide turning against their forces. There is more than meets the eye to this war though, as Jin and his new unit encounter signs of Sector Seven (the other faction against the NOL) experiments. Not only that, but Jin's new unit, the 9th Unit or "The Hounds" exist to only weaken enemy forces enough so that higher-class units can sweep in and claim both the spoils and glory of war in a battlefield meant only to test new weapons and never to retreat or advance. What other hidden-agendas will Jin Kisaragi discover in this farce of a war?

::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu STORY|STORY]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 1|Chapter 1: The Human of the Kisaragi Family / Distorted recognition]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Eiyu (Hero) / True face]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Afterword|Afterword]]
 

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Ziggurat|Ziggurat]]
*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Suzaku|Suzaku]]
*[[User:Hayashi_s|zephyr07]]
*[[User:Spesialo|Spesialo]]

===Editors===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Emma|Emma]]
*[[User:Nerokun|Nerokun]]

== Series Overview ==

<big>''' BlazBlue: Material Collection'''</big>
*BLAZBLUEー設定資料集 (2009 ISBN 9784797354836)[CT Short Story Source]

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase 0'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ─ブレイブルー─ フェイズ０ (August 20, 2010 ISBN 978-4829145920)[Phase 0]

<big>'''Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD'''</big>
BLAZBLUE 「THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE ～運命の輪～」ドラマCD (September 2010)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase Shift Series'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト１(April 20, 2011 ISBN 978-4829146170)[Phase Shift 1]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト２(January 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146309)[Phase Shift 2]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト3(May 19, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146712)[Phase Shift 3]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト4(September 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146897)[Phase Shift 4]

<big>'''The BlazBlue Series'''</big>

Calamity Trigger Retelling
*BLAZBLUE‐ブレイブルー‐1 カラミティトリガー〈上〉(January 19, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147078)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―2 カラミティトリガー〈下)(May 18, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147290)

Continuum Shift Retelling
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―3　コンティニュアムシフト〈上〉(September 20, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147474)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―4 コンティニュアムシフト〈下〉(January 18, 2014 ISBN 978-4040700175)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience Series'''</big>

*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―ブラッドエッジエクスペリエンス(上) (June 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702254)[Bloodedge Experience Part 1]
*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルーブラッドエッジ・エクスペリエンス（下） (November 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702155)[Bloodedge Experience Part 2]

<big>'''The Blazblue: Spiral Shift Series''' </big>

*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルースパイラルシフト氷刃の英雄 (October 20, 2016 ISBN 978-4040708577 (4040708571) )[Hyokin no Eiyu/"Ice Blade-Wielding Hero"]

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Fujimi Dragon Book]]
[[Category:Mako Komao]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction

2024-07-31T19:19:09Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Creeping Doom== '''Speaker:''' 1400 hours, the Ikaruga land survey strategy meeting will be held, the First '''Tsubaki:''' Not here either, where on earth... '''Hazama:''..."

==Creeping Doom==

'''Speaker:''' 1400 hours, the Ikaruga land survey strategy meeting will be held, the First

'''Tsubaki:''' Not here either, where on earth...

'''Hazama:''' Are you looking for something? First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi.

'''Tsubaki:''' ! Captain Hazama!

'''Hazama:''' Woah there. Please don't look at me with those eyes. It almost looks as if I did something to the First Lieutenant.

'''Tsubaki:''' Why are you here?

'''Hazama:''' No you see, seeing the First Lieutenant's terribly panicked figure running around, something must've been up I thought.

'''Tsubaki:''' ...

'''Hazama:''' So, that thing you're looking for is...Major Kisaragi isn't it.

'''Tsubaki:''' Huh! You're aware of Major Kisaragi's whereabouts?

'''Hazama:''' I knew it. You're already going there aren't you.

'''Tsubaki:''' Captain Hazama, what do you know?

'''Hazama:''' Indeed, what do I know?

'''Tsubaki:''' Please don't dodge the subject!

'''Hazama:''' Ooh how scary, well then let's hear the opposite. First Lieutenant, what are you so anxious about?

'''Tsubaki:''' That's...

'''Hazama:''' A bad feeling? Or perhaps a vague apprehension? Don't tell me it's a woman's intuition!?

'''Tsubaki:''' Please don't mess around, Captain.

'''Hazama:''' Khe- Well, It's common for Major Kisaragi to have aimlessly gone wandering off somewhere isn't it? No need to make such a fuss.

'''Tsubaki:''' Recently...things have been changing as of late. There was no way I could stay silent...

'''Hazama:''' "If only he'd properly told me his whereabouts"? Eh?

'''Tsubaki:''' I am Major Kisaragi's secretary. Knowing his whereabouts is part of my duties.

'''Hazama:''' Ha! His whereabouts is it? Are you planning to be lovers or something?

'''Tsubaki:''' !?

'''Hazama:''' Or perhaps, his substitute mother.

'''Tsubaki:''' That sort of thing...

'''Hazama:''' "For his sake", "Because I love him", "Because that's what he wants", Huh. If you were to ask me, you're covering everything up. In conclusion, because you can't be satisfied unless it's you, your role, your position, if you don't establish them you can't help but be anxious. "I'm trying to be needed, so need me". If not for that, your flimsy identity would start crumbling from under your feet wouldn't it.

'''Tsubaki:''' N-n

'''Hazama:''' To sum it up, you are an imperfect human being who can't construct their own existence by themselves.

'''Tsubaki:''' I

'''Hazama:''' Because it seems like you'll fall over by yourself, you walk using Major Kisaragi as a substitute cane, not realizing whether those steps are unsightly or not. Supporting him? That's wrong isn't it. The one being supported is you, First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi. And then he went off, not caring about you or anything like you.

'''Tsubaki:''' Why, why do you know those things?

'''Hazama:''' Oh no, excuse me. Indeed. It's impossible for me who doesn't know much about the First Lieutenant to be saying this and that. Well, some advice as a superior, oh but, to the very end it's all nothing but baseless speculation.

'''Tsubaki:''' Captain, are you...aware of Major Kisaragi's destination?

'''Hazama:''' The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi.

'''Tsubaki:''' The 13th Hierarchical City...

'''Hazama:''' To meet the Grim Reaper. Eh.

'''Tsubaki:''' Huh! Don't tell me he's trying to take down the Grim Reaper by himself.

'''Hazama:''' That indeed.

'''Tsubaki:''' That's...

'''Hazama:''' Oh, it seems I've been talking for a little too long. I'll be excusing myself now, First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi.

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi, please wait for me, I'm heading over now!

...

'''Ragna:''' Tch, this room's a dead end too huh. God, they made it look like a maze. The window's open? That damn moon is shining through. Who's there!

'''Relius:''' Oh? I had erased my presence but...as expected of the Man of the Azure or something.

'''Ragna:''' Ha! A fishy smell was spreading, your presence coming with it wasn't the problem.

'''Relius:''' What an interesting specimen, shall I try it out a little?

'''Ragna:''' Wa, da.What the?

'''Relius:''' What's wrong? You look pale.

'''Ragna:''' You! What did you do? Gha!

'''Relius:''' The Azure Grimoire, is it still not under control yet? How unskilled.

'''Ragna:''' You shit! I said what did YOU DO!

'''Relius:''' Ignis, come out.

'''Ragna:''' Kh, Nirvana? No, it's not. What is this thing?

'''Relius:''' Fluctus Redactum: Ignis. Ragna the Bloodedge, let me try it on you.

'''Ragna:''' Fluctus Redactum? Tch, who the hell are you!? Kh, don't just flutter away!

'''Relius:''' Is that so?

'''Ragna:''' Tch, out of the way, PUPPET BASTARD!

'''Relius:''' Truly a dull assault.

'''Ragna:''' SHUT UP! Ghe! Eh…He- Eh…

'''Relius:''' Are you done?

'''Ragna:''' Bastard, finish up the nonchalant act, and get serious already!

'''Relius:''' Serious? What meaning is there in that? In any case, Bloodedge. Why won't you activate the BlazBlue, you can't beat me at this level.

'''Ragna:''' Prattling on and on, shut up! Kh, he dodged? Where the hell did he go, that bastard!

'''Relius:''' Ragna the Bloodedge.

'''Ragna:''' Above!? Tch, since when did he get up there.

'''Relius:''' I was measuring the extent, the first match was fake. So this much?

'''Ragna:''' What was that bastard, what did you just say!? Get the hell down here, I'll beat you the hell up!

'''Relius:''' It was just a waste of time.

'''Ragna:''' Wait right there, bastard!

...

'''Hazama:''' Welcome back, how did you like him, the Man of the Azure.

'''Relius:''' Still a long way off.

'''Hazama:''' Well, but of course. He doesn't understand anything after all.

'''Relius:''' More importantly, how's the Thirteenth Prime Field Device?

'''Hazama:''' Rest easy, just a moment ago, a Cocoon of Time occurred. No one will be able to stop the smelting now.

'''Relius:''' That's so? That's a high degree of perfection. I look forward to it.

'''Hazama:''' Just now, did you smile?

'''Relius:''' Was I smiling?

'''Hazama:''' Yeah, I'm astonished. Even you have feelings of enjoyment.

'''Relius:''' I just knew that too

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell|Snake venom-Farewell]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine

2024-07-31T19:08:33Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "==Friendly Daily== '''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi, please wait Major Kisaragi. '''Jin:''' What? '''Tsubaki:''' No "what". Where could you be going? Today, you have a meeting..."

==Friendly Daily==

'''Tsubaki:''' Major Kisaragi, please wait Major Kisaragi.

'''Jin:''' What?

'''Tsubaki:''' No "what". Where could you be going? Today, you have a meeting in the afternoon

'''Jin:''' Not interested.

'''Tsubaki:''' Not interested...that's not the issue. In the first place, you keep saying that you're not interested but is there even anything you are interested in?

'''Jin:''' Hm.

'''Tsubaki:''' Uh? W-what is it? Is there something on my face?

'''Jin:''' Having mass amounts of sweets in your body is poisonous.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh?

'''Jin:''' When does that meeting you mentioned start?

'''Tsubaki:''' Oh um, at 2 p.m. in Meeting Room 3.

'''Jin:''' I'll be back by then. As for the materials, please have them ready on my desk.

'''Tsubaki:''' They're already there.

'''Jin:''' Understood.

'''Tsubaki:''' ... I wonder if he really does understand.

'''Makoto:''' Tsu~baki!

'''Tsubaki:''' HUH!?

'''Makoto:''' Hehe~ Surprised?

'''Tsubaki:''' Geez, please don't suddenly hug me from behind, Second Lieutenant Makoto Nanaya.

'''Makoto:''' Oopsies, please excuse my rudeness, First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi ma'am.

'''Tsubaki:''' Good grief, "Tsubaki" is fine when it's just the two of us. So, what is it?

'''Makoto:''' After all, Tsubaki was staring blankly at Kisaragi-senpai's back~

'''Tsubaki:''' I was not staring blankly.

'''Makoto:''' What's got you so mad? Hm?Um,Tsubaki, did you eat some chocolate?

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh?

'''Makoto:''' On the side of your lips, there's some chocolate stuck there.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh!? Ah, no way. So just then Major Kisaragi saw it too?

'''Makoto:''' Huh? Kisaragi-senpai noticed it too?

'''Tsubaki:''' Seems so. Just then he said to refrain from having sweets. Oh geez, how embarrassing. In that case I wish he'd let me know properly.

'''Makoto:''' Hehe, Tsubaki has some cute characteristics.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh? What do you mean?

'''Makoto:''' After all, Kisaragi-senpai, is a person who takes an "I don't care" stance when it comes to people's matters. No matter what anyone does, no matter what anyone says, no matter if chocolate is stuck to the side of your mouth or even if drool is hanging from it. He'll carry on with his signature "Not interested" in spite of everything. Towards Tsubaki though, it's a little different.

'''Tsubaki:''' You- You think so?

'''Makoto:''' Of course. Maybe Kisaragi-senpai, opened up his heart to Tsubaki?

'''Tsubaki:''' That's not true. There isn't anyone Major Kisaragi allows his heart to open up to. Because ever since that war, he’s changed.

'''Makoto:''' ... I wonder if I can understand that a little. Before there was a softer atmosphere, the current Kisaragi-senpai though, sometimes I can't tell what he's thinking about. Those cold eyes are looking but, it's like they aren't seeing.

'''Tsubaki:''' ... But, that's why I said I won't falter. I won't deny his current self, and I won't ask for his old self back either. It's just that, even a little, I wanted to make some small change that would melt something frozen in Major Kisaragi. It would be good if that was possible… at least that’s what I think.

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki…

'''Tsubaki:''' After all, I am Major Jin Kisaragi's secretary.

'''Makoto:''' Hmh! That's great Tsubaki!

'''Tsubaki:''' Hehe

'''Makoto:''' Alright! A reward for that great Tsubaki. I Makoto-chan will treat you to some tea.

'''Tsubaki:''' Ehh? I’m fine, you know.

'''Makoto:''' Eh? You're fine? Are you sure? Rumor has it, that there's a super delicious chocolate parfait at the recently opened cafe but…

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh? Chocolate parfait?

'''Makoto:''' That's right! The finest chocolate parfait.

'''Tsubaki:''' The finest…

'''Makoto:''' Hehe~ Alright! It's decided. Let's go, let's go!

'''Tsubaki:''' By the way Makoto, are you saying that on purpose?

'''Makoto:''' Say what?

'''Tsubaki:''' Hm, It's fine if you haven't noticed.

'''Makoto:''' Let's go already! Even if sweets are poisonous, it can't be helped since chocolate is so yummy!

'''Tsubaki:''' Geez, I knew it was on purpose.

'''Makoto:''' Haha~

'''Tsubaki:''' Wait, Makoto! It's not like I can go since I must be back before the meeting begins at 2 p.m. Alright?

'''Makoto:''' It'll be fineeee, there's still time.

'''Tsubaki:''' Uh. I'll have to return by 1:30 p.m. to review and verify the materials...It should be fine. In that case, just for a little bit...heh Makoto wait!

…

'''Makoto:''' Terrace seating is the best, the wind feels great doesn't it?

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah, it's so peaceful, my heart feels so at ease.

'''Makoto:''' Tsubaki, you said something cool but, what about your mouth?

'''Tsubaki:''' Huh! Is there something stuck there again!?

'''Makoto:''' Just kidding. Don't worry, don't worry, nothing's stuck there.

'''Tsubaki:''' Geez, that'd be surprising wouldn't it, Makoto.

'''Makoto:''' But it truly is peaceful isn't it? Somewhere in this world, someone is shedding blood.

'''Tsubaki:''' Makoto?

'''Makoto:''' It's just a coincidence isn't it, that we are at peace now.

'''Tsubaki:''' ... Did something happen Makoto?

'''Makoto:''' It's not that something happened to me in particular. In a way, on one hand there are pastry chefs making chocolate parfaits at cafes, on the other there’s a villain going around destroying our precious facilities.

'''Tsubaki:''' Villain?

'''Makoto:''' Yep, haven't you heard? A villain has been going around crushing various places' NOL branches recently. The story of the Grim Reaper.

'''Tsubaki:''' The Grim Reaper?

'''Makoto:''' Mmmm, this sort of thing hasn't gotten out that much yet. I see, perhaps, I wonder if only insiders know about this?

'''Tsubaki:''' It hasn't reached the Fourth Thaumaturgist squadron at least.

'''Makoto:''' Mmm Well, in that case, this is to be expected of the Novus Orbis Librarium's Intelligence Department. The first thing I received at the beginning of my assignment was information on the Grim Reaper y'know.

'''Tsubaki:''' That Grim Reaper is rebelling against the NOL?

'''Makoto:''' The branches attacked by the Grim Reaper were completely destroyed without being able to do anything. Right now, it seems the higher-ups are desperately working out a countermeasure but... Too much Grim Reaper-related information is inaccurate. Weeeell, I guess we've come to a standstill or rather, how do I say this…

'''Tsubaki:''' Hey Makoto, that Grim Reaper, what kind of-

'''Makoto:''' Oops, sorry Tsubaki, I can't go into too much detail.

'''Tsubaki:''' Ahh, ehh, you're right.

'''Makoto:''' Sorry on my part too. I kinda told you half-heartedly.

'''Tsubaki:''' No, you don't have to apologize Makoto. Thanks to your story, I've strengthened my resolve. The peace we feel right now, it's a thing maintained by the NOL. An existence that threatens the destruction of the NOL, is the same as an existence that threatens peace.

'''Makoto:''' Mhm, You're right. I think so too.

'''Tsubaki:''' Hey Makoto, I want to create a world without war. Everyone can feel safe and sound. A world where you can spend time in good health.

'''Makoto:''' Yeah, that's a good world.

'''Tsubaki:''' It will happen if you do it too. Not by yourself, but together with your friend's united strength. Ok?

'''Makoto:''' Heh- Rather than friend...that is...together with Kisaragi-senpai you mean?

'''Tsubaki:''' N-no!

'''Makoto:''' You turned red~

'''Tsubaki:''' Geez, Makoto.

'''Makoto:''' Hehaha~

'''Hazama:''' Oh my, what a coincidence, Second Lieutenant Makoto Nanaya.

'''Makoto:''' ! Captain Hazama.

'''Hazama:''' Just stay where you are. Perfect timing, actually you...and...ummmmm...over there would be, the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron's-If I remember correctly-Major Kisaragi's secretary...Ummmmmmmmm

'''Tsubaki:''' First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi, Captain sir.

'''Hazama:''' Right, right! The daughter of the Yayoi family, First Lieutenant Tsubaki! I humbly beg your pardon. I am Hazama of the Intelligence Department. I wish to make your acquaintance.

'''Tsubaki:''' Oh no, the pleasure is min-

'''Hazama:''' No, no, if you are a member of the Duodecim then you'll rise up the ranks in no time and before you know it you'll be my superior, these sorts of things can happen y'know.

'''Tsubaki:''' Captain, please stop speaking that way.

'''Hazama:''' Oh deary me, did I make you angry? Oh by the way, how is it? Working under Major Kisaragi must be pretty difficult. The Major is awfully stubborn after all.

'''Tsubaki:''' There's no need for your concern. Makor Kisaragi has been treating me very well actually.

'''Hazama:''' Ooohh, now that's a surprise. Is there something special between the First Lieutenant and Major Kisarag-

'''Makoto:''' Captain Hazama, um, were you having tea by yourself?

'''Hazama:''' Aaah, it's a late lunch though rather than tea. This cafe's boiled eggs are exquisitely boiled, I come here often you see.

'''Makoto:''' Eh, ehhhh…Boiled eggs you say?

'''Hazama:''' Haven't you had any? I recommend it.

'''Makoto:''' I'll try some next time. Um, so, Captain Hazama? Didn't you have some business with me? Just then you said "Perfect timing"

'''Hazama:''' Welllll, well, it's a bit difficult here, please report to my office later.

'''Makoto:''' Yes, roger that.

'''Hazama:''' Well then.

'''Makoto:''' ? Captain Hazama what are you...that's our receipt you know.

'''Hazama:''' What you say, as a superior you can't make your cute subordinates pay, can you.

'''Makoto:''' But...

'''Tsubaki:''' Captain Hazama, receiving such a thing is pushing it.

'''Makoto:''' She's right, we didn't even have tea together.

'''Hazama:''' Heh, it's alright. At times like these please just accept my kindness, these sorts of things don't happen very often you know. Perhaps, it might not even happen ever again, right?

'''Makoto:''' In that case, if you insist.

'''Tsubaki:''' Thank you for the meal Captain sir.

'''Hazama:''' Then, excuse me for my leave.

'''Makoto:''' I...can't deal with that guy at all.

'''Tsubaki:''' Yeah, I kind of understand what you mean.

'''Makoto:''' Rather than I can't deal with him, to be honest, I hate him!

'''Tsubaki:''' Wait, Makoto, that's a bit much.

'''Makoto:''' After all, that was weird wasn't it!? A disposition pretending to be soft and gentle, but everything must go as he wants it ! I can't forgive that aptitude! The conversation was wrapped up so that we couldn't refuse his offer!

'''Tsubaki:''' Well, when you put it like that, I guess it's true.

'''Makoto:''' That thing about Tsubaki and Kisaragi-senpai is true too! That guy, he actually knows everything he's talking about.

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh? Is that true?

'''Makoto:''' He enjoys watching people's hearts shatter! There's something really nasty behind that smile. It's always fake.

'''Tsubaki:''' Makoto sure does hate lies after all.

'''Makoto:''' I do! That's why I also haaaaaaaaate Captain Hazama who only does false things!

'''Tsubaki:''' Geez, you shouldn't be saying "I hate" over and over again about your superiors. You never know when someone could be listening.

'''Makoto:''' Well It's cuz I hate him!

'''Tsubaki:''' It can't be helped huh Makoto.

...

'''Hazama:''' My goodness, garbage gathering together and having worthless conversations over and over again. Heh, it's really a worthless space.

'''Relius:''' Oh? You look to be enjoying yourself Hazama.

'''Hazama:''' Yeah, it's just as you said. As if, where are you looking to have gotten that? Goddammit. More importantly, how's the Sword of Spirits?

'''Relius:''' You're always saying such troublesome things. There aren't any particular problems.

'''Hazama:''' Then that's good but...

'''Relius:''' Hazama, what's that?

'''Hazama:''' That? Ohhh, the daughter of the Yayoi family.

'''Relius:''' Yayoi family? Ah, Izayoi's...no, the Demi-human across from it.

'''Hazama:''' You mean Makoto Nanaya?

'''Relius:''' Makoto Nanaya you say.

'''Hazama:''' Now this is a surprise. You, that girl...Heh, being interested in other people, what the heck is wrong with you?

'''Relius:''' Nothing's wrong, I'm just a little interested in it as an ingredient. Rather than countless useless souls, it's better to carefully select a child's soul as the ingredient for a Nox Nyctores. That Demi-human, possesses quite the worthy soul.

'''Hazama:''' Oooh? And who taught you that?

'''Relius:''' Ada did.

'''Hazama:''' Ada?

'''Relius:''' My daughter.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again|Long reunion-Meeting Again]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again

2024-07-31T18:45:08Z

Bloodedge666: Created page with "'''Speaker:''' Major Yuuka Douki of the Seventh Squadron, Colonel Mitori Shimochi is waiting for you in the First Development Office, please go immediately. '''Tsubaki:''' Um..."

'''Speaker:''' Major Yuuka Douki of the Seventh Squadron, Colonel Mitori Shimochi is waiting for you in the First Development Office, please go immediately.

'''Tsubaki:''' Um...If I remember correctly, ahead of here should be the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron… Excuse me.

'''Speaker:''' Yes?

'''Tsubaki:''' Is this the right place for the Squadron Commander's Office?

...

'''Tsubaki:''' Here it is. Beyond this door Jin-niisam-Ah no, Major Jin Kisaragi is… Ah, I-I'm so nervous. I wonder what sort of face he'll make, Jin-nii-Ah no, Major Jin Kisaragi. uh…

'''Jin:''' Enter.

'''Tsubaki:''' Excuse me. Today, from 1100 hours, I, First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi, have been assigned to the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron.

'''Jin:''' ...

'''Tsubaki:''' Um, Major Kisaragi, I'm a bit lost after giving my appointment greeting...

'''Jin:''' Why are you here, Tsubaki?

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh? Why-Aah! Don't tell me you haven't read the assignment sheet at all?

'''Jin:''' Assignment sheet?

'''Tsubaki:''' Why are you making a face like it's your first time hearing about it? Look, over there, on top of that desk. This, this is it Jin-niisama. Everything is written in this document.

'''Jin:''' Ahh, there was such a thing? Because I wasn't interested in it .

'''Tsubaki:''' Wasn't interes-No way. I was incredibly nervous but now I look like an idiot.

'''Jin:''' Did you say something?

'''Tsubaki:''' Oh no, nothing. I understand Jin-niisama. Please let me try once more. I, First Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi, from today onwards, am Jin-niisama's personal secretary. I have been assigned to the Fourth Thaumaturgist Squadron.

'''Jin:''' Ahh, I understand that but...First Lieutenant Tsubaki, don't tell me that even here you intend to call me Jin-niisama?

'''Tsubaki:''' Eh!? Ah, n-no that's, because of my bad habit that’s all. Oh geez, I’ll properly, I'll do it properly so Jin-ni- Major Kisaragi, please do it properly too.

'''Jin:''' What are you so nervous about? Your face is bright red.

'''Tsubaki:''' Bright red!?

'''Jin:''' It's fine. I'll take a look at the assignment sheet later. If I need anything I'll call out from here, until then do as you please, First Lieutenant Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' ahh, Yes!

'''Tsubaki:''' ...

'''Jin:''' ...

'''Jin:''' What are you doing? You know you can speak, First Lieutenant Tsubaki.

'''Tsubaki:''' Um well, how about some coffee? Major Kisaragi.

'''Jin:''' Coffee?

'''Tsubaki:''' Yes, coffee.

'''Jin:''' Heh- There's no reason for me to refuse.

'''Tsubaki:''' Heh~ Then I will go make some right away.

'''Jin:''' Yeah, I-

'''Tsubaki:''' One and a half spoons of sugar and no milk, right?

'''Jin:''' Heh. Yeah, I'll leave that to you.

'''Tsubaki:''' Heh~ Roger that!

…

'''Relius:''' It's me.

'''Hazama:''' Go ahead. It's open you know. That sure took a while didn't it. I got tired of waiting you know. Colonel Relius Clover of the Engineering Department.

'''Relius:''' Where's that thing we recovered from Ikaruga?

'''Hazama:''' Goddammit, You're as selfish as ever huh. If it's that thing then it's been sent to the lab as you’ve requested.

'''Relius:''' Was the Lynchpin there?

'''Hazama:''' Nope, it was not.

'''Relius:''' Huh

'''Hazama:''' Ahhh, please wait a minute. Please listen to my side of business too.

'''Relius:''' What.

'''Hazama:''' There's a small...request I want you to do.

<noinclude>
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|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate|Prologue-The Day of Fate]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue

2024-07-31T09:22:03Z

Bloodedge666: /* Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD */

{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:BBCFCover.PNG|thumb|BBCF: Console Release Main Design]]

'''BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger''' (ブレイブルーカラミティトリガー Bureiburū: Karamiti Torigā) is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation.

The game is currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 16:9 ratio and 768p resolution and was released on November 19, in Japan and November 20, 2008 in the United States. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles on June 25, 2009 in Japan. A port for the PlayStation Portable, titled BlazBlue Portable (ブレイブルーポータブル Bureiburū Pōtaburu), was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan. The PC version was released in Europe on August 20 and in Japan on August 26, 2010. The PlayStation Portable port was released in Europe on September 9, 2010. The PC port is a direct conversion of the Xbox 360 version, and contains cross-platform compatibility via the Games for Windows - Live service.

A sequel, also next episode featuring new content and characters, titled '''BlazBlue: Continuum Shift''' (ブレイブルーコンティニュアムシフト Bureiburū: Kontinyuamu Shifuto) has also been released for the arcade, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Other game sequels include '''Blazblue: Chronophantasma''' and '''Blazblue: Central Fiction''' both released on various systems.

Additionally an anime adaptation titled '''Blazblue: Alter Memory''' was released for both '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' 's main plot.

Lite novel adaptations for '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' also exist and are listed below.

Two visual novel spinoffs titled '''Xblaze: Code Embryo''' and '''Xblaze: Lost Memories''' were released and are the original story to feature the character Es recently announced for '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''. It is believed Nine and Celica A. Mercury make cameo appearances in Lost Memories as well.

A loosely linked spinoff, '''Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience''' was released in two parts and provides some questionable links and backstory to Blazblue featuring returning characters Relius Clover, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Clavis Alucard and stars Naoto Kurogane, a new addition to the cast of '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''.

'''Phase Shift''' is a novel series based on that game written by Komao Mako and the illustrations by Yuuki Katou. It provides insight into the backstory of the Dark War, the conflict with the Black Beast between 2100-2110 in Blazblue's timeline and culminated with the introduction of Celica A. Mercury to the game's plot in '''Chronophantasma''' as the final Phase Shift novel was released right before the game came out.

'''Bloodedge Experience''' came out between '''Chronophantasma''' and '''Central Fiction's''' game releases and before Naoto Kurogane's introduction as a playable character to Blazblue.

Additionally several canon short-stories were released in various formats, including inside Material Collections and Drama Cds.

==Organization==
Due to the convoluted and non-linear flow of how lore is presented in Blazblue, this site will organize the releases in '''order of release'''.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''BlazBlue'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[BlazBlue:Phase~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==
Before the events of the game, humanity was on the verge of extinction from a creature called the "Black Beast." The world was saved by six heroes who wielded magic. They helped humanity create "Ars Magus", a fusion of magic and science, to defeat the Black Beast. This event would be later known as the First War of Magic.

After the war, the Novus Orbis Librarium (the Library or NOL for short) was created to govern the world with the use of Ars Magus. A great deal of dissent was caused by the Library, partly due to Ars Magus' use in nearly every facet of society, and the widening socioeconomic gap between those who could and couldn't use Ars Magus. This dissent would eventually form years later into the Second War of Magic or also known as the Ikaruga Civil War, when the city of Ikaruga openly rebelled against the NOL. Upon winning the war, the NOL imposed a harsher rule on the world, punishing any rebellion against the NOL with death.

In December AD 2199, several years after the Second War of Magic, a branch of the NOL was utterly destroyed by an SS-class rebel named "Ragna" also known as the "Grim Reaper", in an attempt to destroy the Librarium. The NOL, hoping to stop him, immediately announced the largest bounty ever, available to anyone who could capture him. Interestingly, Ragna possesses a powerful form of Ars Magus known as the "Azure Grimoire." This led the NOL, as well as the other fighters, to hunt Ragna not just for his bounty, but also his Azure Grimoire.

The games slowly develop Ragna's battle with his nemesis Yuuki Terumi and other fighters as various factions follow their agendas to harness the Azure, destroy the Master Unit: Amatarasu, or protect those they care for.

==Updates (Ziggurat)==
21 Septermber 2017 Lowtier asked me to pick this up since he got salty and stopped caring about BB lore after CF's story mode. Use message or Talk to communicate with me.

== Updates (Lowtierscrub)==
* 7 November 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 2 is complete. RIP. We're getting their. Holidays get busy at my household so next update might take slightly longer, but we'll see. I'm shooting for a chapter a month so release in February/March?
*18 October 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 1 is complete. Hold me fam, Overtime + Translating = Sadness. At least I'm not CF Kagura... Also updated the page a lttle.
*4 September 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Guesslation Project Began (Got novels, will translate in free time and '''will upload once entire novel done''' so I can proofread and make sure all translations are consistent).
B-baka, it's not like I want this translation to be as good as possible or anything... (tilts head to side as twin-tails sway in the wind). kappa. Post in Dustloop short story thread if you have questions or comments for me.

== Updates (Spesialo)==
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 3 started.
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 2 completed.
*10 July 2014 - Phase Shift 2 started.
*1 July 2014 - Phase Shift 1 completed.
*28 July 2013 - Phase Shift 1 started.
*28 July 2013 - Phase 0 completed.
*7 April 2013 - BlazBlue project created.

== Updates (zephyr07 from Dustloop)==
*Hakumen's story added (20-8-2010)
*Rachel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Noel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Carl's story added (21-8-2010)
*Arakune's story added (24-8-2010)
*Bang's story added (25-8-2010)
*Tager's story added (6-9-2010)
*Taokaka's story added (19-9-2010)
*Litchi's story added (5-10-2010)

== Updates (Suzaku from Dustloop)==
*Ragna's Short Story "Memory of Blue"
*Jin's Short Story "purgatory hell"

== Translation ==

===[[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback Thread]'''

 
 

== Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Material Collection==
[[File:BlazBlue Material Collection (Cover).jpg|thumbnail|Material Collection Cover]]
===Calamity Trigger Material Collection ([[Calamity Trigger Material Collection|Full Text]])===
'''Synopsis:''' Canon short stories for the Calamity Trigger cast.

::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Ragna Short Story "Memory of Blue"|Ragna Short Story: "Memory of Blue"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"|Jin Short Story: "purgatory hell"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"|Rachel Short Story: "Endless Waltz"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"|Litchi Short Story: "Borderline"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Arakune Short Story "The Diary"|Arakune Short Story: "The Diary"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"|Bang Short Story: "Fortune favours the bold"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Carl Short Story "Puppeteers"|Carl Short Story: "Puppeteers"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Hakumen Short Story "Innocent Black"|Hakumen Short Story: "Innocent Black"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Nu Short Story "an evil sign"|Nu Short Story: "an evil sign"]]

 
 
 
 

==Blazblue Continuum Shift Material Collection: Trigger Shift==
[[File:BBCS Material Collection Cover.jpg|thumb]]
===Trigger Shift ([[Trigger Shift|Full Text]])===

This is an official short story that was written specifically for the Continuum Shift Extend Material Collection.

"BlazBlue Calamity Trigger" to "BlazBlue Continuum Shift".

A story about a day in the lifes of the characters who moved into the world of "possibility".
A story about those who can live on from the never ending world.
May the wheel of fate turn in their fortune.

Author: Mako Komao, Designer: Toshimichi Mori

::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side|Kagatsuchi's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Jin's Side|Jin's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side|Hazama's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side|Carl's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Ragna's & Noel's Side|Ragna's & Noel's Side]]
 
 
 
 

== Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD ==
[[File:BBWoF.jpg|thumbnail|Drama CD Cover]]
'''Synopsisː''' The story of how Hakumen came to exist in the main Blazblue timeline in an alternate Kagasuchi where Noel Vermillion never existed and Tsubaki Yayoi became Jin Kisaragi's secretary instead.

::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate|Prologue-The Day of Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long reunion-Meeting Again|Long reunion-Meeting Again]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Friendly Daily-Calm Routine|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Snake venom-Farewell|Snake venom-Farewell]]
::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Camellia-Tsubaki Prays|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
 
 

 
 

 

== BlazBlue: Phase 0==

===Phase 0 ([[BlazBlue:Phase 0|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/li75i629i25hvva/ PDF])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_Phase0_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase 0 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Ragna the Bloodedge. That man is nicknamed Grim Reaper and possesses the power of Azure Grimoire. Yet, he awakens in an unfamiliar land and has lost both the Azure's power and his memory.

In this unknown world, he comes across Celica, a girl who is able to use healing magic, and a beastkin warrior named Mitsuyoshi. Their journey is closely related to the Black Beast, a being which drive humanity to devastation. However...

The popular fighting game series BlazBlue's history, previously shrouded in history, is about to be laid bare. The official story leading to where it all begins  has arrived!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Lost White]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Destructive Black]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Reality's Red]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Chance-met Silver]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Sealed Green]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Promised Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Phase Shift'' Series==

===Phase Shift 1 ([[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1|Full Text]])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift1_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2106. The world is in chaos from the threatening Black Beast. At the Mage's Guild-governed island Ishana, a student Kazuma lives a normal life. But when he meets Yuuki Terumi by chance, history receives a new Phase Shift.

"If you can get the Azure, you can take back whatever you want. Things you lost, things you forgot, whatever."

Is that the prelude of destruction? Or a gospel of salvation...?

Within the light and darkness of the Boundary, hope and despair blend together. The curtain for a new episode of BlazBlue's official story has been raised!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Island of Green Wisdom]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cat of Crimson Sunset]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mind of Azure Deviation]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Doubt of Yellow Equilibrium]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Night of Black Betrayal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Voice of Emerald Evil]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' "Mr. Hero."

"How would you like to become a real hero?"

Jin Kisaragi, in the brink of death, meets one young girl. At that moment, the last gear to truth begins to turn...

Finally, the ''Black Beast'' is about to be resurrected. The ones who fight, the ones who protect, and the ones working in the shadows... Many feelings and thoughts are entangled, and the stage of the final battle for mankind's survival is set.

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in BlazBlue history that leads to all possible futures. All of its secrets will be revealed here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: White Blade, A Flower]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Purple Ones, Their Theory]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Scarlet Guardian, the Doll]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Indigo Heart, the Conception]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Black Beast, Reappears]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 3===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift3_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 3 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Nox Nyctores: Take-Mikazuchi. It appears all of a sudden during the decisive battle between mankind and Black Beast. With one blow, it overturns the battle situation. Nine, rejecting the powerful weapon, deepens her conflict with the other Ten Sages. Furthermore, she is restrained from participating in the battle.

During the intensifying chaos and hopeless situation, Celica reunites with 'that person' once more. That meeting leads to a new fateful Phase Shift, and yet...

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue. The heroes are advancing to the final battle. Their thoughts and bonds are weaving a tale of truth, a tale that will be recited here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Battlefield with Blue Sky]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Ashen Current]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Copper Catgirl]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Silvery Illusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Hope and Despair on the Green Hilltop]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 4===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift4_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 4 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Since the fall of Take-Mikazuchi, the Magical City of Ishana finally acknowledges the Black Beast's threat. Within desperation, the Six Heroes and the entire human race are about to start their last counterattack!

Just what is the fateful Phase Shift that waits for the heroes after their battle...? This shocking novel series will draw the truth of the biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue's history, 'The Dark War'. The time for conclusion has come!

"...Later, Celica. If we meet again, teach me properly, okay?"

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Swirling Tea]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Azure Wish's Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5|Chapter : Colorless Guiding Light]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 5: Blue Snake's Crazed Play]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue'' Series==

===Volume 1: Calamity Trigger — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2199. The world is covered in seithr and mankind is forced to live in Hierarchical cities, ascending constructions similar to towers.

The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi has been infiltrated by a man with the most bounty in the world. He is Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', a man who possesses the ''Azure Grimoire''. Thus, the wheel of fate begins to turn.

"Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field deployed! BlazBlue, activate!"

The popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. The new legend starts here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Stratum city — Hierarchical City]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Spiral fate — The Board's Pieces]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Grim Reaper — The Man Called Death God]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Burned church — Brothers]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity black — Dark Demise]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue: A Certain's Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Volume 2: Calamity Trigger — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Part_2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' During his journey, Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', travels to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi to destroy the Cauldron. At the same time, Noel Vermillion, carrying the magic guns Bolverk, also heading to Kagutsuchi in accordance with the order from Librarium. Ragna and Noel... When both of their destinies intertwine, the eternally turning wheel of fate shall be altered!

The super popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. Its legend will be concluded!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Prologue|Prologue: A Certain's Prologue]] (blank page)
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Orient town — Orient Town]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cross fate — The Thing That Is There]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: False hero — The Man Called Hero]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Memorable church — Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity trigger — Successor of the Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 3: Continuum Shift — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 1 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 1 Cover]]
After the intervention of ''Calamity Trigger'' Noel Vermillion, the loops that appear to last forever came to an end. However, when a warrior from Sector Sever named Tager encounters a 'prime field' in the ruins of the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido, fate changes to a new phase.

On the other hand, after he went through a struggle to death with Nu, the 'Grim Reaper' Ragna the Bloodedge sees the image of his sister on a Librarium girl named Noel. However, a shadow aiming for them is inviting Ragna to a new battle——. A new Continuum Shift of the super popular fighting game BlazBlue begins!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Wheel turns — A New Gear]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Recollection Dream — The Children Are Dreaming]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Fragile balance — The Power of Order]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Sister's illusion — Vestiges]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Dead once — Phenomenon Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 4: Continuum Shift — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 2 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 2 Cover]]
"...Irregularity: none. Resuming combat action."

Λ – 11, the girl who assaulted Ragna the 'Grim Reaper'. He meets with the 'prime field' girl, but she invites Ragna to an even harsher battle. Meanwhile, Noel was hurrying to meet her best friend Makoto Nanaya. But before her, her other best friend Tsubaki Yayoi appears. Toward Noel who is glad with the meeting, Tsubaki——.

Continuum Shift. It is all the possibilities of the world. The result of many destinies and infinitely equal endings is waiting for Ragna and the others. Now, the decisive battle that shakes the world begins!!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Code number — Sector Seven]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: The despair — Truth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Continuum shift — Probability Phenomenon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Material girl — Murakumo]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Call name — Human to the End]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience'' Series==

'''Synopsis:'''
This new expansion to the Blazblue universe follows the story of Naoto Kurogane
a high school boy with a special right eye and connection to the Amanohokosaka Clan.
Learn the story of Blazblue: Central Fiction's newest playable character in this multi-part story
that bridges the gap between Xblaze and Blazblue that includes familiar characters as well!

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 1 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 1 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 1 Cover]]

'''Synopsis:'''
"Kurogane Naoto was a mostly ordinary high schooler who lived a peaceful life
with his childhood friend Hayami Haruka. What wasn't ordinary with Naoto is that
his right eye is a little special, it possesses a special ability, "Hunter's Eye",
that make it possible for Naoto to see other people's Life Force in numerical values.

But his ordinary days ended when he met a girl with such high Life Force that she couldn't
possibly be human. The girl introduced herself as Raquel Alucard, a vampire. She ordered
him to get the hold of the Azure.

And so Naoto was dragged into a bloody battle surrounding the Azure." [From BB wikia; verify if from back cover]

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Prologue|Prologue: Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Contact]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Immortal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mitsurugi]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Secret]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Interlude]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 2 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 2 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:'''
"The swung down red blade, will carve a new legend of BlazBlue!

Kurogane Naoto, who have awaken the "Bloodedge". His little sister Saya's deadly sword is approaching him! A collision of several special ability users. And what awaits at the end of the Azure seeking Raquel Alucard's wish... " Outside Chapter is speculated to be set after Central Fiction's events, but before Central Fiction Naoto enters main Blazblue Central Fiction. It's similar to how the Black Beast existed in 2100 even though Ragna was not created until 2190s.

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Prologue|Prologue:Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7|Chapter 7: Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8: Thought and Felt]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9|Chapter 9: Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Fusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue: Heartbeat]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Outside Chapter|Outside Chapter: Fragment]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Sprial Shift'' Series==

=== Blazblue : Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu - Hero of the Iceblade ([[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu|Full Text]])===
[[Image:SpiralShift.jpg|thumb|Announcment Image]]
'''Synopsis:'''
The story follows the graduation of Jin Kisaragi from the Military Academy as he enlists to fight in the Second War of Ars Magus or the Ikaruga Civil War for the NOL. In this tale, some light is shed on the brutality of NOL in dealing with the insurrection of the Ikaruga Federation for freedom against the NOL hegemony and monopoly of Grimories. Being deployed to the most contested region with the most violent opposition, Jin must deal with social tensions of being a Duodecim member among lower-class allies with the tide turning against their forces. There is more than meets the eye to this war though, as Jin and his new unit encounter signs of Sector Seven (the other faction against the NOL) experiments. Not only that, but Jin's new unit, the 9th Unit or "The Hounds" exist to only weaken enemy forces enough so that higher-class units can sweep in and claim both the spoils and glory of war in a battlefield meant only to test new weapons and never to retreat or advance. What other hidden-agendas will Jin Kisaragi discover in this farce of a war?

::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu STORY|STORY]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 1|Chapter 1: The Human of the Kisaragi Family / Distorted recognition]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Eiyu (Hero) / True face]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Afterword|Afterword]]
 

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Ziggurat|Ziggurat]]
*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Suzaku|Suzaku]]
*[[User:Hayashi_s|zephyr07]]
*[[User:Spesialo|Spesialo]]

===Editors===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Emma|Emma]]
*[[User:Nerokun|Nerokun]]

== Series Overview ==

<big>''' BlazBlue: Material Collection'''</big>
*BLAZBLUEー設定資料集 (2009 ISBN 9784797354836)[CT Short Story Source]

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase 0'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ─ブレイブルー─ フェイズ０ (August 20, 2010 ISBN 978-4829145920)[Phase 0]

<big>'''Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD'''</big>
BLAZBLUE 「THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE ～運命の輪～」ドラマCD (September 2010)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase Shift Series'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト１(April 20, 2011 ISBN 978-4829146170)[Phase Shift 1]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト２(January 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146309)[Phase Shift 2]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト3(May 19, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146712)[Phase Shift 3]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト4(September 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146897)[Phase Shift 4]

<big>'''The BlazBlue Series'''</big>

Calamity Trigger Retelling
*BLAZBLUE‐ブレイブルー‐1 カラミティトリガー〈上〉(January 19, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147078)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―2 カラミティトリガー〈下)(May 18, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147290)

Continuum Shift Retelling
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―3　コンティニュアムシフト〈上〉(September 20, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147474)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―4 コンティニュアムシフト〈下〉(January 18, 2014 ISBN 978-4040700175)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience Series'''</big>

*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―ブラッドエッジエクスペリエンス(上) (June 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702254)[Bloodedge Experience Part 1]
*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルーブラッドエッジ・エクスペリエンス（下） (November 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702155)[Bloodedge Experience Part 2]

<big>'''The Blazblue: Spiral Shift Series''' </big>

*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルースパイラルシフト氷刃の英雄 (October 20, 2016 ISBN 978-4040708577 (4040708571) )[Hyokin no Eiyu/"Ice Blade-Wielding Hero"]

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Fujimi Dragon Book]]
[[Category:Mako Komao]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]

BlazBlue

2024-07-31T09:19:06Z

Bloodedge666: /* Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD */

{{Status|Active}}

[[Image:BBCFCover.PNG|thumb|BBCF: Console Release Main Design]]

'''BlazBlue: Calamity Trigger''' (ブレイブルーカラミティトリガー Bureiburū: Karamiti Torigā) is a fighting game developed by Arc System Works. The game's name is a portmanteau of "blaze" and "blue," with the "z" sound omitted in the Japanese pronunciation, rendering it similar to the word "brave" in pronunciation.

The game is currently released for the Taito Type X2 arcade system board, with a 16:9 ratio and 768p resolution and was released on November 19, in Japan and November 20, 2008 in the United States. It was released on the PlayStation 3 and Xbox 360 home consoles on June 25, 2009 in Japan. A port for the PlayStation Portable, titled BlazBlue Portable (ブレイブルーポータブル Bureiburū Pōtaburu), was released on February 25, 2010 in Japan. The PC version was released in Europe on August 20 and in Japan on August 26, 2010. The PlayStation Portable port was released in Europe on September 9, 2010. The PC port is a direct conversion of the Xbox 360 version, and contains cross-platform compatibility via the Games for Windows - Live service.

A sequel, also next episode featuring new content and characters, titled '''BlazBlue: Continuum Shift''' (ブレイブルーコンティニュアムシフト Bureiburū: Kontinyuamu Shifuto) has also been released for the arcade, PlayStation 3, and Xbox 360.

Other game sequels include '''Blazblue: Chronophantasma''' and '''Blazblue: Central Fiction''' both released on various systems.

Additionally an anime adaptation titled '''Blazblue: Alter Memory''' was released for both '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' 's main plot.

Lite novel adaptations for '''Calamity Trigger''' and '''Continuum Shift''' also exist and are listed below.

Two visual novel spinoffs titled '''Xblaze: Code Embryo''' and '''Xblaze: Lost Memories''' were released and are the original story to feature the character Es recently announced for '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''. It is believed Nine and Celica A. Mercury make cameo appearances in Lost Memories as well.

A loosely linked spinoff, '''Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience''' was released in two parts and provides some questionable links and backstory to Blazblue featuring returning characters Relius Clover, Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, and Clavis Alucard and stars Naoto Kurogane, a new addition to the cast of '''Blazblue: Central Fiction'''.

'''Phase Shift''' is a novel series based on that game written by Komao Mako and the illustrations by Yuuki Katou. It provides insight into the backstory of the Dark War, the conflict with the Black Beast between 2100-2110 in Blazblue's timeline and culminated with the introduction of Celica A. Mercury to the game's plot in '''Chronophantasma''' as the final Phase Shift novel was released right before the game came out.

'''Bloodedge Experience''' came out between '''Chronophantasma''' and '''Central Fiction's''' game releases and before Naoto Kurogane's introduction as a playable character to Blazblue.

Additionally several canon short-stories were released in various formats, including inside Material Collections and Drama Cds.

==Organization==
Due to the convoluted and non-linear flow of how lore is presented in Blazblue, this site will organize the releases in '''order of release'''.

==Alternative Languages==
The ''BlazBlue'' series is also available in the following languages:
*[[BlazBlue:Phase~Brazilian_Portuguese~|Português Brasileiro (Brazilian Portuguese)]]

(Note: Translation progress varies for each version.)

==Story Synopsis==
Before the events of the game, humanity was on the verge of extinction from a creature called the "Black Beast." The world was saved by six heroes who wielded magic. They helped humanity create "Ars Magus", a fusion of magic and science, to defeat the Black Beast. This event would be later known as the First War of Magic.

After the war, the Novus Orbis Librarium (the Library or NOL for short) was created to govern the world with the use of Ars Magus. A great deal of dissent was caused by the Library, partly due to Ars Magus' use in nearly every facet of society, and the widening socioeconomic gap between those who could and couldn't use Ars Magus. This dissent would eventually form years later into the Second War of Magic or also known as the Ikaruga Civil War, when the city of Ikaruga openly rebelled against the NOL. Upon winning the war, the NOL imposed a harsher rule on the world, punishing any rebellion against the NOL with death.

In December AD 2199, several years after the Second War of Magic, a branch of the NOL was utterly destroyed by an SS-class rebel named "Ragna" also known as the "Grim Reaper", in an attempt to destroy the Librarium. The NOL, hoping to stop him, immediately announced the largest bounty ever, available to anyone who could capture him. Interestingly, Ragna possesses a powerful form of Ars Magus known as the "Azure Grimoire." This led the NOL, as well as the other fighters, to hunt Ragna not just for his bounty, but also his Azure Grimoire.

The games slowly develop Ragna's battle with his nemesis Yuuki Terumi and other fighters as various factions follow their agendas to harness the Azure, destroy the Master Unit: Amatarasu, or protect those they care for.

==Updates (Ziggurat)==
21 Septermber 2017 Lowtier asked me to pick this up since he got salty and stopped caring about BB lore after CF's story mode. Use message or Talk to communicate with me.

== Updates (Lowtierscrub)==
* 7 November 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 2 is complete. RIP. We're getting their. Holidays get busy at my household so next update might take slightly longer, but we'll see. I'm shooting for a chapter a month so release in February/March?
*18 October 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Chapter 1 is complete. Hold me fam, Overtime + Translating = Sadness. At least I'm not CF Kagura... Also updated the page a lttle.
*4 September 2016 - Bloodedge Experience Guesslation Project Began (Got novels, will translate in free time and '''will upload once entire novel done''' so I can proofread and make sure all translations are consistent).
B-baka, it's not like I want this translation to be as good as possible or anything... (tilts head to side as twin-tails sway in the wind). kappa. Post in Dustloop short story thread if you have questions or comments for me.

== Updates (Spesialo)==
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 3 started.
*17 July 2015 - Phase Shift 2 completed.
*10 July 2014 - Phase Shift 2 started.
*1 July 2014 - Phase Shift 1 completed.
*28 July 2013 - Phase Shift 1 started.
*28 July 2013 - Phase 0 completed.
*7 April 2013 - BlazBlue project created.

== Updates (zephyr07 from Dustloop)==
*Hakumen's story added (20-8-2010)
*Rachel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Noel's story added (20-8-2010)
*Carl's story added (21-8-2010)
*Arakune's story added (24-8-2010)
*Bang's story added (25-8-2010)
*Tager's story added (6-9-2010)
*Taokaka's story added (19-9-2010)
*Litchi's story added (5-10-2010)

== Updates (Suzaku from Dustloop)==
*Ragna's Short Story "Memory of Blue"
*Jin's Short Story "purgatory hell"

== Translation ==

===[[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|Registration]]===

Those who wish to contribute are asked to first notify a supervisor beforehand.

'''Translators are asked to [[BlazBlue:Registration_Page|register]] which chapters they're working on'''

===Format Standards===
'''Every chapter (after editing) must conform to the general format guidelines.'''
*[[Format_guideline|General Format/Style Guideline]]

===[http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback]===
'''If you enjoyed the teasers, why don't you tell us in the [http://www.baka-tsuki.org/forums/viewtopic.php?f=15&t=5752 Feedback Thread]'''

 
 

== Blazblue: Calamity Trigger Material Collection==
[[File:BlazBlue Material Collection (Cover).jpg|thumbnail|Material Collection Cover]]
===Calamity Trigger Material Collection ([[Calamity Trigger Material Collection|Full Text]])===
'''Synopsis:''' Canon short stories for the Calamity Trigger cast.

::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Ragna Short Story "Memory of Blue"|Ragna Short Story: "Memory of Blue"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"|Jin Short Story: "purgatory hell"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"|Rachel Short Story: "Endless Waltz"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"|Litchi Short Story: "Borderline"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Arakune Short Story "The Diary"|Arakune Short Story: "The Diary"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"|Bang Short Story: "Fortune favours the bold"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Carl Short Story "Puppeteers"|Carl Short Story: "Puppeteers"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Hakumen Short Story "Innocent Black"|Hakumen Short Story: "Innocent Black"]]
::*[[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Nu Short Story "an evil sign"|Nu Short Story: "an evil sign"]]

 
 
 
 

==Blazblue Continuum Shift Material Collection: Trigger Shift==
[[File:BBCS Material Collection Cover.jpg|thumb]]
===Trigger Shift ([[Trigger Shift|Full Text]])===

This is an official short story that was written specifically for the Continuum Shift Extend Material Collection.

"BlazBlue Calamity Trigger" to "BlazBlue Continuum Shift".

A story about a day in the lifes of the characters who moved into the world of "possibility".
A story about those who can live on from the never ending world.
May the wheel of fate turn in their fortune.

Author: Mako Komao, Designer: Toshimichi Mori

::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side|Kagatsuchi's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Jin's Side|Jin's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side|Hazama's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side|Carl's Side]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Ragna's & Noel's Side|Ragna's & Noel's Side]]
 
 
 
 

== Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD ==
[[File:BBWoF.jpg|thumbnail|Drama CD Cover]]
'''Synopsisː''' The story of how Hakumen came to exist in the main Blazblue timeline in an alternate Kagasuchi where Noel Vermillion never existed and Tsubaki Yayoi became Jin Kisaragi's secretary instead.

::*[[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate|Prologue-The Day of Fate]]
::*[[BBWoF|Long reunion-Meeting Again]]
::*[[BBWoF|Friendly Daily-Calm Routine]]
::*[[BBWoF|Creeping doom-Beginning of the Destruction]]
::*[[BBWoF|Snake venom-Farewell]]
::*[[BBWoF|Camellia-Tsubaki Prays]]
 
 

 
 

 

== BlazBlue: Phase 0==

===Phase 0 ([[BlazBlue:Phase 0|Full Text]] - [http://www.mediafire.com/download/li75i629i25hvva/ PDF])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_Phase0_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase 0 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Ragna the Bloodedge. That man is nicknamed Grim Reaper and possesses the power of Azure Grimoire. Yet, he awakens in an unfamiliar land and has lost both the Azure's power and his memory.

In this unknown world, he comes across Celica, a girl who is able to use healing magic, and a beastkin warrior named Mitsuyoshi. Their journey is closely related to the Black Beast, a being which drive humanity to devastation. However...

The popular fighting game series BlazBlue's history, previously shrouded in history, is about to be laid bare. The official story leading to where it all begins  has arrived!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Lost White]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Destructive Black]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Reality's Red]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Chance-met Silver]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Sealed Green]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Promised Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase 0 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Phase Shift'' Series==

===Phase Shift 1 ([[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1|Full Text]])===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift1_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2106. The world is in chaos from the threatening Black Beast. At the Mage's Guild-governed island Ishana, a student Kazuma lives a normal life. But when he meets Yuuki Terumi by chance, history receives a new Phase Shift.

"If you can get the Azure, you can take back whatever you want. Things you lost, things you forgot, whatever."

Is that the prelude of destruction? Or a gospel of salvation...?

Within the light and darkness of the Boundary, hope and despair blend together. The curtain for a new episode of BlazBlue's official story has been raised!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Island of Green Wisdom]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cat of Crimson Sunset]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mind of Azure Deviation]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Doubt of Yellow Equilibrium]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Night of Black Betrayal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Voice of Emerald Evil]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' "Mr. Hero."

"How would you like to become a real hero?"

Jin Kisaragi, in the brink of death, meets one young girl. At that moment, the last gear to truth begins to turn...

Finally, the ''Black Beast'' is about to be resurrected. The ones who fight, the ones who protect, and the ones working in the shadows... Many feelings and thoughts are entangled, and the stage of the final battle for mankind's survival is set.

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in BlazBlue history that leads to all possible futures. All of its secrets will be revealed here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: White Blade, A Flower]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Purple Ones, Their Theory]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Scarlet Guardian, the Doll]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Indigo Heart, the Conception]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Black Beast, Reappears]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 3===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift3_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 3 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Nox Nyctores: Take-Mikazuchi. It appears all of a sudden during the decisive battle between mankind and Black Beast. With one blow, it overturns the battle situation. Nine, rejecting the powerful weapon, deepens her conflict with the other Ten Sages. Furthermore, she is restrained from participating in the battle.

During the intensifying chaos and hopeless situation, Celica reunites with 'that person' once more. That meeting leads to a new fateful Phase Shift, and yet...

'The Dark War'. The biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue. The heroes are advancing to the final battle. Their thoughts and bonds are weaving a tale of truth, a tale that will be recited here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Battlefield with Blue Sky]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Ashen Current]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Copper Catgirl]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Silvery Illusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Hope and Despair on the Green Hilltop]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 3 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 

===Phase Shift 4===
[[Image:BlazBlue_PhaseShift4_Cover.jpg|thumb|Phase Shift 4 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' Since the fall of Take-Mikazuchi, the Magical City of Ishana finally acknowledges the Black Beast's threat. Within desperation, the Six Heroes and the entire human race are about to start their last counterattack!

Just what is the fateful Phase Shift that waits for the heroes after their battle...? This shocking novel series will draw the truth of the biggest mystery in the popular fighting game BlazBlue's history, 'The Dark War'. The time for conclusion has come!

"...Later, Celica. If we meet again, teach me properly, okay?"

::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Swirling Tea]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Sweeping Away Crimson Grief]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Demonic Human Weapon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Azure Wish's Fate]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 5|Chapter : Colorless Guiding Light]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Chapter 6|Chapter 5: Blue Snake's Crazed Play]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Phase Shift 4 Afterword|Afterword]]

 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue'' Series==

===Volume 1: Calamity Trigger — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 1 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' AD 2199. The world is covered in seithr and mankind is forced to live in Hierarchical cities, ascending constructions similar to towers.

The 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi has been infiltrated by a man with the most bounty in the world. He is Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', a man who possesses the ''Azure Grimoire''. Thus, the wheel of fate begins to turn.

"Restriction 666 released, Dimensional Interference Field deployed! BlazBlue, activate!"

The popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. The new legend starts here!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Stratum city — Hierarchical City]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Spiral fate — The Board's Pieces]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Grim Reaper — The Man Called Death God]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Burned church — Brothers]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity black — Dark Demise]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue: A Certain's Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Volume 2: Calamity Trigger — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue_CalamityTrigger_Part_2_Cover.jpg|thumb|Calamity Trigger — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:''' During his journey, Ragna the Bloodedge, the 'Grim Reaper', travels to the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi to destroy the Cauldron. At the same time, Noel Vermillion, carrying the magic guns Bolverk, also heading to Kagutsuchi in accordance with the order from Librarium. Ragna and Noel... When both of their destinies intertwine, the eternally turning wheel of fate shall be altered!

The super popular fighting game BlazBlue's first installment, ''Calamity Trigger''. Its legend will be concluded!

::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Prologue|Prologue: A Certain's Prologue]] (blank page)
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Orient town — Orient Town]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Cross fate — The Thing That Is There]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: False hero — The Man Called Hero]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Memorable church — Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Calamity trigger — Successor of the Azure]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Calamity Trigger Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 3: Continuum Shift — Part 1===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 1 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 1 Cover]]
After the intervention of ''Calamity Trigger'' Noel Vermillion, the loops that appear to last forever came to an end. However, when a warrior from Sector Sever named Tager encounters a 'prime field' in the ruins of the 5th Hierarchical City of Ibukido, fate changes to a new phase.

On the other hand, after he went through a struggle to death with Nu, the 'Grim Reaper' Ragna the Bloodedge sees the image of his sister on a Librarium girl named Noel. However, a shadow aiming for them is inviting Ragna to a new battle——. A new Continuum Shift of the super popular fighting game BlazBlue begins!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Wheel turns — A New Gear]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Recollection Dream — The Children Are Dreaming]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Fragile balance — The Power of Order]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Sister's illusion — Vestiges]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Dead once — Phenomenon Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

===Volume 4: Continuum Shift — Part 2===
[[Image:BlazBlue Continuum Shift Part 2 Cover.jpg|thumb|Continuum Shift — Part 2 Cover]]
"...Irregularity: none. Resuming combat action."

Λ – 11, the girl who assaulted Ragna the 'Grim Reaper'. He meets with the 'prime field' girl, but she invites Ragna to an even harsher battle. Meanwhile, Noel was hurrying to meet her best friend Makoto Nanaya. But before her, her other best friend Tsubaki Yayoi appears. Toward Noel who is glad with the meeting, Tsubaki——.

Continuum Shift. It is all the possibilities of the world. The result of many destinies and infinitely equal endings is waiting for Ragna and the others. Now, the decisive battle that shakes the world begins!!

::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Code number — Sector Seven]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: The despair — Truth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Continuum shift — Probability Phenomenon]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Material girl — Murakumo]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Call name — Human to the End]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Continuum Shift Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience'' Series==

'''Synopsis:'''
This new expansion to the Blazblue universe follows the story of Naoto Kurogane
a high school boy with a special right eye and connection to the Amanohokosaka Clan.
Learn the story of Blazblue: Central Fiction's newest playable character in this multi-part story
that bridges the gap between Xblaze and Blazblue that includes familiar characters as well!

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 1 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 1 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 1 Cover]]

'''Synopsis:'''
"Kurogane Naoto was a mostly ordinary high schooler who lived a peaceful life
with his childhood friend Hayami Haruka. What wasn't ordinary with Naoto is that
his right eye is a little special, it possesses a special ability, "Hunter's Eye",
that make it possible for Naoto to see other people's Life Force in numerical values.

But his ordinary days ended when he met a girl with such high Life Force that she couldn't
possibly be human. The girl introduced herself as Raquel Alucard, a vampire. She ordered
him to get the hold of the Azure.

And so Naoto was dragged into a bloody battle surrounding the Azure." [From BB wikia; verify if from back cover]

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Prologue|Prologue: Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 1|Chapter 1: Contact]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Immortal]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Mitsurugi]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Secret]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Interlude]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 1 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 

===Blazblue: Bloodedge Experience Part 2 ===
[[File:Blazblue Bloodedge Experience 2 Thumbnail.jpg|thumb|Bloodedge Experience — Part 2 Cover]]
'''Synopsis:'''
"The swung down red blade, will carve a new legend of BlazBlue!

Kurogane Naoto, who have awaken the "Bloodedge". His little sister Saya's deadly sword is approaching him! A collision of several special ability users. And what awaits at the end of the Azure seeking Raquel Alucard's wish... " Outside Chapter is speculated to be set after Central Fiction's events, but before Central Fiction Naoto enters main Blazblue Central Fiction. It's similar to how the Black Beast existed in 2100 even though Ragna was not created until 2190s.

::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Prologue|Prologue:Rebirth]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 7|Chapter 7: Siblings]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 8|Chapter 8: Thought and Felt]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 9|Chapter 9: Intervention]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 10|Chapter 10: Encounter]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Chapter 11|Chapter 11: Fusion]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Epilogue|Epilogue: Heartbeat]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Outside Chapter|Outside Chapter: Fragment]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Bloodedge Experience Part 2 Afterword|Afterword]]
 
 
 
 
 
 

==The ''BlazBlue: Sprial Shift'' Series==

=== Blazblue : Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu - Hero of the Iceblade ([[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu|Full Text]])===
[[Image:SpiralShift.jpg|thumb|Announcment Image]]
'''Synopsis:'''
The story follows the graduation of Jin Kisaragi from the Military Academy as he enlists to fight in the Second War of Ars Magus or the Ikaruga Civil War for the NOL. In this tale, some light is shed on the brutality of NOL in dealing with the insurrection of the Ikaruga Federation for freedom against the NOL hegemony and monopoly of Grimories. Being deployed to the most contested region with the most violent opposition, Jin must deal with social tensions of being a Duodecim member among lower-class allies with the tide turning against their forces. There is more than meets the eye to this war though, as Jin and his new unit encounter signs of Sector Seven (the other faction against the NOL) experiments. Not only that, but Jin's new unit, the 9th Unit or "The Hounds" exist to only weaken enemy forces enough so that higher-class units can sweep in and claim both the spoils and glory of war in a battlefield meant only to test new weapons and never to retreat or advance. What other hidden-agendas will Jin Kisaragi discover in this farce of a war?

::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Illustrations|Illustrations]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu STORY|STORY]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Prologue|Prologue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 1|Chapter 1: The Human of the Kisaragi Family / Distorted recognition]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 2|Chapter 2: Mucro Algesco: Yukianesa/ Laughing man]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 3|Chapter 3: Accumulated death / He is near]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 4|Chapter 4: Promises and Vows / Listening]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 5|Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6|Chapter 6: Eiyu (Hero) / True face]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Epilogue|Epilogue]]
::*[[BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Afterword|Afterword]]
 

 

==Project Staff==

*Supervisor:
*Project Manager:

===Translators===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Ziggurat|Ziggurat]]
*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Suzaku|Suzaku]]
*[[User:Hayashi_s|zephyr07]]
*[[User:Spesialo|Spesialo]]

===Editors===

'''ACTIVE'''

*[[User:RikiWu|RikiWu]]

'''INACTIVE'''

*[[User:Lowtierscrub|Lowtierscrub]]
*[[User:Emma|Emma]]
*[[User:Nerokun|Nerokun]]

== Series Overview ==

<big>''' BlazBlue: Material Collection'''</big>
*BLAZBLUEー設定資料集 (2009 ISBN 9784797354836)[CT Short Story Source]

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase 0'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ─ブレイブルー─ フェイズ０ (August 20, 2010 ISBN 978-4829145920)[Phase 0]

<big>'''Blazblue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD'''</big>
BLAZBLUE 「THE WHEEL OF FORTUNE ～運命の輪～」ドラマCD (September 2010)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Phase Shift Series'''</big>
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト１(April 20, 2011 ISBN 978-4829146170)[Phase Shift 1]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト２(January 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146309)[Phase Shift 2]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト3(May 19, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146712)[Phase Shift 3]
*ＢＬＡＺＢＬＵＥ‐ブレイブルー‐ フェイズシフト4(September 20, 2012 ISBN 978-4829146897)[Phase Shift 4]

<big>'''The BlazBlue Series'''</big>

Calamity Trigger Retelling
*BLAZBLUE‐ブレイブルー‐1 カラミティトリガー〈上〉(January 19, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147078)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―2 カラミティトリガー〈下)(May 18, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147290)

Continuum Shift Retelling
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―3　コンティニュアムシフト〈上〉(September 20, 2013 ISBN 978-4829147474)
*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―4 コンティニュアムシフト〈下〉(January 18, 2014 ISBN 978-4040700175)

<big>'''The BlazBlue: Bloodedge Experience Series'''</big>

*BLAZBLUE―ブレイブルー―ブラッドエッジエクスペリエンス(上) (June 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702254)[Bloodedge Experience Part 1]
*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルーブラッドエッジ・エクスペリエンス（下） (November 20, 2014 ISBN 978-4040702155)[Bloodedge Experience Part 2]

<big>'''The Blazblue: Spiral Shift Series''' </big>

*BLAZBLUE-ブレイブルースパイラルシフト氷刃の英雄 (October 20, 2016 ISBN 978-4040708577 (4040708571) )[Hyokin no Eiyu/"Ice Blade-Wielding Hero"]

[[Category:Light novel (English)]]
[[Category:Fujimi Dragon Book]]
[[Category:Mako Komao]]

[[Category:Genre - Action]]
[[Category:Genre - Fantasy]]

BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Prologue-The Day of Fate

2024-07-31T09:18:18Z

Bloodedge666: making a new page

==Prologue-The Day of Fate==

'''Relius:''' A merciless event that suddenly occurs without any warning, before you can even think, it can destroy, it can trample, it can rob.

'''Ragna:''' Guaaagh! Aaaugh! Uuuaaaaaaagh! Auagh!

'''Relius:''' And so, you become unable to do anything but hate. The reality you're faced with, the fragility of everyday life, one's own powerlessness, everything is just as difficult…

'''Hazama:''' Hey, hey, hey, hey! A poem while carefreely gazing at a huge bonfire? Relius-san!?

'''Relius:''' How's the Avatar?

'''Hazama:''' Tch, as usual, nothing but selfish. Here ya go!

'''Saya&Jin:''' ...

'''Relius:''' It's a precious vessel, treat it with care.

'''Hazama:''' My bad, my bad.

'''Relius:''' Hm? What is that?

'''Hazama:''' Ah? Aaaah… What was it again? I think their name was like Jin or something?

'''Relius:''' I'm only trying to get a vessel.

'''Hazama:''' I need this guy though! The Power of Order you see, his use is still different though.

'''Relius:''' How's the Man of the Azure?

'''Hazama:''' He was rolling around during the day, all spaced out, so I tried cutting off his arm a little and he went on a rampage. Cuz of that, he ended up passing out again. Keheh, It's funny isn't it? The next time he opens his eyes there'll be nothing at all. No home, no siblings, and no hope. Writhing around in pitch-black darkness, he might just cry~ Maybe he’ll die of despair. Kehehehe HAHAHA! It's seriously funny.

'''Relius:''' It seems an Onlooker has arrived. That's enough chit-chat.

'''Hazama:''' Yeah, yeah, see ya later Relius-san. Work hard for my sake too you know.

'''Relius:''' Your vessel will take a bit of time. Besides, there's no meaning even if it sticks a little.

''Relius picks up Saya and walks off''

'''Hazama:''' Well then. See ya, Ragna-kun. Please work hard for me from now on. Hehehehe hahaha!

'''Relius (narration):''' BlazBlue Drama CD "The Wheel of Fortune"

</noinclude>
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| Forward to [[BlazBlue Wheel of Fortune Drama CD: Long Reunion-Meeting Again|Long Reunion-Meeting Again]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side

2024-07-22T22:47:26Z

Bloodedge666: /* Hazama’s Side */

==Hazama’s Side==

A magical ship owned by the NOL. Special seats are furnished with the elegance of a hotel room rather than an airplane with comfortable sofa seats.

A man in a black suit, who belonged to the Intelligence Department, was sitting at one of these seats, which was only available to special executives within the NOL.

"Yes, yes, this is Hazama of the Intelligence Department... oh, I see. You were able to secure Major Jin Kisaragi? That's good, thank you for your efforts."

The man in the black suit, Hazama, answered the card-shaped communicator in his hand with a casual tone that did not fit with the seat of an executive.

He moved the communicator from his right ear to his left ear, and while doing so, leaned back with his elbows on the seat railing.

"Now, please take him to the Ars Magus Vessel on the 5th layer. ...No, stay on standby. ...Yep, please do that. Okay."

After cutting the communication with a quiet electronic sound, Hazama let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the seat as if he felt at home.

He placed the communicator on the table beside his seat and then held his hand up to eyes level and slowly squeezed it.

"The “Life-Link”… it seems to be working. There is no sense of discomfort. It's a great thing you're the "Eye of the Azure" as an Observer."

He chuckles as he blurts that out and drops to his knees, spreading his hands out. Then a door slid open and a low-ranking officer from the Librarium walked in.

"Excuse me, Captain Hazama. It will be some time before we arrive, may I offer you something?"

"Oh, yes, I'll have a cup of tea with...some boiled eggs."

"Boiled eggs, sir?"

"Oh. Don't we have any?"

"No, no, right away!"

When Hazama showed his deep regret, the young officer responded with a jump, bowed, and left.

When the sound of restless footsteps faded away and became completely inaudible, Hazama carelessly grabbed the communicator and this time transmitted himself.

"This is Hazama from the Intelligence Division. Please turn me over to Engineering Department Colonel Relius Clover."

After a few moments of silence, a low, cold, unsympathetic man's voice came back from the other end of the communicator.

"It's me."

"Hey, buddy. It's been a while."

Hazama's tune changed abruptly. It wasn't just his tone though. The smile that had been soft a moment ago became twisted into a disturbing expression, and his eyes glittered with ferocity and cunning, as if he were inspecting his prey.

But the man on the other end of the line, Relius, seemed unfazed by this change.

"You... it seems to have worked well."

"Yeah, thanks a lot."
[[File:Trigger shift illustration 03.jpg|thumb]]
Hazama crossed his legs. At the same time, he changed his tone again to a more amused one.

"Ah yes, the 12th subject inherited the Azure."

His shifting attitude was like a shadow turning left and right depending on the direction the light was shining.

Beyond the communicator, he heard Relius growl lowly, as if he were showing interest.

"The 12th Prime Field... I thought it was a failure... I'm heading to Kagutsuchi, I'd like to see it with my own eyes."

"Oh, you're actually coming, huh? That's pretty rare."

"I want to test a few things."

"Well, do whatever you want... For now, please come to the Third Level City of Kagutsuchi. We'll talk more about it there."

With a small suggestive chuckle, Hazama cut the communication.

Hazama got nothing to do until the Ars Magus Vessel arrives on the Third Level.

(I think I'll take a nap.)

Then he remembered that there was one more place he had to contact.
"Oh, how shameful! I should never neglect an important actor, no matter how small their role is."

While making fun of someone who wasn't there, Hazama called up his contact as if he were calling a close buddy.

After a couple of rings, Hazama gave his identity and name to the young female officer who answered, and he quickly told her what he wanted.

"Please summon Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi of the 0th Squadron to the third level city of Kagutsuchi. ...Yes, thank you very much."

"That's it." he said, tossing the communicator to the side table, just as the officer from earlier appeared with a cup of tea and a boiled egg.

After placing the entire tray on the side table, the young officer bowed and walked quickly away. Hearing the door close behind his seat, Hazama put a deep smile on his face and placed his hand on his teacup.

"Now, this is going to be interesting... hehe... hehehehehehe..."

Hazama's golden eyes gleamed viciously in the shadow of his hat. Like the dawn of a soundless night, time moves forward moment by moment. Knowing what awaits us ahead, we continue to move forward in cruelty.

</noinclude>
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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side|Carl's Side]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side

2024-07-22T22:32:29Z

Bloodedge666: /* Rachel's Side */

==Rachel's Side==

A long, long staircase led into a deep, deep darkness.

All I was aware of is the hard stone stairs beneath my feet and how cold they were.

The area was covered in thick darkness, so I couldn't even see any sign of what was beyond, or if there was anything at all.

The girl in the black dress, Rachel Alucard, walks down the long staircase as if to check each step. With her beautiful blonde hair tied up in two buns swaying and her red eyes looking straight ahead, her face was noticeably pale and had an almost inhuman color to it.

And that’s how it should be, after all she is a vampire who has lived far longer than any human.

Even though she looks like a child of about ten years old, Rachel has spent far more years with this body than she appears to have.

Normally, she would not walk down the stairs on her own like this since Rachel can manipulate the wind. Like rose petals dancing in the wind, she can float up and down in a breath. But she would not in this place, because it is very special to this little vampire. A place located deep within the underground of the Alucard family's castle.

This was the final resting place of the legendary Clavis Alucard, the father of Rachel.

When the stairs ended, a long corridor opened up beyond the darkness. From here, Rachel walked on her own two feet again. It was as if she was trying to retrace her own father's steps.

At the end of the corridor, she found a simple wooden door, a complete contrast to the massive doors she had passed through and by so far. The door was half open with no effort and behind it there was just one small, plain room that quite fit the simple doorway. Rachel did not enter the room, but gently touched the wooden door, which looked so fragile. Gently, as if caring for it.

In the past, this door had been sealed tightly by Clavis. What was sealed inside, and why did her father had to seal it? Who broke the seal in the first place, and why had they done it?

Rachel knew everything… and what happened as a result.

"Are you sure that was the right thing to do, Father?"

She has been asking this question for about a century and to this day, she still doesn't have the answer. She had no idea if there would be any at this point. But even then, in the first place, there is nothing Rachel can do about it.

[[File:Trigger shift illustration 01.jpg|thumb|right]]

"Miss Rachel. Is it this way?"

A man's voice came from behind, softly breaking the brief silence which seemed to had her immersed in a sea of thought. When Rachel looked around to follow that voice, she saw that the man was lowering his head.

Standing there was her butler Valkenhayn R. Hellsing, an elderly gentleman with gray hair and a beard. He too is not a human, but a werewolf with a body that is physically stronger than any human.

Valkenhayn asked quietly as he held an antique lantern in his hand, illuminating Rachael's face in a refined manner that did not fit the crude image of a werewolf.

"Have you been thinking about Lord Clavis again...?"

"...Yes."

Rachel turned to the door again with a little smile, almost as if she were trying to communicate with it.

"My father loved roses, remember? I wonder how he would have reacted if he'd seen the garden in the castle now."

When Clavis was still the head of the Alucard family, the castle garden fell into ruin and waste the moment he passed away. Now that Rachel is the head of the family, the garden is rejuvenated and blooms with beautiful roses every day which hold a pleasant fragrance.

"I am sure he would have been delighted."

Valkenhayn said that with a gentle smile. Rachel's pale fingers caressed the dry wood of the door.

"I... always wanted to overlook the roses in the castle's garden with my father, with
your tea and some fresh baked goods."

"Since Lord Clavis liked his tea with some honey, a rose tea with roses from the garden and sweets that are slightly bitter would have been ideal for milady."

"Hm, yeah. If I were able to do that..."

Sigh.

Rachel's red eyes held a gloomy shade. She let out a shallow sigh, a hint of sadness that did not match her young appearance.

"I want to ask him now. When my father created me, what was he thinking and what did he intend to entrust to me and..."

Do I live up to your expectations?

It is a dream that will never be reached. A wish that will never come true. But by being here, she felt closer to the gentle smile of her father, who had been so kind to her all this time. For Rachel, at least.

"Lord Clavis was always concerned about you, Miss Rachel. Until the very end.

Valkenhayn, carrying the small lantern, spoke calmly in a gentle tone. The way he gazed at his little master's back was that of a very protecting and supportive person.

"I am determined to protect you until very end of my life. No matter which decision you will make."

Rachel was well aware that his words were not just mere promises, nor that they were just an ideal of what he wished to be. With an honest and sincere "Thank you", Rachel waved her long blond hair with the pale fingers that had been touching the door the whole time. That's when it happened.

Suddenly, a sharp ringing struck Valkenhayn's and Rachel's ears.

"What... This is..."

With Valkenhayn's free hand at his ear, Rachel's eyebrows furrowed as she looked up.

This presence. There's no mistaking it.

"Takamagahara wishes to see you."

</noinclude>
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Prologue

2024-07-22T22:29:06Z

Bloodedge666: /* Trigger Shift */

==Trigger Shift==

A long time ago, a mysterious creature known as the "Black Beast" appeared unannounced to the world.

The Black Beast, with its overwhelming power and the absolute immunity to the weapons of that time, killed humanity helplessly, and the population had been drastically reduced. Humanity was on the verge of extinction.

Then, six warriors appeared.

They passed on the great ancient power of "Sorcery" to mankind, and the people fused it with their "Science" to complete the new power known as "Ars Magus".

After establishing the Ars Magus, humanity, along with these six warriors, launched a counterattack against the Black Beast, and finally succeeded in defeating it after a long and fierce battle.

This battle would be called the "First War of Ars Magus" and these six warriors became known as the "Six Heroes" that would be remembered for generations to come.

The human race was overjoyed at having defeated the Black Beast, but the situation was not all happy.

A black mist inexhaustibly overflowed from the body of the slain Black Beast and instantly seeded the entire surface of the earth.

It turns out that this black mist, known as "Seithr", is a toxic substance that can harm the human body if a high amount is ingested.

In order to avoid the harmful substances on the surface of the earth, humans began to migrate by building so-called "hierarchical cities" by carving out mountainous areas.

At the same time, the "Orbis Libararius Norma (OLN)" was established to manage the large number of "Seithr" created by mankind for the purpose of exercising Ars Magus.

Eventually, the governing OLN began to use their advantage of having a large number of "Grimoire’s" to rule the globe.

More than half of humanity perished in the battle against Black Beast, but with new power and a new ruler, humanity achieved a rapid recovery.

A few decades have passed since the start of the Oribis Libararius Norma's, now known as the “Novus Orbis Librarium (NOL)”, reign. The Ars Magus had taken its deep roots in the lives of the people and had become an indispensable part of society.

However, the effectiveness of "Ars Magus" depends on the inborn capabilities of an individual. The NOL’s policy of favoring those with high seithr output has let to creating inequality and dissatisfaction with the system.

Because of this… soon after, the "Ikaruga Federation", which was under the Librarium, declared its independence.

This would mark the first war between humans using Ars Magus.
The war ended with the defeat and destruction of the Ikagura Federation.

The NOL became even more forceful and has made it clear in people's minds that it will completely annihilate anyone who dare to opposes them. Anyone, but…

The first time I saw him, he showed me his never dying “will”.

A few years later. Someone has started to rebel against the NOL that maintains absolute power and governance.

Ragna The Bloodedge

He eventually became the No. 1 on the Library's bounty list as an the SS-class criminal for single-handedly challenging and destroying various NOL branches, which is said to have a military force rivaling that of a country's army.

He always leaves when he destroyed the "Cauldron's" that lie deep within the main branches of each region. His reason’s, unknown.

Ragna the Bloodedge has yet again succeeded in his goal by destroying the NOL branch in the 13th Hierarchical City Kagutsutchi. With the destruction of its respective Cauldron, Ragna the Bloodedge did what he wanted.

However, his true goal has yet to be realized.

Having observed the resurrection of "Yuuki Terumi", one of the Six Heroes, his true enemy, Ragna quietly waits for the right moment to strike in the land of Kagutsuchi.

</noinclude>
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"

2024-07-22T22:09:01Z

Bloodedge666: fixing some spelling errors

[[File:BBCTMC-Lit.png|thumbnail]]
I thought my nervous words wouldn't make a difference. Up till then and from then on...

However, that was a mistake, at that time I first became aware of that.

AD 2193

Even after being guided to the entrance, I still ended up lost, and finally manage to arrive at that place. A silver plate was set into the thick metal door. The name 'Dr. KOKONOE' was unmistakably inscribed on it. At first I knocked on the door timidly, but there was no response from within. I tried knocking harder, but there was still no answer. Finally making up my mind I pushed the wide doors open.

“... Excuse me”

The door slid open with a light rattle. Peeking inside, despite it being daytime, the lab was gloomy and dim.

“... I'm sorry, is anyone here?”

I raised my voice a little. However, there was no reply. Or rather, I couldn't feel any presence from within the room.

“Oh dear, this is a problem...”

Today, my purpose for visiting was for my formal introduction. Should I wait outside for a little while?— while other thoughts floated around in my head, I stood still in front of the door.

“Hm? Who are you?”

Suddenly, a voice called out. I turned to face the voice's owner. A tall and slender man stood there looking at me.

“Excuse me, I came to meet with Dr Kokonoe but it seems she isn't in.”

“Huh, the professor's not in?”

“... Yes. I was supposed to come in today for my introduction but...”

While explaining, I looked at the man's eyes. Set upon a handsome face, it was full of intelligence and his pupils seemed to be drawing you in.

“Um, is there something on my face?”

“Ah, eh, no!”

Looking at my flustered denial, he let out a small laugh. Such a carefree smile. Why was I becoming nervous? I could feel my cheeks were blushing red.

“Are you a contractor?”

“Eh!? Ah, no... I'm supposed to start working here from today onwards. My name is Litchi Faye Ling.”

“Ah, so you're the one!”

“... Do you know about me?”

“I've heard a lot from the professor. I'm Dr Kokonoe's apprentice. I work in the lab next door.”

While saying so, he pointed over at the adjacent room.

“Ah, is that so. Well then, from now on please instruct me well. I'm in your care.”

“Ah no, I'm in your care too.”

That's was rather awkward of me, I thought. And also, that was our very first meeting.

And so I came to work as Dr Kokonoe's lab assistant. He was a researcher specializing in alchemy, and he was also a first-class alchemist. I who lacked knowledge in that field, learnt various things from him about “the study of creating something from nothing”. And in exchange, he learnt from my strong points, the fields of oriental medicine and traditional chinese herbology. We exchanged knowledge on our specialized fields, and worked to better each other. Since we were both around the same age, it didn't take long for our friendship to quickly deepen.

Just as I was thinking those days would pass like so, that day came. I was startled by a sudden loud voice.

“Do you still not get it, you stupid apprentice!”

“No! The one who's wrong is you!”

By this time, I had a slight sense that Dr Kokonoe and him didn't have a really stable working relationship. It was always about the subject of their research— or rather, the attitude a scientist should adopt, and their differences on opinions. However, up till now their discussion had always been calm. Now the both of them had raised voices and were throwing insults at each other.

As I watched their hostility to each other I became flustered, and grew nervous. Their cursing grew even more fierce, and it looked like their argument was going to end up in a violent scuffle. Normally, at this point Tager would step in, but unfortunately he was currently out on a mission. I made up my mind, and with fireworks coming out of eyes I cut in between the two of them.

“Both of you, calm down this instant!”

“... Tch.”

With a snort Dr Kokonoe grudgingly turned the other way.

“You too, calm down. This isn't like you!”

I turned to admonish him. Whereupon—

“Not like me? Not like me you said?!”

“... Eh?”

My words seemed to have struck a nerve, and he raised his voice again to continue ranting.

“Then, let me ask you. What is the me that you know?”

“Th, that's...”

For a moment I was perplexed, and was at a loss for words. His character that I thought I knew— the calm and gentle him— that wasn't his real face?

I asked myself this question, but I couldn't find the answer.

“You only know one side of me. The ordinary, mature, quiet and intelligent person. Was that the image you were holding on to?”

“...”

I hung my head, unable to reply.

“ That's right, we only know the one side of things. All creation has a front side and a back side, the light and the shadow. The parts we're able to perceive, is only a fraction of the entire phenomenon. However, listen to me Litchi. I will, I will... I swear, all the phenomenons in this world, I will find the road that leads to the truth behind them!”

The sight of his figure continually rambling on excitedly overwhelmed me. This wasn't the him I'd known up till now. Again, the subject he was talking about seemed extraordinary... I couldn't hide my unease, and couldn't bring myself to look at his face.

“Look at me Litchi... I... will absolutely open the fountain of all knowledge without fail for you to see.”

After his argument with the professor, he and I drifted apart. A few months passed, and soon we were only nodding at each other politely in the corridors. However, even then I could see that he was becoming worn out. At that point, I went into his lab to check up on him— was what I was always thinking of doing.

Just like that, many months went by. He began to become absent from work more and more. Perhaps his health had deteriorated, for several weeks I hadn't seen his figure at his lab. For someone who took his work seriously this was very unusual. After asking around, it seemed he had ceased to exist altogether. On that day, I decided to pay a visit to his house.

His house was on a street where most of the middle class people lived. It was the top story of an apartment building. I pressed the buzzer several times but there was no response. With an uneasy feeling I knocked on the door. It wasn't locked. Weighing up the situation at hand, I quietly entered the apartment.

The smell of mold assaulted my nose. It looked like no one had cleaned this place for quite a while, and as far as the eye could see dust had piled up in all places. The room was in disorder, and all around the room there were countless piles of books stacked up, in total chaos. I called his name but there was no response. It seemed that he wasn't here. I apologized in my heart, and started searching the room.

— and then, I found “that”.

Where did he go? What is doing now?

Why did I notice it sooner?

Why didn't I try to help him?

Within me all the doubts repeated themselves in a refrain

Regret and guilt tormented me

“If I don't find him soon then...”

In the middle of the darkness, I alone—muttered to myself.

AD 2197

<noinclude>
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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Arakune Short Story "The Diary"|Arakune Short Story: "The Diary"]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"

2024-07-22T22:07:00Z

Bloodedge666: fixing some spelling errors

[[File:BBCTMC-Rachel.png|thumbnail]]

The sound of the teacup being placed onto the saucer echoed throughout the garden blanketed with red roses.

The sky had long since set, and it was the hour which the stars illuminated the night with their cold fire. At her side an old butler with a long beard stood in silent repose. Furthermore at his side a bat and a large black cat were huddled together, snoozing away with light and easy breaths.

Rachel's teatime. Ever the same.

Skin as white as snow. Beautiful blonde hair. Red pupils. Rachel Alucard was a girl in possession of a doll-like beauty.

The girl usually dressed in black. As a foil to her white skin, this created a superb contrast, which only further enhanced the elegance of the girl. At a glance, the girl resembled nothing more than the young daughter of a noble family, however in reality she was a vampire who had already lived for several hundred years. The enormous castle built upon the vast grounds belonged to the Alucard household, a noted family amongst the vampire race. The girl was the current head of the household.

Even though she was called the head of the household, the actual occupants of the castle other than Rachel were her butler Valkenhayn, the bat Gii, and the black cat Nago. These 4 people(?) were the only ones left.

Moistening her mouth with the warm black tea, with one breath she looked up at the sky inlaid with stars. Rachel waited in still silence. For their first meeting. That was a day in the life of Rachel. A day in the life of a girl who experienced endless rewindings of time.

“We're going.”

The leisurely sleeping Nago and Gii were rudely aroused from their slumber by a shoe kicking them awake. Jumping up in shock, their unhappy protests were duly ignored by Rachel. She then pinched and slapped them for good measure. The 2 creatures yelped out loud, and hurriedly began to prepare for departure.

Ignoring the flurry of activity from the 2 creatures, Rachel looked over at her butler Valkenhayn, who appeared to be holding something in. After looking into Rachel's eyes and reading what was in there, after a few moments passed, Valkenhayn quietly said a very short “Take care milady”.

Elegantly settling herself down with ease, she tidied up her attire, and started to exude a strong sense of awareness and control over the shadows flowing withing the shadows. Rachel mumbled something softly, and her figure slowly slipped into the darkness. Valkenhayn wordlessly bowed, as his lady—— Rachel, he silently sent off.

The first thing noticeable after stepping out of the darkness was that needle-like raining was falling. Before the eye a gruesome scene stretched out for miles. What was once a church surrounded by lush woods and beautiful flowers had crumbled beyond any vestige of recognition, the surrounding area was burnt down to the ground, as if the arsonist was not only satisfied with mere kidnapping.

In the forefront of that scenery, there was a lone youth in front on the destroyed church. Cradling his right arm in his lap, his voice all but spent, he was yelling something as if his life depended on it.

“How shameful.”

Rachel noiselessly drew close to the youth's side, saying so as he looked down upon the squatting youth.

The surprised youth looked up with a stunned expression on his face. With eyes like jade he scowled at Rachel.

Rachel's expression remained unchanged as she stared at the youth for a little while, then turned her gaze to the ruins of the church.

As if surveying the place, Rachel looked over the church and it's surrounding regions, then elegantly raised her left hand to her chest level. Her fingers resembling white fish, she traced several circles in the air, and gently opened her palm. As soon as she did that, a drop of transparent light fell from her hand and spilt onto the ground. The instant the drop hit the ground, from what could be termed as the core of that place, blue light begin to form in the outline of a cross.

In a blink of an eye the blue light suddenly traced itself out into a magic square. Once it was done it hard to say if the magic square looked like some sort of family crest or not, but ground began to collapse as if a whole region had just fallen out of the ground.

The youth glanced over and saw that something incomprehensible had awoken. However, without having even enough time to scream, he was swallowed into the hole.

Before long things finally started to calm down. Occasionally, the cracking of rocks as they tumbled down into the hole could be heard

Rachel teleported to the bottom in a flash, the youth was lying flat on the ground like a cotton cloth drenched with water. Rachel stared at his unmoving figure from the shadows.

Presently, the youth who was thought to be dead struggled to get up, as if his body were as heavy as lead. Using his left arm to support his body, he called out in a feeble voice. Fresh blood flew out from his mouth.

The youth once again fell down onto his back. Ragged breaths and desperate yells issued from his mouth. It was easy to see he wasn't long for this world.

“How unexpectedly sloppy of you...”

Rachel spoke. It seemed the youth finally managed to turn his head towards Rachel, she narrowly coming into sight. Without tears nor vitality, it seemed he realized that there was only one possible outcome. As if looking for the entrance to death itself, his eyes scanned the surroundings rapidly.

“Would you like some assistance? If so, then I'll help you stop the bleeding by drinking your blood alright?”

Saying this caused an expression of dismay to rise in the back of her mind, and her cheeks flushed red.

And then once again, she looked down silently at the youth.

Some amount of time passed, and it seemed the rain had finally stopped. The majority of the sky was still covered in clouds, amidst the gaps some rays of light managed to poke through.

One of the rays lighted up the youth's vacant eyes. His right eye, which was beautiful like transparent jade, was now red as if stained by blood.

“If you don't wish to die, then stand before me.”

Suddenly, the youth broke eye contact. It seemed he had spotted something. With his last bit of strength he walked over to the wall as if his life depended on it. Gritting his teeth, he supported his body on his remaining arm.

After finally reaching the wall, with only the right eye which had been dyed red, the youth began scrutinizing the wall for something.

The burnt wall exposed a most unusual object. It was a jet black rock which looked like some sort of obsidian without any lustre.

It was shaped in the fashion of a human. However, everything above it's neck was missing. To this strange rock that had a weird shape, without any trace of hesitation, the youth walked over as if drawn to it by some unknown force. And then, he touched the rock with his bloodied left arm.

In that instant, the rock begin to rumble like the beat of a drum. What seemed like sand began to crumble from the rock, followed by a jet black mist spewing out of the rock with fierce vigor. In an instant the black mist turned into some form of darkness, and swallowed the youth whole.

Watching up to that point with her own eyes, Rachel turned to depart.

“Princess, shouldn't we watch all the way to the end?”

The black cat Nago, with a worried expression his face, asked. However, Rachel didn't reply.

“Yes, yes that's right! Princess! Isn't he someone very import- gyaa!!”

Meeting Gii's outburst with silence and a beating, Rachel shook her head slightly and muttered.

“... What an irony.”

He was always seeing himself as a “Grim Reaper”.

Rachel sat down on Nago and closed her eyes. And then they all vanished into the darkness.

Shortly after, the darkness was dispelled. In it's place stood the figure of the youth. He took several deep breaths. The youth's body which had lost it's right arm was now whole once again, the right arm back where it should be.

However, that blackness that was the right arm—— it was the same as the strange rock. That form it took—— the arm of Hades borne of blood, that was what it was.

<noinclude>
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| Back to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Litchi Short Story "Borderline"|Litchi Short Story: "Borderline"]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"

2024-07-22T22:04:45Z

Bloodedge666: fixing some spelling errors

[[File:BBCTMC-Jin.png|thumbnail]]

Flipping through the pages, Jin let out a sigh. Field officers and higher ranks were given an official office in the main branch of the Libarium. In a short while, the organization was set to publish a new book entitled “Biographies of Heroes”. It covered heroes both past and present from the Libarium, as well as exploits of these heroes compiled into an omnibus format and written in an autobiographical style. As Jin was one of the top heroes still alive in the present age, not only did his face adorned the front cover, but a fair amount of the book was devoted to his introduction and exploits.

The one that was in his hands was just a manuscript. “The person himself should confirm all the facts” was a duty Jin was ordered to do, which was why he was even bothering to skim through the book.

“Ridiculous...”

There was nothing to confirm—— The introduction chronicled his life from the day he was adopted into the Kisaragi household, and the climax covered his activities during the Ikaruga Civil War. However, there were a lot of portions that differed from the reality as it had happened, and several parts were heavily dramatized. If everything was written the way it had really happened, then a lot of the book would have to be cut.

As he was about to sign off “No Problem” on the manuscript's first page, there was a knock on the office door.

“... Come in.”

It was a command given without even raising his head from his desk. With an “Excuse me”, the door opened. A young female officer respectfully bowed and entered. Jin's posture remained unchanged, his vision still focused on the book on top of his desk, and he spoke.

“... What do you want?”

“ —— 2nd Lieutenant Noel Vermillion reporting. It's been a long time, Major.”

“... Noel... Vermillion?”

A name he had heard before. Jin knew this girl. It wasn't the first time they had met. During his time at the military academy, they had numerous conversations before.

—— Why is this girl suddenly back at my side? She's pissing me off...!!

Jin hated this girl's face. To the point where just imagining it would fill him with disgust. Noel stepped forward and presented something to Jin. Jin stretched out for it with only his hand—— it appeared to be a letter. He examined the letter, then broke the seal.

He grew dizzy. From it's contents he thought that it might be the higher ups all ganging up on him with this unknown scheme. It said Noel Vermillion was “to be appointed as a special solo soldier tasked mainly with intelligence and assassination, to be place under direct supervision of a division commander.”

—— Why?

It wasn't as if she had come from a special family line. If you looked at her grades they weren't excellent. The only thing that could be considered for special mention was her remarkably high armagus aptitude scores. She had little experience, and possessed insufficient knowledge. Jin went through the various information and details in his head, trying to mesh his speculations into coherent thought. However, no matter how hard he thought about it he couldn't recall any special reason for this girl to be appointed as his direct subordinate.

Once again, he grew dizzy. Just what kind of torture was this... He gritted his inner teeth.

—— This woman is the same.

At that point Jin raised his head for the first time. Her cheeks stiffened, a nervous look upon her face as she stood there. The Libarium's orders were absolute. Even a hero like Jin could ill-afford to go against them without severe consequences. This moment was another example of him always being unable to go against the Libarium's implicit laws, and it annoyed him immensely.

“... Congratulations on your new appointment, Lieutenant Vermillion. Further instructions will be issued to you in another room. Look for the person in charge. That is all; you're dismissed.”

Drowning the girl under all the instructions given in one shot, Jin hurriedly chased the newly appointed female officer out of his office.

“Damn it...”

Once he had confirmed that the girl had left his office, Jin let out an irritable sigh, and slammed his fists on his desk.

“Why... Of all things... That girl is...!!”

His irritation grew. As he exhaled and calmed down, Jin noticed an unusual feeling and turned around. Placed on a sword rack was the ice sword Yukianesa, and some kind of weird air seemed to be seeping out of it.

“... Bastard. What do you want to say?”

Jin directed his query at the sword of ice. However, there was no response.

¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤ ¤

The next day, the Libarium's main branch was in a huge uproar. Recently, a certain individual had been breaking in, destroying, and killing the personell in successive Libarium branches in Hierarchical cities. Reports that last night, a person thought to be the same criminal with the same M.O had destroyed the entire branch of the 9th Hierarchical City, had filtered into the main branch.

As an aftermath of that incident, on that day Jin was swamped in paperwork coming in from all the other branches, and by the time he managed to finish up all the documents, it had already become dark outside. As he finished up the last of his paperwork and was contemplating putting down his pen, there was a knock on his door and at the same time a girl's voice could be heard.

“Excuse me Major. 2nd Lieutenant Noel Vermillion reporting.”

Ignoring her wasn't possible, so faced with no alternative Jin responded.

“... Enter.”

The massive doors slowly opened. Jin's vision remained firmly on his desk's surface. He paid no attention to Noel and resumed his work, until she handed him a letter.

“... What is it?”

With a suspicious expression Jin took the letter. Noel's hard expression remained unchanged. The letter had been sealed with a high level armagus. A level S-class code—— which meant a highly classified document. Only division commanders and higher ranks had the necessary cipher and the the aptitude to use such high level armagus. Without both the letter could not be opened.

Noel took a step back and stood rigidly at attention. Although he wanted to tell her to leave if she was done, it was likely that the main branch had issued other orders to her. Furthermore the fact that she had specially hand delivered this letter to him probably meant that there was some further mission concerning her in it. Jin irritatedly glanced up from reading the letter, his eyes resting on Yukianesa, which was resting on the sword rack. Just like before, it was showing some kind of reaction. Bit by bit it seemed Yukianesa was transmitting some sort of pulse.

—— Is it this girl?

He glanced at Noel for an instant, but it seemed she wasn't paying any attention and was looking elsewhere. Jin began to chant the armagus code to decrypt the letter. The invisible letters appeared in quick succession. Jin skimmed through the text.

—— The Grim Reaper again?!

Somehow the letter's contents were mainly about the rumored “Grim Reaper”. He had heard of a solitary person's criminal behavior, but to think that such an individual could destroy several Libarium branches...

“—— In accordance, Noel Vermillion is to head to the 13th Hierarchical City “Kagutsuchi” to investigate into the matter of the “Grim Reaper”. Also, detailed information of the “Grim Reaper” will be announced to the public, and the vigilantes will be informed accordingly. In addition, the name of the “Grim Reaper” is “Ragna the Bloodedge” ——“

“—— Ragna”

The words flowed naturally out of his mouth. In that instant, with a loud and flashy bang the scenery that Jin was seeing suddenly warped and distorted. When the broken pieces finally patched themselves together, the scenery was a totally different color. Something from deep within him started to stir, as if in a hurry to be let out.

“ Ragna——”

Once more, he spat out the name. He couldn't be stopped. It was repeated over and over again. As if a bind had been loosened, blood rushed throughout his body properly for the first time, to him it was a great feeling.

—— Why, how could I have forgotten it till now. This, this rush of emotion!

<noinclude>
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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"|Noel Short Story: "THE BLUE"]]
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|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Noel Short Story "THE BLUE"

2024-07-22T22:01:42Z

Bloodedge666: fixing some spelling errors

[[File:BBCTMC-Noel.png|thumbnail]]

Noel Vermillion. That became the girl's new name.

The girl that was a war orphan was adopted by Edgar Vermillion and his wife Claire into their family, and at the same time, that name was given to her.

The Vermillion household were nobility of some renown which, for many generations, had produced many distinguished knights who served in the Librarium. However, due to a weak constitution the current head Edgar was unable to join the military campaigns; in addition, they did not have any children to succeed the family line. Also, because they weren't afraid to openly criticize and protest against the Librarium (even though they were nobility), the Vermillion household was frowned upon by the Librarium and the other nobles, had their aristocratic privileges reduced, and their family line was ostracized.

While surviving on their dwindling family fortune their ancestors had amassed, the ruined family carried on with their lives and adopted Noel. In a tiny cottage in a backwater area with shallow Seithr levels, Noel grew up showered with love from her adoptive parents. They were moderately happy, and the days passed by as such.

A few years after her adoption, Noel came to know about the impending termination of the Vermilion household's aristocratic privileges.

The Vermilion house banished from the Librarium, and loss of their aristocratic privileges—— If that happened, that would mean even day to day life would soon become difficult. Worried about the future, Noel decided to become a knight in the Librarium, and so decided to take the entrance exams for the Military Academy.

“Dad, Mum. I, I want to become a knight in the Librarium.”

Noel suddenly dropped the bombshell while looking straight into her parent's shocked eyes.

“Noel...”

The knights of Librarium, as their names implied, were soldiers under the Librarium. Naturally, as a soldier, one was expected to devote their entire being to the service of the Librarium. If Noel became a knight then her family's privileges would be restored, and they would once again enjoy the patronage of the Librarium. Noel knew all that. Even though her parents protested against her decision, Noel's resolve remained firm.

The result of their discussion was that Noel was not to enlist as a combatant but to do office work—— which could be said as their final compromise.

Thus, Noel took the entrance examination for entry into the Military Academy. But, because she was entering halfway, she had to deal with another test. An test which placed priority of Ars Magus aptitude over knowledge, you could call it the real barrier within the barrier that stood in her way of enlistment.

However, not only did Noel's aptitude levels exceed far beyond the required standards, it was also the highest level ever recorded in history. For the 2nd time in recent years, the previous record was once again smashed by the current one. Noel easily passed her exams—— in addition, she was specially invited into the Military Academy.

6 months before Noel was due to graduate from the Academy, an incident happened. The school was abuzz with a certain topic.

“Did ya hear did ya hear!? Kisaragi-senpai, he went and did something cool!”

The one who noisily rushed into the classroom after school was none other than Noel's roommate, the half squirrel beast-kin Makoto.

“Please calm down Makoto. What happened to Jin?”

Also Noel's roommate, hailing from 1 of the Duodecim's families, Tsubaki Yayoi chided her friend while calmly replying.

“After evaluating his actions during the Ikaruga civil war, he's been promoted by 2 grades!”

While waving a newspaper that had the words “Extra!” printed on it in large font, Makoto excitedly continued to blab on. The newspaper caption read “1st Lieutenant Jin Kisaragi, has been promoted to become the youngest Major in recorded history. He also has been appointed as the division commander of the 4th Thaumaturgical Division”

“ A double promotion... Besides those who were killed in the line of duty, has that ever happened before?”

“Somehow, since he was only there for 2 days, I think a single promotion would have fitted more-”

As soon as she recalled that name that was already fading from her mind, Noel remember her deeply emotive feelings.

1st Lieutenant Jin Kisaragi... wrong, Major. A graduate of the Academy, a a student senior to Noel and company. Serving in the student council she had faced him numerous times, and had spoken with him before. Perfect in every way and quiet... no, that wasn't right, his frosty image made him a difficult senior to deal with. Noel absent-mindedly stared at the large photo of Jin published in the newspaper that was lying on top of the desk.

“Jin Kisaragi...”

While saying his name, the image that Noel only saw once in her entire time in school; the image of Jin with a lunatic expression on his face, flashed across her mind, and Noel caught her breath.

“What's wrong? Your breathing seems ragged... Are you that happy for Jin's accomplishments?”

“N-no, that's not it...”

“You really shouldn't joke about this kind of thing... so, you are really feeling ok?”

With a worried face, Tsubaki looked over at Noel who had denied not feeling well with a weak voice.

“Ah, yes. I'm fine.”

Noel did her best to smile as she replied.

That person arrived exactly on time. A solidly built old man dressed in a blue uniform.

“Ms. Noel Vermillion?”

“Yes.”

Her nervousness increased.

“I am from the Personnel Department of the main branch. My purpose today is to inform you about the orders regarding your transfer. Do you understand?”

“... Yes."

“Very well. These are the instructions given from the Librarium to you. Cadet Noel Vermillion. We at the Novis Orbis Librarium hold your potential in extremely high esteem. We hope to appoint you to an official posting. In exchange the Vermillion family will have it's rights restored and you will be guaranteed your posting permanently."

Noel's eyes widened. Resisting the urge to ask him to repeat himself, Noel scrutinized his expression.

His face remained unchanged. The Librarium being interested in a lowly cadet to this extent was unheard of.

“Um... That is... What would I have to do... if I accepted?”

“Firstly, you'll have to take and clear an exam, then you'll be entered into the 4th Thaumaturgical Division. Following that you'll be assigned to Jin Kisaragi as a special solo combatist under his direct supervision, and you'll be observing his actions as our “link” to him”

—— Why me?

Put simply, a “special solo combatist” was a spy and an assassin. Officially she would be under Major Kisaragi to do paperwork, in other words she would become his ministral secretary... Noel bit her lip. In her mind Jin's image flashed before her.

(Kisaragi-senpai's direct subordinate...)

Cold sweat trickled down her cheek. It was true that her Armagus aptitude scores were the highest ever recorded in history. However, she thought that couldn't be all. If you talked about results then Tsubaki was head and shoulders above her, and in terms of battle ability there were plenty of more outstanding people. Noel thought about it long and hard.

In the midst of her indecision, she finally came to 1 acceptable conclusion. Put simply, even though “her level of potential” and “her level of results” weren't exactly very high, to the Librarium, she was just usable in her own way, and simply another “disposable when convenient person”...

Furthermore the Librarium had caught on that “Noel's weakness” was her family, and were taking advantage of this fact

However, even with those conditions, if she were to accept——

With a frail cough her father discussing their loss of special rights and her mother encouraging him. And also the image of her only looking from shadows without being able to do anything. That scene ran through her mind.

—— I humbly accept the posting.

I intentionally gave my answer respectfully. That's right, the me now should be able to endure it. I should kill off my heart. That is what I was taught being a Librarium knight means.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Jin Short Story "purgatory hell"|Jin Short Story: "purgatory hell"]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Rachel Short Story "Endless Waltz"|Rachel Short Story: "Endless Waltz"]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"

2024-07-22T07:23:54Z

Bloodedge666: fixing spelling errors

[[File:BBCTMC-Bang.png|thumbnail]]

AD 2110. Thanks to the efforts of the 6 warriors the Black Beast is destroyed, and the war that spanned a hundred years or so between humanity and the Black Beast is finally put to an end.

The people started to call the 6 warriors as “The 6 Heroes”. However, humanity's joy was short-lived. The war which had dragged on for so long, had caused the world's population to drop to half it's original number, and various important cities around the world were destroyed. The damage the conflict caused was enormous. On top of that, from within the body of the fallen Black Beast a jet-black mist— later termed as Seithr— gushed out, and covered the entire planet's surface.

Humanity's war with the Black Beast would become known as the “First War of Magic”. Amongst the 6 Heroes the genius sorceress Nine would combine her “sorcery” with the crystalization of humanity's intellect, “science”, to form a new technology known as “Armagus”. Books with details on how to use this “Armagus” would become known as “Grimoires”, naturally, humanity began to amass large quantities of said books. Most of these grimoires were controlled by the “ Void Space Information Management Bureau”

AD 2111. The Void Space Information Management Bureau which controls most of the “Grimoires” increases it's influence, and establishes an organization for governing the whole world. It also changes it's name from “Void Space Information Management Bureau” To “Novis Orbis Librarium”, and gathered it's elite soldiers— later called Knights— and organized them into an armed fighting corps known as the “1st Thaumaturgical Division”. Their influence grew more and more. Placing the revival of the human race as an urgent agenda, the “Novis Orbis Librarium”—shortened as the Librarium, stepped forward to lead humanity.

AD 2112. About a year after construction began, the project deemed as the cornerstone of the restoration of humanity, the 1st integrated city “Izanagi” is completed. After the Black Beast was defeated the “Seithr” it poured forth had covered the entire world's surface. The detrimental effects of excessive intake of Seithr by humans as well as it's effect on the ecosystem was established. To escape the Seithr on the planet's surface humanity moved into the hills and cut out cities to live in.

After that, the restoration steadily proceeded on, and construction of hundreds of mountain cities of various sizes proceeded till the later half of AD 2100. In the midst of those 23 multi-storied cities were designed and constructed, which would be known as “Hierarchical Cities”, and the Librarium developed each respective city to be the centre of that particular region. In order to consolidate those 23 cities, the Librarium established the “Unified World Organization”. With that announcement the Librarium governed the world both in name and in reality.

AD 2190. The 5th Hierarchical City “Ibukido” withdraws from the “Unified World Organization”, effectively announcing it's independence from the Librarium.

The following year 4 other cities follow the lead of “Ibukido”— the 6th Hierarchical City “Yabiko”, the 7th Hierarchical City “Kazamotsu”, the 8th Hierarchical City “Wadatsumi”, and the 9th Hierarchical City “Akitsu” and announce their secession from the Librarium. From this point on the group of the 5 Hierarchical Cities would be named as the “Ikaruga Federation”. The Librarium immediately brand the “Ikaruga Federation” as rebels and begins military suppression. However, the Ikaruga Federation's unity and military strength proves stronger than anticipated, and the duration of the war increases.

AD 2192. With the absorption of several smaller cities, the Ikaruga Federation's influence and territory both increase. In response, the Librarium criticizes the Ikaruga Federation's aggressive behavior, and asserts that it has legitimacy and is the just side in the war. The conflict continues.

AD 2194. The key city of the Ikaruga Federation “Ibukido” mysteriously vanishes. Rumor is that the Librarium used some sort of orbital satellite weapon to attack, but until now the reason for it's disappearance has never been disclosed. With the loss of it's key city the Ikaruga Federation slowly begins to collapse, on top of that, their unity begins to waver. Their headquarters shifting from place to place, the resistance movement continues.

AD 2196. Having lost 4 Hierarchical Cities, the Ikaruga Federation attempts to negotiate a peace treaty with the Librarium. However, the Librarium rejects the offer, and the Ikaruga Federation retreats to their last stronghold “Wadatsumi”, determined to resist to the bitter end.

AD 2197. The siege of Ikaruga which was expected to be a prolonged one unexpectedly ends abruptly.

A young Knight of the Librarium, Jin Kisaragi, infiltrates the castle alone and performs a lightning-fast strike— raiding the keep, he assassinates the supreme commander and ruler Tenjou. With the loss of their leader, the Ikaruga Federation finally crumbles.

In the lower half of the 13th Hierarchical City “Kagutsuchi”, in the district which would later come to be known as “Ronin-gai”, the men were having a friendly chat. It was the early afternoon. The men had finished their morning's work, and were now stuffing themselves with their wives' homemade rice balls, catching a breather.

Approximately half a month had passed since the fall of Ikaruga. The survivors of the siege of Ikaruga, in their search for a place to start their lives anew, ended up in the lower half of the 13th Hierarchical City. Unlike the strictly controlled upper half of the Hierarchical City, the hand of the Librarium did not reach the lower areas, naturally making it a new haven for them. To the Ikaruga survivors, this became their new home. They built houses, grew crops, and had all the raw materials and goods necessary for daily life.

“Alright, that should do it.”

The large male who was silently writing— his name was Shishigami Bang— raised his head. The finest ninja of Ikaruga respected and adored by his fellow countrymen, and once feared by all his enemies. Currently he was leading the former residents of Ikaruga in his dead master Tenjou's stead.

“Boss. What were you doing just now?”

Seeing the figure of the chief quietly writing something wasn't something normal, so one of his subordinates inquired with a puzzled look on his face.

“Mm. The truth is like this. I was writing a history textbook.”

“A history... textbook?”

It was an unexpected answer. His subordinate's voices were raised with incredulity.

“That's right. To redress those Library scum's wrong doings, and to clear up my master's regrets, that is my mission. So for that sake first we have to leave behind for the future generations a record of all the Library's transgressions.”

Hmmm, thought his subordinates as they listened intently to their boss's words with fire in their hearts.

“When I was young our master taught me all about the world and it's history. From what I can recall of them, I'm writing down these opening words right here.”

I see, thought this subordinates as they nodded vigorously with sparkling eyes.

“Even so I still can't remember all the small details.”

“The master's words, some portions I definitely recall without question. Such as that this 55-sun (about 165 cm, or 5.4 feet) nail will break, that I definitely cannot forget.”

“As expected of our boss. However, I don't think this 55-sun nail will break so easily nor that soon.”

“Mm. This a memento from our dead lord. It shouldn't be expected to break.”

That wasn't what he meant. He wanted to tell his subordinates that the “large iron nail” wasn't going to break physically, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He had to handle his subordinates carefully with his hot-headedness.

Bang slowly stood up, his fists clenched.

“Today we might only number in the hundreds, but the men sweat and toil, and the women weave at the looms and give birth. If we keep doing that, then soon we will number in the thousands, and ten thousands. This is the unyielding spirit of the Ikaruga people!”

“Yes sir!”

“Well then, it's about time to get back to work!”

“Yes sir!”

At their boss's signal, the men rose as one, and returned to their respective tasks. While Bang stared at their backs as he sent them off, he hefted a piece of timber, and wiped the sweat that had started flowing.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Bang Short Story "Fortune favours the bold"

2024-07-22T07:10:45Z

Bloodedge666: fixing some spelling errors

[[File:BBCTMC-Bang.png|thumbnail]]

AD 2110. Thanks to the efforts of the 6 warriors the Black Beast is destroyed, and the war that spanned a hundred years or so between humanity and the Black Beast is finally put to an end.

The people started to call the 6 warriors as “The 6 Heroes”. However, humanity's joy was short-lived. The war which had dragged on for so long, had caused the world's population to drop to half it's original number, and various important cities around the world were destroyed. The damage the conflict caused was enormous. On top of that, from within the body of the fallen Black Beast a jet-black mist— later termed as Seithr— gushed out, and covered the entire planet's surface.

Humanity's war with the Black Beast would become known as the “First War of Magic”. Amongst the 6 Heroes the genius sorceress Nine would combine her “sorcery” with the crystalisation of humanity's intellect, “science”, to form a new technology known as “Armagus”. Books with details on how to use this “armagus” would become known as “grimoires”, naturally, humanity began to amass large quantities of said books. Most of these grimoires were controlled by the “ Void Space Information Management Bureau”

AD 2111. The Void Space Information Management Bureau which controls most of the “grimoires” increases it's influence, and establishes an organization for governing the whole world. It also changes it's name from “Void Space Information Management Bureau” To “Novis Orbis Librarium”, and gathered it's elite soldiers— later called Knights— and organised them into an armed fighting corps known as the “1st Thaumaturgical Division”. Their influence grew more and more. Placing the revival of the human race as an urgent agenda, the “Novis Orbis Librarium”—shortened as the Librarium, stepped forward to lead humanity.

AD 2112. About a year after construction began, the project deemed as the cornerstone of the restoration of humanity, the 1st integrated city “Izanagi” is completed. After the Black Beast was defeated the “Seithr” it poured forth had covered the entire world's surface. The deterimental effects of excessive intake of Seithr by humans as well as it's effect on the ecosystem was established.To escape the Seithr on the planet's surface humanity moved into the hills and cut out cities to live in.

After that, the restoration steadily proceeded on, and construction of hundreds of mountain cities of various sizes proceeded till the later half of AD 2100. In the midst of those 23 multi-storied cities were designed and constructed, which would be known as “Hierachical Cities”, and the Librarium developed each respective city to be the centre of that particular region. In order to consolidate those 23 citites, the Librarium established the “Unified World Organisation”. With that announcement the Librarium governed the world both in name and in reality.

AD 2190. The 5th Hierachical City “Ibukido” withdraws from the “Unified World Organisation”, effectively announcing it's independence from the Librarium.

The following year 4 other cities follow the lead of “Ibukido”— the 6th Hierachical City “Yabiko”, the 7th Hierachical City “Kazamotsu”, the 8th Hierachical City “Wadatsumi”, and the 9th Hierachical City “Akitsu” and announce their seccession from the Librarium. From this point on the group of the 5 Hierachical Cities would be named as the “Ikaruga Federation”. The Librarium immediately brand the “Ikaruga Federation” as rebels and begins military suppression. However, the Ikaruga Federation's unity and military strength proves stronger than anticipated, and the duration of the war increases.

AD 2192. With the absorption of several smaller cities, the Ikaruga Federation's influence and teritory both increase. In response, the Librarium criticises the Ikaruga Federation's aggresive behaviour, and asserts that it has legitimacy and is the just side in the war. The conflict continues.

AD 2194. The key city of the Ikaruga Federation “Ibukido” mysteriously vanishes. Rumour is that the Librarium used some sort of orbital satellite weapon to attack, but until now the reason for it's disappearance has never been disclosed. With the loss of it's key city the Ikaruga Federation slowly begins to collapse, on top of that, their unity begins to waver. Their headquarters shifting from place to place, the resistance movement continues.

AD 2196. Having lost 4 Hierachical Cities, the Ikaruga Federation attempts to negotiate a peace treaty with the Librarium. However, the Librarium rejects the offer, and the Ikaruga Federation retreats to their last stronghold “Wadatsumi”, determined to resist to the bitter end.

AD 2197. The siege of Ikaruga which was expected to be a prolonged one unxpectedly ends abruptly.

A young Knight of the Librarium, Jin Kisaragi, infiltrates the castle alone and performs a lightning-fast strike— raiding the keep, he assasinates the supreme commander and ruler Tenjou. With the loss of their leader, the Ikaruga Federation finally crumbles.

In the lower half of the 13th Hierachical City “Kagutsuchi”, in the district which would later come to be known as “Ronin-gai”, the men were having a friendly chat. It was the early afternoon. The men had finished their morning's work, and were now stuffing themselves with their wives' homemade rice balls, catching a breather.

Approximately half a month had passed since the fall of Ikaruga. The survivors of the siege of Ikaruga, in their search for a place to start their lives anew, ended up in the lower half of the 13th Hierachical City. Unlike the strictly controlled uper half of the Hierachical City, the hand of the Librarium did not reach the lower areas, naturally making it a new haven for them. To the Ikaruga survivors, this became their new home. They built houses, grew crops, and had all the raw materials and goods nessecary for daily life.

“Alright, that should do it.”

The large male who was silently writing— his name was Shihigami Bang— raised his head. The finest ninja of Ikaruga respected and adored by his fellow countrymen, and once feared by all his enemies. Currently he was leading the former residents of Ikaruga in his dead master Tenjou's stead.

“Boss. What were you doing just now?”

Seeing the figure of the chief quietly writing something wasn't something normal, so one of his subordinates inquired with a puzzled look on his face.

“Mm. The truth is like this. I was writing a history textbook.”

“A history... textbook?”

It was an unexpected answer. His subordinate's voices were raised with incredulity.

“That's right. To redress those Library scum's wrong doings, and to clear up my master's regrets, that is my mission. So for that sake first we have to leave behind for the future generations a record of all the Library's transgressions.”

Hmmm, thought his subordinates as they listened intently to their boss's words with fire in their hearts.

“When I was young our master taught me all about the world and it's history. From what I can recall of them, I'm writing down these opening words right here.”

I see, thought this subordinates as they nodded vigourously with sparkling eyes.

“Even so I still can't remember all the small details.”

“The master's words, some portions I definitely recall without question. Such as that this 55-sun (about 165 cm, or 5.4 feet) nail will break, that I definitely cannot forget.”

“As expected of our boss. However, I don't think this 55-sun nail will break so easily nor that soon.”

“Mm. This a memento from our dead lord. It shouldn't be expected to break.”

That wasn't what he meant. He wanted to tell his subordinates that the “large iron nail” wasn't going to break physically, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He had to handle his subordinates carefully with his hot-headnesses.

Bang slowly stood up, his fists clenched.

“Today we might only number in the hundreds, but the men sweat and toil, and the women weave at the looms and give birth. If we keep doing that, then soon we will number in the thousands, and ten thousands. This is the unyielding spirit of the Ikaruga people!”

“Yes sir!”

“Well then, it's about time to get back to work!”

“Yes sir!”

At their boss's signal, the men rose as one, and returned to their respective tasks. While Bang stared at their backs as he sent them off, he hefted a piece of timber, and wiped the sweat that had started flowing.

<noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Taokaka Short Story "Capricious Us"|Taokaka Short Story: "Capricious Us"]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:CT Material Collection Tager Short Story "Trust You"|Tager Short Story: "Trust You"]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Carl's Side

2024-07-22T07:06:43Z

Bloodedge666: /* Carl’s Side */

==Carl’s Side==

Like the dawn of a soundless night, time moves forward with each passing moment. Knowing what awaits us ahead, we continue to move forward in this cruelty.

In a dark corner of Kagatsuchi, in the shadows of a dimly lit alley where no one is looking, a boy takes a nap... He was one of those who did not have the strength to defy time and fate that kept on flowing.

The name of the boy who sleeps with his body curled up is Carl Clover.

He rests his soft honey-blonde head on the hard knees of a giant doll that is always in the act, sleeping peacefully.

The doll, Nirvana, was protecting him with her abnormally long arms as if to embrace him. Her expressionless face stares at the entrance to the narrow alley where they are hiding. Watching in silence to prevent anyone from disturbing the defenseless boy's sleep.

"Mhh... I'm sorry, sis..."

Carl jerked back and made a small noise in his dream.
Nirvana's jaw dropped slightly at the whispered voice.

...Time keeps moving forward. It doesn't care who it hurts.

Nirvana remains silent, staring at Carl with eyes that would never blink. Her long arms moved slightly, gently supporting the boy's body, which was about to slide off her knees.

Then she lifted her chin again, to guard this narrow area of peace, Nirvana silently looked at the entrance to the dimly lit alley.

Time flows. It flows and draws.
A fate that cannot be escaped and a predestined destination that cannot be resisted.

</noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side|Hazama's side]]
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| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Ragna's & Noel's Side|Ragna's & Noel's Side]]
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Hazama's Side

2024-07-22T07:05:57Z

Bloodedge666: /* Hazama’s Side */

==Hazama’s Side==

A magical ship owned by the NOL. Special seats are furnished with the elegance of a hotel room rather than an airplane with comfortable sofa seats.

A man in a black suit, who belonged to the Intelligence Department, was sitting at one of these seats, which was only available to special executives within the NOL.

"Yes, yes, this is Hazama of the Intelligence Department... oh, I see. You were able to secure Major Jin-Kisaragi? That's good, thank you for your efforts."

The man in the black suit, Hazama, answered the card-shaped communicator in his hand with a casual tone that did not fit with the seat of an executive.

He moved the communicator from his right ear to his left ear, and while doing so, leaned back with his elbows on the seat railing.

"Now, please take him to the Ars Magus Vessel on the 5th layer. ...No, stay on standby. ...Yep, please do that. Okay."

After cutting the communication with a quiet electronic sound, Hazama let out a deep sigh and leaned back against the seat as if he felt at home.

He placed the communicator on the table beside his seat and then held his hand up to eyes level and slowly squeezed it.

"The “Life-Link”… it seems to be working. There is no sense of discomfort. It's a great thing you're a the "Eye of the Azure" as an Observer."

He chuckles as he blurts that out and drops to his knees, spreading his hands out. Then a door slid open and a low-ranking officer from the Librarium walked in.

"Excuse me, Captain Hazama. It will be some time before we arrive, may I offer you something?"

"Oh, yes, I'll have a cup of tea with...some boiled eggs."

"Boiled eggs, sir?"

"Oh. Don't we have any?"

"No, no, right away!"

When Hazama showed his deep regret, the young officer responded with a jump, bowed, and left.

When the sound of restless footsteps faded away and became completely inaudible, Hazama carelessly grabbed the communicator and this time transmitted himself.

"This is Hazama from the Intelligence Division. Please turn me over to Engineering Department Colonel Relius Clover."

After a few moments of silence, a low, cold, unsympathetic man's voice came back from the other end of the communicator.

"It's me."

"Hey, buddy. It's been a while."

Hazama's tune changed abruptly. It wasn't just his tone though. The smile that had been soft a moment ago became twisted into a disturbing expression, and his eyes glittered with ferocity and cunning, as if he were inspecting his prey.

But the man on the other end of the line, Relius, seemed unfazed by this change.

"You... it seems to have worked well."

"Yeah, thanks a lot."
[[File:Trigger shift illustration 03.jpg|thumb]]
Hazama crossed his legs. At the same time, he changed his tone again to a more amused one.

"Ah yes, the 12th subject inherited the Azure."

His shifting attitude was like a shadow turning left and right depending on the direction the light was shining.

Beyond the communicator, he heard Relius growl lowly, as if he were showing interest.

"The 12th Prime Field... I thought it was a failure... I'm heading to Kagutsuchi, I'd like to see it with my own eyes."

"Oh, you're actually coming, huh? That's pretty rare."

"I want to test a few things."

"Well, do whatever you want... For now, please come to the Third Level City of Kagatsuchi. We'll talk more about it there."

With a small suggestive chuckle, Hazama cut the communication.

Hazama got nothing to do until the Ars Magus Vessel arrives on the Third Level.

(I think I'll take a nap.)

Then he remembered that there was one more place he had to contact.
"Oh, how shamful! I should never neglect an important actor, no matter how small their role is."

While making fun of someone who wasn't there, Hazama called up his contact as if he were calling a close buddy.

After a couple of rings, Hazama gave his identity and name to the young female officer who answered, and he quickly told her what he wanted.

"Please summon Lieutenant Tsubaki Yayoi of the 0th Squadron to the third level city of Kagatsuchi. ...Yes, thank you very much."

"That's it." he said, tossing the communicator to the side table, just as the officer from earlier appeared with a cup of tea and a boiled egg.

After placing the entire tray on the side table, the young officer bowed and walked quickly away. Hearing the door close behind his seat, Hazama put a deep smile on his face and placed his hand on his teacup.

"Now, this is going to be interesting... hehe... hehehehehehe..."

Hazama's golden eyes gleamed viciously in the shadow of his hat. Like the dawn of a soundless night, time moves forward moment by moment. Knowing what awaits us ahead, we continue to move forward in cruelty.

</noinclude>
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Jin's Side

2024-07-22T07:05:18Z

Bloodedge666: /* Jin’s Side */

==Jin’s Side==

...He was unable to remember how long it had been since dawn.

Kagutsuchi Branch of the Librarium.

At the main entrance, a slender young man appears from within, walking slowly and unsteadily. He is a young man with golden hair, white skin, and a well-rounded appearance.

However, his body, wearing the uniform of a NOL guard, was gruesomely damaged.

Major Jin Kisaragi, a member of the Novus Orbis Librarium.

His left arm, carrying his trusty sword, Yukianesa, was stained red from the shoulders open wound. With no more strength than his grip on the sword, he swayed beside his body, supported by his right arm.

His beautiful yellow hair was stained with dust and blood, and his cheeks were wet with red spills that had run down his forehead.

"Brother... brother."

His throat, bruised by dust, dazzles with a muddy voice. As he dragged his body forward, blood dripped from his chin marking a red line on the gray floor.

[[File:Trigger shift illustration 02.jpg|thumb]]

Jin's consciousness was fading. He was bleeding everywhere and his whole body ached.

Jin tried to force out one question as he wandered through the hazy landscape of Kagutsuchi.

"My brother... where is he..."

My brother, Ragna the Bloodedge. He encountered, fought and lost to his brother at the Kagutsuchi branch of the NOL. At some point, the branch was caught in a massive explosion.

After the fight, his brother would have headed for the underground of the branch. He regained consciousness and hurried towards him, but Jin didn't make it in time, so the explosion pulled him away from his brother again.

He wanted to go after him immediately, but his body wouldn't listen to him.

"Ugh!"

Suddenly, his body went limp and he crashed shoulder-first onto the wall to his side.

His knees collapsed in a moment of weakness that was more intense than the pain, so Jin sat down on the spot as an unyielding force dragged him down.

(Move... This is not the time to collapse. I have to see Ragna and fulfill my responsibilty. So why can't I move my body when I need to?)

He bites his lips in frustration. He then thrust Yukianesa to the ground like a walking stick, still trying to drag his body, which was now far from his control. ...But that didn't even last a few seconds.

"Brother....."

With his vision fading to black as he fell, Jin passed out again in front of the Kagutsuchi branch of the NOL.

As he collapses, several guards from the Librarium arrive at his aid. Two of them kneeled beside the fallen Jin to check his pulse and condition, while the third took out a communication device.

"...Major Jin Kisaragi has been secured."

After reporting this in an apathetic voice, the guards left, taking the hero soaked in his own blood with them.

</noinclude>
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side

2024-07-22T07:03:13Z

Bloodedge666: /* Arakune’s Side */

==Arakune’s Side==

There was a black shadow stirring in a corner of the sewage facility where a river of wastewater flowed.

On the last day of 2199, a massive bombing shook the entire city of Kagutsuchi. This place, which had suffered the effects of the disaster in more than one way, was covered with rubble and debris, adding to the gloom and desolation of the place.

The person who wriggles sluggishly makes his way through the rubble and debris like a mass of shadows. The way it crept around looked disgusting.

It’s like a shadow, a stagnant mucus, or a deformed worm, but for him, it doesn't matter what he looks like.

Just keep going. Why am I going? Because I'm looking for it. What am I looking for?

"...Need ...Azure."

That is all he wants, his only desires.

He must continue to seek it, otherwise, he will lose his existence. As his "existence" leads to "nothingness" and the "nothingness" would lead to the "void".

However... There was one other thing besides Azure that tweaked his faint consciousness. He cannot remember clearly what, but was there ever anything clearly in this world?

I don't know. I don't know, but...

"...tchi."

He shakes his indefinite body as he begins to speak. His words had a very strange ring to them.

"Li-… tchi..."

</noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
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</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side

2024-07-22T07:01:45Z

Bloodedge666:

==Kagutsuchi's side==

The 13th hierarchial city of Kagutsuchi.

The city had just entered a new year, the year 2200, but the atmosphere was far from that of a New Year's Eve.

Last night, New Year's Eve, the Kagutsuchi branch of the NOL, which overlooked the city at the center of Kagutsuchi, was bombed in a terrorist incident.

The culprit is Ragna the Bloodedge, a wanted criminal who has destroyed various branches of the Librarium before and is therefore also known as the "Grim Reaper".

There have been several eyewitness reports of Ragna the Bloodedge on the day of the bombing:

"Ragna the Bloodedge was discussing the bombing with a little girl from the Kaka Clan."
"I saw a large circle of magic in the sky, must've been the works of that Ragna the Fooledge!"
"It has been said that the same explosives used in terrorist attacks were used in our city."
"The Grim Reaper's goal is world domination!"

The misinformation led to the confusion of the people and the confusion of people led to further misinformation.

This is also the case in Orient Town, a downtown area that has suffered severe second-hand damage from the terrorist bombing. The fear of Ragna, the Grim Reaper, who went missing immediately after the incident, and the lack of clarity about the extent of the damage even after a night has passed, has only caused the people to grow more anxious.

"Okay, you’re good to go."

In a small hospital in the chaotic corner of Orient Town, a female doctor named Litchi Faye-Ling is having a very eventful and dizzying start to the year, 2200. The terrorist attacks had caused buildings to collapse everywhere, making for numerous injured people who were brought to Litchi.

The hospital has already run out of supplies and now they are having to deal with the situation by having their neighbors bring in their own medicine or borrowing products from nearby drugstores.

"Here are the medicines for your pain. Try not to walk around too much for at least for four or five days and stay at rest."

Litchi then gave a soft smile to the male patient.
For the patients who come to Litchi's hospital, her smile is the best medicine.

Her body is incredibly well-built for a doctor and her black hair is shiny even when it is tied up. There are so many fascinating things about her, but most of all, her smile, which embraces everyone, cheers up everyone who sees her.

As soon as the doctor finished the treatment, a shadow quickly slipped in from the corner of the examining room.

He was a man dressed in a ninja costume, an old tradition of the now defunct Ikagura Federation, he wanted to pick up the male patient. The man in the ninja outfit lowered his back and carried the male patient gently on his back.

"Then, Miss Litchi, I will carry this man home!"

"Please, take care."

There was so much wreckage outside to the point that it was too dangerous to use wheelchairs. Therefore, the patients who could not walk properly were carried home on their backs by this Ninja.

"Leave it to me! We'll bring you back as fast as the wind!!!"

"I don't care how fast the wind is, just be safe."

"Yes, Miss Litchi. If you excuse me!"

The man in the ninja outfit was full of energy and vigor as he ran out of the hospital with her patient on his back.

She looked around the hospital and saw that there were more men dressed in ninja outfits moving about, carrying injured people and luggage.

These are the ninja's of Ikagura.

By chance, they are now helping Litchi and rescuing people all around the town.

"Puh... I'm exhausted as expected."

The number of seriously injured patients had already reached its peak and the atmosphere in the hospital had become somewhat calmer. Litchi sighed involuntarily and turned her head around in a circle as she put away her medical records.

The transportation of the injured began just before dawn. Ever since then, Litchi had been working without eating or drinking anything. She was confident in her stamina, but it was too much for her.

(A bombing incident...? I don't think I can put what happened yesterday in such simple terms.)

Last day of the year 2199.

There was so much going on yesterday yet most of the inhabitants of the Kagatsuchi were unaware of it. Litchi didn't know the whole story and only caught a small glimpse of it.

(But even with all that, I can't help but think.)

She wondered if the bombings were just the beginning, the trigger that would cause a chain of more terrible events.

(I feel that something very... big is about to happen.)

(...And I might find myself in the middle of that chaos.)

This is because an old acquaintance of her may have been involved in some part of this incident.

"Dr. Litchi, I've got a bunch of medicine and bandages to share!"

A girl's voice interrupted Litchi, who had been lost in her thoughts.

Litchi looked up. Linhua, who was working as her assistant, was coming back from a small errand, carrying a bag as big as her petite body. With a heavy thud, Linhua placed the bag she had brought in front of a shelf in the examining room.

"Thank you, Linhua, that's very kind of you. I'll come and pay you back when I've recovered myself enough."

As Litchi walked over to the luggage that Linhua had brought with her, another crate full of luggage was placed next to it in a row. The contents were heavy bottles and boxes of medicines, including disinfectants.

It was a girl with a bizarre appearance that brought her here. She seemed to be a little older than Linhua in height and build, but her face was dark as if she was wearing a shadow-colored mask and her facial features were difficult to discern. But despite her odd looks, she has a terribly charming smile, two big triangular ears popping out of her head and a long tail peering from her back.

She is a girl from the Kaka Clan, a peculiar tribe that lives in the lower levels of Kagutsuchi, called Taokaka.

"It was so heavy~. Boobylady, Tao is so very hungry~."

The momentum of putting down her luggage caused her to crumple to the floor, then Taokaka started begging for sympathy in a pitying voice.

Litchi couldn't help but gush. No matter what the situation, Tao is always like a relaxed cat.

"Very well, you have helped me a lot, Tao. Linhua, I'm sorry, but could you please get Tao something to eat?"

"Puh... Okay, but I'll make something for you too, so make sure you eat it."

"Huh? But we still have patients to..."

"Litchi! The patients are important, but if their doctor would collapse, there's nothing we can do for them, and I will take care of you while you eat!"

After saying that she would not accept any objections, Linhua disappeared into the kitchen. Litchi looked at Taokaka, who was lying on the floor singing "Rice nya~, rice nya~", then shrugged and letting out a chuckle.

(Sorry to put you all through so much trouble, but Linhua is right.)

"Well, I guess I will have to see as many of you as I can while they're preparing the meal. Evening talent, can you help me just a bit?"

It was when Litchi opened the door to the waiting room to call for a patient.

"Doctor, we have trouble!"

Litchi heard a loud voice coming from the hospital's entrance. Litchi jumped out of her skin. Patients and people who were passing were gathered outside the door, and a familiar man was sat helplessly in the center of the circle.

His body is muscular like suit of armor, and he wears Ikaruga's ninja attire.

On his back, he carried a huge nail, and on his forehead, he had a deep scar carved in the shape of a cross.

The ninja of Ikaruga, Bang Shishigami.

"Nya! Scruffy guy is all filthy and ragged!"

Taokaka jumped in front of Litchi and rolled her eyes, her ears and tail twitching.

The ninjas who had been helping in the hospital followed suit, when they saw Bang unconscious, they cried out in misery.

"Boss! Boss, stay with us, boss!!"

"We swore an oath… an oath to rebuild Ikaruga, we swore!"

"Boss... You cannot dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Now stop with yelling! He's still breathing, so calm down."

After cutting through the screaming ninjas, Litchi kneeled in front of Bang and lightly pat him on the back.

"Mr. Bang, Mr. Bang. Can you hear me?"

Bang, leaning with his back against the hospital wall, is completely wounded, which was not the case when Litchi met him yesterday afternoon. He was in no condition to move on his own or to even be conscious that is.

Despite this, the Bang's eyelids began to twitch at the sound of Litchi's voice, allowing him to open his eyes.

"Li... Litchi, Miss Litchi...?"

"Good, you are still conscious. You will be fine so come with us inside and get treated right away."

"Oh, my God, Miss Litchi is right in front of me... I can't believe this is, is this paradise or... is this the gateway to heaven?"

"Huh? Now, get a hold of yourself! This is no paradise or heaven, we are in Orient Town!"

For a moment, Litchi forgot that he was an injured man and hit Bang's forehead with the palm of her hand. It wasn't a particularly hard hit, but it was enough to knock Bang out again.

"If you're that energetic, then you're going to be just fine. I'll have you patched up in no time. Bring him inside."

At the sound of Litchi's command, the ninjas brought Bang's body into the examining room with great precision.

While he was brought inside, Litchi suddenly stopped and called out to the passing people surrounding her.

"So, who carried that man here? I would like to know how it happened..."

"No, uh, it wasn’t us."

The surrounding man looked at each other as though they were troubled.

"Well, a giant stranger brought him here, but he disappeared right away. He was a very big man with red skin."

"...a giant man with red skin?"

Litchi's face changed that moment. There's only one person she could think of when she heard that.

(No way...)

Realizing who that person was, Litchi looked around, but there was no trace of them. In the middle of that, Linhua called her from the hospital, so Litchi flipped her long sleeves and straps of her clothes and hurried back to the examination room.

A huge figure watched from the shadows a short distance away as the commotion in front of Litch Faye Ling's hospital temporarily ceased.

His huge, inhuman build alongside his unusual red skin with his overall stern appearance is like that of a "demon". TR0009 Tager, a cyborg belonging to Sector Seven, a group of individuals who oppose NOL. Because of his appearance, he is commonly referred to as the Red Devil.

Bang Shishigami has been brought to the clinic.

He then turned on his heel quietly, despite his huge size.

"Man, that guy's tough."

It was a surprise to him that he could regain his consciousness so quickly in that state. He thought that Bang was in a life-or-death situation for some time.

Just then, a small electronic sound reached his ear. Tager halted at that sound and put his hand to his ear. A transmission.

"Tager."

The voice he heard was that of Professor Kokonoe, a scientist who belongs to Sector Seven like Tager and is actually Tager's superior.

The communication system built into his ear conveyed Kokonoe's sharp, cold voice mixed with an electronic buzz.

"Hakumen's retrieval is completed, return ASAP."

"What about the... that person?"

"Him? ...Oh."

Him--a certain scientist who was seen in the lower city of Kagutsuchi, the shape of what remained of him at least.

Perhaps he recalled the man who had once been his colleague.

What is he thinking?

Tager silently waited for Kokonoe's words, which were hushed over the communicator. Eventually, Kokonoe tells him calmly.

"Come back quick."

If that was Kokonoe's decision, Tager would simply follow it.

"Copy that. Returning to base."

The communication got cut. Tager looked back at the hospital in Litchi one last time, then shook his huge body and headed for Kokonoe's laboratory.

</noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's side]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's side]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Kagatsuchi's Side

2024-07-22T07:01:08Z

Bloodedge666: /* Kagatsuchi's side */

==Kagatsuchi's side==

The 13th hierarchial city of Kagutsuchi.

The city had just entered a new year, the year 2200, but the atmosphere was far from that of a New Year's Eve.

Last night, New Year's Eve, the Kagutsuchi branch of the NOL, which overlooked the city at the center of Kagutsuchi, was bombed in a terrorist incident.

The culprit is Ragna the Bloodedge, a wanted criminal who has destroyed various branches of the Librarium before and is therefore also known as the "Grim Reaper".

There have been several eyewitness reports of Ragna the Bloodedge on the day of the bombing:

"Ragna the Bloodedge was discussing the bombing with a little girl from the Kaka Clan."
"I saw a large circle of magic in the sky, must've been the works of that Ragna the Fooledge!"
"It has been said that the same explosives used in terrorist attacks were used in our city."
"The Grim Reaper's goal is world domination!"

The misinformation led to the confusion of the people and the confusion of people led to further misinformation.

This is also the case in Orient Town, a downtown area that has suffered severe second-hand damage from the terrorist bombing. The fear of Ragna, the Grim Reaper, who went missing immediately after the incident, and the lack of clarity about the extent of the damage even after a night has passed, has only caused the people to grow more anxious.

"Okay, you’re good to go."

In a small hospital in the chaotic corner of Orient Town, a female doctor named Litchi Faye-Ling is having a very eventful and dizzying start to the year, 2200. The terrorist attacks had caused buildings to collapse everywhere, making for numerous injured people who were brought to Litchi.

The hospital has already run out of supplies and now they are having to deal with the situation by having their neighbors bring in their own medicine or borrowing products from nearby drugstores.

"Here are the medicines for your pain. Try not to walk around too much for at least for four or five days and stay at rest."

Litchi then gave a soft smile to the male patient.
For the patients who come to Litchi's hospital, her smile is the best medicine.

Her body is incredibly well-built for a doctor and her black hair is shiny even when it is tied up. There are so many fascinating things about her, but most of all, her smile, which embraces everyone, cheers up everyone who sees her.

As soon as the doctor finished the treatment, a shadow quickly slipped in from the corner of the examining room.

He was a man dressed in a ninja costume, an old tradition of the now defunct Ikagura Federation, he wanted to pick up the male patient. The man in the ninja outfit lowered his back and carried the male patient gently on his back.

"Then, Miss Litchi, I will carry this man home!"

"Please, take care."

There was so much wreckage outside to the point that it was too dangerous to use wheelchairs. Therefore, the patients who could not walk properly were carried home on their backs by this Ninja.

"Leave it to me! We'll bring you back as fast as the wind!!!"

"I don't care how fast the wind is, just be safe."

"Yes, Miss Litchi. If you excuse me!"

The man in the ninja outfit was full of energy and vigor as he ran out of the hospital with her patient on his back.

She looked around the hospital and saw that there were more men dressed in ninja outfits moving about, carrying injured people and luggage.

These are the ninja's of Ikagura.

By chance, they are now helping Litchi and rescuing people all around the town.

"Puh... I'm exhausted as expected."

The number of seriously injured patients had already reached its peak and the atmosphere in the hospital had become somewhat calmer. Litchi sighed involuntarily and turned her head around in a circle as she put away her medical records.

The transportation of the injured began just before dawn. Ever since then, Litchi had been working without eating or drinking anything. She was confident in her stamina, but it was too much for her.

(A bombing incident...? I don't think I can put what happened yesterday in such simple terms.)

Last day of the year 2199.

There was so much going on yesterday yet most of the inhabitants of the Kagatsuchi were unaware of it. Litchi didn't know the whole story and only caught a small glimpse of it.

(But even with all that, I can't help but think.)

She wondered if the bombings were just the beginning, the trigger that would cause a chain of more terrible events.

(I feel that something very... big is about to happen.)

(...And I might find myself in the middle of that chaos.)

This is because an old acquaintance of her may have been involved in some part of this incident.

"Dr. Litchi, I've got a bunch of medicine and bandages to share!"

A girl's voice interrupted Litchi, who had been lost in her thoughts.

Litchi looked up. Linhua, who was working as her assistant, was coming back from a small errand, carrying a bag as big as her petite body. With a heavy thud, Linhua placed the bag she had brought in front of a shelf in the examining room.

"Thank you, Linhua, that's very kind of you. I'll come and pay you back when I've recovered myself enough."

As Litchi walked over to the luggage that Linhua had brought with her, another crate full of luggage was placed next to it in a row. The contents were heavy bottles and boxes of medicines, including disinfectants.

It was a girl with a bizarre appearance that brought her here. She seemed to be a little older than Linhua in height and build, but her face was dark as if she was wearing a shadow-colored mask and her facial features were difficult to discern. But despite her odd looks, she has a terribly charming smile, two big triangular ears popping out of her head and a long tail peering from her back.

She is a girl from the Kaka Clan, a peculiar tribe that lives in the lower levels of Kagutsuchi, called Taokaka.

"It was so heavy~. Boobylady, Tao is so very hungry~."

The momentum of putting down her luggage caused her to crumple to the floor, then Taokaka started begging for sympathy in a pitying voice.

Litchi couldn't help but gush. No matter what the situation, Tao is always like a relaxed cat.

"Very well, you have helped me a lot, Tao. Linhua, I'm sorry, but could you please get Tao something to eat?"

"Puh... Okay, but I'll make something for you too, so make sure you eat it."

"Huh? But we still have patients to..."

"Litchi! The patients are important, but if their doctor would collapse, there's nothing we can do for them, and I will take care of you while you eat!"

After saying that she would not accept any objections, Linhua disappeared into the kitchen. Litchi looked at Taokaka, who was lying on the floor singing "Rice nya~, rice nya~", then shrugged and letting out a chuckle.

(Sorry to put you all through so much trouble, but Linhua is right.)

"Well, I guess I will have to see as many of you as I can while they're preparing the meal. Evening talent, can you help me just a bit?"

It was when Litchi opened the door to the waiting room to call for a patient.

"Doctor, we have trouble!"

Litchi heard a loud voice coming from the hospital's entrance. Litchi jumped out of her skin. Patients and people who were passing were gathered outside the door, and a familiar man was sat helplessly in the center of the circle.

His body is muscular like suit of armor, and he wears Ikaruga's ninja attire.

On his back, he carried a huge nail, and on his forehead, he had a deep scar carved in the shape of a cross.

The ninja of Ikaruga, Bang Shishigami.

"Nya! Scruffy guy is all filthy and ragged!"

Taokaka jumped in front of Litchi and rolled her eyes, her ears and tail twitching.

The ninjas who had been helping in the hospital followed suit, when they saw Bang unconscious, they cried out in misery.

"Boss! Boss, stay with us, boss!!"

"We swore an oath… an oath to rebuild Ikaruga, we swore!"

"Boss... You cannot dieeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!"

"Now stop with yelling! He's still breathing, so calm down."

After cutting through the screaming ninjas, Litchi kneeled in front of Bang and lightly pat him on the back.

"Mr. Bang, Mr. Bang. Can you hear me?"

Bang, leaning with his back against the hospital wall, is completely wounded, which was not the case when Litchi met him yesterday afternoon. He was in no condition to move on his own or to even be conscious that is.

Despite this, the Bang's eyelids began to twitch at the sound of Litchi's voice, allowing him to open his eyes.

"Li... Litchi, Miss Litchi...?"

"Good, you are still conscious. You will be fine so come with us inside and get treated right away."

"Oh, my God, Miss Litchi is right in front of me... I can't believe this is, is this paradise or... is this the gateway to heaven?"

"Huh? Now, get a hold of yourself! This is no paradise or heaven, we are in Orient Town!"

For a moment, Litchi forgot that he was an injured man and hit Bang's forehead with the palm of her hand. It wasn't a particularly hard hit, but it was enough to knock Bang out again.

"If you're that energetic, then you're going to be just fine. I'll have you patched up in no time. Bring him inside."

At the sound of Litchi's command, the ninjas brought Bang's body into the examining room with great precision.

While he was brought inside, Litchi suddenly stopped and called out to the passing people surrounding her.

"So, who carried that man here? I would like to know how it happened..."

"No, uh, it wasn’t us."

The surrounding man looked at each other as though they were troubled.

"Well, a giant stranger brought him here, but he disappeared right away. He was a very big man with red skin."

"...a giant man with red skin?"

Litchi's face changed that moment. There's only one person she could think of when she heard that.

(No way...)

Realizing who that person was, Litchi looked around, but there was no trace of them. In the middle of that, Linhua called her from the hospital, so Litchi flipped her long sleeves and straps of her clothes and hurried back to the examination room.

A huge figure watched from the shadows a short distance away as the commotion in front of Litch Faye Ling's hospital temporarily ceased.

His huge, inhuman build alongside his unusual red skin with his overall stern appearance is like that of a "demon". TR0009 Tager, a cyborg belonging to Sector Seven, a group of individuals who oppose NOL. Because of his appearance, he is commonly referred to as the Red Devil.

Bang Shishigami has been brought to the clinic.

He then turned on his heel quietly, despite his huge size.

"Man, that guy's tough."

It was a surprise to him that he could regain his consciousness so quickly in that state. He thought that Bang was in a life-or-death situation for some time.

Just then, a small electronic sound reached his ear. Tager halted at that sound and put his hand to his ear. A transmission.

"Tager."

The voice he heard was that of Professor Kokonoe, a scientist who belongs to Sector Seven like Tager and is actually Tager's superior.

The communication system built into his ear conveyed Kokonoe's sharp, cold voice mixed with an electronic buzz.

"Hakumen's retrieval is completed, return ASAP."

"What about the... that person?"

"Him? ...Oh."

Him--a certain scientist who was seen in the lower city of Kagutsuchi, the shape of what remained of him at least.

Perhaps he recalled the man who had once been his colleague.

What is he thinking?

Tager silently waited for Kokonoe's words, which were hushed over the communicator. Eventually, Kokonoe tells him calmly.

"Come back quick."

If that was Kokonoe's decision, Tager would simply follow it.

"Copy that. Returning to base."

The communication got cut. Tager looked back at the hospital in Litchi one last time, then shook his huge body and headed for Kokonoe's laboratory.

</noinclude>
{| border="1" cellpadding="5" cellspacing="0" style="margin: 1em 1em 1em 0; background: #f9f9f9; border: 1px #aaaaaa solid; padding: 0.2em; border-collapse: collapse;"
|-
| Back to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side|Rachel's side]]
| Return to [[BlazBlue|Main Page]]
| Forward to [[BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Arakune's Side|Arakune's side]]
|-
|}
</noinclude>

BlazBlue:Trigger Shift Rachel's Side

2024-07-22T06:58:06Z

Bloodedge666: /* Rachel's Side */

==Rachel's Side==

A long, long staircase led into a deep, deep darkness.

All I was aware of is the hard stone stairs beneath my feet and how cold they were.

The area was covered in thick darkness, so I couldn't even see any sign of what was beyond, or if there was anything at all.

The girl in the black dress, Rachel Alucard, walks down the long staircase as if to check each step. With her beautiful blonde hair tied up in two buns swaying and her red eyes looking straight ahead, her face was noticeably pale and had an almost inhuman color to it.

And that’s how it should be, after all she is a vampire who has lived far longer than any human.

Even though she looks like a child of about ten years old, Rachel has spent far more years with this body than she appears to have.

Normally, she would not walk down the stairs on her own like this since Rachel can manipulate the wind. Like rose petals dancing in the wind, she can float up and down in a breath. But she would not in this place, because it is very special to this little vampire. A place located deep within the underground of the Alucard family's castle.

This was the final resting place of the legendary Clavis Alucard, the father of Rachel.

When the stairs ended, a long corridor opened up beyond the darkness. From here, Rachel walked on her own two feet again. It was as if she was trying to retrace her own father's steps.

At the end of the corridor, she found a simple wooden door, a complete contrast to the massive doors she had passed through and by so far. The door was half open with no effort and behind it there was just one small, plain room that quite fit the simple doorway. Rachel did not enter the room, but gently touched the wooden door, which looked so fragile. Gently, as if caring for it.

In the past, this door had been sealed tightly by Clavis. What was sealed inside, and why did her father had to seal it? Who broke the seal in the first place, and why had they done it?

Rachel knew everything… and what happened as a result.

"Are you sure that was the right thing to do, Father?"

She has been asking this question for about a century and to this day, she still doesn't have the answer. She had no idea if there would be any at this point. But even then, in the first place, there is nothing Rachel can do about it.

[[File:Trigger shift illustration 01.jpg|thumb|right]]

"Miss Rachal. Is it this way?"

A man's voice came from behind, softly breaking the brief silence which seemed to had her immersed in a sea of thought. When Rachel looked around to follow that voice, she saw that the man was lowering his head.

Standing there was her butler Valkenhayn R. Helsing, an elderly gentleman with gray hair and a beard. He too is not a human, but a werewolf with a body that is physically stronger than any human.

Valkenhayn asked quietly as he held an antique lantern in his hand, illuminating Rachael's face in a refined manner that did not fit the crude image of a werewolf.

"Have you been thinking about Lord Clavis again...?"

"...Yes."

Rachel turned to the door again with a little smile, almost as if she were trying to communicate with it.

"My father loved roses, remember? I wonder how he would have reacted if he'd seen the garden in the castle now."

When Clavis was still the head of the Alucard family, the castle garden fell into ruin and waste the moment he passed away. Now that Rachel is the head of the family, the garden is rejuvenated and blooms with beautiful roses every day which hold a pleasant fragrance.

"I am sure he would have been delighted."

Valkenhayn said that with a gentle smile. Rachel's pale fingers caressed the dry wood of the door.

"I... always wanted to overlook the roses in the castle's garden with my father, with
your tea and some fresh baked goods."

"Since Lord Clavis liked his tea with some honey, a rose tea with roses from the garden and sweets that are slightly bitter would have been ideal for milady."

"Hm, yeah. If I were able to do that..."

Sigh.

Rachel's red eyes held a gloomy shade. She let out a shallow sigh, a hint of sadness that did not match her young appearance.

"I want to ask him now. When my father created me, what was he thinking and what did he intend to entrust to me and..."

Do I live up to your expectations?

It is a dream that will never be reached. A wish that will never come true. But by being here, she felt closer to the gentle smile of her father, who had been so kind to her all this time. For Rachel, at least.

"Lord Clavis was always concerned about you, Miss Rachel. Until the very end.

Valkenhayn, carrying the small lantern, spoke calmly in a gentle tone. The way he gazed at his little master's back was that of a very protecting and supportive person.

"I am determined to protect you until very end of my life. No matter which decision you will make."

Rachel was well aware that his words were not just mere promises, nor that they were just an ideal of what he wished to be. With an honest and sincere "Thank you", Rachel waved her long blond hair with the pale fingers that had been touching the door the whole time. That's when it happened.

Suddenly, a sharp ringing struck Valkenhayn's and Rachel's ears.

"What... This is..."

With Valkenhayn's free hand at his ear, Rachel's eyebrows furrowed as she looked up.

This presence. There's no mistaking it.

"Takamagahara wishes to see you."

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