Rebel 1: New Continuum

With the retrieval of whatever was left in the remains of the cabin dealt with, Ragna didn't have much of a choice but to spend the next few days letting his body recover from his injuries.

Whether he remembered his life in the previous Continuum or not, the fact was his current body was not the one he had before. Whatever tolerances he had built up towards his Azure Flame and any other training he had undergone before meant nothing now. So, it was now on his mind to get his body up to snuff again so that the methods of fighting he did remember could actually be useful to him. Which would take time, which he at least seemed to have plenty of.

Once he had recovered enough to not instantly keel over from a light gut punch, Jubei's so stated training began for real. At first, the Beastman focused simply on the fundamentals of training, shoring up Ragna's basic hand-to-hand and swordsmanship skills, doing little to focus on the newfound powers the teenager possessed.

"Let's not be in a rush to tackle those, yeah? First thing is first, building that body up so whatever that Flame is doesn't go and tear you apart using it."

A rather like-minded way of thinking, so Ragna could appreciate that much. Granted, Jubei had not been messing around when he said the training would be far from easy. While the cat-man wasn't flat out attempting to kill Ragna, each training session undertaken was more like a beating than anything. Any scrap of progress Ragna felt like he made as the days went on usually got dashed nigh-immediately when Jubei stepped up his own pace to bring himself back ahead of the curve.

And this became the routine from there as days became weeks. When it wasn't foraging and hunting, it was training. It was about two months into this routine that a chance slipped in however. From memory, Ragna knew that Jubei tended to be out for various reasons, "jobs" was all the cat had ever told him and Loki when he would stop by their cabin.

And it was during one of these "jobs" that Ragna saw a chance to get some extra practice of his own in.

Jubei, under his own assumptions—and hardly without reason—wasn't prone to letting Ragna wander too far out into the woods even when they were hunting. Wouldn't do to let him get dragged into fighting any Seithr corrupted animals in the lower levels of the region they lived in when he was still in the basics of his training. Of course, Ragna knew more than he would say.

Granted, he also fully expected Jubei to put together there would be no way in hell Ragna wasn't about to do what he was planning to the second he was out of sight of the old Master.

So of course, he was doing just that.

Moving to the lower levels as intended, Ragna could feel it quite quickly as the seithr in the air began to thicken. He wasn't planning to go too far down, even if he knew his Flame offered him more than ample protection from the seithr and its effects. Just far enough down the usual animals one could spot began to look more than a little warped in appearance.

"Alright… let's see what comes on out first."

Ragna palmed the hilt of the simple katana he had at his hip. He'd have certainly preferred a better sword, something closer to what he'd wielded in his previous world, but he had to take what he could get for now. He simply hoped the thing could stand up to what he was about to do.

When he heard some rustling from behind, Ragna immediately leapt up into a nearby tree, just in time for something to go charging beneath him in an attempt to gore him through. As he landed on a branch, Ragna snickered to see a rather confused boar looking around. The seithr corruption meant the beast was sporting a rather hefty number of new spikes and horns alongside it's elongated and sharpened tusks, not to mention the fierce red glow of its eyes.

"Wheooo," the boy gave an impressed whistle at the size of the creature too. "If you weren't corrupted you'd make a damn good meal for a few days… eh, actually I can probably fix that. Hehe… time to see how the Flame works in this world."

Ragna dropped back to the ground, unsheathing his katana as the boar caught sight of him. When the beast came charging in, Ragna took hold of the sword, a flash of Azure rising along the blade as he planted his foot down.

"Banishing Viper!"

Ragna swung his blade into a lunge, meeting the boar's charge head on. The Azure-coating across the blade ignited into a burst of flame, the edge of the sword sparking as it collided with the boar's tusks, leaving a decent nick in the growths as flecks of Azure spat across the beast's hide. And as it was reeling from the sudden sensation it no doubt caused, Ragna freed his left hand from the sword, Azure coating his fist as he swung it into a follow up strike, slamming the boar to the side and right into another tree, a sickening crack echoing from the wood.

"Tch… would've been a one-shot before now," though Ragna was more interested in his weapon's condition. Surprisingly, for now anyway, it was holding up, barely even seeming to have been affected by the influx of Azure. "That's good enough. As for you…"

The stunned boar yanked itself free of the tree, shuddering its body to try and free itself of the Azure clinging to its hide. As it plowed a hoof, readying yet another charge, Ragna gave a sigh. Raising his right hand after swapping his katana to his left, Azure sparked at his palm as the board took its first step forward. The spark of Azure burst from Ragna's hand, growing in size for a large orb that rushed through the air, engulfing the boar in an instant as it collided head on.

The air was filled with the boar's shriek as it fell to the side. Ragna took a step forward, the Azure coating the boar ebbing back to his arm as he laid a hand on the dead beast. And once the Azure was gone, in its place came black, smoky wisps of energy, following the Azure and passing through the bindings on his arm. After a moment, the wisps vanished, Ragna lifting his right hand and flexing the fingers.

"So, looks like the absorption functions still works like it used to. Guess seithr isn't all that different from mana, even if it's more corruptive than that stuff was. Good stuff… and I guess I've got my lunch for the next few days till Jubei gets back."

Hefting the boar to his shoulders, Ragna started making his way back. He could resume his practice after getting his kill safely into storage back at Jubei's cabin.

"Why am I not surprised?"

Jubei's return a couple of days after Ragna's venture into the deeper woods had about the expected response. Ragna sitting there with not a single hint of regret on his face as he was cooking up a stew with the meats he'd collected during his practice certainly lent to Jubei's more than obvious hints of annoyance.

"So…" grumbled the old cat, "This is how you spent the last couple of days, huh?"

"Not like I had much else to do while I was on my own."

"Didn't I say not to go lower down the mountain if you were going to go hunting?"

"Was easier to practice if I had something to actually fight."

"… geez," Jubei just shook his head, Ragna not looking at all ashamed as he munched on a strip of meat. "How the heck did you even figure those animals were safe to eat huh?"

"This," Ragna held up his right arm. "Turns out this thing can absorb seithr. Made the meat perfectly safe to eat, no worries."

"Don't just go and skip by that part!" Jubei's shout. "Didn't I say not to mess around with that Flame thing for now? You've got no idea how dangerous it could be, and you're telling me it can absorb seithr?!"

I actually know exactly how dangerous it isn't. Of course, it wasn't like Ragna could snap back with a line like that. "Can ya' not hound me about it Gramps? If I'm gonna figure out what this thing is, I may as well try it out a bit, right? Won't figure out anything about it if I'm just sitting around waiting for when you decide it's time to see for yourself."

"Cheeky," Jubei folded his arms, shaking his head again. "Fine. Since you seem willing, let's test it."

"Huh?" Ragna choked a bit in surprise, off-guard from Jubei relenting.

"You're right. No point in sitting around. You're all healed up anyway, so no time like the present. Meet me out front after you finish up."

Ragna blinked a few times, eyes boring into Jubei's back as the beastkin strolled back out of the cabin. Hurrying up with his eating, Ragna grabbed his katana and darted out, still wiping his lips off as he found Jubei sitting at the usual stump he'd so often find the cat meditating on in the mornings. And also usually where the start of getting his butt handed to him began from.

"What do you even go out to do when it's 'work', huh?" Ragna tapped his sword across his shoulders, Jubei giving a chuckle.

"There's a town a few levels up from here. I do mercenary work here and there for the locals. How do you think I was paying for all the stuff you and Loki had, hmm? You didn't think we were living on some remote place in the middle of nowhere did you?" Ragna just glanced to the side. "Kind of a shame really, that cabin was a gift from a friend."

"Was it now?" Ragna looked away as a pang of guilt ran up him, a stilted chuckle forcing its way from his throat.

"Haha, no use crying over it now," Jubei hopped from the stump with a flip, raising an arm and flicking his sleeve. "Now let's get started. Come at me with everything you've got, that Flame included. If we're going to figure out just what it is, then you need to let loose. Don't worry too much. If you lose control, I'll smack you back to your senses."

"You're gonna smack me around anyway. I doubt I'll get anything close to a hit in… as usual."

"Hahaha! You've gotten pretty close a few times."

"If by close you mean because you dodge by a hair each time."

"Heh! Why the irritated face?" Jubei smirked as Ragna's brow cricked. "Come on Ragna, put some of that frustration into showing me what you've got with that Flame. I promise I'll be light with the hits today!"

"Goddamn… fine then!"

Ragna unsheathed his katana, tossing the sheathe aside as he took his stance, Jubei flicking his sleeve in a "come at me" gesture. He led off with the same lunging strike he'd used on the boar, though kept his mouth shut about shouting its name or anything like that. Unsurprisingly, Jubei side stepped the lunge, and when Ragna followed up into a haymaker, the cat tapped the boy's fist aside, letting Ragna's own momentum carry him forward.

Ragna stamped his foot on the ground as Jubei pulled away, twisting his torso as he adjusted the grip on his sword, swiping it upwards from his low hold. A wave of Azure burst from the sword, rising like a beastly maw and rushing for Jubei. The beastkin gave a chuckle, a quick swipe of claws that burst out from his jacket slicing through the wave of power with ease. And yet as the wave was fading, Jubei was next greeted with Ragna already leaping through the air, the Azure coating his sword expanding as he kept a two-handed grip on it, swinging the blade down as the Azure coating burst outwards, shaped like a scythe as Ragna tore it through the air.

Jubei backstepped from the slash, Ragna rolling across the ground and past the gash he'd created from the slash, charging in with a series of Azure-charged slashes. Jubei deflected each one with quick swipes of his claws and broke through the flurry, proceeding to springboard off Ragna's chest and into the air, clearly daring the boy to try and chase him upwards. Which he did, Ragna leaping upwards with his sword ablaze, held in reverse as he chased Jubei upwards, the air ringing as claws collided with the blade.

Jubei used the chance to springboard off Ragna again, darting back to the ground in a blink. But Ragna wasn't that far behind, shifting the grip on his blade as Azure burst from it again, sending him rocketing downwards. Jubei caught the diving attack with his claws, and when Ragna swung his sword back around to try and follow up, Jubei responded by hooking the katana between his claws, flinging Ragna to the side. The moment Ragna hit the ground, he carried the roll he would have fallen into to a fast recovery, Jubei looking amused he managed such.

Jubei then gestured again, Ragna giving a growl as he shot forward. This time with a leap, Ragna brought his sword down with a flaring wing of Azure following his arcing slash. When Jubei caught the sword, Ragna moved to follow it up with an axe kick, only for Jubei to catch that and slam him into the ground just as quickly. And before he could recover, Ragna was met with one of Jubei's claws in front of his face.

"See what I meant?" Ragna sighed as he let his head flop back, Jubei chuckling as the claw retracted into his sleeve. "Not even close to getting a hit in."

"Hey, take some pride in the fact you were keeping up at the least," Jubei went back to his former seat, Ragna sitting up as he grumbled. "Anyway, time for the assessment. I'm kind of surprised how well you were moving. For a bunch of stuff you had to be coming up with on the fly, what you were throwing at me wasn't so bad."

Because they're techniques I already knew. This body of mine just can't keep up with what I want it to do right now. Again, Ragna left that thought unsaid, merely flexing his right hand as he laid his arm over his knee. "Well some of it just felt… natural. I dunno, maybe that crystal this Flame was in had something etched in it and all I did was act it out."

"Haha, sure, whatever you want to say it could be. You're still pretty rough around the edges though. How many times have I gotta tell you to tighten your swings up? You're just wasting energy by swinging that way."

"Yeah yeah…"

"The ukemi was good though. It helps you're naturally agile. Guess that thin body of yours has gotta be good for something if you can't build up muscle the same way your old man did!"

"I'm 14, lay off!" Ragna's slightly embarrassed face got a cackle from Jubei, the boy grumbling as he leaned on his other hand. "So… what's even the plan with training me then, huh? There's gotta be some reason you're suddenly interested in it beyond the basics now."

"It's that Flame, obviously," Jubei's answer got a hum from Ragna. "Kid, remember what that vampire said? Whatever that thing is, there isn't a doubt in my mind it'll start attracting unsavory types after that kind of power."

"Pretty regular thing, isn't it?"

"Oh ho ho, trust me, it is. Any of those books you read say anything about Grimoires?"

"Some, I think."

"You remember any details?" Jubei leaned on a paw, a curious glint in his eye as Ragna started mulling over it.

"I remember they were developed during the Dark War. Nine made them as Ars Magus control units, and now the NOL regulates them. Though… I think there were some types that existed before the Dark War? Wasn't it… right, the Azure Grimoire. Some books talked about it, and Loki seemed pretty interested in the thing," Ragna's eyes widened when a sudden realization hit. "… and here I am toting around a thing called the Azure Flame… that's not gonna bode well for some people, is it?"

"Well, it obviously isn't a Grimoire, but power is power," Jubei then gave a snicker. "Though the Azure Grimoire is a bit different. The reason books talk about it is because the thing is technically the most powerful Remnant to exist. Or at least, so the stories go. If you want to be technical, any Remnant could be the Azure people talk about, and they're so sought out because folks keep trying to find out which among those countless shards could be the one."

"And which one do you think it is?" Ragna tilted his head, a curious glint in his eyes.

"The Beast's heart. Ain't a doubt in my mind that thing is the Azure Grimoire so many people are looking for. Funny thing is, even though it's the one thing that should've been the easiest to find even among all the other Remnants, not a soul has found it even after 100 years."

"I mean, with how thick the Seithr gets the closer you are to the surface, wouldn't the place the Beast died be the single worst place to try and go? The heart would basically be untouchable, wouldn't it?" Ragna's answer was nothing but common sense, yet Jubei gave a chuckle.

"You'd think so. Buuut some types have found ways to get through even the thickest walls of Seithr before. Troublesome types, to keep it simple. And yet the Azure has evaded their grasp for all this time."

"… and why is that?"

"Because the Azure Grimoire is already held by someone… or to be precise, it is someone. Someone very good at being evasive and only showing up when he wants to."

"… wait, it's a person?" Jubei snickered as Ragna tilted his head, his expression befuddled in every way. "So like, did someone actually find the thing and take it for themselves? Like… it merged with them the same way these Flames did me and Loki?"

"Close, but not quite. More like the thing became its own person. Remember how we mentioned Beasts a few weeks ago?"

"Yeah. Did the heart become a Beast somehow?"

"Yeah. And it wasn't the only one," Jubei sighed as Ragna gave him an all too intrigued look. "It's not important for now. Well… okay it is important, but there's no point telling you all of the details for now. Just know that this Beast is dangerous. Not someone you're anywhere close to ready to deal with right now, so don't even think of it."

"Got it," Ragna did have a somewhat aggravated annoyed expression at being kept out of that one. "Can't you at least tell me a bit?"

"Nope. You're reckless enough as it is, I don't want you getting any stupid ideas in your head before you're even close to ready for that. Focus on your training for now."

"Fiiiine… though it's not just going to be training all the time is it? Being cooped up at the hut all the time is starting to wear on me a bit y'know?"

"Then visit the town sometime!" Jubei whacked Ragna with a sleeve, the boy giving a confused sound. "Sheesh… raising you boys in the woods might've been a bad idea. Alright, how about this? We need some more supplies, so how about tomorrow, you head into town and pick them up while I do my usual checks around the lower areas. Start with the general store, I'm pals with the owner. Guy named Rindo. He'll get you pointed in the right directions."

"Well I guess it's something to do," Ragna flinched when Jubei looked prime to smack him again. "I'll be sure to get what we need. May as well ask around too… though mind telling me some basics of where the heck we are to begin with?"

"Remind me of what you already know so I know you're not screwing around," Ragna sighed at Jubei's cutting words.

Time to parse the memories of this life again. Clearing his throat, he started. "The basics are that humanity lives in what're called the Hierarchical Cities. They were built on top of the tallest mountains in the world since the seithr the Black Beast's body spread around the world thins out at high altitudes. These cities maintain controlled climates with weather controlling Ars Magus. And there's… 23 of them, right?"

"Spot on," Jubei chuckled, Ragna sighing. "We're currently living in the area of the 7th City, Kazamotsu. It's one of the Hierarchical Cities in the Ikaruga region. You remember what was going on here, or that also something you didn't pay attention too?"

"Something about a civil war, I think…"

"Yeap. You remember that rumbling that happened about a month before you and Loki had that fight?"

"Yeah…" Ragna nodded as he thought back. "There was this… flash of light, and I remember the sound that came from it. What was that anyway?"

"That was the 5th City, Ibukido, being destroyed by a weapon known as Takemikazuchi," Jubei's voice dropped to a grim tone, Ragna remaining a bit placid. He wasn't unfamiliar with the notion of weapons with the power to destroy an entire city. "Ibukido was both the seat of power for the Ikaruga Federation and the largest of the cities. And it was wiped off the map in an instant. After that, the Federation's leaders fled to Wadatsumi, and things have been quiet since."

"Right… the Ikaruga Federation declared independence from the NOL a few years ago… they took exception to that."

The Ikaruga Federation and NOL, or Novus Orbus Librarium. The latter was the overall governmental force in the world, overseeing the Hierarchical Cities and all activities within, especially relating to Ars Magus and the magic tools that were Grimoires. The Federation was a group of the Cities that disagreed with the way the NOL ran things, and the Civil War sparked due to the refusal by the NOL to accept the Federation's claims of independence.

Far as Ragna took it, them destroying Ibukido with that Takemikazuchi weapon was little more than a flex of might, a way to discourage the Federation from fighting a war they couldn't hope to win.

"It's all one big fat mess of a situation… but not something to involve ourselves in. We're just wandering vagabonds doing jobs the NOL won't bother with. War ain't our business."

"Pretty frosty way to look at things, eh?"

"Just the way of it. Now, if you're gonna head to town, just follow the path that used to lead to the cabin in the other direction. You'll get to the town pretty easy once you find the main road, just head north once you're at it. The place passes through a main supply route for the gear-type elevator, so you'll know it when you see it."

"And what are you going to do?"

"Get dinner ready, what else? Just don't take too long picking those supplies up from Rindo's place if you want it hot, got it kid?"

"Yeah yeah."

Thinking about it… how the heck have I gone fourteen years living with just Loki and visits from Jubei? Really must've been too quiet if we were tolerating each other that much even without our Flames… or memories of our old world.

Ragna sighed to himself as he trotted along the forest pathway. He had some memory of the main road from his own training trips so that wasn't a hassle. It was just something of a thought to consider he'd spent his whole new life up until now cooped up in the woods. From his old memories, he still remembered the cities and the towns, dense with people and activity… for the most part anyway.

"Can't say I'm not curious what a world where everyone lives in mountaintop cities is like… still, I don't think I'd even guess this was a mountaintop if I didn't know anything about Ars Magus. Can hardly tell from here."

Following Jubei's directions, he turned to the northward path, following the carved in trails left by whatever vehicles had passed through long before him to see where they lead. It was quiet as things were, no real hint of any others traveling along so far. Though considering a house had burned down and the one to find Ragna and Loki had been some vampire, it wasn't hard to imagine they'd been living quite far out from the nearby town.

Though he could imagine some passerby would be curious why a 14-year-old was all on his own like this, but he figured he'd deal with it when it came.

"Only thing that could make this trek more interesting…"

"Kyaaaaaa!"

"Would be some random person being attacked in the woods…" Ragna sighed, not quite pleased his joking statement ended up occurring at the mere thought of it. "I was being sarcastic!"

Turning towards where he heard the shriek come from, Ragna launched off into the woods, bounding through the trees with practiced ease. He couldn't guess just how close or far it had been from, but he could feel something in the air. Particularly a faint but notable seithr signature, and he was getting closer to it with each step.

And then came the gunshots.

Hunters? Or maybe whoever it was just got surprised…

Leaping into the trees, Ragna came to a stop when his bounding came to a small clearing. He'd half expected to find a group of hunters on a trek gone awry, something that wouldn't be unusual out in the woods like this.

What he saw instead was perhaps more unusual.

A young girl, flat on her rear, staring in shock not at the body of the seithr corrupted wolf before her, but the large, rectangular pistols she was gripping. She was dressed a bit too nicely for just going to play out in the woods, said nice clothes now scuffed by dirt and just a bit of blood. Her green eyes were wide and shaking, locked on the weapons she was holding. Whatever had happened, it also left her short blonde hair in a complete mess.

Yet Ragna felt something else. Not just the power he could feel from her weapons, which were quick to vanish, sending the girl yelping back. But a different feeling… a familiar one.

"It's faint… but that girl has traces of the Azure in her. What's with that?" While it seemed all was well as the girl stood, Ragna heard rustling, spotting the underbrush shuddering behind her. "Ah dammit…"

Ragna was already drawing his sword as he leapt from his perch. Blade coursing in Azure light, he brought the edge down on another corrupted wolf that leapt for the girl. The beast's hide caught the blade even as it dug into muscle and bone, the creature snapping for Ragna. He took his left hand and slammed it to the beast's face, a burst of Azure from his palm finishing the creature off.

"Wh-What…?" Ragna heard the girl behind his, turning to her as he flicked the remnants of Azure off his arm and sword. "Who… who are you?"

"Hmm…" Ragna rolled the idea of introducing himself over. He decided against it. "Just a passing by swordsman. I was headed towards the town near here when I heard you. You alright?"

"Y-yes I…" the girl stood, stumbling a bit. Ragna could only sigh. "S-Sorry! My legs don't seem to want to work, ahahaha…"

"… damn my better nature," Ragna hissed as he put a hand to his forehead. "Want me to help you out? You're probably in a bit of shock from whatever happened. I can help you get back to town."

"Th-Thank you very much!"

"… thank me when it's done dammit."

"S-Sorry… Y-yes, I would like some help."

"See? Simple as. Alight… up you go!"

The girl yelped when Ragna suddenly lifted her up, moving her to piggyback him as he was already getting to moving out of the clearing.

Jubei shouldn't start a fuss if I just do a good turn that happened to be on the way, thought the boy. Still… I wonder why I feel the Azure from this girl. No clue how it works in this world, but… something's there. Though I doubt she knows what it is.