BlazBlue – Phase Shift

In the center of a dim room, a pale white light had been lit. It was a transparent sphere floating in empty s.p.a.ce and was about the size of a human head. Rather than electrons, the borne light was made by magic utilising alchemical techniques.

The sphere, which was hanging in the air as if set on an invisible pedestal, was surrounded by five figures.

One was a pet.i.te girl wearing a full length robe. Beautiful platinum blonde hair was overflowing from the hood she wore, sparkling like sunlight as it was struck by the bland light.

Standing next to her was an even more pet.i.te silhouette. Its height was about that of a human child, but its appearance was like a bipedal cat. The tail protruding from its back was long, the odd thing was that it branched into two.

The third figure, in contrast to the other two, was a tall, middle-aged man wearing a grumpy look. He was wearing a refined attire including a high quality shirt and vest, but they couldn"t hide the glimpses of the st.u.r.dy build underneath.

Standing in line with him was a tall man of a similar height, but with a far thinner figure. Standing with both hands inserted into the pockets of his long coat, he wore a low hood that meant even his eyes were hidden in shadow.

And then giving each of them glances as they stared at the sphere, another girl stood. Long hair crossed over her waist, her skin was white enough to be called transparent. Her most obvious feature was the large triangular hat placed on her head.

Her name was Nine.

The thin man was Yuuki Terumi.

The middle-aged man was Valkenhayn R. h.e.l.lsing.

The cat with two tails was Jubei.

The platinum blonde girl was Trinity Gla.s.sfille.

They stood silently in thought while staring at the sphere. Inside it, the shifting images of the current world situations were being projected.

"...So far, the representatives of many nations which have met with catastrophe are currently taking refuge in Ishana. There are preparation to devise a plan for the cooperation of each nation, with Ishana as the focus."

In the silent room, Trinity began to talk in her slow, soft voice that was like a ripple unfolding on water. Responding to her voice, the images of those catastrophe ridden countries were floating and disappearing in turn.

Frowning with a sad expression for a moment behind those spectacles, Trinity pushed up her large round gla.s.ses up her nose a little and continued on.

"However as for the countries with relatively low damage, the nations are being cautious to ensure they partic.i.p.ate in the efforts centered on Ishana. As yet, discussions are still ongoing and have yet to reach a conclusion as there are countries that do not deign to partic.i.p.ate in the congress. No, if there"s still no conclusion, then it"s still okay but..."

"So a confrontation is growing between the countries that have representatives in Ishana and those that don"t. ...Even though this isn"t the situation for quarreling between mankind."

Taking over Trinity"s sorrowful words, Valkenhayn spoke with a grimace. Looking at him with his large eyes, Jubei"s cat mouth snickered.

"There ain"t gonna be any fair arguing. They"re the lucky chaps. It"s just natural."

There was a degree of discomfort in the clear male voice of the beast, but no one in the room took it to mind.

Gazing at the shining sphere, the bridge of Jubei"s nose wrinkled.

"They ain"t gonna understand unless they see with their own eyes. About the terror... of The Black Beast."

The Black Beast.

Seven years ago... between 2099 and 2100 AD, it appeared. A monster similar to a gigantic ma.s.s of shadow.

Together with the appearance of the Black Beast, the world was filled with substance called seithr. Guided by seithr, the Black Beast"s destructive scars were marked all over the world starting with j.a.pan.

Without any means to fight, humanity was driven back. In merely six years after the Black Beast"s appearance, the total population of the world was decreased by half.

But last year, the last day of 2106 AD. At the very same day that marked seven years had pa.s.sed since the Black Beast emerged. As quickly as the monster which terrorized the world emerged, it was suddenly gone.

"It has been eight months since the last appearance of that monster. This long absence of its activity must have dulled the nations" judgment. Among them, there are people beginning to appear who say the Black Beast is no more."

Valkenhayn lowly groaned as if to suppress his resentment.

Trinity gently pressed her chest and slightly drew her chin.

"The threat hasn"t disappeared yet... Even now the seithr mist is still blowing throughout the world. The remnants of the Black Beast are also still threatening people..."

"Not gettin" the cooperation of the countries means the cooperation between Ishana and United Nations ain"t going well. The investigation for the missing "Kushinada"s Lynchpin" is still going on. But since the UN"s planning to do it their own way, gettin" intelligence is complicated."

Jubei spoke in words mixed with sighs while the long tails on his back swayed, alert. At the same time, the floating lengthy image stirred in the sphere.

"...Eight months."

A noise from the five extending shadows resounded. A sharp, cold voice muttered. A large triangular hat stood out. It was Nine.

Staring at the sphere floating in the air, Nine folded her arms under her voluptuous chest and supported her chin with her fingers as she pondered.

She recalled a certain man. Eight months ago, they met on the day of Black Beast"s last appearance and parted with him on the very same day.

The man had spoken. That the Black Beast"s activities would be halted for one year.

——One year. During that time, get the strength needed for humanity to battle the Black Beast.

Nine remembered clearly the words she had heard eight months ago, down to his tone of voice. No, those words didn"t become clearer as the days went by. Day by day... as the period where the disappearance of Black Beast continued, she realized that he spoke the truth.

There were still four months until the p.r.o.nounced one year ended. If a year pa.s.sed, it would likely, surely appear.

"No conventional weapons could be used against Black Beast. Even if in the future some immensely powerful weapons were made, they wouldn"t hurt the Black Beast. ...Isn"t that so?"

Nine"s sharply pointed voice was like putting ice on the stretched string of the room"s tension.

Beside the owner of the voice, stood a man. He wore a low hood that hid his expression and he hadn"t opened his mouth until now. He was Yuuki Terumi.

His mouth, his only facial feature exposed by the dim light, began to speak.

"Yeah, that"s right."

"With the exception of magic, hurting that monster requires utilizing seithr."

"Eyyup. ...Also, don"t make me explain the same thing over and over. You getting senile, b.i.t.c.h?"

He spat out a curse since he was getting tired of it. Then Nine scowled sternly and shot him a death stare.

But she immediately shook off the fury from her gaze and turned to the other direction, her hair spinning.

"The means to attack Black Beast by utilizing seithr, armagus, is almost complete."

"Armagus... If I remember correctly, it could make normal people who ain"t a mage able to use magic. "

"It"s a little different."

Toward Jubei"s admiration, Nine slightly slackened her mouth and answered.

"The fundamentals of magic and armagus are different. Magic borrows the spiritual power that"s originally present in nature and then puts that to use. In regard to armagus, it"s invoked by utilizing seithr. If there"s no seithr, it can"t be used. Since ordinary people can"t handle seithr, a grimoire is necessary to make it feasible."

"Grimoire?"

The one who tilted her head slightly as she asked was Trinity. Nine slightly nodded.

"Although I said grimoire, it doesn"t mean that"s the real form. It changes the gathered seithr in the armagus, kind of like a converter. Anyway, it makes it possible for even people outside Ishana to attack the Black Beast."

Answering without pause, Nine shifted her gaze for an instant, stealing a glance of the man next to her.

The development of armagus had begun approximately half a year ago. Nine was the one who had fabricated armagus" base theory, but Terumi was indispensable in completing it in such a short amount of time.

Terumi possessed ma.s.sive knowledge regarding the Black Beast and seithr. It was because of that knowledge that establishing armagus" form was possible.

Again, Nine recalled the words of the man she had met eight months ago. He had also said something else. That she should watch out for Yuuki Terumi.

Nine had heeded those words, yet she had taken Terumi out from the deep bas.e.m.e.nt of a certain castle. She also had firmly applied Mind Eater, a magic that made him completely unable to defy its user, controlling over his will.

"But although I said ordinary people can use it, it doesn"t really mean that anyone can do it. An apt.i.tude is required in themselves. The manufacturing of the grimoire is going well, but there"s an insufficient number of people who could use it. If it remains as it is, the counter measure for Black Beast would be imperfect. If possible, it should be a powerful measure, rather than being able to exhibit strength without having to be bound with seithr. For example..."

"Like the weapons we use?"

Jubei held out a single sword on his back. The sword that came out of the dark had been given to him by Nine about one month ago.

Of course, it wasn"t an ordinary sword. It was a specially made article that had alchemy and magic"s techniques included in its making. Instead of clearing away a certain ma.s.s of seithr, the sharp blade could cut it up.

Similarly, Trinity also held out the specialized weapon Nine had developed. The small cane could transform by taking the nature of magic Trinity wanted to use in mind.

"Yes. But even then, they"re still weak. It shouldn"t be like armagus which is only a subst.i.tute for magic or those prototypes given to you guys... We require weapons that have a more specialized ability in order to defeat the Black Beast."

Nine spoke stubbornly as if burdening herself with a new task.

Toward her, a small laugh interrupted from beside her.

"Weapons... huh."

There was no wondering about the owner of the voice with the ridiculing tone. Nine looked at Terumi with cold eyes.

His slender body was turned toward the sphere floating in the room like always, but the glance that had a suggestive indication drifting about was aimed at Nine.

"You okay not telling our dear friends the details? It"s looking like you"re making the weapons in the dark here~ ...You hear me?"

"I don"t need you to interrupt this conversation. Be quiet, Terumi."

As she spoke with a tone of voice as if holding him down, Nine hit the floor with her high heel. The rough but somehow graceful noise rang sharply around the room.

If Nine told him to be silent. Terumi would do so. Mind Eater was that kind of a magic. Terumi was silent, but he stood while still grinning like a maniac.

Drawing her gaze from the face that looked like it was holding back a burst of laughter, Nine sighed in annoyance.

As if to calm the irritated Nine, Jubei made a bitter smile. He then shrugged his small shoulders.

"So as of now, there"s only one way to effectively attack Black Beast. If the weapons Nine spoke of have been completed, we"ll be able stand on equal ground with that monster and challenge it."

However, that speech resulted in a new irritation for Nine.

Playing her fingers around the brim of her large triangular hat which stood as a symbol of wisdom, Nine pointed her chin toward the s.p.a.ce between Jubei and Valkenhayn.

"...And? Where"s the only person who has the means to attack Black Beast, Hak.u.men, gone?"

The empty spot where the harsh words were thrown to was supposed to hold a sixth person standing together with them.

Ishana, an island floating on ocean.

The island was painted with lush green nature and a lovely townscape. It was known as The Mage"s Guild outside the island.

On the other side of history, the Mage"s Guild had constantly influenced change in the world. The organization existed to protect and enhance alchemy and magic, the techniques that should have been forgotten in ancient times. They didn"t belong to any country nor bend to anyone. At present, there was a grand academy established in the center to pa.s.s down the continuously inherited ancient wisdom and vast knowledge to the next generation.

In the academy"s courtyard, she stood alone.

The raised tall trees were sparkling, bright green from the summer sunlight. Between those trees, the white sunlight filtering through and fell upon the small stone pavement that was like st.i.tching on the ground.

Although its vicinity was encircled by buildings related to the academy and Mage"s Guild, this place didn"t have a very enclosed feeling at all. Rather than a courtyard within a school, it appeared more like a hidden garden.

Sitting on a deserted bench set under the shade of a tree in the corner of the garden, Celica A. Mercury was swinging her feet.

The academy uniform in shades of white and black had a magician"s motif on it. The short mantle on her back was fluttering in the wind. Her thick, light brown hair that was tied in a high ponytail and the treetops of the courtyard were rustling together, making refreshing noises.

"Looks like Onee-chan isn"t done yet."

There was a brick building belonging to the Mage"s Guild at the end of a path close to her. There was a meeting being held inside a council room which had barrier that wouldn"t let any voices or information leak out. Celica"s older sister, Nine, was partic.i.p.ating in the meeting.

Celica was waiting for her sister and her companions to come out after the meeting ended.

The wind carrying the scent of greenery was softly blowing through.

"...It feels good."

Celica straightened her posture and lifted her head. The sunshine pa.s.sed through the trees next to her before shining upon her cheeks and forehead.

Today, like always, Ishana"s air was clear without any stagnation.

Seven years ago, along with the appearance of the Black Beast, seithr had overflown throughout the world and polluted the atmosphere. It lessened the wind, weakened the waves, and made the soil barren. The seasons lost their characteristics as the weather became disturbed. The creatures that were constantly exposed to thick seithr would lose their original form and go mad, destroying everything.

However, Ishana wasn"t like that. The island that was managed by magic was protected by an invisible barrier. The air, water, and soil were pure, uncontaminated by seithr.

As a matter of fact, there was an incident last year when the barrier had been damage, resulting in seithr entering the island for a short period. But Celica didn"t know much about that as the incident occurred immediately after Celica slipped out of the island on important business. When Celica returned to Ishana, the barrier had already been repaired completely.

With the infiltrating seithr purified, Ishana was now thoroughly clean without any glimpse of the incident.

Celica deeply inhaled Ishana"s air into her chest.

"I wonder what his face would look like if I brought him to this island."

While narrowing her eyes to block the sunlight shining into them, she smiled gently.

What she was picturing beyond the light and green curtains was the face of a friend important to Celica.

...Friend might not be correct. To tell the truth, Celica didn"t know what she should regard him as. She didn"t have a formal relationship to refer him as an acquaintance, but he wasn"t what she would usually call a friend either.

In just a few days, he became awfully close to her. He had helped her. He had supported her. He had protected her.

He was... such an irreplaceable person.

"Fufu, I"m sure he"d be amazed. Ah, but he might have actually seen a similar place. After all, he knew so much about magic even though he"s not from this island... He"s such a mysterious person."

Without realizing, she actively talked to herself in this place devoid of other people.

She met him eight months ago, during the end of last year. He was tall, had white hair and a green eye just on his left side. He was rough around the edges, but very kind.

Since they parted so suddenly he had never told her much about himself, Celica didn"t get to know him well enough. But a lot of the strength he"d given her was always burning inside Celica"s chest.

There was never a moment when she forgot about him. He was important, precious...

Suddenly, a light was glimmering at the edge of Celica"s gaze.

It was probably the sunlight filtering through the trees. But when the light blinded Celica for an instant, her sight was completely engulfed in the next moment.

(Eh...!?)

Her shout of surprise didn"t manage to escape.

As if the world had been turned inside out in the blink of an eye, Celica"s surroundings turned to bright white.

The courtyard"s wind and rustling branches were no more. All sound and smell disappeared, it was hard to grasp which direction was up or down. She was even uncertain as to whether gravity existed. Inside the completely white s.p.a.ce, only Celica remained.

No, there was something else. A mirror. When she turned her face around to look at the surroundings, the rectangular mirror had stood there unnoticed, reflecting Celica"s whole body.

(Where"s this? Why is a mirror here...?)

She should have been able to form the questions as words, but somehow her voice couldn"t come out again. It felt like everything had been sucked up and vanished.

The bizarre thing was that she wasn"t terrified.

Rather, Celica was drawn by curiosity and took a step toward the mirror.

On the other side of the mirror that looked as if it had made a rectangular cut across the room, Celica"s amazed figure was reflected. Then she unconsciously tried to touch it.

But just before Celica"s fingers touched the mirror, suddenly it felt like she was smelling something.

It wasn"t so much a smell as a familiar sensation.

It was more similar to the warmth of family sat around the table with her, or the calmness she felt when pa.s.sing time alone, absentmindedly at her favorite spot.

A burning feeling in her chest that spontaneously bubbled up when she was with someone special.

Celica knew this feeling. She remembered.

Celica gently caught her breath as if waking up from a dream.

That moment, a gust of wind swept away the mist in the world. Quite naturally, the scenery returned.

The pouring sunlight filtering through trees, branches rustling in the wind, the fresh and earthy smell of midsummer. The feel of the bench placed under the shade of a tree in the courtyard of the academy she commuted to everyday.

Without looking at them, Celica stood up while looking around. After that, she began to run.

She returned to the school building after leaving the academy"s courtyard. Then she left the school proper, leaving the academy behind her. As if drawn by an invisible thread, Celica hastened her pace without so much as a look over her shoulder.

Her chest throbbed. She herself understood what she was expecting.

After all, this impression was... his.

As though she was being guided by something, she went up the slope beside the academy before going around it to a hill located at the back. She reaced her destination in no time at all. At least, Celica felt only a few seconds had pa.s.sed.

There was a little surprise in the corner of her mind that the hill was so close to the school"s courtyard. It would usually take much more time.

She ran up to a gentle slope that was covered with gra.s.s.

The hill was slightly elevated; it was possible to see all of Ishana"s townscape. White clouds, separating the sky from the sea, were floating in the distant blue sky.

Someone was stood at the hill"s summit.

The street, sea, clouds and city. With the scenery of Ishana"s calm afternoon at her back, Celica shouted with all her might.

His name.

"————RAGNA!"

The first time she saw him was at the entrance of a deserted village inside a forest.

Sat leaning against the trunk of a tree, he had been gravely injured. On top of that, he had lost his memories. At first he could remember nothing but his own name.

Together with him, Celica traveled to j.a.pan... and encountered the Black Beast.

Celica couldn"t do anything. She couldn"t stop him. He had directly challenged the Black Beast, and then disappeared along with it.

He had said the he would return.

He had promised.

So Celica waited. She kept waiting because she wanted to meet him again.

Responding to Celica"s voice, the shadow standing atop the hill turned around slowly.

A gust of wind whirled past, disturbing the lawn, flowing through her. Celica endured the wind, slightly buffeted by it, holding her disheveled hair while raising her face.

"Ah..."

After she observed the figure once more, Celica involuntarily raised her voice.

The figure was a tall man whose silver hair fluttered in Ishana"s clear wind.

However even though his figure resembled a human, it also looked odd.

His body was wrapped in white and black with something that might as easily have been clothes or armor as it could have been skin. The eyeless, earless, and mouthless face was concealed with pure white mask. Red orbs had been embedded around his body. The orbs might be the subst.i.tute for his barren face as every single one of them stared at her like eyes.

On his back, there was a long sword sheathed diagonally that was probably as long as he was tall.

"Hak.u.men-san..."

Celica awkwardly called out the strange man again. A slight disappointment seeped in her voice.

Hak.u.men was Celica"s acquaintance. Together with her sister Nine and her close friend Trinity, he was one of the warriors who had gathered in Ishana in order to defeat the Black Beast.

The eyeless face and countless red orbs gazed at Celica indifferently.

"...So it is you, Celica A. Mercury."

What was heard from behind the white mask was a low tone of voice that concealed his emotions.

To cover her slip up for mistaking him for another person, Celica scratched her face and laughed.

"I"m sorry for shouting at you so suddenly. Umm... I thought you were one of my friends."

After bowing slightly, Celica soon took several steps toward Hak.u.men.

Hak.u.men just looked at her from the edge of his vision. Then just as he had been before Celica addressed him, Hak.u.men turned around to face the townscape.

Celica stood next to him.

"Are you observing Ishana?"

From on top of the hill, one could look down on Ishana with ease.

Basked in the gentle midday"s sunlight, the green and blue roofs, and the white walls supporting them, shone brightly. There were people living on the island going back and forth on the gentle stone-paved pathways. A thin forest surrounded it as if protecting against the outside world. Furthermore, the forest was also encircled by a vast sea.

Looking at Ishana from here truly made it look just like a painting.

The scent of gra.s.s riding on the fresh wind floated past. While tucking her wind tousled hair behind her ears, Celica gazed at the city and smiled.

"This place is nice, isn"t it? I come here from time to time. Though sometimes I get surprised by the sudden strong wind."

Hak.u.men didn"t reply, choosing to remain silent.

There was a weighty feeling about the suffocating silence, but Celica didn"t pay it any heed even for a bit.

They didn"t often talk, but Hak.u.men was always like this. Basically, he would just respond to unnecessary talk with silence. He would only speak if it was about the Black Beast.

Celica raised her chin and looked up at Hak.u.men. He was fairly tall compared to Celica. Looking at him for a long time would make her neck sore.

The white mask must have noticed Celica"s gaze, but he didn"t turn his face. He faced Ishana in silence as though he was a decoration.

"But... it"s strange."

The lawn rustled by wind urged Celica to continue her muttering.

"Why did I mistake Hak.u.men-san for him? Your appearance and atmosphere are completely different."

But there was something similar. She wondered what it could be.

She would have a bit of trouble answering if she were asked what that was. The voice, demeanor, and body language were different. The resemblance was more obscure, an awfully subjective one.

If she really tried to put it into words... it was his scent, possibly his warmth.

If she said that, even Hak.u.men might laugh at her thinking she was a dog or something. Celica had never witnessed him laughing. Surely no one else ever had.

Immediately imagining it, he surely would look clumsy. Celica spontaneously giggled at that thought.

As if responding to her voice, Hak.u.men made a slight motion as he turned his neck. The white mask was looking at Celica.

"——Ragna."

The m.u.f.fled voice resounded in a low tone.

Celica stared in wonder.

He repeated the name Celica had mistakenly called him. He had only spoke, and yet it sounded like there was a hidden emotion in the name he muttered that didn"t suit the expressionless swordsman.

Fixing the angle of his head toward Celica, Hak.u.men asked a.s.sertively.

"I"ve heard you say the name before. Did you mean Ragna the Bloodedge?"

"Bloodedge...? Nope. I only know him as Ragna."

"Nevertheless... You did meet a man called Ragna, didn"t you?"

"Yup, I met him. I don"t know if he"s the same person you"re thinking about, but he"s tall and has white hair. It seems he could only see with his left eye, but his eye color was clear green."

Mixed with the gentle wind that flowed, she could hear that Hak.u.men inhale slightly.

Celica reflexively opened her eyes wide. It was the first time she had seen Hak.u.men astonished.

"Perhaps Ragna is your acquaintance?"

Pressing her inquiry, Celica watched for Hak.u.men"s reaction, deeply focusing on his white mask.

But without saying anything, Hak.u.men averted his face from her. He once again faced the city, remaining silent. Viewing his face from the side, it seemed he refused to give an answer.

Celica had a slight wry smile. This behavior was more what she was used to.

But since he didn"t leave, perhaps it meant that there was no problem in her continuing to talk. Since he indicated no readiness to reply, Celica continued on her own.

"By the way, I came here since I felt that Ragna was here. Since I can"t sense people"s power like Onee-chan can, I wonder what"s actually happening... I suddenly felt a warmth like the feeling that Ragna had."

Celica gently put her hands on her chest. The feeling she sensed back at the courtyard was still lingering there. With just that small feeling, faint happiness soaked in her whole body. It made Celica spontaneously smile broadly.

"Since Ragna always kept his chin up at all times, doesn"t that mean he"s the sort of person who always looks forward? No matter how strong the wind was blowing, his feet stayed firm and wouldn"t move even a step. That"s my image of him. That"s why just thinking that I"m next to him makes me feel like i"m being protected."

After her short speech, Celica gave a small laugh. Her ponytail drawing an arc, she looked up at Hak.u.men.

"Oh, what am I saying? I"m the only one who thinks about him. He actually did protect me once, too. I wonder if the Ragna you know is someone different."

If possible, she wanted to hear what Hak.u.men thought of Ragna.

However, she didn"t sense anything from Hak.u.men besides his slight breathing. He was absolutely still as if he were a sculpture erected on top of the hill. On the contrary, his long silver hair, which waving slightly as it was blown by the wind, looked out of place.

"Hak.u.men-san?"

She asked again to be sure. But the response was still obstinate silence.

Celica suddenly noticed. Hak.u.men was no longer looking at the city.

His face was facing the beautiful cityscape, but his chin was retracted. His appearance was that of a man sequestered in deep, deep thought.

The noise of the wind and the voice of Celica who was speaking right beside him didn"t reach Hak.u.men.

His hearing only picked up the one name that had been mentioned several times. It made a ripple on the surface of the water of his thoughts.

Ragna.

Ragna the Bloodedge.

It was a name that couldn"t be forgotten even if he tried to. A name that had been etched on the basis of his memory.

If he had the face of a human and eyes at the appropriate place, Hak.u.men would have frowned.

(Why... Why was Nii-san here? In this age...?)

The man he had once called brother. Ragna the Bloodedge.

In this time, he definitely shouldn"t exist.

——It was the time when Hak.u.men was not Hak.u.men. Perhaps his last consecutive memory.

The last memory of the time when he was once named Jin.

The recollection began with scorching red.

Whirling flames, surging heat. Although he was showered by the scattering spray of lava, they oddly weren"t hot.

In a place deep underground where an artificial volcano named The Cauldron was created, he——Jin threw himself into said Cauldron. For the sake of saving a person who had fallen.

"NII-SAN!"

With his beautiful golden hair disheveled, with his jade eyes burning in flames, his voice broke as he shouted. Pushing his way through the heat, he extended his arm.

There were silhouettes ahead of him in the direction he sought. The body of a large man and one of a small woman. The two of them were lying on top of another as if caught in an embrace. They were connected by a huge sword, piercing their bodies like a giant stake. Similar to a gliding bird, they went into freefall.

Jin wanted to stop the man. But his voice was swallowed by the roaring wind and his flailing arm couldn"t reach him.

The woman was smiling. That woman had s.n.a.t.c.hed the man Jin called brother.

He wasn"t close enough that she could see him, yet her red eyes were glaring and looking up at Jin. Her face twisted into something hideous while letting out a shrill laugh. The deafening voice echoed inside his skull.

Shut up. Stop laughing.

Jin cried as he was engulfed in roaring wind and flame. Hatred and murderous thoughts gushed up from the bottom of his stomach.

"I will never... ever forgive you! NEVER!"

The apparently endless fall suddenly transformed.

The figures that were solid until then melted and blended into one. The man and woman who were united by a sword lost their features and transformed into a black, writhing ma.s.s. Gradually swelling, it expanded and swallowed the surroundings. Inside the darkness, bright red eyes that shone in a sinister fashion could be seen.

As soon as he saw it, a needle of ice penetrated Jin"s spine.

At the same time, countless words of denial rushed through his mind.

Inexcusable.

It mustn"t be allowed to exist. It mustn"t be deemed to exist.

The denials were the impulse of his instinct. In the acc.u.mulation of them, his will and ego were crushed to nothingness.

In the end, the ma.s.s that contained his brother and the hated woman tried to take the shape of something...

Jin, together with the black ma.s.s, fell down into the blazing flames.

Lured by the cold wind, he opened his eyes. There were no flames nor heat... What appeared before his eyes was the stretched, emotionless sky full of stars.

The figure of his brother was nowhere to be seen.

The same for the red-eyed woman, and the black ma.s.s he had seen.

But there stood a girl beside him. A girl that resembled the moon.

"Mr. Hero. How would you like to become a real hero?"

Jin didn"t know how to answer the enigmatic question. He couldn"t recall the correct words.

But when the girl expressed a bewitching smile that didn"t seem to match her girlish appearance at all, she summoned a suffocating scent of roses and whisked Jin away from that place.

Teleportation——.

The moment he felt it, Jin lost consciousness once more.

When he regained consciousness again, Jin was lying in the bed of a strange room.

In the forefront of his vision was a dull colored ceiling, harmonized by a chandelier that seemingly had a flower and ivy motif.

The room was s.p.a.cious. It was furnished with moderately luxurious but good quality furniture. The faint scent must have been roses. The bedding was also considerably first-rate, it bore the illusion that one would sink if they were to lie there for too long.

The air fluctuated suddenly.

Along with the sound of a door opening, someone entered. There was only one set of footsteps. Slipping through the door, a quiet wind and rose fragrance entered the room.

The footsteps stopped beside Jin along with the sound of wheels turning. After a short pause, a hoa.r.s.e voice spoke gently.

"It seems you have awakened."

Barely hearing it, Jin tried to move his neck. He found he could only look around by moving his eyes.

There was the figure of an old man beside the bed. A wrinkled face with a long white beard, and lengthy grey hair in addition.

The old man was severely thin and looked very tired. His neck and arms looked like dead branches and his cheeks held the moss. That said, the old man was wrapped in n.o.ble attire that was breathtaking.

He was sitting in a wheelchair. The sound of wheels Jin"s ears picked up earlier must have belonged to it.

"It is a pleasure to meet you. My name is Clavis Alucard. This man is my butler, Valkenhayn R. h.e.l.lsing."

A voice that shook the air gently, like a ripple on the surface of water.

With red eyes filled with the acc.u.mulated wisdom and dignity of many generations, Clavis hinted toward the restrained, well built man stood behind him.

After that, he proceeded to reach out his hand to a tiny silhouette at his side.

"This child is Rachel Alucard. ...She is the one who brought you to this castle."

Clavis put his hand on the shoulder of the girl. It was the bewitching girl who had smiled before Jin lost consciousness, below the starry sky and annoyingly dazzling moon.

But something was different. Jin thought instinctively.

It could be the appearance, the age, or even her very existence. He was certain that she was the girl from that time, but he had a feeling that something was fundamentally different.

Jin gathered a little strength and knitted his brows.

It wasn"t just the girl. This place was anomalous. These people, the drifting air... even the flow of time.

"Where am I...?"

Placing his jarring arms to each side of his body, Jin tried to get up. However, even though his arms were moving, they slipped, unable to achieve any power as if they were hollow pipes.

It wasn"t just his arms. It was like his whole body had been replaced with wooden doll. He even had to muster his whole strength just to move his lips.

Toward the appalled Jin, the gentle voice spoke again.

"You ought not do anything excessive. Let alone getting up, your body cannot move as you please. It is quite amazing just for you to have woken up in this short period of time."

"Short period of time?"

"It should be seven days in human time... When you were carried to this castle, you were gravely injured. The external wounds were treated by Valkenhayn, but you slipped into a comatose state due to your injuries."

After speaking that much, Clavis smiled and looked at Jin with eyes like he was admiring a kitten taking its first steps.

"Do not force yourself. Try not to get up."

He lectured Jin once again.

For a moment, a glint of clear irritation pa.s.sed over Jin. But looking at Clavis" peaceful gaze made his body lose its strength. Jin sank into his bed as if giving up. His fatigue and dizziness gave him the impression that it would be futile even if he struggled.

After being certain he had relaxed, Clavis answered Jin"s first question.

"This place is my castle. It does not belong anywhere in the world. It is also connected to every dark night of the world... A place that exists but is also nonexistent. Similar to the other side of the moon."

The words he spoke were too obscure even for a fairy tale. But mysteriously they managed to sound logical for human interpretation.

At the very least, Jin had a vague understanding of it. Taking a deep breath, he spoke his next question.

"...Why am I here?"

"Well, then. I do not know the details either. But young man, it appears that you have crossed the Boundary. The remaining damage to your flesh are all the result of crossing over it."

"Boundary..."

Just what is the Boundary? It seemed to be a word he should have known, but Jin didn"t understand much about it for some reason. No, that was incorrect. He knew the "information" regarding the meaning of the word Boundary. How could he know about it? Where did he obtain that knowledge?

In the first place, just who was he? Clavis said that he arrived here after pa.s.sing through the Boundary. But where was he and what was he doing before then? ...He didn"t know.

His mind was blurry. He wanted to put his hand on his forehead, but the hand wouldn"t move.

He heard a sympathetic sigh from Clavis.

"Are your memories in chaos? Perhaps that is also because you have been heavily affected by the Boundary. There is an enormous amount of information drifting in the Boundary. When your spirit connected with it, your individual memories as well as personality were swept away by the excessive knowledge. To put it simply, you cannot remember yourself well enough."

With the noise of clothes rustling, Clavis lightly moved his hands from the wheelchair"s handles onto his knees.

Looking away from the sluggish gesture, Jin turned his gaze toward the ceiling. The light of the chandelier was awfully distant. It made it feel lifeless.

Clavis" drowsy voice continued.

"Crossing the Boundary is very dangerous. It is a wonder for an ordinary man to even retain his flesh. Even if it remained, one would lose himself as his will became engulfed by the Boundary. ...It appears that you possess a very strong spirit."

Strong spirit. Those words were oddly amusing. Jin spat it out by taking a breath.

If he truly possessed that thing, then —— wouldn"t be ——.

(...Who... What was it?)

The floating thought dispersed at once before it formed a shape inside his mind. He couldn"t grasp it. It was just he felt that he had lost something... Something that absolutely mustn"t be lost.

His head was heavy. He spontaneously closed his eyelids. With his vision shut in the dark, a spectacle was resurrected as if it had been waiting patiently.

Red flames, burning air, falling figures... and then red eyes.

For the present Jin, it was his last and only clear memories.

"Black... I saw a black ma.s.s. Where is that thing?"

That"s right, a black ma.s.s. At the same time as he remembered, the emotions he had when he witnessed it were overflowing, gushing forth anew.

That being shouldn"t be allowed to exist.

Jin"s spine was shivering as his memories, along with thought, got swept away. Even his ego was engulfed by the impulse. It wasn"t because of terror. If he put it into words then it would be murderous intent.

"That being is the Black Beast... It materialized from the Boundary. A being that is destroying the world."

Clavis" voice gently wrapped up the burning negative feelings.

"It seems it appeared in this world one month ago. After singlehandedly forcing a small island country into catastrophe, it presently rampages around the world searching for further destruction."

"It must..."

Slipping from his thoughts, Jin"s mouth moved on its own and spoke. The words didn"t completely sound; they didn"t even reach Jin"s ears himself. But as for the meaning of the enveloping emotions, it was too obvious not only to Jin, but also Clavis.

It must be killed.

Jin clenched his teeth. His molars grating against one another made a noise. The inner corner of his eyes were burning.

It was terribly confusing. Merely yielding to that confusion made the desire to immediately rush away from this place rampage inside his body.

He himself didn"t have any kind of intention, but he felt bad as if his body was taking control and doing as it pleased.

His head aching, Jin grimaced severely.

Watching the situation quietly, Clavis continued to speak.

"Young man. This is still the time for you to recuperate. If you take a rest for a little bit more, you will be able to get up. Perhaps some of your memories will also return. If the time comes, if you still have the will to stand... there is a place I intend to show you."

"What...?"

"Until then, please rest to your heart"s content. The reason you"re here is because your destiny has not yet concluded."

After he said that, Clavis casted his gaze to the silent Valkenhayn at his back as if urging him.

Still with a gloomy expression, Valkenyhayn handled the wheelchair with a delicate manner that didn"t suit his build and left the room with Clavis.

The girl who was following, Rachel, silently halted her feet in front of the door for a moment. With the ribbons in her long golden hair swinging, she looked back at Jin.

The big red eyes of a doll were staring at Jin.

But without saying anything, the girl"s eyes continued to gleam with that cold color. Then a wind blew unexpectedly and in a flash the girl vanished to the hallway.

With the door closed the room was peacefully silent.

Jin glared at the solid wood of the door from his bed.

I couldn"t——.

The broken thought came in contact with the broken memories, revealing a whisper of regret.

Your destiny has not yet concluded.

Clavis" words echoed deep within his chest. Feeling annoyed by it, Jin fell asleep before long as if fainting.

"...n. Hak.u.men-san!"

What had pulled up Hak.u.men from sinking endlessly into the lake of thought might be the voice of the girl who seemed to repeatedly calling to him while lightly hitting his arm, or perhaps it was the chimes of a bell sounding that the time was 3 o"clock before vanishing as if absorbed by the distant sky.

While his five senses were readjusting to the here and now, Hak.u.men turned his face toward the worried girl stood next to him who was looking up at him.

As he moved, Celica sighe a breath of relief and smiled.

"Thank G.o.d. I thought something was wrong since you were completely still."

After she said that, she noticed that she was still touching his arm. Then Celica retracted her hand behind her back while making a mischievous face.

Not minding it, Hak.u.men turned his head. What the white mask was seeing was the Mage"s Guild that was located at the center of Ishana"s townscape.

"...It seems to have ended."

Lowly murmuring, he turned on his heels with the long silver hair on his head fluttering. Each time he stepped forward, the lush lawn made a noise.

Before he went too far, Celica immediately chased after him.

"Wha, wait up. You"re going to Onee-chan"s place, right? I"ll go with you!"

Hak.u.men didn"t give a reply, but he slightly shortened his large steps. Stepping after him, Celica jogged to catch up with a light trot.

As if urging both of their shadows to leave the hill, a strong gust of wind blew through.