BlazBlue:Phase 0 Chapter 4

Chapter 4: Chance-met Silver

———Log 5

Completed.

The dangerous object that was being sought by Relius and the snake-like man has been completed.

However, I too, have taken interest toward it.

I am a researcher after all.

That is why I developed this.

This is a lynchpin.

If they intend to create a blade to sever the entrance to the Boundary, then this will be the nail to shut it close.

They are oblivious to the fact that I have made it. They still shouldn't be aware of it later on.

Nothing but Kusanagi is reflected on their eyes.

Next, if I can get my hands on the key, this lynchpin will be truly complete.

Key... My key.

Until that has been properly raised to accomplish the role of a key, it will be nice if nothing's going to happen.

Part 1

It seemed the hard tiptoe of the high heel was carefully aimed at Ragna's temporal region before hitting it.

"GUAAHH!?"

Much like a bouncing spring, Ragna's body flew. The sounds of his jacket scraping the ground could be heard when he rolled over the rough ground.

"That... hurts! The hell are you doing all of a..."

Ragna strongly held down the part that was kicked as he yelled. But that voice quickly faded away.

When Ragna raised his face up, the woman with pointy hat who had gifted him a roundhouse kick was now raising both of her hands while glaring at him.

There was yellow light on her hands that was scattering like sparks. Crackling sounds started to swirl.

Judging from her gaze, the one she aimed the offensive magic to... couldn't be anyone else.

"H-hey, stop it! First, calm down and tell me your reason!"

"Reason? You mean there's any other reason than wanting to erase you...?"

"H-huh? What are you sa..."

"If you fail to comprehend it, then I'll beat that body of yours to my heart's content... Your crime for just casually deceiving my sister... Don't you think you can leave unscathed. Now, you shall regret that you were born!"

Simultaneously with that declaration, the mass of sparks flung while aiming Ragna.

"WOAH!?"

Ragna jumped backward and tried to decrease the light orb's force by stopping it with his sword. Before his eyes, the sparks from the brutal force were dancing around while scattering.

Groaning, he forcibly knocked off the light orb to the wasteland. But the recoil blew away Ragna again.

The tall figure bounced on the hard ground's surface for 2, 3 times.

"Ragna! Look out!"

Before he could even comprehend what happened to his body, he heard Celica's word of warning. He shifted his body by rolling sideways, only by pure reflexes.

This time, what aimed the spot where Ragna had landed was a downpour of sharp rocks.

If Celica didn't warn him, perhaps his body would be full of holes on the place where he was at several seconds earlier.

Using the momentum from his roll, Ragna sprung and got up. This time, lances of flame launched in a straight line, aiming his face.

"You kidding me!?"

Even being unforgiving still had its limit. For the first fire lance attack, he twisted his body to the point that it barely grazed him, so he somewhat dodged that one. But the woman was aiming for that very moment and suddenly made Ragna's feet frozen, robbing him of his movement.

Crap. When he was quickly confirming his fleeting thought of that single word, an invisible shockwave sunk into Ragna's abdomen.

"U... ugh..."

The contents of his stomach felt welling up from within his body.

One second later, he experienced a sensation as if the whole of his bodily functions had been stopped. No more strength came out for his hand. It made the large sword fell as if spilled from his hand, before it stuck on the ground.

Sounds of cracking ice could be heard from his feet. In a moment, his feet got released from the binding. Ragna dropped to his knees.

"Cough, cough... Guh... Hurk..."

With his trembling back in addition to coughing, Ragna raised his face. The witch with pointy hat, who had been attacking him with barrage of attacks, was walking closer. The sounds of footstep originating from her hard high heels could be heard faintly.

She stopped before Ragna's eyes. Slowly, she raised her feet... and swung down the heel to the top of Ragna's head with all her might.

"Buh!"

Ragna plummeted into the ground.

"Hmph. I was wondering how strong the person who wields that grandiose sword would be... But you're just a small fry. It's utterly a nonsense for you to cut apart the magical power of this supreme me."

"You... bitch..."

As Ranga lifted his enraged face up, the witch mercilessly trampled down his body. It was very much like pinning down a dog to discipline it.

"Consider this an honor. After all, I will personally hand down a judgment for a worthless man like you."

The witch's raised her palm upward with such a graceful movement. On her palm, a fireball as big as a man's head ignited. The impression of the light on her overlooking eyes made it seemed she was beyond reasoning.

Cold sweat ran down Ragna's forehead.

"S... stop, stop it! Let's, uh, try to collect ourselves again. I think we should understand each other with more composure, more logically, and mooooore carefully!"

Ragna desperately trying to negotiate, but the witch just stared at him with surprisingly calm eyes. Her vivid lips spoke few words as if engraving them to him.

"Enough talk."

Creating a rumbling sound, the flame on the witch's hand blazed.

Aah, magic flame is surely hot. Ragna absentmindedly thought about it while the situation hadn't changed for the better.

At that moment, Celica jumped from the side and held back the arm of the witch that was about to throw the flame toward Ragna's face anytime soon.

"Quit it, Onee-chan! Ragna isn't a bad person!"

Toward the complaint from the displeased and red faced Celica, the witch quickly dismissed it with a harsh tone of voice while holding the flame still.

"Please be silent, Celica. This is you we're talking about. Without knowing this man that well, just because you get along a bit, you decided that he's a kind person and can be trusted, am I right?'

"It's not like that! Ragna is truly a kind person!"

"Don't you always consider everyone related with you as a kind person?"

Then, the witch intensely stared at her. Knowing what it meant all too well, Celica was at a loss for words.

"Good grief. It's because of you said foolish thing like searching for that man that this passing by guy can easily trick you."

The witch brushed away the long hair on her shoulders and annoyingly turned to face Ragna.

"Okay? This is a good time, so remember well. Since you're an obedient, simple, and cute child, you'll get approached more easily by men with disgusting ulterior motives. This man is no different. Quickly exterminating this pest is doing a favor to society."

"You... What do you mean by pest?"

Whatever the circumstance might be, she had said too much. Ragna raised his voice in discontent. With a look like she was about to shoot him, the witch turned to Ragna.

"Do you have a complain? You're not any different than an insect."

"You bitch. I won't stay quiet and let you say whatever you like to me. It's too far even for a joke."

Having been trampled down until now, Ragna got quite pissed off and shook off the witch's feet that had been holding down his shoulder.

"What's wrong with you? Listen to other people's story even for a bit! First of all, I'm not deceiving Celica! I'm in her debt since she saved me when I was unconscious. I went through so much that I end up only want to help finding her old man!"

If he was just hated, then it's fine. But he couldn't accept being called a pest. Moreover, it's unthinkable to just dismiss Celica's feeling when she was concerned about her father.

"...Besides, you don't have to speak that harsh to Celica. You seem to disapprove of her searching for her old man, but he has been missing for six years. Think about it for a sec. If you consider Celica's feeling, don't you think that 'foolish thing' you said is a bit heartless?"

Celica knew she was being reckless by disobeying her sister and rushed out from her house. It was easy to just declare that she was being reckless. But it wasn't easy for Celica's feeling to leave her home at that time.

"...You talk like you know everything."

Then, the eyes of Celica's older sister narrowed.

In an instant, Ragna felt a chill ran down his spine. It seemed that he had just stepped on a switch that shouldn't be disturbed.

And that was definitely not his imagination. Although a magician, the beautiful woman was pretty direct with her violence. Her visible remaining composure had been cast aside. Her rage was laid bare when she raised her voice.

"No. One. Asked. For. Your. Opinion!"

Her hand formed a fist, crushing the fireball she had specially created. The witch's high heel kicked Ragna in a regular rhythm.

"Ugh. Guh...!"

"In the first place, you're just a passing by man. Don't talk like you're already familiar with Celica! Your filthy hand feels sticky that it disgusts me. You trash! Garbage!"

The tip of her high heel grinded against Ragna's forehead. The intensity of her expression gave form to an emotion called hatred.

"Onee-chan, stop it already!"

Holding some irritation, Celica's voice got hoarse and tearful. It agitated even more of the witch's anger. Celica's sorrowful face. Celica pleading for Ragna. It was as if all of that was Ragna's fault.

She put more strength to the foot that was crushing him. At that moment.

"Okay, okaaaaay. For now, shouldn't we take a break nearby~?"

Until now, she was a bit separated from them while continuously watching the arguing. The woman who wore a hood and big glasses had already close by before anyone noticed it.

With a gentle voice as soft as marshmallow, she forced herself between Ragna and the witch with pointy hat.

"Everyone, let's have a warm tea to drink. Alright?"

With a dumbfounding carefree tone, the glasses woman smiled cheerfully toward Ragna and Celica's older sister.

A short while afterward.

"...I get it already, Trinity."

In a completely reluctant manner, the witch with pointy hat finally released her foot from Ragna.

Part 2

They were not far from the First District... or they should be. On a desolate mountain trail with no vegetation growing, Ragna, devoid of energy to stand up anymore, sat down with his back placed on a big rock.

Even though his body was grazed many times against magic effects and received a shock wave to his stomach, the damage received from the continuous kicking was the most severe.

He rubbed his hurting forehead while watching what was on the other side. There were Celica and the seemingly her sister of witch with pointy hat. They were both quarreling while sometimes shouting, too.

It was hard to say that the atmosphere was gentle. But he judged that there wasn't a tiny speck of anything serious that couldn't be mended. They seemed to be close sisters.

Ragna was at loss on how many times he had sighed. He had been completely out of loop from some time ago.

"Here you go."

A gentle voice approached him from his side. It was a woman with glasses holding out a small plastic cup. Its content was herb tea which she blended herself. Thin, white vapor was rising.

He wasn't particularly appropriate with the likes of herb tea, but Ragna was thankful to receive it. There was an unusually refreshing aroma there.

Although there was no water around the wasteland, it didn't really make the glassed woman concerned in getting hot water since she had magic. He didn't have anything against magic, but even when he knew that it was harmless to drink it, he still had complicated feelings about it.

The glassed woman sat beside Ragna. She charmingly gazed at the sisters who were a bit separated from them.

"Please forgive her for suddenly intruding. When it comes to her sister, she will just disregard anything on her surroundings."

"You saw it, huh."

A little while ago, his body realized it directly.

"Well, it's just because Celica is very important to her, right? ...I know she's being overprotective, but I got problems with that."

Ragna spoke before sipping his tea while the glassed woman giggled.

"Just like Celica-san said, you're very gentle, Ragna-san."

"What do you mean...? I don't get it."

"Ufufu. You're so shy."

As expected, the glassed woman was viewing Celica and her older sister as if looking at playful kittens. Then, she took a sip of the warm tea.

"My name's Trinity~. And that girl is Nine. As you may already know, she's Celica-san's big sis."

"Nine?"

"Of course, it's not her real name. She's currently the ninth of the Magic Guild's Ten Sages. Therefore, she's called Nine."

"Hmm. I see."

It was a fitting reaction toward it, but Ragna's response didn't mean that he felt the name was unusual.

Nine. The Six Heroes defeated Black Beast, and among them, there was someone named Nine. If that was the case, then she was probably...

"It's actually just a title. But it seems Nine isn't that fond with her real name~."

"The reason's probably her old man, huh."

As Ragna muttered, Trinity bitterly smiled while frowning her eyebrows.

On the opposite side, the usual tension could be heard from the voices of Celica and Nine.

In regard to Celica's serious pleading of Ragna isn't a bad person!, Nine said her opinions like it's not good being together with a man that has doubtful origin, let alone when he's no less than small fry, or, isn't it like picking up a dirty animal?. At any rate, they were horrible things to say.

Trinity listened to that conversation while charmingly smiling and sipping her own cup.

"When she discovered that Celica-san has gone to find her father, Nine was in panic. She always and always searched for her."

"Well, it's her sister's nature after all. Of course she'd be worried."

He didn't know what other things she was capable of, but her handicap of not having any sense of direction had burdened them that they were barely able to reach the mountain near the port. It might have been not less than a miracle for them to get there.

"That's why a while ago, she entered the mountain, relying on the powerful magic that had suddenly occurred. When she finally came across Celica-san, Nine felt so much relieved. But when she saw a man she had never seen together with her sister, she was sooo surprised. ...And then, she felt a little determined."

"The meaning of her determination was different."

Despite Trinity was grinning as sweet as sweet pastry, Ragna wondered why he sensed a dangerous aura the moment he said those words.

"That too, was because of her feeling to Celica-san. Please excuse her~."

"I'm not that angry. But it was surely painful."

His forehead still hurt. There might still be shoe marks there.

"...Though, I know that she's just worried about her sister."

"Oh my. Does Ragna-san have siblings, too?"

"Nope. I still can't remember about that clearly."

Celica had already told Nine and Trinity about when he was unconscious and the amnesia he got.

His memories were certainly coming back little by little. Especially, his mind felt clear immediately after he went to the Alucard residence.

Nonetheless, there were still many blurry parts. He tried to absorb the meaning of the word 'sister' which Trinity had said repeatedly.

Did he have a younger sister? Or maybe a younger brother? Either way, their existence were surely important.

"Why!? Why do you oppose that much for me to search for Father!?"

Celica's loud voice came in suddenly.

Before anyone noticed, the conversation went from talking about Ragna to Celica searching for her father.

Until now, Celica's tensed face was stiffing. She fixed her eyes on the sister that was a little taller and had a composed face.

"Don't you worry about Father? Japan has been like this for six years, but still no one knows where Father is or whether he's alive. It's weird!"

"It's a rare occurrence for someone to be alive if they're in Japan when Black Beast appeared. Many people have been missing for now that they're treated the same as if they've died. Even you should understand it, right?"

"But there were survivors!"

"It's just a coincident. It's meaningless to find him."

"That's not true! At least, I want to know if he's in good health, or if I'm not able to meet him anymore..."

"And how will you do that!?"

Nine's voice became harsh.

The piercing tone of voice blocked Celica's reply back on her throat. However, her staring eyes didn't flinch. She wasn't that weak of a younger sister.

Rather, as the one who seriously shouted, it was Nine who was flinched as she dropped her gaze. To calm herself down, she took a deep breath.

"And what if he's alive? After you're satisfied by meeting that man again, are you going to return home together with him?"

"No. It's not like that. Not at all..."

Even after she had regained her composure, Nine didn't hide her irritation.

Celica desperately trying to get the right words as she shook her head forcefully. Her long hair danced around.

"I just want to find him. If he turns out to be okay, then that's enough. If he's injured and in poor condition, then I'll heal him. And once again... Father will become like his former self and try his best to do many researches for the better of society. I'm fine with just that."

"...For the better of society, huh."

Averting her eyes, Nine let out a short breath. Immediately, Celica's face was dyed in anxiety. But before she asked something, a third voice interrupted them.

"Nine. If you scold Celica-san that hard, don't you feel sorry for her?"

It was Trinity. Before anyone noticed, she had stood between the two sisters. Just like when she interfered with Ragna and Nine who were fighting each other... or rather a one-sided violence.

"If only you spoke more honestly. Like, 'I was very worried. I'm glad you're okay'..."

"What do you mean? That's what I've been saying until now."

"You didn't say it."

Since Nine was too haughty with her reply, Ragna unconsciously let his mouth to interrupt her. At that moment, a frightening gaze eyed him.

"...Ahem. Anyway, if you just wander aimlessly in Japan, you won't reach your goal. There's a nuclear attack, and stuff similar to Black Beast fragments remained all over the place. Don't do futile efforts anymore. Let's get home already."

Folding her arms below the voluptuous bosom, Nine made a statement while trying to be careful not to make her tone sound harsh. Nevertheless, there were glimpses of irritation in every word she said.

Like Trinity had said, Nine must have been anxious and troubled.

Even Celica fully understood her intention. However, but the younger sister shook her head stubbornly.

"I, don't want to give up yet."

"Celica!"

"Anything's fine. I can accept anything that happened... but I want to know what's going on with Father. If I don't put this to stop, I'll keep worrying about Father forever. I might also drag someone down."

Celica crossed both of her hands in front of her chest.

"Even if the worst case happened, I'll accept it completely. It's better than being clueless like this. ...I want to properly know what happened to Father."

If in the end nothing would be gained, rather than kept wishing for unseen things, it's better to have something visible stolen away. Of course, it would be ideal if that visible something within their arms could return.

Celica's voice was confessing as if she was praying. Her chest seemed to be suffocating. Unable to stay quiet, Ragna stood up. He took Clavis' map that Celica had been holding in her hand and presented it to Nine. She must have been gripping it tightly. It was crumpled.

"An acquaintance told us to go there since there might be some clues. We're already close to it. Only a bit more, so let her be satisfied."

Nine didn't seem amused. But she took back her previous blatant hostility and looked at the presented map. Still crossing her arms, she didn't move her hands.

"...The First District, hm?"

"Do you recognize it, Onee-chan!?"

"The vicinity was nothing but a place related to Black Beast."

Nine spoke while looking a bit uncomfortable.

The reason was simple. Ragna asked her about it.

"You're aware that your old man got something to do with Black Beast, huh."

"Eh?!" said Celica as she let her voice out. Celica stared at her older sister with a surprised look on her face.

Nine didn't give a nod, but with an affirmative expression she answered.

"...The one who investigated it was the Magic Guild after all. It's natural."

A mere ordinary pupil like Celica might not be able to know about it, but it was a different case for a Ten Sages like Nine. One could only wonder just how much information she had obtained which didn't make it to the public.

"So that's why you don’t want Celica to get close with her old man."

"You're just happened to pass by. Don't act like you know everything. I felt discontent towards that man's researches in the past."

As if rejecting him, Nine averted her face from Ragna. Feeling completely annoyed, she then sighed and brushed up her long hair.

"As I thought, you're trying to trick her after all. I don't know from whom you got this, but he gave you a useless map."

Even with those kind of words, her tone of voice revealed that she had given up.

"...This the last time. If we don't find any clue after examining the First District, we'll take it that the man has died. Then, we'll go home, okay?"

Nine stressed it while pointing her well-treated fingertip. It was the utmost bargain she could give.

Even when Celica was a bit hesitating, she gave a big nod since it was better than to shake her head and got dragged home.

"Yup. Got it."

"Well then, what are we going to do~?"

"Hmph. You already know it, Trinity."

At her friend's prompt of a smile, Nine spoke disappointedly. Her rolled up sharp eyes were looking to Celica in resignation.

"Since it's you we're talking about, you'll probably get lost. I'll take you until the First District, so put away that useless map."

Averting her face suddenly, Nine turned her back from Ragna and Celica. Contrary to her harsh words, the movement of her hair, which was long enough to reach her hips, was graceful.

Celica looked at Ragna with a delightful face. Then, she leaped to reach the arm of her sister who had turned her back.

"Thank you, Onee-chan!"

"This is reaaaaaaally the last time I do this."

"I know, I know."

The sisters were talking as they returned to where they had come. As for Ragna and Trinity, both were giving a pleasant but bitter smile at the scene. Just as they had expected, the sisters were going back to the same ruined mountain trail.

Part 3

The First District.

Once formerly a lushly green land, the surrounding had what was called a small basin that was encircled by slightly elevated mountains.

It was the location where Susano'o Unit and Cauldron were discovered. A few years before Black Beast had appeared, the place was under the control of government. Since the progress of the excavation and investigation was considered not going to get any further, the rights for it had been sold to a private company. Afterward, the records got blurry.

Six years ago, Black Beast crawled out from underneath to the surface.

Furthermore in several months later, it became the target of a nuclear strike.

There was a gigantic crater within the mountainous region. On the mess of a ground that had suffered scars from destruction that was caused by Black Beast, there were many holes spreading out. One could sense nothingness.

"There."

On a place overlooking the crater, Nine pointed at the center of that nothingness.

Since it was covered by sand, it couldn't be seen clearly. A giant metallic gate so big, a small aircraft could enter through. The gate which was leading to the underground was left behind in a destroyed state.

"Originally, there was a facility that's connecting the building with the surface, but..."

Nine didn't finish her sentence. After some time had passed, nuclear weapons had been dropped to kill the Black Beast. Everything vanished without a trace.

Trinity proceeded to chant some short words. There was now a protection magic unfolding around them. Incredibly, there wasn't anything like sand, metal, or anything exceptional that would make their chests felt nauseous. They were wrapped up in bland air.

Was it because the effects from the continuous nuclear attack that there wasn't any blowing wind on the current Japanese island?

Inside the crater, there were radiation and several of chemical substances leaking from the ground caused by the nuclear attack. If there wasn't any mean of protection, treading upon it would not get them very far since their internal organs would get roasted.

Descending into the crater, they were now facing the gate on the middle.

Taking a closer look, it was truly enormous and impressive.

Besides the enormous gate that looked like it was covering something, there was something else. It's a normal-sized door, and while it's composed from solid metal, it was forced open, and then they went in.

When they exited the firm entrance that was isolating the place from the surface, what ahead of them was as if it's a different world.

Sheets of metal spread before them on the floors, walls, and ceilings. There were several places that had rust and discoloration. The colors and odors induced shivering.

Ragna and the others headed down to the metallic passageway. The passageway continued circularly, like roads following the circumference of a gigantic digging site.

The top half of the wall circling the hole was a thin fence. The spectacle peeking from its crevice was magnificent.

"It's really deep..."

Grabbing the fence with her fingers, Celica looked into the other said while she spoke.

What was there was the mouth of a gigantic hole which was enveloped by darkness.

The bottom remained yet to be seen as they didn't know how far the hole had been dug. If the fence wasn't there, the depth would induce vertigo that would invite someone to fall into it.

Surrounding the hole, there was a similar passageway encircling it where a great number of lower floors could be seen below. There were also stairs and elevators connecting the upper and lower floors. Heading down the passageway, the circle grew smaller. The digging site looked similar as if it was a large mortar.

But the passageway and the installed equipment there were destroyed miserably.

Although the facility was in a good condition back in six years ago, it was now a disintegrated ruins that let itself to be deteriorated.

The scars left behind by Black Beast were deep.

"The entry door must have been repaired after Black Beast has made its appearance~"

That exceptional door was the only thing that was able to preserve its original shape. Trinity spoke while she was looking at a faraway snapped iron pole. Nine nodded in agreement as her cold eyes looked down upon the thick darkness.

"Seems so. Probably... to protect the Cauldron that was inside."

Even if the research facility wasn't functioning, they had already excavated the Cauldron which was the Boundary's important point. There had to be countless people wanting to make use of it. Nine's tone of voice sounded like she despised that kind of people.

Awfully loud noise resounded every time they walked on the passageway. The sounds of footsteps within the silent place unnecessarily agitated their nervousness.

Coincidently, the rasping sound of footsteps let Ragna and the others knew that there wasn't anyone else who was walking within the passageway other than themselves.

"Nevertheless... I'm surprised. Even though I believe that this facility amassed the best of the scientific technology from their time... they seemed to also utilize alchemy if you take a closer look around."

With great interest, Nine stroked the weird pattern of the chiseled wall she passed by. Having lost the functionality from the used technique, the pattern didn't give any response. Nine got bored of it as she cleaned off the dust that was dirtying her fingers.

"Those people were combining science and magic. It'd be wonderful if another area of expertise were born since they're able to do that. Geez..."

Her muttering that had started as an admiration transformed to a grumbling at the end.

While couldn't help but giggling, Trinity enlightened Ragna.

"Nine's researching that kind of technique back in Magic Guild."

"Combining science and magic?"

"That's correct. But of course, it's not for building this kind of large research facility~"

Cutting her off, Nine lightly snorted.

Trinity giggled again. Like a child getting blamed for a prank, she ducked her head.

Trying to get back to the topic, Nine continued on after giving a big sigh.

"...It's not only the building. This large scale excavation also made use of alchemy and magic. Under no circumstances that they could easily dig a ridiculously big hole like this with just machineries."

"But it's magic. Not many people should be able to use it... right?"

Feeling uneasy, Celica asked her sister. It was because she was a mage who belonged to the Magic Guild. She understood how in this age where magic almost had no acknowledgment, it was very difficult and rare to combine science and magic, like what Nine just said.

However just like Nine had said, she could see strong influence of magic on every technique in her surroundings.

"That's the extent of how First District relates to the deep-rooted part of this society."

Nine said it over her shoulders while being annoyed. She was not pleased with the ulterior motive of someone who worked only to dig ancient objects, and making use of magic, all while concealing themselves in the shadow of society.

Within the flickering of the exhausted lights, Ragna, looking disinterested, grumbled while viewing the scene around the vicinity.

"Science and magic, huh... I'm trying to differ them bit by bit, but I still don't really get it."

In the period where Ragna had come from, roughly a hundred years later, magic had scientific aspects in it while science had magical aspects in it. Blurring the separating line between them made various technologies to be discovered. So Ragna just couldn't grasp the old-fashioned 'combining magic with science was something hard and rare' like what Nine just said.

"Oh?" said Nine as stopped while deliberately turning around. It was the first time for Ragna to see her heartful smile.

"If only the great people in this world have a good-natured mind like you, that would be nice."

Her remark was just the same as usual. Ragna frowned bitterly.

"Yeah sure. Sorry for being good-natured."

"Indeed. An idiot is just worthless."

"Why you..."

Even though he never considered himself as a smart person, he was not amused when it was asserted directly like that. Clenching his fist, Ragna's lips twitched as it made a smile. That time, Celica's hair swayed as she broke into a run.

"Ah, hey!"

"Hey, don't go on your own!"

Simultaneously, Nine and Ragna quickly called out to her to stop. If they were to lost sight of Celica in such a large, unknown place, there was no telling where she might end up at.

Still, Celica stopped several meter ahead and greatly waved her hand as she turned at them.

"Say, it seems it still moves!"

What Celica had discovered was a spacious elevator hall which jutted out above a deep stretching hole.

Fortunately, the damage done by Black Beast only gouged half of the hall. The remaining half had a single elevator contraption that was while it was slightly damaged, its green lamp continuously blinked, informing its arrival.

After Celica touched the tip of the thin cylinder protruded from the floor, the sounds of machinery being operated was humming before the elevator's door opened.

"I see," said Celica as she nodded.

"Instead of searching little by little from upside, it might be faster if we went straight down."

"Seems so. At least we didn't find any person on this floor."

Ragna once again skimmed around at the passageway they had walked on. From the entrance until here, the passageway was deserted. There wasn't any hint of living being all, let alone a human. The passageway on the other side was collapsed in the middle. There didn't seem to be any place being concealed over there.

"It's a bit exciting."

Being the only one with sparkling interest on her eyes, Trinity entered the elevator's box after Celica did. Nine and Ragna followed them.

"You know how to operate it?"

"Of course."

Celica nodded while looking at Ragna who was peeking inside. There were numerous buttons lined up near the door. As Celica's finger pressed one of them, the door closed. After she pressed another, the box started descending.

Although its structure was made by scientific technique, the box was actually operating using magic with alchemy as its basis. The burdens-free floating feeling that was gently enveloping on them was none other because the box was currently gliding.

Like a thick wire slipping down between fingers, the elevator descending gently, but with enough speed.

In the box, there were windows installed at the height of one's face. Looking back over his shoulder, Ragna took a view on the outside.

What he saw was darkness. Within it, sometimes the illuminations from the circles of passageways could be seen passing from below to upward.

Likewise, he only saw darkness down below. It was like they were swallowed inside the belly of a mysterious gigantic being.

"I wonder if Father's here."

Standing next to Ragna, Celica softly murmured.

Moving only his gaze, Ragna looked at the girl beside him. With her hand touching the windowpane that was accumulating years of dusts, Celica stared at the darkness with a wishful look.

No, perhaps she was actually wishing for something. For her father's safety. For him to be innocent. For another real reunion with him.

"...You've come here to make sure of it, right?"

"Yes... That's right."

Celica's lips raised up slightly. Feelings of numbness came to Ragna's chest merely because of that change of facial expression.

Why could it happen? Sometimes a painful feeling floated across his chest when he looked at Celica.

Expectation and anxiety trembling in her eyes, Ragna unwittingly lifted his fingers to the profile of Celica.

He himself wasn't sure why he considered touching Celica. But somehow, he wanted to kindly comfort her and tell her that it's going to be okay.

However, just before Ragna's hand tapped Celica's thin shoulder, the elevator that had been going down smoothly until now suddenly screeched a grating metallic sound and stopped with violent shook.

Part 5

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