Match of the Millennium

Description: The Eye of the Blue was taken by Hazama, and the Azure calls out for aid. Of all the people it attracts, it's one of the most unlikely - and most capable of helping - that arrives, Ragna the Bloodedge. How bad does it get? See for yourself.

[TERUMI]
The alleys are dark and full of terrors. Noel is cradled in an embrace few would desire to experience, had they any mind what it truly meant. Hazama Honoka, Captain of the Intelligence Department, is carrying her badly wounded form through a number of side areas and shadowed ravines, crisp loafers clacking gently on the stone ground with no attempt to conceal his presence. Noel sent out powerful desires to be saved, resonating through the very fabric of Southtown; all holders of an azure grimoire should feel it and easily be able to find her, after all. Hazama had merely been closest, and retrieved her first. But what are the odds of there being a SECOND in Southtown at this time?

"Oh be careful little eyes what you see... Oh be careful little eyes what you see..." Hazama's smile spreads further, fingers gripping Noel tighter. Almost enough to be uncomfortable. The shadows seem to deepen, as his pleasant voice resonates richly in the surrounding alley. "There's a Father up above, and he's looking down in love..."

His slitted yellow eyes would be the first thing Noel saw when she roused back to consciousness. And every immediate instinct would be horror, that of a predator, a beast, something that haunts the indescribable darkness of nightmares.

"So be careful little eyes what you see...~"

[NOEL]
It was not really a nightmare that befell Noel as the Angel, Devil, ...Dizzy, stared down at her. A mix of devils, angels and a fair woman, crying, were among the sights and sounds that could not be connected, that sifted through her mind and then vanished. The censorship vanished, however, as Bolverk did. The weapon could only hold itself as long as she could hold it - and without it's assistance, the last sight, a crying face of Dizzy, heralded her off to a dream.

A ... meadow. Up above, the sun shined. Sitting in a field, she enjoyed herself. There were two others, faces obscured by the sunlight beaming down above them. She was smiling. Yet... was she ever that young?

One of the faces grew closer, inch by inch, blotting out the sun - allowing her to see it.

The sun vanished, as if eclipsed by the head of the person in front of it. The calm chirping, blowing of wind, replaced by the sound of waves lapping against wood and coast below, and the empty face - a pair of slitted yellow eyes, a terrible smile, and a tight embrace much like the coils of a snake. As if it was her first breath, Noel comes to with a heavy breathe - a gasp - that translates into heavy coughing, some of it still slick with red from the injuries.

"Wh-who .. are you!?" It was not a protest, not a demand - a question, incredulous, panicked, as if asking 'why' instead of the actual 'who'.

[RAGNA]
Ragna the Bloodedge is a wanted man.

Everywhere he goes, it seems like there's always gotta be some genius trying to blindside him and get their grubby mitts on that sweet 90 thousand? Million? Billion? Who the hell cares. Not like he can actually make use of it(But man, would that be nice). No, he's got other priorities. So after swatting some genius bounty hunter aside, the spiky haired young man is set to proceed on his way. But it's at that moment that he senses something. ...Something... like a cry for help? Ugh, he can't put his finger on it, but god damn it, he really can't just leave that alone, can he?

And so Ragna, despite his better wishes, makes his way downtown, into the alleyways as he follows that 'feeling'. Step by step. Until he eventually turns a corner and comes upon the sight of Hazama and Noel within and some distance away.

"......" He squints just a tad, brow quirking as he takes in the sight of the blue clad girl and the green haired man in the suit. "..." A look behind him, as if trying to decide if maybe he took a wrong turn, but... no, he didn't. Right? "Okay, what the hell is going on here?" The red clad man demands gruffly. Because really, not knowing things seems to be his default state.

[TERUMI]
"Are you awake, Ms. Vermillion? Don't worry. I'm taking you somewhere safe... It's me. Captain Hazama." Footsteps come to a stop a fair distance away from Ragna. Indeed, the woman in his hands appears to be the one who resonated out. Yet something about the black suited figure would be oddly familiar. Then again, how often do two identical sleeping grimoires run into each other? "Oh...? This is troublesome. You're Ragna the Bloodedge. SS-Class Rebel, with a bounty funded by the Twelve Originators themselves. What do you want with us?" Although Hazama might not be recognized, Noel is clearly wearing a uniform from the Novus Orbis Librarium. He keeps hold of the young woman, as she likely continues to drip blood on the alley floor beneath. Somehow, Hazama has managed to not get any of it on his suit despite lugging her around. The fact she weighs little in key areas definitely helps.

[NOEL]
Alone, hangs, eyes widening in a moment of horror that stretches on. And on. And /on/.

Why isn't this nightmare ending like the rest? Is this, actually, real? Eyes widen, green, instead of the Azure that it had been so brightly flaring during the fight against Dizzy. Even then, eyes stare up. "Captain... Haz...zama?" She repeats. It was true. She heard of the name once. Maybe twice. Usually there was venom, for a reason or two. Did the Major say his name once or twice? Was it on mail? She can't properly remember at the moment. Each attempt leaving her hands, mind, more empty.

Then come the words from Hazama. The woman's breath, ragged, freezes more-so. Ragna the Bloodedge. Here? Her head weakly twists, carried still, as she manages to turn her head. The beret slips free, falling to the ground below, staining itself in her blood. Her hair trails out like a girl's hair did once, long ago, no longer trapped by the beret.

... Why does she recognize this man, that she has never seen before? No words come from her lips now. The blood loss could be a contributing factor - but is it, really?

[RAGNA]
"Shit. Library goons." Ragna grumbles aloud, his sword arm twitching, but he remains still yet. "What do I want? How the hell should I know. I sensed some weird shit going down, so I took a little detour and I find you two in this alley." He explains that much, but then Noel has to go and lose her beret, which causes allllll that hair to slip free.

Red and green eyes widen just a bit, and he mumbles. "...Saya?" A second passes, and then he shakes his head, "No, of course the hell not." Ragna says, a hand pressed to his forehead. The hell is actually going on here? No, he's not got time to stand around questioning library goons about their alleyway business. But this *does* present a unique opportunity.

"Heh." A ghost of a grin quirks onto the rebel's face as he takes a step forward. "But since I've got you two here, how about you tell me alllll about where your nearest headquarters are, huh?" Noel's wounds are noted, and there's just a slight bit of hesitation in this line of action. But... well, revenge wins this time.

[TERUMI]
"Yes, that's right. We're both from the Library. She's badly injured, and I'm not really interested in fighting you right now." Fingers spread and tighten a bit upon Noel. She would feel anything but saved. There's no rational reason for it, and not even sufficient whispered rumors to truly think that the man holding her is anything but an ally. Yet the Azure in her heart, that recognizes the horrific vessel and the monster of Terumi hiding behind, would be sending every last possible alarm bell it can in her direction.

"Oh! Your hat. Those are important." He crouches down to grasp it and place it back over Noel's face, slightly smothering. "Saya? No, this isn't your poor little sister. You must be seeing things." This is stated with such a casual air it might take Ragna a moment to realize this information is hardly publicized. It's not impossible to know; Jin is in the Library, but would he really say that sort of thing?

"But... hmm. You want to attack me? You're as monstrous as the rumors say~ I'm terrified!" His expression is anything but, only the warm smile and closed eyes. "Why don't you just let me pass? Maybe you could follow me. I'm sure I'll return to a base soon, right? She does need medical attention, after all..."

[NOEL]
The words, mumbled as they are, cause an interesting reaction that one might miss in the moments. Green eyes momentarily fade, Azure eyes staring at Ragna from the grasp the man has on her. Azure blue eyes that seem to call 'Brothe' - all before they crumble, vanishing once more.

Just like Saya, who Ragna has never been able to save. Never could ever save.

It would unlikely be different. While Bolverk is unable to be summoned, the last vestige of her strength is - and it is to move within Hazama's arms. A woman, so bloody, beaten, wounded - and yet instead of saving her strength, instead of accepting the rescue, she thrashes. Violently, like a fish on land, her body writhes all at once, attempting to throw herself out of the man's arms.

"No I ... d-don't... let him....!" It's without reason. It's without understanding, that Noel tries to find footing on legs that cannot support her. Arms that could not hold herself up. To throw herself from the nest, hoping that some wind would catch - that some how she would learn how to fly half-way down. Any chance is one, the Azure tells her, than to remain in the arms and hands of this man. "H-Help me...!" She finally manages, unsure, entirely, why it comes from her mouth. She did not say those words. Yet out they come.

Or did she? It is all so confusing - like a dream.

[RAGNA]
"......."

Ragna stops cold.

For multiple reasons. First, it took him a second, but he called Saya his sister. That's not exactly public information. Even for the NOL. Maybe Jin blabbed, but he really isn't the type. Questions swirl in his mind and he can't help but frown in a supremely suspicious manner. That gaze returns to Noel, and for a moment, he almost thinks he may have heard her say something. But no, she didn't.

Wait, were her eyes blue? No, they're green, right? Yes, they are green. Is he seeing shit?

The second, and foremost point, that sticks in all of this? The girl in Hazama's arms pleading for help despite her wounded state. 'Help me!' she says. And Ragna's frown deepens.

"......."

His sword arm raises, reaching back to grasp the handle of Blood Scythe. "Who the hell are you?" The red clad rebel demands with a seething anger. He takes another step forward. And then another. And another. His shoes tap along the stone pavement, hand gripping the black handle of his weapon tightly. "One of your own is even pleading with me for help."

Noel is spared another glance from the man, and then he glares at the black suited man once more. "I don't know what the hell is going on here, but I know I *really* don't like you."

[TERUMI]
When Noel begins to thrash, Hazama makes a show of struggling to hold on to her. Of course, she doesn't manage. Even if the full strength of her chi was thrumming at full capacity, she couldn't escape these iron fingers unless the man desired it. Yet he constantly gives the illusion she can manage, if she just bucks a little harder, squirms a little more desperately. "Ms. Vermillion. Please, get ahold of yourself. You're asking a rebel to save you from one of your precious colleagues? I believe you've lost more blood than I thought."

Glancing back up towards Ragna, Hazama tilts his hat slightly forward with a dip of acknowledgement. "Captain Hazama. Intelligence Department. I know everything about you Mr. Ragna the Bloodedge. I wouldn't be very good at my job if that wasn't the case. She's just a little frantic... why don't you just let us be on our way? Or are you really willing to assault two non-combatants for your own ambition...?"

[NOEL]
She may just have. Spoken to him. Plead to him. Knew him.

That face - did she not see it somewhere? Not long ago, actually... in a ... dream? No. That can't be. Such thoughts are second to the more realistic nightmare before her. Physically frail, only her chi was something to be feared of all of her threats. Yet even then, this man - not that she knew - would have no trouble disarming it. The illusion is all she needs to keep going. The illusion is what she chases, however far away it may be.

"I ... I don't ... want to lose more than that!" The woman requests as Ragna gets closer. To no avail, she struggles, weak hands, barely able to raise themselves, clenching about Hazama's own that clings to her. "It's ... I know he's...!" To explain her position, she'd have to use words. Have a clear mind. Be in control of herself.

None of that really describes her.

The green eyes fade once more, Azure ones replacing them as emotions begin to overtake her. "You can't leave me alone with him. If you do...!" The first clear words, she may have spoken.

[RAGNA]
Ragna is not convinced. Especially not with Noel basically pleading as if her life depended on it. And the things she's saying. ... Shit. Damn it. He's not 100% clear on what's going on here, but he knows that he doesn't like it one bit, and that that's enough for him. "Assault two non-combatants?" One end of his mouth quirks into a smirk, and he pulls Blood Scythe from behind his waist. "Try just one smug asshole!"

With that, he decides to get a little creative, and instead of dragging the blade across the ground, he swings it across the building wall next to him.

"Dead Spike!" He roars, causing a wave of black and red energy to expel, speeding across the wall to bear into Hazama from the side with opened jaws.

COMBATSYS: Terumi has started a fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  <
Terumi           0/-------/-======|

COMBATSYS: Ragna has joined the fight here.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////////////////]
Terumi           0/-------/-======|=------\-------\0            Ragna

COMBATSYS: Terumi dodges Ragna's Dead Spike.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Terumi           0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0            Ragna

[TERUMI]
"...!" Hazama shifts backwards as the swing of the sword slams into the wall. He then hurtles himself downwards in a seemingly desperate dive, ducking underneath the misshapen maw by what seems to be the skin of his teeth as it snaps shut on nothing. The angry rush of corrupt chi billows his clothing and buckles, forcing him to half-release Noel and hold down his hat. "H-hey...! That could have killed us both. Ah..." He then shifts to the side, and makes to dump Noel butt-first into a fairly empty trashcan. Given her current state, she's liable to get rather comically stuck. "Stay here, First Lieutenant Vermillion. Fighting isn't my strongest point, but..." He flicks out his hands, and two butterfly knives are whirling around his pinkies, before he clacks the hilts together to expose the blades. "It's best I fight for my precious comrade. Isn't it?"

COMBATSYS: Terumi takes no action.

[\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////// ]
Terumi           0/-------/-======|==-----\-------\0            Ragna

[NOEL]
The Azure eyes stay, this time, once more the green fading, washing away to the true nature of the woman. As Hazama shifts himself away, the woman is almost free. Almost. She moves, stumbles, trips - and is then hoisted and tossed into a mostly empty trash-can, comically stuck "A-ah!?" - just as Hazama had wanted. If she had the fight left in her, this would be simply a blow to her psyche, to her pride. For now, it is a prison.

Hands claw against plastic, but they find more purchase. Too marred and marked to really pull herself up, and too weak to even move her body weight upwards the slight slope to freedom.

Why is she chosing now to shut up!?

[RAGNA]
"Tch." Ragna tsks as Hazama deftly dodges that opening attack. Of course, it's never really that easy when it matters. He relaxes his stance, slinging Blood Scythe back behind his waist and staring at the man as he pulls those knives out and prepares for a fight. "For someone who's 'not good at fighting' you sure are a slippery son of a bitch." He grumbles. Noel gets a sidelong glance, which is about all he can do, given that he can't really put his back to this incredibly shady dude.

Then he looks back towards Hazama. "Fine then. Hope you're ready, you piece of crap!" The swordsman roars as he breaks forward into a dash towards the intelligence operative.

More specifically a dashing fist right towards his gut. "Hell's...." His other fist thrusts upward, and a pillar of dark chi erupts towards Hazama. "...Fang!"

At this point, its become a fight to help Noel just as much as it is a fight to get some answers out of this asshole one way or another. He knows too damn much and that pisses Ragna the hell off. Something ain't right here, but he can't pinpoint exactly what.

COMBATSYS: Terumi blocks Ragna's Hell's Fang.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ///////////////////////////   ]
Terumi           0/-------/-======|===----\-------\0            Ragna

[TERUMI]
"A proper Intelligence Officer doesn't fight, but flees." Hazama recounts simply in response, bringing up his weapons and holding them improperly. His stance is poor. Center of balance crappy. Ragna's instincts are telling him that this man really DOES suck at combat, but... something about the whole thing feels fake. And then suddenly Ragna is upon him. A desperate thrum of weapons just barely intercepts, and the fists slam into the butterfly knives. Hazama is sent flying backwards by the force of the blow, landing on his back and skidding a couple meters off before rolling upwards. "A-ah..." He shakes one hand with a frown. "Are you REALLY trying to kill me?" Slithering forward, he raises one knife high, before swinging down in a sharp arc at Ragna's shoulder, before following it up with a second lunge. Crude, but just this side of 'maybe it could hit me'... yet if he really had no idea what he was doing, this attack should be completely harmless, not merely simple to deal with...

COMBATSYS: Ragna fails to interrupt Crushing Strike from Terumi with Inferno Divider.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////////         ]
Terumi           0/-------/=======|======-\-------\0            Ragna

[RAGNA]
Something definitely isn't right here.

The way he moves is all sloppy. His stance is terrible, and there are at least twelve different exploitable openings he can spot just at a simple glance. But... Something tells Ragna that this is not nearly as simple as it seems. It's not right. Is this some kinda feint? An act?

There's not time to think about it, because soon, Hazama is on him with a dual bladed strike from those knives. It look really straightfoward and almost laughable. He can see where the point to counter would be. It's simple. And yet...

When he moves to follow that line of logic, it doesn't happen. Instead of scattering that sloppy attack, the red clad man finds knives digging into him. "Shit-!" He jumps back, examining the slashes against his shoulders. It's not horribly threatening, but it does hurt, and the fact that it even landed has him even *more* on edge now.

Something is clearly off here.

[TERUMI]
What happened might be rather difficult to digest. Hazama abruptly sped up once Ragna began to devote himself into the attack, and then viciously sunk the knives in with a twist. "Oh... I got first blood!" is cooed by the hat devil, seeming to almost beam. "Might I manage the 90 million bounty on my own...?" Rearing back a foot, Hazama then lashes out, trying to hit Ragna in the chest and knock him backwards. Again it's just a sharp jerk and little more, but the fact there's a long blade coming out of the heel might not be realized until it cuts in deep, if Ragna isn't quick ono the uptake. "How are you doing, First Lieutenant Vermillion?"

COMBATSYS: Terumi successfully hits Ragna with Light Kick.

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  //////////////////            ]
Terumi           0/-------/=======|>>>>>>>\>------\1            Ragna

[RAGNA]
Before Ragna can recover his wits, a kick hits him in the chest and sends him skidding backwards a bit of a ways before he stops. "Tch! I knew you were lying through your teeth..." He growls, flexing his right hand a little. Should he use it? ...No. Of course not. It hasn't even gotten nearly that bad yet. But there is something else he can do.

The red clad swordsman breaks forward into a run, looking to regain that momentum. He sweeps in low on the stance, and rears back with his right arm. Suddenly, it explodes into black and red, taking on the form of a vicious looking, bestial claw. "Keep smiling, you piece of shit!" He shouts angrily, lashing forward to grab the intelligence operative with that oversized claw and literally drain him of his lifeforce.

Well, not all anyway. And if he can even get a bead on this slippery toad in the first place.

COMBATSYS: Terumi easily escapes Ragna's Devoured by Darkness!

[  \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////////////             ]
Terumi           0/-------/=======|-------\-------\0            Ragna

[NOEL]
How is she doing?

It's ... not right, is it? Every action from Hazama has something that Noel can see more into - that his actions are, on purpose, as sloppy as it is. Hazama would know of her double agent status - classified as a secretary, but an assassin and intelligence agent herself. While her scores were so low for ... everything else, the fact that she was allowed in and promoted instantly showed there was something to her. Something that couldn't really be identified immediately.

The Azure eyes focus on Terumi - but then switch to Ragna. He's struggling, isn't he? The blood-loss should make her head lighter - it has. Then comes the question, potentially mocking. How is she doing? Green eyes shatter the blue from the almost random question. With so little energy left, she can't just force herself out. The SOS continues to thrum, stronger the more Ragna seems to have victory slip through his fingers - as sharp as they are like claws.

"I ... Y-you.... !!!" Hic. Her flailing is getting her nowhere. It's frustrating. She tries to free herself, yet finds each motion causing her to slowly fade once more. The damage from Dizzy cannot be undone. Such power from the Command Gear causing the Eye of the Blue to falter so easily. Now, she is ... trash. "UWAAAAAAAAAAH!"

Helpful, of course.

[TERUMI]
Stamping down his heel, the blade retracts from Hazama's heel. "I never lie, Ragna the Bloodedge. I told you. Fighting isn't my speciality. You are the one..." Suddenly power thrums through Terumi, green energy roaring along his frame. The Azure; Noel and Ragna are liable to instantly recognize it. Not pure... twisted emerald, much like Ragna's eye, but no less monstrous to behold. A sigil manifests in the open air, and then a long green chain erupts out with a snake upon the head. It sinks into the wall, burying in deep as Ragna prepares his assault. "Who presumed that meant I was weak~"

His entire body seems to slither to the side, rolling around the thrusting claw with disturbing ease as the chain draws him away, pulling him from the sudden lash of claw. Hazama is suddenly low to the ground, one hand remaining on his hat. "I'd do it, Ragna the Bloodedge. Release 666. Or you just might *die*...!!"

Hazama then summons twisted Azure power into his free hand, still clutching a knife, and lashes upwards at Ragna. Trying to launch him airwards, so he can hurtle an Ouroboros chain in an attempt to sink it upon his throat. To then twist and flick him down towards the dirty alley floor with a brutal yank, spiraling his knife and unleashing one last slashing uppercut, twisting to hurtle him in order to slam against the brick wall next to Noel's dumpster. "Use it. The Azure Grimoire in your right arm...! Your true strength!!"

COMBATSYS: Terumi successfully hits Ragna with Glimmering Fang of the Basilisk.
- Power hit! -

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  ////////                      ]
Terumi           0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1            Ragna

COMBATSYS: Ragna returns to his normal state.

[   \\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////////                     ]
Terumi           0/-------/----===|=======\==-----\1            Ragna

[RAGNA]
"Tsk!" Well, it's true. Just because he said he was bad at fighting doesn't mean he was weak. But this is just on another level.

Hazama reveals his true skill at last, and that claw swipe grasps at nothing entirely. Again. Slippery son of a- But before Ragna can even process that he missed again, he's launched into the air. "Gah!" A chain-like thing shoots out and grasps at his throat, pulling him back down to earth where he's thrown right into the brick wall near Noel. "-Shit!" He hits the ground and struggles back to his feet, glaring at the green haired man.

Panting slowly, Ragna glances down at his arm, and then back to Hazama. "... Tch!" He didn't want to use this, but... he raises that arm, fist clenched. "Restriction 666 released." The red plate on the back of his hand opens up, crimson energy billowing outwards. "Dimensional Interruption Imaginary Number formed..." The power intensifies, and then- "Blazblue... ACTIVATE!" A glyph forms in the air and power erupts all around Ragna.

This is it. The Azure Grimoire. "You asked for this, you son of a bitch!" The swordsman roars, drawing Blood Scythe and rearing back. The weapon unfolds and takes on the form of an actual scythe with a red energy blade. And he dives forward, cloaked in power. "Black Onslaught!" He shouts, cleaving at Hazama with swing after swing of that weapon, the power of the Azure raging all around in a storm that threatens to collapse this alleyway.

COMBATSYS: Terumi endures Ragna's Black Onslaught.

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Terumi           0/-------/-------|>>>>---\-------\0            Ragna

[TERUMI]
"Come... show me..." Hazama's voice seems to be changing. His demeanor shifting from a sort of playful calmness to something more aggressive. His hand finally leaves his hat, energy starting to billow around him. "Yes. That's it. The power you wanted. The power that saved you. You should embrace it. Make it your own..." Golden eyes snap open, staring fully at Ragna for the first time as arms spread out. The brutal slashes tear through black clothing, flaying the front of Hazama, but... there's very little blood. Even as great cleaves tear across the stone floor and brick wall, wrecking the surroundings, he presses forward. The last incredible impact rips open his chest. But only blackness is visible within, small motes of it floating out. He's standing right before Ragna now, multiple green chains having launched out to latch upon the ground and anchor himself in place.

"That's it... that's all you have in this world? Hahahaha..." He grasps his face, covering his eyes. "HAHAHAHA...! No wonder that vampire bitch was so terrified of me coming here!! It's a bunch of sheeps to the SLAUGHTER!! Want to see something interesting?!"

Suddenly Terumi spreads his arms open. "Restriction 666 released." A great sigil manifests across the wounded front of Hazama's vessel. "Dimensional Interruption Imaginary Number formed..." Green energy crackles and surges, power that already remained above Ragna's own magnification going even higher.

"BlazBlue... ACTIVATE!!"

Suddenly a roar of the Azure crackles through him, the hat flying off into the air. A newly sculpted hairstyle is visible before Ragna, one that would immediately bring back memories. Of a certain smirking face, of a green-haired demon that melted into some horrifying ghost, on that terrible day so many years ago. The one who took his arm. His sister. The sister. And his life.

"Does this ring a bell, Ragna?! PLEASE tell me you remember me... It took so much effort to manifest long enough to /ruin/ your life back then!!"

COMBATSYS: Terumi erupts into green energy, hat flying off and hair spiking up.

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Terumi           0/-------/-----==|>>>>---\-------\0            Ragna

[RAGNA]
Ragna attacked with everything he had AND the Azure Grimoire, and that still didn't do the job against this bastard!? His eyes widen as Blood Scythe powers down and returns to blade form. "What the fuc- How are you still even-" No, forget about that. Did he just say 'vampire'? Shit, there's only one annoying ass vampire he knows.

"What the hell are you on about? What's that damn rabbit got to do with anything?" No, more like 'what have I not been told this time?'. But he gets his answer soon enough. In the form of a very familiar chant. "...What? Wait a god damn second...!" He growls as power far above his own erupts around Hazama, or whoever the hell that is. No. No, he knows who that is.

He could never forget. That day at the burning church. Jin holding that sword, Saya nowhere to be seen. His arm...

"....... ......"

Ragna's face becomes a mask of total hatred and rage at that very moment. "YUUKI TERUMI YOU SON OF A BITCH!" He shouts with all the anger built up for years and years. And he *charges* despite the stacked odds. Footsteps rapidly pick up, and then he jumps right into the air.

His sword changes form to a scythe once again as he comes down onto Terumi, aiming to cleave somehow, someway.

"I'LL KILL YOU!"

COMBATSYS: Ragna successfully hits Terumi with Blood Scythe EX.
-* CRITICAL HIT! *-

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Terumi           0/-------/---====|======-\-------\0            Ragna

[TERUMI]
The sheer speed of the assault catches Terumi off-guard. He goaded him. He beckoned him. And exactly like Ragna wanted, the hatred, anger and resentment roar through the Grim Reaper's body. His weapon rips into the psychotic opposite, a great blast of force erupting in all directions. Stone shatters downwards and sends countless pebbles of rubble upwards, forcing Terumi to thump down to his hands and knees. "...!! Aheehee... that's it. Don't you feel it...? The BlazBlue's real strength?" Ragna would feel strength coursing into him from that blow, stealing the very essence of Terumi himself. Yet such is like poison, a disease, a corruption of his own grimoire. A seed of hate, to blossom him even further down that path.

"You got me on... the ropes here, Ragna... deeper. Tap into that power deeper...! Drink it!! Try to take my entire soul from me!! That's the only way you can WIN!!" Terumi never lies. It might cause him to triumph in this encounter, but it would damn him in the long term. Terumi then flicks out his hand, and beckons with his fingers. A chain roars from a portal behind Ragna, aiming to slam into him before a roar of green-black monstrous shaped energy flies along, aiming to slam the Grim Reaper into melee range. Intent on finishing this battle between the pair, in the very near future!

COMBATSYS: Terumi successfully hits Ragna with Beckoning Serpent.

[                   \\\\\\\\\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Terumi           0/-------/=======|=======\=------\1            Ragna

[RAGNA]
Ragna is consumed by hatred. Everything has gone out the window at this point. Everything but revenge against one man. The man standing before him. Noel is left forgotten by the wayside as the twin powers clash and destroy the pavement. Hatred and anger runs wild as the power of the Azure ripples through the area. "Drink it? I'll tear your soul to goddamn pieces, you-GAH!" Chains burst out of a portal behind Ragna, sending him hurtling forward and slamming right into green and black energies from the other Blazblue.

The Grim Reaper is torn apart, but he does not give up. He grins, power rippling around him even still. "I said I was gonna tear you apart, you bastard! I MEANT IT!" And he rears back with his blade, slamming it downwards, cloaked in bloody red energy. "Carnage..." He follows it up with a furious spin forward as he lets loose a reverse gripped slash, sending an explosive wave of black and red force to crash right into Terumi from point blank range.

COMBATSYS: Ragna successfully hits Terumi with Carnage Scissors EX.

[                          \\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Terumi           1/-----==/=======|=------\-------\0            Ragna

[TERUMI]
"Then do it!! Do it!!" Every second, Ragna's hatred binds Terumi to this world more and more. Now, Rachel's inadvertant observation is no longer the only thing binding him to this realm. Between Valkenhayn and the Grim Reaper acknowledging and reviling him, that makes him all the harder to remove. And in the long term, all the more powerful to deal with. Forearms shift to cross, an earnest attempt to defend himself before the massive flash of raw strength and borrowed power tear into him. Black essence spills freely from the damaged grimoire of Hazama's artificial body. Terumi reels, feeling his physical limits almost entirely reached.

But he then manifests a serpent coil in his right and left hand that roar with Azure power as imitation Ouroboros, and then lashes upwards in an attempt to strike into Ragna's face and launch him skywards, before the other descends to strike into his gut and drag him back down to slam him upon the alley floor...!

COMBATSYS: Terumi has reached second wind!

[                          \\\\  < >  /////                         ]
Terumi           0/-------/--=====|=------\-------\0            Ragna

COMBATSYS: Terumi successfully hits Ragna with Serpent's Cursed Sting.

[                          \\\\  < >                                ]
Terumi           0/-------/=======|=======\======-\1            Ragna

Once Ragna is flung down like a doll upon the alley floor, Terumi thrusts upwards and sinks both of the false Ouroboros into either shoulder, and hefts him up. Great curling serpent-like shapes then erupt along, glowing bright green. He begins unleashing great, powerful pulses to roar into the Grim Reaper, attacking the very core of his Azure Grimoire with his own fel influence. Again and again, forcing his failing body to keep going, as the roars of pulsing light fill the hallway. And then he whips down to slam Ragna upon the ground, face first.

A moment later a heel stamps down, grinding Ragna's silver hair into the dirt and blood. "That's it... haa... that's all the hate you got... haa... You think that's enough despair to get rid of ME?!" He then repeatedly stomps upon his head, creating a growing impact crater of cracks before finally sweeping up a green imbued kick, launching Ragna's form into the air to set him up for a whirling sidekick, intent on sending him hurtling back down the alley with all his force.

Terumi then almost falls forward, before all around him green energy portals burst into being. Slender Ouroboros chains latch into his flesh and tattered clothing, literally holding himself up like some kind of twitching puppet. "So close... so CLOSE, Ragna the Bloodedge... are you going to fail RIGHT at the finish line...?!"

[RAGNA]
Despite everything Ragna does to try and erase Terumi from this earth, it seems to be doing the opposite. Not that he can see. He's blinded by rage. He doesn't even have it in him to dodge and block properly. He just gets hit. Tossed this way and that, into the air, before being dragged back down and slammed into the alley pavement like a ragdoll. "Kuh-!" The ground breaks apart at the impact, and it seems like the Grime Reaper might be finished. ...Except he's not. Even as his head is stomped on and ground into. He doesn't give up.

He slowly rises back up to his feet, hate in his eyes even as he's bloody, torn, in pain, and all but finished. "Not... done... yet...!" He growls, dragging himself a step forward towards Terumi holding himself up with those chains. And then another step. And another... and another. They get faster as he finds his tenacious resolve, his sword changing form into a scythe once again as that red blade ripples to life once again.

"Die... die...die! Die! Die, you son of a bitch!" And he swings. And swing. And swings again, a veritable onslaught of cleaving slashes as Ragna goes far beyond his limit and into the realms of sheer impossibility. But eventually, that slashing slows down, and comes to a crawl. Then to a stop, as Ragna stands there. Still as a statue.

...Did he pass out on his feet?

COMBATSYS: Ragna has reached second wind!

[                          \\\\  < >  ////                          ]
Terumi           1/-----==/=======|====---\-------\0            Ragna

COMBATSYS: Terumi counters Black Onslaught from Ragna with Screeches of the Condemned.

[                           \\\  < >                                ]
Terumi           0/-------/----===|=======\====---\1            Ragna

COMBATSYS: Ragna takes no action.

[                           \\\  <
Terumi           0/-------/----===|

COMBATSYS: Ragna can no longer fight.

[                           \\\  <
Terumi           0/-------/----===|

[TERUMI]
That sudden rush forward towards Terumi is met finally by his hands summoning great swathes of green energy, and as the massive scythe is brought to bear once more, Terumi lashes out. Twin ouroboros roar out and sink into his chest, before suddenly twisting to swing. His movements are awkward, his body terribly broken from the fight so far. Any human would be long dead; dead when he first unleashed this storm of the Black Beast's true power into him. Only the fact Hazama is a grimoire himself, his whole form like Ragna's arm, keeps him going. His chain retracts violently, rushing up to slash his imbued knife sharply into Ragna's body, drawn along by his puppeter chains. Landing awkwardly, he then draws himself up again, lashing out a second time, before the countless chains pull Terumi straight upwards. And then he descends, manifesting a great monstrous aura of energy to slam into Ragna and impact the middle of the alley, sending a great pulse of damaging energy in all directions. His hand upon the back of Ragna's head, knee in his lower back.

"Grrk... gaah...!" Terumi staggers over in the direction of Noel, but... no. Ragna did quite a number on him. He can feel his hatred etched into his very BlazBlue now. The sound of the authorities are coming. NOL might capture the rebel and execute him; that would be troublesome, but...

"Come here... my little Eye..." Slithering coils of his chains wrap around Noel's fallen trashcan and drags her over. To truss her up dangling before him, panting heavily. A hand lifts up, before a spectral black and green hand wisps out. Sinking into Noel's head, gripping unseen, and tearing out the very memories. Hazama saved her, but then Ragna attacked... all of the rest is lost to the void, as he munches and chews greedily. "Haha... agh..."

That damn vampire is going to know he's weak now. A portal forms beneath him, green chains whirling up to surround him as he begins incanting a spell of teleportation. Not nearly so potent as Rachel's ability to slither between realms, but enough to get from Point A to Point B.

"Well then... Ragna... Thank you for the meal..." Slowly, Terumi sinks down into the alley floor, before it wisps shut and his presence seems to vanish.

COMBATSYS: Terumi has ended the fight here.

Log created on 20:52:11 12/01/2017 by Noel, and last modified on 10:30:27 12/02/2017.