Open Your Eyes

From behind the monolith pillar, Trinity watched as Hakumen and Terumi clashed. Hazama was not far from her, also watching the battle with keen interest but unaware of the hiding alchemist. Her accidental creation of Terumi's doppelgänger body was a large benefit to Rachel's plan; without the hindrance of having to pull his spiritual body out of Hazama, it would be possible to kill him. As an added benefit, doppelgängers were connected with their base originals – what happens to one happens to the other and they must keep mutual attention or else the doppelgänger would not be able to move.

She grit her teeth in frustration, just remembering how that doppelgänger body came to be brought a wave of shame to her. She had let Terumi and Hazama's taunting influence her feelings. Feelings she still held for her lost love. The woman shook her head, now isn't the time to think about that. I have to help Hakumen. This is our only chance.

Trinity casted a temporary quickening spell on herself before stepping out of her hiding spot and into view, dagger in hand. Too late did Hazama react to her presence and Trinity stood behind him, weapon poised and ready to strike.

"Wha-?! Y-You're...!" Hazama turned around to face her but she was faster, thanks to her spell.

"Terumi... That's enough." she said solemnly before stabbing Hazama's side.

"You damn... Four-eyes...!" A flash memory came to her that reminded her of Kazuma's flexibility as Hazama turned to glare at her as he fell to his knees. One of his arms cradled his bleeding left side and the other tried to remove the dagger.

"Wh...at the... You're kidding..." Trinity faintly heard Terumi's voice as he fell to his knees in the same position as Hazama.

Trinity moved in front of Hazama and held onto him closely to prevent him from moving. Ironically, to an onlooker without context of the situation they could have passed as a cute couple. "You were distracted fighting someone as skilled as Hakumen. Which gave me time to prepare for this moment..." How foolish of you to forget the rule of doppelgängers, Terumi.

She took a deep breath and closed her eyes. She didn't want to have to kill Hazama. He wasn't Terumi. He was his own person. Just like Kazuma was. "I'm sorry. This is the only way I know how to defeat a foe..."

Hazama clenched his eyes in pain. "You come this far... to apologize?! That's... exactly why I keep telling you... You're so soft! Guah!" He spat blood as she removed the dagger and tossed it a safe distance away. Her eyes opened with determination.

"Hakumen, now!" Trinity called out to her leader.

She had heard his creed many times during their battles in the Dark War and this was no different. It was his way of concentration. Seeing the Time Killer ability though, was something new for her. The blade of Hakumen's Ōkami gave off a ghastly white glow before slicing diagonally down Terumi's chest. The attack itself was almost invisible; unnoticeable. If Trinity did not see the slash she wouldn't have believed anything to have happened. No physical damage could be seen on Terumi – not even his clothes were cut – but he immediately vanished as soon as Hakumen gave his last words and the glow on the Ōkami turned black.

The leader of the Six Heroes flicked his weapon and sheathed it as the glow disappeared. He turned to his blond comrade and muttered his thanks.

Trinity turned to Hakumen and nodded, giving him a bright smile. She knew Hakumen was not one who gave thanks to others often, and she could count the number of times on her hands that he has ever thanked anyone for as long as she had known him.

"I'm glad that everything... went well...!"

It was like a slash in the dark, quick and unnoticeable. She could only gasp as she felt Hazama move behind her.

"Die with me... Four-eyes...!" Taking advantage of their proximity, he grabbed her wrist and pulled her to his chest before stabbing her in the back with one of his butterfly knives.

"Ah... Yuuki... Terumi..." Her biggest regret. "Kazuma...!" The man she still loves.

Hazama's consciousness finally gave out as he fell backwards into the lake while still holding onto Trinity's wrist, pulling her in with him. Trinity struggled against the water pressure to hold onto him in an embrace. She didn't bother questioning why he was still here if Terumi's time was erased. She wanted a last comfort before fading away into oblivion, even if she had to pretend she was holding her former love.

I'm sorry... Kazuma, Nine, Hazama. I couldn't save any of you.

There's nothing left.

I guess, this is my perdition, but I haven't repented for everything yet.

Nine... she remains trapped in a body with no control over her mind. And Hazama will die with me here. Platinum... the children will die too. Together into nothingness.

Nothingness?

Huh?

But if this was nothingness, what is this thought? It has to be real and I, am aware of this thought. Then there must be something left of me. There has to be! That means I'm... still alive?

Trinity coughed as she felt fresh, delicious air flow into her lungs. Her back burned from the coughing and impact with the ground but she felt a firm hand on her shoulder keeping her from rolling over. Her eyes hurt to open so she kept them closed. She tried to collect her thoughts as she shivered and felt something being draped over her.

"Please, don't strain yourself miss. You've stopped bleeding but you're in no shape to move right now. I'll be right here." She could feel someone sitting next to her on the ground.

That voice! No... Kazuma?!

Trinity knew only three people with that voice but only one would speak with such kindness. She forced her eyes open despite the stinging pain but she could only make out a blob of green through her tear-filled eyes.

"Huh?!" The man let out a confused gasp as Trinity threw herself over him in a hug.

"Kazuma! Kazuma!" her choked sobs came out strained and itched her sore throat but she didn't care. The person that meant more to her than the entire world was right in front of her.

The man awkwardly patted the back of Trinity's hair as she cried, not sure what else to do.

"I'm sorry, but who are you?"

The man's question had stopped her sobbing and she wiped her eyes on her glove before looking at him again. "What?"

Trinity's initial observation was correct at least – he had green hair. Her face paled when she finally noticed his clothes; a damp white shirt that clung to him and a black tuxedo vest over it followed by black pants. She looked down at the cloth that covered her. A black coat with gold adornments. Most certainly not her Kazuma.

She sprang away instantly, only to topple on her side from the pain in her back. Trinity was suddenly hyperaware of their surroundings – they were alone in some sort of forest that bordered the lake they emerged from.

Mistaking her intentions, the man reached an arm out to her. "Sorry about that, but I didn't have anything else to use. I tried squeezing all the water out of it though. Your clothes are, well, white and it didn't feel right to leave you alone out here."

"H-Hazama!?"

Hazama tilted his head at the display, confusion splayed across his face. "Is that my name? Hazama? Or was it Kazuma?"

I normally don't like recap chapters, but I thought it would be good to write Trinity's perspective on things.

While I know Terumi's line comes before Hazama's in the game script, I figure chronologically it would be said after due to the focus being on Terumi and Hakumen's battle plus the fact that the episodic format kept viewers from seeing simultaneous events. And Terumi's an alchemist as well if nobody knew (it's how he created the Azure Grimoire after all) so I thought it'd be funny for Trinity to slide in a snide comment about his screw up (though I'm not sure if doppelgängers are considered part of alchemy in the BB-verse because we don't know much about it).

The Time Killer scene was so anticlimactic... I don't think I did it much justice but it looks better in my head than how simple it was in the game.

Brownie points for whoever gets the reference during Trinity's thoughts in the ending.

Despite the fact that Doug Erholtz gives a different tone inclination for Terumi, Hazama, and Kazuma, that's likely just something for the viewers to differentiate between them other than the name on the text box or in the battle header so I figure they would otherwise all have the same voice. In the case of Terumi, he speaks more openly and loudly compared to his vessels though, mainly when he gets batshit mad.

People that read this when I first published it will notice a little extension on the ending. I wasn't really sure where I should have left it off at, but decided to give a little more so it'd fit the summary a bit better.