Kurasame Susaya

Kurasame Susaya is a guest character from Final Fantasy Type-0. He is the instructor of Class Zero.

Appearance and Personality
Kurasame is a man in his mid-twenties with grey-blue hair and green eyes. Due to his cool demeanor students occasionally view him as a person hard to approach, but deep down he cares greatly for them.

Story
Kurasame is an instructor at the Peristylium Suzaku Magic Academy, and is specifically in charge of instruction of Class Zero, the group of protagonists of the game.

Kurasame graduated Class First from the same academy, and was a friend and classmate of Kazusa and Emina. He was once feared on the battlefield, from where he received his nickname, the "Icy Blade of Death". He wields a sword and is frequently accompanied by a Tonberry that carries an enormous knife and also wears the Class Zero uniform.

As the story evolves, Class Zero learns from rumors that Kurasame once belonged in a group known as the "Four Heavenly Kings", the four strongest soldiers in Suzaku's forces. When one of their number betrayed and attempted to murder the other three, they were defeated with grievous injuries. Though she was near death, the female cadet leader in the group cast a spell of revival to save Kurasame from death. To ensure that he would remember what had occurred as the Suzaku Crystal would erase his memories of his fallen comrades, Kurasame wrote the incident down on the ground with his own blood while watching her die.

Afterwards, he stubbornly refused to get his wounded face treated, leaving a scar under his mask, and never fully recovered from the wounds he received from the traitor, resulting in his retirement from the battlefield. Kurasame was the only survivor among the four and it is said that the traitor's Cactuar still lurks within the Peristylium.

When the students in Class Zero were forced to escape under the accusation of murdering Queen Andoria, they were unable to make contact with anyone else due to COMM's disability. The Commandant considered this as a great chance to weaken Arecia Al-Rashia's political power, therefore he intended to leave Class Zero in the wild and assign no rescue operation after he returned to Suzaku.

However Kurasame cared about his students greatly and later managed to send an airship to rescue Class Zero, which Tokito Oginaga mentions. This action angers the Commandant, who assigns Kurasame a mission requiring him to return to the battlefield in what is considered a suicide mission. Though the Commandant states that good results would mean clearing Class Zero's name, it is suggested that Kurasame is aware that the officials of the Peristylium regard both him and Class Zero as expendable in the war effort. Regardless, Kurasame accepts the mission.

At the end of the Chapter 6, Kurasame and some students of the Peristylium aid Caetuna by contributing their energy to summon the the great Eidolon, Alexander, to defeat the Milites Empire. The students fall one by one, until Kurasame remains the last one standing, alongside Caetuna. As Caetuna crystallizes, Kurasame finally dies.

A memorial ground is built afterwards in order to honor those who perished in the war, including Kurasame, Caetuna, and the other students. Some members of Class Zero go to visit his grave. While there, Rem laments over the fact that while Kurasame was her teacher, she cannot cry because she doesn't remember him.

Kazusa later creates a device which apparently lets one relive the memories of the dead. When he and Emina use it, they see Kurasame's face but cannot remember who he is.

In the alternate ending, caused by Arecia removing the crystals from Orience's history, Kurasame never died and still served as Class Zero's instructor. It is implied that the instructor is apparently very famous among the female students, as a pair of female students were seen talking in a girlish manner about him.

Sice also has a hidden affection for Kurasame and tries to give him a love confession letter. However, Sice accidentally gives the letter to Seven, who appeared out of nowhere; Kurasame, thinking a flustered Sice has feelings for Seven, decides to leave the duo alone.

Battle
If "Academy's Assist" was selected in the Assist Options at the beginning of a mission, Kurasame can be randomly chosen to fight as a temporary party member. Unlike the normal multiplayer mood or the voice actors' "projections" in the "Academy's Assist", he does not take form in shadow.

Final Fantasy Trading Card Game
Kurasame appears in Final Fantasy Trading Card Game. His cards are ice-elemental.

Trivia

 * Kurasame shares his Japanese voice actor with Cloud Strife from the Compilation of Final Fantasy VII.
 * Kazusa often comments on how "great" and "fascinating" Kurasame's body is.
 * Kurasame was wearing a light blue cape in the picture with Kazusa and Emina, suggesting that he was a member of Class First, the knight class, when he was a Peristylium student.
 * If the mission is after Kurasame's death in the storyline, his Tonberry will be chosen instead in the "Academy's Assist" function.
 * The eyes which Kazusa used to see the memories of the dead belonged to Kurasame.