Editing BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 6 (section)

===Part 2===

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 glass 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 damn 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 ass."

"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 airspace 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 space-time and all existences within. They were often likened to god.

So in short, the Boundary was a domain ruled by god.

"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 god.

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 goddess 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 identity.

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 entity, 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.