Full disclosure, this is the first chapter I've posted without extended editing. So if anyone sees any errors, feel free to point them out to me. As always, I hope you enjoy.

I do not own BlazBlue.


It was always a rather peculiar statue to her.

A massive, demon like, winged beast perched with a scythe in hand didn't exactly make for a pleasant atmosphere—anyone could see that. When you also considered how the general populace had previously viewed the NOL it was an especially odd choice to display such an image in the very center of the Hanging Gardens. Perhaps it was meant to only stand in opposition to the statues of Valkyrie and other winged knights that called the gardens their home. Even so, if that truly were the case, she thought they should change the demonic figure in some capacity. As it was now it almost looked majestic in its own unique way. That was the case in her eyes at any rate.

Rachel adjusted herself in her spot on the bench and let a weary sigh pass her lips as these more mundane thoughts crossed her mind. She had hoped the upper levels would shed more light on her revelations from the morning, yet no matter how many times she scanned the areas, her mind was utterly blank. After sneaking into the main cathedral and going as far as to look around the remains of the city's Cauldron, her search still availed her nothing. To think she had actually paced the outer rim of the Cauldron for nearly an hour doing nothing more than attempting to visualize the battle that would've taken place between that man and Hakumen… Rachel couldn't deny she had never done anything so ridiculous, and despite the fact that no one saw her, she felt incredibly embarrassed for doing so. When her repeated efforts were met with nothing but dead ends and headaches, she could only see herself as dreadfully foolish.

Despite the supposed breakthrough earlier that very day, Rachel once again had to ask herself if she was doing nothing more than chasing ghosts.

"Madame Rachel?" A calm voice abruptly spoke up.

The vampire visibly jumped in her seat when she was snapped out of her thoughts by her servant delicately placing his hand on her shoulder.

"Valkenhayn? When did you… How long have you been here?"

"...Milady," Valkenhayn began carefully with concern evident in his voice. "I had only arrived but a mere moment ago. I addressed you as soon as I appeared, but I must have been too quiet seeing as you did not seem to hear me. My sincerest apologies, Madame, due to my own carelessness I must have startled—"

"Never mind that, Valkenhayn." Rachel spoke bluntly. She had momentarily faltered, but after taking a second to compose herself, she rose to her feet with her indifferent mask in place as usual. Though Rachel appreciated the lengths Valkenhayn was willing to go to so he could defend her sanity, the last thing she wanted was to bring any attention to it at all. "I trust you have come to me with something important? Have you made some headway in your search, perhaps?"

"Alas, I regret to admit I have yet to track down the weapon you require. I will accept whatever form of punishment you deem fit for this blunder before I resume my duties, Milady." Valkenhayn spoke as he bowed accordingly.

"Think nothing of it and raise your head, Valkenhayn. If it is not about the sword, then what is it?"

"Well, if I am being perfectly forthright, I do not believe it is good news in the slightest. If anything, I found this development rather perplexing." Valkenhayn stroked his chin, clearly puzzled.

"Is that so? Do tell."

"I was out combing one of the Hierarchical Cities when I heard the telephone at the castle ringing. I do not know how he got the number, nor what he wants, but it was that Mutsuki boy insisting he speak with you. I told him to wait until I spoke with you directly."

"…Kagura?" Rachel felt herself daring to hope again, despite her pessimism from a moment ago.

"Indeed," Valkenhayn continued without catching the minor shift in Rachel's tone. "Though I must say, I know not how he managed to acquire the number for the Alucard Manor's telephone. If you deem such an action fitting, I will gladly pay the boy a visit and remind him of his inferior station, Madame Rachel."

It then occurred to Rachel that she had completely neglected to inform Valkenhayn that she recruited Kagura in her effort to track down the sword. Contrary to what the butler believed, this was actually a rather exciting call for Rachel to receive.

So long as Kagura wasn't wasting her time with any of his usual antics at least.

"No such thing will be required of you, Valkenhayn. Forgive me, but it entirely slipped my mind to make you aware that I had asked Kagura to assist in my search. I had given him the manor's number myself so he could contact me should he make any progress."

"Please, save your apologies, Madame." Valkenhayn said with another bow. "It was presumptuous of me to assume that lad could ever acquire the manor's phone number without your full awareness and permission. Would you like to take the call now, or would you rather I jot down a message?"

"Neither. Return to the castle and end the call. I will leave for Kagura's office in a moment. That will be all, Valkenhayn."

"At once, Milady." And with a final bow, Valkenhayn disappeared from Rachel's sight.

Alone again, the vampire took a moment to chastise herself. This now marked the second day in a row where Valkenhayn had accidentally snuck up on her, and such a fact did not sit well with her at all. This behavior was beginning to become so frequent that even Kagura saw through her during their last conversation. The Black Knight was definitely considered insightful by most, that much was certain, but it still irked Rachel that he managed to read her so easily. She would be sure to steel herself this time around.

Rachel took one last look at the NOL Branch looming over the Hanging Gardens. While it was wholly possible that today's events thus far have been nothing more than her own traitorous mind playing tricks on her, she did want to believe the events that transpired today were a sign she was moving in the right direction. Still, it seemed that Kagutsuchi had given her all the help it wanted to for the day. Now she could only hope she wasn't the only one who made some form of progress this day.


"Hello? Hello…?" Kagura starred at his phone before hanging it up, grumbling to himself. "Bastard hung up on me…"

"Kagura."

"Hm—Jeez!" Kagura flinched back after getting startled once again.

Rachel had to admit, she very much preferred to be the one doing the startling and not the other way around.

"Cease your fooling around and be out with it." Rachel said. "I trust you wouldn't summon me without something worthwhile to show for it. However, if that is not the case then rest assured Valkenhayn would be quite pleased to hear you had wasted my precious time."

Strolling around his desk, Kagura said, "Hey, have some faith, Miss Rachel, I told you I would handle it and I did. I'll have you know I have never been one to disappoint a lady. You wanted results, and I got 'em. Well, uh, sort of…"

"Sort of?" Rachel's gaze narrowed. "That is not what I wanted to hear, Kagura."

"It's cool, it's cool, really! It's just that…we got a good news, bad news situation going on here. Which do you want first?"

"Whichever ends this quicker, you dolt. I've already told you more than once I have no interest in playing your silly games." Rachel spat.

"Of course, so the good news is someone carrying the sword matching the picture you gave me showed up at a station here in Yabiko."

It took all of Rachel's self-control to keep her from shrieking in joy. Whether or not it was the owner of the sword himself, simply having that sword back in her rightful possession would do wonders for her disposition. Though it was not like she had been the picture of mental health these past few months, having that sword stolen had left her particularly on edge and she was ready to be rid of such a dreadful feeling. Still, her more sensible side had to remind her that Kagura had bad news to share as well.

"The bad news then?"

"We lost the guy." Kagura visibly cringed.

"…I beg your pardon?"

"Right, so here's what happened," Kagura began as he leaned against his desk. "This morning a guy appeared in one of our newer, makeshift stations we set up for the Ikaruga Restoration Program. If I had to guess, the guy just hopped the train. Anyway, he was approached by some NOL operatives we had on guard but instead of going along with them, the guy picked a fight."

"He fought back?" Rachel repeated. That could be evidence that it was nothing more than a common bandit who pilfered the sword. Being approached by NOL soldiers after taking something that did not belong to you would be enough to make anyone panic.

"Rachel, that isn't all. This guy, he actually won. There were seven senior officers posted at that station and he trashed them all—hard."

That caught Rachel's attention. It was not as though the bulk of NOL officers were as strong as the average citizen would believe, but based on Kagura's grim reaction to things, whoever this man is he overpowered above average soldiers by a wide margin. Though it occurred to Rachel such a task would be simple…

For a man capable of fighting on par with Hakumen anyway.

"You say these soldiers were all skilled?" Rachel questioned.

"It's not like they were all Praetorian Guards or anything, but they were all perfectly capable of handling themselves. I mean, Mai was there and even she was out cold when back up made it to the scene."

"Oh, even Mai, you say?" Rachel blinked. "You say that as if it would carry any weight with myself. I don't know who that is."

"Huh? What do you mean? You know, Mai! She was friends with Noel and all them? She—"

"Kagura, if I may be frank, her identity does not sound in the least bit relevant."

"Oh…okay then, just take my word that she is better than most when it comes to fighting. The point I'm trying to make is whoever has that sword of yours is no push over." Kagura pushed himself to his feet and stepped closer to Rachel. "And it's because of that I need to ask if there is anything else I should know about this guy. If he is this tough, I can't just go sending my men after haphazardly, you know?"

"If I actually knew the identity of the man who robbed me, do you really think I would be going to such lengths to track him down?" Rachel scoffed.

"Alright, fair enough." Kagura sighed. "Still, I will have to break out some bigger guns if we are gonna bring this guy in for you. You mind?"

"No, not at all. So long as the man is breathing, and the sword is returned to me I will have nothing to complain about." Besides, if it truly was the owner himself and not a thief, a higher caliber of soldier was clearly going to be required.

"Nice, and I think I know just who to call on this one." Kagura grinned.

"Excellent." So long as Kagura wasn't simply trying to brag, having competent soldiers on the hunt would certainly help. So called senior officers or not, these posted guards clearly were not up to the task. Though it occurred to Rachel that they did at least see the perpetrator. "Kagura, there is something else that I must know."

"Sure, what is—"

"Lord Kagura," Hibiki said, announcing his presence as he entered the office. "I noticed you 'forgot' some of your paperwork in the kitchen again so I thought I would return it to your office my…self…?"

Hibiki's usual quick pace was ground to an immediate halt upon noticing the surprise guest. Hibiki wasn't the only one caught off guard either, for in that moment Kagura remembered that Rachel made it clear she wanted to keep things discreet. As soon as this realization sank it, he dashed forward to hide Rachel behind himself despite how needless an action it was at that point.

"H-Hey, Hibiki! Got, uh, paperwork, do you?"

"Miss Rachel? Is that really you?" Hibiki questioned as he peered around his boss.

"This isn't what it looks like, I swear! I can actually mean it this time too! I wasn't doing anything!"

The surprise was quick to wear off for Hibiki, and he crossed the room with a sigh. "I believe you, Lord Kagura. Honestly, I couldn't imagine Miss Rachel sinking so low."

Rachel's sentiments exactly. That Kagura would ever dare to so much as imply such a thing even in jest nearly made her strike him down on the spot. Lucky for the Black Knight that his assistant could act as a voice of reason.

"Well said, Hibiki." Rachel complimented.

"Think nothing of it, Miss Rachel." Hibiki said as he set the documents down on Kagura's desk. "I know a woman of class when I see one. Believe me, I have seen enough to the contrary."

"My, you certainly are a sharp one. Your talents are truly wasted on this buffoon here."

"Alright guys, give it a rest, now you're just being mean. Not to mention getting along too well…" Kagura chimed in to put an end to his roast.

"Save your whining, Kagura, the adults are speaking." Rachel waved Kagura off before returning her attention to Hibiki. "Though the conversation has been the most pleasant one I've had since returning to this questionable office, I'll have you know that I was never here. Do you understand?"

"Of course, but may I ask if the figment of my imagination would like some tea?" Hibiki now made a point to avoid eye contact with Rachel as he crossed the room.

"No, thank you." Rachel replied.

"Then I'll be making my leave, Lord Kagura. I hope when I return I see you've made progress." Hibiki said nothing more as the door clicked shut behind him.

"He is too good for you, you know." Rachel told Kagura once they were alone. The boy really was astounding at his job. Rachel would even dare say in time he would be on Valkenhayn's level.

"Yeah, yeah, I hear that enough as it is…" Kagura muttered. "Oh, before Hibiki showed up you said you had a question for me?"

"Yes, that's right. Before we were interrupted I was going to ask if you managed to gain any information on the one carrying the sword. Your men saw him, after all." She wasn't going to say it, but she was also curious if Kagura learned anything that could confirm the information she gleaned from her dream more than anything.

"Yeah, about that…" Kagura scratched the back of his head. "No one had much to say. Any that were able to stay conscious long enough to talk were too shaken up to give us a description. This guy was seriously something else, apparently."

"I see…" Rachel muttered. It would seem the brave men and women of the NOL were just as useless as they had ever been. "Was there at least any footage captured on surveillance?"

"Uh, sorry, but no. I told you that building is new. If I'm being honest, it was thrown together kinda quick to get things going on Ibukido as soon as possible, so we didn't get cameras or anything like that set up yet. That's why we had so many high-ranking officers on site too."

"If that is the case then we are done for now." Rachel took a few steps away from Kagura and glanced out the window and observed the cityscape before her. The odds that the sword was still in Yabiko were rather high, Rachel thought, and that meant if she acted quick she just might be able to find it herself. "Keep in mind that you will inform me if you make any progress, but for nothing else."

"I hear you loud and clear. I'll call you as soon as I hear anything. When those soldiers are cleared by the medic I plan to go question them myself too."

"Be sure to get any information you can out of them. I will deem whether it is of importance or not." Rachel placed her palm on the window. "I am going to search the city myself, but before I depart there is one last thing I can tell you. In regards to your question earlier…I cannot say anything for certain, but there is a chance the man with the sword has white hair."

"White hair…?" Kagura echoed curiously. "This an older guy?"

"That is all I have for now. Good day, Kagura." With nothing more to say, Rachel disappeared from Kagura's office and threw herself into the heart of Yabiko. The city was massive and the owner of the sword could be anywhere. The thought alone made the ache in her head return with such strength she would almost consider returning to the castle. She would, if her health was even a remote concern at this point.

Her rest would come, but only when she had her answers.


"Goddamn it!"

Ragna's foot collided with a trashcan near him and sent it ricocheting down the alleyway he was currently loitering in. The sun was beginning to set in Yabiko and he was becoming more than a little fed up with how the day had gone. No matter how many streets he ran up and down, no matter how many people he asked, he just couldn't find so much as a trace of the damn Red Devil. Who would have ever thought it would be so hard to find a giant, metal man? Ragna couldn't help but notice how the tables had turned when he compared things to the old days. Seemed like back then he couldn't walk five feet without Tager's big, red ass crashing down from the sky.

It would be funny if it weren't so annoying.

Slumping against the wall of the alley, Ragna had to consider his options. With the sun going down, there was no telling if Tager and Bullet were going to be on the move. There was a chance they wrapped up whatever business they had and were already on their way out of town, and if that really were the case…well, the only thing Ragna could really do is double back toward Bang and try again. The thought of backing down in any regard made him itch.

"What the hell are you even doing, rabbit?" Ragna asked the sky. "I swear to god, if I find out you've been keeping yourself busy with…stamp collecting or some dumb shit I'm gonna smash all your teacups."

Now that was a question that had crossed his mind more than once.

What the hell was keeping Rachel?

It's not like he could pretend he knew her backward and forward like she did him, but he knew her well enough to know she didn't care for much. As long as she wasn't planning or fighting, she was all about tea time. She never even paled around with anyone outside of him. The thought of Rachel being all buddy-buddy with anyone seemed far-fetched to say the least. Still, it would be nice if she found someone to connect to—he would hate for her to have end up totally alone without him, save Valkenhayn. He was pretty curious what that person would be like too. Ragna had no idea what she would look for if she ever wanted to make some girlfriends or maybe a…guy friend.

Either way was fine, of course. He was totally cool with anyone Rachel wanted to associate with. He didn't mind either way. Nope, not one bit. He was just curious and nothing else.

Not like he would go and threaten someone's life or anything. Certainly wouldn't punch any throats, that's for sure.

"Aw hell... If I don't find a way to get to her soon I might blow a freakin' gasket." Ragna groaned, roughly palming his tired eyes with his right hand. Feeling something lightly brush his cheek, Ragna pulled his hand away and looked at Rachel's ribbon still tied to his wrist. He closed his eyes and rested his forehead against his closed fists. He had to be better than this—Rachel made him better than this. It wasn't much, but the ribbon was enough to remind him of that. Unfortunately, it reminded him of more than just that. Looking at it couldn't help but remind him of where he found it.

On a hill, tied to his sword, next to a grave.

It was probably just meant for him—a little memento, and nothing else. Still, something about the image was eerie to him. The possibility of what else it could've meant was something he couldn't quite shake. He would have to put it out of his mind for now, he told himself. He needed to focus at the task at hand and time was running out.

Suddenly, a reaction.

Ragna's eyes shot open as he jumped back to his feet. His heightened senses caught on to something familiar—faint, but definitely familiar. It was an Idea Engine, and seeing that only he and one other person currently had one…

The retired Grim Reaper was off and running in the blink of an eye.

Tearing a path through the cityscape, Ragna charged forward blindly letting only the pull of the Idea Engine guide him. The winding downtown district of Yabiko was normally a challenge to navigate, but given how close he was to the thing he wanted more than anything else, Ragna was prepared to bulldoze the entire damn city to the ground with his bare hands. So lost in his trance, Ragna nearly charged right through a safety railing overlooking some lower levels. Screeching to a halt, he managed to slow himself just enough to crash into the metal rail without destroying it. He could feel how close he was, but he couldn't see a trance of Tager anywhere around him. It was like he was right on top of them!

A thought occurred to Ragna, and he took a look down.

A few stories below his level, there he was lumbering along with Bullet at his side. Ragna found the Red Devil of Sector Seven.

"Hey, Tager! Heads up!" Without thinking twice, Ragna dove over the railing.

"Captain, did you hear that?" Bullet asked looking every which way, but up.

"I did. It sounded like someone calling my na—MY GOD!"

"Look out below!"

Kicking up a huge cloud of dust and debris, Ragna slammed into the ground with enough force to kill anyone else, but luckily for him he was made out of sturdier stuff.

"What the hell was that, some crazy suicide jumper?!" Bullet yelled, shielding her eyes from the smoke. "No way anyone is surviving that!"

Yet as the smoke cleared, there Ragna stood defying all logic, dusting himself off as if he took some meager tumble.

"Man, you guys have no idea how long I've been looking for you." Ragna began, nonchalantly as he stepped out of the dent he made in the ground.

"Hold it right there." Tager commanded.

"Why? Something wrong?" Ragna asked, but did not slow down.

"You heard the man!" Bullet hopped up, brandishing her Armagus. "Stop right there, or I shoot! And get those hands in the air!"

"Jeez, alright already! Take it easy will ya?" Ragna muttered but did as he was told, steadily raising his hands. He had to remind himself he did need their help after all. Probably in his best interest not to freak them out more then he apparently had.

"Let's go pal: name, rank and serial number!"

"…What!?"

Though it might have already been too late in Bullet's case.

"Relax, soldier." Tager instructed as he stepped ahead of Bullet to face Ragna directly. "You'll have to forgive her, after all, it isn't like someone so easily drops down from the sky on us like you just did. What she means is state your name and purpose."

"Right… So, to make it easy on you guys, my name is Ragna and I just wanna talk to Kokonoe." Ragna replied evenly, but the two were visibly taken aback when they spoke the name of their superior officer so casually.

"You want to speak with… You know Kokonoe?" Tager questioned.

"You bet! Well, uh, sort of anyway. Look, it's kinda complicated so I'm just gonna need you to take my word on it, okay?"

"Captain..." Bullet spoke up, stepping around Tager to size up Ragna. "Does the Professor really know this guy? I'm still kinda new, so I'm not up to speed on her contacts."

"No. In all my time working under Kokonoe, I've never seen this man. She has never mentioned the name 'Ragna' to me either." Tager said.

Bullet whipped around on Ragna, eyes sharper than ever. "Your story is falling apart awfully fast."

Shit, Ragna cursed to himself. In retrospect, he really should've put more thought into what he was going to say when he got to this point. The Red Devil was always a stickler, especially when his boss was involved. He was finding himself quickly backed into a corner and he wasn't the best at thinking on his feet when it didn't involve a swift sucker punch. He had to keep himself from acting on that instinct as well considering her already had his arms in the air ready to go.

"Aw, come on! I just need to talk to her for a second! Uh, please?" Ragna practically begged, going as far as to use the magic word.

"Give it up—you're suspicious, you know that? In fact, I have a question of my own…" Bullet abruptly took her stance and raised her Armagus once more. "Why don't you tell us exactly how you even found us in the first place!?"

"Oh, that? Easy—your boyfriend told me." Ragna shrugged.

It became so quiet on that solitary road that one could hear a pin drop—Bullet suddenly bared a striking resemblance to a statue, completely unmoving. The bizarre turn of events left Ragna shifting his gaze between Bullet and Tager, waiting for some kind of cue to speak again. He only ever met Bullet a couple of times, but even he could tell her demeanor was off.

"Huh…?" Ragna hummed aloud. A split second ago, Bullet was the picture of pure focus, but now she couldn't be further from it. The former mercenary stood there shaking in her boots, and the shock in her eyes made it look like she had just seen a ghost. "Hey, um, are you—"

"B-B-B-Boyfriend?!" Bullet stuttered out of the blue. "What makes you think I have a boyfriend!? I don't have a boyfriend! Who told you I have a boyfriend?! Because I don't! They were lying! Lying! I-I mean, what even is a boyfriend?!"

"What do you mean who? Bang told me himself. He wouldn't stop bragging about you, actually."

"He…what…?" Bullet spoke so quietly she could barely be heard.

"Uh, bragged about you? Kept saying junk about how determined and beautiful he thinks you are or whatever. Why? What difference does it make?"

Bullet didn't reply with words, to be exact. Her reply was when her scarred face plus ears turned a deep shade of red and her arms dropped like wet noodles before what could only be described as an "eep" passed her lips and she bolted back behind Tager. Ragna and Tager stood there awkwardly starring at each other while Bullet repeatedly cursed Bang under her breath.

"So…you spoke with Bang, then?" Tager questioned, pushing his glasses into place.

"Y-Yeah… He told me you both were on assignment here." Ragna was almost impressed how easily Tager was able to get over Bullet's weirdness. Though, all things considered, he was probably used to it at this point.

"And I take it you want me to believe he just freely informed you of our location, I assume?"

"The hell are you getting at?" Ragna certainly didn't miss the accusing edge in Tager's voice.

"What!?" And neither did Bullet, as was evident by her dashing out from behind Tager with the fire reignited in her eyes. "Did you do something to Bang!? I swear, if there is a single hair on his head out of place the next time I see him, I will track you down and snap you in half you son of a—"

"Soldier, stand down! Get back and cool off, and that's an order!" Tager barked out.

"Ah! Yes, sir! Sorry, sir!" Hearing it as an official command seemed to be enough to snap Bullet out of her love induced rage and shift her back to her usual self. She was quick to step to the side and let her Captain handle things.

"Anyway…" Tager cleared his throat. "Look at things from my point of view, will you? You literally drop down from the sky on us, claim to know my reclusive employer, and that tracking us down was all thanks to the…associate of my subordinate here. You can understand my skepticism."

Ragna grit his teeth, his already typically low patience dwindling down to virtually nothing. He did understand Tager's side of things, he really did, but he also just so happened to be getting to a point where he didn't exactly care. Plus, his arms were really getting tired.

"Look, I get that you think I'm suspicious, fine, but you at least need to believe me when I tell you I didn't do anything to Bang. The guy just offered to help after I explained my situation, that's all."

"And what exactly is your situation?" Bullet questioned while making herself known again.

"Feel better, soldier?" Tager asked.

"Sir, yes, sir! I apologize for my outburst, sir."

"You sure you're okay? Bang would be super worried if he heard something was wrong." Ragna grinned, unable to help himself from getting at least one shot in. He had to get some kind of payback for the run around they were putting him through.

"S-Shut up!" Bullet stuttered, the comment immediately making her turn red again.

"Enough!" Tager interrupted. "Out with your situation already before I forget even considering helping you."

"Yeah, yeah… So, I won't bore you with the details, but basically there is this friend of mine that I got separated from and I need help getting back to her. My friend is an, um, acquaintance of Kokonoe's, which means your boss is my best chance of reaching my friend. Understand? The only thing I need from Kokonoe is for her to patch me through to someone else."

"You're looking for your friend? Well, that would explain how you got Bang on your side…" Bullet muttered to herself before turning to Tager. "What do you think, Captain?"

"Hmm…"

Ragna could never claim that he was able to read Tager all that well, but the Red Devil's poker face seemed to be in rare form today. Ragna honestly couldn't tell if the cyborg was considering helping, or was thinking it would be best to throw a punch. He could easily deal with a fight, that much he knew for sure, but if had to beat the two down then he could consider this route to Rachel closed for good.

Ragna held his breath—he could be moments away from being reunited with Rachel.

"Sorry," Tager shook his head. "I still can't determine for sure whether you can be trusted or not, but that aside, we are currently on assignment. At most, I can offer to look into the matter after our mission is complete, but nothing more."

Not good enough…

Not good enough!

The phrase rang through Ragna's mind again and again, increasing in intensity each time. He couldn't help himself—patience had never been his strong suit. He just didn't understand what was so hard about picking up a damn phone and telling that pain in the ass cat to call Rachel. Tager and Bullet should both thank their lucky stars that Ragna at least kept enough self-control to not make them help him. Were it the old days, Ragna might've just picked up Bullet and used her to beat Tager into submission.

Ragna lowered his arms and slowly clenched his fits.

"Screw this…" Ragna spoke in a low tone. The shift in tone was all the tip off Tager and Bullet needed to brace themselves. They both shifted their feet and assumed fighting stances as Ragna raised his hands…and cupped his hands around his mouth. "KOKONOE!"

"Huh?!" Tager flinched back along with Bullet at Ragna's sudden outburst.

"Hey, Kokonoe! You bitch, I know you were listening in this whole time so stop ignoring me and get on the damn phone!" Ragna figured if Tager wasn't going to help him, fine, he could just go over the cyborg's head.

"H-Hey, knock that off! I told you we can't help you!" Tager attempted to calm Ragna down. The last thing he needed was Kokonoe chewing him out over some stranger yelling insults at her.

"Kokonoe, c'mon! It's about Rachel! Rachel Alucard! I need to talk to her!"

"That does it!" Bullet stepped up once more, aiming her Armagus directly at Ragna's head. "You got your warning, and you won't be getting another one! I'm gonna take you down my—"

Bullet's threat was cut short by the beeping of Tager's phone. Practically music to Ragna's ears.

"Oh, you have got to be kidding me…" Tager groaned.

"Well?" Ragna grinned. "You gonna answer that or what?"

Tager mumbled to himself but picked up his phone all the same.

"Tager here… Yes, that's right. Yes, but are you—but Kokonoe I was just… Yes. Yes, I understand." After apparently completing his conversation, Tager held his phone out to Ragna. "She will speak with you."

Ragna was more than a bit smug when he sauntered forward and swiped the device from Tager's metal hand. If nothing else, he could be glad the giant still knew how to fall in line when told.

"Hey, Koko—"

"Alright, first thing you are going to do is shut up." Yup, there was no mistaking Kokonoe's usual charm. "Now, I have no idea who the hell you are or how you even know about me, but I'll set that aside for the moment. You're lucky I'm curious about just who you exactly are. I'll be honest, I didn't think that snob had any friends."

"Yeah, I'm sure you know the feeling." Ragna grumbled.

"Still, I'm busy, so tell me what your deal is but make it quick." Kokonoe said, completely ignoring Ragna's comment.

"You're a joy as always…" Ragna sighed to himself. "Like I told your wind-up toy here, I'm looking for Rachel. I'm a friend of hers and we got separated a while ago. I can't get ahold of her the way I usually do and the only other person I know who can reach someone like her is you."

"And you think I can because…?"

"Rachel, uh, told me a little about you. Look, I'm not trying to waste your time, and I know what you can do so why are you dragging this out? Could you just call Rachel for me? I'm not asking you to do it for free, either. You don't know me, but I'm strong and I can pay you back one way or another. I have to—I need to see Rachel again, so… Please?"

Once Kokonoe got Rachel on the phone, it wouldn't matter if they believed him or not, Ragna told himself. As soon as she knew he was back, Rachel would come get him herself. He would finally be able to see her again and that scene of her ribbon tied to his sword on the hill would stop nagging at the back of his mind. All Kokonoe had to do was make the damn call.

The tension Ragna was feeling over Kokonoe's silence was beginning to make him squeeze the phone a bit harder than he should have. This went on much longer and he would smash the thing to pieces.

"No. I can't help you."

"…What?" Ragna had misheard her. He was sure of it.

"I said I can't help—"

"Why?!" Ragna barked, cutting her off. Kokonoe had always been a bitch, but even she could not be this cold for absolutely no reason. "I told you I could pay you back! I don't care what stupid, bullshit experiment it is, I'll do it! If that isn't good enough I can do missions! I can do ten times what these two flunkies you have can manage and then some! Just name it and I'll do it!"

"It's not about that, you lunatic." Kokonoe spoke evenly, unshaken by Ragna's rage. "I'm saying I can't help you because—"

"I don't need your excuses, you hag! I can't even begin to guess a single reason you won't call Rachel for me other than you like to be a pain in the ass! Just do me this one favor, this one tiny favor, or I swear to god I will find you and smash every last piece of junk in your goddamn lab and MAKE you call—"

"Will you shut up and let me talk?!" Kokonoe's yell coupled with the screeching static of the phone forced Ragna to flinch away from the phone for a second. "Lord, where the hell does Rachel find these people… Look, pay attention when people talk. I'm not saying I won't call Rachel for you, I'm saying I can't."

"Wha…What's that supposed to mean?" Ragna managed to reign in his temper enough to keep his voice down, but it wouldn't stay down for long if Kokonoe kept jerking him around like this. He knew damn well what she was capable of.

"Are you slow? I literally haven't been able to contact her. What don't you understand about that?"

"Wait, back up a second here. Why can't you contact her? Just use a Phenomenon Intervention!"

"Hm, so you know that much, huh? Guess you really did know her…"

"Explain…. Now!" Ragna caught that last part loud and clear—past tense. Something happened.

"Ugh, fine, but if you start screaming again I'm hanging up." Kokonoe offhandedly threatened. "If you really did know her, you should've known that she wasn't holding up great a while ago, right?"

"I…yeah." He knew alright. Rachel was running herself ragged during the final days in the war against Terumi—almost entirely for his sake too. It was at the top of the list of all the things he wanted to pay her back for.

"Well, towards the end of our…let's say business, she just up and disappeared. There wasn't a trace of her, her butler, or any of that. I know this because I checked myself. Some of the others wanted to check on her and I tried reaching her just like you are asking me now. You can figure out how well that went for yourself."

She disappeared? No, that was wrong. It had to be wrong. Rachel wasn't in the best of shape when he left her, sure, but there was nothing left to threaten her life. Terumi was gone, she didn't have to Observe Hakumen or himself anymore—it might have taken some time but she should've recovered just fine!

"How long… How long ago was this?!"

"Let's see, I want to say the last time someone had me check was about…eight months ago?"

Ragna felt his body lurch forward. He was gone for eight months? And in those eight months no one had been able to contact Rachel at all?

"You're lying…" Ragna hissed.

"Believe what you want, but it's the truth."

"Shut the fuck up!" Ragna roared with such force that Tager and Bullet shrank back. Ragna officially had enough of this. He didn't know what sick game Kokonoe was playing at, but he was done. She was wrong. She was lying. Rachel was fine. "You don't know what you're talking about! She's fine… Rachel is just fine! She's sipping her tea in her castle like always! Don't give me this bullshit when I know that there was nothing left that could possibly hurt her! I don't care if you tried before, you're gonna call her right now or else I'll—"

"You'll what?!" Kokonoe screamed back, finally losing patience herself. "You asked a question and I gave you the answer! It doesn't matter if you like it or not! The fact of the matter is no one has seen her for nearly a year! As far as we know she's de—"

Ragna smashed the phone in his grip before Kokonoe could finish that sentence. He couldn't hear it. He didn't want to hear it. It was wrong.

"What do you think you're doing, punk!?" Bullet yelled, taking a step forward.

"Bullet, stop!" Tager ordered. Bullet stopped dead in her tracks at the urgency in her captain's voice. "There is something off about this man. Get behind me. Now."

"Captain?"

"Shut up…" Both Tager and Bullet's attention was pulled when they heard Ragna speak up again, though it was not to them. Ragna kept his intense gaze on the ground, exactly where it had been for nearly the entire conversation. He stood there, shaking, as pieces of the phone crumbled out of his clenched fist. "You don't know a thing. Rachel… She's not…she's not…"

With his mind completely empty, Ragna turned and began to walk. He didn't know where he was going or why, but he knew he had to move. It was coming back—he could feel it. He could feel it once again, gnawing at the back of his psyche. His fury was dragging back a darkness that had no business existing anymore.

And it's all too familiar whisper was once again tempting him to destroy everything he could get his hands on.

"H-Hey!" Bullet tried calling out once more.

"Stay back." Ragna warned. "Don't come near me."

If it wasn't the tone, or the warning itself, surely Bullet's own survival instincts kept her rooted in place. Even with her own fiery temper, she could tell plan as day when a real threat was standing before her, and this was it.

"You heard him, soldier. Stand down." Tager spoke calmly, but kept his voice low. He himself was also a seasoned warrior, and had faced down genuine monsters more times than he cared to. He couldn't shake the feeling that this time wasn't any different. If they wanted to make it out of the situation in one piece, they would do as they were told and keep their distance.

The two stayed where they were, letting Ragna go and finding the solitude he now desperately craved so he could bring himself under control.

The streets were now completely dark with the sun having gone down. Ragna's eyes had no trouble seeing in the dark, but he didn't pay any mind to where he was going anyway. This isn't what he wanted. This isn't what he fought for. This isn't what he sacrificed himself for. The world alone wasn't his concern. He wanted them to be happy—the small handful of people he cared for, and her most of all. After all the bullshit she put herself through for everyone's sake but her own, she more than anyone deserved her happiness. No one put in half the work Rachel did to save the world, and this is what she got for it? Why was this happening? Was someone responsible for it? Who was it!?

His right arm convulsed involuntarily. Ragna grabbed it by the wrist, and squeezed Rachel's ribbon with all his might. He couldn't let it back in. He had to calm down.

"I'm not angry."

He was furious.

"I'm not angry…"

He was livid.

"I'm…not…" Ragna sank to the ground and buried his face in his hands.

He was a mess.


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