A/N: And finally, here we are (a few hours earlier than planned). Just in time for Chrono Phantasma.
A silent signal transmitted, destined for the cores of the NOL branches in all 23 Hierarchical Cities, a sign from the rags of the great magistrate Nine that only a chosen few could hear. Red-eyed soldiers, under the thrall of Phantom's magic, scurried to carry out the wordless order. As one, the Gates deep beneath society rumbled open to allow seithr mists free of the Boundary's confines.
This unheard signal carried the threat of ruin at the hands of a god of thunder.
Snarling, Hazama trudged down a hallway, leaning all his weight against a wall. His remaining hand clutched the bloody stump at his shoulder. That could not have happened. Not against her. Not someone as pathetic as…
With a wordless shout, he slammed his fist against a wall. Damn that Yayoi bitch! Who the hell did she think she was, jeopardizing everything he had worked for until now? He couldn't have lost that fight. He refused to believe it, even as proof dripped from his truncated arm and pounded in his skull.
"Hello?" A woman's voice wafted out from around a corner, and Hazama's scowl deepened. "Is there someone here?"
…Perfect! The doctor! She could restore his arm, right? Hazama lunged forward, racing unbalanced down the hallway until he all but crashed into Litchi. He reached out and grabbed her by the collar, his yellow, catlike eyes widening in desperation. "You! Fix this!"
"C-captain!" The eternal brainwashed emptiness of Litchi's crimson eyes broke into surprise, and the woman took a step back against the wall. "I…"
"Do it now!" Hazama's hand slid up to clench her throat. "Don't make me kill you."
"That's… outside of my abilities…" Litchi writhed, her hands coming up to grab his. "Let me go, captain."
With a hiss, Hazama leaned closer. "Now, you bitch. Do your best, and I'll decide if you get to live or not."
"Ngh… yes, sir…" Struggling still, Litchi choked out the words, more to appease him than anything. Had she control of herself, she would doubtlessly have struggled more, and perhaps even drawn her staff in defense. However, numbed into obedience by Phantom's spell as her mind was, the only recourse allowed to Litchi was to embark on an impossible task. "Please… let me go and I will."
"Good." Hazama released her throat and extended his stump. "Now, fix this. Even if you have to give me your arm, you useless piece of shit. In fact, that's perfect! Lemme see your arm…"
"You will do no such thing, Terumi." A chill ran down Hazama's neck at the voice and he turned to Saya, hovering just behind him. The Imperator floated forward, hand outstretched. "Have you outlived your use so soon?"
With a snarl, Hazama whipped around, a display of meaningless bravado. "You calling me useless? What's the last thing you did, Izanami?"
"Call me not by that name. I am merely the Imperator to you." A ball of light collected in Saya's hand. "And believe not for a moment that you are indispensable, Terumi. The truth is a polar opposite. For what reason should I not strip your power and leave you to your death?"
Hazama stepped back, paling. "You bitch… you wouldn't. Give me another chance, and I swear I'll kill that inbred Yayoi bitch!"
"Your claims do not persuade me. By word and deed, you prove meaningless. Shed your skin, serpent, and you may revel in my mercy."
"…You insufferable…" Growling, Hazama raised his remaining hand. Damn it all, was this his only option? Of course it was; when Death incarnate made demands, one listened. "…Restriction 666 released. Dimensional boundary interface deployed, Code S.O.L. Now releasing Force Eater. BlazBlue, activate."
Voluminous windings of green and black erupted from Hazama, coiling up to the ceiling and obscuring him from sight. And from the center of the vortex, a high scream sounded, all pain and rage and madness. The maelstrom of the Azure's malevolent viridian slowed to a trickle and died, leaving Terumi crouched on all threes, panting and heaving. A phantasmal protrusion, slick, round and the same hue as the Azure's eruption, slithered out of his shoulder. It grew and morphed, and within a minute, Hazama planted the palm of his new arm down on the floor. Fiery agony danced on every inch of his skin. Already, the flesh at the tips of his finger flaked, ready to disintegrate entirely; this makeshift body lacked the strength to withstand the full wrath of the Azure.
Wincing, enraged, Terumi forced himself to look up at the Imperator, yellow eyes ablaze with loathing. "…When I'm done needing you, I'm going to kill you so fucking hard, you cunt."
No reaction crossed Saya's impassive face. "That shall not be. But for the moment, you know your place. Begone, Terumi."
"…Tch." Without another word, Terumi vanished into thin air, murder in mind. He wouldn't just kill Tsubaki. She would suffer like none had ever done before.
With Terumi gone, Saya turned to Litchi, who had watched the entire exchange with a bone-white pallor. "For what reason do you linger, Faye-Ling? We remain under siege. Seek out the intruders, and do what you must for your love's sake. Only by your servitude will he be restored."
"Ah!" Litchi nodded, coming out of her stupor. She drew her staff and took a step away. "Of course, Lady Imperator."
Sighing, Jin leaned against a wall. Split up to search? When the Library almost certainly had their strongest defenders here? Was that vampire girl mad? Even so, he had followed her instruction in the guise of seeking the Cauldron. Or whatever it was they were looking for. In reality, all he cared about were three people. Noel to protect, and Hazama and his brother to kill. He smirked, a light giggle slipping from him. Yes, there was no way those two would be able to escape him now. Today, he would free his brother and take his revenge on the man who had ripped so much from him. Oh, how sweet that feeling would be. Seeing Hazama's face at the moment his life faded… Jin threw back his head and cackled as though insane.
"Who's there?" A voice stifled Jin's laugh and he turned towards it. From around a corner came a masked man, the rest of his body covered by midnight blue garb. He came to a halt, stiff, when he saw Jin. "…Kisaragi. We meet again."
"Hmph." Jin eyed him with a cold glare. "And you are?"
"You have forgotten me again. As you have forgotten my people." A gleam shone as Tenshin drew his scythe. "I am Tenshin, the future lord of Ikaruga, as my father was before me. Though light may shine within the Librarium yet in spite of its calamities, it does not emanate from you. You may have forgotten Ikaruga, but it has not forgotten you. I come as its avenger."
The scythe whipped out on its chain, straight at Jin. "You will not walk away from this, desecrator of Ikaruga."
"Tch." With a strike of Yukianesa's sheath, Jin swatted the blade away. "I don't have time for you, you bother. Get out of my way."
Snarling behind his mask, Tenshin dashed forward as he retracted the scythe. "How unfortunate for you. Kikuchiyo."
He clashed both weapons together, and a whirlwind blew Jin's way. Tenshin vanished in a flurry of leaves and reappeared behind Jin with a kick just as the whirlwind reached him. The kick knocked him into the spinning gale, which blew away several meters. Before Jin had risen, Tenshin launched his scythe blade straight at him. The blade caught on Yukianesa, but Tenshin used it as an anchor to drag himself close and punch, the spear tip set crush Jin's face. Frigid air billowed from Yukianesa and froze Tenshin solid. The icy crystal protected the ninja from the brunt of the following lunging slash, but it still sent him across the hall.
With a scoff, Jin sheathed his sword. "Tch. I remember you now. You're worthless."
"Then you are beyond worthless, murderer." Tenshin leapt back to his feet and bolted straight ahead. He hurtled forward with a spinning kick before vanishing again, his trail of leaves drifting upward. A breath later, he came down with a heel drop from above. And met a crouching, overhead slash from Yukianesa, a wave of ice extending far beyond the katana's tip. Tenshin crashed to the ground a couple of seconds later, clutching his mangled calf. He snarled and rose to his knees. "You…"
"Hmph. Pathetic. I'll just end you here." Jin leapt forward and spun around for a heavy slash angled down at his opponent. Tenshin caught the cut in his sickle's chain, and countered with a quick spin of the weapon. The scythe pulled Jin in closer. "What?!"
"Gorobei!" With that cry, Tenshin booted Jin into the air with a heavy kick before vanishing. Just as Jin reached the apex of his flight, Tenshin came down from above with both weapons, slamming Jin to the ground and digging the spearhead into his gut. He snarled as he brought the scythe up. "This is vengeance."
"Tch." As the scythe blade came down at his neck, Jin raised his sheath, and a scarlet shield of light formed before him. The jar of slamming his blade against Jin's defense stunned Tenshin, and Jin loosed an icy slash despite being on his back. As Tenshin bounced away, Jin rose and clutched his gaping wound. "You're a fool if you think you can stand before me. Arctic Dagger!"
With one last slash, Jin sent a wave of ice to cut Tenshin in half and be rid of this nuisance forever. The ground before Tenshin roiled and sprouted a cluster of quartz crystals to take the blow in his stead. Jin grunted in annoyance at the man who stepped in from an adjacent hallway. Belioz smirked as he stashed his baton. "Ah, Major Kisaragi. My most sincere apologies for my comrade's actions."
"…And you are?" Jin sheathed Yukianesa, but kept a firm grasp of it. "Get out of my way, or I'll cut you down as well."
"My word, how barbarian!" With a theatrical sigh, Belioz shook his head and bent down to help Tenshin back up. "I will have no quarrel with you. And Lord Tenshin, I must ask you refrain from acting in so rash a manner henceforth."
"…You realize what this monster has done, do you not?" Tenshin's eyes flashed as he pulled down his mask. "I cannot allow him to walk free."
"I am aware, and I understand. However…" Belioz smirked at Jin. "I can't allow so valuable a man to perish. Nor I can allow the same of you, Lord Tenshin. Sir Kisaragi. May I request you stand down as well? What is there to gain by killing Lord Tenshin, if he were to cease his efforts to slay you? Please, I beseech you to show him mercy."
Jin scoffed and shook his head. This Tenshin was a mild thorn in his side, to be sure, but he had more important tasks at hand. Stalling to fight this pompous noble would be a pointless waste of time. "Tch. I don't have time for bothers like you. Stay out of my way." He turned and stormed down another hall, renewing his search for Noel.
Once Jin was out of earshot, Belioz's smirk widened. "I assure you, however, that once Jin has taken care of something, you are free to slay him as you please."
"…What are you planning, Lord Belioz?" Tenshin limped over to a wall and leaned on it. With a shake of his head, he removed his mask entirely. "Why do you deny me my vengeance?"
"It is time I made my move, I believe. Jin and his comrades shall remove those who impede me…" A glint of tooth showed through Belioz's smile. "And I shall ascend to the head of the Librarium."
Relius chuckled as his mechanical green arm came up to block the missile set. "How boring. Is that the best Muchourin can do?"
"Of course not, you bastard! Arma Reboure: Muchourin, activate!" Platinum grinned at Relius's shocked expression as she held her staff high. A grin that soon faded away in to confusion and then anger. "…Wait, what? Why's it not working for Luna?"
"Weak. Unfortunate, for the both of us. Ignis." At Relius's command, Ignis spun forward, slashing with her blades. With a squeak, Platinum blocked the attack on her staff and tried to back away. Ignis continued her assault with a low stab. As the girl did her best to block Ignis's attacks, Relius turned to Carl, who glared at his father with almost feral hatred. "Now then. Shall we continue?"
"Leave her alone!" Carl darted forward, sweeping a lance Relius's way. A mechanical arm caught it in its grip and dragged Carl closer. "What…?"
"Futile." From out of Relius's cape rocketed a massive green fist of metal to strike Carl on the chin. The blow launched the young boy skyward, his lance breaking in Relius's grip, and he slammed straight into the low ceiling. Carl dropped to the ground in a heap, his top hat rolling on its brim to a halt beside him. Without further regard for his son, Relius snapped his fingers. "Ignis, return."
Despite having Platinum backed against a wall by her assault, albeit unharmed, Ignis complied, vanishing and reappearing behind Relius in an instant. The scientist stepped forward, rubbing his chin. "You truly cannot wield Muchourin's full might, then?"
"Sh-shut up! Luna doesn't know why it won't work! Goddammit, why won't it…?" Luna's gaze drifted over to Carl and her eyes widened in rage. "Wha… what the hell did you do to shorty, you asshole?"
"Nothing fatal, I assure you. I would not take the life of such an interesting experiment unless absolutely necessary." Relius smirked, hand up and ready to command Ignis. "So you do not need to worry about perishing here, child."
"Um… Luna, maybe we should…" With a shake of her head, Platinum snarled again. "Shut up, Sena! We're not leaving the midget behind!"
Platinum cocked her head and another change of voice followed. "…If you like Carl so much, why do you keep calling him things like 'shorty' and midget'?"
"I do not have time for such drivel. Vol Tedo." At Relius's command, Ignis lunged forward with a punch, and trapped Platinum in a globe of wires. After a moment, it exploded and propelled her back against the wall. Relius stepped after her, Ignis at his side. With a snap of his fingers, the marionette vanished. Best not to overuse her. "Pathetic. I expected more from such a vessel as you."
"Heh… you think we're done, you pervert?" Although a trail of blood streamed from the crown of her head down her cheek, Platinum smirked as she held up her staff. It glowed once, and she lowered it again. "Let's go! Luna's not done with you yet!" With that, she held the staff before her and blew through the hole in its heart-shaped crest. A man-sized bubble wobbled its way toward Relius.
With a sigh, Relius directed Ignis forward. Her hands extended into lengthy drills and popped the bubble with little effort on their way to grind up against Platinum's hasty block with her staff. Relius took the time to dash forward and lunge low with a long mechanical arm. Platinum squawked and dropped to her knees to block it. As the arm retracted, she cocked her staff back and projected a pair of blue boxes, which arced over Relius's head. Relius sighed. "Are you even competent?"
No sooner had he said that than Ignis hovered forward, over the boxes. At once, they popped open, and each launched a blue, mechanical cat head rocketing up. The missiles caught Ignis and drove her against the ceiling with enough force to crack it. The marionette came back down, stumbled forward a step, and fell motionless. Relius glanced back in surprise, and Platinum grinned as she fired two more of the boxes over his head. "Yeah. We are."
Her staff shifted into a heart-shaped platform and drove her forward. However, the scientist managed to raise a mechanical arm before the attack could land, doing little more than push him back. Snarling, she shifted the form of her staff again. The pogo stick bounced off the ground as it came down, and she angled it forward to ricochet off Relius's forehead. He stumbled back, stepping over one of the boxes as he did. Once more, the top of it popped off and fired off a cat head that smashed Relius into the ceiling. As he fell, Platinum snickered and blew him a raspberry. "How's that for 'competent', you bastard?"
"Hmm…" Relius pulled himself up from the ground, nonchalant as ever. "It would seem I've underestimated you. I commend your tactics. However…" With a snap of his fingers, Ignis awakened and floated over to his side. "It is hopeless. You will be joining my son shortly."
"Joining me in what, exactly?" The question preceded a heavy blow to the back that sent Relius stumbling forward. Clutching the gash on the back of his head, Carl snarled as Nirvana swung a claw at Relius. The boy took a woozy step forward. There was no way he should be fighting right now, but… "Thank you very much, Luna. Let's finish him."
"Sounds good, shorty." With a wicked laugh, Platinum spun forward at a rapid speed, her staff extended. Like a cyclone, she twirled at Relius, who caught his balance and blocked the vortex on his green arm. Nirvana approached him, arms up for a grab, but Ignis intercepted her with her own twirling attack. With a grunt, Carl ran forward, hoping to reach Relius before Platinum's attack ended. No such luck, however. As Platinum's spinning ceased, Relius clamped a hand on the dizzied girl's head. "Hey! Let go of Luna!"
"Very well." With that, Relius turned and chucked Luna at Carl, who managed to jump over her. He came to a halt as he watched her bounce to the far wall, and turned to snarl at Relius. And took a heavy metal fist to the gut. "I tire of this. You two are far too weak to stand before me."
"Grr… shut up!" Carl lunged with a lance, its shattered tip falling well short of his target. "Laetabilis Cantata!"
At Carl's command, a massive spinning gear ground its way toward Relius. "Hmph. Req Vinum."
Several smaller, burning gears sprouted at his feet and deadlocked with Carl's attack. From behind Carl came Platinum, who leapt over him and swung her staff down at Relius. "Gotcha, you bastard!"
The attack struck Relius square in the face and sent him reeling back. As Platinum dropped down towards the gears, she summoned a floating platform, a cloud with a cat's face to carry her over the grinding gears of death waiting inches below. The gears fell still and collapsed on their sides, affording her safe landing. Before she could drop to her feet, Carl ran after Relius, a fresh lance prepared to skewer him. "I've got you now!"
"Hardly." Before the attack could connect, Ignis appeared before Relius and swung her heavy claw at Carl. The lance glanced off her metal frame, and Carl took the blow. Ignis pressed forward, long arms swinging and pummeling Carl until she finished with a two-handed punch to slam the boy into a wall. He fell to the ground face-first and didn't stir. Relius shook his head. "I am quite disappointed in your weakness, Carl. You are ill suited for the Clover name…"
"Carl!" Platinum raced over to his side and knelt down. Nirvana trudged her way over to them as well. "Oh, you had better be alright…"
"Worry not. I can assure you he lives yet. To show such concern over another…" Relius shook his head. "You are every bit as weak as my son."
"The hell? Luna's not…"
"Weak? Oh, but you are. Your emotional bindings tether your strength, rendering you powerless before one such as me." Relius snapped his fingers to draw Ignis back to him. "If you wish to prove me wrong…"
"Ah, pardon me, but can I propose an alternative?" High up on a windowsill, a purple-haired man looked down at them, a light smirk on his lips. "How about the girl leaves with Carl, and I prove you wrong, hm?"
Platinum glared at the man, left uneasy by the newcomer's presence. "Um… who are you? And why are you helping us?"
"Amane Nishiki. And it's simple why I'm helping you; I want Carl for my troupe." Amane's smirk turned to Platinum, who reeled back. "Such a fascinating young man… I've been looking for him for quite a while, you know."
"Get the hell away from us, you goddamn pedo!"
"Hmm… just what are you?" Relius rubbed his chin. "For you to not have aged…"
"Ah, you recognize me?" With a chuckle, Amane leapt down from his perch, eyes sharp as he watched Relius. "Hmm… can't say I know you from anywhere, though. Oh well."
"Um…" Platinum glanced from Amane, to Carl and finally to Nirvana. The marionette nodded and bent down to scoop up her brother. When Platinum spoke, it was in Sena's voice. "Thank you very much, Mister Nishiki. We'll just…"
As Nirvana and Platinum scurried away, Relius just sighed. Had he just lost has best chance at capturing them? Perhaps… but he would make do with this fascinating specimen instead. "You will tell me how you've attained immortality."
Amane shrugged. "Oh, it's pretty simple. Just a blessing from a goddess. Don't think she'd swing for giving someone like you one, though. Not beautiful enough. Sorry."
Relius had to hold on a gasp of surprise. Could it be…? "Hmm… I see. Very well then."
He smirked. "Shall we dance, Ame-no-Uzume?"
"So, it's down here, is it?" Tager raised a finger to adjust his glasses. Sensors indicated a high seithr presence beyond the wall just before him, something not present anywhere else he had been within Ishana. "Hmm… a sealed room?"
"Yep. And I'm sorry, but 'punch it until it's open' doesn't really work for a strategy here. Unless you want to wear yourself out and save me the trouble, that is. Could make for a decent exercise to try punching down an endlessly regenerating wall, too, so there's that."
That voice. That loathsome, all-too-familiar voice. Tager turned around, unwilling to leave his back open to such a person. "Voivod. You have some nerve showing up here."
Leaning against a wall, Voivod shrugged. "Oh, I do, I certainly do. And first chance I get, I'm lasering that Intelligence captain for making me blow up the damned Academy. Wanted Sector Seven to up and die, got the total destruction of the NOL's future. Brilliant, I know."
"You want to kill Hazama? Hm…" Tager considered for a moment, and then reached for his palm-bound radio. He faltered before turning it on, however. He was not under Kokonoe's command for this operation, an altogether alien feeling. Without a commanding officer, it was up to him to decide what action to take, was it not? "I'm sorry, but I cannot trust you, Voivod. Nor can I forgive your actions. I will do what I should have done in Wadatsumi and destroy you."
After several moments, Voivod sighed and straightened up. "Always with the fighting. Is that the only way to solve anything nowadays? …My methods notwithstanding, of course." The skin around his right shoulder retreated, revealing a jet-black hole. "Not that I mind, of course. Guess I'd better do my duty and all that wonderful stuff."
As Voivod fired a spray of hard yellow plasma, Tager raised his gauntlets to block. The shots burned into arm, but he shrugged them off with a grunt. He stomped forward, shaking the floor with every footfall. Another volley came forth, and Tager crossed his arms, energy sparking from his gauntlets. With a roar, he jerked forward and swung both fists at Voivod to cut straight through the plasma. His fists raised and came down, but his foe darted into the air, too nimble for such a slow attack. However, Tager lunged with a punch buzzing with magnetically-charged electricity, and tagged Voivod to leave a magnetic trace on his foe. "I have the advantage here, Voivod. Unlike last time, I am free to use my magnetism at will."
"Is that right? Well, I guess I should do something about that. Dying horribly doesn't sound too fun." Voivod grinned as Tager extended a hand his way, drawing him in. With blinding speed, Voivod darted in, crossed over Tager's attempted grab with his hover Ars, and jabbed with three fingers into Tager's gut. Spines extended from his fingertips. "Missing Sequences."
"What?" Lightning surged into Tager, who howled and stepped back. All through his system, circuits shut down, and he dropped to his knees. Still, he managed to swipe at Voivod with a palm, although Voivod simply hovered back several feet out of range. The magnetic trace he had left on Voivod remained—there was no mistaking that halo of electricity around his body—but Tager couldn't draw him in any longer. "What did you do?"
"The folks at Engineering are real geniuses, you know. Okay, so remember when I dug your magnet out of your arm-hand-thingy? Oh, wait, I suppose you wouldn't. Pretty sure you were out cold. How do cyborgs fall unconscious anyways? Oh, never mind that." Voivod shrugged. "Anyways, reverse engineering's a bitch, isn't it? I just shut down your magnetism completely. Don't know how long it will last, but hey."
He smirked. "Should be long enough."
The daze came without warning. As Rachel strode down a corridor, her familiars and Jubei at her side, a wave of dizziness washed over her. She pitched forward, onto her knees, and clutched her head with a light groan. Something had just been forcibly ripped from her, something deep and vital. Vital? Yes; not to her, but vital nonetheless. Before she could recover, a furred paw fell on her shoulder, and Rachel realized her breaths came as heaves. She looked up at Jubei, who twitched his muzzle in a scowl. "Yer not lookin' so good. Ya alright, Rachel?"
"Yes… Yes, I am." Shaking her head, Rachel pulled herself to her feet. Her pale form shivered. "My apologies for causing worry."
"But Princess!" Gii fluttered over to her, a comical width to his eyes. "What happened? Why did you just…?"
"I… am unsure." What was it that was missing? She closed her eyes, surprised at how shaken the event had left her. And… fearful. Truly fearful for the first time in eons. Ignorance was not something she was accustomed to, and to be in the dark over such an important matter… She opened her eyes with a gasp. "No…"
Jubei again placed a hand on her shoulder. "What's the matter? Somethin' happen?"
"Indeed." Rachel turned on her heel and marched back the way she came. "It would seem that Hakumen has met with an unkind fate; the bond between Observer and Observed has been breached. We must find him, so I may reestablish my Observation. Left without an anchor to this world, Hakumen will not exist much longer."
Halfway back down the corridor, the back of Rachel's neck tingled. Something was amiss, a dark veil cast across the hall. "Nago. Gii. To me. Jubei, prepare yourself."
A moment later, a jet of black flooded in from thin air and took the form of a purple, feminine figure. Haggard and ragged, Phantom shaped herself into existence, hovering on beaten wings. Rachel relaxed a mite at her appearance. "Phantom. Somewhat worse for the wear, are you not? I do hope this renders you less than formidable, or at least as much as your magic allows."
"Nine." Jubei growled as he clenched a kodachi hilt in his teeth. "I'm gonna free ya from this, ya hear me? I'll free ya, then we'll take down the bastard that did this to ya together. But first, I'm sorry for what I gotta do."
Something resonated from Phantom, a wave of rage and torment, but also sorrow, that made Jubei's fur stand on end. A fireball followed, but fizzled out before it could reach Jubei. His ear twitched, and his muzzle pulled back into a scowl. "You were beaten, weren't ya? Somethin' keepin' ya from conjurin' yer spells? Well, I reckon it's a help. Rachel! We're pinnin' her down! Capture her so we can get her to my daughter!"
As Jubei lanced forward with a dashing cut, Rachel nodded. She snapped her fingers, and a pair of bat summons trailed toward Phantom. "Very well. If you believe Kokonoe to be capable of salvaging Konoe…"
"Yer damn right I do." Jubei snarled as Phantom floated around his slash, but the kodachi wrapped by his tail stabbed at her, again to no avail. "Got some information 'bout exactly what Clover did to her. If anyone can do a damn thing with it, it's Kokonoe."
With a bored sidestep, Rachel dodged a blast of lightning directed at her. "I shall trust you in this matter, Sir Jubei. Tiny Lobelia." A trio of magenta projectiles fired and scattered around Phantom, and formed bat-shaped rods. The bats she had summoned before latched onto Phantom. "Not yet recovered from a previous defeat, and unable to cast spells at will? I don't believe you shall escape our grasp, Konoe. Sword Iris, delay."
A hiss answered her, and Phantom created a set of fireballs overhead, even as Jubei turned and delivered a rising slash across her body. The flames rained down to drown the room in an apocalyptic blaze; however, most of the spell dissipated and left her enemies unscathed. She hovered away from Jubei, but in crossing the circle of poles, was blasted by lightning. Shaking, she descended to ground level, and took a kick to the abdomen from Jubei. The impact knocked her against another pole, and lightning struck once more. Rachel smirked as she replaced the rods that had been used to trap Phantom. "It seems there is no escape for you."
"Settle down, Konoe. Ya've lost." Jubei point a blade directly at Phantom's quivering form. "Why don't ya come along quiet-like, hm?"
A screech answered him, and a mist of venomous rainbow, like oil on the air, drifted his way. As Jubei breathed in, his entire body stiffened up, locked by the paralyzing spell. Phantom spread her cloak open and moved forward, beckoning him into her malevolent folds. However, a gale buffeted her, and the bat summons did their work, propelling her far faster than such a breeze should have. A moment later, electricity surged through Phantom again and dropped her onto the floor, twitching. A wormhole opened around her, but fizzled out in a storm of purple lightning. Rachel closed her eyes. "Baden Baden Lily. End this farce, Sir Jubei."
A massive electrical hell-blast crushed Phantom as Jubei's motor functions returned. His blades glowed a light blue. "Atropos, Rend."
He vanished and appeared a split-second later, blades buried deep in Phantom. With a howl, she shook, but to no avail. Jubei growled. "Gotcha. Yer comin' with us."
No sooner had the words left his mouth than electricity surged through him, sending him stumbling back from Phantom. Her final attack delivered, Phantom floated upwards, staggered, and dropped. A trio of magenta spheres flew at her, but far too slow. Her spell succeeded, and the specter vanished entirely. Jubei snarled deep. However, he refrained from any further outward displays of his anger and disappointment. "We'd better get goin', Rachel. Much as I want to chase her, we gotta find Hakumen."
"Tch. You really think that shit'll help you?" Despite his bravado, it was all Ragna could do to not take a step back from his opponent. He could feel the raw power emanating from Azrael, and for once his eternal confidence faltered. He hesitated; to rush in on Azrael would be a fatal mistake, when Azrael could just step through his attack. So, leading with Dead Spike was about his only option. "Take this, you bastard!"
Another serpentine head slithered at Azrael. With a dark chuckle, Azrael lifted his arms and expanded his aura. The shadowy head was consumed by the halo, stalling Ragna; he had planned to strike when Azrael warped through the attack. With a grunt, he took a step back. "Just what the hell are you?!"
"Disappointed." Now that there were no attacks directed his way, Azrael flash-stepped forward and thrust out a kick at Ragna's gut. Ragna blocked the kick on Blood-Scythe's flat, but ground back several inches. His eyes widened as Azrael blinked out of existence again, and a breath later drove a knee into Ragna's back. As Ragna stumbled forward, Azrael reached out to grab him and hurl him skyward. "Valiant!"
Before Ragna could fall back to earth, Azrael lunged forward with a straight kick. The impact sent Ragna flipping forward. With a gleeful cackle, Azrael slid on his planted foot and delivered another kick. And another. Four times, he struck Ragna with bone-cracking force and kept his momentum, ending with a shoulder ram that implanted Ragna in the far wall. Azrael drew back, fist tightened and a neon orange aura building around him. "Black Hawk Stinger!"
He lunged forward with a mammoth haymaker, bent on finishing Ragna with the blow. Snarling, winded, Ragna managed to jab the point of his sword straight forward. The blow crushed its hilt into Ragna's chest—he felt two ribs snap entirely and screamed his agony. However, the sliced the side of Azrael's hand and gashed up all the way to his elbow. As the monstrous man collapsed to his knees, clutching his shredded limb, Ragna dropped out of the impact-created alcove in a painful daze. His eyes found Azrael and narrowed as his hand twisted.
A Hadean claw lunged for Azrael, dark mists rising from it. He only had time to snap his eyes up, fear glowing in their widened frames for the first time that battle, and raise his good arm in a vain attempt to ward off Ragna. No good, of course; all it did was give Ragna a handle to grasp. With a feral snarl, Ragna hefted Azrael over his head, and the Azure Grimoire did the rest. Shadowy tendrils rose to surround the two as Azrael's life was sucked away, restoring Ragna's health and mending his damaged ribs. Ragna snarled; he could keep this up forever, or at least until this asshole was dead. Nothing could stop him. Nothing could…
Crimson veiled his vision as his teeth grew and pointed, red lines marking his suddenly black jaw. With a grunt of disgust, he ceased the Grimoire's drain and hurled Azrael away. No way would that bastard be moving any time soon. He turned to march away, and a low laugh halted him.
Azrael clambered to his knees, chuckling the whole while. His head snapped up and he grinned. "Yes… yes! That's it! That's the power I've been waiting for! Come, Ragna the Bloodedge! I'll devour you and your Azure Grimoire!"
"You can barely stand, dumbass…" Ragna grunted in surprise as, contrary to his affirmation, Azrael lunged forward with another punch. He jumped back from it and quickly scanned the room. Perfectly round, with the stairwell at the center. No cover whatsoever… Shit, goddammit, think. How would Tsubaki handle this? Well, too late to think now; Azrael dealt a lunging kick to his chest. Ragna stumbled back, snarling. "Well, aren't you a resilient bastard."
"You could say that." Azrael leapt forward, low to the ground for a dropkick to Ragna's ankles. As Ragna leapt the attack on instinct and came down with a shadowy slash, Azrael vanished and appeared several feet forward. "Could say the same to you. Most people don't walk after I get them."
"Healing ability. Comes in handy." Ragna stepped back, trying to keep distance between himself and Azrael. Had to wait for an opening here; charging this bastard blind would just get his ass kicked. His flash step was annoying, but it had to have limits, right? So all he had to do was bait that. "Well? The hell are you waiting for?"
"…Heh. You're up to something, aren't you?" Azrael punched the ground, and the stone at his feet shattered and flew into the air. With a roar, he kicked the largest slab, a full three feet across, at Ragna, who had just enough time to raise his sword and block it. Still, it bowled him back and peppered his face with stony shrapnel. Before he had a chance to recover, Azrael fired off another bolt of his aura. The strike carried him all the way to the wall, which he ricocheted from. "Ha! You're mine!"
Azrael warped forward three times in quick succession before Ragna could even move and raised his fists for a finishing blow. So baiting that accursed step wouldn't have worked anyways… but like hell would Ragna just accept defeat. With a roar, he jumped, an uppercut with his sword swathed in the Azure's malevolence. It lifted Azrael skyward as it scarred his chest, and Ragna sent him back to the ground with a spinning kick. Azrael impacted on the ground and bounced back up, right into Ragna's sword-led dive. And once more, the force of the attack bounced Azrael back into the air. Ragna charged him down with a dashing punch. "It's over!"
"Yes, it is." With a vile smirk, Azrael caught Ragna's fist, spun in midair and hurled his prey across the room. Ragna smashed into the wall and slumped to the ground; Azrael landed on his feet and walked over to his opponent. "Good fight, Grim Reaper. But it seems your luck has run out."
"Go to hell! Gauntlet-!"
As Ragna launched forward for a spinning strike from above, Azrael hefted a chunk of the floor and smashed it over his foe's head. Ragna fell to the ground, clutching his crown. "Like I said. It's over. I'll finish you in one blow!"
Azrael jumped forward, intent on coming down on Ragna's neck and shattering the bone. However, a grey blur tackled him in midair and sent him sliding away. The canine assailant rolled away and shifted form. Valkenhayn sneered down at the blue-haired man. "You miserable cretin… I shall enjoy this far more than I care to admit."
With a groan, Ragna lifted his aching head. The wolfman was different… young, with his bone white ponytail an auburn color now. No wrinkles marred his face. "…Valk? The hell are you…?"
"Begone at once, boy." Valkenhayn's glare bore into Ragna and he realized, at that moment, he had never known the full brunt of the werewolf's hatred. "I shall be the one to deal with this monster."
"Heh…" Azrael shook his head and rose. Judging by his grin, he was delighted by this turn of events. "I know you, don't I? The old man with the vampire girl… It's been awhile, hasn't it?"
"Be silent!" Valkenhayn's fangs grew at his command; no attempt to restrain his rage toward Azrael could hope to succeed. "It has not been long enough since we last met. I shall take recompense for the embarrassment you wrought upon my mistress with your blood!"
"Your mistress? The little vampire?" Azrael crossed his arms and chuckled. "I'm quite glad she got away that time; perhaps I can fight her once more."
"I will not permit anything of the sort."
Ragna paled. This Azrael had defeated Rachel—all-powerful, vampire sorceress Rachel—in the past. What the hell hope did he or Valkenhayn have against him? "…You're seriously gonna fight him on your own?"
"I am afraid I have no choice." Valkenhayn turned to Ragna, his gaze stern. "You must make your way to the Cauldron and stop the smelting process. This man is inconsequential."
Azrael turned to Ragna, the glee vanished from his eyes. "Go. Our fight is over. Perhaps next time we meet, you can satisfy my hunger better."
"Tch. Valk, make sure there isn't a next time."
As Ragna stumbled to the stairwell, Valkenhayn nodded. "Oh, believe me. I shall oblige your request, Ragna."
Nu shivered as she scanned her surroundings. Where was she? A pointless question; Ishana proved to lack any meaningful variance in its design. It had been at least half an hour since she had last seen anyone. With a sigh, she stopped and leaned on a wall. Why couldn't Ragna be with her right now? "Nu's lonely… Scanning surroundings."
Her visor set over her eyes, and its laser optic strobed back and forth. Nothing unusual in the room itself, but below… She knelt down and tried to get a better sense of what was down there. Whatever waited beneath her feet radiated power, so much so that she had no choice but to conclude it was the operation's target. "Target located. Searching for route… Searching… Searching… Analysis complete. Room sealed. Hmm… Oh! Nu knows! Calamity Sword."
At her command, Murakumo sprung into existence and dropped, cracking the floor. The blade struck over and over again until the floor gave way. Some fifty feet below waited the chamber, but before Nu could hop on down, the bricks hovered back into place and solidified. Nu pouted as the protective magic finished resealing the room. "Aww… searching for alternative route…"
Two more minutes of wandering took her to a dead end, but her sensors indicated that the chamber waited just beyond the wall. Nu extended a hand and summoned a wormhole, firing off hundreds of small blades. They ate through the wall bit by bit, almost acidic. Once a large enough hole had been opened up in the wall, Nu disengaged the attack. "Act Parser."
She shot forward, entering the chamber just as the wall closed up again behind her. As she hovered forward, she stared around in wonder. Light blue runes glowed on the lapis floor, their light rising from carved trenches. Nu stopped in the center of the room, confused. "This… doesn't look like a Cauldron…"
"For it is not."
A voice from behind made Nu turn around. A purple-haired girl dressed in regalia hovered toward Nu, who set to scanning. "Scanning target… target identified as… me."
"Your loyalty has faltered, Thirteen." Saya came to a stop, hand extended. "I am Death incarnate; you, my sword. Come. I shall lay waste to your soul, so you may once more enter my thrall. My world of Death draws nigh, and you shall play a key role."
A/N: Alright. Just as planned just shy of a year ago, I've written everything for the next few chapters (up to chapter 33) for the sake of keeping everything nice and not plot-holey. I'll be posting a chapter per week until I've run through all this material (unless something happens, of course), plus an extra something afterwards. So, uh, see you next week!
