
Some seek the massive bounty his capture would bring, others seek the "Azure Grimoire" (or BlazBlue) that Ragna supposedly holds, an artifact that contains immense magical power to anyone who wields it, and still others have their own reasons for coming to the city. This has sparked bounty hunters and soldiers of all kinds to flock to the city. Now in the present, in the 13th Hierarchical City of Kagutsuchi, a notorious SS-class criminal known as "Ragna the Bloodedge" has reportedly set his sights on destroying the main NOL branch there, just as he has in other cities around the world. The Federation led by the city of Ikaruga ended up fighting in a civil war with the Library, but the city was mercilessly wiped out by NOL forces, and the survivors scattered to the other cities. There was a relative period of peace, but soon a faction emerged that sought independence from the rule of the Library. The death of the Black Beast covered most of the world in "seithr," a magical energy that could be used to power magic and technology, but at the same time too much exposure could cause living things to go insane or even die, so these cities were built at high elevations, on mountains, and similar formations. In the aftermath, the Novus Orbis Librarium ("The Library" or the NOL) united most of humanity under a single government, and organized the construction of "Hierarchical Cities" at high elevations. But one day, a legendary band of warriors known collectively as "The Six Heroes," wielding magic and special weaponry, rose to fight the Black Beast and bring peace to what was left of humanity. All conventional weapons were useless against it, and even nuclear bombs proved to be useless against this strange new threat. Many years ago, a large being appeared known only as "The Black Beast." It ravaged the entire world, leaving destruction in its wake. Though Daisuke Ishiwatari helped with the game's production, the lion's share of the work was done by Toshimichi Mori.

Originally developed as an ersatz Guilty Gear due to the original license being owned by Sammy, the BlazBlue franchise has grown into its own universe with everything from the original fighting games to light novels and even an anime adaptation with most of the same voice cast from the game.
