Rebel 0: Under Heaven Destruction

The world was distorting.

Around the flashes of Azure and Crimson, the world itself was falling apart. Before the Gate, before the Boundary, the clash amplified by the collapse of reality was rending what little of it was left apart. Nothing more than the fight between Azure and Crimson existed anymore. The fight between brothers that raged on at the end of the world. A battle that was happening because nothing remained.

Sword and chain clashed together amid the flares of light. Blasts of Crimson magic from one eaten away by the power of the other, only to be loosed back as ferocious claws of Azure light. And with each collision the world distorted more.

"LOOOOKIIII!"

"RAAAAGNAAAA!"

The brothers roared each other's names as they collided, cratering the floor as the battle stalled with the lock of their weapons. The Azure brother clad in red, white hair flaring from the aura gathered around him, eyes of Azure glaring in fury past his sword. The Crimson brother clad in blue, black hair shading Crimson eyes just as furious as his brother's, crimson wrapped chains sparking against the sword.

"Guess we're finally ending it huh?" Ragna growled, a strained smirk coming to form. "After all the shit we've been through… no other way to end it though, is there?!"

"Nothing's left but us and this Gate after all," Loki smirked in return. "Just you and me… Azure and Crimson… Chaos and Order! We would be settling this eventually. No better stage than the end of the world!"

"You know… for the first time in ages I agree with you!"

The brothers shot backwards. Both raised a hand, magic sigils appearing behind them as their auras grew in intensity. From their raised hands, wing shaped emblems glowed in their respective colors, rising from their hands as runes coursed along the limbs with the growing intensity of their power.

And both began to chant.

"Restriction of the 666th Seal, release! Cry of Azure that Quiets the World! Blazblue, activate!"

"Restriction of the 666th Seal, release! Roar of Crimson that Burns the World! Blazblue, activate!"

Bodies burst with the lights of Azure and Crimson, changing form in response to the sudden bursts of power. The brothers roared as they clashed again. And with this clash of the two powers, the world fell away at last.

Even then, as the two were sent spiraling down into the Gate, the clash did not cease.

Until the world truly ended or until one of them fell, it would not cease.

And soon enough, even that wall fell away. The clash separated as the fall continued. As they entered the Boundary, as nothing but Blue remained. As Azure and Crimson fell through the Blue, so did the world behind them finally die.

Yet the wheel of fate continues to turn…

Ragna wasn't expecting to wake up.

He knew what falling into the Boundary would have entailed. He had spent enough time hunting down Cauldrons and fighting those linked to its power to know that. So, when their fighting caused him and Loki to fall into one of them, he had figured that would be the end of it.

But it seemed fate decided to continue being funny with him.

His eyes opened to a void. Nothing for as far as he could see but endless white land below and clouds above. All except for a door. A giant, ornate door covered top down in complex engravings. He knew that door.

The Forbidden Gate. The place where things ended, and where they began.

"This place huh? That's just what happens I guess," Ragna clamped a hand shut, a flare of Azure shooting across the limb. "Not surprising considering these Flames. But where did Loki end up?" He looked around, but there wasn't a sign of his brother at all. Did I kill him during that last clash? No… he's too stubborn for it to be that simple.

"So, you are the Azure of another world. A world that has just fallen to silence."

Ragna drew his sword as someone spoke behind him, snapping around at the ready. He almost faltered when he saw who had, but not for long. A girl, so small she looked like a doll. Blonde hair kept in a long braid, with a distractingly large antenna strand at the top. And eyes the same shade of Azure as his own. "Greetings, Displaced. I am Es, the Conciliator, Guardian of the Gate."

"I don't remember there being a Guardian," Ragna countered, keeping his sword aimed at the girl.

"Understandable. Your Possibility operated under different laws after all," Es didn't seem at all phased even as Ragna gave her an annoyed look. "However, now that reality no longer exists. And so, you are Displaced. Or would you prefer your previous title, Bearer of the Azure Flame?"

"Neither," Ragna growled. "What about my brother?"

"He has already passed through to the next Possibility beyond here," Es stated, Ragna clicking his tongue. "You would have followed him but there is one who wishes to speak with you. He is foolish for doing so, but it is not my place to question what he decides to do."

"Someone who wants to…" Ragna lowered his sword and turned when he felt a new presence. One that felt oddly familiar. He wasn't faced with anything he could truly make out. There was surely something there in front of him, but all he could see was a vague, humanoid form, wreathed in a shroud of Azure. "Who are you?"

"I guess it doesn't really matter," The figure spoke in the voice of a man, who then gave a casual snicker. "It's kinda strange, we feel so alike but you don't look a damn thing like me. But you reek of the Azure's power. There isn't any hiding that now is there?"

"Peh, so do you," Ragna bit. "So, who are you?"

"At this point who I am doesn't really matter. Consider me the guy keeping the ship afloat, out of sight and out of mind. You and your brother made one hell of a ruckus when you fell into the Boundary. Surprised you're both still in one piece."

"Blame this," Ragna pulled off the glove on his right hand, revealing the wing shaped mark on it that extended further up his sleeve, and the black marking then pulsed blue for a moment. "These Flames we carry are handy things at times. After all, they're fragments of the Boundary's power."

"Huh, so that's how it is," The man mused. "You've got one hell of a case on your hands if you've got something like that stuck in your body."

"Barely covers half of it. Can barely be called human anymore," Ragna's arm flickered with the blue flame again, and he quickly placed his glove back on, the flame dying down. The shrouded man let out a chuckle. "So, what now? Am I just gonna be flung along through the Boundary until I end up in another timeline? Another world? What's happening?"

"Well, considering you and your brother are covered in a swirling mess of energy, how about something more than being tossed to some new world for no reason?" The man's suggestion brought the younger man to raise a brow. "There're still some fragments of your Possibility left. How about I send you and your brother to a world where those fragments are mixed in with it? It'll probably be weird as hell once you remember everything, but you'll have new lives and actually fit in… mostly. Can't change everything."

"These powers of ours would end up being paradoxes y'know that?" Ragna stated. "Powers from another world that can't just be easily slotted into another. Boundary fragments or not, these damn Flames we have aren't natural."

"Eh, not the first time I've dealt with paradoxes in my life."

"You're way too casual with the idea of messing with the Continuum."

"Hey, won't be me dealing with what happens in this new one. So?"

"Do I really have another choice?" Ragna huffed. As the shrouded man chuckled, Ragna sighed as he extended a hand. "Fine. Do whatever. But first, mind giving me a name?"

"Ragna," Ragna's eyes widened at hearing his name come from the man's mouth as he clapped a hand to his. "People call me Ragna the Bloodedge. You?"

"Ragna Ayatsuki."

"How about that? Talk about universal coincidences," As the man also named Ragna chuckled again, the cloak of Azure around him faded for a moment. White hair, a rugged face, and eyes of red and green. With an amused smile as Ragna stared at him in surprise, he took their clasped hands and shoved the teenager back towards the gate, which creaked open as Ragna stumbled backwards. "Good luck there, other me! Hope you have fun in the next world!"

The last thing Ragna saw as he fell through the gate was that man vanishing into Azure again, and the girl named Es also vanishing as he fell once more into that torrent of blue light. As he fell, he felt his consciousness begin to fade away. Not vanish, but simply melt into the mess of time he fell through.

A dark beast ravaging the land, a lone man wielding sword and chains facing it head on… The beast falling by the hands of six people… the disaster the world faced following as its body shattered into pieces… A man and woman departing, leaving two boys behind in the care of another… calm days, simple days visited by the man they now called Master… Flames surrounding him as a home burned down, his right arm burning with blue fire as he stared his brother down, a lethal gleam in those red eyes as crimson fire pulsed from him… their flames colliding, exploding in contact with their lack of restraint… a dull feeling of pain as the fighting finally ended… the blurry image of someone finding him stumbling from the flames, eyes of red looking down at him as their figure shaded him…

Ragna stirred as he felt warmth on his face. Peeling his eyes open, he was greeted to the sight of a thatched roof just above him, turning to see a window to his right with light beginning to peak through it. The bed beneath him certainly wasn't the most comfortable thing ever, but it was certainly better to be on considering how much his body ached. What I saw… no… what I remembered… right… this world is… He sat up slowly, groaning at the pain throbbing across him. He raised his right arm to shield his eyes from the sudden gleam of light that came with it.

As his vision cleared and he lowered his arm, it finally became clear to the teenager something was wrapped around the limb. Black, red marked wrappings of some kind, clasped down along his arm by belts done in silver clasps with no seeming way to release them. And from where the wrappings formed a cuff at his wrist, the black marks he felt so familiar with peeked out, forming into the sigil on the back of his right hand. God… my head feels like a mess… too many memories swirling together all at once… the Gate, fighting my brother… that wasn't our first fight, wasn't it? A man… a man with the same name as me, covered in Azure…

It suddenly felt like something pierced his skull as it all came rushing back in tandem to the memories of this other life. The memories of a world collapsing around him and his brother, of ending up at the Gate. Of the girl and man he met there, how he was offered a deal. All of it came rushing back alongside the memories of another life. Of growing up in a quiet house with his brother, occasionally visited and trained by someone these memories called "Master"… all until just a day prior, the very paradox he'd warned about came crashing back in.

"Just like… last time," Ragna let out a long breath as he flopped down on the bed, raising his wrapped-up arm and staring at the sigil making his hand. "Even in a different world, somehow, he and I still get these damn Flames by random chance… talk about a mess."

Ragna slid out of the bed, stretching his aching limbs. All he could do now was parse through what he remembered of this new life versus his old life. First step was finding out who this "Master" he could recall was.

This person… his name is… Jubei? Right… yeah, Master Jubei. He took me and Loki in when we were small and has been training us ever since when he's not busy. At least… until yesterday. But wait… it wasn't Master who saved me. Someone else… dammit, I can't make the image out though.

Ragna clutched his arm as the blue flames flared up along it, shaking them off. Exiting the room, he found himself entering a simple, sparsely furnished room beyond. A floor of simple tatami mats, a fire pit dug out in the center of them, and a dirt divot at the front door, only slightly ajar from whoever had closed it last. As he stepped further out, a sudden urge of caution hit Ragna. As he set his foot down again, he instinctively moved when he felt something coming for him, ducking and feeling the air shift as something swiped at his head.

Swinging his right leg back into a kick, the attacker jumped over him and retaliated with a solid kick planted right onto his face. But Ragna noticed something as he rocked back. Did… did I just kicked by a cat? Falling flat onto his back, confusion running up and down his head, Ragna craned his head around as he heard a dry scoff. Oh, right… Jubei's a Beastfolk.

"Well now, for a kid who just went through hell, your instincts are still damn sharp. That's good at least."

The gravelly voice did not at all fit the sight Ragna was greeted with as he sat up. Before him was a black and white furred cat about the size of a child standing on his hind legs, dressed in a yellow, hooded jacket with two swords strapped to his back, and twin tails swishing in the air. The most notable thing Ragna noted was the cat's eyepatch. This was Jubei, the one who'd been raising Ragna and Loki for almost as long as Ragna could recall within this new life of his.

"Maybe don't go trying to attack someone who just woke up?" Ragna groaned, only to get whacked by one of Jubei's sleeves for the backtalk. "Come on! Cut me a break will ya? I'm sore all over here…"

"Good to know your tongue didn't get dull after what you and the other brat did. Means you're better than you look," Jubei scoffed, Ragna clicking his tongue. "You got any damn clue what even happened? All I know about it is the fact the house is rubble, not to mention that thing embedded into your arm."

"Not really…" Ragna let that lie slip out with ease. Of course I bloody know. This thing is a fragment of the Boundary's power. But like I'm gonna let slip I know all of that as is. "I just… remember Loki and I coming across these weird gems when we were sparring. Not those Remnants you told us about. They were like… flames."

"That… explains absolutely nothing," Jubei sighed as his tails swished in frustration. "Doesn't help Nine decided to take Loki with her soon as she slapped that sealing device onto you. Damn woman, leaving me with half the problem. Doesn't help who even brought you here to begin with."

"Oh my, am I about to be included in the annoyed insults spewing from your mouth now?"

The new voice was just as sudden as the presence that came with it. Jubei let out a sigh while Ragna snapped around. Greeting the lad was a girl in black, gothic Lolita style, a head of blonde hair in two massive tails and topped by a large bow that brought to mind rabbit ears. Her skin was pale as marble, and blood red eyes looked at Ragna with a glint in them.

"What boy? Can't recognize the one who pulled you out of that disaster you and your foolish brother caused?"

"And you would be?" Ragna said, the girl giving an unimpressed huff. And next Ragna knew, he had a rather cartoonish, very plump and irate looking cat getting into his face.

"You dare speak to Her Highness in such a tone?!" yelled the cat, "Having a cute face makes no excuse for behaving so rudely! She did save your life after all!"

"Okay, Master I can understand, but you're just making this weird," Ragna muttered, the cat-creature reeling in shock from the outright dismissal. "Again, who are you?"

"I suppose you would have to be told," The girl gave a whimsical sigh, and Ragna couldn't help but feel an eye twitch in annoyance at the sound. It was like she was trying to tick him off with her tone. "I am Rachel Alucard. A pleasure to make your acquaintance, son of the Bloodedge. It seems only natural ruffians such as you and your brother would become prone to such an outburst. Though it seems other forces had ideas in that regard."

You don't know the half of it, was the line Ragna kept in his head as he adjusted his bounded arm, finally standing as he flexed his fingers.

"Thanks. I guess."

"Perhaps you could make your gratitude much clearer?"

"That's all you're getting."

"It's no use with this one," Jubei chuckled. "This brat's got a sharp as hell tongue, and an attitude to go with it," Jubei lightly whacked Ragna on the head with one of his sleeves, the boy only giving a lidded glare towards the beastman.

"I see," Rachel let out a hum as she bent down, looking Ragna in the eyes with a surprisingly intense gaze. "I see… you have been touched by the Boundary… such clear eyes of Azure you have. Jubei, was he born with them like this?"

"Far as I know yeah," answered Jubei. "Though the only thing similar about these two are their faces. Ragna's got that silver hair and azure eyes, Loki's got black hair and crimson eyes… and the hell do you mean touched by the Boundary? Those boys have never been near a Cauldron in their lives!"

So Cauldrons exist in this Continuum too… thought Ragna.

"And yet the boy absolutely reeks of its power," stated the Vampire, her blood red eyes trailing to the bindings on Ragna's right arm. "I assume these are Nine's work?"

"Nine?" Ragna muttered, pulling his bound arm up.

"My uh… wife," Jubei said the word with a bit of hesitation, Ragna raising a brow. "Look, it's a complicated story between us. But let's just say she made those to keep the thing embedded in your arm in check. Same with Loki. And since it seems keeping you two near each other is a bad idea, Nine took Loki with her when she left."

"Guess he'll be having fun," Ragna's words were dry and without any care to them, Jubei letting out a clearly concerned hum.

"Kid, what even happened that made you two start fighting like that? I mean, sure you two aren't exactly best friends but your fights have never been that bad."

"Honestly…" Ragna gazed at his right hand, the memories of his old life flashing through his mind. "I don't really know. These things found us and after they did… we just started fighting."

"And what, pray tell, is that thing in your arm?" Rachel's question clearly came poised almost as a threat. "It's clearly a fragment of the Boundary's power, rather than some Remnant… so what is it?"

"A flame," answered Ragna, standing and keeping his eyes locked to Rachel's. "An Azure Flame… and Loki's flame is Crimson."

"What the hell…" Jubei's breath was thin as Ragna said as much. "Kid, do you have any idea what just came out of your mouth? Because it sounds like you're saying…"

"That he and his brother have been granted portions of the Blazblue itself in the form of these… 'Flames'," Ragna caught a hint of curiosity in the vampire as she let the worlds roll off her tongue. "Somehow it only feels fitting considering he's the son of that man. The children of an anomaly themselves become anomalies, what has the world come to?"

"Standing right here y'know?" Ragna growled, Rachel shooting him a playful yet small smile. He raised a brow when Rachel stepped over, the vampire grabbing his wrapped arm, taking a closer look at the emblem marking the back of his hand.

"Ohhh…" an amused hum left the Vampire. "Whatever you've become, boy, you're not human anymore, are you? I suppose to contain even a mere fragment of the Boundary within you would require… changes."

"You're not sayin' the kid's a Beast, are you?" Jubei's voice held a combination of caution and worry. The latter seemed alleviated as Rachel shook her head while stepping away from Ragna.

"No, not a Beast. Perhaps something close to one, but not quite… curious," Rachel was quiet for a moment, then turning on her heel and heading for the door. "I was merely here to ensure he hadn't ended up dead in his sleep. Good to know I didn't save him for nothing. However, boy, you do owe me. Expect me to come asking for my payment in your future."

… not even aware of all this again for a day and someone already says I owe them? Sounds right for my luck. Ragna only gave a slightly lidded look to Rachel as she strolled to the door, vanishing in a gust of wind.

And then Jubei smacked him on the head again.

"OW!"

"Sheesh, the heck happened that just went and made havin' to take care of your ass more troublesome?" muttered the cat, Ragna growling while holding his throbbing head. "Hagh… not like we can just go on back. Lemme get something cooking. We can start figuring out what this "Flame" you've suddenly got ahold of is after you've rested a bit more."

"Want me to help get the ingredients?" as Ragna stood up, Jubei jabbed a paw into the boy's gut. "KAWGH! Can we stop with the hitting?! Aren't you trying to help me recover?"

"You can go and lay back down. No idea what state your body is in after Rachel dragged you here. For once, listen to me. Got it?"

"Ugh… fine."

Jubei left with a nod, leaving Ragna to himself. With a heavy breath, he went back to the bedroom he'd left, flopping onto the bed and letting his eyes start to just bore into the ceiling as boredom began to set in within minutes if Jubei's departure.

And as a sudden wave of exhaustion hit him again, Ragna lifted his right arm, drowsy eyes gazing at the wrappings, the faint glow of the marks beneath rising above the fabric. So… I wonder what's going to happen this time… what do you think, Loki? Will we have it easy… or are these Flames gonna drag us into a new fight all over again?

With those thoughts in his mind, Ragna fell asleep again. It would just be easier to let things come as they would. He had plenty of time for that now.

Ragna was woken up from his napping by a pleasant array of smells drifting into the room from beyond the door.

The betrayal of his stomach dragged Ragna from the cozy bed and back into the room beyond, finding a spot at the other side of the fire as Jubei continued his cooking.

"How you feeling?" Jubei glanced at Ragna with his good eye, the boy flexing his right arm.

"Better than before… gonna be a while before I stop being sore though."

"Eh, you'll work it out soon enough," Jubei took a taste of the contents of the pot, giving a satisfied nod and prepping bowls. "Eat up for now, you and Loki did quite the number to each other."

"Thanks," Ragna sniffed the bowl of as it was handed to him, catching a mix of meaty smells and crisp vegetables from the stew. That alone got his mouth watering, and he quickly got to eating, to Jubei's clear amusement.

"Guess that mess left ya' starving, huh kid?" the beastkin snickered as Ragna only nodded through his eating, quickly holding his bowl out for seconds. "Yeah yeah… so, hey, I know it's probably sore to bring up, but how did a fight between you and Loki even start? I know you said you and him found whatever those Flames are while in the woods but…"

"Honestly I… don't really remember," Ragna admitted. "After I touched it, everything kind of just became a haze. And next I knew, the house was burning down around us, and I was dragging myself out of the rubble until that vampire found me."

"Hmm, sounds to me like you two lost control. Whatever those things are, you might've gone berserk."

"Maybe…" Because that's exactly what it was. Ragna had to admit, playing the fool to events that were simply repeating for him felt like more of an annoyance to do than anything else. Of course we lost control… we may not be whatever "Beasts" are, but we're far from human anymore… it's just like in our old world. Got these Flames, and our first experience was going utterly berserk. Only that time there was people around to reign us in. Not so lucky this time…

"Huh, well, if that's the case we'll have to try and stop you from losing control again. I'm sure Nine is gonna put your brother through the wringer, so I'm sure we'll hear plenty."

"Implying you're not going to make things on me easy?"

"Not at all."

"Hmph," Ragna scoffed and continued eating.

Once his stomach felt full, Ragna found his mind filled with questions he wanted to ask. The conversation with Rachel earlier had left him with plenty. And if he was going to adjust to life in this new Continuum, then he would no doubt want to figure out as much as possible as soon as possible.

"So… Master, I wanted to ask something. What that Vampire said… what the heck is a Beast?"

"Ah… right, I told you and Loki about Remnants, but not the deal behind them…" Jubei sighed as he stood up. "Let's walk and talk, this is gonna be a bit of a long story. You good?"

"Yeah, I can move."

Ragna followed Jubei out of the hut and to the woods beyond. For a bit, there wasn't a spoken word between the two as they walked, only the sounds of nature. And after some more distance was made, Jubei turned to Ragna.

"Alright, let's refresh. You know what a Remnant is, right?"

"Yeah. Remnants are crystallized seithr. Creatures that were mutated by it tend to leave them behind when they're killed, and you can find natural ones formed in areas where it's densest in the lower levels of Hierarchical Cities."

"Exactly. However, their origins are a bit more complicated. And it starts from the Dark War. I know there was a book about it in that house before it burnt down."

"Yeah… though I can't say I read it. Thing was pretty dang thick, and I'm like 14. Not my thing."

"Ahahaha. Not much of an intellectual, eh? Funny since your old man was an Ishana student back then. I'll try to keep it short. It started 'cause of this monster called the Black Beast. No one knew where it came from or what it really was, only that it was here to destroy whatever the hell was in its path. Not a single weapon humanity had at the time could even put a scratch on the Black Beast. A nation known as Japan was annihilated by the thing and humanity's attempts to stop it."

"An entire nation, just like that?" Well, there's a difference… in my old world things went to hell because of the Gears. I wonder if this Black Beast thing is like a Gear, then? So… would that make these "Beast" things like Gears too?

"Well, it was a small one. But its people ended up scattered to the winds of the world as the Beast just kept on moving. But that's just unimportant details at this point. After that initial attack, the Black Beast moved onto the mainland and kept on moving from there. Everything in its path got destroyed… at least, until the Six Heroes were able to gather."

"So, you mean you and the other ones you've told me and Loki about?" Ragna snickered as Jubei failed to hide the hint of pride in his voice, which quickly turned into Ragna getting whacked on the arm. "Ow! Okay, so what happened next?"

"Humanity was bought time, and eventually managed to develop the means to fight back against the Black Beast. And it was defeated, killed outright. But… that was hardly the end of it."

"What happened after it was killed?" But Ragna could admit he had a rather clear idea of what that was.

"Its body crystalized and shattered, sending countless shards all over the world," Jubei said. "Along with that, the incredible amount of seithr within the Black Beast's body followed those shards. The surface of the world was left uninhabitable, humanity only being safe living at high altitudes."

"Which led to the Hierarchical Cities being constructed," Ragna added, Jubei giving a laugh.

"So, you did pay attention to that part of the lesson back then!" The beastkin sneered at Ragna as the boy looked to the side. "But yeah. The thing is, while the seithr couldn't follow humanity up into the mountains, the shards of the Black Beast's body could," reaching into his coat, Jubei produced a dark azure stone that, Ragna had to admit, was quite the stunning piece. "This stone is just one of those countless shards. Thankfully, it's also totally inert."

"That's a Remnant from that thing?" Ragna took the stone as Jubei handed it to him, rolling it through his fingers as they continued their walk. "So, by inert you mean it doesn't have any seithr left in it? So then if a Remnant is active, meaning it has seithr inside of it…"

"It can depend," Jubei remarked. "Remnants with low seithr content are safe to handle even with your bare hands. It's the ones that are densely packed you need to worry about. Those are the ones that make Beasts out of animals and men."

"I take it that means Beasts are different than animals that get corrupted by seithr?"

"Very different," nodded the beastkin, hopping from the ground and to the branches above him. "Corrupted animals are peanuts compared to Beasts. They're monsters straight out of someone's nightmares… and the most dangerous ones, well… we don't know much about them."

"You say that like there's more to it," Ragna muttered, Jubei giving a long mutter. "But I guess it's not something I need to know right now, right? So then… is that why you were concerned? That we'd become whatever a Beast could be?"

"Honestly it's a pretty complex thing," Jubei dropped back to the forest floor, taking the inert Remnant back and pocketing it. "You get Beasts born when corrupted animals eat a Remnant and transform into a more ferocious form, and then you get the weird stuff that happens when people get corrupted by these things."

"So, it's a weird case by case thing."

"Pretty much. At the least, whatever happened to you, if what Rachel said holds true then aside from you maybe going berserk again, we should be fine."

"I doubt it'll happen again, though I guess it pays to be cautious."

"Good mindset. Now, since we still have a bit of walking to do, anything else?"

"Yeah… who's my father?" Ragna could feel that one hang in the air for a moment, Jubei's mood clearly taking a bit of a shift by the way his shoulders shifted. "You've only mentioned him to me and Loki before but… just who is he?" Ragna had to admit, since his memories of the former world had returned, them mixing with the memories of his new life had made things… more than a bit confusing to say the least. His origins in this world perhaps the most confusing. "All I really know is his name… Odin."

"Hagh… it's relevant, so may as well," Jubei turned off the thicket and onto a worn-out trail, Ragna almost stumbling across some roots as he followed. "Your dad is known to most people as Odin the Bloodedge. Ages ago before the Dark War, he was a student at the Magic City Ishana, where Nine is taking Loki. At some point, for who knows what reason, he awakened a Drive that gave him some nifty powers… Bloodedge."

"Drive?"

"Call it a… manifestation of the soul. Those who've had close interactions with the Azure in some form or another have a tendency to develop them, though they're also pretty rare. Most people nowadays use Ars Magus in combat. Odin was a pretty shit Magus user, but his Drive more than made up for it after he awakened to it."

"And…?"

"He's also one of the Six Heroes, like me and Nine," Ragna stopped in place as Jubei dropped that. "Hell, he's the one who bought us all the time we needed to prepare to fight the Black Beast. Dunno what it was about the guy, but his resistance to seithr is beyond anything people could comprehend. Like Rachel said, he's kind of an anomaly. Mad bastard jumped into the thing's heart to fight it. Kept it stalled for a year while the rest of us got prepared."

"That is… something," Ragna hurried to catch up as he'd started lagging behind. "You're telling me that Loki and I are the sons of one of the Six Heroes, and we've been living in the middle of the woods our entire lives?!"

"Probably better than being in some fancy gilded cage with the NOL keeping an eye on you," Jubei remarked, Ragna raising a brow. "Besides, it's what Odin wanted. He left you and Loki in my care before he vanished. Then again, after the Dark War keeping track of him was always a pain in the ass. Downright dropped off the face of the planet, and next time I see him he's handing me two little brats to look out for while he just vanishes all over again!"

"… sounds like an asshole."

"Hahaha, far from it, actually… Odin had his reasons, I'm sure. But… you two weren't the only things he left with me back then. Though I'm sure one of them might already be gone. Just a bit further now."

Ragna realized that the path they were on was familiar. This is the path Loki and I would use… and as he realized that, it also set in just where Jubei was taking him as well. Coming into view soon enough, the ashen remains of a former cabin stood out against the otherwise idyllic clearing around it.

The two were silent as they approached the derelict, finding that some of it was still warm from the flames that had ruined it the night before. The remains of bedrooms and burned-out shelves with naught but ash remaining of their former contents. The blackened leftovers from a dining room, charred cups and plates still present on the table. A crumbling fireplace standing amid the crumbling frame of the former house.

The very image of something that was now completely lost to the boy standing amid the ruins with his teacher.

"Let's see… ah, here it is!" brushing some of the ash aside, Jubei found a segment of the floor that Ragna hadn't realized was there, the beastkin grabbing hold of a latch atop the panel. And with a heave, the panel lifted, revealing a staircase that descended further down.

With a gesture, Jubei led the way down the stairs, lighting torches along the way as the path grew darker. When they reached a heavy oaken door at the bottom, Jubei pushed it open into a small chamber. After lighting it, Ragna found there was little inthe chamber itself.

Simply two pedestals. One of which was empty, only the disturbed dust proved something had been on it, a quick observation showing the remaining shape of some kind of chain link. The second pedestal had a dark case atop it, no telling what was in it as Jubei went and lifted the thing off its spot.

"What was the other thing?" Ragna couldn't help but ask, pointing to the empty pedestal as Jubei was headed for the stairs.

"Just a weapon," said the beastkin, not turning around. "No point worrying about it. Thing's already found its new user."

"… and that would probably be Loki."

"No doubts about that. But, let's get a move on. No point hanging around this place now that we've got this."

"What is it anyway?"

"One of the things your father left behind for you and Loki," Jubei hefted the case and set it across his back, his swords clanking as they were shifted. "Though for now, you're not really ready for it."

"What, is it some kind of weapon?" Ragna couldn't help but crack the joke as he and Jubei returned to the derelict above."

"More… something symbolic. Look, no reason to think much on it. Let's get out of here. We've got a lot to do. Guess it's about time I start training you in earnest."

"What, you were barely trying already?"

Ragna gave a dry chuckle as they started off the path back to the cabin, Jubei looking back with a fang-lined smirk that made the boy's stomach sink in an instant.

"Oh, you have no idea the kind of training I'm ready to put your sorry ass through. But only once you've recovered enough that is," to emphasize the point, Jubei jabbed Ragna in his gut, the teenager's face winding up at the shot of pain that instantly ran through him. "Once you are, it'll be time to see just how you can handle that power of yours and then some."

"L-Looking forward to it…"

In a place well and away from that cabin, Loki was looking out to the land beyond, the roll of hills and grass soon parting way to a layer of clouds to whatever lay below it. Raising his left arm, the black, silver clasped wrappings wound across the limb briefly flickered with Crimson light, which he snuffed with a quick flex of his fingers.

"Loki! The view is nice and all, but it's time we got moving," the voice of Nine caught the boy's attention, and he turned to face the pink haired mage as she waited near the tree line, an impatient spark in her amber eye. "Come on brat, we're killing daylight."

"Got it, Teacher," chuckled Loki, taking one more moment to glance at the horizon beyond, a cocky smirk coming to his face. A new world and new trials. I know we'll cross paths again soon enough, Ragna. Until then, you better be sure to get strong. I won't stand you losing to anyone else before we get our rematch.

And so, the wheel of fate was set turning on a new possibility. A world whose history would be familiar but new all at the same time for the two Flames who found themselves in it. What awaited one could only guess as the brothers set out on their separate paths in their new lives.

Wherever it may lead.

Hours after Jubei and Ragna had departed, with the sky darkening over the remains of the home that once was, a figure appeared as if through the very darkness itself. An amused hum left his mouth as he set a tune, trotting along the ruins of the house as his dark coat flared in the air.

"Ahhhh~, seems I missed the fun!" the man's voice was light and playful, yet dry and dragged out in sound, as if just speaking was mustering up more effort than he cared to give. "A real shame. With the pulses I felt through the Azure, I was suuure I'd find something worth not. Ah but alas, seems some troublesome types were well ahead of me when it came to that! Hahaha… ahhh, not quite in a mood to be messing with any of the Six Heroes right now."

As the figure laughed again, his shadow shifted, stretching out across the ruins. Crimson eyes formed within the pool of dark, snarling rumbling through the air.

"Now now, calm down will you?" The man waved his arm, as if he were hushing a rowdy dog. "I know that scent is strong, Laddy, but for now I can't have you running too wild. The Mind would get rather ornery if I caused trouble right now, so let's lay low, my Fang."

The man's "shadow" quickly retreated. As he turned, the darkening sky cast light just enough to reveal the eyes hidden beneath his hood. One of Azure, and one of Crimson, both gleaming with dangerous light as the man strolled through the ashen remains, leaving drifts in the air as he faded away into the darkness, leaving only the sound of his amused voice.

"Those two are going to be mighty interesting. Hope to meet you soon, Flames of Paradox."