The sun dipping below the surrounding mountains barely reduced the flow of people going through the streets. Weaving his way through the noisy alleyways, a man sporting a red coat emerged into a calmer part of the district—well, as calm as it could be for a place like this one.

"Whew, not a bad view…" Food acquired, Ragna found an area overlooking the inner center of the city. A paper bag packed with freshly steamed buns tucked in one arm warmed his side.

A mix of new structures built right on top of old ones filled the horizon line with worn metal supported by wooden beams. Not far behind him, the nightlife had begun showing signs of awakening. To keep the place bright and lively, hanging lanterns lined the streets. The smell of five-spice powder, oil smoke, and roasted meat wafted through the air from various restaurants and food stalls.

While peaceful on his own in the forest, civilization had its own slew of benefits. After days spent wandering, sustaining on wild greens, river fish, and the occasional fruit, he eventually grew tired of the stillness.

In reality, nothing had been preventing him from going to busy places such as this one sooner apart from his wariness. Yet once he found himself mingling with people, a child-like excitement from seeing new sights sprouted. He could really go wherever he wanted, and Kagutsuchi would be the first Hierarchical City he visited among the handful of places he passed by on his wanderings. Somehow, the city's outskirts drew him through a vague sense of familiarity.

Peeling back the wrapping paper, Ragna finally took his first bite. Soft bread paired with a savory blend of sweet vegetables and minced pork—something like this just couldn't be found out in the woodlands. He leaned back against the cool railing behind him, eating his dinner and watching the people go about their lives.

But halfway into his first bun, Ragna paused. Eyes were set on him with a predatory intention.

He searched for the source of that eerie feeling, but every person nearby was preoccupied with their own business. Whichever way he looked, his stalker remained nowhere to be seen until he caught the gurgling sound of an empty stomach coming from behind his back. Ragna whipped around, in disbelief that someone could be behind him without his knowledge. Plus, what waited beyond the metal fencing was a lengthy fall.

A shark-like grin greeted him, drool seeping from the corners. "Oh boy, I've been caught red-handed! Which means, you gotta gimme those buns neow!"

At the bottom part of the railing, hidden behind the ledge of the paved terrace, a girl with a peculiar coat and two long braids clung to the bars. Ragna stepped back, staring down at her. "What the... If you're gonna beg for food, at least do it normally!"

She tilted her head to the side. "Nyormally?"

"Yeah, like not sneaking up on me like some weirdo."

"Aw… But that's no fun." Her tail began swinging with a playful glee. "Prey must be stalked before being devoured! That's the way of the Kaka clan!"

"Prey?" Tracing the line her eyes casted, it landed right on the half-finished meat bun in his hand and the bag in the same arm. "You mean this?"

"Duh, what else?"

He snorted. "Get your own. I paid for these." His budget already ran thin, wherever he got it.

Not a sign showed that she would be backing down with words alone. "What did Boobie Lady say again? The secret magic words?" Her round eyes lit up. "Ooh, I remember neow! ...Pretty please?"

From her posture, she appeared ready to pounce on him should he decide to walk away. But on top of all that, her genuine-sounding plea and unwavering stare made him bend the knee a little. "Alright, fine. You can have t—"

"Yay!"

"Bwuh?!" A blur passed right in front of his eyes as he loosened his hold over the bag to reach in there.

In a fraction of a second, the girl had leaped over the railing. Like a missile, she shot forward. Gleaming steel claws protruded from her outstretched arms. By pure chance, or skill, she had snatched the paper bag from him without damaging it.

As soon as her feet touched the ground after flipping over, she bolted off down the street with a happy, toothy grin. "Thanks a bunch! Don't you worry, I'm gonna pay you back later. See ya!"

Barely having time to process what just happened, Ragna tried to stop her. "Wait, Tao!" But she was long gone, his voice unable to catch up to her. "Oh, great..." For a brief moment, he considered chasing after her. But if the girl had resorted to begging, then perhaps she needed the food more than he did. She had her own people to feed and care for.

"But there goes my money…" He had bought more than he could eat in one go, hoping to save some for later. Now all he had left was the one in his hand which he finished in a few bites.

When he tossed the wrapping paper away, something dawned on him. "Tao?" He blinked, clearing the image of the Kaka girl from his mind. "Was that her name…?" Either way, he should get going. Her debt was forgotten just as soon as she ran away, no point for that IOU to exist. He knew, by a providence beyond his control, that she would not remember meeting him.

Letting his whims guide him again, Ragna left the shining district. The neon lights shrank as he traveled further into Kagutsuchi.

Since his mind had been running restless during the night, he wondered if anything would change after an eventful day like this one. In his dreams, things played out in front of him like some kind of twisted movie while he had his eyelids taped open. And when he awoke, the images and sensations remained vivid. He quickly figured those visions were his own experiences from a time that didn't happen in this world, as confusing as it sounded even to him. Taking things slowly should help to keep him sane, he had told himself.

The evening grew late, and Ragna found himself walking into a back alley section with little to no people around. He needed to enjoy a bit of calm after hours spent exploring the marketplace. Above him, a suspended monorail car passed by the level. It shook the area, causing the old street lights to flicker.

"Hm?" In the momentary darkness, something appeared ahead on the walkway. The shadow of a tall figure had shown itself, slowly coming towards him, outlined by the light coming from behind it. Ragna stopped, waiting to see who it was once they got closer.

Another person had been walking in front of the bigger shape. It appeared to be a child wearing a distinctive hat. His monocle reflected some light coming from above while a white mask obscured his other eye.

Ragna couldn't quite tell what followed the boy by the shape alone because it moved too stiffly to be human. His instinct told him to put his guard up.

At last, they stopped at a distance. The boy angled his head down, shifting the light's glare to reveal that his gaze had been focused squarely on Ragna. His face betrayed little emotions as he observed him with strange curiosity.

"Sorry if I'm in the way, kid. But that thing with you, it's some sort of weapon, isn't it?" In the back of his head, Ragna saw the faint recollection of a mechanical doll attacking him. Despite the clear threat it posed, he had a suspicion that he should be watching out for its wielder with equal vigilance.

The boy stared for a moment longer before a slow smile creeped up on his face. "I knew it… It was somewhere here." A brighter expression settled in as he looked up behind him, but only briefly. "See? My calculations were correct! We won't need to ask him again."

"…" Ragna couldn't fathom addressing the thing with such fondness, certain that behind the iron visor lay an unmoving face.

"Now then…" His attention returned to Ragna, wearing an ill-fitting look of fascination for someone his age. "I am very fortunate to be able to find you first, Ragna the Bloodedge."

An uncomfortable nausea rose up, almost as if the boy didn't see him despite looking in his direction. This also marked the first time someone had recognized him and confronted him with his name. "Have we met before?"

"Huh, that is an interesting question. As far as 'I' can remember, this is the first time we have met. But I don't have time to think about that. I can't let such a valuable opportunity pass by… Nee-san, get ready." He raised a hand and snapped his fingers. At his signal, the doll behind him whirred into action immediately. The mask and long cloak lifted away to reveal a porcelain face and long arms equipped with pointed claws. "Ragna the Bloodedge, demonstrate the power of the Azure to me. I must see it with my own eyes."

"A…zure?" It sounded like something important, very important. But as much as he wanted to meditate on the word, Ragna fought to keep focus on the present. A migraine threatened to surface if he didn't. The sudden change in the atmosphere when the puppet thing activated screamed of impending danger. "You really think I'm gonna show you whatever you want to see?"

"Go." With that simple command, the mechanical doll prepared to make its first move.

Even before the boy spoke, he had already formulated a plan. Swiftly taking out his sword, he thrusted it forcefully to the ground in front of him. He mustered enough strength to break off chunks of concrete when he ripped his blade out.

Pieces from an old archway close by crashed down, blocking both vision and footpath.

Seizing his chance, Ragna ran for it. With nowhere else to go, he went back towards where he came from.

Luckily for him, the maze-like layout of the city worked in his favor. Up or down, left or right, he chose to turn at random and cut through any path he could.

Wiping a bead of sweat from his chin, he came to a stop. Now in a spot with a less dingy air to it, he looked over his shoulder. "Ha…That should be far enough…I think." Ahead of him, he could see airships docked to the outer edge of the city. But simply because he had found his way out of the back alleys didn't mean it was safe to relax.

As he reached a street with a crowd streaming in and out, Ragna kept a quick walking pace. A few people gave him an odd stare, but no sooner than he walked past their line of sight did they become blind to his existence again.

A dull pulsing sensation had been running down his right arm since the encounter, sticking to him relentlessly. Clenching his jaw to bear with the annoyance, Ragna kept moving forward. All the while, he had an eye out for that kid and his puppet. It shouldn't be too hard, as the pair would stand out like a sore thumb in crowds and streets of any size.

If they had managed to somehow track him down, then it could only be a matter of time before they found him again in this city. Leaving through the main exits would be predictable, only leaving him with less options to evade out in the open. So finding a more obscure escape route appeared to be the best option. On the other hand, he would rather work on a permanent solution by teaching the kid a good, harsh lesson. But he couldn't concentrate on a serious fight in such a densely populated environment. He had no intentions in wrecking the place just to solve one problem involving him alone.

With his mind set on leaving as quietly as possible, Ragna began searching for the entrance to the next district. In a Hierarchical City as big as this one, he was bound to find an obscure route leading to the outside.