Chapter 23

Orient Town

"Uh, Weiss? Are we sure we should have left Noel with Tsubaki?" Asked Ruby.

"They're friends, Noel insisted, and it's none of our business."

"I know, but, did you, uh, sense something off about Tsubaki?"

"Her friend is now a fugitive. I'm sure she's conflicted."

"I guess... It's just that... I have a bad feeling about this... about her... she had like... those crazy eyes..." Said Ruby, looking back.

"Don't psycho analysis people."

But Weiss agreed, Tsubaki have this intense look. Something just didn't sit right with her.

"Ruby-"

Weiss turned and called out to Ruby, but she was already gone.

"Are you kidding me!"

Kagutsuchi Park

Noel walked through the park, while Tsubaki followed behind.

"We were finally able to see each other after all these years, but we were just so busy we didn't have time to talk. Hey, do you remember-"

"Noel, come back with me." Tsubaki said suddenly. "You know I hate this, hate using my privilege, but as the heir to the Yayoi, I have influence, and I will do anything to help you and Jin!"

"I can't." Said Noel. "Something big is happening here, and I think... I'm involved..."

"You mean the earthquake? The ships crush?" Tsubaki narrowed her eyes. "Or Ragna the Bloodedge."

"Tsubaki?"

That surprised Noel, for all the years they'd been friends, she'd never seen that look on her before.

"Him again." Said Tsubaki with disgust. "You helped him, didn't you?"

"No… I mean, I did save him, but-"

"You're being tricked. Noel, he's a terrorist!"

"No, I know what the report said, but-"

"Enough!" Said Tsubaki, enraged. "Lieutenant Noel Vermilion! This is a direct order from your superior! Surrender yourself, Now."

"Tsubaki, please! I just need a little more time!"

"I see."

"Tsubaki!" Said Noel happily, thinking she'd finally get through to her friend.

"I offer mercy, and this is what I get." Tsubaki said coldly before transforming into her combat form.

"Tsubaki?"

Tsubaki pointed her sword at her, challenging her, and then, she strikes! Noel immediately blocked with her guns!

"Tsubaki, why!"

Noel was shocked beyond belief! Her best friend just attacked her!

"Is it not true you aided Ragna the Bloodadge?" Tsubaki asked, locking weapons with Noel, looking directly into her eyes.

"What, that's…"

"In my right hand, the sword of judgment, and in my left, the scales of justice! I serve the wings that govern the heavens! I am their word and their sword made flesh! Noel, if you must die, then let it be by my hand!"

And Tsubaki pulled back her sword, and thrust! Noel was so shocked that she didn't even react, but-

Whoosh!

She missed, Noel had disappeared, leaving behind rose petals…

'What?'

And then Tsubaki sensed something, and immediately jumped back! Just in time to dodge an ice sword!

'Jin? No, it's different.'

"Why are you attacking her?!" Asked Weiss, landing in front of Tsubaki.

Tsubaki looked at Weiss, then turned her eyes to her left, and saw Ruby with Noel.

"Ruby?" Said Noel. "What are you doing here?"

"I had a bad feeling. Are you okay? What happened?"

"It's clear what happened. Her "friend" just tried to kill her!" Said Weiss, and then her eyes drifted over to Ruby. "And you! we're going to have a talk later!"

'Another Schnee! Why!' Thought Tsubaki.

"This is Librarium business. Do not interfere, Schnee."

"Well, I'm making it my business, heiress!" Weiss barked back.

"Go home, little girl, before you get hurt."

"Little girl!" Now Weiss was really pissed. "Forget that! I'll interfere all I want!"

"It's three on one! You really think you can win against us?" Said Ruby. "How about you go home!"

"Two trainees? You might as well be a negative!"

"We'll see about that, Duodecim! En garde! Ruby!"

"Right!" Said Ruby. "Cross Raid!"

"No wait!" Said Noel.

Using her Glyphs, Weiss changed at Tsubaki from the front, while Ruby changed from the left, but suddenly, everything went black!

"What!" Weiss immediately stopped, looking around in panic. "What is this?"

"I can't see! What's happening? Weiss?! Noel?!"

'Ruby too?' Thought Weiss.

"It might be her Drive, or Ars or whatever! Don't panic." Said Weiss, trying to calm Ruby and herself down.

"It's… No, It's Izayoi? Tsubaki!" Realized Noel.

Tsubaki walked towards Noel, still thinking of just capturing her, turned her sword into its whip form, and swung at Noel, but this time, Noel immediately entered her combat stance, and dodged the attack automatically, which surprised Noel more than even Tsubaki.

"What?"

'Noel! She just dodged an attack even when she couldn't see! Noel, And her Nox, and her Drive, and her highest Ars aptitude!'

Overdrive! Second Install!

Tsubaki's Overdrive, allowed her to absorb light automatically, for ten seconds.

'And now-'

CONFUTATIS MALEDICTIS!

Tsubaki changed her sword into a staff, jumped into the air, with her book floating in front of her, and fired all of her installed light energy into the book, the book absorbed the energy and fired multiple fast light projectiles at Noel, and a slower one, Noel pointed her guns up, and with unbelievable accuracy, shot down all of the first waves of projectiles, but Tsubaki predicted this, changing her book into her wings, and ran into the slower projectile, absorbing it into her and charged at Noel at full speed! But, just before Tsubaki collided with Noel, Noel jumped at the perfect time, forcing Tsubaki to change form and land, Noel then fired multiple shots at the recovered Tsubaki, who barely blocked in time with her book.

'Her combat ability has increased! No, is her Drive's power that has increased!'

Tsubaki's book opened, and pages flew out and attacked Noel, but Noel evaded and danced behind Tsubaki, and shoulder crushed her in the back! Sending her flying and slamming into a lamppost and then onto the ground, and at the same time, Izayoi's barrier disappeared.

"Weiss! I can see again!" Said Ruby, relieved.

It was then that Noel regained consciousness, and saw the defeated Tsubaki.

"Tsubaki! Did I… Tsubaki! I'm sor-"

"Why you?" Said Tsubaki.

"Huh?"

"Why! I worked so hard, to be with him, and you stole him from me!"

"What?" Asked a confused Noel.

"Just because you have a higher Ars aptitude! And a NOX!"

"Uh… it sounds like someone just-" Before Weiss could finish, Ruby stopped her.

'Somethings wrong, Tsubaki isn't herself!' Thought Noel.

"But, then again, I always knew I could never defeat you."

"What? But Tsubak, why would you even think-"

"It's fine, Noel. I'm fine." Tsubaki smiled. "It's strange, for some reason, I'm... calmer now."

Else Where

"Alright, the Izayoi barrier's down, now, let's see the bodies count." Hazama said, opening his eyes with anticipation, but only to find... that all of them were still alive.

"What? Not one!? She got an immortal slaying weapon and not one of these bitches is dead!" Hazama was enraged. "She's more useless than I thought! Phantom! Take me to her!"

Phantom's cape swallowed Hazama, and in a flash, Hazama appeared before Noel and Tsubaki.

"What! Who are you? Where did you come from!" Weiss, surprised.

"Captain Hazama?" Said Tsubaki.

"Well, trash will be trash. All that blood purity bullshit really did you bad, huh? Anyway, thanks for nothing. If you want something done right, well, you know. Now, Lieutenant, please vacate the premises."

Noel and Tsubaki were stunned, and both Weiss and Ruby were pissed off, and Weiss didn't even like Tsubaki.

"Hi, you-"

"Shut up, bitch. And go back to the kitchen." Said Hazama, who didn't even look in Weiss' direction.

"OHHH!" Said Ruby.

That just blew Weiss' gasket. "That's it, I don't care if you are a captain or whatever, I'm gonna-"

Two green chains, came out of nowhere, at blinking speed, one struck Weiss in the abdomen, sending her flying back, and the other then chained her down!

"Weiss!" Said Ruby, and immediately pointed her gun at Hazama, but he just pulled Weiss in front of him.

"I wouldn't do that if I were you. Wouldn't want your friend to get hurt." Said Hazama, as his snake like chain head opened its mouth near Weiss' neck. "Or maybe you do. She is quite the annoying brat."

"She's my annoying brat!" Said Ruby, defending Weiss.

Bam, bam!

Noel fired two shots at Hazama, and the bullets bypassed Weiss, and hit Hazama directly!

'More!' Thought Noel, as she kept shooting at him.

"Fine, you want her? Caught!" Hazama kicked Weiss right into the sky, and at the same time, sent a chain after Noel! Ruby immediately used her Semblance and turned into rose petals and flew after her, she caught Weiss in mid air, and landed safely on the ground. Hazama threw another chain at Ruby, which she shot down, but the chain stopped in mid air, and pulled Hazama towards them! Ruby immediately turned her weapon into a scythe, and swung at him, but Hazama ducked under the scythe, and cut Ruby in the leg with his knife!

"Ugh!" Ruby resisted her instinct to run, and kept fighting back. 'Who is this? His Aura, is so uncomfortable.'

It was odd. While the guy was a creep, there was still… something even more wrong about him, that triggered more of Ruby's flight than her fight instinct. Ruby kept swinging her weapon at him, but Hazama kept dodging them with ease, his body, bending backward, spinning, like a cobra.

'It's like he doesn't have a backbone, in a bad for me way.' Thought Ruby.

"Can't run because of your little friend? Then died together!"

Hazama sent two chains at both Ruby and Weiss, binding them, and then slammed them together! Noel moved in to help, but Tsubaki stood in front of her.

"Tsubaki-"

"Noel!" Said Tsubaki. "He's after you, Get Away!"

"But-"

"I'll save them. You go help them once Hazam is distracted. When you get them, escape! I'll join you once you're clear!"

Without waiting for a response, Tsubaki formed wings on her back, and flew towards Hazama at full speed! Hazama was forced to let Ruby and Weiss go, and blocked Tsubaki's charging sword! But the forward momentum was too strong, and pushed Hazama back! Seeing her chance, Noel immediately ran towards Ruby and Weiss, and lifted them over her shoulders.

"Ruby! Weiss! Are you alright?" Asked Noel, with both girls' heads behind her back.

"Noel?" Said Ruby. "I feel so weak... That man... did something to us..."

"It's okay! I got you! I'm bringing you to safety!"

"What about your friend?"

"Tsubaki's alright. She graduated at the top of her class! She'll join us later."

'Please Tsubaki, please really be fine.'

Back to Tsubaki

"Really? Just a moment ago you were trying to stick that little sword of yours into their gut, and now you try to, what, be some kind of hero?"

"I will not let you hurt them!"

And he laughed.

"If I were you, I would worry more about myself."

And then, everything turned dark.

Tsubaki lifted her hand to her eyes. "No… not now…"

"Yes now."

Tsubaki slashes in the direction of the sound, and hits nothing.

"Nothing here…" Monked Hazama.

Tsubaki attacked again, but still nothing.

"If only you could see how pathetic you are right now- Oops! Too late! Ahahahaha!"

Tsubaki turned her sword into this whip form, and slashed at Hazama, but again, all she felt was air.

"Whoa, that was close. JK!"

Tsubaki spun her bladed whip around her, and then attacked in every direction like crazy! How? Tsubaki thought, his voice was so close to her!

"Just so you know, I never really expected, or wanted you to kill Vermilion. I mean, if I really wanted her dead, I could've just used a big rock! Which is more useful than you! But come on, you could at least get yourself killed! But you couldn't even do that right!"

Tsubaki ran towards the voice, and something caught her feet, and she tripped onto the ground, and despair gripped her.

"Ahahaha!" Hazama Laughing like a madman.

'This is it. My punishment for betraying my friends. I wish I could see them one more time, to say I'm sorry. Now I have nothing, and I will die, alone, and in darkness. What did I even unseal Izayoi for? What did I even fight for? Sacrificing my sight for? For Justice? Or was it just blind loyalty?'

"Doubt ill suits you, Tsubaki Yayoi."

A female voice?

"What!? Who's there?"

"Doubt not your justice or loyalty, Tsubaki Yayoi, for when you fight for me, you fight for both."

And then, suddenly, in the pitch black darkness, a light shone before her, and in the shadow of the light, stood a person, who shone like the sun.

"What? You…"

"Fall not into darkness, for I shall be your light."

And behind Tsubaki, stood the purple Phantom.

To be continued