As he came to a halt before Tsubaki's door, Gesshoku sighed. Two days had passed, and the knowledge that his daughter had developed such feelings for such a monster still burned. Every time he caught the two in conversation, more of his faint hope that Tsubaki would come to her senses died. No matter how much he wished it were not so... She has the right to decide for herself. I cannot in good conscience try to force her to leave him, no matter how much I wish to. With a deep breath, he reached out to open the door. "Good morning. May I-"
The moment the door was open, he averted his eyes from the sight that greeted him as his daughter uttered a shrill shriek. It took a moment for him to realize that yes, Tsubaki wore nothing other than a sapphire knee-length skirt; he could make out her shirt, folded on the floor, in the corner of his eye. He was certain Ragna had been just as poorly clothed, but had no intention of finding out. Although fury burned within him at the situation, Gesshoku cleared his throat. "M-my apologies. I didn't realize..."
Burying her torso against Ragna while in his lap, Tsubaki twisted her head back to look at her father. Her cheeks burned the same color as her hair. "I-it's fine. It's our fault really; we should've locked the door. Wh-what do you need, father?"
Clenching his fist, Gesshoku said, "I was just wondering if you would be joining us for breakfast this morning."
Ragna cast one look back at Tsubaki, one at Gesshoku and rolled his eyes at their collective embarrassment with a growl. "Nah, we got plans to go to a restaurant this morning. Nothing against your wife's cooking or nothing; it's damn good, really. Just wanna get outta here for a bit."
"I see. Very well." After deciding not to risk another glance at them, Gesshoku eased the door shut. "Then I shall take my leave. Good day."
"R-right." As soon as her father was gone, Tsubaki slid off the bed and glared at Ragna. "Nice security."
"Hey, I don't know why the hell my lock Ars didn't work." His eyes remained fixed to his girlfriend's bare upper body as she bent down to gather her clothes. "So... guess we're done playing around, then?"
"Obviously, for now." She paused in the middle of throwing her shirt back on. A wooden sword jutted out from her bag. "Hey, Ragna? Wanna spar after breakfast? It's... been a while..."
"Well, we have been pretty damn busy since Kazamotsu. Probably a good idea." He chuckled. "And I guess I'll actually try this time."
His sudden mirth burned away Tsubaki's veil of annoyance and she gave him a smile. "You'd better, or father will be proud of me for all the wrong reasons."
"Yeah, wouldn't that suck?" Throwing on a shirt as well, Ragna strode over to the door and tried to open it. The knob refused to turn and he growled. "The hell... oh, you're kidding me. I'm such a dumbass..."
Tsubaki wrapped her arm around his and gave him a deadpan stare. "You put the Ars on the wrong side."
"Yeah. I did. Give me a moment."
As he reared back his head to smack it against the door, Tsubaki stopped him with a gentle grasp of his hair. "Don't even. Well, shall we go ahead?"
Rachel glanced around her surroundings. For the Librarium branch in Ookoto to be so unguarded... I must remain wary. It is far too likely Terumi knows of my presence already. That abomination should reside within the Engineering sector. I pray that her wounds from our previous battle have not fully healed, else this may prove too much for even me. However, there is little point in pondering it.
She swept down a hallway, where a pair of Intelligence officers glanced up at her. Before either could make a move towards her, a gust buffeted them and slammed them against the wall. "My apologies, but I do not have time to play with you. Farewell."
Lightning downed both of them and she passed by without another word. In the distance, she saw a green tank with a girl standing before it. As Rachel approached, ν-13 glanced up. "Analyzing...unknown source of power dete-"
"Tempest Dahlia." Before ν-13 could hope to defend herself, a galaxy of dark objects and a giant frog in a regal cape rushed through a portal, aided by wind blowing from Gii. Electricity coursed through the Murakumo Unit and slammed her against the ground. Before she could rise, Rachel glided over to her, aided by gusts of wind. "Baden Baden Lily."
Pink lightning surrounded the two; when it cleared, Rachel's eyes widened. ν-13 stood unharmed, covered in armor and protected by her slender blades. As Rachel dropped to the ground, ν-13 slashed with the swords, which glanced off of Nago. "Target confirmed. Loading data from previous battle...battle data loaded. Applying battle data. Initiating termination protocol."
Oh, dear. That sounds... less than pleasant. Rachel summoned her flying jack-o-lantern and sent it at her foe with a gust of wind. Almost before it had even appeared, ν-13 was in motion. She swerved around it and kicked low, sweeping Rachel off her feet. Phantasmal swords flew down at her; with a moan, Nago took the hit and allowed his mistress to rise. The moment she was up, Rachel jumped over another sliding kick, aided by her wind. With a gesture of her hand, several pinkish orbs descended to the floor. Once her lightning rods were in place, Rachel summoned the pumpkin once more and waited. Instead of trying to weave her way through the forest of rods, ν-13 dashed back, summoning swords to appear behind Rachel.
The vampire rode her wind forward, watching for any sign of a counterattack. ν-13 extended her hands and a glowing circle appeared on the ground; Rachel whisked around to the side to avoid the gravity field. Even as she did so, ν-13 seemed to anticipate her move and darted forward, spinning her blades. Nago formed a shield between the two, groaning as the swords slashed through his coat. With a grunt, Rachel bounced back and tossed another orb. As soon as it was in the air, ν-13 darted forward and hurled each of the hovering swords in turn. Gii flew forward and took the attack in Rachel's stead, allowing her to scamper back. "Oh my. This may be far more difficult than I imagined."
She extended a hand and opened another portal above her, sending another wave of objects ν-13's way. Once again, almost before Rachel made her move, ν-13 countered, summoning a portal of her own to spew hundreds of knives. They sliced apart Rachel's attack and breached Nago's protective cloaking, pinning Rachel back against the wall. As she dropped to her knees, Gii flew over to her side. "Princess! What do we do? It's like she's psychic!"
"Psychic? No. She is merely reading my movements and acting according to her battle data." She sidestepped another pair of swords coming from behind. "I believe a retreat would be wise."
"Running away, shitty vampire? My, I never took you for a coward." Darkness swirled beside Rachel and Hazama stepped out, spinning a knife. "You know, maybe I was wrong about Relius's adorable little doll. If she can humble your smug ass, maybe she isn't completely useless. Or... ooh, I know! Losing your status as an Observer stripped you of your oh-so-amazing power! How sad."
"Terumi. I should have known." Winds blew around Rachel as more swords materialized to impale her. She dodged the blades and summoned lightning to strike at both of her foes. "I do not believe fleeing from a battle I am certain to lose qualifies as cowardice. At least, no more than relying on that 'doll' to defeat me."
"Mad that I got help and you don't? Didn't know you were so petty!" A green circle glowed beneath Rachel's feet; she sprang away at the last moment. Hazama cackled. "If I had to guess, I'd say you are pretty screwed. Shit out of luck. Maybe even fu-"
"You will not fluster me with mere vulgarities." Rachel gasped as swords pierced from behind, but kept her composure. The winds blew her towards the ceiling, over a spinning dash from ν-13. "Let lightning consume-"
"Oh, none of that now." Ouroboros extended and caught Rachel by the face. As he pulled her to the floor and bounced her off the ground, he said, "And time to get you out of my way forever, bitch. Serpent's Infernal Rapture!"
The spinning kick to her head sent her ricocheting off the ceiling, cracking it. As she landed and bounced back into the air. ν-13 extended a hand towards her helpless body. "Destruction."
A massive sword slammed down on Rachel like a jackhammer, smashing her to the ground three times before returning to hover behind ν-13. Rachel lay on her back, motionless and defeated. As Gii shrieked and flew to her side, Hazama sauntered up to her. "And that's that. Nice try, shitty vampire, but it's over. Now, why don't I send you straight to Hell? Say hi to dear sweet Clavis for me."
As he prepared to slash her throat, her eyes shot open and she grabbed his wrist. Energy around her crackled as she gathered energy for one last attack. "Clownish Calendula."
The ground behind Hazama twisted into the shape of a cross. He jumped away from the headstone before lightning could crash down. "You little..."
A brilliant pink bolt of lightning crashed down into the branch, destroying all in its way until it shattered the cross into thousands of pieces. As rubble collapsed all around them, ν-13 dashed away into an adjacent hallway. In the veil of destruction, Rachel summoned the rest of her strength to bring forth a portal. She crawled into it, Gii right behind her. It pulled her into its fold, delivering her to the safety of her mansion. Before succumbing to oblivion, she murmured, "It would seem... the Sword of Izanami... is more a threat than I imagined..."
"So. This is the Yayoi manor." Carl stood outside the great gate, glancing around. A chain hung near the gate. After a moment, he reached out to pull on it. A bell rang, loud enough to be heard from the manor. As he waited, he murmured, "Now... let's see if her father would know where she is..."
After a few moments, a short, aging man with a brilliant crimson mustache made his way across the grounds. Gesshoku came to a stop on the other side of the fence, allowing his firm glare to make it apparent that he was not going to allow Carl inside. "Greetings. Who are you and what do you want?"
"Ah..." Carl rubbed the back of his head. "I'm Carl Clover, an acquaintance of Tsubaki's from the Academy. Pleased to meet you, um..."
In an instant, Carl knew that Gesshoku was not about to return the courtesy and offer his name. "Are you looking for Tsubaki?"
"Yes, I am. Would you happen to know where she is? I... need to speak with her. Or if you know where Ragna the Bloodedge is..."
Gesshoku's eyes narrowed. This... there is something wrong with his request. There's too much malice in his intent. I cannot allow Tsubaki to encounter this child. "How would I know where my traitor of a daughter is? I assure you, if I knew her location, I would have sent the Librarium in her direction the moment I learned of it. The same goes for Ragna, even more so. Begone from these grounds, Clover."
"Very well, then. Thank you for your time, Mister Yayoi." Once Gesshoku nodded and stormed away, Carl allowed himself a small smile. "Hmm... not a very good liar. Wouldn't you agree, sis?"
You believe he was lying, Carl?
"That reaction...there's no doubt about it. He has at least some idea of where Miss Tsubaki is."
And yet you didn't try to force the information from him...
"I can't do that to a Duodecim head. I say we keep an eye on the manor; if Miss Tsubaki is here, this would be the best place to watch."
With a groan, Jin opened his eyes. Pain pulsed through his bandaged temples. He tried to sit up, trembling as he did so. Everything around him seemed to swim. He closed his eyes and held a hand to his face, wincing. When he opened them again, he looked to his left and jumped. "You..."
Her ears drooping and an uncharacteristic solemn look on her face, Makoto nodded. "Yeah. Um, how are you feeling?"
"Gah... like hell." He looked around in confusion. He lay on a couch, covered by blankets. His surroundings were simple, homely. "Where am I?"
"The 16th Hierarchical City of Oogetsu. I found you in... pretty bad shape a few days ago and took you here. It's, um..." Makoto paused, wondering if she should tell him whose house they were in. Eh, he'll find out anyways. Might as well. "We're at the Vermillions' place. You know, Noel's family."
"Noel's here?" To Jin's surprise, he found his mood lightened at the thought. "Bring her here."
"Um... why?"
"I need to talk with her."
"...Okay, I guess."
With a sigh, Makoto rose and headed out a door, leaving Jin to his thoughts. Succumbing to the pain pulsing in his head, he lay back down. Good. The more I know about who I'm supposed to be, the better. I suppose I'm lucky that... wasn't her name Makoto? That she found me. But for Hazama to send me here of all places... I can't stay here. He must know who's here. I won't let him endanger Noel. The door opened again and Noel, shy as usual, poked her head in. "U-um... you wanted to see me, Major?"
"Yes." Unable to sit up, Jin beckoned her to come nearer. As she complied, he said, "I can't stay here."
"Huh?" After pulling up a chair beside him, Noel cocked her head. "Why not, Major?"
Jin sighed, eyes closing. "First of all, drop the whole 'Major' thing. I want nothing more to do with that sham of an organization. Second, I know Hazama knows I'm here."
"H-Hazama?" Noel trembled and blanched at the name. "B-but... how..."
"He's the one who did this to me. He said he was going to let fate decide where I end up, but... for me to end up here, it can't be a coincidence." He looked up at her and clutched her wrist. "Noel Vermillion. You are my only tie to who I am. I cannot allow you to come to harm; I need to leave as soon as I can."
"But Maj... I mean, Jin... how would leaving help...?"
"If the Librarium knows I'm here, they will be looking for me. If they find me here, you and your family will be in danger. As long as I am in the dark as to who I am, I cannot allow that." Again, he sighed, relaxing his grip. "But still... I need to speak to you. I need to learn who I am, and... you're the only person I trust for that."
"I... I am?" Noel leaned closer, confused. "But... I'm sure Tsubaki could tell you a lot more-"
Jin's eyes flashed. "Me? Ask my brother's woman? After what I did in Kagutsuchi, she'll never trust me."
"That's... not true. She wants to help you, Jin. She knows you weren't in your right mind at the time."
Jin's lips creased into a frown. Not in my right mind? No... she's right. Something was influencing my actions then. But... not since. Why did they stop? ...It doesn't matter right now. Grogginess flooded him and slid his eyes shut. "I need to rest. As soon as I am healed, I will leave. However... I must know who I am. I would like to continue to meet with you, Noel Vermillion."
"Of... of course, Jin." Noel stood up to leave. "We can work it out later, though. Right now, you should rest. Just let me or my parents know if you need anything."
Jin nodded as she made her way out the door, leaving him to rest through his agony.
"Well, thanks for the meal." Ragna walked down a thoroughfare, arm linked with Tsubaki's and as content as he ever got. "We gotta go out more."
"I suppose we do." Tsubaki pulled on his arm to draw him closer and leaned her head against his shoulder. "I mean, we pretty much haven't been apart at all in weeks, but... well, it is nice to get out like this."
"Yeah... it is." As he came to a stop, he brushed a hand against her cheek and tilted her face toward his. "You know, you seem a lot more cheery lately."
"I guess I've just been more... I don't know, comfortable lately." She wheeled around to stand before him and clasped his hands. "I mean, there really hasn't been anything going wrong lately..."
"Dark One." The filtered voice cut through the air and Ragna turned around, growling. Hakumen stood in the middle of the street, passersby staring at him in awe. "We meet again."
Of course. As soon as she says there's been no problems lately, this asshole shows up. "The hell do you want, you masked freak? Come to try to kill me again? Jeez, I swear, you're just like Jin."
"I am nothing like that man." The intensity of Hakumen's proclamation startled them. "And, against my better judgment... I do not seek your death today."
"Huh? Seriously? Then why the hell..." As he trailed off, Ragna exchanged a glance with Tsubaki before glaring at the obstacle again and drawing Blood-Scythe. "The hell do you want with Tsubaki?"
On instinct, Hakumen produced Ookami, ready to defend himself should Ragna attack. As he almost certainly will. "Your insistence on acting so violently does nothing to ease my concerns. As for Tsubaki, I wish no more than to see to it she's kept from harm. I intend to join you."
The heavy blade almost slid out of Ragna's hands. "...What."
"I will see to it that no harm comes to Tsubaki. As for you, Black Beast... show me that you can control your future, that you can defy your fate as the Destroyer of the World. If you can do such a thing, I shall have no further quarrel with you. Should you fail, I shall be on hand to end your threat. Is this agreeable?"
Ragna snorted. "Hell no. Get outta-"
"Ragna." Tsubaki placed a hand on his shoulder to calm him down before stepping forward. "Sir Hakumen. I appreciate your concern for my well-being, but I must ask... why do you seem to know me?"
The question froze Hakumen. After a few moments, Tsubaki asked, "Um... is something the matter, Sir Hakumen?"
"...I am sorry, Tsubaki. I cannot answer your question. If you wish to know the truth—beyond even what ties I have with you—ask the vampire. Or perhaps the grimalkin has figured it out."
"Oh, for the love of..." Ragna stepped forward, snarling. "If you know, why the hell don't you tell us?"
"Rachel does not wish for you to know, and for good reason. I doubt you could fathom the gravity of the truth." Hakumen lowered his sword. "As I said, I will join you in your fight against Terumi."
"The hell you will. Fuck off already."
"It was not a request."
As Ragna tightened his grip once more, Tsubaki headed him off by saying, "As much as it would be an honor to have you join us, it... isn't exactly workable. We are currently staying at my father's place..."
"You house yourselves in the bosom of the Library and have joined with its nobility? Are you mad, Dark One?"
"It was my idea, not Ragna's." She paused to fight back a grin despite herself; the mental image of Hakumen waiting with her and Ragna for her mother to cook a meal was too amusing. "And furthermore, the tension between you and Ragna is too strong. We cannot afford internal fighting with Terumi around."
"...You are right. Nonetheless, I will not leave you in such volatile hands. I will follow from the shadows and keep an eye on you. And when the time comes, I shall fight at your side against the darkness that threatens to consume this world so that we may deliver him to justice."
Tsubaki sighed and looked down. "If you're going to insist on following us, I suppose I can't sway you. Very well; I suppose that arrangement can work."
"What say you, Ragna the Bloodedge?"
"Don't like this at all." Ragna sighed. "But as long as you stay outta my sight and don't get between me and Tsubaki, I guess it's fine."
"Very well then." Sheathing Ookami, Hakumen turned to leave. "Farewell."
Ragna and Tsubaki watched him walk away, his presence cutting a swath through the onlookers. Once he was gone from sight, Ragna exhaled and leaned against his girlfriend. "Just for the record; that guy just about makes me shit myself."
"You are truly a poet with your words, Ragna. You conjure such beautiful images." In spite of her sarcasm, Tsubaki giggled and wrapped an arm around his waist. "Didn't think anything besides ghosts scared you."
"What, I didn't tell you about how I was pretty much paralyzed by fear the first time I ran into him? Seriously. I couldn't move for, like, a whole damn minute." As he sunk further against her, Ragna started walking once more. "But still... really wish he'd just tell us how he knows you. Oh hey, maybe he's, like, the ghost of someone who knew you. It'd explain how he knows you and why I'm so god damn terrified by him just existing."
Tsubaki chuckled. "Maybe. Still, he implied that Rachel has something to do with it. Well, no point dwelling on it. We should be getting back."
"Take this, you borefest!" Platinum summoned a heart-shaped platform and rode it toward Tenshin. Before it could crash into him, he jumped out of the way, launching his spearhead past Platinum. The iron barb dug into the ground and carried him behind her. As soon as he touched ground, he hurled his scythe at her, the flat edge bruising her cheek. She shook off the impact and growled. After taking a step back, she launched a trio of round, tan bombs in an arc. Before they could strike him, Tenshin spun his chained scythe before him, creating a whirling barrier to protect him from the blasts.
Another trio of bombs followed. With a snarl, Tenshin vanished from sight, leaves floating where he had been. The girl jumped back, dodging an overhead kick when he appeared again. As he tried to charge at her, she swung her staff. A cat head appeared at its end, slamming him to the earth with a meow. Although he was on his feet in an instant, another swat from the feline staff kept him from attacking. Growling, he shot his spearhead at her. She slapped it away and snarled. "Are you trying to kill Luna? You asshole! Behold... my unholy power!"
"What? That was not..."
Tenshin trailed off as Platinum spun around, becoming a pastel-colored twister that rolled towards him. Again, he disappeared, leaves rising skyward. A moment later, he dropped down from above and delivered a kick to her face. After bouncing several yards, she sat up and wiped her mouth of the dust and blood. "Asshat."
"Petty insults won't win you this spar."
Tenshin dashed forward, blindingly fast. As he reached Platinum, he lunged as though he were about to slash with his scythe. As he expected, she launched herself into the air. He spun around at the last moment, kicking and expecting to strike her face as she descended. Instead, his foot met nothing but air. He had no time to wonder how he could have missed before Platinum dropped from her white balloon platform and smashed a green frying pan against his skull. As Tenshin spun to the earth clutching his head, Platinum gave him one last kick for good measure. "And stay down!"
"Very well done, Miss Luna!" Bang approached the two with a broad smile. "It is no minor feat to defeat Lord Tenshin in combat."
"Whatever." Platinum yawned and went to lean against a tree. "I can kick your ass, and Tenshin's even weaker than you. That was easy."
"I... see. Nonetheless, you have proven yourself, my cute disciple."
"Uh... I can tell Luna's kinda annoyed by being called 'cute'. She thinks it's creepy." Platinum slid down, haughtiness bleached from her face and replaced by fatigue. "So yeah... um, Bang?"
As Bang pulled Tenshin's arm to bring him back to his feet, he said, "Yes, Sena?"
"Um... Trinity wants to talk to you."
Bang froze up for a moment before letting go of Tenshin's wrist, dropping him back to the hard earth. He raced over to Platinum and knelt before her. "R-really? The great sage Trinity wishes to speak with me?"
"About your Nox, yes." Sena's voice gave way to that of a mature, wizened woman. "You have been seeking to awaken Rettenjou, have you not?"
"Y-yes, of course, Great Trinity." As Bang sputtered out his words, Tenshin knelt beside him, face blank as usual. "I, Bang Shishigami, shall tread over the sharpest glass and brave the hottest flames to master this weapon and save my beloved Litchi and her unfortunate friend!"
"...To rescue one from the Boundary's influence would be dangerous. Two would certainly prove disastrous."
"...What? I... can only save one of them? Surely you jest! What could possibly happen to render me, a hero of justice, unable to save them?"
"To relieve them of the Boundary's curse would be to take on their burden yourself. Rettenjou does not affect the mind, unlike the rest of its kin. The physical costs of using it are too high for a normal person."
"I see. No matter; if I cannot save them both through Rettenjou, I, Bang Shishigami, will find another way." Bang paused for a moment as Tenshin buried his face in his palm. "Um... great sage, may I ask what the Nox is? I am afraid I still have no idea which of my possessions it actually is."
"Fear not. It shall reveal itself once you have the strength required to wield it."
"The strength required...?" Bang leapt to his feet, hands on his hips. "Hah! Very well then! Lord Tenshin, my disciples and I shall all redouble our training! I swear on the honor of Ikaruga, I will become strong enough to use Rettenjou! Mark my words!"
"I do not refer to physical strength." Platinum rose, clutching her head. "I do not have much time left... but the strength that is required is that of a hero."
"The strength... of a hero?"
Tenshin rolled his eyes. "Bang has already shown that. What more does he need?"
Platinum shook her head. "To be a hero is to be willing to sacrifice everything, even your own life. Your own dreams and desires must be set aside for the needs of others. Without such a mindset, Rettenjou will not accept you. I am afraid I must..."
With a small moan, Platinum collapsed forward into Bang's arms. His eyes widened at her unconscious form. "Miss... Miss Trinity? What has..."
Taking her into his arms, Bang wheeled around to cast Tenshin a panicked look. "Lord Tenshin! We must hurry to Iwatsuchi to cure Miss Platinum of whatever malady has struck her down! Gods, if only I had the means to cure her..."
"We are two days from our destination, regardless of speed." With a yawn, Tenshin rose. "Be patient; your haste will accomplish nothing."
"We leave now! Onward, Lord Tenshin!"
With a sigh and a silent curse, Tenshin followed Bang as he raced across the hills.
"Father? Could we have a moment of your time, please?"
Jumping at the sound, Gesshoku turned to see Tsubaki and her damnable boyfriend. "Yes? What is it?"
Ragna sat down across from him and slammed a piece of paper on the wooden dining table. "We found something really goddamn interesting in one of these personal accounts."
"Hm?" Setting his disdain for Ragna aside, Gesshoku slid the paper closer to read it. "A personal account, you say?"
"Yes." Tsubaki leaned forward as Gesshoku perused the account. "An incident from the Ikaruga War from this very city. Apparently, the Nox Nyctores Nirvana was held here. During an attempt by Sector Seven to retrieve it, many Library soldiers were killed in what was passed off as an accidental explosion. However, this one survived and recorded what he saw. Which he claims was..."
"This... this description sounds like the Black Beast!" Gesshoku paled at the words. They were the ramblings of a man driven mad by revelation, confused and disorganized. Yet his focus on such a monster and his descriptions of it were crystal clear, most notably the retelling of his units violent death. And even more, the constant references to the 'Puppet Master' were unsettling at best. A tale worthy of Lovecraft... can this be true? "This... as much as I wish to pass it off of the words of a lunatic, the way he writes of the Beast was sane. I will look further into this. Have you any idea what this man's current status is?"
Tsubaki nodded. "We already looked into it. Reports claim he was killed in action along with his unit, but this writing clearly contradicts it. Me and Ragna... well, we think the Library had him killed to keep him silent. And perhaps any other survivors, as well. That this account survived must be a fluke."
"...A cover up does seem likely. Loathe though I am to admit it, this does indicate that there was more to the Ikaruga war than I believed, as you said. I will attempt to look further into this." Gesshoku tucked the paper into a pocket of his garb and rose. "Is there any more you wish to discuss?"
Ragna looked once at Tsubaki before shaking his head. "Nah, that's it. Well, thanks for at least hearing us out."
"Of course; we do have the same goal here." Before he turned to leave, Gesshoku remembered something. "A couple more things. First off, the Librarium Headquarters in Ookoto sustained heavy damage two days ago."
"Huh?" Ragna made every attempt to conceal his grin, but knew he had no chance of doing so. "What happened? An attack? Did they at least kill one of the jackasses in charge of this shit?"
"Although the most extensive damage occurred in the Engineering sector, Colonel Relius's survival has been confirmed. As has Captain Hazama's." Gesshoku sighed, shaking his head. "However, it is still uncertain what exactly transpired. On another note, a couple of days ago, a young boy with a tall marionette came looking for you, Tsubaki. Actually, for both of you."
"Huh?' Tsubaki furrowed her brow. "Um... was his name Carl Clover?"
"Indeed. I know he was an acquaintance from your days at the Academy, but... there was menace to his words. I could tell that whatever he had in mind was malicious, so I denied him. Not to mention that I cannot risk the Librarium knowing that I harbor you and Ragna."
"...I see. Thank you for telling me; I will keep an eye out for him." Tsubaki rose, beckoning Ragna to join her. "Well, Ragna and I are going to bed now. Good night father."
Ragna nodded. "Night, old man."
As Gesshoku nodded, they left the study and headed for Tsubaki's room. Halfway there, Tsubaki slowed down to a crawl. Ragna nudged her. "Something wrong, Tsu?"
"...Yes."
"It's that Clover runt, isn't it?"
Tsubaki nodded. "I'm sorry, but to have to be wary of another friend besides Jin... it really hurts. I mean, I doubt Carl really feels malice for me, but..."
"Yeah, I gotcha. Listen, Tsu." Ragna stepped on front of her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I got your back. No matter what happens, I'm gonna be right there. Okay?"
After a moment, Tsubaki rose up to kiss him on the lips. "And that knowledge is what makes everything bearable. Thank you, Ragna."
"Yeah, it's nothing. I promise you, nothing's gonna happen to you. Not a god damned thing."
Sharp, panicked raps against the door roused Ragna and Tsubaki from their sleep. Morning light crept in through the window. Ragna sat up, Tsubaki's arms wrapped around his chest, and yawned. "Yeah, yeah, we're coming..."
Gesshoku's voice sounded from behind the door. "You two must leave. Now! Someone has contacted the Librarium. Soldiers are closing in on the manor grounds as we speak."
