BlazBlue:Spiral Shift - Hyokujin no Eiyu Chapter 6

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!"

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 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?”

“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.

Back to Chapter 5: Foolish man / Left behind

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