Drive

A Drive is the manifestation of one's own soul. It is a technique unique to individuals since it's a reflection of the soul itself.

Information
Drives are acquired as one's soul develops a deeper relation with the Azure, either through attracting it with their power, or just becoming close to it. There are some people are naturally born with a Drive, and others who are not, and have to have it awakened through various means. Around the time of 2050, various individuals became Drive-Unions, and began to develop a Crystal, a device which make them become Drive users, but also drastically shorten their life-span. The Mitsurugi Agency was dedicated to saving these Unions, but only one has ever survived being one as he ripped out his crystal before it fused with his nervous system. Sechs was capable of creating these individuals with his own Drive. Eventually, this outbreak of Unions was seemingly contained.

There was once a laboratory that experimented on subjects in attempts to awaken their Drives; there was some success as Karengina Palset had hers awakened, but it was shut-down by Grimmwood Hastur of the Novus Orbis Librarium, and the victims were rescued. Torture has been shown to actually disable a person's ability to use a Drive. In order to be activated, a Drive must consume the seithr in the air around them, and should there be little to none, then a part of the person's soul will be consumed instead, making it very dangerous to use in certain situations.

Some entities are Drives themselves - chiefly, this is Izanami, who is the Drive of The Origin; entities such as herself do possess souls, although it is unknown if a Drive can have a Drive. They are immortal, only being able to die if their user perishes as well. Illusionary Creatures are said to have an existence similar to that of a Drive.

There exists a Drive, Soul Eater, that is like a parasite. It attaches itself to a victim and becomes a Drive for them, but can send them into insanity. Clavis Alucard dedicated much of his time to eradicating it, and it is currently in the possession of Saya Terumi in the Bloodedge Experience possibility, previously being held by Ragna the Bloodedge in the BlazBlue one. Because of this, Clavis' goal was seemingly the complete eradication of all Drives, but this was never realized.

Gameplay
In the BlazBlue games, Drives are assigned to the D button and are a unique mechanic for each character, usually being paramount to how they are played. Drives in gameplay are not to be confused with Drives in lore. For example: Relius Clover has the Drive Detonator in gameplay, which allows him to use the Fluctus Redactum: Ignis, but in lore, his Drive is what allows him to create various marionette arms to fight instead.