On the outer fields near Kagutsuchi's borders, Jin paused on an open road. The pitter-patter of raindrops drummed on the protective layer of his cloak. Listening to the constant sound almost drew him into a trance from where he stood. But the tranquility lasted only a short time.
A shaking of the earth caused by something heavy landing nearby snapped Jin awake. It seemed like discarding the communicator wasn't enough to keep Sector Seven off his back. He breathed out, pivoting around to face the Red Devil.
"Jin Kisaragi," his deep voice addressed him. "Orders are for you to follow me back to base."
"And why should I listen?" The less time he spent out in the world, the less likely he was to find his brother again before anyone else.
Kokonoe's subordinate responded with, "The boss needs you for something important. That's all she said."
"…Important, you say?" With Yukianesa currently in hand, he stood a chance of making things go his way. However, the aftermath of what happened in Kagutsuchi taking its toll on his body put some uncertainty in his consideration to fight.
"Huh, what is this?" Tager went silent for a moment. "My sensors detect that you're in possession of a Nox Nyctores… The very same I saw back in Ikaruga too. How did—"
"It's mine. So, of course, it'd come to me." That much should be obvious, though he did have trouble calling his sword to him at first. Only after he had met his brother face to face did it finally respond. As for the original holder, he didn't care. Yukianesa had chosen to listen to him for a reason.
The rain stopped. In the direction where the light of dawn had begun to peak, something twinkled and multiplied in numbers.
A slew of arrowheads made of light was shot their way.
In one quick move, Jin ducked behind the closest thing providing cover.
Noticing the incoming attack too but unable to dodge, the man raised his armored limbs to shield his face. "Urgh, that stings…!" The thick metal platings took most of the blows, but some managed to cut the less sturdy parts of him. A few of the ars magus projectiles that had missed their target hit the muddy ground, leaving small craters with deep slashes. Once the attack ceased, he winced before activating a call. "Kokonoe, I've got updates! I've found the target but it looks like we're being attacked by an unknown party."
While the Red Devil busied himself with contacting his superior, Jin walked out from hiding behind him. "Such poor accuracy… Warning shots? But what is this?"
The rapidly enclosing darkness raised his concern, and Tager soon realized the same too. A second later, a pitch-black barrier replaced their surroundings along with the sky above them. Keeping his back facing the wall, Jin looked around for the ambusher using the light emitted from the cyborg. He didn't have to search for long when something appeared near the center of the large circular area.
Out of thin air, a figure in white dropped in from the top of the dome encapsulating them. She pointed her golden sword at Jin. "You won't be going anywhere just yet."
"You're still around, I see…" Jin said, preparing to pull Yukianesa out of its scabbard in case she attacked again. Although their first encounter was a blur to him, he distinctly remembered who she resembled despite her vastly different demeanor.
"Can you hear me, Kokonoe? Pick up, we got a situation on our hands!" Tager tried one more time, a communication device pressed against his ear. "…Crap, my call won't go through. But the signal emitter is working just fine… What's going on? Who is this?"
Jin stayed silent at the questions thrown his way. "…!" Hitting him the very next moment, a muffling effect dulled his senses. He hated the nauseating feeling that came along each time it spoke, but he would tolerate it if it meant getting some answers.
A Zanki Barrier… This can only be the doing of the Izayoi. It's an absolute seal from the outside world… Stay on guard.
"Izayoi?" He had heard of the name before. Only one family in the Duodecim possessed such weapons and kept their secrets closely guarded. "So, it's not just your appearance… You really are Tsubaki. Are you from this world?"
She disregarded what he said, asking back, "The man with the black arm, have you crossed paths with him?"
In a heartbeat, he knew who she meant. "Stay out of this, Tsubaki! He's mine!"
"So you do know about him. Where did you last see him? Who is he? Tell me."
Jin didn't know his brother's exact whereabouts, though the location he saw him last gave a hint at where he was headed to. But he had no desire to share what he knew so Jin kept his mouth shut.
Not far, Tager had been listening on the sidelines. "The readings from her do resemble the Izayoi…but I can't verify anything right now. Maybe you know of a way out?"
"As long as we're in here, nothing goes in or out." Eyes narrowing, Jin searched for an opening. He couldn't be certain unless he tried. When he attempted to use Yukianesa, a flash of light stopped him. Moving to the side, the shot missed him. Jin glared at her, watching out for another attack from her. "Tsubaki, release the barrier! This is pointless!"
"Enough of this impertinence," she said with her eyes closed before snapping them open, a glow suddenly enveloping her. "I shall repeat it once more; my name is White Justice. Do not mistake me for the girl you know. You have one last chance to give me an answer, or I shall deem you complicit in hindering me."
"Hmph…" This time, he acted first.
Cold fragments flew out when her sword met his own. Tsubaki's doppelgänger pushed back, her gaze fixated on him. "How odd. Something has changed about you since we last met. Or have I misjudged you from the start?"
"Tsk!" From that hit, he could detect a slight tremor from her blade. It appeared to be that he wasn't the only one in less-than-ideal fighting shape. After trading another blow, they broke off the stalemate.
"Ah, I understand now." White Justice raised herself after jumping back. The end of her sword lowered itself at her side. "I can sense some of it from the doubt in your eyes… It's the beginning of something undesirable perhaps. What is it that has possessed you, Jin Kisaragi?"
"You've asked me more than enough questions," Jin growled.
"And you have answered none. Jin Kisaragi…I was in the belief that you were the kind to dispel something like that through your own strength. Yet here you stand, letting it meddle with you." She tilted her head down, giving him a flat look. "That is to say, I am disappointed by your lack of initiative."
He had enough of her insults. "You're right, I shouldn't have mistaken you for Tsubaki… You're nothing like her!" Tsubaki would never stand in his way like this with such apathy towards him.
A call from Yukianesa spurred Jin to use its powers, which went parallel with his outrage. Being trapped in this barrier would not pose a problem if it meant keeping her in range of his attacks. By the time he finished planning a new route of attack, he could see the mist from his own breath. The cold seizing him made it easier to believe he could cut down someone wearing the face of a friend.
Even as the surface of the wet dirt froze over, she remained calm. "Still you choose to fight me. Are you prepared for the consequences?"
Suddenly, she no longer was in that spot.
Hand resting on the hilt, Jin then unsheathed Yukianesa the second he saw her reappear before him. He aimed for a slim opening in her striking stance, certain that victory was his to claim.
But a sudden pain pierced through his head, and Jin failed to draw his sword. "Augh! What—"
Tsubaki's face got closer to him.
Unintelligible words reached his ears.
Foreign colors bled into his vision.
A sickening glow stained the world.
Gleaming objects hurtled his way.
Something overflowed like spilt wine.
A blinding light from a series of explosions made Jin recoil. The crackling of electricity right in front of him pulled him back to reality. He swallowed, an uneasy feeling still lingering. "W-what was that?"
"This is no time to be spacing out!"
The yell addressed to him came from the Red Devil who was standing far behind him. Jin saw the platings around Tager's arms return to a neutral state after releasing steam to cool down. A protective field had been deployed around the man. From the newly-formed holes on the ground, Jin figured that Tager had intercepted an attack aimed at him with one of his own.
The woman who called herself White Justice watched him from where she stood, having fled a distance at one point. "How do you intend on carrying out your mission in such a pitiful state?"
"I—Ngh!" A sudden migraine shot down whatever answer he had before. The clarity of the images he had seen slipped from his grasp, dense cloudiness smothering them.
What are you doing? Don't get distracted. This is your chance to seek an opening.
"R-right…" Pushing aside his confusion, he eyed the wall created by the Izayoi. Its concealment effect should be flawless in theory. But due to her poor condition, he was bound to find some imperfections. "I see it!" With careful observation, a few spots did indeed have a thinner composition than the other areas. Jin focused on the closest weak point and slashed through it.
Like brittle glass, the dome collapsed. Raindrops began falling again.
"We're out!" Tager exclaimed. Immediately after that, he began working on their escape route. "Idea Sector overdrive, nullifying admin protocols! Transmitting coordinates now…"
"To turn your backs on your opponent is unwise." Despite saying that, she didn't lift a finger to stop either him or the Red Devil.
"Then why don't you do something," Jin huffed, recovering from another bout of dizziness. While successfully freed from the trap, he didn't enjoy having to retreat from another fight. Both his body and mind hadn't been working with him. He simply needed some rest, that was all.
"Emergency link established. Stay close," Tager warned him as a strong hum shook the air. "Mechanical teleporter, activating!"
In the final moment before the machine whisked them away, Jin glanced at her through the rain. Even with half of her face hidden, he managed to read a twinge of something he could faintly feel too. But he failed to understand what the feeling meant or the reason behind it.