Ragna wasted no time in grabbing the pot of boiling stew and hurling its contents at Azrael. The liquid seared his skin and the madman roared, doubling over as he clutched his face. With a snarl, Ragna swept Tsubaki out of her fearful catatonia by dragging her by the wrist toward the window. Without hesitation, he delivered a sharp kick to the glass and jumped out, taking Tsubaki with him.

"What are you…?" Tsubaki's question gave way to a shriek as they plummeted to the street. However, before they could splat against the concrete, a last-second Ars from Ragna cushioned their fall and allowed them to land safely. Tsubaki had no time to gather her wits, though; Ragna broke off into a sprint, pulling her along. "Hey! Wait! Do you even have a place to retreat to in mind? And…how are you so spry after suffering a concussion?"

"I heal fast, and I have no plans beyond get the fuck out of here." Ragna bolted for a milling crowd. "Come on, we gotta lose him. Or try to, at least. Any idea how the hell he's able to find us so easily?"

"I've never met him or indicated were I was staying to him, if that's what you're asking." Tsubaki wrenched her hand free of Ragna's grip, but kept her pace behind him. "He might have a way to track us, however."

"Would explain everything except how he lost us in the first place. Or how we got a freaking hour of rest from him chasing us." Ragna slowed to a walk as he entered the belt of civilians, none aware of the looming danger Azrael presented. With a growl, Ragna reached back and took Tsubaki by the hand. "Come on, Tsubaki, stay close."

"Right." Tsubaki gripped his hand in return and drew herself almost up against him, so as not to be separated by the streaming crowd. As her hand touched his, some thought came to her, completely unbidden. Kill Ragna. She froze up a moment, face pale from the sheer force of the thought. However, his grip pulled her along, not giving her any time to consider it. She broke into as much of a run as possible after him, glancing back in the hopes that they had somehow already lost Azrael.

But of course not. His blue mane poked out from behind the crowd, which unfortunately scattered as he approached, muscular arms swatting aside all who dared stand between him and his prey. Snarling, Ragna bolted, shoving people out of his way. Light annoyance sparked in Tsubaki at her companion's treatment of innocent civilians, but bit down any protests. The sooner they could clear the crowd, the sooner they would all be in significantly less danger, after all.

Tsubaki held her sword tight in her other hand, light shimmering on its edge. Ragna balked a moment at the sight, but her sprint forced him to keep moving. "Close your eyes. This one's going to be massive. I hate unleashing such an attack in public, but I do not believe we have much in the way of choice at the moment."

"Yeah…I'm seriously gonna kick this guy's ass for involving bystanders. Piece of shit." Submitting to Tsubaki's plan, Ragna closed his eyes and, for good measure, looked away and covered his face with a hand. "Right. Go ahead."

With a murmur, Tsubaki set off the flash. A brilliant lance of light skewered the sky and spread through the streets, encompassing the entire block. Shouts sounded, including a deep roar that had to be Azrael. Shivering, in total disbelief of herself—these were people she sought to protect, and she had just brought harm upon them for her own sake—Tsubaki nonetheless soldiered onward. There was no way she could let this chance go to waste, not with its toll. No sooner had she thought of the cost than a spear of pain ran through her eyes and her vision blurred. She squealed and came to a dead halt, dropping to her knees as she clutched her face.

"Tsubaki! The hell…oh. Right." God damn Izayoi. Their temporary savior also proved a detriment, it seemed. Without delay, Ragna reached down and scooped up Tsubaki. "Sorry, but we can't stop."

With a meek whimper, Tsubaki nodded. Truth be told, she had expected this to happen upon release of her attack. However, all her bracing for it had done little to prepare her for the sheer agony that now pounded in her head. She doubted she could even walk straight any time soon. "…Thank you."

"Not a problem. We got another set of alleys coming up; let's lose him there if we can." Ragna glanced down at her small frame. "…Thanks and all, but you're gonna get a new weapon. Rather not see that damn thing take your life."

"…I'm afraid I don't really have much of a choice in the matter." Still, Tsubaki had to admit she was somewhat touched by Ragna's concern for her. An idea came to her, and she fumbled in a pocket for a small radio. "Um…if you want to call for backup…"

Ragna gazed down at the small device and frowned. "You got anybody? 'Cause the only person I can think of to contact's the Red Devil, and I have no idea if he'd help against another Sector Seven bastard."

"Unfortunately, no. Wings of Justice are typically expected to handle situations on their own, so…" Tsubaki held the radio closer to her face, trying to read the numbers on its dial. "Could you give me his frequency, please?"

Ragna rattled off a number after taking a moment to think, and Tsubaki dialed it. A moment later, a voice sounded. "Unit TR/0009 reporting. Who is this?"

"Major Tsubaki Yayoi of the Librarium's Zero Squadron. Don't worry, Red Devil, I don't believe I'm your enemy for the time being." Tsubaki waited a breath, making sure that Tager would not just shut off his radio. "I'm currently with Ragna the Bloodedge, on the run from an agent of your organization. Ragna suggested you as a possible ally against him."

"An agent of Sector Seven?" Tager's voice was confusion incarnate. "May I ask who you mean?"

"Some asshat named Azrael." Ragna glared down at the radio as he slipped into the alley. "You know him?"

"What?" Tager audibly loosed a growl. "Why is Azrael…never mind. I would be glad to help seize him. I never thought he'd be released again. What is Sector Seven up to…?"

Ragna snorted. "How the hell should we know? Still, thanks."

"It is no problem. I have your coordinates; I'll be there shortly to detain Azrael."

The radio went silent, and Tsubaki sighed. "…Well, at least he sounds willing to help. Is he trustworthy?"

"He's saneish. For whatever that counts for." Panting, Ragna took another turn in an alleyway and made a beeline for a nook. The small alcove proved deep enough for him to enter, and would prevent them from being spotted with a simple glance down this alley. He dropped to a seat, Tsubaki still cradled in his arms. "…Sorry. Need a few minutes of rest here."

"It's…fine." Tsubaki peered up at him, somewhat unnerved by their proximity. Still, the feeling his hand on her shoulder, a light squeeze, proved comforting for her agony. It was just a few minutes, after all. She curled up closer to him, eyes closed to best relieve the pain shooting through them. He was right; she really needed to find a new weapon to replace Izayoi and the threat it held.

…He really was not the monster that the stories painted him as. Rather than a cold murderer, he had proven caring, concerned about others around him. It shocked Tsubaki to realize this, but she actually found she quite liked him…

Kill Ragna.

She jerked and shot her eyes open at the sudden thought. That was the second time now; just where was that coming from? She didn't feel like that, after all, so why would she…?

"Hey, you alright?" Ragna looked down at her, mouth in a concerned frown. "You look spooked."

"It's…nothing. Please don't worry about it." Still, the force of the thought left Tsubaki shivering. "Are you rested enough to go yet?"

A laugh sounded from somewhere, all too familiar by now. Azrael's voice followed. "Heh. Do you really think trash like you could escape me? I've got a trace on one of you. And I think I've wasted enough time on trash like you. The catch, for me, is better than the chase, after all. Enchant Dragunov level 3, release."

Ragna and Tsubaki fell dead still, dead silent, trapped in a nightmare. A trace, and even more power than Azrael had previously displayed…just how could they hope to escape his death sentence? A low rumble sounded. Then the building behind them shook and collapsed forward, tumbling onto them. With a roar, Ragna darted as far forward as he could before curling up on top of Tsubaki, protecting her from the wave of hailing bricks. As the rain ended and Ragna pulled his battered form and Tsubaki back up from the debris, he turned around to look behind him.

Behind the wreckage, Azrael crouched, a feral grin on his lips and his fist submerged in the base of the building's ruins. The aura around him had shifted, a red incorporeal afterimage that followed behind him. "Found you. It's over."

"What…?" Ragna stared in absolute hollow shock, every last bit of confidence drained from him. This was impossible. There was no way he could get away from this monstrosity alive. He gasped as something clutched him and looked down. Tsubaki stared at Azrael as well, arms wrapped around Ragna's waist and chest, an image of total fear. Her leechlike grip almost bit through his shirt into his skin. She squeaked, and Ragna glanced back up to the sight of Azrael advancing. "Just what the hell are you?!"

A low chuckle answered him. "I am the Tyrant. Sector Seven's mad dog. Their enforcer…and there's not a damn person that can stop me."

"That may be true…" A new voice sounded as footsteps echoed across the wastes. Tager came to a halt beside Ragna and Tsubaki, arm lowered in their direction as though to protect them. "After all, you are guilty of genocide. However, I seem to recall locking you up before."

"The Red Devil…heh." Azrael's grin turned Tager's way and he cracked his knuckles. "You beat me without releasing my limiters. Let's see if you can handle me now."

Face passive, Tager turned to Ragna and Tsubaki. "You two. Leave this place. I'll deal with Azrael."

Without a word, Ragna nodded, scooped Tsubaki and her paralyzing grip into his arms once more, and took off, hoping to get as far from the battlefield as he could.

Azrael just smirked. They still had his trace. It didn't matter how long they ran for, or long the battle took. There would be no escape for his prey.

Ragna stumbled and dropped to his knees, sending Tsubaki sprawling. Down on his hands and knees, nearly broken, he looked up at his comrade. In the distance, crackling electricity and punches like rockets sounded. "Shit, sorry…huh?"

A sob cut him off. Trembling, face bone pale, Tsubaki curled up, hugging her legs and resting her forehead against her knees. Another sniffle, and Ragna crawled over to her side. After a moment of deliberation, he slung an arm over her shoulder and drew her in for a light hug. She couldn't afford to shatter. Not now. "Hey, come on, Tsubaki. Pull it together."

At first, it seemed his actions went unnoticed. Tsubaki gave no reaction to the embrace, nor did she acknowledge his words. After nearly ten seconds, she croaked out words. "We're…we're going to die here…"

"Don't talk like that, dammit." Although Ragna knew she was in all likelihood right; there wasn't a damn thing he could hope to do against Azrael, nor did he figure Tager could pull a second miracle against the self-proclaimed 'Tyrant'. Still, Ragna prodded her chin with a finger and all but forced her to look up, drawing a gasp. His gaze, hot with unfelt confidence, bore into her, momentarily stilling the tears from running down her cheeks. "We're not dying here. We're not. You hear me?"

"But…" The shock dispelled and Tsubaki's tears resumed. She pressed herself into his embrace and rested her head against his shoulder, muffling both words and the light crying. "We can't escape him…if he defeats Tager…"

"Then we'll find a way to kick his ass." As Ragna patted her shoulder, his gut twisted. Now he was just spouting complete bullshit at this point, to some girl who had been pulled into this fight for no goddamn reason. In all likelihood, both of them were going to die shortly, simply to feed Azrael's lust for battle. She didn't deserve that.

And Ragna was not about to let it happen.

"Listen, Tsubaki." He prodded her chin once more, trying to make her look into his eyes once more, trying to kill her tears again. At the same time, his free hand found hers and squeezed, the best reassurance he could forge for now. "You're not gonna die here. I ain't gonna let that happen. Alright? So stop crying already."

"R-Ragna…" Tsubaki just stared back at him. Light pink edged her cheeks as she reciprocated the light squeeze of the hand. No semblance of the monstrous Grim Reaper concocted by Librarium propaganda remained in her mind; the real Ragna was nothing like that heartless, murderous demon. She could almost…

Kill Ragna.

No, damn it all, she would not do something like that. No, she would destroy that thought instead, whatever its source was. She refused to believe it could be her own at this point. Nodding, she released his hand and pulled out of his hug. "My apologies for that display. I…"

"It's fine. Can't blame you really." Ragna fell silent. No sounds from an battles reached them anymore. Was it over already? He dreaded to know, as it would in all likelihood mean Tager had proven little more than a speed bump to Azrael. God damn it all… "We should get moving…"

Tsubaki gave a shriek, and Ragna turned around. A man, trailed by red mists in his own image, came around a corner. Azrael chuckled as the bits of debris at his feet trembled in his wake, shifted by the sheer power radiating from him. "Why don't you two just give up already? The Red Devil was not enough to feed me. I didn't even bother killing him. You bits of trash, however…"

Drawing her sword, Tsubaki hopped to her feet, although she trembled in fright and the searing pain in her eyes left her vision blurry. There was no hope for victory, but… "We won't go down that easily, you bastard."

Ragna shook his head and stepped in front of her. His mind raced, trying to come up with a plan. Anything that could keep this from being a one-on-one fight with a man who could level an entire building with just a punch. "Hey, Azrael. Got a deal for you."

"Huh?" Azrael crossed his arms, a frown stretching on his face. "What are you talking about? You really think after all this, I'm just gonna let you guys go?"

"No, not us. Just her." Ragna gestured to Tsubaki and drew Blood-Scythe. "If I give you the fight you want, you'll let her go free. Deal?"

"What?" Tsubaki raced up to Ragna's side, eyes wide with shock and terror. No, she couldn't let him just sacrifice himself for her sake. "No, I refuse. I'll fight at your side, and…"

"Izayoi's basically destroyed you; you fight him, you'll die. Not letting that happen." Ragna turned to her and placed a hand on her shoulder. He gave her a smirk, even though his planning was still half-baked at best. "I got an idea. I got this."

"And what is this idea?" Tsubaki's eyes wandered to Azrael. His eyes were closed in contemplation.

Ragna chuckled. "I'll tell you all about it when we meet up at your hotel, alright? Get going. I'll be right there."

"Heh…" Azrael's crimson eyes shot open and he grinned. "You've got yourself a deal, Grim Reaper. Although I have to wonder what you have in mind; you couldn't even handle one limiter released. How can you hope to deal with two?"

"Yeah, that's gonna be on you." Ragna jabbed a finger Azrael's way. "You want this to be a fun fight? Put one of your limiters back on. I can't see any fight where you have that much damn power as being too fun."

Azrael shook his head and laughed under his breath. "I should have known; you're too much of a coward to face my near full wrath."

Ragna gulped. Not only did it sound like he would refuse, but if he lifted another limiter…

"But you're right. Fighting Tager was no fun like this. Enchant Dragunov, level 3 close." The afterimage burning behind Azrael faded into shapeless mist rising from his shoulders. "You have a deal. Leave, you Library insect. You're safe; the trace is on Ragna only."

"R…" Tsubaki stalled up. How could she just leave now? This was the best chance they had! But…no, if she joined, Azrael would no doubt release his limiter again. An impossible foe. Left with no other options, she nodded, trying to hold in her despair. "Right. I'll just…"

"Just a sec." Ragna pulled out a slip of paper; Tsubaki recognized it as the one she had written her address on. He scrawled out a number and handed it to her. "Here. That's one of the top scientists of Sector Seven's radio frequency. Call her, get support for Tager. Alright?"

"A-alright." Tsubaki took the paper with a trembling hand. "But…how will you find…?"

"I remember where the place is. I'll be fine." Ragna turned a glare on her. "Get going, before this ape changes his mind."

"Alright." Tsubaki backed away, shuddering away. Just before turning to bolt, she said, "You had better come back alive, Ragna."

"Course I will." Once Tsubaki had fled, Ragna turned his glare on Azrael. Finally, all that talking had given him time to formulate a plan. It was simple, primitive, but still a plan. He wouldn't even have to win the fight. He snarled, baring his teeth as he activated his grimoire. "Let's go, you damn gorilla!"