CODE Bunny: Hazel Part 6: Remembrance of Ashe
3Comet Ylisater emitted a massive flash, catching Hazel, Shouko, and Raphi into it...
When Hazel woke up later, she realized she was now lost in a snowy forest... A very familiar forest...
She then ran into members of the Xanadu Army, of which she was a part of. However, they couldn't see nor hear her for some reason...
The soldiers were also talking about... KILLING the locals of the forest, seeing them as too worthless and unruly to even be considered for the army.
Further ahead, Hazel saw something, or rather someone, that shook her to her core...
...it was... herself... along with the old friend she and Shouko had brought up before: Ashe. Somehow, Hazel was warped to the past... the past of how she lost her best friend in the first place...
His name was Ashe Akibara...
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In the past, Hazel was a bit more spirited as she carried out missions with Ashe within the Xanadu Army.
However, one day, Ashe had knock out innocent people. People that seemed desperate to defend themselves and their forest. They set up a campfire to discuss this further, as they suspected that their mission at hand was slightly off-kilter.
Hazel was so impressed that Ashe always kept his cool even in the heat of battle. It made him such a remarkable Xanadu soldier. This, however, was inspired by Hazel, herself, who used to beat up Ashe's bullies back when they were little kids. Even with their excelling sword skills now, both did not consider themselves merciless monsters.
With that said Ashe had announced to Hazel that he was planning to leave the Xanadu Army. He felt that the justice that he was serving from it wasn't real justice. It wasn't like the dream he had of it before. He really missed spending time with Hazel & Shouko in peace.
For now, Ashe returned to the main camp to report. But then something more concerning happened.
Ashe, right when he was ready to retire, got promoted to Lieutenant by Soleil, and his first mission under this title was... to attack all of the forest's natives and send them to Lagos, so that she may experiment on them for her own wicked schemes.
Ashe was put into a very tense situation, one that would break Past Hazel's heart and re-break Present Hazel's all over again. It made Present Hazel connect the dots on what Soleil was trying to do with Fey & Lune all along.
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Past Hazel wanted to check on Ashe, and what she ran into was Ashe going berserk against the other Xanadu soldiers!
The soldiers, however, managed to disarm Ashe, now calling for Past Hazel to finish him off... with his own blade...
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And so... the live flashback had finished, just as quickly as Hazel got to see Shouko again. They were both reminded of what happened to Ashe in the past...
Hazel... KILLED HIM.
This was why Shouko had such a grudge against Hazel now. All three of them were best friends, but this situation cut their ties deeply. Shouko had spent the rest of her life not letting Hazel forget about that tragedy, but Hazel didn't want to kill Ashe. It was all a moment of weakness, and how Ashe didn't even feel like himself anymore.
But it was too late to turn Shouko around. She didn't care about stopping her mother Soleil anymore. She now just wanted to kill Hazel and avenge Ashe once and for all!
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This fight is more of the same of fighting Shouko in Stage 3, but nonetheless, stay on your toes and RUN THAT GHOST CRESCENT!
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Hazel had once again defeated Shouko, but now, Shouko was waiting Hazel to finish her off... just like she did against Ashe... Just like how Ashe killed those soldiers.
But Hazel couldn't go through with it. She never actually wanted to be as violent as Ashe. She just felt... lost... She needed a calling in her life, and Ashe ended up being her lifeline. With Ashe dead, Hazel felt pathless once more.
To repent for her sin, she carried Ashe's fallen blade at her side. Both that sword of his, as well as Shouko still being alive, was all Hazel had left of her more peaceful past life.
But then, meeting the likes of Igusa, Raphi, and especially Axel at Lagos, Hazel felt as if her self-worth was being revived. She now carried Ashe's sword, the Blood Rose, to carry both the good and bad memories with him, as well as the memories of the newer friends she's recently made along the way.
This turned Shouko back to her side, now realizing that Ashe was still alive in spirit through Hazel wielding his sword at her side, as well. She couldn't entirely forgive Hazel, yet, but she did more forward with trusting her with the Blood Rose.
And so... Hazel, with Ashe in spirit, headed off to Comet Ylisater to stop Soleil. It was through him, Shouko, and especially Axel, that made her realized that having friends at her side is what she needed most to keep on living.