Nine the Phantom

""Destroy it? Hehe... Don't say such idiotic things. When did I every say that I would 'destroy' the world? I only intend to 'end' this world... This worthless, lie filled world.""

Nine the Phantom (ナイン＝ザ＝ファントム), born Konoe Ayatsuki Mercury (ノエ＝アヤツキ＝マーキュリー) and historically known as the Great Magister Nine, was one of the Six Heroes, the creator of Ars Magus, the Nox Nyctores and a hailed figure across the world. She was the older sister of Celica A. Mercury, wife to Jubei and mother of Kokonoe. Nine was known for her incredible talent with both magic and sorcery which she used in great efforts to keep her family safe.

Nine, as "Me" ("わたし"), is one of the main protagonists of XBlaze Lost: Memories and first appeared as Phantom (ファントム) in BlazBlue: Continuum Shift. Nine was finally made playable in BlazBlue: Central Fiction where she is the final boss of Arcade's Act I.

Personality
"Harboring burning fury at the knowledge of the truth of the world and using that power to end the world, she is the owner of a fearsome will and stormy temper. With her exceptional intellect and magical power, she created the "Nox Nyctores" and "Ars Magus." She dotes upon her younger sister Celica, and won't forgive anyone who would harm her."

Phase 0, Phase Shift 1, Phase Shift 2, Phase Shift 3, Phase Shift 4
Shuichiro and Konoe's relationship never healed. She was enrolled into the same class as Kazuma Kval and Trinity Glassfille and begun researching how to combine magic and science. Konoe and Trinity became best friends. In 2100, she learned that the Black Beast had emerged from Japan, and that her father was the one being blamed by various organizations for its appearance; she did not know whether Shuichiro was dead or alive.

Having excelled in her studies and contributions towards the Ishanan community and to sorcery, Konoe was chosen for the honor of becoming one of the Ten Sages, although she believed Trinity was more deserving. In a cold January morning in 2107, Konoe entered the Cathedral in the center of Ishana and was initiated into the Sages through the Canonization Ceremony. She took on her new name - Nine, and left for the courtyard outside of the building. Celica and Trinity ran up to greet and congratulate her on the position. Nine hugged Celica and promised that nothing had really changed, and the three of them decided to have lunch together to celebrate.

In the cafeteria, the group found Kazuma and they ate with him. Nine threw several cold remarks towards him, not acknowledging his existence. Celica began to warm up to Kazuma, so Nine dragged her away from the table and began to tell her to not get involved with him. The two of them bickered until a nearby television began to blare its news - a Japanese survivor had been found. The two sisters were dumbfounded and rendered speechless. As Kazuma fell ill, Nine left.

Later that evening, Nine sensed an unusual force in downtown Ishana and ran to the location with Trinity and Celica trailing behind her. They found Kazuma next to an alley which had its ground mostly destroyed. She demanded an explanation from the boy, learning that the culprit that attacked him was a beastkin. They escorted Kazuma back to his dorm. Three days later, Nine again felt an unusual force, and told Trinity to investigate.

Trinity invited Nine, Celica, and Kazuma to the girl's favourite cafe. There, Nine ordered coffee and a slice of chocolate cake. She poured a pitcher of milk, gomme syrup, and multiple sugar cubes into her cup until its consistency had changed into something completely different. Nine began to interrogate Celica over her grades, but then changed her gaze to Kazuma, and asked why he had spent so much time in Ishana's Great Library. The boy brought up her relation to Shuichiro, and she retorted that she was not related to the man, which only caused another argument between her and Celica. They both punched the table in anger, making Trinity's teacup fall onto her, emptying its contents. They both apologized as the girl lost her anger and chastized them both. Suddenly, Kazuma left.

Trinity and Nine chased after the boy, finding him near the water's edge of Ishana. Nine interrogated him, asking what he was doing and mockingly asked if he was trying to escape, but was told that he was trying to find an acquaintance. She walked past Kazuma and saw a hole in Ishana's magical barrier - she asked him if it was the work of his "acquaintance". She left after carefully assessing his posture and returned back to the Guild to discuss the matter with other Ten Sages.

In the following morning, Nine found a letter from Celica, and its contents detailed that she had escaped from Ishana to go to Japan in an attempt to find Shuichiro. Taking Trinity, she bolted to the boys dormitory and banged on Kazuma's door, screaming that she would burn it down if he didn't respond. As the door opened, Nine ran in and grabbed the boy by his collar, holding him up against the window. She screamed at him to tell her where Celica had gone and what he had done to her, but the boy answered that he did not know. Trinity convinced Nine to let him go.

Deducing that Kazuma was responsible for giving Celia the idea to search for Shuichiro, Nine pinned Kazuma to the ground with her high heels as he talked back to her. Nine was ready to kill him, but was forced to relent as a message for the Ten Sages came in the form of conveying sorcery. Nine let him be, and attended to her duties. At the Cathedral, Nine listened as Three tried to make sense as to why so much seithr had suddenly appeared in Ishana. Nine bit her tongue, knowing that the reason why was because Celica was no longer on the island, and the tear in the barrier was only making it worse. She organized the Sages and was put in charge of eliminating the seithr in Ishana while others repaired the barrier.

Nine learned that Trinity had been injured, and ran to her dorm after completing the seithr eradication. She talked with Trinity over the restoration of the barrier, winking at her and telling Trinity to not underestimate the Ten Sages. Nine had also learned that Kazuma had entered the Cathedral but had disappeared.

With Jubei and Valkenhayn, Nine entered the depths of the Alucard Castle. Venturing deep within and unsealing each magical barrier, Nine found Yuuki Terumi, the possessor of Kazuma's body. She was shocked and disgusted when she saw that the body was Kazuma's. She kicked him to the floor and used Mind Eater on him, turning the man into her slave. The group then left the prison.

Variable Heart
Alongside Hazama, Nine watched as Meifang Lapislazuli fought against Mai Natsume and Jin Kisaragi near the cauldron in the 11th Hierarchical City of Shinatsu. She saw the event through, watching as Meifang, even with her army of Fuzzy, lost against the duo. With the Colonel's failed attempt to turn herself into a Nox Nyctores, Nine left with the unsatisfied Hazama.

Central Fiction
"The true form of "Phantom" who dissolved the spell binding her to Izanami's will. She was once known as Nine, one of the Six Heroes."

Nine entered the embryo, keeping her memories and free of Izanami's contract. She absolved to finally bring about her new world and to stop Izanami at all costs. In there, she found Carl Clover and began mocking him over his father. She told him that Relius was partially responsible for the beginning of the Dark War She began using the Phantom Field as a base of operations, specifically Purgatorium. At some point, she created multiple illusions to taunt Hakumen over the Dark War Eventually, she summoned Ragna, and the two battled. She won, and told him to defeat Izanami as she had to the chosen, and used phenomenon intervention to send him back to Embryo.

Using phenomenon intervention, she teleported all the chosen to the Embryo’s version of Ikaruga and emitted a voice telling them to defeat Izanami and claim their piece of the Azure. She found Relius, and they talked about the Nox’s and how to remove the Tsukuyomi Unit from guarding Amaterasu. Nine claimed that by retrieving the other Nox’s, she can remove their cores and make Take-Mikazuchi even more powerful than before. She later found Nu-13 attempting to retrieve the Rettenjo from Bang Shishigami and interrupted their fight, making it a three-way battle. Unfortunately for her, Bang managed to flee with his Nox and its core. She used the Requiem to constantly move Ragna through possibilities.

Later, Nine found a group consisting of Jubei, Iron Tager, Kokonoe, Jin, Ragna, Celica, Rachel, and Trinity entering her workshop. She fought Jubei, who was standing guard, defeated him, and threw him into the group. She explained that she was going to end the world, with Requiem becoming its replacement God. She told the group of the Dark War, and during its aftermath, how it should have been impossible to create Ars Magus in such a short space of time. She then told them of the Prime Field War and how the world as they know it came to exist before finally fighting Ragna – the battle was going her way for a great portion of it, but Nine was distracted by looking at Celica, which bought the Grim Reaper enough time to gravely wound her and steal her dream. Jubei and Celica rushed to her side, and she promised them that she would meet them in the afterlife.

Izanami came to her workshop, making Nine use the Radiance of Extinguishment, allowing her to both activate Requiem and bind Izanami. Nu entered, and was stopped by Jubei, who rushed to her side to protect his wife. Nine gave Ragna a warning that they would have one week until the space-time around the workshop would return to normal. She died, dissolving into seithr – her last moments spent being happy that Jubei could protect her one last time.

Phantom
A close associate to the Imperator.

''Nine's temporary form after she was sealed by Terumi in the Boundary... upon the Black Beast's defeat. Why she stays by the Imperator's side and does her bidding is unknown.''

Nine
Celica's older sister, and one of the Six Heroes.

''She taught magic to the world, and helped develop its scientific hybrid, Ars Magus. Jubei is her husband, and between them, they have one very strong and powerful daughter: Kokonoe.''

''Like her belligerent personality, her magic is quite offensive and aggressive in its nature. She is determined in her ways, and loves her sister, which can sometime result in extremely reckless behavior. Her coffee's texture is said to change by the amount of sugar she puts in it. She also loves cats.''

''She can magic in its most pure form, which does not require the use of seithr. During the Dark War, she was admitted into the Mage's Guild as one of the Ten Sages at a very young age - a genius at her craft. She developed the Causality Weapons, Nox Nyctores, and led mankind to victory during the Dark War.''

After the Dark War came to a close, she was killed by Terumi for 'knowing too much.' As of 2200AD, she been seen doing the Imperator's bidding as the mysterious figure, Phantom.

Konoe A. Mercury
''Celica A. Mercury's older sister, Nine. She's also one of the Six Heroes.''