For a while, Jubei walked behind the white-haired stranger who had claimed to want to leave Kagutsuchi since yesterday. Only when they left the outskirts of the abandoned settlement did Jubei stop because the person in front of him did so first. "What's the matter?"
"Actually, uh…" His eyes looked around before he breathed out, shoulders dropping a little. "Do you…know the way out of here? I'm lost, so I could use some help."
A short laugh rose out of Jubei when he heard the hesitant confession. "Sure thing, if ya don't mind doin' some climbin'. How didja end up down here anyways?" For someone who wanted to get out of the city, it was an odd place to find themselves in.
Letting Jubei lead the way this time, he followed from not too far away. "All I can say is that I can't go back the way I came from."
"Huh, if ya say so." Both of their voices echoed through the empty corridors. A short pause later, Jubei took a turn to a smaller set of stairways at the side. None of the old signs were legible anymore. This left him to be guided by the barely detectable vibration of mechanisms running on the surface. "Anyhow, didn't quite catch yer name, kid."
"Right…" For some time, nothing but the sound of footfall accompanied them before he said, "Just call me Ragna."
Jubei nodded, taking notice of the stretch of silence lasting long enough for them to reach the end of the staircase. "The name here's Jubei." Although he kept the talking short, he still had plenty of questions to throw at the kid who seemed reluctant to answer. Perhaps now wasn't the right time.
As they rounded another corner to reach the next floor, Ragna suddenly spoke up. "Before I forget…I wanna say thanks… Y'know, for stopping that crazy girl back there. And also for showing me the way."
"Ah, don't mention it, kid." Protecting him from the attack had simply been a happy coincidence when he decided to butt in. Her weaponry and uncompromising manners brought back memories of a comrade-in-arms from a very long time ago. "From what I gandered, the two of ya got some serious bad blood. Someone ya knew?"
"Never met her in my damn life. She jumped me out of nowhere when I was trying to leave. That's all I know."
With that question crossed off, Jubei chuckled. His ears picked up the increasingly louder sound of monorails making their stops and engines powering the city. The surface, where life existed, was near.
Once they stepped foot on a new floor, Jubei spotted a sliver of sunlight. It came from ahead, beyond rows and rows of old cargo containers. Even the air smelled fresher, and he heard Ragna take in a lungful.
"Finally… It felt like I was gonna be stuck down there forever." Itching to leave, he picked up his pacing.
The two of them had only passed by a few containers when they paused. The atmosphere shifted while a hair-raising chill touched Jubei's fur.
Feeling the same abnormality, Ragna whipped around just in time to dodge something. "Whoa!" A dagger-like piece of ice whistled past him, missing his head.
Jubei turned to look. Surely enough, almost stumbling out of the exit they had come through, was the source of the attack.
Glaring with his sword clutched against his side, Jin let down his raised arm. His breathing appeared heavy from running after them. He also seemed to move with a noticeable limp.
"Jin? Ya don't look so good," remarked Jubei, eyeing his former pupil cautiously. The murderous aura coming from Jin told him of the less-than-peaceful intentions.
Not a single reply coming from him, Jin positioned himself to draw his sword. A thin layer of ice spread at his feet.
"Pesky son of a…! Why do you want to keep chasing me when you're—" Ragna reached behind him for his weapon, but he was stopped.
Putting a hand in his way and stepping forward, Jubei drew out one of Musashi's blades. "Lemme handle him."
Sword at the ready, Jin stared at him with a growing hate. "…Get out of the way."
"I can tell from lookin'. Ya wanna kill 'im, don't cha?" Jubei stood in between him and Ragna.
Jin didn't answer his question.
At the first sign of Jin making a move, Jubei shot forward. He jumped as he saw Jin swing the Nox Nyctores, leaving a jagged formation of ice. With his feet, Jubei used a nearby metal wall to launch himself back to the ground at Jin.
Yukianesa's blade blocked the diving attack before pushing against the second hit. "I said to stay out of this, beastkin," he muttered, low and spiteful.
"This is unlike ya, Jin." The end of his whiskers turned numb from the proximity of the ice sword to his face. But the cold sparks flying out were not enough to stop him. "Ya need ta clear yer head first!"
It only enraged him more. "I don't want to hear another word from you! Just die!"
The force pushing back on him increased with the strength of the biting cold. Seeing the layer of ice spreading past his weapon, Jubei freed himself from the struggle by angling his blade. Yukianesa slipped, giving Jubei the chance to move behind him.
A frustrated growl came from Jin as he pivoted to face him. He was unable to keep up.
"Sorry 'bout this, kid. But this is for yer own good." Aiming for the wrist, Jubei punched upward. With his guard broken, he then slammed the butt of his sword against Jin's side.
Stunned, Jin dropped his weapon. After another strike aimed at the back of his neck, all tension escaped his body. He fell with a thud.
Jubei kept his voice hushed as he sheathed his sword. "I can't let ya continue, not like this." As he had thought, Jin's movements were unbalanced and he was in no shape to continue fighting. From his behavior, he wasn't in a rational state of mind either.
The last time they had met in that alleyway, Jin didn't appear to have any kind of injuries. Considering Ragna's reaction, had Jin lost a previous encounter against him?
Out of decency, Jubei put the Nox Nyctores in its scabbard and laid it next to Jin. When he returned from the short scuffle, Ragna carried a strange look of uncertainty. Seeing that, he offered some reassurance his way. "Don't worry. He'll just be takin' a lil' restful nap. If the Library comes by, they'll take care of 'im"
"I-I wasn't worried about him. He's a tough one, that's for sure… But I don't think he's gonna wake up for a while," he said, looking elsewhere to the side. "Anyways, now that I kinda know where I am, I can head out on my own from here."
Not letting him slip away so easily, Jubei interjected by asking, "If ya don't mind tellin', where are ya goin'?"
As he spoke, Ragna already began walking. "Out of the city. I just want to leave." He refused to elaborate further.
Much to the other's surprise, Jubei caught up to him. "How 'bout we keep each other company on the way, hm? I've got business ta deal with outside too."
Ragna went quiet as if to carefully choose what to say next. "…Sure, why the hell not."
Reaching an agreement, Jubei felt somewhat relieved. For Ragna to be so easygoing with him was the best-case scenario, which made it simple to keep an eye on him for the time being.