Disclaimer: I do not own the blazblue franchise or the RWBY franchise they belong to their respective owners
(A/N)
As of now I have over 200 followers. This is such an incredible milestone that I am very happy about. I can't thank you all enough for liking and following this story for so long. I have a lot of surprises in store and I can't wait to share them all with you. I can't give too much away, but what I can confirm is that the standout scenes I have for Volume 5 , Volume 6, and Volume 7. Are the ones I'm very excited about.
Also to explain a couple of things with one of the noble families of Atlus. The Kisaragi family have major investments in anything that has economic, financial or political value. Such as natural resources, media, or entertainment just to name a few. Though the biggest source of their influence is their PMC division which is their private military company. They have many soldiers, Huntsman, and Huntresses that operate under their PMC division.
So Ironwoods policies which forces the Kisaragi's PMC division to return to Atlus where their source of business has become severely restricted. Has dealt the Kisaragi's a major blow. They have a major preference for talent, so when the head of the Kisaragi branch made a connection with Jacques. Kisaragi was impressed by Jacques ruthlessness and manipulative cunning.
Chapter 61 A Matter of Family
(?)
Nora remembers very clearly how things escalated during the tournament. First she was there when Ragna lost control of his power, then her along with many other people saw Beast Ragna broke through the barrier and killed may people in the audience in a relentless attack. Moments later Nora along with her friends and many other students fought alongside their professors to subdue Beast-Ragna. Unfortunately, they all learned the hard way that their attacks have no effect against Beast Ragna.
After agreeing to an idea, Nora was able to be strengthened by a good deal of electricity thanks to Ky Kiske. Once she was strengthened, Nora attacked Beast-Ragna with everything she had. Unfortunately, she realized that Beast-Ragna was unfazed and was unfortunately caught in his grip.
"I don't wanna die." Nora thought to herself before Beast-Ragna hit Nora with a direct energy blast before everything blurred white
(The Forest)
"AAAAHHH!" Nora yelled waking up from a distant yet fresh memory. After waking up in shock, she looked around to see that they are still at camp. Ruby and Ren were still sleeping while Jin's sleeping bag is empty as usual. Realizing that she'll be up for a bit, she decided to drink some water and eat some snacks.
As she was eating her snacks, she started to think more and more about the things that's happened. Including but not limited to the reason they are going on this journey. Ruby made it clear that Pyrrha fought valiantly against Cinder. Yet when Terumi came into the picture everything started to go wrong in every way.
After Ruby told them everything that happened, Nora was conflicted about everything. Many portions of history was a complete lie, the Aura Weapons real name is the Nox Nyctores. Not to mention that Terumi is the one who killed Pyrrha. Along with knowing all of this, she's also worried about Jaune.
"Nora, are you alright?" Ren asked in a concerned tone
"I'm fine Ren, I'm just thinking about a couple of things." Nora answered
"I heard you screaming again, do you wanna talk about it?" Ren asked in a concerned tone
"I said I'm fine Ren. I just wanna enjoy my snacks a get back to sleep." Nora stated to her friend.
"Nora, I've known you for a long time. So I can tell when you have something on your mind." Ren stated to Nora causing the energetic young girl to have a worried look.
"Alright fine I'll tell you. I'm just remembering what happened when we all fought Ragna when he used that power and . . . . well. How I was hit by that powerful blast of his. I'm glad to have been healed from that. But for a quick moment I could have died. Also Ragna having that power. All of us couldn't do a thing to him. What if he loses control like that again? I doubt we'll be luck a second time. As for Pyrrha, I miss her. I should have been there, I could have helped her." Nora told Ren in a worried tone
"Nora, I was scared to lose you too. I'm glad that your OK, but like you said, I miss Pyrrha as well. I know that Jaune asked Jin to come with us. But I miss our leader, its times like this when he's able to help our spirits." Ren told Nora causing her to laugh
"Yeah, I see why Pyrrha and Noel loved him. He doesn't let anything break his spirits. I miss our leader too." Nora told Ren
"As for your concerns with Ragna, I honestly don't know what to tell you. The only thing I can think of is that we have to get stronger and hope that the next time it happens." Ren told Nora.
"Well, I supposed that'll be enough for now. Since there's so much we don't even know. Which reminds me, where is Jin this time?" Nora asked
"He's keeping watch, like he usually does." Ren told Nora
"He's been keeping watch ever since we started travelling together. Like he doesn't trust us to do anything right. I know that he's mad about what happened to Sister Celica and Saya. But he needs to know that it wasn't our fault." Nora told Ren in a pleading tone
"Nora, I don't think he's doing it because he thinks he's better than us. I think he's doing it because of Jaune. I know that you two don't see eye to eye much. But he knows how important we are to Jaune and doesn't want him to know the pain he felt when he lost his family. When youthink about it, Jin is on his own." Ren told Nora
"He's adopted to a rich family, I doubt he'll understand how it feels to lose family like we do Ren." Nora said
"I wouldn't say that Nora, I spoke to Jaune after everything happened before he told me that he asked Jin to come with us. As far as blood relatives, Ragna and Saya are the only ones he has. But now, Ragna is missing and Saya is gone to his adopted family. I admit that I don't know his full circumstances. But I have a feeling that he's dealing with more pain than we thought." Ren explained to Nora
"Fine, but I whish he treats us better. Since we're trusting our lives to each other." Nora told Ren
"Let's get back to sleep, we have to travel again in a few hours and we should be well rested." Ren said before he started to guide Nora back to her sleeping bag
"Alright Ren, but its still strange how we haven't seen as many Grimm as we expected." Nora aid before she went back to her sleeping bag and went to sleep.
Unknown to all of them, a single Beowolf Grimm was able to spot the travelers from a distance. Before it could do anything, a blade pierced its neck and before long, the Grimm dissipated. After the Grimm dissipated, Qrow maintained his distance while looking over the group of travelers. He sees Ren and Nora going back to sleep. While Jin is maintaining some distance and keeping watch over the camp.
"The Hero of Vale is vigilant, I have to admit that much." Qrow said to himself before he looked around and noticed a Raven perched up on some nearby rocks. Before Qrow could say or do anything, the Raven flew away towards the direction the group was likely going to go to. When Qrow looked at the direction the Raven was flying, he had a strange feeling that things are going to become unpleasant.
(Team RBAL's location)
After getting some much needed rest and supplies, Ragna's group decided to continue on their journey. The community they left didn't have any airships but they did point them towards a mountain pit stop where the airship usually goes to for supplies. As best as they can confirm, no Grimm have attacked the pit stop and since thy have no other recourse. They agreed to go there hoping to get an airship.
"How much farther will it be until we get to the mountains?" Bullet asked in a curious tone
"From what the other farmers told us, its pretty far. From what I can tell on the map it'll take us a couple of days before we get to the base of the mountain. Fortunately, there are some caverns and paved roads on the mountain. So us getting to the top should take a couple of hours." Jaune explained while reading the map.
"The Grimm have been getting more and more aggressive as of late. I don't want to think the worst of a situation. But what should we do if the pit stop is no more?" Bang asked in a concerned tone
"They should have a radio of some kind. So if nobody is there, we can use it and flag for help. But if they don't have it then . . . ." Jaune started to say before Ragna spoke up
"Then we keep walking and hope we get their before Haven suffers what Vale went through." Ragna said as he was walking
"Um Lambda, how long do you think it'll take for us to get to Haven from here if we don't have an Airship?" Jaune sked in a nervous tone knowing that the answer isn't going to be a pleasant one
"It would take approximately several more weeks at the earliest to reach the city of Mistral." Lambda quickly answered
"I'm scared to ask, but what would the latest be?" Jaune asked nervously
"In the scenario that we are unable to make use of convenient transportation. It will take us 2 to 3 months to get to Mistral City." Lambda said causing most of the group to groan in frustration
"3 Months at the latest, please tell me your joking Lambda." Bullet said in a frustrated tone
"Look at it like this everyone, this will give us a chance to embrace the outdoors and reconnect to the wonders of nature." Bang said in an optimistic tone
"Yeah, I've spent some time in Shione Village and me and my family would camp out a lot. I ha my own tent since I was special. Also because I have 7 sisters and they wouldn't stop tying my hair into a ponytail. But I consider it to be a warrior's wolf tail." Jaune proudly stated
"Hmm, you with a warrior's wolf tail. Yes, I can easily picture you with that hairstyle. A hairstyle like that shows your noble side to your friends and allies. While giving your enemies a reason to fear you." Bang said excitedly causing Bullet to take a look at Jaune
"I don't see the warrior's wolf tail working. But with seven sisters it does explain a lot." Bullet commented causing Jaune to be embarrassed.
"Um Ragna, have you ever camped out before?" Jaune asked in a curious tone
"With my master, loads of times. But with my family, that's a different story. Saya was a bit frail and Jin wasn't exactly too keen on being out at night for too long." Ragna answered
"Oh that's right, because of what you two are afraid . . ." Jaune said before he noticed a death glare from Ragna
"Because of what Jaune and choose your net words carefully." Ragna said making the indication clear
"Umm, you know what, it gets surprisingly uncomfortable outside. So it makes that neither of you guys want to camp out for too long." Jaune quickly said while deflating Ragna's anger
"Good choice of words." Ragna said as the group continued to walk. As they were walking, they came across a cliff and notice a large mountain. When they looked further, they saw a river flowing from the mountain itself.
"We should follow the river, if we do, we won't get lost and we'll have drinking water and a clear path." Ragna said to the others with them nodding in agreement.
(The House)
Yang spent a good deal of time looking at her new robotic arm. She is very much grateful to the General for the very kind gesture and knows that its not something he does for everyone. Yet when she looks at it, she is reminded of the terrifying power that Nu is capable of. On top of that, she is reminded of the very circumstances that cost Yang her arm in the first place. As she thought more and more about the event. She felt much more anger towards Ragna for everything that he's done. Yet the one thing that still lingers on her mind is before Nu's attacks. She was fighting Ragna and before Nu made her attack. Yang pushed Ragna out of the way and took the brunt of the attack. Her anger is still there, but there is still a part of her that still cares for Ragna. As Yang was in deep thought, someone knocked on her door.
"Come in." Yang said while looking at the mechanical arm. After a brief second Makoto entered the room
"Hey Yang, just checking to see how your doing." Makoto said as she was entering the room
"I'm doing fine Makoto, I just have a few things on my mind that's all." Yang said while looking at the arm
"Is it these things that's on your mind stopping you from putting that arm on?" Makoto asked in a concerned tone
"Something like that." Yang quickly answered
"I get it, trauma is something that doesn't go away anytime soon. But I get the feeling that there is more to this than your letting on." Makoto told Yang
"I'm just thinking about how I lost my arm. About Ragna abandoning me and the last time me and Ruby spoke." Yang told Makoto
"I've been meaning to ask, how did things the last time you two spoke? I noticed that you weren't really keen on bringing it up." Makoto told Yang
"The day when me and Ruby last spoke. Jubei came an wanted us to forgive Ragna. Telling us that we should be mad at him. Ruby instead said that we shouldn't be mad at Ragna and not give up on him. I heard their whole conversation and it just made me angry." Yang told Makoto
"What did it make you angry. I mean what Ragna did was a bit of a doozy. But I don't think you should be angry at him without hearing his side of the story." Makoto said causing Yang to get angry and her eyes to get red
"Why shouldn't I, Ragna lied to me and abandoned me. The entire time when the world saw me as a thug. He knew what was going on and still kept quiet about it. Him going berserk and killing so many people, I get that it wasn't his fault. But knowing about Cinder and keeping it a secret. How many lives could have been saved if he had just trusted me!" Yang yelled before she punched the nearby wall and continued
"As for Ruby, with everything that happened because of Ragna. I thought that Ruby wouldn't be quick to forgive him. But clearly I was wrong about that. But her reason is that we don't give up on our friend. But what Ragna did was abandon me and with that, he betrayed my trust in him." Yang spoke further with anger in her voice
"Remember what you told me about your mother. If you had a choice to either bring in your mother or help her. What choice would you make?" Makoto asked in a concerned tone
"What does that have to do with anything?" Yang asked in anger
"Your father told me that your mother Is basically hanging with the wrong crowd. The kind of crowd that the police or other Huntsman or Huntresses would love to bring in. Since your training to be a Huntress. Its to be expected tat you'll have to bring in people like your mother. So if you find yourself crossing paths with your mother. Do you have it within yourself to bring her in to the authorities?" Makoto asked catching Yang off guard
"I don't see what your trying to say Makoto." Yang said causing Makoto to speak further
"Listen, your mother Raven is the leader of a bandit tribe. Unless I'm mistaken, Bandits usually steal and hurt people. Who prove to be just as dangerous as the Grimm. So if you had to bring your mother in, would you do it?" Makoto asked
"I . . . . I don't know, but what does this have to do with Ragna?" Yang said slowly losing her patience
"Because for as long as we've known Ragna. We know that even though he does a lot of stupid things and don't think things through. Though dspite all of that, we know that Ragna will do the right thing in his own way. So for why Ragna defended Nu from you and Weiss. I think that Ragna learned something about Nu that drove him to protect her. I can't figure out why Ragna would lie to everyone. But for Nu, I think he no longer saw a criminal and saw something else." Makoto explained to Yang
"But she hurt and killed people, why should Ragna help her?" Yang stated
"Yang, the only difference I see is that your mother's been at it much longer. Nu is younger, so I think Ragna would want to keep trying to help her. I'm not saying you should stop being angry with him. I'm saying that you should try to look at things from his point of view." Makoto explained before Yang spoke up
"What about Ruby?" Yang asked
"Remember what you told me she was like before going to Beacon?" Makoto asked
"I remember that she said she was content with knowing just me. But the longer we spent at Beacon. The more she started to cherish our friends." Yang answered while slowly realizing what Makoto will say
"Exactly, Ruby cares about people and knows that while Ragna messed up badly. She knows that in his own way he's trying to do the right thing. kinda like Blake with the White Fang before they became terrorists." Makoto told Yang
"I . . . never thought of it like that." Yang said before Makoto spoke further
"Before I forget, Ruby told me what happened when she went to the top of the tower. Cinder was close to killing her, but Ragna saved her from both Cinder and Terumi." Makoto told Yang
"I never knew that." Yang said in a slightly ashamed tone
"You have a right to be angry, nobody is taking that away from you. Especially since Ragna did mess up spectacularly. But it would do you a lot of good for you to calm down and try to figure things out." Makoto said as she sat beside Yang
"I . . . . have a lot to think about, thank you Makoto." Yang said in a grateful tone
"Anytime, part of being your girlfriend is to be as supportive as possible." Makoto said before her and Yang kissed each other for a brief moment
(Village of Higanbana)
After Ruby, Jin, Nora, and Ren made it to the Village. They had a look of satisfaction on their faces. The reason is that they know that the Village is well protected. Which means that none of them will have to keep watch and lose sleep. Another benefit is that not only will they be able to resupply. But they will also be able to sleep in inns. Unknown to them, they are being watched at a distance by Qrow Branwen Who is watching them from a nearby tavern.
Qrow has been observing the travelers for a good deal of time. While he was doing so, Qrow made sure to not only avoid being seen. But also make sure that he deals with any Grimm that could cause them problems. The reason he isn't getting close is because of a problem with his power. As Qrow was watching the team, a waitress sat a glass of liquor down beside him.
"I didn't order this." Qrow told the waitress
"The lay up top with red eyes, she said that your wouldn't mind the glass. But I went ahead and gave you top, lucky you right." The waitress said while giving Qrow a wink
"Yeah, lucky me." Qrow said as he was grabbing the glass of liquor and started to make his way upstairs. Once he got upstairs, he saw a familiar figure that he didn't expect to see.
"Hello brother." Raven said as she was at the table
"Raven." Qrow said as he was approaching the table before he stopped at the sight of her mask before Raven moved it.
"So tell me, what do you want? Qrow asked in a slightly impatient tone
"Can't I just catch up with my family?" Raven asked in a curious tone
"We both know that you're not here to just catch up. So tell me what it is that you want. Unless you plan on keeping these things coming." Qrow said before he took a drink.
"Does she have it?" Raven asked Qrow in a low and cautious tone
"Did you know that Yang is going through a tough time? including but not limited to losing her arm." Qrow told Raven while sitting down
"That's not what I . . . ." Raven said before Qrow cut her off
"Rhetorical question, I know that you know. It's just funny how you mention family. Yet you don't even bother to show some comfort or affection for your own daughter." Row told Raven
"I saved her Qrow." Raven responded
"Once, because that was your rule. Or did you not say that she shouldn't expect that kindness again?" Qrow told Raven before she grabbed his arm with a strong grip
"I told you that Beacon will fall and it did. I told you Ozpin would fail, and he has. Now tell me Qrow, does Salem have it?" Raven told Qrow
"I thought you weren't interested in all of that." Qrow said in an observant tone
I need to know what we're up against." Raven said in a pleading tone
"What we, are you referring to?" Qrow asked in an observant tone causing Raven to let go of his arm
"You should come back Raven, considering what we both know of Salem. Also what I've learned from Jubei and his bratty benefactor." Qrow told Raven
"I thought the details of that conversation was on a need to know basis." Raven said causing Qrow to take another drink
"Oh it is, but I was told that I'm welcomed to tell other people. As long as its people I can trust." Qrow told Raven
"Then what can you tell me brother?" Raven asked before Qrow took another drink before speaking further
"We're in a lot more trouble than I thought. Jubei told me a lot, but one of the big bullet points is that the Black Beast is technically alive and the aura weapons are really called the Nox Nyxctores." Qrow told Raven
"I see, anything else?" Raven asked in an impatient tone
"There are a few more things, from what I was told, Terumi stands to be an even bigger threat than Salem. We need to work together if we're going to stop him. Otherwise, Terumi will do what he wants and it won't work out well for any of us." Qrow told Raven in a pleading tone
"You know how strong the tribe is, I know we can handle one man." Raven said in a confident tone
"Don't underestimate that one man. Jubei and the other Heroes made that mistake and they paid dearly for it. But you should know the potential that one person can have Raven. Like that kid you tried to recruit." Qrow told Raven
"It's not unusual for me to scout talent. From what I've seen, Ragna will be a perfect fit for the tribe. Just imagine how far he can go, with me giving him the proper guidance. We both know he won't b welcomed at any of the Academies ever again. Since he contains the power of the Black Beast. But with him as a member of the tribe. He'll be with a true family that understands him." Raven explained to Qrow
"He already has a master, one that has his best interests at heart." Qrow told Raven in a bold tone
"Masters can fail, Ozpin is already proof of that." Raven responded with confidence
"If your after him for his power, then I see it as redundant. Since you've got someone strong on your side. I've seen the damage at Shion. Though I doubt that strong person was able to do a thing against Hakumen." Qrow said which quickly angered Raven
"How did you know about that?" Raven asked in a surprised tone
"People talk, even those that survive a raid attack. The moment the White Void showed up. You all ran with your tails in between your legs." Qrow said causing Raven to give him an intense glare
"You do not know how it feels to be on the receiving end of Hakumen's glare. When you know how threatening he is from his very presence. You will know that running was the best option to take." Raven told Qrow
"I figured as much, and I suspect you'll be running from him again. Because word from a recent source tells me that he is still in Anima. Aside from the issue of the white void, you still need to come back with us." Qrow told Raven
"Since you don't know whether or not Salem has the Relic. Then we have nothing more to talk about." Rave said as she was getting ready to leave before Qrow stopped her
"I don't know where the Spring Maiden is either. If you do, I need you to tell me." Qrow said in a pleading tone
"Why would I tell you that?" Raven asked before taking back her mask
"Because without her, we are all going to die." Qrow responded
"Which we are you referring to?" Raven responded before she created a portal and left. Much to the surprise of the nearby waitress
(Moments later at the Camp)
Once Raven returned from her meeting with Qrow. She took off her mask and started to reflect on her meeting with her brother. She didn't expect to learn anything regarding Salem and the Relic. But she did learn a couple of things that makes the visit interesting. For starters she learned that the Black Beast is still technically alive and most likely its through Ragna. The young hot-blooded man already made an good impression on her. Now to learn that he has the power of the Black Beast. Makes it clear that bringing Ragna to the tribe has to be a top priority.
"Raven." Vernal said after entering Raven's tent
"Vernal, how are things while I was away?" Raven asked in a curious tone
"some of the raid parties returned with success. We have gained much more supplies and weapons." Vernal reported to Raven
"That's good, if we can keep things going like this. We won't have to worry about anything regarding Mistral's Huntsman. Especially the Huntsman and Huntresses from Haven Academy. The survival of our family will be even more stable." Raven said in a proud tone
"There's been some questions among the tribe Raven. Will we make a move against Ronin-Gai?" Vernal asked
"Ronin-Gai is too much for us to deal with right now. Our trump card could tip the scales, but Tenjo has always been shrouded in mystery. I don't want us to go through a massive undertaking like that. Unless I'm certain that we can succeed." Raven told Vernal answering her question.
"I understand, we don't know what Ronin-Gai is capable of and wit hTenjo's aggressive territorial expansions. Its safe to say that she's planning something big." Vernal said causing Raven to have a look of a realization
"Which reminds me, in a few days. We'll start sending scouts to find Ragna the Bloodedge." Raven said which surprised Vernal
"The Beast of Remnant, but why?" Vernal asked in a tone that's mixed with curious and concerned.
"Ragna is out there in the world alone and lost. The world will see a beast, but with him part of our family and under my guidance. I see a man that can be a crucial part of our tribe's survival. In time and with a bit of luck, I suspect that he'll be even more powerful that Salem." Raven explained to Vernal her plans for Ragna
"We've got wounded!" One of the tribesman said causing both Raven and Vernal to go out to the camp grounds. When they went outside, they saw several people severely injured. Several of them lost their limbs. The leader of the group has dirty blonde hair and is wearing a red scarf around his neck.
"Shay, what happened to your raid party?" Raven asked Shay while the injured are being tended to.
"It wasn't my fault boss, everything was going well until that masked creep showed up. Some of our guys died while the rest of us were barely able to escape. As you can see, we didn't exactly make it out of there in one piece." Shay told Raven
"What did masked man look like?" Raven asked
"He wore white and black armor, with red eyes on his limbs. But what stood out to me, is his long hair and longer sword. While the face of his mask is just blank and empty." Shay described causing Vernal to get closer to Raven.
"The description fits, its Hakumen himself." Vernal told Raven
"Until further notice we are not going to pursue any raids. We can' run the risk of Hakumen tracking us down until we are certain that we won't cross paths with the White Void. Tend to the wounded, in and no group is to leave camp without my permission or supervision." Raven instructed the who tribe
"Does this change anything regarding your plans for Ragna?" Vernal asked in a concerned tone
"No, this just delays things for a while. Ragna has a potential that I refuse to let go to waste." Raven said before she returned to her tent.
(?)
Though Nu has recovered, she still has a dispirited look on her face. The reason is clear, she misses Ragna and longs to be in his presence. She is angry at the fact that she was so close to being united with Ragna. Yet the moment slipped past her and she was forced to retreat. She blamed the blonde girl and the silver hair girls for costing her Ragna. Therefore she made it clear that she will kill them if they ever get in her way again. But for now, she longs for Ragna and hopes that the time for them to see each other will come soon.
"Ragna. . . . . I know where you are. Soon it will be time for us to merge and destroy this world." Nu said before she started to walk forward. Before she went too far, a cold and pale hand grabbed her shoulder and stopped her. When Nu looked to see who stopped her, she saw that it was Salem.
"Nu, I understand your strong and burning desire to see someone with a strong desire. But you must not let your desires consume your better judgement. Or else it will be lost and out of your reach." Salem told Nu
"We must be one, we must unite so the world can suffer. Nothing else matters to me except for him." Nu said with tears in her eyes
"I know Nu, and your desires will be granted. Assuming my subordinates do what their supposed to do." Salem said as she brought Nu back inside
(A/N)
To prevent a potential misunderstanding, the pairing of Oscar and Izanami WILL NOT HAPPEN.
Also, Qrow didn't tell Raven everything that Jubei and Rachel told him. The reason is that he knows that Raven is likely hiding something and he doesn't want to reveal everything unless he's certain that Raven can be trusted. What they did tell him will be revealed soon and it does involve the Three Azures and how the Black Beast is still technically alive.
So read and review
Thank you