Blazblue: Short Stories and Novel Discussion

[Seadragon77]

Wow... I assume that 'woman' mentioned in the short story must be Kokonoe? It seems to fit her personality perfectly from what I read. Also, I kinda feel bad for Arakune... The man made a massive scientific breakthough only to have it swallow his humanity and his soul.

It's sad, really.

[Mumm-Ra]

He mentions both Litchi and Kokonoe.

[mAc Chaos]

There seems to be a difference between the woman he refers to as "she" in italics, and the other woman.

[DonMagicJuan]

Seems like on day 2 he killed a child during his experiment?

[Zeru]

I'm not entirely sure it was his experiment, it almost seems like it was Kokonoe's experiment.

[zephyr07]

she is litchi. that woman is kokonoe.

[p-kun]

Thanks for the translations! Poor Litchi, Lotte didn't seem to return her feelings.

[zephyr07]

Bang Shishigami (Fortune favours the bold):

AD 2110. Thanks to the efforts of the 6 warriors the Black Beast is destroyed, and the war that spanned a hundred years or so between humanity and the Black Beast is finally put to an end.

The people started to call the 6 warriors as “The 6 Heroes”. However, humanity's joy was short-lived. The war which had dragged on for so long, had caused the world's population to drop to half it's original number, and various important cities around the world were destroyed. The damage the conflict caused was enormous. On top of that, from within the body of the fallen Black Beast a jet-black mist— later termed as sethir— gushed out, and covered the entire planet's surface.

Humanity's war with the Black Beast would become known as the “First War of Magic”. Amongst the 6 Heroes the genius sorceress Nine would combine her “sorcery” with the crystalisation of humanity's intellect, “science”, to form a new technology known as “armagus”. Books with details on how to use this “armagus” would become known as “grimoires”, naturally, humanity began to amass large quantities of said books. Most of these grimoires were controlled by the “ Void Space Information Management Bureau”

AD 2111. The Void Space Information Management Bureau which controls most of the “grimoires” increases it's influence, and establishes an organization for governing the whole world. It also changes it's name from “Void Space Information Management Bureau” To “Novis Orbis Librarium”, and gathered it's elite soldiers— later called Knights— and organised them into an armed fighting corps known as the “1st Thaumaturgical Division”. Their influence grew more and more. Placing the revival of the human race as an urgent agenda, the “Novis Orbis Librarium”—shortened as the Librarium, stepped forward to lead humanity.

AD 2112. About a year after construction began, the project deemed as the cornerstone of the restoration of humanity, the 1st integrated city “Izanagi” is completed. After the Black Beast was defeated the “sethir” it poured forth had covered the entire world's surface. The deterimental effects of excessive intake of sethir by humans as well as it's effect on the ecosystem was established.To escape the sethir on the planet's surface humanity moved into the hills and cut out cities to live in.

After that, the restoration steadily proceeded on, and construction of hundreds of mountain cities of various sizes proceeded till the later half of AD 2100. In the midst of those 23 multi-storied cities were designed and constructed, which would be known as “Hierachical Cities”, and the Librarium developed each respective city to be the centre of that particular region. In order to consolidate those 23 citites, the Librarium established the “Unified World Organisation”. With that announcement the Librarium governed the world both in name and in reality.

AD 2190. The 5th Hierachical City “Ibukido” withdraws from the “Unified World Organisation”, effectively announcing it's independence from the Librarium.

The following year 4 other cities follow the lead of “Ibukido”— the 6th Hierachical City “Yabiko”, the 7th Hierachical City “Kazamotsu”, the 8th Hierachical City “Wadatsumi”, and the 9th Hierachical City “Akitsu” and announce their seccession from the Librarium. From this point on the group of the 5 Hierachical Cities would be named as the “Ikaruga Federation”. The Librarium immediately brand the “Ikaruga Federation” as rebels and begins military suppression. However, the Ikaruga Federation's unity and military strength proves stronger than anticipated, and the duration of the war increases.

AD 2192. With the absorption of several smaller cities, the Ikaruga Federation's influence and teritory both increase. In response, the Librarium criticises the Ikaruga Federation's aggresive behaviour, and asserts that it has legitimacy and is the just side in the war. The conflict continues.

AD 2194. The key city of the Ikaruga Federation “Ibukido” mysteriously vanishes. Rumour is that the Librarium used some sort of orbital satellite weapon to attack, but until now the reason for it's disappearance has never been disclosed. With the loss of it's key city the Ikaruga Federation slowly begins to collapse, on top of that, their unity begins to waver. Their headquarters shifting from place to place, the resistance movement continues.

AD 2196. Having lost 4 Hierachical Cities, the Ikaruga Federation attempts to negotiate a peace treaty with the Librarium. However, the Librarium rejects the offer, and the Ikaruga Federation retreats to their last stronghold “Wadatsumi”, determined to resist to the bitter end.

AD 2197. The siege of Ikaruga which was expected to be a prolonged one unxpectedly ends abruptly.

A young Knight of the Librarium, Jin Kisaragi, infiltrates the castle alone and performs a lightning-fast strike— raiding the keep, he assasinates the supreme commander and ruler Tenjou. With the loss of their leader, the Ikaruga Federation finally crumbles.

¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤¤

In the lower half of the 13th Hierachical City “Kagutsuchi”, in the district which would later come to be known as “Ronin-gai”, the men were having a friendly chat. It was the early afternoon. The men had finished their morning's work, and were now stuffing themselves with their wives' homemade rice balls, catching a breather.

Approximately half a month had passed since the fall of Ikaruga. The survivors of the siege of Ikaruga, in their search for a place to start their lives anew, ended up in the lower half of the 13th Hierachical City. Unlike the strictly controlled uper half of the Hierachical City, the hand of the Librarium did not reach the lower areas, naturally making it a new haven for them. To the Ikaruga survivors, this became their new home. They built houses, grew crops, and had all the raw materials and goods nessecary for daily life.

“Alright, that should do it.”

The large male who was silently writing— his name was Shihigami Bang— raised his head. The finest ninja of Ikaruga respected and adored by his fellow countrymen, and once feared by all his enemies. Currently he was leading the former residents of Ikaruga in his dead master Tenjou's stead.

“Boss. What were you doing just now?”

Seeing the figure of the chief quietly writing something wasn't something normal, so one of his subordinates inquired with a puzzled look on his face.

“Mm. The truth is like this. I was writing a history textbook.”

“A history... textbook?”

It was an unexpected answer. His subordinate's voices were raised with incredulity.

“That's right. To redress those Library scum's wrong doings, and to clear up my master's regrets, that is my mission. So for that sake first we have to leave behind for the future generations a record of all the Library's transgressions.”

Hmmm, thought his subordinates as they listened intently to their boss's words with fire in their hearts.

“When I was young our master taught me all about the world and it's history. From what I can recall of them, I'm writing down these opening words right here.”

I see, thought this subordinates as they nodded vigourously with sparkling eyes.

“Even so I still can't remember all the small details.”

“The master's words, some portions I definitely recall without question. Such as that this 55-sun (about 165 cm, or 5.4 feet) nail will break, that I definitely cannot forget.”

“As expected of our boss. However, I don't think this 55-sun nail will break so easily nor that soon.”

“Mm. This a memento from our dead lord. It shouldn't be expected to break.”

That wasn't what he meant. He wanted to tell his subordinates that the “large iron nail” wasn't going to break physically, but he couldn't get the words out of his mouth. He had to handle his subordinates carefully with his hot-headnesses.

Bang slowly stood up, his fists clenched.

“Today we might only number in the hundreds, but the men sweat and toil, and the women weave at the looms and give birth. If we keep doing that, then soon we will number in the thousands, and ten thousands. This is the unyielding spirit of the Ikaruga people!”

“Yes sir!”

“Well then, it's about time to get back to work!”

“Yes sir!”

At their boss's signal, the men rose as one, and returned to their respective tasks. While Bang stared at their backs as he sent them off, he hefted a piece of timber, and wiped the sweat that had started flowing.

[InfinityClimax]

Bangs story is awesome. I guess that is hinting that the Nail is the Nox?

[Lou_Cypher]

Wow, Jin infiltrated the castle alone and didn't even have any backup. (Other than maybe ghost Terumi I guess...)

[Seadragon77]

Well, guess we know where everyone is going now at the end of the True Ending in CS. They're all going to Ibukido (or what remains of it).

This is a good little story. It sets a definitive timeline for the events of the Ikaruga War. Basically, in a 5 year span, it went from Ikaruga basically standing on their own and giving the NOL a helluva of a fight at the start to a very very decisive win for the NOL. Such is the case in warfare, you know.

As for the nail... It could be the lost Nox Phoenix Rettenjou, but I have a better feeling that his gauntlets are the Nox in question... But, that's better said in the Speculation/Theories thread.

[Black Onslaught]

I'm voting for Tager's story translated next.

[zephyr07]

I'm voting for Tager's story translated next.

Sorry the last 3 won't be up so soon. Actually tager's halfway done but I managed to get the phase 0 novel so I'm gonna read that first before resuming.

[InfinityClimax]

Sorry the last 3 won't be up so soon. Actually tager's halfway done but I managed to get the phase 0 novel so I'm gonna read that first before resuming.

If you translate Phase 0 for us then I will bear your children!

[mAc Chaos]

Isn't it like 200+ pages? Good luck with that.

[zdravkelja]

A summary and some explanations will be enough

[Alpha to Omega]

You're awesome, zephyr. Thanks for doing these translations.

[Suzaku]

Thanks a ton, zephyr. You're a godsend.

It sounds like his arm is indeed just a husk of super-high-density seithr that can't function without the Azure Grimoire. Or something.

[ZenTzen]

Awesome stuff Zephyr, thanks

[p-kun]

Thanks a ton, zephyr. You're a godsend.

It sounds like his arm is indeed just a husk of super-high-density seithr that can't function without the Azure Grimoire. Or something.

I would say that his arm and eye are some type of ars armagus, and thus need seithr to function. It used to have Azure Grimoire to help it suck souls directly from people, but when it's taken by Nu, they revert back to the lowly ars armagus. So, in the world where seithr was only abundant near the black beast, Ragna could only use it there.

[zephyr07]

Thanks a ton, zephyr. You're a godsend.

It sounds like his arm is indeed just a husk of super-high-density seithr that can't function without the Azure Grimoire. Or something.

I always thought his arm was made from the remnants of the black beast, and now it can't function because it doesn't have the azure so he can't do all his soul eater stuff, and it doesn't have sethir so it can't even move.

I would say that his arm and eye are some type of ars armagus, and thus need seithr to function. It used to have Azure Grimoire to help it suck souls directly from people, but when it's taken by Nu, they revert back to the lowly ars armagus. So, in the world where seithr was only abundant near the black beast, Ragna could only use it there.

his eye is implied to be caused by rachel. i wouldn't call his arm an ars magus per se, but yeah it most likely needs sethir to function properly

[Suzaku]

According to the Material Collection terminology guide, both the Azure Grimoire and the Black Beast are described as high-density masses of concentrated seithr, and it says that the Azure Grimoire is currently imitating Ragna's right arm, and of course we know that Ragna found the Azure Grimoire in the basement of the church that was built over the remains of the Black Beast, so we know what it is.

Anyway, I'll let you finish the book first. When it gets into the stuff about Nu, the Black Beast, and Ragna's sacrifice, it should hopefully become more clear.

[lightl]

thanks as well zephyr07 pretty good reading so far

[zephyr07]

Iron Tager (Trust You)

—Where is this place?

The man's consciousness returned. His vision was blurry. He blinked several times, before his sight finally came into focus, and a woman in a white coat stood before his eyes.

“It looks like you finally opened your eyes. How're you feeling?”

The man didn't answer. No, he couldn't answer. It was as if his head was filled with lead, his senses still dull and heavy. His consciousness was hazy, and he felt like his entire body was stuck to the floor by some sort of magnetic force. Only his eyes could move slightly, as he tried to recognise what was by his side. There were various apparatuses and liquids which he didn't know their uses for, samples from creatures, as well as books and sheafs of papers piled up in a corner. Somehow, it looked like he was in a lab.

“I'm Kokonoe. A scientist from Sector Seven”

Just like that, the woman named Kokonoe introduced herself briefly. Only being able to move his eyes, the man observed Kokonoe.

It was a unhealthy and ill-humored face that looked like all the lack of sleep in the world had been crammed into it, the man thought. Clad casually in a shabby white coat, small glasses lying apologetically on top of a small nose. I see, her appearance makes it hard for me to disagree with her statement that she's a scientist, the man thought. There was something in her mouth. He thought it was a toothpick or a cigarette, but it turned out to be a stick of candy.

“... Tager“

“... what?”

“It's your name.”

“My... name...?”

The man mumbled while staring at the cold and robotic light that illuminated the room. Tager... Was that really a name? He tried to remember his own name but gave up after a while. His memories were still cloudy, and he couldn't compose his thoughts properly.

“So my name is Tager?”

“Yeah. I just decided on it.”

The man named Tager was at a loss for words at Kokonoe's casual remark. He waited for her next remark. However, it didn't look like Kokonoe was going to open her mouth. Occasionally she moved the stick of candy in her mouth.

Some time passed in mutual silence, and in that time his consciousness cleared up.

“I'm sorry but, I don't understand the entire situation. Can you explain?”

“Let's see... Well, originally it seems you were the captain of some investigative unit. And then, you got caught up in some battle somewhere and you died.”

As if to signify the explanation was over, the stick of candy— it looked like a catnip lollipop— rolled around in her mouth again.

Investigative unit... Captain... Battle... The blurry images in his head cleared a little, and he felt he could grasp his situation a little better.

“ What is this feeling...?”

“You shouldn't try to recall so much. Otherwise you'll get errors in your engine.”

“ Did you say... engine...?”

At the moment, he experienced a pain that felt like something was clamping around his head. For a moment, towards the end of the pain his view was covered by was he thought looked like spinning lights.

“Am I... dead?”

“See for yourself. Don't you think you're splendidly alive?”

While saying all that, Kokonoe twisted one of her long strands of hairs around her finger.

“You, did you help me?”

“You can call me Kokonoe.”

“Kokonoe... You said you were a scientist...”

She was more like a doctor. Although even if she was a scientist or a doctor, he thought she looked more like a young girl.

Kokonoe stood up. Hands thrusted into her pockets, she walked up briskly to Tager's side.

“If left alone you'd probably have died. I thought it'd be such a waste, so that's why...”

At that moment, Tager noticed it for the first time. From the girl's back a tail forked into 2 was waving about. Although she had hid most of the fur on top of her head, on top of that sat a pair of tiny, chubby cat-like ears.

“ A beastkin...?”

As if saying it is as you see, Kokonoe ignored him and begin casually extracting codes installed into Tager's body.

“... how is it, can you move?”

Tager moved his modified body. His body, which up until now he had lacked total control over, surprisingly moved smoothly. He took a light breath, and exerted his upper body. He easily pulled himself upright.

“What the heck is this...?!”

“I picked it up from the scrapheap where my colleagues dump things they deem “beyond help”. I thought that I might be able to save this one.”

Kokonoe picked up a test tube placed to one side, and a rare expression of happiness surfaced.

“... And that?”

“Recently, unique cells were discovered in the oriental region. Put simply, they posess the ability to stimulate the functions of living creatures. However, because their effect is too strong, injecting them into a normal human is tantamount to killing them.”

Disturbing words were rapidly coming out of Kokonoe's mouth.

“ Despite that, you turned out to be a splendid match. Incidentally the damaged tissue which couldn't be healed with this I replaced with cyborg parts. In simple words, you were revived as a cybernetic organism.”

It was true... looking at his image reflected in the glass, Tager understood. His muscles had been bulked up immensely. His enormous body's skin was colored red. Buried in his angular face were two sharp eyes. Furthermore, his mouth contain two “fangs”, to put it politely. His appearance was as one of those “demons” from the oriental fairy tales.

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With no say in the matter Kokonoe had rescued, modified, and renamed him. With really no say in anything Tager now found himself in his current situation, furthermore he was now working with Kokonoe. Although he was said to be working with her, his job didn't consist of him by her side offering assistance. Although a member of Sector Seven's investigative team, he primarily participated in the “beastkin's” research. Kokonoe's pretext was to “return him back to his original state.”

The first mission for the newly refurbished Tager, was a “request” from Kokonoe. Upon asking for more details, it seemed that the central city of Ikaruga had disappeared not too long ago. His mission was to take advantage of the chaos, and sneak in to retrieve “a certain something”.

Carrying a large package on his back, Tager landed at the objective site and stood up. He surveyed the area with his own eyes and grew suspicious. For a place that had just been the site of a heated battle, the traces left behind were definitely odd.

“... did they just send a single person?”

From the footprints left on the ground the direction the battle took could be roughly conjectured. Most of the footprints were probably from the scared Ikarugan soldiers. Their footprints were all pointed in one direction. However those footprints suddenly vanished midway.

“Just what did they use to fight these Ikarugans?”

Looking around him, he could see that the buildings had definitely been hacked and sliced by an extremely sharp bladed object. It was almost as if this were an optical illusion wherein the buildings were made of butter. At that moment, he felt someone's stare from behind. As he turned he momentarily saw a “green shadow”like thing. He suddenly felt dizzy.

“There's some noise interfering with your thought patterns. Tager, is there a problem?”

Kokonoe opened a channel on the communications device.

“... Ah, no, it's nothing.”

Surveying his surroundings again he noticed nothing. It was probably his imagination. Right now he was in a middle of a mission. Also he was carrying something very important in his arms. He shouldn't be thinking so much unnecessary thoughts— Tager shook his head. Kokonoe also guessed something had happened, so she didn't pursue the matter any further.

“So, have you found it, “that thing” I mentioned earlier?”

“Yeah. However, the 13th is completely missing, and the 12th is empty. I've secured number 11, but since it was on the verge of being scrapped it's in terrible shape.”

“I see... I guess we were a little late then. Well it can't be helped. Even if it's just number 11 it'll be fine...”

What to do from now on— The communications device crackled and a voice could be heard.

“Well then Tager, return to base directly. I think you already know this, but that thing is a living creature. There's no dry ice. If we're going to prevent it from rotting you better get back here at top speed.”

“... Roger.”

Saying that Tager moved towards the huge crate marked “11” — it resembled a coffin— and grabbed it securely.

“TR/ 0009 Tager... Heading back now.”

[InfinityClimax]

I'm a fucking idiot and quote entire stories for a single line reply!

lol at how the second half of tagers story is exactly the same as the beginning of lambdas story word for word.