"Gah! Shit…" Dizzied by suddenly being pulled to his feet, Ragna just followed Tsubaki's path even as his head swam. The alley mercifully proved uncluttered and ended in a fork. "How the hell did he find us?"

"I don't know, but he did, and that's all that matters." Tsubaki snarled as she came to the fork and, with minimal hesitation, bolted left. "I'm going to try and lose him in the alleys here; he's not too fast. But you're going to need to rest as soon as possible."

No shit. Still, as great as Tsubaki's theory that they could outrun him was, it neglected the simple fact that Ragna was pure deadweight at the moment, slowing her down. Outrunning Azrael would probably prove impossible. "And…if he catches us again?"

"…I believe I could use two more flashes and still…be safe. However, since he'd be wary of it now, I would rather not rely on it."

"Safe? Wait…" Ragna eyed her sword and shield. Or, to be more specific, the blue eyes that adorned each. He snarled. "Goddammit…that's Izayoi, isn't it?"

"Yes. And since you seem familiar with my weapon, I assume you know its toll." Tsubaki increased her pace, hoping that Ragna could keep up. "Do you have anything that could help evade him?"

"Gah…not really…" Having to move this fast through agony and a concussion? Sucked. Ragna dragged a hand along a wall to aid his waning balance. "…Maybe shadow walking? Slipping inside shadows to…"

He trailed off as a crash sounded behind them. A woman's scream followed a moment later, emanating from the building they walked past. A chill ran down Tsubaki's spine; only one thing that could have been. She gave Ragna's wrist a sharp tug and broke into a run. "Move!"

Ragna grunted, but did his best to match her speed. Some twenty feet behind them, a wall burst into rubble and Azrael stepped into the alley. Tsubaki offered him little more than a single glance back as she dragged Ragna around a corner. She crashed straight into a metal canister waiting around the bend and stumbled over it as it rolled. By some stroke of luck, she managed to keep her balance by skidding along a wall, although her momentum faltered. After kicking the trash can out of their way, Ragna took the lead, forcing Tsubaki to keep moving.

Azrael came around the corner, grinning like the lunatic he'd long proved himself to be. A pair of flash-steps took him to the dented can. He kicked it into his hands and crumpled it into a ball with minimal effort. Roaring, he hurled it after them. With a grunt, Tsubaki set her hovering shield into action. It floated behind her and caught the can, although the force of the throw nearly sent it back into its owner. They slipped around another corner, an absolute mess of an alleyway littered with garbage. Ragna slowed down and snarled. Just what he needed, shit to further unbalance him. "Yeah…don't think this is gonna…"

The boom of a shattering wall echoed in the narrow paths. As soon as it sounded, Tsubaki ground to a halt and yanked on Ragna's wrist. As he turned to ask what the hell she was thinking, she raised a finger to her lips, begging for his silence. He obeyed and allowed her to pull him back the other way. Comprehension dawned and he smirked as they went around the corner they had just turned. Tsubaki broke into a jog, leading him away from where Azrael would certainly figure they'd be. Once a second crash sounded, she allowed herself a chuckle. "Alright, we should be clear of him for the time being. Let's find a place to rest."

Panting, Ragna collapsed into a nook, resting his back against the wall. "Shit…that bastard…"

"Relax. We should be clear for the time being." Tsubaki knelt before him and placed her hand on his forehead. "Hold still a moment. I'll try to treat your wounds here."

With a shake of his head, Ragna pulled back from her touch. "Nah, not yet. You gotta rest, too…"

"…If you insist." Sighing, Tsubaki leaned back against the wall opposite of Ragna. "At the very least, though, we should plan."

"What is there to plan? The best way to run from him?" Ragna snorted, letting his eyes drift closed. He snarled and punched the ground. "God dammit…really wish Kokonoe'd given me a radio or something…could really use Tager's help right now…"

"Tager? The Red Devil?" Tsubaki shook her head, scowling. "I doubt anyone from Sector Seven would help us against Azrael. After all, isn't he one of their agents?"

"Yeah, but I know both Tager and his boss…person. Kokonoe. Don't see either of them letting Azrael do this kinda shit. They're not exactly big on this whole chaotic mayhem thing." Ragna scoffed, fist clenching. "Of course, pretty sure neither of them can be called fans of mine, so…"

"No offense meant, but how many people don't hate you?"

"Like, maybe five."

"More than I expected." Tsubaki shook her head, although she kept a wary eye on her surroundings. "…My apologies. That was uncalled for."

With a snort, Ragna opened his eyes briefly and regarded Tsubaki. "…Well, anyways. What were you thinking of planning?"

"I'm…not sure, really. We don't exactly have a lot of resources here. Perhaps a place to attempt to meet up if we get separated? Although…" Tsubaki lowered her head, lips pursed. "You don't really seem too interested in fighting him again."

"Nah, rather not." Ragna looked over her again. This girl had been arbitrarily dragged into this situation for no reason other than Azrael looking for a better fight. And now, despite being hopelessly overmatched by him, she was determined to bring him to justice; not for her own personal glory, as so many other Library bastards might have done, but to remove such a threat from the streets. "…But hell. I'll help."

"Huh?" Tsubaki's face shot up, lit with both surprise and elation. "Really?"

"Yeah. He's a dick. You're not, and are actually pretty damn agreeable for a Library officer." Ragna shrugged. "Not a hard choice."

"Ah…um, thanks." Well now. That was rather surprising. Allowing herself a smile, Tsubaki dug into a pocket and produced a pen and slip of paper. "Alright. Um…should I just give you the address for a room where we can meet?"

"Yeah, works."

"Mm…" Tsubaki scribbled something onto the paper and handed it to him. As she did so, she directed a genuine smile at him. "Um…thanks, Ragna."

"Yeah, yeah, don't-"

A stomp sounded at the far end of the alley and both turned to their pursuer. Azrael met their gaze for a moment and growled out a laugh. "Not bad for a couple of rabbits. Maybe if that alley hadn't come to a dead end, it might've worked. But you won't get away again!"

He broke into a sprint at them. Jumping to her feet, Tsubaki whipped her head around to Ragna and barked, "Run! I'll take care of this!"

"What?" Ragna wobbled to his feet and held fast to the wall to keep balance. "Are you crazy? You can't-"

"Just trust me!" Tsubaki made a hacking motion with her sword. Izayoi stretched and segmented, a chain of razors aimed at Azrael's feet. The weapon curled around his ankle and, with a sharp tug from Tsubaki, pulled his foot out from under him. He fell flat on his back, ankle mangled by the blade, and Tsubaki's book went to hover above him. All the light in the area drained into it, leaving Azrael in full darkness, unable to even see his hand. As the void expanded, Tsubaki turned to run. She paused to take Ragna's wrist and pull him along. Once around the next corner, she dared to speak. "We need to hurry; the blind won't last forever."

"You sure that's gonna help?"

"Hopefully, if pulling his feet out from beneath him disoriented him." Tsubaki glanced back as she spoke. And paled as Azrael charged out of the darkened zone. "…No."

"Heh. Nice try, rabbits. But now, I've got you." With a cackle, Azrael drove his forearm against the nearest building. It shook under the force, and the loadbearing wall collapsed, bringing down the rest of the building into the alleyway in a hail of brick. "You're mine!"

Tsubaki hissed under her breath. Only one option came to mind for her in such a short span of time; she tightened her grip on Ragna's wrist. Her shield led the way, spinning in purple light and dragging Tsubaki and Ragna along in its wake. They cleared the entire building with the charge, safe from its collapse. While Tsubaki paused to catch her breath, Ragna turned a corner and took her with him. He glared back at her. "Sorry, but we ain't got time for a beak. Bastard's gonna have a way through the rubble."

"…Yes, you're right. We need to find another fork and try to lose him there. Once we've lost him, I'll take us to my…"

Rubble exploded behind them, utterly destroyed by a rushing punch from Azrael. He turned a feral grin their way. "Heh…you two are actually pretty entertaining. Thanks for making up for your boring fight!"

"Piss off, you bastard!" Ragna dragged Tsubaki straight into the next alleyway without looking at what awaited them. And came to a skidding halt a moment later. The claustrophobia-inducing alleyway ended after only a few meters. He snarled. "Shit, what…"

"Shh. Look away." Tsubaki raised her sword and turned to point it at the alley's entrance, where Azrael would no doubt turn any second now. A light glowed at its tip, another blinding burst of light ready. As expected, Azrael thundered into view, red eyes wide with glee. The orb exploded, blinding Azrael once more. However, he unloaded a full-force punch into Tsubaki's cheek and sent her bouncing all the way against the far wall.

"Tsubaki!" Ragna opened his eyes at the sound of her cry and raced over to her side. He dared a glance back. Azrael advanced with flailing fists; anything that tried to slip by him would doubtlessly by crushed by a blow. Shit. "Are you alright?"

"Nnh…" Tsubaki opened her eyes despite the pounding agony in her skull. She blinked at the flailing foe advancing their way and nodded. Her voice came as little more than a whisper, barely audible over Azrael's bestial roars even at her close proximity to Ragna. "Shadow walk. Now."

"Right…" Ragna took her by both hands and they joined for an incantation. As they finished, both of them melted into the shadows blanketing the alleyway. Safety had been achieved, but now they were every bit as blind as their pursuer. "You realize we have no way of knowing if he leaves, right?"

"Just listen for him."

"Grah…you won't get me with that again, bitch." Azrael blinked bloodshot eyes at his surroundings, vision returning in degrees. He snarled; where were they? "Heh…hiding, are we? I know you didn't get away…"

Tsubaki held in a squeak of terror as his footsteps rumbled overhead. She had no idea how long she would have to hold this Ars for, and she doubted she could do it for long. If Azrael realized what they had done, all this would accomplish was further weakening them for his pleasure. If only one of them could rise and escape, the other could just escape in their shadow, but…

Azrael moved to a pile of rubbish in the back and kicked at it. No sign of his prey anywhere. He growled. Where the hell could they have gone? There was no way they could have slipped by him…right? But, the girl was rather small… Goddammit, they'd managed it, hadn't they? And to track them down now that he had wasted so much time here… "…Very cute. But you're not escaping me just yet! Get back here!"

With that, Azrael thundered down and out of the alley. Even as the stomping and rustling ceased, Ragna and Tsubaki remained as though in paralytic trance, held by fear. Sure, Azrael implied he was now actively searching for them elsewhere and he did not come off as overly intelligence, but the hope that he was not laying a trap was not one to place their lives in. For another three minutes, they remained as one with the shadows, listening for any faint trace of Azrael. Finally, Ragna dispelled the Ars and both rose to the street. Azrael was nowhere in sight. With a sigh of relief, Ragna stood up and smirked down at Tsubaki. "Heh. Good plan."

"Mm…" Tsubaki remained face-down in the dirty street, clutching her head. A deep bruise marred her face, and the drain from the shadow Ars left her near immobile. She struggled to rise to her hands and knees, but collapsed straight away with a piteous whimper. "Ragna…"

"I gotcha, don't worry." After kneeling back down, Ragna rolled Tsubaki onto her back with surprising gentleness and scooped her up. "To your place, then?"

"Y…yes…" Tsubaki curled up against him, setting aside all remaining misgivings about him aside. Allegiances be damned, the Grim Reaper was her ally against a mutual threat. Her arms came around his neck for support. "I'll direct you here…"

"Right."

"That is it." That, as it was, being a simple, three-story hotel not too far from the alleys of terror they had fled through. Tsubaki took her arms from around Ragna's neck and allowed a small smile. It seemed that they had reached safety. "Second floor on the left side, room B-12."

"Alright." Thanking everything he could think of that Tsubaki was quite light, Ragna staggered toward the hotel. Between the taxing battle, the flight from Azrael and carrying around his new companion for about twenty minutes now, all he wanted to do was lie flat. For like a day. Assuming Tsubaki would allow for that, of course. "Um, you don't mind if I rest for a bit when we get in, do you?"

"Of course not; I was planning on doing the same. Afterwards, I could treat your wounds the best I can and we can plan our next move."

"Don't worry about that; I'll be fine." Ragna trudged up the stairs and approached the door she had indicated. "Um…got a key, or should I just kick it down?"

"…Please don't do anything like that. If you could set me down for a moment, I'll unlock it." As soon as she was back on her feet, Tsubaki dug into her uniform and produced a simple metal key. She opened the door to reveal a plain, single-room suite with little more than a bed, a couch and a kitchen area. As she stepped inside, she turned a bleary smile his way. "Um…please make yourself comfortable."

"Cool." Ragna wandered into the room, glanced at the bed and the couch and plopped down on the former. "Thanks, Tsubaki."

"Mm…it's no problem." Tsubaki shut the door and stored up the rest of her strength to cast an Ars, an alarm in case Azrael tracked them here as well. When she turned around, she froze up and sighed inwardly. "You…um, want the bed, then?"

"Er…" Ragna blushed, rose and trudged over to the couch instead. "You can have it; you're worse off than I am."

"No, it would be fine…" Still, Tsubaki went over and lay down on the bed. In her fatigue, she didn't even bother draping the covers over her. "You're sure?"

"Yeah." Ragna shifted around to lie on the all-too-small couch. "Ain't that much of a dick."

"Well…thanks." With that, Tsubaki snuggled up to her pillow, ready to drift off to sleep…

"Would've thought a noble could afford a better room."

Ragna's words startled Tsubaki; she'd figured he'd be asleep before her. She shook her head. "I don't care much for frivolities, especially not when on assignment."

"Fair enough."

She blinked at him. "Um…are you going to sleep?"

"Nah. Remember hearing something about not sleeping when concussed. And I'd rather be awake in case the Psychotic Hulk kicks the door down, anyways."

"…I set up an alarm Ars, but this is probably a better idea. Suit yourself, then."

With that, Tsubaki dozed off for a good hour. When she awakened, it was to the scent of something cooking. Yawning, she stretched and turned to the kitchen, where Ragna stirred a pot of something. "Mm…Ragna?"

"Huh?" Ragna turned away from his stew and gave her a quick nod. "Hey, Tsubaki. Sleep well?"

"Yes, I did, thank you." Shaking her head, which still throbbed from the strike to her skull, Tsubaki rose from the bed and made her way closer to him. It bothered her somewhat to see him take such liberties in her room, but she couldn't say no to a meal right now. "When that's done, if you don't mind . . . I could check over and treat what I can of you?"

Ragna held in a chuckle. One-track mind, this chick. "If you think I need to be treated, sure. I'd be more about yourself, though…"

"I'll go ahead and take care of myself while you cook, then." Tsubaki moved to go sit down on the couch to begin healing her wounds with low murmurs of an Ars chant. Finally, time to relax, even if only for a few minutes…

Something outside boomed, something with enough force to shake the building. An all too familiar laugh sounded from behind the door, paralyzing Ragna and Tsubaki where they stood. By all indication, someone—and they had a very good idea who—had just blasted the door off the neighboring room. Footsteps thudded closer. A second blow followed, launching the door off its hinges, and a face framed by blue hair poked inside. "Found you, rabbits."