Axiomatic

Nine's feelings for Celica are pretty extreme to say the least. Like JustaMaskedFreak said, Nine basically used a doppelganger against Terumi to mess with him; she basically used something like Hibiki's drive to send a fake version of herself after him while she just chilled. Well, Azrael may appear to be just a meathead fighting machine (since he gets REALLY happy in challenging fights) but Azrael is actually pretty self-aware about the shenanigans of the plot. To what extend I could only guess, but we've seen him TEAR through his embryo illusion to get to Nine, the only other person to do that was Relius. Relius (well Amane knew what was up, but he kind of doesn't count due to the whole Onlooker business)! I wouldn't be suprised if he knew the Ikaruga Civil Wars real purpose was just to gather souls, but he killed people regardless since he was looking for a challenge. In Act I it definitely seemed like she respected Ragna a little, hoping he succeeds. But then in Act II she gets super pissed around him since its Ragna's fault we're going through the plot? As Takamagahara once said: "Ragna the Bloodedge is the origin..." whatever that means. So # of times Ragna saved Celica (in Nine's eyes): 1 # of times Celica died because Ragna exists: 700+ (going based off just the number of phases we are aware of 725 at least by Takamagahara's count) I think Nine's animosity toward Kokonoe stems from the fact she acted just like her grandfather, Soichiro Ayaksuki in regards to said anti-Seithr Missle; so Nine's philosophy in Act II is its okay to be crazy obsessed with your plan to succeed so long as that plan protects Celica from harm. I'm just surprised she isn't more pissed off at Kokonoe. (real talk, the Mercury family Vs. theme really grew on me, especially the choir parts since I find it very fitting in representing the family's relationship in CF) I wonder if she thinks of Ragna and Jin differently now she knows Celica was effectively a mother to them (Saya might be a little much since the whole voodoo zombie relationship they have right now through Izanami)? Well I guess since Jin is now Hakumen 2.0, her feelings might be muddled since Nine and Hakumen were not exactly the best of friends in Phase Shift. Never underestimate the Power of Seigi! The Unit Cookie Dough is the ultimate plot device (except when it doesnt work...) Real talk, the Susano'o unit seems WAY better than Tsukyomi in terms of passive buffs etc. Yeah, my theory on Amatarasu focusing on only certain people having a happy ending isn't the strongest, but I guess she realized its impossible not to shaft someone in the course of things (if you get a sweet promotion that means someone else DIDN'T get that permission for example). I'm just surprised she has let Terumi and Relius run amok for so long, since she could just purposely try not to remember them. Maybe Ragna losing an arm and his whole childhood being destroyed is the best she could manage? *see below* Celica wouldn't just be sealed in the Lynchpin though, the way they described it was she would have her soul ripped piece by piece until their was nothing left to power the thing. Of course, in typical anime fashion, its okay if that happens to Tenjo but not our waifu Celcia, nope. Can't have that *eyes roll*. Couldn't they have just asked Trinity to make Tenjo a new body with Muchourin or something since Tenjo's soul was fine and dandy? Terumi has no problems getting new bodies and Muchourin gave him a two-for-one special on accident. *shrugs* I don't know about Bang going Liam Neeson, since if Tenjo would sacrifice himself, he could probably get Bang and Kagura to go along with it since its harder to strong arm a grown man then a young girl who has a history of backing down when Ragna tells her to when she tries to be a martyr. Kagura certainly didn't stand by Tenjo in the Civil War, instead following his request of looking after Homura ("Tenjo entrusted you with the Rettenjo and he entrusted me with [Homura]"-Kagura CP). Its really a coin-flip about Bang though, since his hot-bloodedness might Do we know if the Power of Order wielders are selected by Amatarasu or by something higher? By my count we have the following wielders: Hakumen/Jin (Have you actually played the game?) Goal: Slay evil and the Black Beast Celica (Revealed in CP, I think) Goal: Walking Anti-Seither sponge. Rejects violence after all the "violence" (read: slaughter) during the Dark War? Anti-Seithr Crystals (Phase Shift 3/4) Goal: More Anti-Seither sponges. Makoto (Revealed in CF; foreshadowed with "Strong Soul" stuff in CS and CP) Goal: Friendship? We know, at least from Jubei's perspective that they're born in response to something with the whole anti-body spiel. But is Amatarasu selecting them to be anti-bodies or is the universe somehow selecting them to bring equilibrium to the mess the BB verse has become? 3/4 (technically 4/5 but Jin = Hakumen) of these Power of Order power rangers are in response to the Black Beast, something that exists Outside of Logic (Kotowari), which is confirmed to be one of the most unnatural things ever. If Amatarasu's plans to "save" Ragna or to get him on the Good End was only possible after his fucked up origin story, maybe Amatarasu is fighting the natural order of things to do so, resulting in the mess we know as the plot. Basically, the universe is going all Final Destination on Ragna since he is the Black Beast and it wants him gone, but Amatarasu thought Ragna was probably since he could "save" her from being killed since in Rachel's story the Girl is the monste (read: he was the dreamiest boy) and she is trying to make sure he reaches the promised land that is whatever Good Ending she has planned (right arms, homes, and mother figures be damned!). Personally I think she is just trying to save herself without blowing up the world. If you think about it, Terumi seems to have gone nutso from seeing the repeats over and over (he wasn't exactly the nicest person though) so you could only imagine how much Amatarasu must want out of her deal in life, especially since there is always people gunning for you in the form of Relius, Terumi, Nine, Takamagahara, etc. That brings me to my next point,if Rachel's CP book story about the girl is true, and that Girl really is Amatarasu, doesn't that mean everyone gunning for Amatarasu are the "Hero"(es) from the story? You know, because the Girl rewrites the world but the world views her as a monster. So maybe the Girl is hoping that keeping Ragna around as a wildcard (as many people have described him) can lead to a different ending than the repeats or Bad End route Amatarasu seems to be stuck on in her playthrough? Fuck if I know how though.

Nine is certainly someone that is supposed to be dead, but from what I gather about the "Phantoms of Time", they are people that have a new life all together compared to what they're supposed to have. eg.) Mu-12 was just supposed to be a murakumo (an emotionless tool) used by Sector Seven to make a Black Beast, but after Ibukido, she became the Noel we all know (a timid girl with existential angst) If I use a soap opera analogy (yeah I know, eyes rolling and what not) A "Phantom of Time" is like a character that gets amnesia and becomes a completely new "character" with a different personality that doesn't recognize all the people they should (its effectively recasting a character into a new role with an accident serving as a plot device) In contrast, Nine is like the type of character that returns after being "killed off" to exact vengeance on those that wronged them. It may be crude, but that is how I distinguish between the two circumstances. I think the biggest difference is that Nine, even as Phantom, was still Nine, her love of Celica still intact. For Noel, we know all her memories about being Mu were effectively gone until Terumi showed her the truth in CS. (If the theory holds that Rachel=Raquel's Chronophantasma, then Rachel certainly has no memories of that life either from what we have seen). JustaMaskedFreak, in Kokonoe's case, your confusion likely stems from the fact that Kokonoe is an Observer but not an Onlooker. Unfortunately, the English localization mucked up distinction. Kokonoe is currently observing Arakune and Hakumen, but Kokonoe is not an Onlooker. Amane is an Onlooker but not an Observer as he is currently not maintaining the existence of any one individual but exists outside the flow of things. From my understanding (someone can correct me if they disagree): Onlooker = "Audience" Member which is basically like one of us players who see multiple arcade routes being present in the game world but not being allowed to affect the plot (but your allowed to suggests things for reasons?) Observer = Think of the character like a Master in Fate/Stay or Fate/Zero where their life maintains the existence of something else (i.e. their Servant). In Jojo terms, an Observer is a stand user, while the one they observe is their stand. I was thinking just being an Onlooker is enough to prevent Phenomenon Intervention, but it could be the combination of the two characteristics as well JustaMaskedFreak. Concerning Terumi, at this point I've accepted Terumi as Nyarlathotep or basically a non-Christian Satan figure. If I had to guess though, I would say that Terumi's game-guide ability to see all realities must be linked to his tenure in the Susano'o unit (see how Hakumen is similarly unaffected by the Embryo's memory wipe or how he recalls his Wheel of Fortune Timeline). We know for a fact in CF Act II Hakumen is willing repeating the Embryo "loops" to beat Izanami, so he might have been doing that in CT or CS but that is debatable (his encounters with Hazama in CS certainly refute this though). The way Rachel (one of the Sankishin and an Onlooker) described Amatarasu in CP with the "Girl and the Book" story, it certainly does seem like that is Amatarasu's endgame is just a happy ending to no avail. The way Nine describes how Celica always dies though, seems to suggest Amatarasu is only after a happy ending for certain people (see how in CP everyone was okay with letting Tenjo's soul get devoured by the Lynchpin but there was not universal agreement when it was Celica's soul on the table for being a sacrifice). Hell if I know exactly what Amatarasu is aiming for. Someone else is gonna have to tackle the CT thing though. My guess is because Noel has the Power of the Eye. Wasn't the loop caused by Amatarasu resetting to 2100 when Takamagahara nuked Kagatsuchi in 2199? Seeing how CS went down, Takamagahara having Noel go all Mu on Amatarasu was what they wanted since they would be head honchos in terms of Phenomenon Intervention once she was gone and they could move toward their endgame (which I believe was returning the world to seither if I remember the intro to CS correctly).

For posterity, I shall describe Phenomena Intervention as how I see it before I address your question. From my understanding, Phenomena Intervention has two facets: 1.) Taking one timelines outcome and shoving it into the "current" timeline you want to intervene on. eg.) Consider Super Bowl 50 as the event I am observing. Since this is a binary event, there are really only two outcomes: either the Broncos win or the Panthers win. Obviously, anyone watching the game saw the Broncos win (referee bias/bad calls notwithstanding). Thus the "current" timeline/phase result is the Broncos win Super Bowl 50. Of course there is the alternate timeline where the Panthers win. Suppose I wish the "current" timeline/phase to actually have the Panthers win. I do just that with PLOT powers. 2.) Changing the memories or mind of everyone present to acknowledge/accept the alternate reality as the new "current" reality/phase. eg.cont.) Now, when I injected the alternate timeline into the "current" timeline/phase we encounter a problem. The teleprompter and stores all start selling Panther merchandise, but everyone who saw the game or played in it knew the Broncos should have won. Thus I need to also alter everyones memories to accept my timeline/phase altering. We know for a fact that some people can reject phenomenon intervention (see Seigi AKA Hakumen) and how in CP in the Battle for Ragna's Pants, team protagonist ensured no one could intervene because there were just TOO MANY people watching, Amatarasu included. Basically, if there is a shit ton of people watching, tweeting, and talking about something, it gets harder to intervene on it. Kokonoe mentions this in CP, but it may have also had something to do with Celica being there as well. Recall from Guilty Gear how when Sol killed Order Sol, he didn't just implode because he didn't accept Order Sol's death as his own death, rather he could recall his own origins. Thus, he rejected I-No's "phenomenon intervention" since he still had his memories in tact. Contrast with how I-no saved Ky from dying and erased his memories to account for a discrepancy in events, so Ky wasn't like "Didn't I just die...?". (Yes, I know they have different rules, but I thought the comparison was fairly inline with Blazblue rules based on circumstantial evidence). On to you question, Luminos564: I believe Ogiga99 mentioned before, but what Ragna goes through in CP when he starts spurting blood after the timeline reset/ CP arcade continuum shift, what he is experiencing is not Phenomenon Intervention but rather soul degradation. Basically, its the price he pays for having the Azure Grimoire (other than the passively sucking people's souls via proximity and being slowly corrupted/devoured). Soul degradation isn't explained very well, but Rachel mentions in CS how Ragna's Azure Grimoire remembers wounds. Extending that, he basically has a partial physical memory (like how someone's burn scars ache around heat/fire when an accident is not the first thing on their mind when they go to make their Top Ramen). Time for another shitty anaolgy! eg.) If Ragna going through each Continuum Shift/ Phenomenon Intervention/ timeline reset is like a program being updated and being sent to restore point/ a previous build, Ragna's Azure Grimoire is like a flashdrive with ALL the update history that randomly interjects busted code to compile (i.e. instant wounds from previous timeline) from previous builds. I agree with your point though, Luminos564, that Ragna basically has a Phenomenon Intervention booster shot thanks to his Azure Grimoire. It isn't true immunity, but it is certainly resistance to it. If we want to go down the dark rabbit hole of considering Ranga's Azure Grimorie as a sentient entity, then since it existed before the timeloops started and forces soul degradation on Ragna, we can think of it as a "Those Who Should Not Exist"/Celica type Chronophantasma. It technically is Ragna from a FUBARed CT timeline...so yeah...it definitely has the prereqs for being a Celica type Chronophantasma. And we know Celica being super thirsty/ hounding Ragna caused him to be truly immune to Phenomon Intervention (dude, she was ALL over him in CP not giving him even 5 minutes alone, and when she did Terumi came out to play). Since his arm can't really do much except vibrate/shake at its own discretion, its Chronophantasma effects on Ragna are more limited (Ragna's arm can't exactly go "Protect me Ragna! <3 <3 ; D" like Celica can) We Bionic Commando now lol. No matter what though, Ragna gets shafted by it sometimes, like having a wound he shouldn't have. Someone else will have to explain why he somehow has some memories though (CP story mode when he recalls Azrael's arcade route since he was in Azrael's arcade ending). The memory part has me stumped though. Ogiga99, I thought only "Those Who Do Not Exist"/Celica type Chronophantasma were immune to Phenomenon Intervention? Like, Noel was certainly clueless during CS and CT when we saw her in alt endings and bad endings from how she reacted to her True end (why didn't she remember Ragna went Black Beast on her in CT and CS? Rachel certainly did but why not Noel then?). She certainly had her Successor powers to see other peoples memories, but I don't recall an event where she knew what was up with the plot. I think the fact Rachel is the same type of Chronophantasma as Noel ("Phantom of Time"), mucked things up since she was an Onlooker/Observer (still unsure which is the proper one now that we have the distinction). I know BB wikia says both types are immune, but I think that came at a time when Rachel was immune due to her spectator/Onlooker role and not because she was a "Phantom of Time" Chronophantasma. There appears to be a discrepancy between Noel and Rachel; it doesn't help Noel is the Successor to the Azure and Rachel was formerly an Onlooker, two of the most drastic exceptions possible for obvious reasons related to causality. Feel free to refute my claim though, since I may have forgotten a line, library mode descriptions, or etc.

Project Notice of Hiatus: Doing cashflow projections, the project will progress faster if I temporary put things on hold and focus on job advancement for a pay raise. To progress further though, I need to study more and work on more of my models. Thus, I'll post updates once I'm in a more adequate position to make the project self-sustaining. Message me with concerns or feel free to post here. Program may resume in 2-3 years, tentatively.

Shouldn't the analogy go: Big Boss=Saya (the orignal and ambigously a dirtbag) Solid=Noel (came out all together a decent enough person for the world they live in; gets used by people CONSTANTLY) Liquid=Nu-13 (spiteful and has some questionable logic while fixating on certain relationships) Solidus=? Venom=Lamb chops (gets shafted but secretly important to a part of the plot and a nice person; Relius wants her in the sex dungeon stat since she has the glow) Didn't we already know this since Act 1? From my perspective Tsubaki is all like: "Captain Kisaragi, why are you acting so weird and talking about seigi?" Izayoi be like: "I'm gonna f****** murder Ragna for CP and hurting my future husband!"

Consensus? No, I haven't heard any unilateral views on Izanami. Poropicchi (a good CF Hakumen player) ranked her around mid-tier and the fact she is not a top 30 regular supports this, but that is circumstantial at best. We hardly agree on tiers here on DL, except for maybe the busted people (CP Terumi or CT Arakune etc) so I doubt you will ever find a "metacritic" or consensus of tiers even in Japan; the same people who felt Izayoi was crap (just ask SKD about it) . Sorry I can point you to anything substantial. If you're interested,here are my thoughts on Izanami (others can chime in to describe how good they think Izanami is as well or they think I'm smoking something): My two cents on the matter is she's certainly not garbo tier, but she struggles against the top tiers. In CF the "good" or "higher than average tier" peeps are good at neutral or spacing (Jin, Izayoi, Rachel, or Nine) or can cover the gaps in their moves with their gimmicks (Arakune, Carl, Relius) to name a few. In contrast, Izanami's neutral isn't up to par and her gap coverage is basically glorified extra hits in her strings with the xCC moves or using her orthodox projectiles (XD); the exception being her spinning wheel special which is pretty useful by my observations. Ribcage and float help her be an offensive character, but she struggles from the same flaw all the momentum-based characters struggle from - getting in/staying in. She ain't Naoto levels of the struggle, but when you're fighting the neutral gods, being average or above average isn't going to cut it. For a comparison, look at how Nanase does in UNIEL to see how far a "float" gets you against monsters like Gordeau/Waldstein/Old Spaghetti Arms. Ribcage management seems to be the key for Izanami to handle neutral by my observations, but its hard to balance between saving it for knockdown pressure or using it for a chance to get in, since whats the value of having dirty damage if you can't take out the opponent? I haven't seen any #gamechanger tech from Izanami videos either, so until then, she's mid to upper-mid tier in my eyes depending on the playstyle of the Izanami (ribcage rushdown, faux zoner with xD attacks/wheel, or float mixup). Take these as you will since I'm only one person.

Hey guys, Project Update: Based on poll results, I bought a copy of Bloodedge Experience Part 1. I found an interested translator. Estimated time for completion: ~5.5 years. Like I mentioned when I began the project, I fine with funding the project myself, but realize it will take awhile to get a novel translated. No matter how long it takes, there will be updates. They'll just be less frequent than you may have hoped. Let me know if you have concerns about the rate of completion. I do have one question for you all: Would you guys like to talk about crowdfunding translations? (I'm not looking for backers, but rather ideas about crowdfunding options or experiences with it since that is one way to make more translation progress) Let me know if you have any ideas about, reservations toward, or interest in crowdfunding.

I can only conjecture, but I think Izanami is relying on others to go after Noel is related to the fact she is Amatarasu Noel's drive. However, I don't recall Izanami being mentioned to possess the Kusanagi moniker. From my understanding, a Kusanagi is a weapon/PFD/murakumo/person that has the ability to observe Amatarasu AND can "kill" her (don't know if it applies to killing just the wielder or destroying the Sankishin unit itself though). That, or she is trying to get Amatarasu Noel to go through trauma by being forced to observe playable Noel getting gank squaded to cause plot in Act 3 or console (make Amatarasu Noel feel unwanted so she stops "rewriting" the story and lets the world end?). I agree that Izanami didn't seem flustered when fighting Mu-12 in Act 2 MaximusMurkimus, but remember in CP story mode, she mentions how she has to take her seriously since she is a kusanagi/ the sword of the godslayer. It may be that what caused Izanami to be somewhat serious has to with the "Eye" Noel/Mu possessed as Successor to the Azure. So even though Time Killer won't work on Izanami since her "time" ended pre-CP thus making her unkillable (whatever that means) you can think of that as she has no health bar if I use a game analogy,. Noel/Mu could force Izanami to have a health bar or make it so she has "time" again through observation (Hazama to Noel in CS:"The Eye could observe whatever it wanted and it would become real."). I'm kind of reaching for conclusions with that explanation though.

Hey guys just wanted to update you all on whats going on, Secured funds for paying a translator. Created an email specifically for translation inquires and correspondence to current or future translators. (dlaxiomatic@gmail.com) Formalized all the details for interested translators Sent a formal inquiry to shmuplations, so thanks kosmos badgirl for the lead! I don't like to send multiple offers out, so I'll try someone else once I hear back from shmuplations. Thanks to everyone that responded to the poll! Looks like we're tied between Bloodedge Experience and Phase Shift 4. Also really appreciate the time you took to respond Suzaku. I'll definitely take you up on your localization offer, since I doubt any translator I hire will be interested in localizing their translations for us. If you would like to be compensated for your effort, let me know and I can budget accordingly. Feel free to post other translator leads for me if things don't work out with the current offer; like if there is anyone interested from a fan sub group or BakaTsuki for a commission I would appreciate hearing about it. If you're reading this and interested in translating, feel free to send me a PM as well and I can forward you additional details. I'll keep trying, so don't worry about this project dying as long as I have anything to say about it.

Hey all, I recently read through spesialo's Phase Shift translations on BT and emma's over the summer and really enjoyed the additions to the lore of the story. I recognize how much time and effort such generous souls put into translating things for the community since ASW/Mori decided to not localize these materials for the Western audience. This led to "WHO!?!?" moments when Celica showed up in CP to the majority of fans. Likewise, when Naoto starts name dropping in the CF once we get a localization we'll likely see similar things. Hoping to get an official localization seems to be foregone conclusion with 5 Phase Shift novels, 2 Bloodedge Experience novels, and 4 literary adaptations of CT and CS. I also feel such hardwork should be compensated for. I wanted to get feedback and suggestions about paying a fan translator for regular translations of Blazblue (and potentially Guilty Gear) side materials for the community. I will put forth the money to pay the translator. I do this publicly to clearly showcase my intentions to anyone interested and for community feedback. If the costs exceeds my means, then payment schedules will just have to be adjusted accordingly so the translator still gets paid just work will not be as regular. The basis of the project will be fair use similar to how Baka Tsuki does it for lite novels that don't get translated. Primarily, these translations will not be profit and merely to better inform fans of characters and developments in side materials. I'd support the official release, but I can't read Japanese. Likewise, I will pull the plug on the project if ASW or other invested parties send a C&D order or politely ask. I, however, would think we're in fair use of copy-right as this is mainly for educational purposes (I know, education referring to plot is eye-roll worthy). What I wanted feedback from the community was: 1.) Should a fan translator be paid on a per book, per page, or per chapter basis? 2.) What would you consider equitable compensation for translating X number of pages/chapters/books? 3.) Do you find a quota-based payment schedule to be fair over an hour-based payment schedule due to the lack of oversight? 4.) Would you like to be a translator for such a project? Do you know of any community members interested in working on such a project? If not in our community, how about outside of it? 5.) What would be a way of acquiring raws and getting them to a fan translator? 6.) How regularly would you like to receive translations to read? (every chapter once finished? only when the book is finished so you can binge?) 7.) What lite novel would you like 8.) Do you have any legal concerns about this arrangement? Do you think the project is a dumb idea? I don't really know how much I should pay someone for such an undertaking. I personally favor the chapter basis since its not too bad of an obligation on the translator's part while also providing a good metric to break up novels. Likewise, the quota-based model seems less likely to lead to hard feelings or disagreements. I'm clueless how you would go getting raws too. There is also a poll so I can get an idea for where the demand is. I appreciate any time you put into responding to this post.

Okay, I was just misunderstanding what you wrote. My bad. I'll change it so its clearer. Thanks for the feedback.

There is always the Azrael pec/boob mouse pad... I also think he has an official body pillow...

If GG can have "That Man", it seems fitting we have someone named just as vaguely in BB (at least until we get an official/localized name). On Mu/Noel's break up; from a narrative standpoint your reason makes sense especially with all the Noel magical girl (exhibitionist) jokes when CP came out. I can only hope unlimited Mu gets CS Kusanagi voice back ;_; since that was the only time they ever felt completely different. The split does leave a sour taste in the mouth though since now we have 5 Sayas running around with Noel and Mu being the same character at one point. Hopefully Mori can write decent juxtaposition of character development with these two so its not just a thinly veiled justification for Noel vs. Mu matches and leads somewhere interesting. On principle the two girls seem to have the shadow relationship, but Noel's "shadow" Mu didn't want from the outset to hurt Noel, goading Noel to reject or accept her. Rather I got the impression she just wanted to be reunited to be complete. Depending on Act III's route for Mu though, you might have nailed what this is like now since Mu isn't exactly playing "Where on Earth has Noel Vermillion Gone?" after Act II. Can we talk about how f'ed up it was to put all the blame and hatred on Mu while Noel gets amnesia? I'm sure it was unintended like how CS was unintentionally caused by Noel's Eye going nutz, but still. After Lost Memories I kind of gave up trying to piece together a time table for Mori's extended universe unless actual dates are specified; I hate alternate dimensions/timelines. We certainly have the direct connection between Valkenhayn, Relius, Clavis, and Naoto to Blazblue at least to work with though. You certainly have a point though, how did Relius go from a well-dressed mercenary with Mitsurgi to being One in such a short time based on the popular theory? Helps, as nuts as he is, Relius is crazy smart and there are people who advance really fast based on their intelligence (looking at you early PhDers). That and the Ten Sages don't have the best track record with mental health screenings if we use your premise that Xblaze and Bloodedge Experience are directly connected (how did no one notice Sechs was a little...off before they gave him access to their information and a "get out of oversight" free card/title?). I would refrain from trying to eyeball ages of anime/video game characters since that can lead to weird places. If we know people are in high school, then feel free. But once shounen anime characters turn 20ish they don't start to age until they have kids or turn 60ish (depending on what you watch). I think appeared ages are circumstantial at best, but your character connections seem plausible. Now with the Embyro messing with dates, I have even less faith in Mori's chronological structure to his stories (see how Tager has been serving Kokonoe longer in Embryo world than in pre-CF world). I'm just waiting for Blazblue to end like Newhart where Noel wakes up and all of the games and spin-offs took place within Noel's dreams. I think the crux of the connection is going to depend on Naoto's and Ragna's connection. All we got is that they're "way too similar" and people do a double take on Naoto thinking he's Ragna (that and supposedly their souls are the same). We know both Nine in her Act II and Takamagahara in CS described Ragna as the "origin" though and he is apparanetly an artificial person. Now I used to think in CS that was just referring to Ragna ending up in 2100 as the Black Beast, but the way Nine brought it up, it sounds like there is more to this. The fact they don't call Ragna a Chronophantasma (type Celica or type Rachel/Noel) I think is telling as it means Ragna isn't the normal kind of anomaly so he's not some alternate fate for Naoto nor someone that shouldn't exist. In b4 Ragna is just Naoto's drive manifested like Izanami is Amatarasu's. Are they parallel existences from a different timeline/dimension? Is it they just have the same soul? Did they get drunk one day and buy a timeshare together? Are they so archetypical shounen protagonists that our other characters are getting confused by the cliche? Only time will tell.

Currently whats written is provided above, I bolded the sections relevant to your post. Is there some other section where I failed to state ribcage was beat by throws and UBs? Unless I'm misinterpreting what you mean by stuffed or worded things weirdly.

In case of more additions.

In case of more additions. Overview: (Reposted from Combo Thread) Acknowledgements Move-list translations courteous of Tokkan Detailed descriptions thanks to Davo87 [Davo87 text in this font color] (various links to footage from his descriptions in http://www.dustloop.com/forums/index.php?/forums/topic/12514-bbcf-izanami-combo-thread/&do=findComment&comment=949452) Thanks to -Seo for info on what moves can be jump cancelled, confirmations on lows and overheads, and general hands on impressions. Thanks to Kiba for letting me know how I could add sexy boxes. Thanks to Suzaku for the inspiration for the Arcade Movelist Sheet Thanks to Myoro for the thoughts on ribcage and barrier management (expressed it better than I could) Thanks to bakahyl for changes to the ribcage section and the Bang guardpoint comparison Arcade Movelist Sheet Izanami CV: Yukana Nogami To all living things, Hades Izanami descended to bring death unto all equally. She is the younger sister of Ragna and Jin, while also the template for dimensional boundary interface units for the No.10 series and a "vessel". At one time she was known as the "Imperator" of the NOL, seeking to bring about Doomsday. Now, that goal is about to be fulfilled. A cold, heartless, ruthless girl. She believes the role of Hades Izanami is to view all of life as pointless as worms about to be snatched off the ground and to return all the world to nothing. However, she sometimes refers to Ragna as "Nii-sama", but it is unknown whether if she says that as only a taunt or to truly reflect the "vessel" Saya's feelings She wields the Yasakani no Magatama in battle. Profile: Height: Unknown Body Weight: Unknown Blood type: Unknown Birthday: Unknown Hobbies:Jigsaw puzzles Likes: The world Dislikes: Ragna the Bloodedge Drive Name: Exodus Arc Specials Float ------------ + -> Float Cancel - F. (Float) + Tengai no Hi ----- + ,[] (chargeable) Tourai no Hoko --- + or + Gaihou no Geki --- + Renge no Kai ----- + Jiai no Yuu ------ + Mujuu no Tate ---- + -> Mujuu no Gou - + during Mujuu no Tate Shizuku ---------- + ,[] (chargeable) Araragi ---------- + ,[] (chargeable / can manipulate by pressing or while charging) Distortion Drives Hazen no Kui ----- + Kyomu no Koku ---- + Jindou no Koku --- 720A (100 meter) Astral Finish -----720D Notes: In normal mode her C attacks have followups when pressing C again. In Magatama mode she loses the followup C attacks and the ability to block but in their place gains 4D, 2D and 6D as projectile attacks. 5D switches between modes. Exceed Accel is called "Nayuta <Arc Drive>". Overview : A very offensive orientated character that struggles in neutral but has high damage potential. Relies on Exceed Accel or DD on defense, with little else to counteract the opponent's momentum. Her projectiles are used more to give her a chance to open up the opponent rather than to zone, but she can also use the slide version of her teleport to get in on opponents. A unique technique allows her to use barrier meter for temporary defense, but is more an offensive tool against Abare rather than a true defensive option due to start up and a window of only 4 seconds. Izanami also has many moves with lots of recovery, so she needs to be cautious on offense. In summation, she has a multitude of offensive options, but lacks meterless defensive options. Modes: Normal/"Ring" Mode (non-projectile mode,N-mode) -In normal mode her C attacks have followups when pressing C again. eg 6CC, 5CC Active/Magatama/"Deployed" Mode (projectile mode, P-mode) -In Magatama mode she loses the followup C attacks and the ability to block but in their place gains 4D, 2D and 6D as projectile attacks. 5D switches between modes. 5D/ j.5D: Toggles Normal and Active mode. 2D Fires spread outwards. 4D/ j.4D Fires magatama straight forward. 1 top 2 below. Frametrap. 6D Fires cluster at 20 degrees upwards. j.1D Fires spread of magatama covering 45 degrees downwards. j.6D Overdrive: Lets Izanami use both modes simultaneously. Strategies include using projectiles (XD) on whiffed distortions or specials. Filler Filler Normals: 5A (standing jab) 6A (sweet chin music) (rising jump kick) Anti-air. Can float on hit/block. 2A (crouching jab) Gatling to 5B, 2B, 6B 5B (poking kick) Advancing kick. Gatling to 5B, 5C, 2C and 6B 6B (forward twirl) (overhead strike) hits overhead and kd. special cancelled. float version falls downwards in steep angle. airthrow>float>6B. 2B (slide kick) low profile and advances. Gatling to 5C, 2C. 2C (black swipe; causes fatal on counter hit) (claw swipe) Fatal counter properties. Gatling to 6C and 6A. 2CC (magatama followup to 2C) causes spin on stagger. can followup with 214B. on juggle causes upward spin. 3C (needle strike sweep) unsafe on whiff/block. covers range and advances in float combos. float version jump cancellable. 5C (black palm thrust) (palm thrust) jump cancellable. on juggle causes upward spin. Gatling to 6A, 2C, 3C and 6B. 5CC (magatama followup) causes standing stagger. can followup with 214A. 6C (alley oop) (2-hit hammer strike) slams opponent to ground. followup with 236C in corner. On juggle causes ground bounce. 6CC (ring mode bits go down diagonally to attack like Izayoi's bits) (magatama followup) groundbound. can followup with 5B. JA (air jab) JB (jumping kick) Hitbox can crossup. JC (downward strike) vertical hitbox. cancellable to j2C. combo filler after jump cancel from f.3C and f.5C. JCC (magatama followup) spikes opponent downwards. J2C (spazzy bit swarm) (magatama swarm) multi-hitting attack. jump cancellable into float 5B from trailer. CT Wall bounces on hit. Filler Exceed Accel Combo from 214A or f.214A. Specials: Float - Input “Jump” in midair (J8) -> Float Cancel - Input “Jump” while floating Regarding Float its possible to do the following: double jump = float airdash to float superjump then airdash to float float to jump cancel then airdash -basically lets you do standing normals in the air (circle under feet tells when float state is active) -circle flashes red to indicate float state is about to end Tengai no Hi - 41236C (chargeable) -fireball with 3 different levels that travels in downward arc like Kokonoe's fireballs 3 chargeable levels. fireball can descend 45 degrees or 30 degrees. --corner combos from 6C or 2C on juggle. On fireball oki, Drive > Ribcage gives access to Araragi - 63214D during the startup of ribcage. Corner setup Hitting sleepers. On 3C On 5C On 5C On j5D> 214B 63214D puts Izanami back into normal mode so its good. Tourai no Hoko - 214A or B A Version: cause wall bounce. on corner its wall combo. float j.214A remains in float --Fatal counters lead to ground bound. Combos into 5C. B Version: (slide kick) on knockdown, combos into 5B or 5C. j.214B teleports to ground. -Has a teleport to activate move and then one of two strikes based on input that is required after activation -A hits chest height +If used during float, maintains height, attacking directly in front of opponent -B hits low (ala Ky's Stun Dipper ) +If used during float, teleports Izanami to the ground Gaihou no Geki - 236A (dino skull) cause blow back. Followup after 6B. Combos into 5B on corner. On counterhit forces standing stagger. -Deadspike Renge no Kai - j.63214B (aerial skull) ground bounce on juggle. combo filler after 6A launch. -Floaty Belial Edge (RIP ) Jiai no Yuu - 63214C (command grab) drain opponent's barrier and adds to Izanami. In active mode can followup with 214D. -Command Grab -Adds to health as well on hit Mujuu no Tate - 623B -> Mujuu no Gou - 623B during Mujuu no Tate (ribcage) strike invulnerable. depletes barrier to 50% before deactivates. depletes faster while absorbing hits. ->>(623B after 623B followup) launches on hit. deactivates ribcage. -Protective ribcage guard point -can be used at end of combos to shutdown wake up DPs -4 Seconds of duration (if enough barrier at time of activation) -guard point is time based not hit based; ribcage can take as many hits the opponent can dish out for the whole window -like Bang's gudard point can't block unblockables (Hakumen's Yukizake counter/Naoto's Phantom Pain UB) or throws Shizuku - 41236D (chargeable) (homing triad laser) tracks to target and pins with laser. throw>236D>2B is combo. -In active mode/overdrive can be called anytime without special cancel. -Delayed projectile (can move as they circle and strike) -Opponents can jump out of it to avoid the hit -More of a pressure tool than a zoning tool Araragi - 63214D (chargeable / can manipulate by pressing 2 or 8 while charging) (spinning magatama) use after fireball oki. 5D>ribcage>214D immediately. - -In active mode/overdrive can be called anytime without special cancel. Returns to normal mode. -spinning projectile wheel like Noel's 6C in Chain Revolver -after use, puts you in ring mode Filler Distortion Drives: Hazen no Kui - 236236B (rising kick) reversal/combo filler. -Flashy "combo" distortion like Bang's Four Seal FRKZ DD (in terms of tempo) -Pre-"combo" is like Hazama's Houtenjin Kyomu no Koku - 214214C No Meter Gain During Timestop (timestop throw) Lasts 3 seconds. Izanami gains no meter during this period. Can be extended with another 214214C. Note: Overdrive count down stops but you still gain active flow. Meaning you can do a longer combo to activate active flow regardless of the span of your Overdrive gauge. -Command Grab Timestop -Allows for a free combo(s) after hit for several seconds (length scales with damage? need verification) -Can follow up with itself to increase duration (has heavy proration) Jintou no Koku - 720A (consumes 100 meter) No Meter Gain During Timestop (fullscreen timestop) 5 seconds startup. Costs 100 meter. Lasts <10 seconds. Note: Overdrive count down stops but you still gain active flow. Meaning you can do a longer combo to activate active flow regardless of the span of your Overdrive gauge. -~2-4 seconds of startup -~7 seconds of beating on the opponent (can't gatling attacks though?) -Za Warudo (read: timestop super with shit tons of startup) -OD timer does not move during timestop Astral: 720D Move Proration and Base Damage Gimmicks: A coy use of Izanami's float is to use it to pan the camera up and then use 41236D to force the opponent to block or jump (the move has a about 1-2 seconds after activation to actually fire). The Izanami can then use 214B to teleport to the opponent on the ground if they didn't jump or float cancel (8 in float) to then attack. Another tactic involves using 63214D (with some charge to increase duration) on float above the ground to create a hurtbox above the opponent and then to move in to use her command grabs. Very telegraphed, but forces the opponent to tech since jumping leads to damage via the projectile hurtbox above. A safe cross up involves using 63214D to attack on the ground and then jumping behind the blocking opponent. Another tactic involves using the hurtbox of 41236D to move in on the opponent as some air normals and anti airs can't punish the dash in without getting hit on their start up frames. When Izanami has a health lead against a non-zoning character, she can consider halting an opponents with 41236D done on the ground to either force the opponent to block and risk chip damage, go into the air and compete with Izanami's float normals, or stand back away from the hurtbox. Useful for recharging barrier for ribcage armor combo setups. You can use JD to mess with your momentum in the air to punish the opponent or to avoid damage. Float can be used to a similar effect. Similar to UNIEL Nanase tech. D-Move Buffering: Izanami has a powerful buffering technique involving 63214D, 41236D, and all Active Mode D-attacks. Normally, this move is easily blocked in neutral, however, Izanami can buffer 63214D during the startup of moves like her CT to extend the length of her strings. What this allows you to do is to create time to go for other options you normally couldn't do relying on your normals alone. You want to deploy the move early, since her "bits" circle the opponent for a little while, but go for the combo on or slightly before hit. In Active/Projectile/Bit/Ring Mode, Izanami can buffer with any of her projectile attacks. We'll use comma notation to show you want to input the projectile attack relatively close to the attack you want to buffer and to distinguish from the fact the move does not flow to it. Rather, the projectile and the buffered attack occur simultaneously. Izanami exchanges the right to block for this technique, so be careful and knowledgeable about the times required for the bits to have an active hitbox. Buffering Examples: You'll want to buffer to make your moves safer and open up new combo opportunities by lengthening the combo timer. 63214D is notable because it can be buffered outside of Active mode unlike the rest. The price for that is that it has about a second of delay as the bits circle the opponent making it extremely telegraphed. 6A,6D->... 6A,4D->... 6A,1D->... 6A.2D->... 41236D hits later than when you input it so not a good ender but extender Throw,41236D->... 6B,41236D->... CT,41236D->... 3C,41236D->.... 3C,6D->... 3C,4D->... 3C,1D->... 3C.2D->... 214B,6D->... 214B,4D->... 214B,1D->... 214B.2D->... Knockdown Pressure: Use 623B,63214D (buffer 63214D during 623B's activation) on knockdown in the corner to put yourself at an advantage after a successful combo. The opponent will be forced to either block on wake up or delay their wake up if they can't safely roll behind Izanami out of the corner. A good option is to go for 214C if they block to restore some barrier and deplete their barrier gauge. Ribcage Impressions Float Mixup: One tactic Izanami can use her float mode for is to float at just the right height to end float mode and go for one of two options: Overhead jump normal Landing low Inputting the attack right before she lands enables the 50/50 mixup. Similar to Swallow Moon tech. Float "Soft" Loop: Float looping/resetting involves float cancelling (8 during float mode) to extend combo potential similar to how jump cancelling allows you to extend a string by taking to the air. Example ...(float mode)->float 5C->float 2C->8 in float mode (float cancel)->ground 5C->(jump into float cancel)88->float 5C->float 2C->float 236A->float 5C->float 2C->float 6C->8(float cancel)->...(ground enders etc) The idea is to install float after a launcher, do a float string (usually float 5C->float 2C) then to uninstall float mode with a float cancel (8 in float mode) to do a minor reset to extend the combo. The timing and moves vary based on what point in the combo you are in, and where you focusing your string at (you can go for float cancels for float->ground mentality to focus strings on the ground or jump cancels for a ground->float mentality to focus on strings while floating). Combo Theory: Misc (50% meter)...,41236D->(on 41236D hit) 236236B (During OD)...214A->ABCD(EA) [go to in active flow with OD meter stocked] ...->5B->5C->2C->6C->... (corner) ...->5C->2C->63214C->6CC->... 214X ...->214B->5B->... ...->214B->5B->.... ...->214A->5C->... 2A ...->2A->5B->.... ....->2A->2B... ....->2A->6B->... 5B ...->5B->5C->.... ...->5B->2C->... ...->5B->3C->... ...->5B->6B->... ...->5B->5C-> jump cancel-> J2C 2B ...->2B->5B->... ...->2B->5C->... ...->2B->2C->... 2C ...->2C->6C->... ...->2C->6A->... ...->2CC->214B->... 2C (fatal counter)-> CT,41236D->.... 2C (fatal counter)->CT->6B,41236D->.... (corner) 2C->63214C->... 5C ...->5C->6A->... ...->5C->6A->... ...->5C->6B->... ...->5C->2C->... ...->5C->3C->... ....->5CC->214A->... ...->5C->2C->6C->41236C->... 6B (corner)...->6B->236A->5B->... 6B->214A->5B->5C->.... 6C (corner) 6C->63214C->.... ....->6CC->5B->... Mix-up Tools, Jump Cancels, and Notes: Ribcage/susanoo presents good oki on knockdown 6B,6CC are overheads normally 6B is an overhead in float mode as well 6C(1) hits low float 6B ends float mode Jump cancels: 5A->Jump cancel on block 2A->Jump cancel on hit and block 5A->Jump cancel on hit and block 2A->Jump cancel on hit 5B->Jump cancel on hit only 5C->Jump cancel on hit only 6C(1)->Jump cancel on hit 3C->5D works on block but 3C->Specials doesn't work on block Float Throw has normal throw animation but catch airborne. Airdash>float to continue pressure strings. Float auto correct in combo strings. Float strings for mixing up. (from f.3C jump cancel to jB or just land 2B) Empty Box: Jubei

Various Izanami https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TkDtEzER7HU Izanami Vs Arakune https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LfFAq1D8kUI These are from the combo section, but I'd thought I'd put them here as well: High Damage Combos 1.mp4 2.mp4 3.mp4 5.mp4 6.mp4 7.mp4 8.mp4 9.mp4 10.mp4 11.mp4

Just thought I'd leave this here...(even if its only from Act II)

Disclaimer: I haven't had hands on with Izanami so take my thoughts with a grain of salt. Seemed like messed up timing (there was like a half second of Izanami just sitting there which would be more than enough for the combo timer to end so Nine could tech). Looks like he hesitated when realizing he wanted to be in active mode before he started the ribcage to then buffer wheel during ribcage's animation. It happens, like when I would play CP1.0 Nu and stutter when I wasn't in the right mode (I've never been a Nu main though so take that as you will). Definitely agree about the Haku match, as Izanami isn't a true zoner so her lacking projectiles becoming meter fuel when he cuts them. Izanami's 6D is pretty fast, but I've seen competent Haku's deal with worse projectiles like my buddy in CPEX who memorized Nu's sword spawn locations in neutral to give him a chance for good reads and to build meter for his OD combos. Izanami's float shenanigans really take a hit since Haku's JC has always out poked almost anything else in the air, and if Izanami is just playing float neutral, I can see her definitely eating it. I shudder at the thought of Haku going to town on us in float mode with his air specials. Hotaru can definitley get some mileage on a Izanami that likes to float (I'd appreciate a Haku main's thoughts on it though). I don't know about Haku's 6D/2D since I haven't seen if it used, since Haku's like to use pokes rather than counters due to the benefits in neutral for spacing. I know at least back in the loketests that Yanagi didn't do anything to projectiles . Now if its UB can be a problem for ribcage strategies if you want to go in (for 1 magatama though, I would think it would be UB AND cover insane distances). However, I think the bigger problem is the fact Yanagi destroys what little neutral Izanami had because: Looks like playing like a faux zoner neutral is out of the question in this match up, but that means we just have to double down on rushdown (which Izanami is more than capable of doing). The beauty of Ring mode is that we can just rely on the CC follow ups rather than our projectiles so we aren't getting completely denied options by having projectiles lose their efficiency. We just lose some tricks in this match up. Still think its in Haku''s advantage though due to how swoll he looks in CF. To summarize Haku can easily close the range with Yanagi, negates Izanami's projectiles, can outpoke her in float mode with JC, and Haku has improved average damage making him hit ~3-4K without popping OD depending on what resources he has. Haku is going to be scary for a lot of people, but our lewd death goddess is going to have it especially rough. The one saving grace Izanami has is that when she puts people in the blender, they're going to eat it for a while for ~2-3K on average off simple confirms. Ribcage will definitely be a security blankey in neutral for us since all her other options are kinda of meh compared to what the neutral gods can do in this game. Her command grab can definitely be good for resource stocking and punishing Haku counters though, since it would allow her to use ribcage more often while also decreasing the opponents barrier; would make him have to respect her up close game. Float 214B may be a good counter to closing the distance if we do a good read though, but it is pretty telegraphed. A saving grace about getting in though is many of Haku's pokes on the ground go pretty high, so 3C may be useful to us a sort-of counter poke if we make the read and he doesnt RC. Don't let my impressions and thoughts be word of law though, it may turn out that there are other factors I've missed or overestimated.

Definitely wasn't the most rigorous theory. I just thought there were some kind of spiritual Ouroboros weapon that Nine copied to make the Nox Nyctores Ouroboros we know. Thus the spirit version stayed with Terumi (hence why Kazuma used it on Tomomori as Terumi could then become the "heads" momentarily and access his spirit Ouroboros) while Hazama kept the Nox Nyctores one. At this point I'm grasping at straws though, so I think its best to drop the matter. The scene from the Phase Shift novels would have to be from Phase Shift 2 or 3 though. If it is not in 2, then I must have seen a translation of a scene either here or elsewhere. Might've been one of those requests Zedar gets from people. Yeah, you're correct, so there is nothing definitively stating that they aren't sharing the same Ouroboros. short answer: After going though the reasoning, Terumi should not be able to search the whole boundary. long answer: I forgot that Takamaghara had to free him from it. I would contest the infinite argument though, since although from a mathematical point of view something infinite can never be fully "understood" in the conventional sense (just consider Graham's number or constructions of the real numbers using the rational numbers and filling in the "gaps" shown by proving the denseness of the reals with Dedekind cuts for the rationals and then all the Cauchy sequences that sum to irrational numbers; see literature on metric spaces) there are ways we can prove infinite facts via a "domino" or inductive argument. In CS though, Terumi claims he observed EVERY single possibility which thus means there must have been a finite number of them. Or we're operating under multi-verse theory where there are also an infinite number of Terumi's in an infinite number of realities which could justify exhaustive knowledge of every possibility via a domino effect. At this point though, I think we've put more thought in the matter than Mori has about grasping an infinite number of possibliites. There are arguemnts about how information contains a certain amount of entropy and that there comes a point where a gigantic number which is still less than infinity contains too much information that it causes the formation of a black hole (see Graham's number). Your arguement holds if all those possibilities Terumi observed were finite, but based on Chaos theory, it shouldn't be or at least it isn't intuitively finite. I could go on, but I've likely lost you in some of my arguments. Terumi's statement refutes all of my claims if we take his statement to imply there were only so many distinct possibilities. Since the world is running through Amatarasu's reconstructions and loops, being rebuilt by her memories and until otherwise proven there is a limit on the amount of storable memories (another entropy argument) then Terumi only had to memorize all of the conceivable futures Amatarasu could create. So after going through the process with only tertiary knowledge about certain subjects, your argument about Terumi being unable to search the whole boundary for wild Hakumen's seems to hold up (things will get complicated with the multiverse viewpoint since there would then be two kinds of infinite we would have to consider.both countably and uncountably infinite bodies; we can show though that via isomorphisms we can show there must be a countably infinite number of Hakumen bodies so we're dealing with the small infinity rather than the large infinity). I think I got too much into the required mathematical reasoning for either argument though. Mori has demonstrated how he narrative science rather than true science, so going further will lead to problems precisely because Mori hasn't put as much thought in the consequences of time travel in his narrative other than to conveniently create back story for things. Do we know for certain his CF body is still the materialized Trinity body though? Consider how Terumi is currently observing himself (at least that was my impression from his Act 1 talk with Relius). After getting Time Killered, didn't that materialized body cease to exist? Otherwise, why would he observe himself? We've seen the only times he has observed himself where when he attacked the church and arguably in Phase Shift 1 when Kazuma got attacked. In both cases, his form was by default the spirt form. I think I need some clarification about his observation, as Arakune is being observed and he isn't a spirit, so maybe Terumi is observing himself not to materialize his soul but to keep his existence around. Thanks for the reminder. Unfortunately, I don't think Mori actually even realizes such a discrepancy exists since it seems like he is done with the Phase Shift era. What I meant by displacing was how when CP Major JIn entered the embryo, the embryo's Captain Jin ceased to exist. Contrast this with How CP Tsubaki entered as Izayoi but CF Tsubaki is still around as well (Jin runs into both of them in his arcade). Upon further reflection, it appears that BB does operate on object time travel. That leaves me to ask though what happened to Jinakumen's Yukianasa when he fell into the cauldron after Ragna and Nu to end up in 2099 and go on to become Hakumen? Don't worry about the references, I just thought it would be easier to grasp the distinctions through examples rather than exhaustive descriptions. But BB should operate on rules very similar to Triangle then, where a person that travels back in time also introduces new copies of items on themselves to the timeline they visit. So in the movie, the protagonist goes back in time and becomes distressed after finding a shit ton of her necklaces in the same spot where she drops hers, realizing she is stuck in a timeloop.

Izanami Vs Nine, Bullet, Nine https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g5tp0Ryt6cQ Izanami Vs. Hakumen https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8RtejuavBh0 Izanami Vs. Hakumen, Celica (near the end of the video) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pECQhA5TVLM

Will add the commands to the timestop combo section when I get home. Thanks!

It sounds more like "the Embryo did it", because analyzing about Terumi powers, he copied back the Susano'o back, he always had the Ouroboros, since Nine's Mind Eater, and his host were Kazuma, which was destroyed later. Hazama worked as a substitute for the first body. If we consider he got a new chain in each time loop it would explain better why Hazana has a lot of chains in his Astral. But it keeps bugging me, since I don't remember Hazama using Ouroboros in the story after Trinity's materialization. Two problems I have with your reasoning Ogiga99 and JustaMaskedFreak (I don't mean to be disrespectful or anything) on two specific aspects: 1.) Terumi and Hazama both had Ouroboros BEFORE they entered the Embryo (see CP when they were split) 2.) By your notion of timeloops preserving inanimate objects, then that means that there are an infinite number of Susanoo units in the Edge of the Boundary (Japanese:"Hazama") as Hakumen's is really Patrick Swayze in Ghost as he does not have access to his body but can still affect the physical world. So for each timeloop, each heroic sacrifice Hakumen made to drag Terumi with him into the Boundary would place another Hakumen in the Edge. Now, we know that Terumi can easily kill his host body and go ghost mode to travel through dimensions as we saw in CT when he was hanging out in Rachel's bushes or when he took over Takamagahara in CS. Using just the CS example, he would have had to enter the boundary to reach Takamagahra and so why doesn't he just go after one of the Hakumen's in a coma rather than our ghost Hakumen in CF? Hopefully you see the complications with making such a claim. (that means there should be a shitload copies of Ragna's sword as well since Ragna finds a new in Black Beast Ragna when he fights Nu after he gives his to Celica, yet returns to CP's timeline with only one ). In my head, Terumi remembers past timeloops via the whole MK9 route of getting the memories and not by physically transcending time to reach that point in the timeline/multiverse. If he did go physically, he would displace himself like how our Jin displaced embryo Captain Jin in CF. (Don't know why Hakumen and our Jin can coexist, but it probably has to do with obsevation and having active Power of Order [Captain Jin didn't reach the level to unlock the Power of Order buffs]). Someone else would have to elaborate on why Tsubaki and Izayoi are doing this as well. So displacement agrees with your theory but there is no evidence to suggest the proliferation of physical objects like other forms of timetravel fiction. (Boils down to are we discussing Back to the Future vs Groundhog Day/Stargate SG-1 episode where you can go back in time with stuff no problem in the former while only your consciousness goes back in the latter). Rachel definitely made Ragna go Back to the Future in CP, but that was because she had Tsukyomi, which is definitely stronger than any defensive measure Terumi could put together since it is one of the Sankishin. There is evidence for both, so I can't say for certain which is the one Terumi goes through. We also have the whole predicatment that Ragna's time travel adventure "fixed" the messed up timeloop caused by Black Beast Ragna appearing in 2100. Now that the timeloop is "stable", any other attempt to time travel could cause a new paradox or loop,. Go watch "Triangle" (2009) for a timeloop plot that involves object's being 'copied' to previous points in the loop. Its pretty decent and I think adds support to your arguement if others want a more concrete example of what you've described. I'm all ears if you want to elaborate on the physics of the different types of time travel, but hopefully this exercise illustrates my disdain for the topic being used for explanations. Shit doesn't have a logical basis. Where the hell are the axioms of time travel!?What about the fundamental laws associated with it? You mean its just a plot device? oh...I see.... I believe that Ogiga99's other point is a more viable candidate for consideration. Basically the fact he can wield power based on the Susanoo unit without actually having it, especially the precedent that he could also likely do the same thing with a Nox Nyctores with no problem since a Sankishin is definitely more mysterious and otherworldly than a Nox Nyctores. How? No idea. I would like to propose an alternative idea based on the whole Phase Shift business that Ogiga99 was hinting at: what if Hazama has the Nox Nyctores Ouroboros while Terumi has the Legacy Weapon/ancient weapon mentioned in Phase Shift 1. Think like the original Take Mikazuchi or Hiro'hikane (Tomomori's sword). I can't remember the quote off the top of my head, but Terumi drops a comment when he receives Nox Nyctores: Ouroboros from Nine about how its different yet the same as the one he had that killed Tomomori (citation needed). The precedent for such a thing already exists with both Take Mikazuchi being the basis for the other Nox Nyctores and the fact that there is a both a Sorcery/Art for Mind eater and an Armagus spell for Mind Eater (Maladictus Plaga and Opprimo Vinculum). Nevertheless, we know for sure that there are pre-Dark War variants of several weapons/spells that we are familiar in modern Blazblue using just mind eater and Take Mikazuchi. Definitely need verification on the difference between the two mind eater spells though (Nine used the Sorcery one on Terumi while Tsubaki was under the Armagus one). That would explain why each body has one. Both JustaMaskedFreak's translation of the twin snakes implying Ouroboros was always two chains is definitely viable (why else would you call it Gemini?) as is Ogiga99's thoughts on Trinity accidentally materializing Terumi's body with a copy of Ouroboros from the Dark War. Fucking Muchorin just makes anything possible since it creates matter...I definitely prefer either of these to the "lol timeloop" arguement since as a story telling convention, we see inconsistencies that haven't been elaborated on or justified. Or it could be that Mori didn't bother explaining it just like that whole business with Ragna's sword (was that even resolved?) because Eastern storytelling yadayadayada...That's a really lazy viewpoint though.

Sorry if this is bothersome or nitpicky. short answer: He looks 21 (as heavymetalmixer stated) but could be younger since things get complicated with artificial humans. long answer: I think it is not as simple as that if we factor in several other things. Foremost look at the ages in relation to other things. First, we know that Ragna is supposed to be older than Jin. So if we take everything on face value, then it appears that since Jin entered the Military Academy in 2193 and graduated/entered the war in 2196/2197 he'd be 18ish if they follow the adolescent convention (I think Jin graduated a little early though cause of the Ikaruga war) . That would make Jin 21 in 2200. Ragna, being older would then have to be older than that, but 21 is a good minimum or lowerbound age. However, consider Noel. Noel appears to be in her late teens, but recall she is definitely not as old as she appears: Noel's consciousness was born 12 25-2194. We do know that Sector Seven started the project to make a Black Beast with Relius Clover's three murakumo units (11,12,13) in 2191. Providing for that, we also can assume her body is at most 9 years old, assuming Relius didn't put them together until the project was approved. Likewise, the murakumo units didn't have consciousnesses until they were smelted, hence there is another complication. Thus, there are three ages we need to consider for artificial humans: How old they look (biological age) When their body was made (chronological age) When their consciousness/identity was formed after the smelting process Now why is this relevant? As Saya, Jin, and Ragna were rescued from a lab by Jubei when they were little kids and we know that Saya and Ragna are artificial humans, it seems that Jin is also an artificial human as well. For reference the church was attacked in 2192, making Ragna, Jin, and Saya at minimum 8 years old chronologically. I'm not sure which age churchblue wanted though. I would presume biological since that is usually synonmous with the other two for natural humans like us. I do think just based on appearances that Ragna should be about 21 as you pointed out (or in his early twenties), from biological appearances at least. However, as illustrated by the example with Noel, Ragna's chronological age may differ drastically from how old he looks. As demonstrated above, it depends on what age you are referring to. Biologically: Ragna appears to be older than Naoto, hence as heavymetalmixer pointed out, Ragna refers to Naoto as younger Chronologically: The jury is still out, but we know at minimum that Naoto is 16 years old in Bloodedge Experienece (assuming the Naoto in CF is the Naoto from Bloodedge Experience since that mark on his chest is REALLY suspicious considering he didn't have it in the novels), so assuming he went from Part 2 to CF after exposition from someone (read: Clavis), he is at bare minimum 16. Ragna, in contrast is at bare minimum 8 in CF. To my knowledge we do not have any dates prior to 2192 for Ragna to place his age. For normal humans like Naoto, his consciousness was born when his body was, but for artificial humans that may not be the case. We can say though that Ragna's conscious is as old as or even older than his body though. (lets not get into the age of their souls and what not ). So based on my limited knowledge, this is about as much as we can say for certain. No idea if entering the Embryo affected their bodies as well (if you enter from CP to CT era inside the embryo, does your body age back 2 months since Amatarasu would observe you to be that age?).

Sorry I misunderstood. If Mori really wants to irritate people he probably would have gone with the outline: Act 1 Nine: "Go get Izanami" Act 2 Izanami: "Go get Amatarasu/True Noel" Act 3 Amatarasu/True Noel: "Go get Nine" =o Yeah, realizing Ragna won't be our protagonist anymore hurts a little, even if he may or may not die. Maybe Ragna pulls a Dizzy where someone claims the bounty on his head and he gets to marry Ky which in turn leads to black mail? If Mori decides to go full homage/ripoff on GG, he could write the fact Ragna can't have a normal life as part of the reason the post-Ragna arc starts. Like, someone (I don't know who maybe one of his haremettes or benefactors like Jubei, Rachel, or Kagura) gets flac and has to do things to hide Ragna just like Ky was forced to become King of Illyria. With how BB has gone though, I'm more inclined for Ragna to get killed off since he has less than 0 Luck in his S.P.E.C.I.A.L. stats. Ragna is definitely going to have to do something about his Azure Grimoire arm though, since its eating his body up and triggers his shift into Black Beast mode; its also the reason so many people wanted to get into his pants for half the story. I think whatever Mori decides to do depends on how he decides to deal with that problem as there are several possibilities: Ragna gets consumed by his arm and becomes what Hakumen and Jin always thought he was as the Black Beast Ragna/someone cuts his arm off and he has to deal with how life will go for him (we go back to having gimped Ragna, AKA Bloodedge) Ragna gets fused with a murakumo (becomes a proper Black Beast or whatever Nu wishes for in their "True Merge") What I want to know is whats the deal with the arm having pseudo consciousness. Recall in CT how when Ragna encountered Hakumen, his arm started spasming like it was scared. Was that some kind of reflex from the arm and/or Ragna remembering the CT timeloops by getting trashed by Haku?