1

It was hell trying to fight through the pain, and Sana constantly found herself fighting for her breath. Even so, she never let go and continued channeling Inner Paradigm, even if it would cost her body.

The whole time, she had grown to realize that this was a matter that she had to settle herself. After all, it was her tumultuous feelings that gave birth to the Magna Arbiter. It's about time she took responsibility instead of using her Big Bro as a crutch.

"Sana Kurashiki, what do you think you are doing?" asked the Magna Arbiter, unfazed yet curious. "If you keep this up, you will destroy yourself."

"I-I a-appreciate the concern..." panted Sana, her hands shaking and trying to maintain their grip on the scythe. "...b-but it's the only way."

Indeed it was the only way.

She can't afford to see him fight through it and try to solve her problems anymore. As the Magna Arbiter had said, for as long as she harbored those feelings of resentment and desire against separation, the Magna Arbiter will never disappear.

And the Nullity was right. Even after she had sworn to protect her mother, even after she wanted to help everyone escape the place and return to their old lives, those rotten feelings remained. That she cannot deny.

However, what the Magna Arbiter did not know was how her feelings had changed as she traversed this castle. Those feelings that gave birth to this monster had been updated, or in a better term, grown.

Perhaps that's the purpose why she's been given this ability. Inner Paradigm fulfilled her desire.

The desire to keep undesirables out of her life and to pull those she loved close to her, to the point of being unable to leave her side.

"Haaaaaaah!" Sana screamed her loudest as the light from her scythe grew to its fullest, almost engulfing the entirety of the sphere's interiors with a flash.

The Magna Arbiter pulled back its weapon as a link was created between it and Sana. Multiple chains in the form of shadowy wisps flowed from it towards the girl, and in exchange, white wisp chains emerged from Sana, latching itself onto it.

"T-this..."

"I-if you truly want to become whole... y-you need to fully understand humanity! Y-you need to accept my true feelings!"

The Magna Arbiter huffed as the chains sank into it. All the while, Sana shivered, her body experiencing the pain of sharing the suffering the Magna Arbiter had internalized. The wave of negative energy swept through her body, assaulting her with a sensation she had never felt before.

The only thing comparable was...

Watery beads formed in the corner of Sana's eyes as she remembered the darkness, the sheer negativity she felt when confronting her mom.

The hatred that set the Magna Arbiter to action, the very reason why everyone's in this mess in the first place.

So, that's who I was, huh? Sorry... Sorry for being such a twisted daughter, friend, and little sister to you all...

She turned towards her unconscious mother, and without her realizing it, her fingers opened, trying to reach out.

But before anything else, she forced her palm shut, maintaining her focus on the scythe and the Magna Arbiter, who let out a hollow roar.

But that part of me... I have resolved to say goodbye to it. Magna Arbiter, accept the potential of humans to change! The feelings that gave birth to you... I hate them now, and I reject them!

She fell to one knee before being greeted by the looming face of the Magna Arbiter.

"S-silly girl..." it muttered with much effort.

"S-s-silly?"

More wisp chains shot towards the Magna Arbiter, but this time, they were quickly rejected, brushed off by the monster's own aura.

Sana gasped and fell down to both knees. She felt the tears dropping in bunches while the last of her strength continued grasping the scythe and maintaining Inner Paradigm.

"P-please reach!" she yelled with all her might.

"No need for that, Sana Kurashiki."

Hearing the words said in a normal talking voice, Sana looked up. The Magna Arbiter continued looking at her, but it carried with it a different sensation. The feeling of malice was gone, and instead, the shadowy monster reached out with a hand.

"You have proven that I have more to learn. True transcendence, true evolution requires getting a better grasp of the complexities of humanity."

Sana's eyes widened upon hearing those words.

"Why would you exert so much effort in going against your heart's desire? There is still too much for me to learn, and after analyzing the feelings you hold within you, I have decided to relent. In exchange, you should allow me to protect you when the time is right. When you are in grave danger, I will have no choice but to rise up again. And this time, there will be no mercy."

The girl felt a smile forming on her face while the Magna Arbiter started turning translucent.

"Before anything, let me ask you something, Sana Kurashiki. Do you resent me?"

Tremors rocked the room once more, but there was a certain difference in how it felt. All the worries that Sana had a while ago were no more, replaced with a special kind of peace... and the feeling of satisfaction.

She opened her eyes to see a sea of colors. This time, the wisps no longer seemed daunting, even if the ones coming from the Magna Arbiter and everyone else in the room looked as tumultuous as ever.

Their wild dance was something that she finally came to accept. Just as how human emotions can be so unpredictable and destructive, they also carry with them a type of beauty that cannot be found anywhere else.

Through her experiences with the Aratas, she had learned one thing.

This was the "growth" and "evolution" that the Magna Arbiter had spoken of. Through ever-changing emotions, people grow and evolve. She used to have those feelings of fear and resentment, but thanks to the strength from others, she had learned to overcome them.

Her resentment towards her mother. Her fear of the unknown and abandonment. Unlike the Magna Arbiter initially, she did not have to act on those feelings.

In a grand crescendo, Sana spread her arms wide and shouted like she never had before.

"I don't. As long as you will keep up your end of the bargain, I accept you, Magna Arbiter!"

The horror in front of her never spoke another word. Instead, it was the magical link, the rainbow lights that only Sana could see, that did the talking.

They grew in magnitude and flowed into Sana, bathing her with a mix of feelings: feelings that she wholeheartedly accepted.

Slowly but surely, the Magna Arbiter began fading. The wheels were the first one to turn translucent, and eventually, so did the body.

"Is this your will, Sana Kurashiki?"

Sana nodded at the Magna Arbiter's last words.

"It's okay now," she said, reaching her hands out in the form of an embrace. "You were born from the sadness in my heart, but let us join together in joy and forgiveness. For the sake of our evolution... My new friend."

The last of the Nullity faded, its presence becoming one with the rainbow-colored stream that flowed into Sana.

2

"Unbelievable, she defeated the Ascended One by choosing to... accept it?"

Kazuki, still in a state of shock, tried approaching Sana as the effects of Inner Paradigm ended, but his injuries flared up. That, coupled with the remaining forces being exerted by the ability, caused him to stumble back.

Instead, he had to settle for watching the spire. Specifically, he saw its branches begin to fall off. Slowly but surely, the branches faded into the air, but contrary to expectations, the two people being held by it did not fall.

Instead, the two unconscious people, Yura and Hikari, gently descended, as if being cradled by an external force.

He turned back to Sana, who had one hand stretched towards the direction. Surely, it was the power of the Magna Arbiter, now fully integrated within her, responsible for this.

Way to go.

He thought as he looked at the girl with more mental and emotional fortitude than he would have ever thought.

The next step, once everything gets wrapped up, would be sending Sana over to Ms. Sadohara. Then, they will find a way to protect her in order to prevent Euphoria from getting their hands on her. Once the power of the Magna Arbiter gets sealed...

Mission complete.

Kazuki smiled wearily.

Having become an Awakener, surely Sana will retain her memories of this trial, unlike the other three people in the room. It was a learning experience, a moment that will stay in her heart forever.

A time when she mustered courage and did what no one could. A truly heartwarming spectacle to see.

Carefully, Kazuki pulled himself up. Just in time, the light from Sana's scythe disappeared, marking the end of her Armament's force field.

Sana turned around, and she gave him a tender smile. It was a genuine expression of trust and happiness that filled him with joy.

All's well that ends well, huh?

She then prepared to take her first steps to meet him at the midway point, but before she can do so, the light from her eyes faded. They closed, and she tumbled forward, her scythe vanishing into thin air.

"Sana!" he cried out just as the girl hit the ground face-first with a thud. Like her, he lost his sense of balance, obviously an effect of the stress the battle had put on him.

He tried to pivot his momentum towards her before dropping several meters away.

As he reached out to Sana, a figure appeared out of nowhere. Having descended from one of the entrances above, the person stood between him and Sana before grabbing the downed girl by the dress and bringing her along to a safe distance.

Kazuki had stopped, his eyes marveling at the teenage girl who stood between him and Sana.

It was not just shock that stopped him. Thrown into the mix was an emotion of complete relief. He felt himself shaking, not from fear but from excitement.

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The girl with long, black hair had her back turned, but given the regal aura that she exuded, Kazuki can tell it was her.

He cannot believe his eyes. Kimura was right.

Of course she was. How could their most reliable ally just bite the dust after the Samsara Fragment just like that? There's no way she could lose to this world.

Sayaka Uehara tilted her head back before turning to face the downed Kazuki, her eyes giving an unreadable expression. She maintained her hold on Sana before giving him a nod, as if congratulating him for a job well done.

"You're..." Kazuki's voice trailed off as he continued to admire the girl and her new, predominantly black and red attire, a crop top and a short skirt.

The day's saved. If it was Uehara, they could surely pull through now.

Yet, there was something different about her that he cannot put his finger on. Something felt uncertain, and Kazuki was not sure why.

3

"U-uehara?"

Kazuki blinked and tried to force himself up, stumbling in the process. When he finally found his footing, he had a weary smile and spoke with the rushed excitement of a man drunk on jubilation. "I knew you'd make it!"

Still holding onto the unconscious Sana by her dress, Uehara stared at him with relief.

He was injured, but he was alive.

She sighed. "A lot has happened."

"Indeed it has, I can't wait to tell everyone." Kazuki's expression brightened, and he continued, heightened by the new reality of his old friend once again at his side. "Come on, let's go back and let Ms. Sadohara know that the Magna Arbiter's power has been contained and have her take a look at Sana. Together, we can all finally stop Euphoria once and for all."

Uehara maintained her gaze on him, her hands gripping more strongly onto Sana.

Kazuki's mind wandered for her inevitable response, for her smile and nod, and for them to be made whole again as a team. Memories of the past swam through his mind in the bliss of a reminiscence soon to be lived once more.

"No."

Instead, the word which drifted from her lips was biting. A cold, dismissive tongue which snipped away at the threads of his thoughts. Shaped in that single word was everything he hadn't expected as his mind screeched to a halt.

He stared, as if looking for the first time, and captured in her expression was the indifference to which she regarded their reunion.

"...what?" Kazuki asked.

His mind yet to click back into place from the sheer stupor of reality.

"What do you mean. . ?"

"Don't make me repeat myself," she said, this time, glaring back.

"Come on, Uehara," Kazuki chuckled lightly, shaking his head as he approached her, "That isn't a very funny joke. We've all been dying to find you, you know? Don't you want to meet Amagi again?"

Uehara bit her lips as Kazuki slowly walked closer.

In the next moment, the sound of slicing air stopped him dead in his tracks. His feet shifted in a haste to steady himself as he found the tip of her silver blade pointed squarely at his nose, and she steadied her hand, keeping him a distance of around three swords away. As he stared at the length of her gleaming sword and into her resolute eyes, Kazuki thought briefly of their first meeting inside a Fragment.

This time, her Armament seemed deadlier than ever.

"Take Hikari and all the other people with you," Uehara mouthed, "With the Magna Arbiter back inside Sana, the dimension could collapse at any time now."

"...why are you doing this? Are you trying to shoulder everything alone again?"

"No, I have found someone who will shoulder it all with me, and he needs Sana," she replied.

Kazuki's eyes widened at that statement. It was as if time itself stopped as his thoughts aligned. If there was anyone she could mean, it could only be one person. And that thought was terrifying.

No, he thought, there was no way.

"You can't," he mangled those words from between his lips. Then, he glared as he realized, at last, why she held that unconscious body.

"Give Sana back."

"What if I refuse?" Uehara replied.

Her weapon shifted in her grip, tighter. As tight as the body she held so close to her.

"I need her to see my brother again. Izaya knows how to extract her power without harming her, and once we get the Magna Arbiter's powers and re-open the path to Babel, Sana will be free."

"Izaya? Tell me you're joking."

"We've known each other for months, Arata, when have I ever joked about matters as serious as this?"

Kazuki glared.

"This is more than a serious matter, Uehara! You're telling me that you're working with Euphoria now?!"

Uehara did not reply.

The weapon in her hand shook, and tears slipped from her eyes as she refused his gaze.

"Are you being coerced into this? It was the incident at Samsara, wasn't it? What did Izaya do to you?" Kazuki asked as he tried to escape the point of her blade, circling away from her Armament.

He sighed.

"I told you once, didn't I? I want to share your burdens. All of us, as a group, want to. Even—"

Her weapon slashed against the air. Even if it won't reach him, it sent a wave of dread down his heart.

"No you didn't!" she snapped back, her voice rough, her crying choked in the back of her throat. "You all knew that my brother meant the world to me! Yet you refused! Oh what I would give to be able to see him again... to be able to find myself in his embrace again."

It was as if he felt the cold touch of her blade from the distance.

"Uehara..." he muttered.

His flow of thoughts were severed. His mind blanked. Just when he had thought he had come to understand people, she easily shattered that illusion.

Had he not rejected her? Had he been so naive as to think she wouldn't chase after the Akashic Records?

We humans can think with logic and conscience all we want, but at the end of the day, it is our emotions that drive us to action. Such interesting creatures we are.

Ms. Sadohara's words rang back into his mind as he stared at Uehara--watching the tears fall from her eyes-- lost for words.

"It's losing him that set me onto this path of hunting Nullities in the first place. Don't you want the fighting to finally end?" She pleaded. "Izaya may not be the best at times, but I have seen him chase more than anyone else to put a stop to all of this. No more Nullities. No more suffering. Can't you see, Arata?!"

Hearing his name shouted with such forceful pleading finally pried Kazuki's lips wide open. "What is he, a savior? A martyr? It's all nothing but an illusion. Did he even tell you how he plans to mess with the Akashic Records?" Happiness for everyone? That's a joke! It's impossible! I mean, just ask yourself, how will he rewrite the world and give happiness to everyone when everyone's wishes contradict one another's?"

Uehara grunted, an exasperated sigh echoing from her.

"All I see lying ahead is an endless dream, one where that guy puts the world to slumber, and we're all forced to relish in his fake reality," Kazuki pleaded.

"Ugh, you just don't get it, do you?" Uehara said, pointing at the unconscious Hikari besides Kazuki. "If she were to die right now, wouldn't you take a chance to save her? How would you feel seeing her leave this world without a proper goodbye? How would you feel to see her taken from you so easily?"

She glared at him. "Are you telling me you'd watch your sister die and do nothing?"

Kazuki felt his hands ball into fists as her words pounded into his mind, drilling past all layers of falsehoods he held. "O-Of course not..." he muttered.

"See? Then you understand, don't you?"

"But..." he resolved, "I do not want a world which is nothing more but an illusion, and I can't let you take Sana."

Uehara's eyes widened as he crouched. "Please, I beg you, Arata," she stammered, shaking her head, "I don't want to hurt you or anyone!"

"Sorry, but I can't do that, Uehara!" Kazuki pushed his feet off the ground. With a shout, he summoned his shield, stared defiantly back into the girl's eyes, and parried his Armament against her blade.

I'm sorry. I'm really sorry.

His feet wobbled.

A sudden impact took the wind out of him. Instead of crashing onto Uehara, he found himself repelled and sent flying, slamming back first onto the ground. His mouth fell open with air as the world rolled. He calmed himself and forced his eyes to steady, spying Uehara.

Just the same as him, she was struggling to stand back up, still holding onto Sana.

They were both struggling to regain their footing as tremors shook the environment. When bits of the ceiling drizzled against his face, he knew what he had feared was coming true. The Fragment was being undone, and the intensifying earthquake and distortion of the walls was further proof.

"Ueharaaaaa!" He yelled at the top of his lungs, both in frustration and sadness. He reached out to the girl with his free hand before even his vision of her started distorting. She did not even look his way as the world spun into darkness.

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