Chapter 6: Bloodlines


Cruelty has a human heart,

And Jealousy a human face,

Terror the human form divine,

And Secrecy the human dress..


"How are you guys holding up there?!" Ragna called out as two snake-like creatures took hold of his arms, squeezing tight in an attempt to bring him down. With a sharp tug though, he swung one at the other, loosening their grip upon impact as he looked on ahead.

"Could be better, keep it up!" Eizen replied, his punch knocking one of the stone golems back against the opposing wall.

This place was far too cramped for a fight like this. Having entered Faldies' Ruins, one would have expected a relatively easy time given the bare minimum of guards. But the Therion they found here… wasn't exactly in the most cooperative of moods. They had heard about her story in the city, but even he didn't expect her to transform and attack their group just like that.

"And she had to be a snake, huh?" Ragna muttered, raising his blade up to block and slice through another striking serpent the woman had conjured up. He was not fond of those reptiles, even before all this. Just the reminder of something else he truly disliked, but at least they didn't seem too tough to deal with. He watched as Velvet and Eleanor took on the Therion, Medissa, but he knew his help wasn't needed. The rest of them could deal with her conjured minions, and compared to Velvet, Medissa's own powers as a Therion were untested.

It didn't take long before the pair tired her out enough to revert her monstrous transformation, though the woman still glared at them with contempt.

"Curse you, Lord of Calamity!" he heard her hiss, all while looking at a disinterested Velvet.

"That's the name of the daemon lord who will bring about the Age of Chaos. The unrepentant embodiment of malevolence whose blind pursuit of self-gratification will rain destruction upon the world. The irredeemable, uncontrollable personification of human sins… An evil like you!" Medissa continued.

Huh, well ain't that an interesting title? Ragna stood back, arms crossed as he watched the exchange. Velvet wouldn't let such an insult get on her nerves of course. If anything, she may even relish the role.

"Daemon, therion, Lord of Calamity… Call me whatever you like. But if I'm this supposed lord of daemons, then you're just a minion to be used as I please, nothing more." Velvet answered.

One who would destroy the world, a term that had been applied to Ragna himself from a bygone time. "Different from the Calamity Trigger though," he told himself. The Successor of the Azure as some would call it, mostly applying to his sister even prior to the merging.

"…I will fight you until my dying breath!"

"Seriously?" Ragna sighed, half-tempted to just walk forward and punch the snake woman square in the face. Thankfully he didn't have to as Phi and Eleanor tried to calm her down. Something about not wanting to lose any more mothers to avoid any more needless conflict. Which worked… kind of. The woman's guilt seemed enough to cause her to collapse.

"She'll be all right. She's just unconscious." Said Rokurou as he leaned down to confirm the woman's status.

"Let's grab her and haul her back." Velvet said as she walked back, passing by Ragna at the entrance to the cell.

"She's not going to try to kill us on the way back is she?" Ragna asked, looking back behind him while he followed Velvet.

"I'll place her under a binding arte just in case." Eizen nodded his head.

A handy skill to have then. Still, they did mention that anything could happen to the city of Hellawes once they remove Medissa from here. They had to tread carefully.


Even on the way back, the atmosphere was pretty cold. And not just because of the snowy climate of the region. Eleanor and Phi were certainly shook up about what they had to do, especially regarding the guilt they felt for shaking the Therion's resolve.

Ragna couldn't help but look back behind them, just to make sure they weren't falling behind. Or that the therion wasn't causing trouble even while she was being carried by Rokurou.

"That Eleanor… I swear, she feels way more responsibility for everything that she needs to." Velvet sighed in front of him.

"Piling on the blame for yourself isn't going to help much easier, Lord of Calamity." Ragna answered, earning him another swift jab to his shoulder as Velvet paused.

"That's not what I'm worried about. What if she pushes too far and erupts with malevolence?"

Eizen walked beside them and offered up his own response.

"Malevolence is borne out of many things. A prideful ego, the self-righteousness that turns a blind eye to one's inner contradictions. Eleanor is different. She's mindful of her ego and strives to confront her inconsistencies of character."

"She has a purity of heart that won't be tainted by the emotions that create malevolence," Magilou interrupted, "No other quality is as essential for an exorcist."

"So she's probably OK?" Velvet wondered.

"For now at least." Eizen said. "But human hearts can be fickle things. Who knows what the future holds?"

"Eh, I doubt you got anything to worry about. For most exorcists, "purity" is a construct of the Abbey's teachings. And Eleanor, she's the real deal. Ooh! But if you think about it, take a look at Ragna here. From what I can observe, he's actually pretty pure himself despite using Malevolence as a weapon."

"Huh?" Ragna looked at the witch.

"True enough. You don't have the qualities or mindset that should normally radiate malevolence. As far as I could sense, malevolence only comes up when you get into a stressful fight."

He shrugged. "No qualities that you know of so far. I did already say that I might be a Malak didn't I?"

"Perhaps. But I still don't know of any Malak with such a seemingly perfect memory as you do. Or one that hasn't succumbed to your own constant generation of malevolence. Purity is handy for any exorcist… but more than that, it's a rare and precious temperament for living. Everybody's got an ego and certain internal contradictions to some degree. Facing one's own ugliness in an honest manner is never easy. If you were human, then it feels like you've already come to terms with your own inner turmoils." Eizen replied.

"I mean, no one's perfect." Ragna nodded his head in agreement.

"But Artorius can't accept that." Velvet said, bringing them back to the motive of their actions. "Come on, let's keep going. The sooner we get out of this area, the better."

The way back to Hellawes wasn't complicated. Drifting snow and a blizzard notwithstanding, the group was well-prepared to make the trip just as it was with getting to the Ruins. And yet right before they entered the city, a chill ran down Ragna's spine. Not the chill that came from the cold, but something else entirely that warned him of something familiar. But he can't quite remember where.

"Did you feel it too?" Eizen looked at him.

Ragna shook his head. "I'm not even sure what 'it' is exactly. Any ideas?"

"I'm sensing a Malak's Domain. It's weak, but it's also… dark. It's not something I'm familiar with either, especially one so close to a place like Hellawes."

"That's concerning," Ragna said as they made their way through the gates. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary, with Eleanor explaining how the last time a Therion was removed from their spot, the people in the surrounding area were consumed by malevolence and started attacking others. If this place here was still fine, it should still mean there's still time to leave before any such event happened.

At the port however, waited an imposing sight. A fair-skinned man with blond hair and an outfit of white, blue and gold with arms crossed facing them. He seemed important enough, flanked by an entourage of what can only be assumed to be other exorcists, barring them from reaching the Van Eltia. From the corner of his eye, Ragna could see Dyle and Benwick peering over a side railing, observing and keeping quiet.

"Going somewhere?" the man asked, opening one green eye. The entirety of his left eye was covered, a recovering injury perhaps? The rest of the group seemed to recognize him though, but the way the man's gaze seemed fixed on Ragna himself was worrying.

"Oscar, what are you doing here? No, I suppose it's obvious. You're here to prevent us from taking the Therion aren't you?" Velvet stepped in front, her wrist blade pointed straight at him.

"Hmph. Tempted as I am to do just that, I would have to decline. No, that is not my purpose here. Feel free to leave my sister's city. I will even let you take the Therion with you. But, we have business with him." Oscar drew his sword and pointed straight at Ragna.

Ragna stepped to the side, only to sigh when the man's sword followed his direction. No mistake there, somehow he was the target here. "Why? I don't recall ever meeting you before. And if it's anything involving a poorly drawn wanted poster, that's a load of bull." He glared back.

"That's none of your concern." Oscar replied to him, and then looked at Velvet. "But we are giving you a choice. Surrender him to us, and you'll be free to go on your way. But should you choose conflict, then any damage done here or the surrounding area is on your conscience, if you have one."

That last part was expertly calculated, Ragna realized. From the corner of his eyes, he could see people closing windows and locking doors. Are the exorcists really fine with letting innocent people get caught in the crossfire? He was confident they could take all these opponents on, but there's too much of a population here.

"We're not giving him up. Why don't you stand down instead?" Velvet growled. The rest of Oscar's guards raised their weapons in response, as if prepared to retaliate.

"Wait," Ragna interrupted, stepping forward himself to stand beside Velvet. "I don't know what the hell you want me for, but I'm not letting anyone do more than they should. I'll stay behind, if you let them get a headstart before you deal with me."

"That sounds reasonable enough." Oscar nodded his head.

"What? No! This isn't a trade, Ragna. These are Exorcists! Whatever they want with you can't be any good!" Velvet looked at him.

"Relax, Velvet. If they try anything, I doubt they can stop me. This way at least, there's less people involved."

"Oh how noble of you." Magilou said. "I'd say take our praetor up on that offer soon before he grows tired of waiting. I suppose I can stay behind as well, just to watch and make sure."

"Is that your decision?" Eizen looked at him and Ragna nodded his head in response. Not the best decision, but the options are limited. And if he could listen to what this group had to say, it may just offer him up a few new viewpoints about how or why he's here.

"Don't you dare die on us." Velvet whispered to Ragna, and then turned away as the group began to head away and past the rows of Exorcists who were letting them pass by one by one.

Ragna scowled however, once the Van Eltia started to leave. If it's to be him against Oscar and his group, that should be fine. He was their source of contempt, so he'll take them on alone if it was necessary. Still, Magilou was standing off to the side, just waiting and watching as the ship travelled further and further away. She's going to watch, apparently, which was a bit unnerving come to think about it.

"Talk," he said. "The fact that you piqued my curiosity is the only reason I made sure they all got away first. If I don't like what I hear, then I'm ending you all." He said, drawing his sword.

"Straight to the point then. I have no reason to hide anything from you then." Oscar replied. He held his hand out, telling his guards to stand down as he approached Ragna. "You say what I have to say caught your interest? Then the same can be said of the Abbey. Your existence as a Malak of Malevolence did not go unnoticed and Lord Artorius wishes to know if you are a threat to the world or not."

"Of course," Ragna frowned. "I thought Velvet was your Lord of Calamity, not me?"

"If you threaten the world, then you would be a Calamity as well. But perhaps if you cooperate with us, then such a crisis could be averted. Your help would be preferable instead of being in conflict." Oscar replied.

"Oh yeah, that's a very convincing argument." Ragna answered dryly. "You bring your crew here, threaten my friends, and get me all alone. That totally makes me want to join your side."

"Must we resort to force? Your sister was more compliant."

Everything froze.

"The hell did you just say?" Ragna said, the intensity of his gaze suddenly causing Oscar to step back. "What did you mean by 'my sister?' Are you keeping her captive?"

"So it is true…" Oscar murmured to himself.

"Answer the goddamn question, or I'll beat the answer out of you!"

There was no response. Whether Oscar was unsure of how to respond or if he was deliberately hiding something… he didn't care. Ragna was on him in an instant, his arm ready to grab his throat and force him to talk.

And yet, the opposite happened. Oscar would not have been able to react, and yet someone's hand now gripped Ragna's throat, stopping his momentum entirely as he was lifted up off the ground. And the one whom he was looking down upon now was…

"Ever so hot-headed… dear brother. I'm disappointed, but not surprised that this is how you choose to act."

"S-Saya… what the hell?!" Ragna looked on. The wind rushed past him as she flew forward, barreling right past the Hellawes Gates to slam him right through a tree, the impact shattering the trunk before she let go, letting him roll against the snowy landscape.

He recovered mid-roll though, and he brought his sword down, sticking it into the icy ground to stop his movement. There are far too many things in his mind right now, worse than before. Looking up, he watched as Saya floated right at the ruined remains of the tree, gazing down upon him with a more than gleeful expression.

In the distance, the sounds of Oscar and his entourage were running to catch up with what just happened.

"Did I overdo it? I thought you would have struggled a bit more?" she replied, looking at her fingers.

"Caught me off-guard more likely." Ragna answered as he raised himself up. Saya… was not a prisoner then. But wait, why would she even look like this, taking this form? He knew this, this was Saya's Drive, Izanami. The embodiment of her desire to bring everything to a world of death. But that aspect of her should be gone now, subsumed into Noel when he forced their merge once before. So why in hell was this version of his sister here?

"You've been weakened as well, haven't you, brother? Surely you've realized it?" she asked, a halo-like object appearing around her, only to separate and rush at him from three different angles. The first he avoided, and the two to his sides, he blocked with the Aramasa.

"Why the hell are you working with them?" Ragna asked, standing his ground.

'They were the fastest way I can look for you." She replied. She stood behind him now, and an instinctive block to his back stopped her kick from knocking him away once more. "When we first arrived in this world, you rejected my existence and would rather strike out on your own. Now why is that?"

"Yeah, I don't remember any of that." Ragna frowned, swinging his blade down, carving a deep gash into the land in front of him, though Saya had returned to her original spot by the tree at an instant.

"You wound me, brother. Is this any way to treat me?"

"Says the one who slammed my head against that thing." He replied and his blade out, the grip reversed in a defensive stance. "So you found me, what now? Are you going to keep working with the Abbey then?"

"Unyielding Order and the power of Will. It is an interesting concept, not too different from where we come from. I think you may actually like it, considering all you've been through. After all, you are just like me are you not? You wish to destroy things, right? Me… Yourself… This whole world…!" a laugh escaped her lips. "And when we become one, ah… to think of the endless possibilities…!"

He was quiet, listening to her words before he sighed, lowering the weapon. "I think something's wrong with your head if that's the conclusion you came up with. You can't even figure out who you are."

"Oh? Do you claim to know yourself much better then?"

"Uhhh, yeah? First off, you call yourself Saya. Fine enough as it is. But your form is that of her drive, Izanami. And just recently, you're starting to act like Nu talking all that crap about becoming one with me or whatever. You're having an identity crisis and you haven't even realized it y –ack!" he found Saya gripping his throat once more, her gaze colder than the snow around them.

"Stop talking, Ragna."

"Not… gonna happen. Think about your situation more, and you might… see the… contradictions." He looked down, before he delivered a powerful kick to her side and sent Saya flying far to his right. He rubbed around his throat, coughing ever so slightly and then looked at her direction. She didn't even land on the ground. Before that could even happen, Oscar had moved with surprising speed to cushion her fall. He narrowed his eyes at the sight before he turned towards the other approaching Exorcists, already spreading out to surround him.

"Take him down!" came Oscar's order.

"I am seriously not in the mood for this. But fine, guess I'll take out my frustrations on the lot of you!" Ragna said as the first spell was shot at him. A simple fireball, followed by a bunch of his friends rushing in to cut him down. If they were seriously expecting to kill him this way, then they're in for a rude awakening.

A few dozen Exorcists in total, supported by some of the Malakhim at their side. Not all, but even as he swiped the first fireball away with his sword, he dashed forward and was upon the first spellcaster in the blink of an eye.

"Wha-!" a punch to the gut knocked the Exorcist out cold and Ragna tossed him straight at one of the other mages standing back in support. He was right in the thick of it, swords and spears now raised in confusion as they tried to cut him down where he stood. All of that didn't matter as he swung the blade in a wide half-circle around him, the flat end of the blade catching a few unlucky Exorcists into the momentum as they were tossed away. The wind from the shockwave knocked away fully half of the remaining exorcists surrounding him.

"Such inhuman strength…" Oscar looked on, as the young knight steeled himself for the battle to come. Before he could talk to Saya again however, he noticed that she flew forwards, a dark, mist-like energy surrounding her as she struck Ragna's weapon.

But Ragna was no longer caught off-guard. He parried Saya's strike with one clean movement, the impact staggering her just as Ragna's blade shifted direction as if to be brought down upon her. There was another clang of metal as Oscar placed himself in between the two, his sword raised to stop Ragna's own. But the impact was strong enough that it forced the Praetor down on one knee.

Oscar may have been cut down then and there, but Ragna was forced to leap away as three projectiles shot out at him, aimed from Saya'a direction. Though he avoided them, he took one look and scowled. Two exorcists came at him from behind with spears, though he grabbed one of the weapons and tugged to disarm the first Exorcist. The second, he struck with the back of the spear, the impact crumpling part of his helmet, enough to knock him out cold.

Another three projectiles from Saya, though these three formed a menacing rotation around him. And at the last second, he leaped forward… only to be intercepted by Oscar once more. The Praetor was on the offensive this time, swinging again and again with his sword. Each strike increased in power and intensity, forcing Ragna to go on a more reactionary response as he was slowly pushed back.

Midway through the onslaught, one of the Malakhim seemed to have imbued Oscar's blade with the elemental power of lightning, sending sparks and electricity coursing through Ragna's own weapon. It was mildly discomforting… but the tables soon turned as Ragna dropped his weapon, letting Oscar's latest thrust to miss completely. Something Ragna took advantage of by delivering a punch right into the praetor's chest, knocking the wind out of him and causing him to double over in pain.

"Still barely standing though. Not bad. But stay down if you know what's good for you." Ragna said as he picked up the handle of his sword once more. He gazed ahead at Saya… though his eyes widened. Both of her hands were raised up behind her, legs crossed as she floated there. A stance he knew could only mean…

He couldn't even finish the thought before he found himself sailing through the air with a kick. Four more strikes… all at different angles and quite disorienting given how different his vision seemed to change every time he was struck. The pain remained though and Saya soon came at him from above, and forcefully dragged him down to carve a path through the snow and dirt. She lifted him up again into the air, and then slammed him down into the ground.

Pain wracked his body but Ragna forced himself to stand. An exhausted Saya met his gaze, her eyes a mix of surprise and… what can only be described as fear.

"How…? You shouldn't even be standing…? And why is He there….?"

"Because you told me to?" Ragna coughed out. She had dragged him forward again, closer to the edge of a cliff this time. And the wind around them picking up even more. "We're finishing this. You chose to pick a fight with me, and there will be consequences." He said as he raised his sword once more. He glanced briefly to his right, noticing that damned Praetor, Oscar, running once more to catch up as he stood behind Saya. "Persistant son of a-"

"We've miscalculated," Oscar murmured. "Lady Saya, return to the ship."

"Better," Ragna frowned.

"I'll hold him off until more help arrives."

Ragna was silent for a moment and sighed. "Goddamn it. You're going to die if you think you can keep this up!"

Oscar shook his head and drew his sword once more and stood in front of Saya. "Be that as it may, these are orders from Lord Artorius. And seeing the power of a calamity in the making first hand, I have a duty to cut you down. Prepare yourself."

Oscar charged. Unfazed, Ragna stepped to the side as the Praetor missed, overstepping but turning around in what would have been an amazing recovery. But Ragna blocked the next strike, and the next, and then he responded with a heavy swing that forced Oscar back. Another swing, and the Praetor soon found himself back against the cliff. The man was breathing heavily… but his eye still looked on with grim determination.

"That much devotion verges on the point of obsession. I hope you realize that isn't serving you anything." Ragna said, the Aramasa changing shape. From the sword he had just been using, the tip seemed to split and curve, the crimson energy emanating from it making it look more like a scythe wielded by a god of death. The Grim Reaper himself ready to harvest a soul. Ragna lifted the scythe up, breathed in deep, and then swung it at the Oscar.

A ribcage stopped him. Or at least, what looked like the Spectral Construct of a ribcake. It surrounded Saya, flickering momentarily against the momentum of the scythe's swing. She couldn't maintain it, not after using so much of her strength… untested as it was. But it held as she stood in front of Oscar.

"Brother… how dare you...?" Saya replied, gritting her teeth. "The Azure, it belongs to the both of us. You have no right to keep it to yourself!"

"The Azure? You think this has anything to do with it now?" Ragna replied, his right eye a deep crimson now. "You want the Azure? Fine! I'll show, you the power of the Azure!"

She strengthened her barrier, encompassing the entire area in front of her extending past the visible ribcage.

"I'll show you fear," Ragna said darkly as he swung the scythe again and again, the ribcage cracking with each strike, "There is no hell. Only the void."

The construct shattered and Saya turned around, a moment too late as the scythe tip sliced across her back and sent her flying forward. Oscar caught her… but that was all he could do as the force of the blow knocked the two off the edge of the cliff.

It took a moment for him to fully take in what just happened. It was self-defense, he knew that. And more of the Exorcists will be coming after him. But his hands were trembling. The scythe wasn't deactivated as he held it out with one hand. A blood trail stained the snowy ground… frozen even as snow continued to fall to eventually cover it up.

All his irritation came out there. Bubbling up to the surface as he lashed out at his own sister no less, despite the fact that he knew they were beaten. Did he have to go that far?

He heard murmurs now and he turned around, finally noticing the remaining Exorcists cautiously trying to surround him. As he clenched his fist, the slightest movements caused many to back off.

"He bested them."

"Lord Oscar and the Malak."

"What a monster."

"What can we do?"

More commentary. Annoyed as he was, he shook his head.

"Behold your doom, Exorcists of the Abbey!"

It was Magilou, perched over a precarious-looking rock formation. "You stand before the Herald of the Calamity! The Reaper to feast upon your souls and plunge the world into an eternity of darkness!"

"…Stop…" Ragna whispered, but the witch continued.

"To face him is to fight against the dark reflection of the Shepherd himself. Scatter now! And save yourselves! Before his hunger returns!"

He didn't need that kind of introduction. Not now. He may even play around with that claim at another time, but too many things have begun weighing heavily on his mind. This was not a good day, not at all.

"Go!" he shouted, watching with annoyance as the rest of the Exorcists turned and fled. Many pausing only to carry their fallen comrades back with them. At the very least, they'll be left alone for a bit.

With no one else, the energy trail of his scythe disappeared as it reverted back to his sword. He half-dragged it across the snow, eyes downcast as he made his way back to Hellawes. He wasn't really sure what he was expecting to find right now but as Magilou stood beside him, he sighed.

"Not bad. I didn't expect you not to need my help at all." The witch said.

He didn't reply. He tried, making sure no one else got involved unless they wanted to. But still, a lot more questions popped up. Questions with no clear answer. And a guilt that began gnawing away at him. This wasn't right…