Regarding A Hero's Redemption...Yeah many of you guys are waiting for a new chapter and I'm really, really sorry for holding y'all up. I should be able to finish it by next week if possible and I'm on break so I have time to write. I know I haven't been here for a while 'cause of life but that's not an excuse to not be motivated. Rest assured, I'm gonna stay motivated for those who follow my stories. Feels wrong to leave you all out there to dry with no conclusion.
To any participants of the dreaded No Nut November...anyone failed yet?
The life of Ragna the Bloodedge is a tale of hardship, tears, blood and best of all, badassery. The white haired Reaper has taken on beings that can be considered gods and has the power of a monster powerful enough to turn the whole world into an even worse version of Fallout. You'd think with all the shit he endured as a child and his tenure as the feared "Grim Reaper", life FINALLY decided to give him a break. Well...it did...but it ain't exactly a vacation either.
Darkness. It was the only thing prominent throughout the whole area. There was nothing but pitch black entering anyone's vision...though a lone figure was getting to his senses.
It was a male, approximately six feet in height with hair white as snow. His clothes consisted of a black hakama and baggy pants, gloves with red seithr regulators attached to them, red jacket and steel toed shoes of the same color. A small groan escaped his lips, his gruff voice somewhat reverberating through the area.
"Where...the hell am I? Oh, right." Memories flooded back to him. From the recent defeat of Takehaya Susanoo and saying his last farewells to his siblings. Despite butting heads with either of them, Ragna couldn't help but grin a bit.
"Heh...wonder what're those two idiots up to." A certain one eyed cat beastkin appeared from his memory banks, the very same person who handed him his title, jacket and Aramasa, his sword. While Jubei was cryptic, he was the one who trained him and turning him into the army slaying badass he is today.
"Thanks for training me...Master." One auburn haired girl popped up in his head, the same person who gave him the catalyst to utilize the Azure Grimoire protect, rather than destroy.
"Celica..." and last but not least, a blonde twintailed girl who is fan of drinking tea, gothic lolita dresses, roses and lastly, pissing him off. Yet despite that, he would do everything to watch her back even with the constant snarking between them.
"Damn Rabbit...I swore I was gonna make you cry...but I didn't think it'd be like this." Yeah Ragna's life was complete shit from the start, beginning to end. Hell, he only had 3 or 4 people that aren't snarking, talking shit about him or treating him as the world's chew toy. Yet despite having vitriol with Kagura, Kokonoe, Tager and the rest of the cast (except for Terumi and a couple others), he would willingly give his life again if it means seeing them live another day. Yeah, he had a crappy life...but at least it wasn't all bad.
Suddenly, he felt the ground, if it even could be considered as such since there's no dirt where he's sitting upon shake slightly. The white haired Shinigami craned his head, his ruby and emerald eyes trying to see if there's anything within the horizon. There wasn't anything but pitch black...
Until red smoke started to appear. At first, it was mere wisps, nothing to worry about. Black flames, similar to the ones he conjured came into view, growing denser and denser by the minute. The smoke and flames conjured into a singularity, turning into...something.
Ragna's right arm suddenly felt like it was vibrating. Small wisps of seithr escaped, growing into full on flames.
"Shit...What the hell's going on?!" Ragna's left arm clutched his right, attempting to stop the vibrations and flow of seithr. Eventually, the black flames and smoke stopped, allowing Ragna to catch a sight of the center of it all.
"That's..."
It was a 4 foot long sword but its thickness made it look like a slab of metal. It was single edged with a black handle.
"I remember dropping this off...why's it here?!" Confusion ran amok in Ragna's mind. Before sacrificing himself, he gave Rachel his sword...before disappearing completely he saw her clutching onto the sword's handle tightly, her dainty little fingers grabbing onto its handle, the normally composed vampire crying, tears pouring out of her eyes like waterfalls. In a way, Ragna did make her cry...but it felt empty rather than victorious.
Curious, he reached out with his right hand to grab Aramasa. The moment his Azure Grimoire made contact with the handle, his right arm lit aflame with seithr, along with his sword. Pain surged throughout, but Ragna kept his hold upon the sword.
"GAAAAAHHHH!" He screamed out in pain, using his willpower to try to get the flow of seithr under control. If Aramasa was here...then it must've come with a purpose. He needed to get this under control, now.
"Damn it, this feels like how I first trained with Master but hundreds of times worse!" Black flames coated the earthless ground under his feet, the seithr regulator on his right arm open, revealing a reddish light within. His left green eye became blood red, both eyes becoming slitted as a mirage of a very dark being appeared behind him, a monster that brought his world to ruin. It seemed to close in upon him, but the amount of pain he was enduring made it next to impossible to move. It's like someone lit his veins on fire while a huge weight was pressed onto his shoulders.
Despite Ragna's immense willpower, the pain made it unbearable to stay conscious. Part of him wanted to rest and let the suffering end, but that would mean giving up...and the Grim Reaper didn't get this far just to throw in the towel.
"Become one...with me..." whispers were heard at the back of his mind, telling him to fuse with...something. Ragna knew who it was, despite it not having a voice.
"Black Beast...I ain't lettin' you tear me apart!" He hated doing this, he hated to say these words again...but if the Beast wanted to be a part of him, then it will...but it won't be him holding the reins.
"Restriction...666...released" The moment he uttered those words, the black flames intensified and the ground began to shake, growing in intensity. The pain was still there, but it lessened somewhat. Ragna's eyes became beastlike in appearance, his teeth sharpening all the while.
"Dimensional Interference Field Deployed...", his Drive crest appeared below him, showing his connection to the Black Beast. The shadows grew in intensity, surrounding the Reaper. The wind picked up, his signature coat and baggy pants flapping against the wind. The power of the Black Beast was immense...and it was an understatement to describe it. He felt it enveloping his mind, telling him to give in...telling him to lose control, but Ragna will have none of that.
Even though he was in a dire situation, the Grim Reaper let a grin escape his lips.
"BlazBlue...ACTIVATE!" The moment he said those words, the silhouette of the Black Beast came into view, its heads roaring as loud as rocket boosting off into space. Before the seithr fully enveloped the Grim Reaper, one can catch the faintest of smirks upon his face along with a lone ruby eye. The flames increased once more, turning the surrounding area into a wall and inferno of midnight black and purple flames.
Ragna roared powerfully into the heavens, feeling the power of the Black Beast come into his very being, his very soul but still maintaining a strong mental fortitude. Aramasa, his sword dissolved into dark purple and black flames, the seithr being absorbed into his Azure Grimoire. Looking at his left arm, he saw the IDEA Engine active as well, despite not saying the activation code for it.
"Thank Kokonoe for that..." Closing and opening his eyes, he mentally willed the red shells on his hand to close, dropping the flow of seithr. The moment it absorbed into his arms, the wall of inferno disappeared, leaving the ground pitch black once more.
Suddenly, he felt himself as if he was in the air. Arms and legs stretched out, he felt no control of his body, only the feeling of falling...somewhere.
Falling...
Falling...
It felt like forever until the Grim Reaper hit something soft, but not soft enough for it to fully absorb the impact of the fall. It was enough to momentarily take some breath out of him but was able to recuperate fast enough. Feeling dirt on his face he swiped it off, seeing what it was.
"Sand...?" He thought, slowly rising to his feet. Unfortunately some of the dirt stuck to his naked torso...wait...
"Where're my clothes?!" Ragna's iconic clothing has disappeared, replaced with red shorts and black flame decals. His right arm is the same pitch black as usual, showing his connection to the Azure Grimoire, but his left hand was no longer mechanical. He found himself clenching it tightly, showing that it indeed belonged to him. Turning his head left and right, he found himself in an island or more exactly, a beach if the palm trees are anything to go by. Judging from the sun's position it's morning. Along with the palm trees were smaller ones as well, but with thicker trunks and enough to cover the area in shade. Ragna couldn't see anything but pitch black beyond where the sunlight reaches.
Looking at a reflection created by the water, he found himself...younger, about 15, 16 or 17 years old. He's still six feet tall and his hair is its usual same shade of white, along with his right iris being red but his face made him look like in his teens. Ragna couldn't help but chuckle a bit, remembering how short he was in his own world. He was even more surprised by the fact that he can not only move his right arm but his eye's also open as well, despite the lack of seithr.
"Shit...I think I'm no longer in the Boundary...Certainly not in my own world, so what the hell is this?" Closing his eyes, he opened his right hand and channeled a bit of his power, causing a small dark flame to erupt, dancing through his blackened fingers.
"Huh...so I can use seithr here even though the world's not ruined by the Black Beast...but it feels weak...like it needs fuel." Looking around, he couldn't help but facepalm.
"So I'm dropped into another world, in an island, with no fucking map or any idea where I am. What shitty luck I have." Ragna felt something pulse in his right arm. Risking a glance, he saw a red Drive symbol, his own. At first, it was faint, but noticeable, but it became more obvious when every second passed.
Unfortunately, his luck decided to suddenly kick in once more when the sky went from badly blue to blood red, the moon becoming the same color. The trees lost every ounce of greenery, replaced with one that's wilting and in the process of decaying. Ragna clicked his teeth in annoyance, the Reaper about to reach for Aramasa...before realizing it wasn't in its usual place.
"Shit..." Suddenly, out of the area of now dead greenery came creatures of horrible proportions. Some of them had a spider-like body, others were a combination of half woman/half sentipede. There were ones that looked like those demons from Japanese Mythology, the ones with red skin and yellow horns. Ragna even saw a fairly beautiful woman...if it wasn't for the fact that she has batlike wings, pale skin and a black tongue and lips.
The Grim Reaper's vision changed from monsters to the familiar blue uniform of the NOL, their guns, swords and shield at the ready. Ragna's body moved by itself, dodging every bullet fired and trap laid before delivering a hard punch through the midsection, causing the enemy to fly screaming. Ragna's vision returned to how it was, the NOL uniforms now back to the familiar sight of Yōma in front of him, but looking through some of the trees being knocked down, he did indeed punch the creature.
"Why'd I remember that?" Ragna's thoughts were interrupted when a Jorōgumo tried to use her webbing and try and immobilize him, prompting him to step backward, his fists clenched. The Reaper let out a small sigh.
"Alright...no more games..." Opening his eyes, he let a grin of audacity come to his face.
(Cue Rebellion II)
An Oni tried to throw a huge boulder at him, but he caught it and threw it back, disorienting the demon. Ragna jumped up, grabbed its horn and used its own weight against it, bringing it down through the ground before punching its face. Seeing the weapon he dropped, he picked it up with both his hands and drove it to its torso. It disintegrated into smoke, its essence absorbing into the Grim Reaper's right arm. Even though no seithr was used, he felt its life force absorbed into him.
Kicking up dirt to blind a Jorōgumo, he delivered a hard kick to its face and slugged it through her chest, the force causing her to skid back. Sensing danger behind him, Ragna sidestepped, where he encountered a skeleton trying to decapitate him with a rusted but equally sharp sword. Grabbing the blade in one hand, he shattered it using his right fist alone, lifted it by its neck and punched through the armor, its essence going into Ragna's arm once more. Uppercutting a Hinoenma, he repeatedly slammed her onto the ground. Booting her up high in the air, he grabbed her body, snapped her neck and ripped her head off.
"All right, time to experiment..." Ragna reared back a bit.
"GAUNTLET-" The white haired Shinigami covered his right hand in seithr, delivering a hammer punch to a Jorōgumo "HADES!" Before finishing it with a roundhouse kick, both hits causing his BlazBlue to "wake up", so to speak. Gritting his teeth in annoyance, his BlazBlue responded with his emotions, causing dark purple flames to appear on both his now organic and artificial hand. He swept them across the battlefield, causing many of the creatures to scream in pain.
"HELL'S-" Ragna charged forward, his fist outstretched and covered in dark flames hitting a mikami type yoma to the face. "FANG!" What followed was a stream of darkness in the shape of a pair of draconic jaws swallowing a couple of skull and plant type yoma. Charging forward, the Grim Reaper grabbed a Jorōgumo's line of webbing, yanked her forward and turned his right arm into a red tipped claw.
"LET THE DARKNESS..." Grabbing the spiderwoman's face tendrils of darkness appeared and struck her countless of time, each causing her to scream in pain. "CONSUME YOU!" Ragna crushed her whole body, their essence entering him. Looking on, he saw the endless waves of yoma walking towards him as if they were zombies.
"Damn it! There ain't an end to them!" Out of anger, he struck the ground, causing a wall of black flames to spring up, incinerating a large group about 20 or so yoma. The flames were even darker than before, its touch more more deadly. Not even the waters could douse them, as despite bits of water connecting with the seithr, the water evaporated.
"Something's wrong with this...why's it feelin' like it's alive? Well, even more alive." Ragna kept fighting through the endless hordes of yoma, sweep kicking a small yoma plant, ducking under a spider's web and even dodging a water-like tentacle...wait a sec.
Ragna craned his head and saw a huge monster made of entirely water, with glowing yellow eyes behind it.
"That's in Umi Bozu! Sister used to tell me about those things..." Suddenly, a tentacle bitch slapped him, causing him to slam onto a nearby tree. Shaking his head, he ducked when he saw a flying projectile heading in his general direction.
"Motherfu-" his curse was cut short when yellow lightning struck the ground, revealing a Japanese version of a chimera. It has the face of a monkey, body of a tiger and a tail of a serpent, with eyes unfocused, although the Reaper can tell they were on him.
Before Ragna could further curse, he sensed movement behind him, causing him to step back reflexively. Out of the area of dead trees came a giant centipede made of...something with mandibles clicking and its many legs moving about.
"So...I got an Umi Bozu, a Nue and a Giant Centipede, along with the other mooks I gotta deal with." Looking at front and behind, their numbers have swelled with the hundreds region.
"So it seems my host is in quite a bind, eh?" It seemed like eight people were talking in his head, using the same voice.
"Black Beast!" The apocalyptic being let out a chuckle.
"The asssimilation went perfectly. I now reside in your mind and soul."
"What the hell do you want?! I'm in a middle of a damn fight!" Ragna drop kicked the Nue and dodged a charge from the Giant Centipede, delivering a punch strong enough to temporarily knock it on its side.
"You are aware now that the Boundary has taken us into a new possibility, correct? One where your loved ones and friends do not exist?"
"No shit Sherlock! You here to give me advice or just tell things I already know!"
"Bullheaded as always. No, I'm here to teach you a couple trick about your new...powers." Ragna raised a mental eyebrow at that, jumping over a skeleton who was using a two handed axe, dragging it onto the sand beneath him.
"For once, corruption is no longer the case here. Since you willingly bonded yourself to me the power of the Azure Grimoire will no longer corrupt your mortal form and your power output it much stronger. At this point, the IDEA Engine serves as a limiter to me. If you wish to truly rain hell upon these...so called pathetic creatures, then release it, but unlike before the Grimoire will no longer try to take over you." All of this was happening while the Bloodedge was busy dodging and weaving attacks from a horde of skeletal archers.
"DEAD SPIKE!" A wave of darkness in the form of the Black Beast appeared, but it was twice the size of how he normally casts it. The attack devoured a quarter of the enemy, though many still remain. Black dust went into his right arm, causing his arm to feel even more tingly.
Out of nowhere, dark flames covered the Grim Reaper, but what was odd is that they weren't hurting him...it was like they were turning into something else. Seconds later, his iconic clothes returned. His hakama, steel toed shoes and red coat now covering his very being once more. Looking behind, he saw Aramasa strapped to his back. He grinned at seeing his old threads.
"Huh...that's pretty neat. Though why couldn't you talk to me earlier?"
"There was no seithr here and when your fists made contact with these abominations their essence revitalized me. If you wish to switch clothing or make your sword appear just think about the clothing you desire."
"Thanks for that. Now..." Ragna drew his sword in a backhanded grip , Aramasa covered in dark energy.
(Miracle of Sound- Messing with the Best)
Ragna swung his sword at the ground, causing a huge explosion in front of him. Running at top speed, he covered his right hand in seithr and punched the Nue upwards, causing it to howl in pain and rise. Jumping up, the Grim Reaper covered his foot in darkness and gave an axe kick to its torso, prompting it to fly downward from the force but not before Ragna roared, stabbing its midsection and brutally bifurcating it, dust particles entering his BlazBlue.
The Umi-Bozu whipped another tentacle at him but Ragna blocked it and tried for an overhead slash only for the blade to harmlessly pass through its aquatic body. It was about to suck in Aramasa within its watery form and to make it worse, a circular yellow light emitted from its chest, glowing brighter by the second.
"SHIT!" Ragna dodged at the last second, causing water to splash behind him. It once again launched globs of water at him, which he dodged with ease and slashed the glowing area. The blade cut made a huge diagonal incision and the Umi Bozu recoiled in pain, the wound causing it to emit smoke.
Danger senses on overdrive, the Grim Reaper deflected some arrows from bow using skeletons, sending a Dead Spike their way, the Black Beast's head devouring them like a late night snack.
"CARNAGE SCISSORS!" Ragna rushed forward, giving two slashes to a group of enemies. The first slash heavily damaged the Giant Centipede and the second one caused a crimson black explosion of seithr, eliminating many skeletons and grievously injuring a Tengu-Raven.
"OH, NOW IT'S A FUCKING PARTY!" Ragna roared befitting of his epithet, grabbing a tentacle of the Umi Bozu when it tried to come to him. Dark flames coated his body, seemingly increasing his already immense strength and burning the water Yōma's body. Recoiling from the force, The Black Beast's reincarnation turned his right arm into a red claw once more, except thrice as big. It tried to defend itself by attacking him with water again, but that was what Ragna was hoping for. The moment the yellow circle came out, he grabbed it with his transformed arm. The last its eyes saw was the Grim Reaper's smirk before tendrils of darkness sprouted from the ground, striking the Umi Bozu. It recoiled in pain and tried to free itself but Ragna kept a tight grip upon the monster. Moments later, Ragna clenched his fists, disintegrating the large monster leaving nothing but black feather drifting in the air.
The yōma could only watch as the Umi Bozu's remnant's went to his arm, powering his BlazBlue further. The silhouette of the Black Beast appeared behind Ragna, with dark flames pouring forth from his right hand, Aramasa on the left. Focusing seithr on his blade, it extended and revealed a crimson blade, seething with dark energy. Ragna yelled in anger as he charged the horde of Yōma, his BlazBlue seeping with seithr.
Still, many enemies were before him...to the experienced shinobi, this was the greatest challenge of their life, but for the wanted man known as the Grim Reaper...
It was Tuesday.
Okay. Yeah I've been out for a while now...not proud of it and no excuses as well. It's a day late but Happy Thanksgiving to everyone! This idea just came to my mind and I wanna see where it goes.
The problem with me is that I tend to have...rather wacky ideas to my head regarding my favorite characters and I try to put them on paper with the best of my ability. That's the main reason why I came up with these other stories. Plus, I'm kind of a fan of the Senran Kagura franchise and some people are writing crossovers about it so why not add the Grim Reaper of BlazBlue no?
Also, I might not have him join a team because he doesn't need it and can take care of himself, although I will have him help out the ninja girls whenever possible. Plus, the guy's dealt with worse than yōma so he'll be able hold his own. Also, I know that with Ragna bonding with the Black Beast, he might end up being OP. True, but there are times where I'll put him in an unwinnable situation, rare as it is.
As of right now, Ragna's Azure Grimoire no longer affects him negatively aka, it won't slowly corrupt and kill him. But thanks to how downright destructive his powers are, he needs to hold back lest he makes this world the 2nd BlazBlue.
You know how whenver he says the activation for BlazBlue he also needs to link the IDEA Engine? He no longer needs to do that here. It acts as a limiter, similar to Azrael's Enchant Dragunov.
I might bring BlazBlue characters here too, mostly so that Ragna can actually have a fight where he's pushed to his limits. Azrael's a perfect example since he wants to fight him that badly.