A/N: Sorry for the delay. I hope you won't hate me too much.

With a gasp, Litchi sat up. Panting and sweating, she glanced around, scanning for some phantom terror. Nothing was nearby; the sun's position informed her she had slept in until nearly noon. Groaning, she stood up and leaned on Matenbou. What was that? Was it… because of my corruption? No… Shivering from guilt, she looked around again. This far outside of Ookoto, it was dangerous for her to be sleeping out in the open as she did. A lapse of judgment on her part. The seithr levels at this elevation were also far above what should be survivable. However, if there ever was a boon to her Boundary corruption…

Smiling as Lao Jiu crawled out of her shirt and into her hair, she set off through the wooded mountainside. Her eyes narrowed. In such a shaded area, Arakune could be lurking anywhere, blending in where he would not be seen until it was too late. In retrospect, it really had been stupid to fall asleep where she did. She shuddered at the sudden memory of her nightmare. The words of her friends damning her for her decision burned. Tao… Bang… I'm sorry, but I need to…

Broken cackling snapped her to attention. With a gasp, Litchi raced toward the sound. She came to a stop on a rocky outcrop, gazing down into a valley covered in fallen timber. And in the distance, indistinguishable from the heavy shadows if not for his mask… "Lotte."

A moment after Ragna flung the door open, he grabbed Gesshoku by the collar and slammed him against a wall in spite of Tsubaki's shout. "You goddamn bastard! You ratted us out!"

"Grk..." Gesshoku struggled in vain against Ragna's grip. "I... had nothing..."

"Let go of him!" Tsubaki delivered a vicious slap to Ragna's wrist, freeing her father. As Gesshoku slumped to the ground, she snarled at Ragna. "Lashing out at everything is just going to get us killed."

Ragna nodded, his muscles relaxing. "Right. Sorry, old man."

As he got back on his feet, Gesshoku growled and shook his head. "I admire your dedication to my daughter, Ragna. I... suppose I can forgive your transgression here. However, the two of you must leave."

With a roll of his eyes, Ragna asked, "What the hell do you think we're trying to do?"

"You cannot go through the front entrance; the Librarium has gathered there. Sneak out through a window." Sighing, he brushed off his robes. "I will attempt to stall the soldiers and give you more time. However, should you fail, I will have no choice but to cooperate with them."

Tsubaki nodded and took Ragna's hand. "I understand your position, father. But how do you plan on stalling them? I mean, if you fight them, you'll be branded a traitor regardless of what happens to us. You don't have to..."

"Do not underestimate diplomacy; even the right words can act as a barrier." With that, he turned and swept down the hallway, pausing once to glance back. "Ragna the Bloodedge. I entrust my daughter's safety to you. Do not allow any harm to come to her."

"Got it, Gesshoku." Once they were alone, Ragna sighed and closed his eyes. "...Sorry for acting like that."

"It's fine." Tsubaki pulled on his hand, bringing him back into her room. "We'll go out my window."

Ragna slowed to a halt, staring at Tsubaki as though she were crazy. "You're gonna have us jump out a fourth floor window?"

"Just trust me." After racing over to the window with Ragna in tow, she pulled it open and kicked the screen out. Before he could object, she jumped out. The book half of Izayoi appeared as they fell. A moment before they splatted against the concrete sidewalk, she shouted, "Aequum Eleison!"

Wings unfurled from her book and a ball of light spewed from its pages, easing their speed and allowing them to land safely. The moment he was on solid ground, Ragna collapsed backwards against the wall. "You coulda let me know you were gonna do that... geez... and I so told you this was a bad idea."

"Ragna, we have no idea if anyone in my family had a hand in this." Tsubaki took his wrist again and darted away from the manor, heading into the bustle of downtown Naobi. "Please stop jumping to conclusions."

"Tch. Whatever. Doesn't change a god damn thing; someone still ratted us out."

"Which may well have happened if we had stayed somewhere else. Calm down already."

"Yeah, and it would've been a hell of a lot less likely to happen if we weren't staying in a goddamn mansion filled with people loyal to the damn Library." They both came to a stop, glaring at each other. "We're getting the fuck out of this city and not coming back any damn time soon, got it?"

Clenching a fist, Tsubaki looked away. "Well, obviously. But please stop being so unreasonable alrea-"

"Unreasonable? Sorry, but I think this is pretty damn-"

"You're yelling at me about this stuff. Hardly reasonable in my book."

"I'm... I'm just... what the hell ever." Ragna whipped around, glaring off into space. "The point is-"

"You know what? If we just stand here arguing, we're gonna get killed by the Library. Either you find a way to stop this pointless bitching, or..."

"Or what? The hell are you gonna do?"

With a growl, Tsubaki stormed away. "I'm not dealing with this right now. I'm going this way; find your way own way to the lower levels and meet me where we stayed before. Preferably after you've calmed down a lot. See you later. And be careful."

"Hey, the hell? Wait!" As Ragna took off after her, she didn't even glance back. Slowing to a stop, he snarled. No matter how much he did not want to admit it... She's probably right. Goddammit. "Okay, fine, whatever. Later. You had damn well better be careful, too."

As the two went off in opposite directions, a young boy caught sight of Tsubaki from a distance. A smirk formed on Carl's lips. "At last, I've found you, Miss Tsubaki."

Hazama could not help but admire the Duodecim head's bravery in daring to come down and meet with him and his cadre of soldiers. True, Gesshoku was pale and trembling, but still. Man's got balls. Hmm… maybe I'll let him live. "Ah, Gesshoku. It's been a while, hasn't it?"

"Captain Hazama." Gesshoku gripped his lance, remembering what Ragna and Tsubaki had said about this man. "For what reason have you decided to intrude with an entire legion of soldiers?"

"Well, gosh." Hazama glanced around at the dozens of blue soldiers before smirking. "Last I heard, a couple of traitors were staying here. Hmm… I believe one of them was your daughter. Ooh, and good ol' Raggy, as well. I don't know about you, but that sounds kinda like treason. What do you think, buddy?"

"I do not know what you are talking about. I assure you, if I knew where either Tsubaki or the Grim Reaper were, I would have them apprehended."

"Oh? Are you saying that Intelligence was wrong?" Hazama's lips drooped in a mocking facsimile of sadness. "That hurts, Gesshy. Right here."

Holding in a growl at the mockery, Gesshoku said, "Intelligence is hardly infallible. In this case, it would seem your information was wrong."

"Really? Well then, you won't mind us searching your beautiful mansion, right? After all, if you have nothing to hide…" Before Gesshoku could object, Hazama sent a group of soldiers into the mansion. "But really. Believe it or not, I'm not stupid. And a group of inbreds would know all about stupidity, right?"

It took all the willpower Gesshoku had to not lash out at him. "Be silent. Unless you wish to lose your rank, captain."

"Oh ho. Flaunting you power now? Gotta say, nice to see some sliver of pride in your family. The bit of trash you call a daughter… well, no. She has a spine. She's just a-"

"Again. I demand your silence; as a Duodecim head, I have jurisdiction over you. Tread lightly, captain." Although he was satisfied that Hazama would not be brash enough to continue testing him, Gesshoku gripped his lance even tighter. He is a mere Intelligence officer; he should be little threat to me. However… the soldiers may side with him if they believe me to be a traitor. I should tread lightly as well. "I will allow your inspection, although I assure you nothing will be found."

Hazama smirked, his eyes opening a sliver. "Well, of course not. The moment you learned we were on our way, you had Rags and your daughter flee. Am I right?"

The subtle shift in Gesshoku's snarl was all the answer Hazama needed. "Of course I am! Shit, probably told them to jump out a window to sneak past us, right? Oh, don't worry. I'm not gonna have you killed for this. I mean, I'm sure you had your reasons, right? Just know this…"

A moment later, Gesshoku found a butterfly knife pressed against his throat. Hazama's grin was that of a gleeful killer. "Pull this shit again, and the daughter you're trying so hard to protect is gonna end up an orphan. Got it?"

After pulling his knife back, he glanced over his men. "Alright. You lot. Spread out and search the city. Your targets are probably well away from this mansion by now. And traveling together; I've never seen such a lovey-dovey couple, so there's no way they'll be apart."

As soldiers scurried around, Hazama tipped his hat to Gesshoku. "Well, Mister Yayoi. Good day. And do remember your loyalties next time, okay?"

After Hazama was out of sight, Gesshoku fell to his knees, shivering. Tsubaki… please stay safe.

Panting, Tsubaki crouched down, scanning for any threats. She had reached the lower levels of Naobi in safety. Only a couple of soldiers had waylaid her, who had been easy to dispose of even with the debilitating burn on her shoulder. However, much to her disdain, Ragna did not seem to have arrived yet. She sighed. Why must he be so… stubborn? And rash? As much as I love him… his anger can be such a problem. …I hope he's alright… Of course he is. He's the Grim Reaper; ordinary soldiers aren't anything to him.

"Hello, Miss Tsubaki." The cold voice kicked Tsubaki out of her thoughts. She turned to Carl Clover; the look on his face sent chills down her spine. He bowed his head in greeting. "I've been looking for you."

"Carl?" Under most circumstances, she would have been glad to see a familiar face. However, between his current demeanor and her father's warning regarding him, she found herself reaching for Izayoi instead. Still, no point in throwing out civility. "It's… been a while. May I help you?"

"Yes, you can." Behind him, Nirvana tensed up. "I have heard you are traveling with Ragna the Bloodedge. Please tell me where he is."

Tensing further, she shook her head. "Why are you looking for him?"

"Well, you see, I am unable to defeat my father as I am now. However, if I was able to obtain Ragna's Azure Grimoire…"

"I'm sorry, but I will not tell you where he is, then." Tsubaki stood up and drew her sword. "Even if you are my friend, Carl, I will not betray Ragna. If you want our help fighting Relius, however…"

"That's too bad." Without warning, Nirvana launched a ball of concentrated energy at Tsubaki. "I suppose I will just have to force the information out of you, then."

Roaring, Ragna hacked down another soldier. As the poor man fell to the ground cleaved almost in half, Ragna turned to snarl at another group approaching. Three on the ground wielding swords, three leveling crossbows at him from the air. Nothing at all. "Bring it on, you sons of bitches!"

He hurled himself ahead, moving on instinct to deal with the soldiers. His mind was not even on them. Goddamn it, Tsubaki, this bullshit is all because you decided you just had to talk to your dad. And now look. We're running from the Library and we learned exactly jack and shit. Well, besides that some guy here had delusions of seeing the Black fucking Beast. I don't give a shit if you're smarter than me, next time you suggest shit like this…

Words of a mentor came to him, a warning that had been delivered by Jubei with rare tears in his eyes. As much as ya can, don't let her outta yer sight. If ya make the same mistake I did, if ya fail to protect her, all the pain you've already suffered ain't gonna be nothin' compared to the hell you'll feel. Ragna's eyes widened. As he launched into the air and brought down the last officer, panic flooded him. Why the hell am I fighting these bastards now, when Tsubaki is…? Although another a group came around the corner, Ragna took off in the opposite direction, heart racing. "Shit, shit, shit, shit, shit…"

Tsubaki jumped to the side and avoided Nirvana's attack. She was prepared even before Carl rolled at her and stabbed with a cape-concealed lance. Her shield caught the attack and responded by spitting a pure white wing into his face. As the boy recoiled, Tsubaki stepped back. "Stop this, Carl. Do you really believe that pushing away your friends is the best course of action? We could help you; Relius is our enemy, too."

"…I can't bring anyone else into my fight." A moment after Nirvana warped to his side, Carl jumped forward, several more spears jutting out of his cape at Tsubaki. "And I can't even trust adults like you, Miss Tsubaki. I won't kill you, though."

"What?" Tsubaki stepped back from the needle-like attack. Before he could land, she crouched down and kicked at him, another wing accompanying her attack to send him back. "That doesn't even…"

"Fuoco!" At Carl's command, Nirvana lunged forward, spinning her bladed hand. At the same time, Carl rolled past Tsubaki, sandwiching her between himself and his sister. Although Tsubaki had no trouble blocking Nirvana's attack, she was only just able to step away from a knight-like puppet erupting from within Carl's cape to stab at her. As she stumbled and tried to keep her footing, Carl smirked. "Anima!"

Nirvana's large hand gripped Tsubaki by the back of her head and lifted her into the air before slamming her into the ground, cracking it. Although dazed, Tsubaki managed to roll away before Nirvana could pin her down with an iron foot. Carl was on her in an instant, attacking with a low-moving gadget. Tsubaki shifted away and slashed with Izayoi, which grew into a claymore as it cut. Before the blow could land, she twisted it so that the flat edge struck Carl's stomach and sent him bouncing away. Clutching her head, she almost didn't notice Nirvana rearing back for another attack. By the time she did, it was too late; a heavy fist struck her head, sending her to the ground again.

Groaning and dizzy, Tsubaki forced herself back to her feet as Carl did the same. This isn't good… I was trying to hold back so I wouldn't hurt him, but… that may be impossible if I want to win this. "Carl. Tell me something. Was it you who informed the Library that Ragna and I were staying with my father?"

"Huh?" Carl shook his head. "Why would I do that? If the Librarium captured Ragna, I wouldn't be able to obtain his grimoire, right?"

"…True." Although she knew she was losing, she said, "I'll ask you once more, Carl. Back down now. I don't want to hurt you. Please… stop this."

Carl shook his head. "I'm really sorry about this, Miss Tsubaki… but I really need to find Ragna. Don't worry. I'll make sure you can at least still talk."

"...What has happened to you, Carl? Why are you...?" Tsubaki's eyes widened as Nirvana lurched forward again. She sidestepped the heavy punch and eyed Carl as he tried to slip behind her again. Trying to pin me between him and that Nox Nyctores... why does he have such a dangerous weapon anyways? I need to disable it. She extended a foot and tripped him up with another wing sprouting, sending him tumbling across the street. With him out of the action for the moment, she turned and lunged at Nirvana. Izayoi again grew into a massive broadsword as she delivered a rising slash and followed with a stout hack.

Nirvana staggered for a moment before spinning and launching a powerful punch. It caught Tsubaki in the gut and launched her through the air. Her shoulder crashed against a wall and agony shot through it; she guessed it had been dislocated. As she collapsed to her knees, she glanced up to see Carl advancing. The flag-decorated lance swung at her head; she blocked it and the low jab that followed. Before he could do anything, Tsubaki's book-shield slammed against him, holding him in place for a moment. A celestial lance extended from its pages, launching him back. Despite her pain, Tsubaki charged after him, her shield forming a spinning barrier to crash into the boy. As Carl bounced away, Tsubaki turned her attention back to Nirvana. "And now, to disable you..."

Nirvana came in low, spinning her steel dress to try and take out Tsubaki's legs. Before it could land, Tsubaki leapt into the air and opened her book again, summoning a ball of light. As the energy descended upon the marionette, light surrounded Tsubaki and she dove down through it. The ball was sucked into her aura and she crashed into Nirvana. Residual energy kept the automaton pinned for a moment. She gathered up more energy as she twisted her sword into a great staff... "Don't. Touch. My. Sister!"

Tsubaki felt something slip under her feet and pull her back before one of Carl's puppets slammed its lance against her. She bounced forward and came to a halt at Nirvana's feet. Moaning, she glanced up into Carl's face, distorted with rage. One of the lenses of his glasses had shattered completely. Tsubaki shrieked as Nirvana brought both of her hands down. The book saved her from being smashed against the fracturing ground. She rolled away from the puppet, only for Carl to pull his cape back. "Laetabilis Cantata! Fermata!"

A giant revolving gear appeared; Tsubaki just managed to wedge her book against it to keep from having her legs ground into dust. However, there was nothing she could do about the massive uppercut from Nirvana. Tsubaki was flung high into the air with a shrill cry of agony. Wincing, she looked down as she fell. Nirvana's claws grew into lances and she stabbed at the air. Tsubaki braced herself, knowing that without Izayoi's shield, there was nothing to protect her from impalement... "Gauntlet Hades!"

Ragna launched through the air and smashed his sword against Nirvana's arms, diverting the nails enough to spare Tsubaki. As Tsubaki landed, Carl smirked. "Ah. So there you are, Ragna the Bloodedge. Please hand over... your..."

He froze at the look in Ragna's eyes. A demon could not hope to match the intense rage and hatred contained within. Black mist, the Azure's power, flowed from his right fist. After readying Blood-Scythe, Ragna roared and charged at Carl. "You're dead, you little shit!"

Freedom. It has become mine once again, the invisible wall that held me shattered and no more. But the Azure... it remains with the man in black. I can't smell it, although its contamination insulates this place. But this contagion... it is meaningless. Worthless. For it is not the Azure, but a mere imitation of a copy. It masks all else, for all else are mere afterthoughts. Insignificant worms, of no value at all.

A new scent. A familiar scent. The word "litchi" again comes to mind why does that word exist in memories that I remember? It means nothing, for it can mean nothing, for it is nothing, for it is not the Azure. My sight sees the figure. Obscene familiarity. Who is she? Why does she exist? Does she taste well...? KYAHAHA!

"Die!" Ragna launched himself at Carl, a punch coated in darkness. A mechanical puppet appeared from the cape to block it. With a snarl, Ragna thrust out his leg and caught the boy's chest. Carl didn't have any time to brace himself before Blood-Scythe came around. Another puppet popping out to shield him was all that spared him a severed limb. Before Ragna could continue his assault, Nirvana reached out a mitt to grab him. Ragna turned and snarled. "Not happening, bitch!"

A dark bestial head rose from the ground, stunning Nirvana. He turned to try to meet Carl's attack, a lance extending from his cape. Before Ragna could block it, Tsubaki crashed into Carl, following her shield as it formed a spinning barrier before her. Carl bounced away and sat up, rubbing his head. "…Miss Tsubaki? You shouldn't interfere."

Although dazed, Tsubaki snarled at him. "Do you really expect me to just stand by and let you attack my boyfriend? Stand down, Carl. You will not win this."

After a moment, Carl summoned Nirvana to warp to his side. "This doesn't concern you anymore, Miss Tsubaki. Please stop."

"Tch. Fuck it, I'm ending this." Ragna raised his fist before him. No one touches her. No one. "Restriction 666 relea-"

"Ragna? No." Before he could release the fetters of the Azure, Tsubaki placed a gentle hand on his and lowered it. "You know what could happen."

A growl sounded from Ragna, harsh enough to startle her. "And? That little bastard was about to turn you into a goddamn pincushion. He was dead the moment he-"

"I won't allow you to kill him. I don't know what has happened to him, but… he's firmly against Relius. Knock him out and we'll try to talk some sense into him later."

"Whatever. I'll try to leave him in one piece."

"No, actually, you disable his Nox. I'll deal with Carl myself."

Carl cocked his head; the voices were too low for him to make out. "Um, excuse me. It's very rude to whisper like that."

Nirvana lunged again with a heavy punch, scattering the couple. Grumbling under his breath, Ragna took a hefty hack at the marionette. Meanwhile, Tsubaki advanced on Carl, blunting the edges of Izayoi as she did. She sidestepped his knight puppet's lunge and sliced at him. The dull edge caught his side and buckled him. As he coughed, he glared up at her. "I don't want to hurt you, Miss Tsubaki. You don't need to be here anymore; why are you…?"

"I already told you that I won't betray Ragna. I will stand by him no matter what, regardless of who I end up having to fight." Now that the threat of Nirvana was nullified, Tsubaki found Carl's attacks easy to anticipate. His lances and flags were easily parried with her book while she was able to press him. Still, she refrained from attacking too often; if there was a way she could talk him out of his aggression… "Surrender, Carl. I don't want to hurt you, either. There is no hope for you to win this."

"…I can't…Sis!"

Carl's eyes widened as Ragna drove his sword against Nirvana and followed with a large burst of darkness. The puppet fell back, creaking; it looked like she wouldn't be able to take much more. With a cry, Carl launched his tiny puppet at Tsubaki's feet again. She jumped it and extended her cape to cut across his face. While he was distracted, she gathered up light and turned her sword into a large, yet blunt, claymore again. I'm sorry, Carl. She delayed the attack a moment, letting Carl summon a puppet for defense; it didn't matter. Izayoi shattered the mechanical doll and struck Carl in the chest, sending him back against the wall. A second later, Ragna bounced to a rest a few feet from Tsubaki, wiping blood from his lip. His rage had not diminished at all. "Nirvana, you cheap little bitch…"

Before Ragna could attack his sister, Carl summoned her back to his side and sent her at Tsubaki. Tsubaki dodged the stabbing claws and tried to get around her to continue fighting Carl. She did not trust Ragna to not overdo it. Too late; Ragna threw a punch at Carl's face. The boy ducked around it, terror welling up. As Ragna pressed his attack, Tsubaki jumped another whirling attack from Nirvana. After concentrating for a moment to gather light, she gave the marionette a firm glare. If I can disable her, this fight is over. And then maybe Carl will listen to reason. Her sword shifted into a staff, which she raised over her head, although with her dislocated shoulder, the motion was rather awkward. "I'm sorry, Carl, but this ends now."

She hurled a giant ball of light at the doll, breaking her down further. Once the attack ended, it appeared as though one of her legs had been almost broken. Meanwhile, Carl rolled away from Ragna's wide cut. However, the Grim Reaper had no problems tracking him down. "Gauntlet Hades!"

There was no time for Carl, finishing his evasive roll, to prepare himself for the aerial blows that followed. Collapsing against a far wall, he winced as he looked up. Ragna approached him, each footfall carrying enough menace to spike Carl's terror ever higher. He glanced over to see Nirvana failing to land a blow on her nimble opponent; Tsubaki followed by slamming Izayoi into her shoulder in an attempt to destroy the joint. The terror of the siblings melded together; they fed off each other. In desperation, Nirvana raised her hands over her head while Carl hugged his knees. "This... this can't be... I can't lose here... sis!"

The fists came down. Although Tsubaki dodged them, the ground at their feet cracked. Time seemed to stand still as the concrete gave way, falling apart at their feet. Neither Tsubaki nor Nirvana were swift enough to scramble away before the abyssal maw claimed them. Tsubaki screamed and reached a hand out towards Ragna, not seeing Nirvana extend one towards her. Then Nirvana vanished, leaving her to fall in solitude. Withing moments, she out of sight, lost to the depths of Naobi.

Up on the surface, Carl stared in trembling shock at the hole, even as his sister appeared at his side. "That... wasn't supposed to happen. Miss Tsubaki..."

And with fear clenching his heart, he turned to Ragna. The Grim Reaper stood stock still, mouth opened the slightest bit as he stared at the abyss. Nothing registered in his mind at first. Then everything hit. A feral snarl crept onto his face, eyes narrowing at indiscernible speed. That... did not... this fucking bastard... His right arm came up, tongues of black energy flowing around his fist. "Restriction 666 released. Dimensional interference field deployed. Now engaging the idea engine! BlazBlue, activate!"

He whipped his head around, tears of rage and loss forming. "You're fucking dead!"