First of all, to my guest reviewer from the last chapter, thank you for suggestions but I will not be needing them. I actually had the whole thing planned out before I began writing so it was more or less already set in stone. Though if you are reading this, you may notice I will be touching on a couple of the topics anyway.

As for everyone else, I hope you enjoy.

I do not own BlazBlue.


It was as though he was back in front of that damn Cauldron. That worthless, pathetic shadow of Terumi's just stood there with a smile on his face as Rachel lay on the ground in pain. It was in that one moment that all the work he put in to save the world became the furthest thing from his mind, and his drive to destroy every last trace of that disgusting imitation consumed him. Ragna's rage completely overtook him, and he didn't think twice about throwing away absolutely everything if it meant erasing the one who dared harm Rachel. He had luckily managed to retain his humanity and reach his goal in the end, but that moment was forever ingrained in his memory. It was probably the angriest he had ever been in his entire life…

And considering his track record that was saying quite a lot.

Now history was repeating itself, and Ragna was once again on the verge of letting it all go once more.

It was there again. He could feel the beast stirring at the edges of his mind. Exerting some force of will was enough to push it away, but in his current enraged state as soon as he considered what might have happened to Rachel it was there barring its fangs again.

And encouraging him to do the same.

Gritting his teeth, Ragna gripped his right wrist with as much strength as he could muster and dug his knuckles into the ground. His eyes stayed locked on Rachel's ribbon peeking out between his fingers. Reflecting on her guidance from all the years they were together was the only thing keeping him in one piece. He knew he had to get ahold of himself, that throwing a fit would do him no good, but every time he tried to focus on anything all he could manage was, "who?"

Could it be Azrael? With so few truly powerful warriors left in the world, Azrael would surely see Rachel as the only opponent left worthy of him… No, that wouldn't make sense, Ragna reminded himself. If the Mad Dog was the one responsible then Kokonoe would've said so. Besides, that mutt didn't have the brains to take out Rachel. With her power intact she could probably throw him back into the damn freezer as many times as need be too. Still, there was no one left in the world who would want to pick a fight with Rachel—much less even know who she is. The only other possibility that came to mind was Relius or Hazama if they somehow found their way back out of the Boundary, but that was a long shot at best. If they managed to survive and escape that endless void, neither of them could hold a candle to Rachel either. They only got so far in life due to the fact Terumi was pulling their strings. On their own they wouldn't stand a chance.

So here Ragna was, still left unable to do anything but ask questions.

Who was it that took her away? Where were they hiding?

How far would he let himself go to make them pay?

"Hey, you! The funny looking guy in red!"

A voice calling out to him broke Ragna from his trance just enough to make him glance up from the ribbon tied to his hand. Even in his unstable state, Ragna still instantly recognized the squirrel beastkin and her red-haired friend walking down the road in his direction.

"Hey, pal, we're gonna need you to come with us." Makoto ordered, looking none too pleased as she strolled forward.

"…What?" Ragna muttered in response, even though he wasn't actually listening. His eyes were locked on Tsubaki. Seeing her made him feel as though he was forgetting something—something important.

"As my comrade said, sir, we are going to need you to come with us." Tsubaki repeated as she approached Ragna alongside Makoto. Although her manner of speech was far more professional than Makoto's, there was still no hiding the disdain clear on her face. She was clearly just as agitated as her friend. "You are carrying a suspicious weapon on your person, and you are also currently wanted for questioning in regards to an incident that occurred early this morning."

"Yeah, our men got attacked by a guy carrying that sword you have attached to your hip. Wouldn't happen to know anything that would ya?" Makoto asked.

Ragna didn't respond, but the pair did manage to get his attention. He sat upright on his knees and turned to face them directly as his mind put the pieces together. He could care less about whatever Library business they had with him, but seeing their faces was beginning to jog his memory. The details were difficult to grasp at considering he had to witness so many different thoughts during the end of his journey, but he felt as though there was something in particular that gave him pause.

"Sir? Sir!" Tsubaki barked. Apparently they were trying to tell Ragna something while he was lost in thought.

"Something is off about this guy, Tsubaki. Let's stay on guard." Makoto advised as she stopped her advance roughly a block away from Ragna—prompting Tsubaki following suit.

"Right… Sir, this is going to be your final warning. Remove your weapon and put your hands on your head. If you do not comply we have been authorized to use force." Tsubaki warned.

"Go ahead and push us if you want. Believe it or not, I really wouldn't mind." Makoto spoke casually as she brandished a fist. "One of those soldiers you busted up happened to be a good friend of ours. I would be pretty pleased if I could return the favor, but we are only allowed to if you throw the first punch. Rules are rules, and all that."

Makoto's threat fell on deaf ears as Ragna finally put the pieces together. There was something he saw when he was observing Tsubaki's dream. There was this memory of hers that took place not too long after his fight with Take-Mikazuchi. He shrugged it off at the time what with all that was going on, but now it was a different story. She had talked with Rachel about something. The memory was fuzzy for him, but there was one detail that came through loud and clear.

They had made a promise.

"Was it you…?" Ragna voice was raspy and barely above a whisper.

The promise hinged on something only the Izayoi's Immortal Breaker could do.

"What was that?" Makoto questioned, completely unaware how the fingers of Ragna's right hand were digging into the pavement—splintering it with ease.

Ragna's eyes locked on Tsubaki.

His vision turned red.

"WAS IT YOU!?" Ragna's roar was accompanied by a wave of darkness exploding from the back of his right hand that made the wind howl all around him. The daunting display of power left the NOL pair utterly shocked and unable to move. Makoto was the first to snap out of her trance just as Ragna launched himself forward from his spot on the ground.

"Tsubaki, get back!" Makoto ordered as she ran forward to meet Ragna. She threw her cloak to the side and drew her fist back to build as much strength as she could muster. Whether it was animal instinct or common sense, something was screaming at Makoto to end this fight immediately or she wouldn't be getting any more chances. Holding absolutely nothing back, Makoto threw the full force of her punch aimed directly at Ragna's face. She was used to having her opponents at the very least staggering, especially with this amount of force, so she was stunned when her punch not only failed to even slow Ragna but he didn't so much as blink.

"W-What!?" Makoto shrieked.

"YOU'RE IN MY WAY!" His rage too great for him to acknowledge such a weak attack, Ragna retaliated by slamming the back of his right hand into Makoto's side and sent her flying without breaking his stride. Makoto collided with a nearby wall and hit the ground limp.

"Makoto!" Tsubaki called out before glaring at Ragna. "You'll pay for this!"

Tsubaki went to draw her weapon, but the only thing that showing the Izayoi managed to accomplish was enrage Ragna even further. With a roar, Ragna grabbed the Blood-Scythe with his left hand and swung it with an upward arch—sparks erupting from the blade as he dragged it across the ground. Not expecting such a large weapon to be wielded so easily, Tsubaki was left totally defenseless as the Blood-Scythe collided with her arm. Luckily for her the blade had grown far too dull to cut properly, but the sheer force of Ragna's attack broke the bone in Tsubaki's arm and sent the Izayoi flying as a result. Tsubaki stumbled back, clutching her broken arm in pain, as Ragna reversed his grip on the Blood-Scythe and brought it back down with both hands. Her body coursing with adrenaline, Tsubaki was able to dive to the side and away from Ragna's swing just as it struck the ground—shattering the pavement to pieces and kicking up a massive cloud of debris.

"T-This isn't right!" Tsubaki panted while stumbling back toward a building opposite from where Makoto landed. "What are you!?"

The only response she received was when Ragna came barreling through the smoke. Tsubaki could do little beyond scream as Ragna closed in on her in an instant and slammed her against the building. With the wind knocked out of her, Tsubaki was unable to escape from Ragna, who took the opportunity to wrap his fingers around her throat and pin her to the now damaged wall. She uselessly latched on to Ragna's arm and flailed her legs in an attempt to escape his grasp but he was far too enraged to be moved.

"Tsubaki!" Makoto yelled when she was finally able to climb back to her feet and stumble forward. "Let her go now or I—"

"Not another step!" Ragna growled without taking his eyes off Tsubaki. "Stay out of this or I start breaking bones!" And he drove his point home by increasing the pressure on Tsubaki's throat.

"O-Okay, I understand! Just… Just tell us what you want!" Makoto pleaded.

Ragna grit his teeth and seethed as he glared at Tsubaki. Part of him said he should just close his hand and crush her throat now, but he would have his answers. He loosened his grip just enough so that Tsubaki would be able to speak.

"Tell me… Was it you? Did you kill Rachel!?" Ragna's bellow made the young woman flinch.

"W-W-What?" Tsubaki stammered out in response. It was plain to see she was too scared to respond with anything more. This was a Tsubaki who never knew Ragna, which meant this was a Tsubaki who was conscious enough to fear Ragna instead of blindly hate him.

"You heard me!" Ragna yelled, brandishing his free hand as a threat. "Rachel Alucard! You promised to kill her didn't you!? Well? Did you do it!? ANSWER ME!"

"N-No, I didn't! I swear! I…I did make that promise with her, but I swear I didn't do it!" Tsubaki cried.

"You…!" Ragna's voice caught in his throat for a moment. He didn't know if he wanted to believe her or not. If Tsubaki didn't do anything to Rachel, that would leave him right back where he was a moment ago—tortured by the possibilities. The thought made his blood boil. "Where is she then!?"

"I don't know!" Tsubaki frantically shook her head in reply.

"I-It's true!" Makoto chimed in. "The last time any of us saw her was months ago! We tried everything we could think of to contact her but—"

"ENOUGH!" Ragna bellowed, cutting Makoto off. He didn't want to hear it again.

He couldn't stand to hear it again.

It was clear that the things Kokonoe told him were true, which meant that he was done with the two NOL officers. Ragna released his vice like grip and Tsubaki dropped to the ground, who was quick to scurry away and catch her breath. Makoto hurried to Tsubaki's side, but made a point to keep her eyes on Ragna as he stepped back. He didn't spare them so much as another glance before making his way down the street. If Tsubaki or Makoto had any fight left in them, they certainly didn't let it show. They let Ragna leave without a word, content to still be alive.

Ragna, on the other hand, was not fairing so well.

Once again, he found himself aimlessly wandering streets with no real destination or goal in mind anymore as his legs carried him almost automatically. He kept moving forward because he knew if he were to stop, he wasn't sure he could work up the nerve to keep moving. Having heard it more than once now, Ragna really did have to consider the possibility that Rachel might really be…gone.

The thought hit Ragna hard.

A chill passed through his body, followed by a sensation of nausea—prompting him to lurch to one side before barely catching himself. He tried to breathe to calm himself down, but all that passed his lips were ragged gasps. Ragna clutched at his chest as his growing anxiety got his heart hammering away a mile a minute. He felt as though he had no control over his body. He couldn't even stop the tears from welling up in his eyes. Ragna weakly raised his hand to wipe the tears away, but as soon as his vision was blocked, he tripped over his own feet and took a spill onto the curb.

The infamous Grim Reaper, the host of the Black Beast, the savior of all existence… Sprawled out in a gutter.

He must've looked as pathetic as he felt.

Ragna pulled himself up to a sitting position, but simply stayed in the spot he fell. He didn't see the point in standing back up. He didn't see the point in staying in the world anymore. He wanted to tell himself that everything was fine, that Rachel was fine and she would pop up any second to giggle at him for being so emotional. That is why he came back in the first place, after all. With all the bullshit they went through finally done and over with, Ragna decided all he wanted to do was spend time with her—nothing more was needed. And yet it should've been no surprise that life wanted to kick him one last time.

The former criminal tilted his head up and took in the city around him. In his daze, he made it to a much livelier area of the city. The streets were shining with all the various streetlights and neon signs, and people were hustling all about. If he cared to look around any further, Ragna would notice he was right by a train station.

Despite his active surroundings, Ragna had never felt so alone.

"Goddamn it…" Ragna's voice cracked as he buried his head in his hands. "I just wanted to see her again. Was that really too much to ask…?"

For once the universe decided to pity the poor man, because as soon as he asked his question, he felt pressure on his shoulder.

"Hey, you doin' alright there, kid?"

The familiar voice resonated with Ragna immediately, and he spun his head to set his eyes on his master, the man he would call a father…

Which is why Ragna didn't hesitate for a second to throw his arms around Jubei for a big hug.

"W-Whoa there, kid!" Jubei flinched, which caused him to drop his walking stick, but he still made no effort to push Ragna away. "I mean, I don't mind huggin' ya if that'll make ya feel better, but I typically like to get the names of people before I get all touchy-feely, ya know?"

Ragna froze after hearing his master's words, and a frown set back in once the realization followed. He probably shouldn't have been surprised, he reminded himself. If running into everyone else taught him anything, it was that 'Ragna the Bloodedge' did not exist to the people of this world. That fact made him sad—sadder than the others considering this was Jubei, but he would accept this silver lining for what it was. Seeing his old mentor was by far the best thing that happened to him since coming back to the world. Even so, this was awkward for Jubei, so Ragna let go and let the cat have his space.

"S-Sorry about that." Ragna began. "It's just…well, you look like someone I know. That's all."

"Oh yeah?" Jubei questioned as he collected his walking stick and took a seat next to Ragna.

"Yeah. I was, um, raised by a cat beastkin. I didn't get a good look at you and thought you were him for a second… Sorry." Ragna fumbled out his excuse.

"Ah, no harm done. I gotta say though, that is some strength ya got there, fella!" Jubei laughed. "Would ya look at me? Where are my manners? Names Jubei, kid. What's yers?"

"It's Ragna." There was no denying it still felt weird having to introduce himself to people he already knew.

"Ragna, good to meet ya. You…feelin' okay?" Jubei asked. It was just like his master to check on what he believed to be a total stranger just because he looked down, Ragna thought. Nice to see that hasn't changed.

"Don't worry about it. It's nothing you have to waste your time on." Ragna waved Jubei off seeing as he had no clue how to actually explain his situation. Best to let the old warrior go on his way no matter how badly he wanted to keep talking.

"Mm, don't know if I feel right about that." Jubei gave Ragna a nudge in the arm. "Stranger or not, it would just be wrong to look the other way when ya see someone suffering."

"It's… It's not that bad." Ragna lied.

"Yeah, I'm sure that's why I saw ya face plant in the street a minute ago. Don't try and give me some lame coverup like you're drunk or somethin' either—I'd smell it on ya." Jubei's stern tone really took Ragna back to his training days. At the start of it all he was always keeping Ragna from doing something stupid.

"Look, I appreciate it and all, but you really don't have to. I'm sure you have better things to do." Ragna said.

"Hm…I do gotta catch that train…" Jubei mumbled while looking up the street at the station.

"Go ahead, Jubei. I'll be fine, really. Believe it or not you've done plenty already." Not like he could say as much, but getting to see his master one last time was a godsend. He could at least cherish it as one final, pleasant memory of the world.

"…Tell ya what, kid." Jubei began as he rose to his feet. "Ya don't gotta do anything, but if you don't got more pressin' business elsewhere, yer welcome to come along with me."

"H-Huh?" Ragna knew his mentor was one of the friendliest guys you would ever meet, but that still seemed like quite the offer for a 'stranger' like him.

"Yeah, why not? I'll give ya a heads up though, where I'm headin' is off the beaten path and ain't the easiest to get to. Gonna be hoppin' off the train before it gets too far out. Still, in my experience, a nice walk and a little conversation does wonders to take yer mind off things."

"I can't really argue with that…" Ragna said especially after considering Jubei told him that same thing many years ago.

"Like I said, ya don't gotta do anything." Jubei gave Ragna a pat on the shoulder before strolling away. "Come meet me up at the train if ya like, but if not, I hope things start lookin' up for ya soon, Ragna."

Ragna stayed glued to his seat as he watched Jubei walk away. There really wasn't much point in going with his master if he was being completely honest with himself. More than anything, he really didn't want to hear yet again that Rachel hasn't been seen for almost a year. It would probably be better to accept that his little rebirth has come to an end before he caught wind of any worse news.

And yet…

"Hey, Jubei!" Ragna called out, jumping to his feet.

"Hm?" Jubei hummed as he looked back.

"Well… I think I would like to take that walk after all." Ragna said.

"Heh, well what ya waitin' for, kid? We got a train to catch!" Jubei grinned and motioned for Ragna to follow.

"Right behind ya!" Ragna smiled as he took off after Jubei.

There was no harm in finishing his last day in the world. This way he would get to spend some time with his father and let it end on a somewhat more positive note.

After that, he would return to his sleep once and for all.


With a cold cup of tea in hand, and an untouched piece of cake on her table, Rachel sat at her table doing nothing more than staring at the moon. Moments ago, her mind and body finally had enough and she had no choice but to return home for rest lest she pass out in the middle of some road. She not only spent hours scouring the streets of Yabiko for any sign of the sword, but also went as far as too check every man with white hair she could find. Yet of course she had no luck, just like with everything else. In her mind, she was no different than a lost infant stumbling through those streets. This just served as another shining example of how the once dignified head of the Alucard Clan had fallen. In the span of a few months her hopeful optimism regarding her memories had turned to skull splitting frustration, and now even her anger was ebbing off to become nothing more than pure depression. No matter how close she may have seemed, it would appear that the invisible hand of fate was intent on forcing her to face the reality that she may very well be chasing ghosts.

If all this time was truly wasted, if her memories were truly lies, she would be heartbroken.

She felt tears welling up in her eyes and the urge to scream rising when Valkenhayn approached her.

"Madame Rachel…?" The butler spoke softly.

"…Yes, what is it?" Rachel responded without turning—her voice quiet and empty.

"Milady, I have held my tongue all this time and trusted you as I always have, but now I feel compelled to speak my mind—if you so allow it, of course." Valkenhayn said calmly and carefully.

"You may say whatever you feel you must, Valkenhayn. There is no need to spare my feelings at this point."

"Then if I may, I regret to say as of late you are not the master I know and respect sitting before me." Valkenhayn began sadly, the words clearly hurting him to say as much as they shocked Rachel to hear. "These past few months you have been slowly spiraling out of control, and it is obvious how much pain you have been experiencing in silence… I would like nothing more than do whatever is needed of me to make you happy once more, but to do so I feel I need to understand the full story."

"Story? Whatever do you mean by that?" Rachel questioned as she set down her full cup of tea.

"At the beginning of all this, you told me only once in passing about the origins of that sword. You said it had belonged to a man you can no longer seem to remember and nothing else. I didn't believe it was necessary for me to have any information you had not volunteered yourself so I simply performed my duties as always. I haven't once questioned the reason behind your actions, but now I do believe I must know for your sake. Please, Madame, won't you confide in me?"

Rachel finally turned to face her butler and could see in his eyes the same sadness she heard in his voice. It was a rare sight indeed. Valkenhayn had always strived to be the picture of composure as to better serve the Alucard family. The fact that he was so openly displaying his emotions was very telling on how serious he was about this.

Rachel close her eyes, took a shuttering breath, and turned her gaze back to the moon.

"It has been this way ever since the defeat of that vile cur, Terumi. That should have been the most joyous occasion of my life, but I've only felt emptiness. It is as though something, or rather someone, has disappeared from my life. In my heart, I know beyond that shadow of a doubt that I have lost someone near and dear to me, Valkenhayn, and yet…" Rachel took another shaky breath as she tried to pull herself together. "And yet I haven't a single memory of the man beyond a meager handful of fragmented thoughts. I've tried everything imaginable to recover some semblance of who that man was, but I've only been met with failure at every turn. All this time, the only thing I had was that sword, Valkenhayn. That sword was my link to him—the only proof I had that I have not simply gone mad over these years. Gazing upon it was the only thing that brought me happiness all this time." Rachel laughed sadly. "With it gone I…I have begun to doubt myself. I do not know if I can trust my own mind anymore. If this has all been a figment of my imagination, if that man and my feelings for him are real or not, then I haven't a clue what I would do… I am scared, Valkenhayn. I am more scared than I have ever been in my entire life."

Valkenhayn remained silent as his mistress spoke. He stood by as Rachel spoke her mind for the first time in months, and it was clear to him how much she was shouldering. Gently, the butler knelt down by her side and close her hand between his own, which prompted Rachel to look at him.

"Madame Rachel… You are the one that Master Clavis had entrusted everything to. You are the one who led the battle against Terumi and ensured his defeat. You faced gods and won, Milady. No matter what the challenge, you have stood your ground and met it head on each and every time. I know your father could not possibly be any prouder and I assure you I could not be more honored to call you my master." Valkenhayn smiled softly. "You are extraordinary, and once you set your mind on something, I know you will succeed. I have nary a doubt that you will find the man you hold so dear, but to do so you must keep your wits about you. Take a moment to calm yourself and move forward one step at a time. Perhaps if you try to remember this man in smaller details, and not all at once, you will find your results."

Rachel thought over her loyal servant's words and couldn't help herself from smiling. She never once let herself forget how invaluable Valkenhayn was to her, but it was moments like these that reminded her just how precious he truly was.

Wiping away her tears, Rachel looked Valkenhayn in the eye and gave his hand a squeeze.

"You didn't have to butter me up like that, you know." She said, still smiling.

"My sincerest apologies, Madame." Valkenhayn said, though he was smiling too as he rose back to his feet. "If you so wished, I would fetch you a fresh pot of tea?"

"Yes, I think I would like that, Valkenhayn. Thank you." Rachel replied.

"Then it shall be done." Valkenhayn bowed before grabbing the tea set and returning to the castle.

Alone again, Rachel breathed deeply and relaxed into her chair.

Smaller details? She did manager to scrap together a very modest collection of information, so she could try mulling it over once more.

The man once wielded a massive sword—rather extensively if it's worn appearance was any sort of hint. If she could be so bold as to make an assumption, he had even recently used that sword to completely overpower a group of somewhat advanced NOL soldiers. What's more he had once fought at least on par with Hakumen, which even if the White Knight was weakened is no small feat. These facts without a doubt painted the picture of a mighty warrior. Yet even with such power at his disposal, he still seemingly had a kind heart as he was someone who would feed a stranger like Tao with no rhyme or reason. Though she supposed that the voice she heard in the forest supported the former fact more than the latter. It was rude and rough, but still not something she disliked. It might have been nothing more than imagination, but the voice sounded almost comfortable speaking to her. This supported the notion that she and the man were familiar with each other.

As far as a physical description went she had less she could be sure of. Based on her hazy dreams he had a large, imposing figure. He was probably rather muscular considering his strength as well. Finally, he had white hair and what she would apparently describe as a 'stupid face', however she had a feeling that was said in jest.

Rachel was starting to get an idea of the man's character, but much of it was unfortunately conjecture. If only she could get something more concrete, she thought to herself.

It then occurred to Rachel that she had not touched base with Kagura for some time. He did say he was going to check with the victims of the train station battle so maybe, just maybe, he had something worth reporting. It wasn't exactly following Valkenhayn's advice, but having a conversation in an office and trekking through streets all day were very different.

She would be back before long.

Without further ado, Rachel blinked and found herself in Kagura's office by the time her eyes opened.

"Kagura."

For the third time in a row, Kagura physically fumbled and dropped the phone in his hand.

"Look, Lady Rachel, I'm happy to see you again and everything, but you are really gonna have to stop doing that." Kagura groaned as he rose to his feet.

"One would think such a prestigious member of the NOL wouldn't be so easy to startle, but I digress. I would like to know if you were able to gather any more information on the man currently in possession of the sword." Rachel questioned.

"Yeah, as a matter of fact I do. Though I'm sorry to say I'm not all that happy about it." Kagura's voice had an edge to it that it did not before which made Rachel raise a brow. Kagura approached Rachel and crossed his arms. "That was Tsubaki I just got off the phone with. They had a little run in with your mystery man and it didn't go well. They tracked him down around the downtown district not far from a rail station. She said the guy went berserk and attacked them without provocation, Rachel."

The information didn't particularly surprise Rachel at this point. Whether or not it was the genuine owner of the sword, this was a man who didn't seem willing to cooperate with the authorities. And though she herself did not consider Tsubaki or Makoto to be especially strong, this did add support the profile of the man's strength. Though she knew it best to set aside her curiosity for the moment. If nothing else it would be rude to not affirm the two soldiers were alright.

"Oh dear, I am sorry to hear that. What are their respective conditions?"

"Nothing too serious, thankfully. Physically, Tsubaki got her arm banged up but it will heal. They both sounded pretty shaken up though." Kagura responded grimly.

"Well, they have both witnessed worse, so they will pull through. No harm done." It wasn't as though Rachel didn't care about their wellbeing, but one could only be so attached. They weren't her friends, or even acquaintances.

They've met each other, basically.

"That's not the point, Rachel. Look, this is as far as I can take things." Kagura sighed, evidently none too pleased with the situation nor Rachel's attitude toward it.

"What exactly do you mean?"

"This guy has attacked soldiers just doing their jobs twice now—not to mention the fact that Tsubaki and Makoto are close friends of mine and they were put in danger. I'm sorry, but as it stands I can't send anyone else after him. At most, I might be able to go on a search when and if I have the time, but I can't promise I will be so nice at this point." Kagura said with authority.

It was not news that she wanted to hear, but Rachel accepted it nonetheless. Kagura had gone out of his way to assist her, and did have legitimate reason to be upset, so she knew it was best to quit while she was relatively ahead.

"Very well, Kagura, I understand. You have my thanks for your help thus far and I shall ask no more of you. However, if you had already managed to gather new information I would hate for it to go to waste." Rachel hinted.

"Sorry, I wish I could end this on a positive note, but I still don't have anything new. There is no word from the squad that fought the guy at the station, and haven't had the chance to talk to them myself. I can hit you up if I hear anything new, but I don't expect much else from them at this point. Unless maybe Tsubaki…" Kagura's train of thought was suddenly cut off by a ping from his computer, prompting him to go check. "Huh, punctual as always. Looks like she sent in her report."

Rachel felt her heartbeat quicken at the thought of a new lead. One could say whatever they wanted to about the Yayoi girl, but if she was anything it was a stickler for detail. Rachel knew this might have been her best chance to get a full description of the man.

"Well? What does she have to say?" Rachel eagerly questioned.

"Hm, this first bit is about what happened. Hang on… Ah, here we go. Looks like she is estimating the guy to be about six feet tall with a muscular build… And he's got that white hair you mentioned."

"W-What else?" Rachel found herself becoming frantic again. Things that she feared were tricks of her memory were being validated at long last.

"Huh, she said the guy had two colored eyes…"

"The right was red and the left green?" For the second time, words passed Rachel's lips without her so much as thinking about it.

"Y-Yeah, that's exactly right." Kagura was surprised not only because Rachel was correct, but because he had never seen her in such a state. She was wide eyed and clutching her chest, but also had a small smile on her face. It was clear this was the news she had been waiting for. He turned back to the report in hopes that he could help put an end to her search for good when a certain detail made him freeze. "Whoa…"

"What, Kagura? What is it?" Rachel snapped to attention, practically climbing on the desk in excitement when she heard Kagura's reaction.

Slowly, Kagura turned away from his screen and looked Rachel in the eye.

"He asked about you."

She was out in the city before Kagura could say another word. She didn't need to hear anything more.

Floating in the sky over the city of Yabiko, Rachel was not sure where she would start her search but it no longer mattered.

He was out there. He was looking for her.

And at long last she would know the truth.


Home stretch, people.

Thanks for reading, and review if you like.