Chapter 9 A Shadow of Rebellion

(In the Forest with the party)

As the party got to where the main monster of the area was supposedly at there was nothing there. The group cautiously began looking around the circular clearing of the forest, with it seemingly being empty. "Hey, you sure this is where it's supposed to be?" Ragna growled at IF who answered with "Yeah unless that MAGES. girl was lying." that made the reaper grumble in annoyance.

"Aww cheer up Rags I'm sure that big bad monster'll come out eventually ah I know!" Neptune leaped at Noire pushing the girl into the middle of the circle screaming out "Heyyy you big monster there's a tasty looking Noire here that may or may not be into vo..!" she was slapped in the back of the head by Ragna who scowled "Will you stop that?!" Neptune only muttered that he wasn't fun to which he scoffed at while going over to Noire.

Noire had picked herself up about to leap over to Neptune to start a fight before suddenly Ragna lunged at her tossing her to the ground getting a loud eep from her. "Wh..what was that for you brute!" Noire snarled while IF simply seethed with silent jealously that Ragna was pushing Noire down and Neptune had to teasingly comment "Oh Rags what a daring thing to do~"

The reaper growled before quickly kicking Noire back before raising the prototype weapon to guard and the party watched as the reaper was dragged backward. Ragna then repelled the force pushing him with a hard push against it, though the red-coated man didn't get a second to reprieve as the air in front of him shimmered. An unhinged maw of fangs came slamming at Ragna who responded with a wide slash, the blade clashed against the monster's teeth which creepily enough wriggled whipping around like living tendrils.

After Ragna pushed the creature back a second time he noticed the smoke rising and, looked at the ground where it's saliva had dripped onto the ground. "Your kidding," Ragna narrowed his eyes in annoyance the saliva was acting like an acid, he then looked at the prototype weapon no saliva on the blade...this time. The reaper made a noise before tossing the weapon to the side and, cracking his knuckles at the floating maw of wobbling teeth, Noire called out to Ragna "Wh..what are you doing you moron?!"

"I'm kicking this thing's ass..." it took a moment for Ragna to look at the girls growling out "Hold it, why the hell aren't you all helping!?" IF then growled out "I'd love to b..but I c..can't move. " Compa followed up with "I..I'm so...sorry, Mr. Ra..ragna neither c..can I." Neptune also told him "M..me too." the reaper scowled before muttering "This just couldn't get any worse could it?"

Ragna then regarded the invisible monster with "Alright ass wipe show yourself so we can get this over with." the reaper doubted the creature understood him, though he got a hiss in response before the teeth in the maw settled inside as the creature removed the only physical clue to its presence. The Reaper closed his eyes before dodging the creature trying to slam into him from behind then in retaliation, Ragna delivered a left hook straight into the thing's nose.

The strike made the creature recoil before suddenly the mouth opened again except as Ragna went to retreat a blast of pure purple smoke slammed into him. IF went wide-eyed thinking "Acidic saliva, living teeth, perfect camoflouge, the ability to paralyze multiple people and now weird purple smoke...it can't be." IF then called out to Ragna loudly "Don't breathe that stuff in Ragna it's a hallucanagenic!"

Noire looked at IF asking "do you know what it is?" IF wanted to nod while doing everything she could to try and get back control of her shaking body. "It's a monster known as a dreamscape serpent illusive and thought to be the only endangered monster species." IF was going to call out to Ragna again only to see the reaper have a look she'd never seen on him before one that spoke a large measure of denial. (Blazblue Stardust Memory)

They watched how Ragna took a step back while pulling bloodscythe out aiming the weapon at where the illusion was likely standing. "I..It ca..can't be S...Saya." Ragna stuttered out lowly.

There wasn't a way this could be possible it was Saya albeit in her Izanami persona but, Saya all the same. "What's wrong big brother why do you look so frightened it just me your little sister?" that tone she held it was fake Ragna had to remind himself that before this thing showed up IF had warned him that the smoke was going to make him hallucinate.

Ragna tried to calm himself down by a considerable amount while returning himself to a combat stance while saying "Tch your not Saya, I buried that hatchet already." he waited for the snake to come lunging at him from the shadows, he didn't need to see the damn thing just it's soul. Saya's voice rang out in his ears as he tried to focus on where the snake was hiding "How cruel big brother I thought you loved me, do..don't you? y..you cherish me ri..right?"

That made Ragna tremble he did his best to squelch the emotions bubbling in his stomach the monster was waiting for a moment of weakness. The Reaper muttered out a response though "O..of course I cherish you, Jin to your my family how couldn't I?" that's when the hurt tone disappeared and one of jealousy rose up "This isn't about the ice cold idiot, he was always so mean to me and making me cry it isn't fair! Why bring him up when he doesn't deserve your love I've done so much to be with you."

"S..stop it, you..your not Saya not the one that was my sister so shut up!" he had raised his voice while throwing his eyes open to glare at the illusion though now instead of Izanami, it was the young girl of his past before the day that burned his will of revenge into his soul. Her shimmering eyes burned into him and he did his best to hold back any tears saying "N..no matter how you change in the end yo..you aren't her."

The tiny girl buried his face into his stomach whining out "Nu-13, Mu-12, and Lamda-11 all of them built in my image to remind you of who you need to protect, who you need to love and so you'd never forget me. Big brother, you'll never do that right? you'd never silence me." It made Ragna go wide-eyed, those words hurt more than anything. His biggest crime, the one thing he couldn't forgive himself for was that he did silence her once already, he had taken his own sister's life.

Ragna shook with every movement as he pulled away from the illusion and brought bloodscythe up with a jittery arm. The illusion version of Saya gained a frightened look on her face and asked: "Br..brother are you?" The reaper said "I..I'm sorry." before with a quick swing he tore through the illusion with his sword and in response to the silence dropped to one knee. (Music Shift Gluttony Fang 2)

"Yo..you bastard," Ragna growled as the serpent went lunge down at him from above "How dare you, use her image like that you son of a bitch!" Ragna roared as dodged the creature's bite before slamming his fist into its midsection. He dragged the serpent with the strike as it's camouflage failed and as he made his hand into a large claw he hissed out "Blood Kain!"

He didn't even flinch as the Azure recoiled against him he didn't need the Idea Engine against this thing, and he was too angry to care about the pain. "If you wanted to die then, get ready cause I'm not going to be merciful." He crushed the claw down making an explosion of darkness that made the serpent howl in pain. Before the creature could even attempt a recovery he threw himself into the air with bloodscythe in a semi-transformed state using the glowing red blade to sever the serpent's head.

Ragna then landed darkness covering the reaper's body as the half-transformed sword sparked with blue energy from the Azure. As the serpent's body fell towards the ground, Ragna growled out "Now," he twisted around quickly while the crimson scythe blade tore through the ground " die like the bastard you are!" as he swung his weapon the dark aura igniting his red eye with a fiery glow, a wave of pure darkness swallowed the serpent whole.

The darkness rent the serpent's body, the creature's remains cracked before it shattered completely. Broken pieces of pure shadow fading into none existence as Ragna snarled out "Maybe now you snakes will learn to quit fucking with me."

(Music end)

The girls felt the paralyzation over them disappear and, with wide-eyes watched as Ragna fell to a single knee scowling out "D..damnit." He had used way more power than what he was ever planning to, he was too angry to even think of trying to control it. He huffed out a pained sigh his Azure had torn at him pretty bad this time, it had been a long time since he ever used the basic blood kain after all.

"Mr. Ragna! Are you alright?" It was Compa she had bolted over to him the moment she could. The reaper wanted to tell her he was an all that but, Ragna had really misjudged just how strong the grimoire would hit him back for the incomplete activation. He forcefully pushed himself to his feet sheathing bloodscythe, going to check on Chian's weapon.

He then responded to Compa as the other girls came over to her side " Yeah just...just a bit tired." it was an obvious lie and it made Compa give him a pitiful look, one that screamed that he had scared her in the way he wanted to avoid. Neptune could feel the dread filling the air between the reaper who stared at them with a single emerald eye and Compa whose eyes were shimmering close to crying.

Surprisingly it was IF who broke the tension saying "Is the prototype fine?" Ragna looked at the weapon it's silent humming made him nod for once he was happy to hear an annoying noise. As the reaper went to walk over to them, he went straight past the group while replying "Yeah let's get it back to Chian before anything more goes down."

Compa agreed with him today was an emotional rollercoaster for her, but more importantly, she was frightened. Not because of Ragna, he was her friend but her fears were for him those eyes tore into her. That pained, guilty look with hitched breaths, teary eyes and even a hint of finality that's what made her scared.

She wanted to know what causes him that type of pain so she could make it stop hurting, it was her duty as both a nurse and friend. Neptune quickly began deflecting the situation by talking with Noire as IF squeezed Compa's hand after taking her hand gaining her attention.

"Hey uhh I need your help, I...I.." Compa with an almost motherly smile told IF "I know silly, you wanna help to don't you?" IF nodded she didn't like being treated like a child but, what she watched Ragna do it was spine-chilling. She needed to understand him even just a small amount, her curiosity was piqued by MAGES. and she was sure they had gotten the first-class show of what she meant by "abyss of darkness"

Compa comforted IF by petting her head gently, she could feel the worry leaking from the small teen. "When we get to Chian's shop we'll figure out what's going on I promise. " IF responded coughing to take a moment to regain her composure saying " Sure, and quit treating me like a kid!" Compa smiled while giggling hugging IF with an airheaded smile.

(At Chian's Cafe')

Neptune had almost completely recovered from watching's Ragna's rampage and cheerfully called out while entering the cafe' "I'm home!" she then went on with "Chian! We're done testing your weapon!" Ragna did his best to create the illusion of a good mood following up icily " Again I want to remind you I'm the one stuck hauling this damn thing around."

"Aww gee Rags I think ya need to lighten up, that thing was making quick work of monsters and looks a lot lighter than the hunk of metal you usually use. " The grim reaper was about to scowl something out at her in response, but just put a hand to his face repressing a flinch of pain even after an hour's walk his body was still slightly sore from using blood kain.

Chian looked at the group blinking in surprise asking " Really? that was mighty quick of you all." It was Noire who responded this time saying "It wasn't that big of a deal, though Ragna dealt with the bigger monsters." Chian then replied with " And, how about with Avenir?"

IF sighed before saying "It didn't work out that Ganache guy wasn't willing to say anything about what they were up to." That's when Ragna aimed his residual anger at the company hissing out "We do know that those pricks are making a new plant where they had clearing out the monsters. "

The reaper had blocked out Chian's response to his words thinking while tightening his fist "Maybe I should give one of these plants a "visit" the NOL fashion." He thought as he clenched his teeth before taking a deep breath and thinking "Alright, calm down Ragna no need to go that far...until they prove that needs to happen anyways."

chapter 9 end

Reviews-

RedBurningDragon- be prepared for more IF cuteness to come and thanks for the support dude!

NightNightSky- Thanks for the support and I hope you continue enjoying the story!

Kerrowe- Thank you so much for your advice and the references really helped a lot! To kinda Summerize MAGES. she's a witch who came from the original Neptunia game's timeline as a reference/guiding character.

Wilyman2009- thanks for the support and, I've actually not played central fiction though I've seen the story to its completion (I cried at the ending Ragna doesn't feel good and neither do I)