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

===Part 5===

The lifted eyelids felt incredibly, incredibly heavy.

Naoto didn’t even understand why he had opened his eyes. It felt like he might have been thinking of something, but it could also have been a natural reflex, like opening his mouth to take in oxygen.

Naoto opened his eyes, as if pulled up by a drifting consciousness, and he absently reflected the deep navy night sky in his gaze.

(It’s night...)

He could see the moon in the distance. The white, round moon seemed to look down on Naoto like a mirror.

He wanted to sit up. But his body wouldn’t move. It felt completely powerless. It was strange that he could lift his eyelids at all; he didn’t even know how to move a single fingertip. His sensations and consciousness were hazy, his body felt extremely cold, and heavy.

(Ah, I see...)

Finally, Naoto understood why his body felt so heavy. There were multiple pieces of rubble resting on top of him. The cold debris that pressed down on him was so heavy that he couldn’t breathe.

“Ugh…” He tried to shift to regain his breath, but his lungs wouldn’t cooperate. Instead of inhaling, a viscous liquid rose up and overflowed from Naoto’s mouth before he could brace himself. What dampened his lips and chin was blood—warm, sticky blood mixed with some other bodily fluids. It carried a nauseating smell.

As he heard a hissing sound, the warmth seemed to drain away from his body, slowly, slowly. Like sinking into a bottomless swamp, Naoto experienced the sensation of himself fading away.

(So this is... is this dying?)

He murmured in his heart, feeling as if it were someone else’s business.

(So this is how it ends...)

If that moon were a mirror, would he see the numbers above his head gradually decreasing? How many numbers were left now? Would it be lower than the number for today’s Isa?
How much longer until he reached "0"?

Would he also turn into a black mass like that suited man? He couldn’t confirm his own death, as he couldn’t see it himself. His vision, which had been filled with moonlight, gradually darkened and lost its light. He could almost hear the sound of the numbers decreasing.

In the midst of this, Naoto thought of his childhood friend, who was probably preparing dinner now.

(Ah... this is bad. She’s going to be angry if I’ve gotten my clothes this dirty.)

He didn’t even know if he could go home. No, the situation was such that he couldn’t possibly go home. However, Naoto was only thinking of ways to procure a new uniform without being found by Haruka, and excuses to lighten her worries as much as possible.

As if to announce reality to Naoto, a cold wind blew. 

In that instant, Naoto's vision regained light. Aware that it was the light of the east, he squinted at the new light that had appeared in his field of view. A shining gold—just like the color of that girl’s hair and eyes. Still completely unclothed except for a black cloak draped over her slender form, she stood in front of him, blocking the moonlight that fell on Naoto’s face.

(Are you okay...?)

It seemed she wasn’t injured. The numbers above her head hadn’t decreased from the last memory Naoto had, maintaining a strangely high value. He almost wanted to ask for some of it. A sense of relief descended in Naoto’s chest. He couldn’t remember how things had come to this point, but after Naoto had been buried in rubble, it seemed that the insect hadn’t attacked her or inflicted any serious wounds. However, the words that could have conveyed his relief did not turn into sound. He could hardly breathe.

"You don’t need to worry about me. Rather, it’s overwhelmingly you who should be concerned, don’t you think??" Naoto felt an urge to laugh at the calm girl’s words. Having his right arm bitten off, buried in rubble, unable to move, and on the verge of death—it was completely true, just as the girl said.

What puzzled him was how his concern for her had somehow been communicated. But if it could be conveyed without words, that was a relief. He wanted to ask her about whatever technique she was using, given that she surely knew something about the situation.

(What happened to that insect earlier?)

With this question in mind, he barely moved his eyes side to side. From here, he couldn’t see what was happening around him well. After all, it wasn’t just the position or place that made it hard to see.

"That thing ran away. After it buried you there," she replied. It seemed the reason Naoto was buried in the rubble was indeed that insect. Understanding, Naoto exhaled a breath that felt like he was squeezing it out, and the girl looked down at him from her haughty posture, pausing for a moment before whispering a question.

"Why?" Immediately, Naoto recalled the moment when the insect had flown out from the man's head. He furrowed his brow, trembling. Instead of words, he shook his head. It was more of a slight movement than a vigorous shake, but it seemed to have been communicated to the girl. He didn’t know the reason. He didn’t even know if there was a reason. His body had just instinctively moved when he felt danger. However, the price of that decision, had been far more devastating than he could have imagined.

“...I see.” The girl’s soft murmur fell like a whisper. Her expression was emotionless like the moon, and from the gaze she fixed on him, it was unclear what she was thinking.
It was hard to tell what she was thinking. However, from her drooping shoulders and raised eyebrows, Naoto could somewhat sense that she understood.

There was no need for her to look at him with such a thoughtless, dog-like gaze. Naoto returned her look with as much dissatisfaction as he could muster, tinged with contempt behind his bewilderment. The golden eyes he looked up at suddenly narrowed, as if she was pondering something... or perhaps smiling.

(Tch... I really don’t get her.)

He felt as if he were being teased. But that feeling, along with his frustration, was swept away by a sudden wave of understanding. His body felt even heavier now, as if he might sink into the rubble at any moment. He could vaguely sense what this meant. He would soon reach "0." It was almost over.

As Naoto's consciousness faded again, he heard the girl’s voice close by, as if whispering to him.

“Do you want to be saved?” 

He thought it was a strange question. Naoto laughed, though his expression remained unchanged.

“Of course...” Struggling to lift his voice from beneath the heavy rubble pressing down on his chest, Naoto squeezed out the words. It was hoarse and weak, and he couldn’t tell if it even sounded like a voice. But he continued. Did he want to be saved? The answer was obvious.

“I want to be saved... of course...” Desperately trying to focus his blurred vision, Naoto searched for the golden eyes. The girl was right beside him. He glared up at her, who was looking down at him as if peering into a well. Her eyes were beautiful. His agonized face was reflected in the mesmerizing golden surface. Narrowing her eyes, the girl smiled.

“Well then, I’ll help you. You'll become a servant of ‘Raquel Alucard.’” While whispering sweetly, the blonde girl knelt before Naoto, the hem of her cloak swaying gently. Her white skin, woven only from a piece of cloth, glowed even brighter under the moonlight. Her delicate hands, like those of a black doll, reached out to Naoto like an angel offering salvation. Cold fingertips brushed against his cheek. As she held him gently with both hands, she urged him to lift his face.

“In exchange... obtain the ‘Azure.’ And then I—” Continuing in a faint voice, she let her long eyelashes softly cover her golden eyes. Slowly, her face drew closer. Her slightly parted lips looked incredibly soft, and behind them, a bright red tongue glistened. As she inhaled, her mouth opened wide. In a fleeting moment, Naoto caught sight of her sharply gleaming fangs. But before he could comprehend the meaning of it, her lips touched—
Naoto's... neck.

Immediately, a sharp pain shot through him. The dulled sensation suddenly came alive, as if something were piercing his skin and flesh for the last time. His entire body tensed, and he instinctively tried to resist. But Naoto's body did not move. Holding his immobile body down, the girl pressed her lips to Naoto's neck and sucked strongly on the heat that overflowed from there.

A gulp, it sounded so close. With each sound, Naoto's consciousness faded further away. The sound repeated over and over, sucking something out of Naoto. It sounded like a heartbeat, and... eventually, it dragged Naoto's consciousness completely into darkness.






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