BlazBlue – Phase Shift

When he exited the academy"s school building into the courtyard, he thought that the weather outside felt nice.

The sky appeared hazier than usual. There were signs of it turning slightly dark.

Facing the whole city, he wondered if the Ten Sages in charge of purifying the seithr had produced any results. The way things were going, their hands would still be full for a while.

Kazuma went across the silent courtyard, a strange atmosphere compared with the normal bustle of the Mages" Guild. He headed toward the Cathedral which was standing centrally.

The meandering path was refreshing as if it was a promenade through a forest.

Lying in wait in the middle, the Cathedral was just as small as when viewed from the hallway"s window. It didn"t seem like the sort of place the Mages" Guild would store their cla.s.sified information.

Similar to a chapel, the entrance housed a large pair of wooden double doors. Just as Trinity had said, it was securely locked.

But for this island that had been raising magicians, things like physical locks only had the significance of a sign which had "No entry without permission" written on it. With a short incantation and a small pattern drawn with his fingertip the lock fell, allowing Kazuma to continue all too soon.

After he got inside, he closed the doors. As he proceeded, he noticed that the place was silent as though it was a different airs.p.a.ce.

The air inside the building was a little warm compared to the outdoors.

Kazuma went in further. It seemed there was n.o.body inside. Granted it was a matter of course.

In the history of the Mages" Guild, today was the most critical situation. During such circ.u.mstances, there was no way that someone with knowledge of security magic would just be stood guard here.

And rather, the guardsmen for Cathedral were in charge of giving warning.

As there was nothing but a large hall on the Cathedral"s ground floor, there was no reason to get rid of intruders. What was absolutely forbidden to enter was what was beyond here, the Cathedral"s underground.

On the door leading to underground, there was a severely secure barrier imbued. If he were to carelessly approach it, he wouldn"t get out with merely a scratch.

The guardsmen were instructed to warn anyone who carelessly approached the barrier.

Kazuma stood in front of the entrance which was leading to the underground.

"...This looks troublesome."

What was lying in wait for Kazuma was a wooden door which was heavy from the looks of it. It appeared it was enveloped in a slightly white haze.

Judging by the heightened magical power that was visible, it was a barrier.

Kazuma wasn"t poor at cancelling barrier magic during cla.s.s, but this one was a different case. When he cautiously stretched out his hand... he felt an uncomfortable feeling on his fingers.

Just by standing close to a strong barrier, it would burn a person"s skin in order to repel them. However, this door was nothing like that.

Kazuma"s fingers were hanging close to the door while he pondered over whether to touch it or not. But immediately, he boldly placed his hand on the door.

His breath was taken away reflexively. He had prepared for the appropriate impact and damage.

But even after three whole seconds had elapsed, Kazuma was still silently grabbing the door"s k.n.o.b.

When he pushed against it, the door opened.

The barrier was still functioning but Kazuma"s hand broke through it and opened the door.

"What"s the meaning of this...?"

Even when he muttered, no one answered.

Although he was confused, Kazuma narrowly slipped through the door and stepped inside. It was baffling, but if he could get in, then he wouldn"t hesitate.

Inside the door was continuation of the hallway which had an arched ceiling. In the inner part, there was stairway leading downward, underground.

The magical lights which were floating at fixed intervals illuminated Kazuma"s path.

As he went underground, the structure became more and more expansive. On the upper level, there was a meeting room and a room used to observe various data; both were used by all members of Mages" Guild.

Moreover as he went further downward, a meeting room that sometimes had been used for the Ten Sages" ceremonies appeared.

On each level, there were barriers erected whose strength matched the ability of the human who was authorized to utilize it. They weren"t such things that could be lifted by the likes of students at all.

But even so, Kazuma"s body was able to continue ahead. The barriers couldn"t stop him; as if he was slipping through the mesh of a net that was supposed to catch intruders.

When the long stairway heading downwards into the depths of the cathedral ended, he arrived at an elevator which was controlled by magic. He also pa.s.sed the barrier which had been erected there.

As if he was being guided——Kazuma arrived at the lowest level of the Cathedral.

After exiting the elevator, the hallway"s ceiling grew tall which made it unlikely that it was underground. As expected, a wooden door awaited beyond that point.

Like a stamped seal, a magic circle appeared on the door.

No one but the Ten Sages was permitted to come here. Moreover, since a suitable magical power was needed, a barrier with ruthless degree of security was applied in such a way that if somebody were to touch it by mistake, they wouldn"t be spared. It would result in death.

Shutting his mouth tightly, Kazuma touched the last guardian with a sullen look.

His fingers touched the wooden surface. After sliding them across the door as though he was tracing something, his palm finally touched it completely.

What he felt on his skin was just the firmness on an old, normal tree. It felt like if he were holding an axe, he could easily tear it down.

There was no handle on the door. As he pushed, it slowly opened as expected.

Of course, being able to get in here made even Kazuma frown in confusion.

Why couldn"t the Cathedral"s barriers stop Kazuma? Not even once had he used cancelling magic, but he had still managed to arrive at the lowest level.

"It"s like... I"m being invited in."

Not matching its aging appearance, the door opened silently as Kazuma pa.s.sed through it while he muttered.

Beyond the door was a breathtakingly vast circular room.

The ceiling was even taller than the hallway"s. Although there wasn"t any magical lighting device floating, the whole room seemed to be slightly luminescent as it was faintly bright.

The floor was tiled with mosaics; a stretched large flower-like pattern was depicted from the center to the outside. If it wasn"t a flower, it might be a sun or flame pattern.

While stepping forward to the outermost petals, Kazuma looked around the surroundings.

Although the inside of the room was absurdly s.p.a.cious, it was empty. It was nothing but a deserted room. Rather than being a place of storage for cla.s.sified information, it was as if some kind of ceremony were about to begin at the place.

The drifting air had a different kind of coolness from the outside. It might be because there was no window and he didn"t know how far he"d come that he had completely lost track of time.

When he took a step forward, the small, hard noise of footsteps disappeared like it was absorbed into the floor.

And at the same time, he felt the beating inside his chest accelerate.

"Here... The Azure is..."

Kazuma must be thinking that he had obtained the means to reach the Azure. Before he noticed it, Kazuma had been intending to get the Azure itself.

It wasn"t reasonable anymore. It went beyond reasoning and it felt like instinct.

The inside of the room was even warmer than the surface. It was like he was within the warmth of a living being. The faint drifting heat slowly agitated Kazuma"s spirits.

But for some reason, while walking further in, Kazuma also gradually became impatient.

There was nothing here. If there was no doc.u.ment or data, a map indicating where the Azure was wouldn"t exist.

But it was impossible that there was nothing here. Terumi definitely said it was here.

"Terumi-san!"

Inside the giant, empty room, Kazuma raised his voice.

His voice echoed off the ceiling.

"I managed to get inside the Cathedral. Where is the Mages" Guild"s cla.s.sified information!?"

Kazuma hadn"t expected it to be here; it was Terumi who said it. But if that was the case, what could this vast, unoccupied room hold?

He looked up at the ceiling as if to search for Terumi"s presence. While he looked around the room, little by little Kazuma"s steps became wider as he walked toward the inner part of the room.

It was when he arrived at the center of the hall, he heard it.

"Soooo, you finally arrived~. Don"t make me wait so long, Kazuma-chan."

Terumi"s voice could be heard.

Taken aback, Kazuma looked around the surroundings. However, Terumi"s figure was nowhere to be seen. Although there was no spot in which to hide, he couldn"t even find a part of his shadow.

Despite that, Terumi"s voice got even more audible.

"I got worried since you"re so late, y"know? I"ve been wondering if you don"t care about the Azure anymore and instead went along with those women to have a fun time enjoying tea~ ...while forgetting everything completely."

"Give me a break. Don"t say such a disgusting thing."

Attempting to face his invisible friend, Kazuma showed an unambitious smile.

Kazuma sharpened his glare to search around the room.

Whenever Terumi started to talk, no doubt some kind of a situation was developing.

The few days from his first meeting with Terumi, each time he appeared, Kazuma"s world had little by little been changing. The old days which were like invisible labyrinth had turned into a path.

It would be the same this time, surely. Bearing such feeling, Kazuma answered to the empty sky.

"Didn"t I make a promise with you that I would definitely reach it? ...Besides, above all, I want to recover it."

In low voice, Kazuma spoke of his real motive. At that moment, the frivolous smile had already disappeared from his mouth.

He no longer hesitated. Inside Kazuma"s chest, there was only a yearning toward the Azure.

"Really? You really want to get it back? Obtaining the Azure means you can"t ever go back. Even if you regretted it, you wouldn"t be able to let it go. You really still fine even like that?"

Terumi"s question, asked at this late stage, instead seemed to encourage Kazuma"s thought. Naturally, Kazuma didn"t intend to go against it.

"There won"t be any regret. I"ll obtain it. All this time, I"ve been wishing only to have it."

The real him.

Who he should be.

Although even his shadow wasn"t in sight, he knew that Terumi was grinning.

"Then... look. It"s just right there, isn"t it?"

"Right there?"

Questioning, Kazuma again looked around the surrounding.

The truly vast room where he stood alone was silent, as if time had stopped.

It might be his imagination, but currently, the flow of time here felt slow.

"It"s there. Just right there. Look, it"s really close to you..."

The voice that came from the strained throat teased Kazuma on purpose. It whispered to him from awfully close.

"It"s... below your feet."

Then, he was attacked by goose b.u.mps.

Rather than a chill that ran on his spine, it was a sensation like a flaming hot snake crawling up.

Kazuma followed the urging from the snake on his spine and looked down on his feet.

Before he knew it, both of Kazuma"s feet had arrived firmly at the very center of the hall. The core of the large flower, sun, and swirling flame of a pattern.

The floor was polished, just like a mirror. There was a reflection of him looking back up. His eyes met the eyes of the other side"s image.

Disordered, long bangs, slender feet and thin shoulders, a familiar academy uniform. It was the usual him.

As if drawn in by his reflection, Kazuma put one knee down to the spot and bent over.

Toward the circular center of the mosaic tiles, he gently placed his hand.

That instant——.

"...!"

His cry didn"t come out.

As both his and the image"s palms touched each other, his body trembled as if petrified. He got frozen on the spot.

Travelling up his arm, via the hand that touched the floor, something was entering Kazuma.

Like a storm that caused surging waves, it was a tremendous torrent of information.

Seven years ago... Mage"s Guild, Ishana, barrier... the safest island in the world.

Relius Clover... dream... Shuuichirou Ayatsuki... white haired man... "someone" madly laughing.

...The room with a Cauldron.

Phrases, history, time... Black Beast... Past... A hundred years...

Kazuma Kuvaru.

Yuuki Terumi.

The surging information hit Kazuma"s body with the impact of thrown stones. It rushed into his brain.

Behind his eyes, sparks were scattering. With dizziness eating at his soul, it was almost like his flesh was melting into something new.

He wasn"t allowed to reject it or surrender. The enormous information was flowing forcefully on its own; just like a full gla.s.s of water, drunk in one gulp, soaking inside Kazuma.

If he were to express that feeling with a word... then it would be ecstasy. A trembling pleasant feeling that struck him into a small trance.

Similar to the feeling when someone inserted the last piece of a puzzle. Similar to the feeling when slightly separated shadows overlapped into one.

Desired objects going into the desired place. It was such a coherent pleasure.

"That"s why... That"s why I... had to come here."

While slowly removing his palm from the floor, Kazuma"s lips moved slightly as he muttered. Not even a slight doubt remained in that voice anymore.

Likewise, the thin and tall body slowly stood up.

Right after raising his face, he looked directly at the man standing in front of him.

Terumi was there.

As usual, from inside the low hood which was intended to hide his expression, eyes like those of snake aiming at its prey were looking at Kazuma. The splitting mouth, which was about to smile, spoke.

"It would be meaningless to go anywhere but here. You can"t find place like this even if you search the rest of the world after all."

"And Relius Clover... the man who created me knew it from the very beginning, didn"t he?"

Kazuma remembered everything.

No, he"d recovered everything was more appropriate.

That was because the memories he had to remember never existed inside Kazuma.

Seven years ago, the day when he arrived at Ishana as an amnesiac was truly the first day in Kazuma"s life. That day, that time, Kazuma"s memory started.

Kazuma wasn"t tied to nature unlike a born child.

He was an existence manufactured by Relius Clover by making full use of magic, alchemy, and science.

Not remembering anything and the way he healed at a bizarre rate were also none other than modifications made by Relius.

He gained form as an existence eight years ago. A few months later, he was transported to Ishana.

His consciousness as an existence woke seven years ago. And then for the following seven years, he continued to live academy life as Kazuma Kuvaru.

Then why was Kazuma created?

That was because he would become the man before his eyes... Yuuki Terumi"s body.

"January 1st six years ago. During Relius Clover"s trial experiment, the Black Beast appeared. I was around during the time, you see. That time, my body went poof. My spirit form also got injured and took five whole years to heal. Then I asked that d.a.m.n Relius for another body... in short, he told me to find you. Y"know there"s a ridiculous barrier set around Ishana, right? What kind of joke was that? It ain"t funny."

Although his mouth was torn into a crescent moon shape, Terumi cursed while speaking. Rough footsteps resounded as Terumi walked around Kazuma with an unnaturally slow pace.

"To add to my troubles, you didn"t even recognize me. You"re the first body to ever give me a pain in the a.s.s."

"That... must be troublesome."

Kazuma spontaneously showed a smile. There was a hint of detest somewhere in Terumi smile.

Looking at Kazuma from below his hood, Terumi snorted to show he wasn"t amused.

Trying to ignore what he had heard, Kazuma dropped his gaze to his feet.

He now truly understood what object the mosaic tiles were depicting. What the crude picture was indicating was some kind of bright red lava he saw in his dream the other day.

——The Cauldron.

"Until a short while ago, I couldn"t even imagine that a Cauldron could exist in Ishana. Then again, I didn"t even know of the existence of the objects known as Cauldrons."

Kazuma made noises as he hit the tile on the center of the room with his tiptoe.

The Cauldron was an object similar to a volcano"s crater. It had been excavated from deep underground by humanity"s hands. Inside, red flames were dancing as if denying living beings. There was an airs.p.a.ce called the Boundary stretched out across the core.

And there was one purpose for the core.

Master Units. They were omnipotent existences whose only purpose was to keep observing all of s.p.a.ce-time and all existences within. They were often likened to G.o.d.

So in short, the Boundary was a domain ruled by G.o.d.

"Since the time the Mages" Guild was established... No, since roughly thousands of years ago, this Cauldron has existed here. It has been maintaining the Mages" Guild"s status and presence."

It felt impressive thinking about it. Kazuma had great admiration toward the collection of tiles below his feet.

Having a Cauldron meant one would be able to monopolize the strength of an omnipotent G.o.d.

Of course, monopolizing was nothing but a means to an end. However, the power was enough for a single organization to preserve overwhelming superiority over their hidden part of history.

"The thing"s a fake made by humans. It ain"t the true Cauldron."

Standing at the center across from Kazuma, Terumi also looked down at his feet.

Originally, the Cauldron had a form like a crater holding sea of flames. This one imitated it; an artificial Cauldron created by mankind in order to draw on the power of the Boundary.

Kazuma and Terumi stood over the middle of that crater.

"Yes, I agree. The original isn"t like this."

Kazuma himself had never set eyes at the actual Cauldron. But still, the knowledge which had been inserted into his brain understood about it.

"But it"s still important. The ability to make contact with the Boundary alone is enough."

While speaking, Kazuma"s vision wandered around to view the whole Cauldron.

When he looked up at the wide and tall ceilings, there were things like hooks extending from the walls supporting strange engravings midair. It was just like some kind of coffin.

Kazuma recited the characters engraved there as he read them.

"...When light emitted from heaven scorches a city, the G.o.ddess of destruction and creation will be born..."

"Huh, so you can read it."

"Well, I"m a student of the Mages" Guild after all."

Although Kazuma replied to Terumi"s teasing with a wry smile, even if he made use of the knowledge taught to him for seven years, he didn"t understand the significance of these words and the coffin"s true ident.i.ty.

However, even if this place was an artificial imitation, it was surely connected with the Boundary. He understood that this place was the very thing of Mages" Guild"s secrecy itself.

"...I had to recall that I"m Terumi-san"s body. Nah, maybe it"s better to say that I definitely had to realize it. And you couldn"t tell me since I had to be aware on my own."

Kazuma spoke while facing Terumi. He verified the pieces of information transmitted from the Boundary one by one.

It was like some kind of a ceremony. No, that itself was a ceremony.

Body and soul. For the purpose of overlapping both shadows into one.

Terumi extended his arm that was as thin as Kazuma"s.

"It"s useless if I told you who I am. You gotta recognize who I am with your own eyes."

"Hence, the Boundary"s power was needed."

The Cauldron was connected with the Boundary. All kinds of wisdom existed in the Boundary. Even the knowledge about Terumi"s previous body.

Because he had come in contact with the Boundary, Kazuma had obtained all information regarding Terumi.

The air suddenly grew dense. Before long, they were able to sense another party"s breathing.

It was really dense even when compared to the atmosphere between Kazuma and Terumi.

It was hard to tell which direction the heat came from.

Kazuma took a short breath.

"Ishana, the world"s safest city. There is a Cauldron intended to connect with the Boundary here. A control system to keep foreign enemies away and a barrier to thwart the Black Beast and seithr also exist. That was why Relius Clover chose this island to store me."

Terumi chuckled.

"Thanks to that, I got in big trouble... But on the good side, since you"re here everything was completed in one fell swoop. That"s Professor Relius for you; way to make me feel indebted."

A shadow extended from Kazuma"s feet.

Similarly, a shadow also extended from Terumi"s feet.

Both of them thought it was trivial however abnormal that scene was.

Kazuma stared at Terumi and spoke.

"Like you promised, I have recovered everything."

Terumi stared at Kazuma and spoke.

"And I"m also a free man at last. Good work."

There was but only one single lump of shadow now. Although the two each faced a different ent.i.ty, there was a pretense that both had the same face and were also the same individual.

Two kinds of mucus that were put in the same vessel being slowly mixed by a thin stick; such a feeling was surrounding Kazuma and Terumi.

It was by no means disgusting. Rather, it was pleasant.

Because it was the appearance he desired.

Because it was the role he sought.

(That"s right. I"ve always...)

Wished for it. About his true self. About the meaning of his existence. About the necessity to keep on living.

And they were all here. If this didn"t please him, then what would?

"——Aah, it"s here."

"Yes, I know."

Toward the presence that slightly grazed their skin, Terumi and Kazuma simultaneously turned around.

In front of them was the only entrance to this innermost room.

"The brute has appeared."

It was unclear who had sneered.

Between the pair of doors that had been left wide open, a familiar small silhouette stood.

"Kazuma Kuvaru... isn"t it."

Like a sharpened blade, a small shadow spoke in a sharp, cold voice.

A stature about as tall as a child, triangular ears protruding from the top of the head, and two swaying tails behind its back.

The beastkin swordsman, Tomonori.

The other day, his hands had carried a pair of short swords. They were now gripping a large and heavy sword. Stored in jet black sheath, it held a strange pressure.

While focusing on Kazuma, Tomonori unsheathed the sword without any hesitation. The distinct noise of the sword being unleashed echoed coldly. Catching the strange glow of the room which resembled moon light, the silver blade gleamed brightly.

"Well, well. Umm... Tomonori-san, is it? You still give such a vicious greeting."

Raising both hands above his shoulders as if giving up, Kazuma gave an unmotivated smile.

That moment, Tomonori"s already sharp eyes shone even more grimly.

"...As I thought."

With bitter regret oozing, Tomonori muttered with hoa.r.s.e, low voice.

"I should have killed you back then and not feared being discovered..."

"Oh no, killing me? Please don"t say such scary things. Even if I look this way, I dislike violence, you see?"

Still raising both hands, Kazuma tried to play innocent. But as if not caring about it, Tomonori displayed his thirst for blood.

"This time I will surely... kill you."

The announcement itself was like a blade.

The ruthlessness would freeze the muscles of any normal person and paralyze their feet with fear. However, Kazuma just looked at Terumi and tilted his neck in puzzlement.

"Whew, he looks fully motivated. What a bother."

"There"s other places you can use as your scratching post y"know, lil" cat~?"

Terumi pointed his chin while blatantly provoking him.

But Tomonori didn"t waste unnecessary words. Still silent, he measured his reach. Not the reach to intimidate, but the reach to kill.

"Ooh ignoring me, I see. Or maybe you don"t understand human language? Hyahhaha."

"It"s understandable. After all, it"s forbidden to enter this place. And yet he"s still hesitating. He"s really one confused stray cat."

Agreeing with the sneering Terumi, Kazuma played innocent while making a face like he was truly astonished. A cruel smile showed on his lips.

"This is troubling. If he goes on rampage in this place, the Ten Sages might suspect something. But... well, maybe this is a good way to warm up."

"Hey, don"t get carried away. My bad but I"ll pa.s.s on playing with a cat!"

Toward Terumi"s mockery, Tomonori slightly drew his nose. But without saying anything back, he instead pushed off from the cold floor and rushed in like the wind.

He pulled the large sword far behind. As he landed, he made a straight horizontal slash in an attempt to cleave Kazuma"s torso.

Kazuma jumped backward.

The slash grazed Kazuma"s jacket as it cut through the air.

The cat"s piercing eyes followed Kazuma. Pursuing faster than before, he slashed a second time, diagonally.

While still leaping to retreat, Kazuma cast a short spell. Magical wind blew from the ground and weakened the attack. He used that gap to escape from the cold blade.

"Haha... hahaha. I see, I understand it now..."

He was thrilled. The thirst for blood that was pointed toward him felt tremendously pleasant.

He could move his body at will.

The confusion and panic when he previously encountered Tomonori in the city were nowhere to be seen. Rather, this situation was entertaining, enjoyable. Naturally, he burst into a hearty laugh.

"More... You should put more effort in now. Don"t you want to kill me? It should be easy. I"m just an incompetent student. I can"t wield weapons like you do."

"Don"t get carried away... you monster."

Lowering his posture, Tomonori growled.

The hatred lingering in his voice tickled Kazuma"s spinal cord again.

"Fuh... hahaha. Monster? Me? A monster? Pardon me, but how can you say I"m a monster? I"m just pathetic mouse that can only run away, khukuku."

Desires welled up from the bottom of the laughing Kazuma as he jeered. He was thirsting. For joy, pleasure, fear, terror, lament, and hatred.

Each time he looked into the eyes of the beast that held such a chilling murderous intent, his thirst was satisfied by a drop. That feeling was very, very... irresistible.

Tomonori thrust his sword horizontally.

Kazuma twisted his upper body and the sharp a.s.sault only grazed him.

At the same time, Terumi jumped from behind. He stretched his long, thin arms and grabbed Tomonori"s arm before he could retract his blade.

"Man, you"re boring... You"re gonna get killed, y"know?"

He whispered the threat while eerily smiling.

The next moment, Terumi pulled Tomonori"s arm and kicked his abdomen which was covered by soft fur.

"Guh!"

A painful groan leaked from the cat"s mouth. The small figure was blown toward the hall"s wall.

Tomonori managed to turn his body in midair and landed on the wall. Using the momentum, he swiftly sprung back at Kazuma with an even faster speed.

A strike. Kazuma dodged as they pa.s.sed. During the counter attack, the blade slashed Kazuma"s arm.

"Ugh...!"

The sudden attack made Kazuma let out a distorted voice of pain. When he held his arm, something dripped from inside the torn clothes. The wound was deep.

Again, Tomonori went for a strike. This time the blade was going for a vertical slash.

There was no time to dodge. Kazuma crossed both hands on front of his face and cast a defensive spell while withdrawing with a large jump.

But the barrier was smashed by the blade. A shrill noise echoed like a metal being violently crushed. The broken barrier sent its user, Kazuma, flying backwards.

"Guah...!"

Kazuma was thrown to the hard floor back first. His head hit the floor, hard.

Where the tip of Tomonori"s sword had connected, a small wound ran along Kazuma"s crossed arm. Red liquid welled at the wound site before finally beginning to drip a bit.

"Tch. d.a.m.n cat brute. Now you"ve done it."

After he landed with a particularly light noise beside Kazuma, Terumi spoke cheerfully though he was also bitter. He grabbed Kazuma"s arm and pulled him up as he spoke.

While holding his still dizzy head, Kazuma was somehow able to stand up straight. He felt a numbing pain in his injured arm; and topping that, a burning feeling.

Looking at his arm, Kazuma frowned with a dubious expression.

"What"s... with this wound?"

The deep sword cut he received to his arm should have become shallow by the time his barrier had been destroyed. Conversely, the wound wouldn"t heal even a bit.

Because of Kazuma"s body"s self-healing ability, the bleeding of his wounds should have already stopped the moment they started. Without any visible sign of healing, the blood continued to pour like it wouldn"t ever heal.

"Looks like you"vee got some interesting tricks going on."

Terumi scowled since he also realized Kazuma"s unusual situation.

As if to put down Terumi"s voice, Tomonori once again readied his sword.

"It seems to have an effect."

The low, hoa.r.s.e voice of the cat spoke as if he understood something.

Kazuma and Terumi simultaneously fixed their eyes on the tiny swordsman.

A fearless feeling faintly appeared on Tomonori"s calm expression.

"...Hihi"irokane."

The whisper wasn"t directed to Kazuma nor Terumi, but to the sword in his hands.

The sword responded to the call. The sword, that was a little larger than the cat-type beastkin, beat once as if pulsing. Next, the shape changed like it had been released from its restraints.

That shape was just like a beast"s claws. The main part of the blade, which had multiplied to three, transformed into a rather grotesque shape, unbecoming of a sword.

"Hihi"irokane!?"

The one who raised his voice in shock was Terumi.

"That d.a.m.n cat... He borrowed a huge toy!"

Beside the screaming Terumi, Kazuma also cautiously put himself on guard.

Hihi"irokane. Beside flesh, the sword would also eventually rip out the dwelling soul.

The sword had directly cut Kazuma"s flesh. It also had done the same to Terumi"s spirit form.

When further examined, Terumi"s arm certainly had a cut wound in the same area as Kazuma"s.

A wound to his spirit form wouldn"t be easily healed. Furthermore, Kazuma"s wound wasn"t healing too.

"This looks... bad..."

The smile vanished from Kazuma"s expression.

Blood flowing out along his thin arm. It dripped to the floor tiles from his fingertips. Red spots were engraved at his feet.

Tomonori raised the giant transformed sword and jumped low like a gale.

He swung it diagonally downward. Accompanied by a thunderous roar which was like the groan of air surge, despite managing to dodge the attack, the shockwave-like wind pressure rocked Kazuma"s whole body.

Even though the blade didn"t graze him, the sword"s pressure made it hard to even breathe. His expression turned to anguish.

"If I got hit directly... Would I die, then?"

Kazuma had fallen over like he had been thrown to the floor. He then tried to hold his b.l.o.o.d.y arm as he stood up while glancing at Terumi.

With a crooked smile, Terumi clicked his tongue. He glared at Tomonori while snorting.

"Wanna try?"

"Haha, don"t joke around."

"...Quite a talkative man."

Tomonori spoke cold and severely. The sword in his hands growled. Even though he only fixed his stance.

"That chattering will also end here."

"Ooh, scary. ... Oh wait, now"s not the time to say that, is it?"

Kazuma pulled his lips and made a smile. But frankly, he couldn"t afford to laugh. A rough noise resounded as his feet grazed the floor while he stepped back.

At this rate, it would truly be the end. He refused to accept it. Even though it was finally starting.

(Just... what"s starting?)

Vaguely, Kazuma questioned himself.

Wrong. Rather than Kazuma, it was Terumi who had something to start.

No, whether it was Terumi or Kazuma, the line was awfully unclear.

The cat ran. Rather than a slash, the large and sharp blade of Hihi"irokane bore down on Kazuma as if to gouge him.

By a hair"s breadth, Kazuma avoided the first attack.

But the sword"s pressure grazed his thigh. That alone gave him pain like his flesh had been torn.

Following it, Hihi"irokane approached.

Kazuma regained his broken posture while raising his eyes to focus on the gale slash.

It was that moment.

"...!?"

His body shook violently.

From his feet, an irresistible urge quickly rising up.

Lured by instinct, Kazuma dropped his gaze.

There was the room"s central part. No, it was the Cauldron"s centre.

It was unknown whether what was coming up was the Boundary"s power or the dwelling madness within his body.

The hopelessly uplifting feeling whispered.

‘"——Now, kill.

"Yes, I understand. I"ve understood everything. I"ve taken it back. No.. more like it has returned. Isn"t that right?"

It was a really serene sensation.

It was supposed to be that way. Because now, at this very moment, the rightful soul went into its rightful place. Completely established, without any hint of error.

"... Hi, haha... haha... hyahhahahahaha."

Aah, can"t stop laughing. It"s pleasant, really pleasant.

Kazuma faced Tomonori who was coming in straight line. As if reacting to it, he spread out his arms.

"HURRY UP AND DIE ALREADY, YOU s.h.i.tTY CAAAAAAT!"

The piercing laughter changed; to a joyful voice full of ecstasy.

"———OUROBOROS!!"

Together with the call, the airs.p.a.ce on both of Terumi"s sides warped.

Eating and tearing the s.p.a.ce that was supposed to be empty, chains possessing serpent heads appeared.

The serpent chains traveled through the air in a straight line... and diagonally from left and right, they pierced Tomonori"s chest while he rushed toward them like the wind.

Like meat being minced, a jarring noise was heard.

The body of the cat-man that had leapt with giant sword in hand was dragged by the shockwave that ate into his chest before it fell to the floor.

Although he had at least managed to avoid falling down clumsily, it was obvious from his pained expression that Tomonori had received a considerably severe wound. He somehow used the giant, clawed sword to regain his balance.

"HYAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA! That"s it... Attaboy! THIS is the feeling I"m talking about! I searched for six years to get this! Now it"s back!"

Largely bending his body backward, Kazuma laughed even louder. His voice swirled on the tall ceiling. The commotion made the air inside the room tremble.

On the other side of his disordered bangs, Kazuma opened his eyes wide. The atrocious glare in the glint of his eyes resembled that of a reptile"s. The grim expression warped and looked down on Tomonori.

"Khukuku... Nice posture, lil" cat~. What did you say? Killing me? Hihahaha. Fine, do it if you can!"

Again, the airs.p.a.ce on Kazuma"s sides were torn as serpent chains rushed out. The squirming chains which resembled a living creature trailed in the air and rushed toward Tomonori.

Holding up his battered body, Tomonori prepared his sword. With a movement faster than that of the irregular chains, he jumped to dodge them. Using the gigantic sword, he shoved off the hungry shadow of the fangs.

At the same time, Tomonori leapt and chased after Kazuma before forcefully using Hihi"irokane to mow him down.

"Whoops!"

The intense slash severed the air.

Kazuma pulled himself up using a new chain, pa.s.sing up above Tomonori, and went to the opposite side. Immediately after, he let out a sharp, spear-like chain. The tip of the serpent"s head grazed Tomonori"s shoulder as they pa.s.sed each other, tearing it.

Stern anger appeared on the cat"s face. The three-p.r.o.nged sword roared and severed the crooked neck of the chain that had grazed his shoulder.

Deep underground, the unfolding battle that hadn"t cought anyone above the surface"s attention appeared to last forever.

Kazuma"s chains scattered Tomonori"s blood-stained fur. They pursued Tomonori"s slow movement to sc.r.a.pe his flesh.

Not only the blade, the pressure from Tomonori"s sword also went for a slashing attack toward the escaping Kazuma. The flowing artificial blood it had collected scattered along the floor and wall.

In that moment, the one who made the conclusive movement was Kazuma and his chains.

It had been several times Tomonori had kicked the floor and dashed in order to make a slash.

Responding to it, Kazuma launched two chains from the front. But before the two serpent heads were cleared away by the sword, he naturally wriggled their body to force them through Tomonori.

Ignoring both of his sides, Tomonori instantly closed the distance. Pure intent to kill showed in his sharp pupils.

The back that carried such frank tenacity was pierced from behind by the surrounding chains in one breath.

Wet noises resounded.

"Ugh...!"

A groan from dull pain leaked out of Tomonori"s gritted teeth.

However, the beastkin swordsman seized the pair of chains which had pierced his body, raising his speed he continued to run without faltering. Taking along the blazing momentum, he swung his sword down at Kazuma.

"Tch!"

Kazuma pulled on the chains. However, Tomonori"s hand stopped him. The cold blade touched Kazuma"s nape.

Just before that, Kazuma instantly concentrated defensive magic to a point and cast it.

A noise of metal clashing was dispersed, along with sparks.

As Kazuma"s magic took the blow, what got repelled was... a small sword Tomonori drew with the hand that had been seizing the chains.

Kazuma noticed it too late.

"I"ll... kill you!"

Tomonori"s voice was hoa.r.s.e as it was mixed with blood. Something even deeper than desire was boiling in it.

Something called faith had to be there. Something called pride had to be there. Something called devotion had to be there.

"HIHI"IROKANE!!"

The hand, which was large when compared to a human"s, swung the incredibly huge sword that had been hidden from sight until then. The roaring slash let out a beast"s howl and also his death throes.

Like the wind, the sword that appeared like three claws was... no, it was even faster than the wind.

It diagonally tore through Kazuma"s abdomen diagonally.

"————————!!"

A piercing scream gushed out from Kazuma"s throat.

His abomen had been gouged, roughly cleaved. Like his choking throat, it spat out dark blood. Kazuma, filled with shock and hatred, glared at Tomonori.

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d... DON"T UNDERESTIMATE MEEEEEE!"

Still penetrating Tomonori"s stomach, the chains once again thrust mercilessly and threw Tomonori"s body onto the floor.

This time, Tomonori didn"t scream or groan. He was already past the state where he could raise his voice. His battered body was pulled down by the chains and laid upside down on the floor. On the floor that was shining like mirror, a small fountain was created.

Something was overflowing from his belly. Starting from the back, it dyed Tomonori"s clothes and soft fur.

In red. In black.

"...You... Only... you..."

Tomonori groaned with an inaudible voice that almost faded away. Piercing the grotesque sword through the middle of the fountain, he tried to raise his body which was full of wounds.

Hihi"irokane, the family treasure that had been taken without permission. Everything was done to kill Kazuma. Until it was accomplished, he couldn"t afford to fall.

Still... that thought was also in vain. Tomonori"s body lost its strength and once more sank in the middle of the dark red pool of blood.

Aiming at the body that had now used all its strength, Kazuma mercilessly threw kicks using his hard leather shoes.

"Don"t... SCREW AROUND! HUUH!?"

Along with dull sound, Tomonori"s body was trembling in shock. Suddenly, the spilled blood flowed even faster across the floor; it soaked Kazuma"s shoes.

With the stained shoes, Kazuma repeatedly kicked the beastkin"s body. The toe gouged the wounds openings, making wretched noises.

"Hey, what"s wrong li"l" cat!? Can"t stand? Oh, you can"t stand anymore? I"m still standing straight though. Hey hey, didn"t you say you want to kill me!?"

Tomonori shook the tip of his nose in fury and disgrace. With a cloudy pair of eyes, he glared at Terumi. Those eyes still hadn"t parted with the killing intent, but his body couldn"t move again even one inch.

The feeling of helplessness excited Kazuma.

"Hyahahaha. Wow, that sure looks nice. You hate me? Want to kill me? Hate me more! Hatehatehatehatehatehate! Scream you want to kill me!"

As resentment burned in his loud laughter, Kazuma trampled on Tomonori"s back especially violently. The bursting noise left a strong smell of iron.

Furthermore, Kazuma held his hands out toward the motionless Tomonori. Countless shadows of serpents appeared from Kazuma"s feet. With the vigor as if swarming over bait, they ate into Tomonori.

Moreover, he kicked many, many times... Then Kazuma unexpectedly lost his balance and took several steps back and took a breath all of a sudden.

"Haa, haa, ha...ku, gu... cough..."

Large quant.i.ties of blood spilled again from the wound on his stomach and fell onto the floor. With disturbed breathing, his throat became jarred and his body shivered.

"Dammit... Seriously... Don"t mess with me... you s.h.i.tty cat."

Despite Kazuma"s shout, the room in the deepest part of the Cathedral was quiet.

The person who stood on the blood-stained floor was Kazuma alone.

Beside him, there was only Tomonori who remained collapsed on the floor.

There was no sight of Terumi.

He never disappeared. From the beginning, Terumi never existed in this place.

Kazuma was the body. Terumi was the spirit. If so, then the one who had physical form was Kazuma.

It had always been like that. It had always been from the time Kazuma first met Terumi. Kazuma was the only one who had physical form. Terumi and Kazuma"s consciousness had fused. Even when they rebuked Tomonori by turns a while ago, it was only Kazuma who stood there in reality.

Kazuma started to walk, dragging his body. A part of the blood-stained shoes made stiff noises as he treaded the particularly cold floor.

If he remained here, eventually someone might notice something strange and send over the Ten Sages. He couldn"t afford to face the Ten Sages in this condition. He had to flee quickly.

Tomonori didn"t move. He was dead.

After resentfully giving him a glance, Kazuma reached his hand toward the hall"s entrance. The white jacket of the academy"s uniform and the pale, thin arm extending from it were wet and stained with something sticky.

His feet were staggering. He could die. It was a serious matter.

Would the thing he had finally obtained, the thing that had returned just simply be gone?

This place was no more than a stopping point of the long, long history.

But before Kazuma could get out of the hall, a shadow even taller than himself appeared.

"Wha..."

The appearance was unexpected. It was a miscalculation.

Kazuma clicked his tongue.

In front of the elevator stood the figure of a man wearing an expensive looking butler suit that didn"t feel appropriate within the Mages" Guild. It was a muscular man with long hair tied at the back.

No sooner had he seen Kazuma, he put himself on guard and glared at Kazuma with golden eyes similar to that of a beast.

A man Kazuma... no, Terumi knew.

"b.a.s.t.a.r.d... Valkenhayn..."

Valkenhayn. The werewolf who was serving as Clavis Alucard"s butler and had been living for a thousand years.

Immediately after Terumi said his name, Valkenhayn moved. Lowering his tall figure, he struck forwards.

Even though it was a speed lesser than Tomonori"s, Kazuma couldn"t handle it right now.

The heavy attack hit his thin chest, then his temple felt the strong grip as it grabbed his skull. Following that, the back of his head was knocked onto the solid wall.

The noise of the crack against the stone wall drowned the noise Kazuma let out. Strength left his whole body. The flowing blood smeared his clothes severely.

"d.a.m.n... it..."

After the impact, his trembling lips could only say that much...

Like a doll losing its support, TerumiKazuma fell to the floor.

Later that night, Trinity woke up in her dormitory room.

Nine was also in the room, looking like she was about to cry.

It seemed one of the students who had come to the academy had, by chance, discovered Trinity collapsed in the corridor. Nine explained that she was taken to infirmary before being carried to the dormitory room later. Nine recounted that the doctor said that her body had taken a blow, but fortunately there was no injury that could have disabled her.

"...The seithr in the city has been disposed of. As for the barrier"s restoration, it"s only a simple measure but it was finished. The genuine restoration will be carried out starting tomorrow. Although I said that, it was just finished a little while ago."

Sitting on a chair beside the bed with her legs crossed, Nine continued to explain the situation while feeling relief from the bottom of her heart as there was no issue with Trinity"s consciousness.

Trinity laid down on the bed and looked up at her close friend as she listened to her explanation.

"Now... What time... is it?"

Trinity"s regular slow tone of voice was even slower; partly because her condition wasn"t good.

Without urging her, Nine listened until the end and then looked at a clock above desk.

"It"s past midnight... Well past 2."

"You"ve been working until this late..."

"It didn"t take until morning, so it"s good."

"Don"t take the Ten Sages lightly," said Nine winking with her right eye.

Inside the soft bedding, Trinity smiled slightly.

"Even though you"re tired, you still came here... I"m sorry~."

"Stupid. It"s natural. ...I can"t help it until I know what happened with you."

In Nine"s smile, a sad gloom seeped.

For Nine, Celica and Trinity were special.

It was the same for Trinity. That was why she currently truly felt sorry for making Nine worry.

Or so she thought.

But as she couldn"t help but ask, Trinity gently said.

"...How about Kazuma-san?"

Tension ran through Nine"s face. Trinity could guess why.

After a while pa.s.sed, Nine indifferently answered while choosing her words carefully.

"He disappeared. There were signs of that man having entered the Cathedral. In the deepest room... marks of a struggle were found. But no one was there."

"...I see."

Trinity couldn"t hide her dejection.

She vaguely felt that it would turn out this way. If she were asked since when, Trinity herself didn"t know.

Nine looked into her best friend"s eyes that were clouded with sadness. She put her hands on Trinity"s feeble white hands.

"Regarding that man... Let"s stop thinking about him. As of now, we wouldn"t be able to do anything."

Who on earth was that man? It was the question Trinity and Nine had always wondered.

He left a truly dangerous impression.

Nine might have been fearing that that danger would engulf its surroundings.

Trinity might have been fearing that that danger would hurt Kazuma.

In the end, Nine"s hunch became realized.

Trinity tried to look straight at Nine as much as she could and nodded. She didn"t want to give further worries to Nine, especially with what she had said.

But just a few words.

"Nine. Even then... the time spent together with Kazuma-san... Everything of it didn"t feel like a lie to me. He..."

Every morning, He would greet her. It was just sometimes, but he spoke with a truly gentle voice.

The feeling of warmth also existed.

Soon, the night would be late.

Since the Mages" Guild had calmed down a little, Nine said that she was going to go searching for Celica who had left the island.

Trinity promised to go with her.

In the corner of her heart... she wondered if she could find something related to Kazuma"s whereabouts within the vast world, faintly hoping for it.

The castle where night stood for eternity... The Alucard family"s castle.

Tonight, the silver moon also decorated the lasting eternal night sky. It gently illuminated the ivy-covered old castle and its vast, abandoned garden.

In the bas.e.m.e.nt of the castle where moonlight couldn"t reach, was Valkenhayn along with his master Clavis.

"Is it truly okay to not kill him?"

The vicinity was dark without any presences at all. As a magic light lit an antique lantern, certain figures emerged into the long, continuous hallway.

There was a room at the end of the hallway. It was a small room made of old timber that somewhat clashed with the solid stone of the old castle.

Inside the room, a tall young man wearing a blood-stained white jacket, black pants, and a waist-length mantle was tied by magical chains. He might be unconscious as there was no strength in his body.

"...We cannot kill that man. If we intervene, he would leave the flesh once more and disappear to somewhere."

Gazing at the motionless thin young man who remained sitting inside the wooden room, Clavis grievously spoke.

"...We are powerless."

Thus, a jail was created. He couldn"t do anything but put a secure lock on the door to prevent the beast from getting outside.

After Valkenhayn closed the door, Clavis raised his wrinkled fingers and drew a pattern midair. As the ancient words turned into bindings, the drawn pattern clung onto the door and sealed the thin wood board.

A secure seal that only Clavis could handle.

"Now... We should mourn for Tomonori."

Shifting his gaze, Clavis looked at Valkenhayn.

Valkenhayn lightly bowed.

"Why did Tomonori... go as far as carrying Hihi"irokane and selfishly..."

There was obvious regret in Valkenhayn"s mutter.

That time when Tomonori went to the underground of the Cathedral was all done by his own judgment.

When he thought about it, it also made Clavis somewhat succ.u.mb into regret.

If only he had noticed it sooner and made Tomonori return. Or possibly, if he had sent Valkenhayn sooner, then... The friend who had unyielding stubbornness as if a single swing of a sword might not cost his life.

"...It seems he could not resist. He thought that there are things only he can do. A man who could not help but to accomplish it on his own"

Clavis" answer was mixed with a sigh, before he lowering his eyelids.

"Let us go, Valkenhayn. We have something to achieve... Just like him."

"...Understood, Clavis-sama."

Turning his back on the sealed door, Valkenhayn pushed Clavis" wheelchair and returned to the hallway.

Each time they advanced, doors were closed as if shutting down the inner part. Every single one of them was also sealed by Clavis.

Listening to the sound of the last door at the end of the hallway being closed, Valkenhayn strongly thought that those doors might never be opened again.

And deep, deep, deep, deep in the dark.

Within the locked seal.

A young man who was trapped alone laughed loudly.

He ignored the pain of his wounds and distress from the binding. Rather than despairing over the circ.u.mstances, he seemed to hold hopes for a promising future.

"HYAAHAHAHAHA. The countdown"s commencing, senile bloodsucker! When you die, I"ll get out of here... You"ll realize the real beginning starts after you kick the bucket. HYAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA!"

Within the cold seal.

He continued to laugh in ecstasy indefinitely.