Editing BlazBlue:Phase Shift 1 Chapter 5 (section)

===Part 4===

Upon recognizing the figure, Kazuma found this development to be unexpected while simultaneously realizing that it was understandable.

He thought that if she were to come, it would be now.

As he stopped walking at the borderline between the hallway and staircase, Kazuma gazed at the girl who was like a character from a fairy-tale. Only a few hours ago, he had seen her off from his dormitory's room. Although the glint in Kazuma's eye shouldn't be visible from where Trinity stood.

"Did you follow me? When you show your true face like this, you're unexpectedly an ill-natured person."

When Kazuma meekly displayed a sarcastic smile, Trinity, seemingly sad, shook her head.

"It's not that I followed you. I've been waiting for you in the academy's courtyard. And then, I saw your figure from that window~."

"Oh, my goodness. I didn't notice you."

Trying to pass it off as joke, Kazuma shrugged his shoulders. Just because he got caught, it didn't affect his plans.

Seemingly understanding about it too, Trinity tried to talk while making a feeble smile.

"You're... planning to go to the Cathedral, aren't you."

"Why do you think that?"

"The other day, you spoke of it at the Great Library."

While trying to use a gentle and calm tone, Trinity spoke with dignity.

Kazuma raised his eyebrows.

"This is surprising. Does that mean you've been monitoring me since then?"

"Monitoring is..."

Finally in Trinity's tone of voice, the usual girlish delicate feelings blurred in.

Kazuma began to grin.

"The one who gave the instruction is Nine-san, right?"

Trinity remained tight-lipped, but she didn't deny it.

Kazuma smiled more and more deeply.

"Oh my, women are terrifying indeed. While monitoring me, you even invited me to drink tea."

As she was being told of ill-spoken things, Trinity's eyes quickly got seemingly sad and clouded.

If it were some time ago, he would be worried about it even if only for a little while; but now, it was unbearably amusing. About to begin to laugh unintentionally, Kazuma was barely able to gulp it down.

"I'm sorry, but I can't keep chatting with you forever. If you have a business, then please be quick. Even though things may appear different, I'm actually in a bit of a rush."

It was pleasant to ridicule Trinity, but there was a limit to the allowed time. It was unlikely for the Ten Sages to come back soon. But if there were any of the Mages' Guild's other workers wandering around, it would be a bother; so he couldn't let it happen.

"Go ahead", urged Kazuma as he tilted his head. Trinity stiffened her expression. With a bit of determination in her voice, she began to talk.

"Please don't go to the Cathedral."

"But I haven't said anything about going to Cathedral, have I?"

"Even so, you're planning to go there, right? It's forbidden to enter the Cathedral without permission. Besides, the door is currently locked... there's no excuse if you enter it on your own."

"Then I won't go inside. Too bad, I guess."

"Well then," nodded Kazuma as he started to walk to slip out past Trinity.

But before he passed her, his arm was grabbed by Trinity, forcibly restraining him.

Kazuma involuntarily stopped and turned his head. With both hands, Trinity grabbed Kazuma's arm tightly. Her desperate and serious gaze looked his way.

"...You can't go to the Cathedral."

Obstinately, she repeated it again.

Kazuma sighed and displayed his astonishment by shaking his head.

"Really, what an annoying person. It sounds like you think I will go to the Cathedral whatever the case."

"Then, can you please not go there?"

The sincere green eyes stared at Kazuma.

Those eyes must be somehow reflecting the current him. It wasn't worth worrying about, but Kazuma felt a little bit of interest. Nonetheless, it really wasn't worth worrying about. He shrugged his thin shoulders.

"If I say ' I won't go'... will you believe it?"

"No. Until the situation has been settled, please stay with me."

"Oh ho, an immediate reply. How heartless."

As for Trinity's serious tone of voice, Kazuma lightly retaliated as if laughing at it.

It was unbearably amusing every time her affectionate green eyes wavered as if hurt. Sadistic feeling gushed forth from his chest.

While he smirked, Kazuma shifted his provocative eyes from the gap in his bangs.

"Please don't make such a grim face. It's almost like it's telling me you'll use force if I refuse."

"If it's necessary... I plan to do so."

"Well, well. I couldn't imagine those words from the gentle Trinity Glassfille-san."

"KAZUMA-SAN!"

As if scolding a troublesome child, Trinity raised her voice. Though, it was still only Trinity after all; it was miles away from Nine's intimidating vigor.

A tone of voice that would make anyone with a normal conscience speechless in an instant; a tone that stirred up guilt.

"It's not like I know all about what Kazuma-san's trying to do~. However... your action will put Nine and the Ten Sages, also the Mages' Guild in meaningless chaos. If something further happened, not just Nine, there's a potential that the Mages' Guild itself would regard you as dangerous, you know?"

The eyes of Trinity held a sincere look as she tried to persuade him.

Looking back at her, Kazuma laughed as if making fun of it.

"You seem to say that I'm the source of all troubles. Unless I had opened that hole in the barrier, unless I had lured the seithr in through the hole, there's no reason to suspect me."

"No. Seithr has flown in because of Kazuma-san."

Trinity declared her denial. That tone of voice wasn't accusing in the least; it was transparent as fresh water.

"Last night, you informed Celica-san about the tear in the barrier. And then you guided Celica-san so she could use it to get outside."

"You're speaking as if you saw it."

Kazuma cut the conversation to tease her, but Trinity didn't respond to it.

She knew. She did know. The reason Kazuma took Celica out from the island, and the words he used to tempt Celica.

Proving it logically wasn't necessary. Trinity knowing about it was the whole truth, so Kazuma also wasn't going to deny it anymore now.

Trinity tried to moderate her voice a bit and continued.

"Celica-san has a particular ability from when she was small. That ability somehow appears to have a characteristic of suppressing seithr... Therefore even if a hole opened in the barrier, seithr wouldn't be able to get into Ishana. However, since you took Celica-san outside..."

The force which opposed seithr was no longer there, and Ishana's air became polluted just like the outside world.

"Hmm," muttered Kazuma as the eyes behind his bangs squinted. Curiosity sparkled in those eyes.

"That is convenient. Because of it, those eyesore, the Ten Sages, got driven out from the Cathedral."

He wasn't aware of Celica's physical constitution, but it was fortunate indeed.

This was surely fate. Also true for when he met Celica by chance and encountered Terumi. Standing here at this moment was also a moment of fate.

With his uplifting feeling steadily increasing, Kazuma embraced that thought in his mind.

As Kazuma appeared to be somewhat enjoying himself, Trinity stared at him intensely with a reproachful look.

"Don't say such a thing like eyesores. She and the others are now desperately doing their best in order to protect the island we live in."

Strength was put into Trinity's fingers which were gripping Kazuma's arm.

It was the unreliable grip of a powerless girl. He didn't feel even a tiny speck of pain. But strangely, Kazuma sensed an undeniable spirit. The smile was erased from his face.

Trinity lifted her eyebrows, fully raising her round chin, and looked up to Kazuma to urge him.

"Do you understand, Kazuma-san? If you make the mistake, you'll get expelled from the academy or even from the island. You may even be given a more severe punishment."

As if to say that she couldn't deal with those outcomes, Trinity's voice wavered. In a gentle and pleasantly soft voice, she tried to persuade him as if she was praying.

"I... regard Kazuma-san as an important friend. Certainly, Nine can't keep her eyes off you like you've said~. And I'm also worried about your behaviors. Even if you call it monitoring, I feel like it can't be helped. But it's definitely not anything for you to be cautious about. I've just always been worried about you..."

Her green eyes became wet with emotion.

Kazuma wondered if she was about to cry, but although tears were accumulating in Trinity's eyes, they didn't drop.

"For some time, something has drastically changed in Kazuma-san. It's like you got mixed up with something mysterious... You appear to always have a dark shadow beside you. It's like it's taking the Kazuma Kuvaru-san I know to a place of no return... I've always been uneasy."

"The Kazuma Kuvaru... you know?"

Kazuma briefly repeated Trinity's words. It was downright strange sounding.

Kazuma Kuvaru. It was the only name representing himself; but it felt very empty and worthless now.

He wondered if that was the 'place of no return' Trinity was talking about.

Trinity's hands pulled Kazuma's arm to hold it tight.

The distance between them grew shorter. The mood which Trinity was clad in was similar to the smell of sweet candy or flowers; it grazed his skin and made him feel uneasy.

The persistent clear eyes that had been truly sincere were reflecting Kazuma, not letting him go.

"The Kazuma-san I know is a kind person. He's indiscriminately gentle toward any person. And If I greeted him, he'd always answer with a smile. Although I speak sluggishly like this, he'd always listen properly. I understand that you feel bothered about losing your memory, but the memory-less you is a great person."

It was obvious that Trinity spoke her true feelings unhesitatingly.

And similarly, it was also obvious that she unhesitatingly trusted Kazuma.

He would definitely realize it if they spoke of it. Her strong trusting demeanor gave off sincerity that was enough to make even Kazuma surprised.

"I beg of you. Please... don't do anything dangerous anymore. Other than that, I'll do anything in my power no matter what it is. So...!"

Trinity's hands clung to Kazuma's arm tighter.

It looked like she firmly vowed in her heart never to release him. If he got loose of her hands, there would be no returning again for Kazuma. He harbored such a belief.

Kazuma didn't answer her immediately. As if astonished, as if admiring her resolve. Similar feelings but with different sentiments; several of them probably got mixed up.

After a little while, Kazuma deeply sighed and let the tension out from his shoulders as if he was exhausted.

"...Understood. I understand very well, Trinity Glassfille-san."

As Kazuma spoke like he was giving up, with a relief to the point where she would burst into tears any moment, Trinity's expression broadened.

"Then...!"

"Yes."

As gently as he could, Kazuma smiled at her.

"You are a hopeless fool."

No sooner had he finished, Kazuma held up his hand in front of Trinity's face.

Before the large green eyes could blink in bewilderment... an invisible shock wave fired from Kazuma's hand blew Trinity away.

Like a ragdoll, thrown away by its owner, the fragile woman's body crashed into the wall beside the staircase. The impact made a dull crashing noise; and as if dragging it longer, she collapsed to the cold floor.

Without even groaning in pain, she lost consciousness.

While looking at the helplessly collapsed Trinity, Kazuma put both hands into his trousers' pockets again. Casually stepping toward her, he looked down on the disordered platinum blonde hair which was falling to the floor.

"Geez~, you're really foolish. Someday, you'll lose your life because of that stupidity, you know? It'd be better to be more careful. ...Oh, you can't hear me already. Hahaha."

He burst out laughing. While his laughter resounded loudly within the hallway, Kazuma leisurely descended the academy's staircase he frequently utilised.

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