Chapter 12: Mercy

These memories ache with the weight of fate

Ever we fight

Never we fly

Ever we fall

Forever we fall


Aball Church – Cliffside Path


It was an awkward silence as they observed him. Sitting by the far end of the long table, Ragna was still reeling from what just happened. Celica invited him in, sure, but there was still something uncomfortable about the way his two other siblings looked at him. Distrust mostly, though that mostly came from Jin's gaze.

And were they his siblings? They shared the same name, and the looks, but considering his current predicament, something else was at play here. But Saya, Jin, and Celica, all alive here… but much younger than they have any right to be from what he remembered from his memories. What kind of timeloop was going on this time? Was the world reset and somehow, everything else has changed to the point they couldn't be recognizable anymore? He didn't know. And what would that make him? Still a Malakhim out of time? But they weren't Malaks either as far as he could tell. So would that mean he still had his humanity?

"You still have the same features whenever you're annoyed." Celica giggled.

"Eh?"

"You won't say anything, but your eyes keep shifting around. And there's always that little scowl on your face. That's how I know it's still you."

Jin looked up at her and opened his mouth to protest but decided not to and slumped back on his chair. Saya was looking from Celica to Ragna, more curious than annoyed but still, how exactly was he supposed to respond to this?

"You don't seem too surprised though?" he replied, breathing in deep as if to calm himself down.

"I admit, I didn't think it was you. It was only over a year ago that you just disappeared. We didn't even know if you fell off the cliff but here you are now, somehow grown up! What happened?"

"Wait, wait, hold on! I'm not expecting an interrogation but let me just think for a bit." Ragna replied, his left hand rubbing the top of his forehead. "First things first, you guys moved here over a year ago, right? Was there anything in particular that happened before all that?"

"Before all that? Ragna, do you not remember your past? You, Jin, and Saya were from an Orphanage in Midgand. We travelled here to escape and found a new home."

Huh, that's new. Memory loss. It sure was easy to speak of, but it's not as if Ragna forgot everything. He understood any common sense that didn't require any thinking process. And he still carried the memory of who he was, or at least who the real Ragna was. A man who sacrificed himself for the sake of the world, that fact at least was a memory that was immutable. As for himself… wait, there was something he was remembering. The crew of the Val Eltia fished him out of the sea didn't they? So the story goes at least. But that didn't explain why he'd have aged that much in such a short amount of time trying to combine that with Celica's story.

"It doesn't matter. Right now, I'm still on a journey. Once it's done, I'll come back here and try to catch up."

"Wait, you're leaving again?!"

It was Jin who spoke up, a surprise this time as Ragna looked back at the boy. Jin's gaze, upset. "You just got back. We all thought you were never going to return and now it looks like you're in a rush to leave again. Why?"

"It's not that I want to. It's just… I have other responsibilities." Ragna answered, looking down at the table. "Besides, I didn't say it was going to be forever."

"It must be important…" Celica said with a nod of her head. "I'm sure nothing we say will change your mind but please, at the very least, stay here for a little bit. Jin and Saya need to know they can still look up to their big brother."

"If he really is our big brother." Jin mumbled, crossing his arms with a scowl.

Saya had gotten off her seat and walked over to Ragna. He looked on with mild amusement as she simply poked his side over and over, as if trying to make sure he really was there. Not that a little girl like her would know what to look for to make sure he was real but he allowed it. His own eyes had looked back to Celica's smiling visage and for the moment, he allowed himself to relax. Jin would be a problem in terms of earning his trust, but he can work on that.

He didn't know how long he meant to stay but it must have been a few hours now trying to make sure things were going smoothly. He had to help with chores of course. Cleaning the place, putting away dishes, and being urged to play with Saya and a reluctant Jin. An odd feeling as they were showing him things they obtained to entertain themselves. He was not at the same age of them, so it was more amusing than anything but he wouldn't dare tell them it was something he found little joy in. Because he did find joy, just being able to see them happy like this at least.

"Ragna, do you remember looking at the sky like this?" Celica asked him as they sat outside.

Night had crept up on them and underneath a tall tree, they could look up and see the darkened sky. The full moon was shining too, and he noticed Jin shirking away from it as he always did.

"It's clearer here, but yeah. It's been a while. Like diamonds on a raven gown…" he nodded his head.

"Maybe you should take up poetry? That was a wonderful comparison." Celica replied as she stood up and leaned back against the tree.

"I dabbled a bit in it trying to impress someone before. Don't think she really appreciated it though…" he shrugged.

"Oh?"

"Rachel can see if my heart's not really into it. Have to admit, I miss her sometimes." He replied.

"Mmmm, she does seem to be the type to keep things in order. But maybe we'll meet again soon." Celica nodded her head.

The answer caused Ragna's hands to clench into fists. He was in deep contemplation now, thinking of everything that had happened so far. He had suspected that something was wrong, but…

"Excuse me, I just need to check something." Ragna said and walked away towards the direction of the Church. The path was as he remembered it, from his old memories. An impossibility if this was originally a village that existed elsewhere before. But more than that, it was Celica's answer that made him second guess everything.

Rachel wasn't here. He had encountered her in a dream and she was not pleased at all. The fact that Celica 'recognized' who he was talking about, this Celica, sent a warning into his mind.

He paused at the entrance of the Church again, took in a deep breath and stared. For the past few hours, things were peaceful. He didn't have to worry about anything other than catching up with his family. And yet…

"Is something wrong?" asked Saya. She had followed him back though in the distance, he could see Celica and Jin making their way back as well.

Nothing was wrong. That in itself was the problem. Saya, Jin… the last hope that he was meant to protect until the very end, exchanged for their memories of him. Celica herself represented another life he could have chosen and yet…

In other words… this was the peaceful world of tranquility that he wished he had once before. His siblings were not in conflict, no one was hurt, a utopia that couldn't exist.

With a sad expression, Saya swung her small arms around her brother's neck, hugging him tight. "You're leaving again aren't you?"

A kindness that shouldn't exist. "Saya…" he said quietly, his own arms wrapping around her. "I know this won't make sense but… you're my sister. I remembered when you were sick and Jin continuously teased you or got jealous of it. I promised I would take care of you and protect you always. But… Saya I…" he paused again, "…I don't think you're real."

His voice broke, and he looked down at the ground. At his words, Saya hugged him tighter. "No matter what, I love you, big brother."

Petting and hugging the head of the sister he knew he loved, Ragna's voice murmured, "Thank you… I love you too, Saya. I swear, if nothing else, that's true…"

His right hand moved without faltering. His palm pressed against the back of the girl's head.

"-Goodbye, Saya."

Blood dripped down from his transformed claw as the girl's head was crushed before swiftly being absorbed into his Azure Grimoire.

Celica screamed. She cried out in fury and without control even as Jin rushed forward. The boy didn't even get to say anything as he was bisected in two, Ragna having swung the Aramasa in the blink of an eye.

"Wha… what did you do?!" Celica cried out, reaching out to him with a mix of pain and fury. But Ragna pressed down on her instead, entwining his transformed claws around that small throat.

"None of this is real." He said, looking directly at her.

No matter what this Celica was, the personality of the Celica he remembered was real. The despair and lamentation of Saya and Jin's murder; the hatred for the man who murdered his own siblings, they were unmistakeably what the real Celica would have bore, her genuine emotions.

Staring at it, accepting it, Ragna readied himself to take this last life.

"What are you… why do you reject… this? Your family… my love…. Why?"

"I…"

The voice that escaped his throat was empty. No sorrow, no anger. He turned his back on this. It was impossible to turn back now.

"I will destroy this world…"

Celica stared at Ragna as blood congested on her face. The eyes that would always look at him with nothing but affection and admiration were now painted by bottomless curses and resentment.

"Curse you…. Curse you, Ragna the Bloodedge…until death… you will never…. be forgiven! Lose… everything!"

He stared at her, taking in all her rage and resentment. It had gone on for long enough and with a sickening snap, the daemon in his hand vanished, absorbed into the Azure Grimoire.

He fell to his knees and closed his eyes. How could he have been so stupid? The promise of a happy life free of worry and like a fool, he jumped at the offer without considering the cost. The very fact he even entertained the notion…"Damn it…" he frowned, punching the ground.

"I must say, you did well to break free like the therion had. Such resolve. I'd be tempted to take you under my wing if it wasn't for how dangerous you are."

Someone was talking, but he didn't care about any of that. The voice was simply grating however.

"But as you said, he is a threat that must be stopped. And here, away from his companions, perhaps the time to strike is now."

Ragna looked up. Two figures, both in the garb of the Abbey. One an elderly man with a wide hat and a floating orb around him, the other younger with one arm completely covered. But the aura of power they radiated was overwhelming. They were no mere Exorcists.

It didn't matter though. Ragna had a target for his own frustration now and he was upon the older in an instant, his blade swinging down hard before it was interrupted by the other who raised his sword to block. The old man moved back, casting a spell to reinforce his companion's blade as Ragna pressed on the attack. His blows were fast and heavy, with no thought put into them other than the complete destruction of his enemy. Even as they were blocked, he drove the other man back before swinging the Aramasa at the sorcerer.

The elderly man disappeared, teleporting to the side of his companion and avoided the blow entirely. Where he originally stood, the ground simply exploded as Ragna's blade came crashing down.

"Do you have any idea, what you did to me?" Ragna glared at the two.

The old man replied, "We fashioned a prison you couldn't leave without sacrificing your heart's desire. It must have been like losing an entire part of yourself."

Magical projectiles of fire and ice flew straight at Ragna. This time, he deflected them with an intense wave of darkness as the Azure Grimoire glowed and empowered him. He resumed the attack, clashing the Aramasa's blade against the younger Exorcist's weapon, neither losing ground this time as they met each other's blade with full force. The older man continued to enhance his companion's blade, matching Ragna even as he briefly transformed the Aramasa into a scythe.

"You should have stayed in whatever happy fantasy we granted you."

They were still talking. And it pissed him off even more. Ragna renewed his attack, darkness enveloping him like an aura as he rapidly gained the advantage. The younger Exorcist was fast, and the fact he could stand his ground against his strikes would have made Ragna look at him with some respect but at the moment, he wanted them dead.

He swung the Aramasa scythe in a wide arc, hooking around the Exorcist's blade before pulling back and completely disarming him.

"Happy?!" Ragna shouted, his fist colliding with the exorcist's face. "Do you know what I lost?! What I was forced to do?!" he lunged forward, and the two teleported again. The missing blade reappeared in the Exorcist's hand before criss-crossing lines of light surrounded Ragna in a magical net. The old man had casted a spell creating multiple mirrors surrounding him before beams of light shot out of his hand, reflected by the mirrors and straight towards Ragna himself.

The volley struck him consecutively but gritting his way through the pain, Ragna cut again and again, slicing apart the net with a few swings of his weapon before blocking and deflecting the beams of light being sent at him.

"Restriction 666 released. Dimensional Interference Field Deployed!"

"Artorius, prepare yourself. We can't take this lightly any longer." The old man said.

Artorius? That man was Velvet's source of problems in all this? "Blazblue, activate!"

Malevolence surged. Darkness surrounded him like a vortex before exploding outwards nearly knocking his two opponents off their feet. Though Artorius responded by planting his own sword on the ground, his own intense aura of light standing firm against the storm of darkness.

Ragna lunged forward then, bringing his blade down upon Artorius who proceeded to step out of the way. But no counter-attack would be available as Ragna twisted the blade to the side and cut around himself in a wide circle, catching Artorius own weapon to fling him away. The Shepherd landed gracefully on his feet before he took his turn in attacking, dashing at Ragna and landing blow after blow with his much thinner weapon.

They were blocked however, and only a few glancing hits managed to make their way past Ragna's defense to strike at his sword arm, not that any pain would make him falter in his steps.

His right claw swiped at Artorius, who defty avoided it before striking down a demonic construct of Ragna's making. The beast-like head had opened its fang-filled maw before Artorius slashed a few times, cutting it apart and dissipating it like a cloud of smoke.

Lightning struck Ragna as Melkhior resumed his spellbound assault and for a moment, Ragna glared at the old sorcerer before he was forced to acknowledge how dangerous Artorius was.

"Demon Fang!" the arte of wind travelled the length of Artorius' sword and through the ground. This, Ragna met head on as darkness enveloped his fist. No longer a claw, at least for the moment, he rushed forward and blew the blew away the arte with the brute force of his own move. "Hell's Fang!"

Artorius blocked, though Ragna continued on with two more followups that sent the Shepherd reeling, fingers shaking as he gripped the handle of his blade even tighter.

"Hey, are you holding back on me? Take me lightly and I'll kill you for real!" Ragna pointed his sword at Artorius.

The Shepherd let out a small smile as he steadied himself. Melkhior was about to cast another arte, though Artorius stopped him with the shake of his head.

"Malevolence to destroy the very world itself. Though you accuse me of holding back, the same can be said of you despite the use of that… Azure Grimoire of yours was it? It is no wonder your sister failed to capture you." Artorius replied, bringing his sword to the side in a stance.

Ragna grit his teeth and readied himself. The Shepherd was planning something, and he had to make sure to meet him with the appropriate response. It was strange though. Thoughts of completely killing him had clouded his senses for the first few moments but right now, there was just an empty feeling. Even mentioning his sister, the one who truly existed in the here and now of this world did little to alleviate it.

"Consider this a gesture of our first formal meeting. With a single stroke…" Artorius raised his blade as countless blades fell upon Ragna.

But none of them actually struck him. They embedded themselves in the ground, surrounding Ragna as he realized this limited much of his movement on even ground.

"…I will carve death into your being!" Artorius hidden technique had begun in earnest, and Ragna saw a blur moving past him again and again.

A strained voice escaped Ragna's mouth and he could barely follow the trajectory of Artorius's slashes. His side, then his other side, blocking them took all his effort now but if it was the choice between instant death and being slowly cut up, he had much more experience with the latter.

The cuts continued, and then one more slash tore a deep gash into his side.

"Savage Wolf Fury!"

It was as if all the cuts were opened up again and the pain nearly overwhelmed him. But he was, if anything, persistent. And even as one more follow-up attack stabbed him right through the stomach, he clenched a fist and punched Artorius straight in the chest, sending the man flying back with his blade and destroying a tree he landed on.

"That all you got?" he breathed heavily, wounds beginning to heal.

"Ragna!" a voice called out to him and he turned. There, partway down the path, Velvet and the rest of his friends looked on at the carnage that played out in front of them.

"Out of time. Hmmm, no matter. I understand how you work now." Melkhior said, disappearing and then reappearing besides Artorius. "Look forward to our next meeting, daemonkin. You may be of use to us yet."

The Shepherd got up, having suffered one single serious injury, but that was hardly enough to declare a proper victor. "That is enough then. You have shown us sufficient proof of your might both in mind and in body." He sheathed his blade, not even staring at Velvet as she ran towards Ragna. "Ere long, we will come for you. And things will be different, I assure you."

The two teleported away, leaving Ragna with his friends once more. Gone were the remains of the old church, nor was there any trace left of the three daemons masquerading as his family. The Azure Grimoire deactivated and he breathed in deep to regain his composure. He didn't say anything, though he could hear the others trying to make small talk about what just happened. An illusion that affected everyone, not just himself. Velvet had to go through her own ordeal as well and it would be improper to ask her about any of that right now.

But still. The feeling of her left hand sliding against his right was a soothing presence. A wordless acknowledgment of something they had just gone through, and a reminder of the depths their enemy is willing to go.

"Let's go. Though it was all a dream… hell, even if it wasn't. We can't turn back." Velvet said, looking up ahead at the incline to the Cape.

"Yeah. They're going to pay for what they did." Ragna nodded his head.

Moving as one, they lead the way up in an almost somber reverie.

They had a duty to fulfill, and they're going to finish it no matter what.