DeathTurn

I would not cogitate so intently over arcade scenarios. They are very condensed snippets of the actual full storyline, so trying to grasp cohesion without full context may be a bit confusing. The "evil" within Ragna is a direct result of the Azure Grimoire's instability. As we know, the corrosion spreading from his arm throughout his entire body will ultimately transform him into a Black Beast. The instability of the Azure Grimoire makes sense as it is incomplete and not intended to be wielded by someone like him. To fully exercise its power, the Azure Grimoire must be incorporated into a causality weapon: more accurately, a Murakumo Unit (replay Arakune's CS route.) For all we know, becoming one with Nu via the "true merge" may be the key to "saving" Ragna. Anyway as you said, we will likely get more details on the said "true merge" with the introduction of Acts 2 & 3. We do not have much to go on right now.

The context of the story thus far is "Defeat Izanami to prevent her from obtaining the Azure and wishing for the world's destruction." Suffice to say, that is very broad. What "context" is necessitated for a "true merge" to transpire between Nu and Ragna? It is not as if there are any canon roadblocks preventing the hypothetical "true merge" from happening.

"True merge" - that would imply the incorporation of the Azure Grimoire into the Murakumo Unit: transforming her into a Kusanagi. She wants to become "complete" as opposed to becoming the "heart" of the failure that is the Black Beast. Interesting distinction... I bet this is Mori teasing Alpha again.

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This is my position on the matter. Quoted from the Short Stories and Novels discussion. With Naoto jumping across the timeline, I wonder just how much this theory will hold up. I am excited to see the direction BBCF will take this, seeing as though closure via a 3rd novel is apparently not in the cards.

Unsurprising as she is with Naoto. In the 1st volume of the Bloodedge Experience, she used Phenomena Intervention to travel to the past (his world) to see him. My translation is rough, but: Naoto on Rachel: And...Rachel just so happens to be meeting Naoto again in the above featured scan preview.

If I am reading this correctly, Naoto's spread on Famitsu states that he is "a foreigner from another world." He must have traveled through the Boundary for some reason. I wonder what brings him.

Ah, the disparities of translation strike again. Thanks for the heads up. Must be parroting Raquel's "Naoto, get the Azure in your possession, and then search for me." Then it appears his target is Raquel/NotRachel.

Naoto: "Search for myself?" Where do I begin... Assuming Naoto = Ragna as per popular theory, is Naoto searching for Ragna as well? The fact he even exists at this point all but affirms he is either time displaced or a Chronophantasma. Seeing as though his life support, Raquel, is effectively nonexistent (unless she is Rachel, whose lifeforce value is now 0) - I doubt he makes it through the novels in one piece, especially with the grim foreshadowing with Rachel in novel 1. He also seems determined to expunge the Murakumo Units, which seems to insinuate his relationship with Kiiro will deterioate by the end of The Bloodedge Experience. Really excited he is playable. He always felt too important to me to remain restricted to the novels.

You have my utmost gratitude for compiling this. Kudos. Gave me a chuckle. First ousted as main heroine, now cucked. Only a matter of time before Celica reawakens DA GODSLAYA.

"Will there also be other new stories other than what is presented here?" Might as well make an official announcment if you are going to be that "ambiguous."

  Bingo. Noel is as Takamagahara described: an "uncertain factor", an anomaly. Her survival of the destruction of Ibukido was an actual product of distortions in the timeline caused by the time loops. She did not exist in earlier phases, such as Phase 298. However, distortions occurred which permitted her to exist in later Phases, such as Phases 724 and 725. Interestingly in CSE when Makoto gets too close the cauldron, her consciousness is swallowed by the Boundary and displaced in yet another timeline in which Noel did not exist as well. Basically, just as most timelines involve Ragna falling into the cauldron with Nu, most involve Noel not existing.

This is exactly what I meant. Sorry for mixing that with the loops (although I put them in the same category due to the repitition.) All the "possibilities" are canon as they actually occur, but Takamagahara observes each phenomenon to see which one leads them closest to obtaining the Azure. If something deviates off course, they re-initialize. The ending of CS would have been another "possibility" of the Continuum Shift as well, but Terumi was like lolnope and infected Takamagahara with the Phantom virus before that could happen.

You are not exactly "incorrect", but I am just going to expound on this and elucidate a bit further. Every event which transpires is technically canon, as the event did in fact occur (I will not comment on some of the gag reels.) This is why characters experience déjà vu and why Observers such as Rachel retain all memory of the loops/Phases. One of my favorite examples from Continuum Shift is when Hazama trolls Ragna by mocking him, knowing exactly what Ragna would say before he did. Reason? Hazama observed every possibility of the Continuum Shift and had the same conversation with Ragna god knows how many times. It’s all canon. The issue is that the Master Unit (sometimes Takamagahara) resets time if the unfolded events lead to an unfavorable outcome. When time resets, distortions occur which cause events to unfold slightly or drastically different from the preceding timeloop (Phenomena Intervention can come into play as well.) A major example being how Noel did not exist in Phase 0 and earlier timeloops as she originally was supposed to die after Take-Mikazuchi destroyed Ibukido, yet survived and existed in later loops such as Phase 724 due to the new distortions in the timeline. Basically, every reset gives birth to a new set of possibilities. That is why there are so many conflicting events in the games’ story. It all happens…it’s just that Amaterasu goes “lolno” and resets everything whenever something deviates from her convoluted plan in saving the world. :p

Thanks for the translations, Zedar! Nah, I got the same impression. I read the translation and literally said "It's a contest for Ragna's ****!" It may not be inherently "romantic" so to speak, but I am fairly certain that ambiguity is the writing intent. Mori loves his ship teases. What confounds me more is how they are all seemingly "at odds" despite sharing a mutual goal. ...Why is this a "contest" of sorts, exactly? Is saving Ragna's life officially a game now? Being Ragna is suffering.