1

"So you're saying that Kiyone's gone? That you just finished taking over her body?!"

Guren Izaya's hands trembled while he tried his hardest to keep the blaster in his hand.

He actually did it. His hands shook upon coming to terms with what he had just done.

"What are you doing?!" yelled an indignant Miyuko.

As a lawyer, he had always been trained to keep his cool, but the revelation was enough to push him over the edge.

It was an inadvertent decision made in the heat of the moment, but he had grabbed the blaster from Miyuko's hands, charged it up, and fired it all in one swift motion.

He cannot accept this ending. Why did it have to be Kiyone?

The sweet woman who had done nothing but partake in her best friend's experiment did not deserve this fate. She, who was completely blameless, had to suffer inside the IRIS, try her best to guide them in this hellhole, and push her body to the limits in waiting... all to lose herself at the last moment.

They were so close to saving Kiyone.

For her to meet such an end, losing herself as she was possessed by this... thing, was an unacceptable outcome.

Why did it have to be her? Why?!

"A hasty decision, Guren Izaya. Have you considered that you could have harmed Kiyone Shijo's body?" questioned the Absolute Order, finally emerging from the cover of her wings.

Guren swallowed hard. That certainly was a possibility, but he was so blinded by rage that it almost caused him a fatal mistake.

It was an uncharacteristic error, so unbecoming of him, but hearing of Kiyone's final demise had sent him over the edge.

"Your actions show that the time for conversation is over," said the Absolute Order, her voice filled with power. "The time of reckoning is nigh."

"Aaaaaaaahhhh!"

Both humans shouted in response to being thrown back. When they landed on the floor, Guren can still feel the tempest blowing by them.

Peering through his barely opening eyes, he saw the wings of the Absolute Order move as independent units, swaying and dancing like whips behind their human body.

From her hand, the Ascended One summoned a large sword that looked to be as tall as both humans were. Having materialized from the bottom up, it looked like an ornament of the ancient era.

It looked nothing like a katana or a more medieval sword. Instead, it was jagged and broad, and lightning cackled from the energy lines that swirled around it.

What used to be Kiyone's eyes had whited out when Guren got a better look at them.

The sight crushed him, seeing his beloved's pure and gentle eyes replaced with bluish orbs devoid of emotion. Like the sword that she held, those beads cackled with energy.

Just what is the point of this all? If Kiyone's gone, then it's all useless.

Had they gotten here faster, would she have lived? From the words of the Absolute Order, it had finished the fusion process not so long ago.

Was it when Miyuko was talking with it?

Had Miyuko hurried up and just shot at it, would things have changed?

Such a bitter pill to swallow, yet it filled Guren with the resentment to not concede to his injured body's pleas.

Nothing else mattered now, but his self-preservation instincts had never been stronger than before. It's a lost cause as he stared death in the eye, yet a part of him refused to succumb to this cruel fate.

"I have no qualms with humankind, but such impudent actions will be met with absolute judgment," declared the Ascended One.

Carried by her wings, the Absolute Order flew towards them, sword in hand and ready to deal the finishing blow.

Whether it was by instinct or a desire to protect a friend, Guren found himself scrambling over and jumping over Miyuko's barely conscious body.

Giving one last look at his friend's dazed eyes, Guren shut his own eyes, squeezing tears of frustration out and expecting the sword to crush the both of them underneath its might.

"Thank you."

His eyes widened at the sweet voice that called out to him.

It caused him to turn around to see the Absolute Order twitching in place. The sword remained suspended in the air before it shattered into magical particles.

"Kiyone?" he called out to the source of the voice, only to see the beads of pure color revert to the caring eyes of a person he had loved. "Is that really you?"

Overcome with emotion, he sprang up only to have his approach repelled by the gust that blew him away before.

"It's dangerous, Guren. Please stand back."

"Kiyone, let's get out of here. Leave this place and return home with us."

She shook her head, and just like that, she betrayed the little hope that Guren had remaining.

"I'm sorry, but that would not be possible."

"What are you talking about?"

"When I was inside the IRIS, I saw it all. This world, its nature and the deepest recesses of human deprivation. I saw how shallow and desolate it was, and my heart ached for a version of our world tattered in ruins. The tears wouldn't stop as I took in the implications of such a world existing somewhere."

Guren stared on, now at a loss for words.

"I also saw how intertwined this world was to ours. If the IRIS can access it, it only meant that the barrier between worlds was breaking apart. Due to the stronger and far more destructive energy from more people, it was only a matter of time before the two worlds collide."

"In my dream, I wished for a miracle. Then, it came. The ruler of this world. The Absolute Order."

"I was the one who inadvertently overloaded the IRIS and sent its functions into overdrive. It was my anxiety, my worries, everything. I'm really sorry, Guren. If only I did not underestimate the capabilities of the IRIS of realizing my desire."

"No. No. That can't be. If that's all there is, why do you have to suffer like that? Why did you have to be punished for such a well-meaning wish?!"

A soft smile did little to calm Guren down, but Kiyone continued in her usual calm voice, the same voice that she always carried whenever she wanted to comfort him.

"I believe that there must be a reason for it. Haven't I told you before? I believe that things happen for a reason, and I believe that everything happened because I have a responsibility."

"That's a load of bull. Kiyone, don't surrender!"

"This world scared me when I first came here. However, now that I fully comprehend what it really is, I believe that there has to be a foundation, someone to keep guard and rule over the denizens of this world."

"But why did that thing have to possess you and take you away from us? Miyuko and I are waiting!"

Kiyone paused, yet even in silence, her eyes told a story of loneliness and understanding.

"The Absolute Order is currently agitated, but it is not an evil being, so please do not focus your hatred on it. In fact, the pact that we made is of mutual terms. We have agreed to work together to protect the Akashic Records so that should a bad Ascended One arise, we would have the power to protect the two worlds."

She then turned her eyes away from Guren.

"Miyuko, don't blame yourself. It's not your fault. I believe that we were sent here not by chance but by fate."

Miyuko was silent. However, Guren was not.

"B-bu-but, Kiyone... I was..."

He finally fell to his knees, overcome by his emotions. He smacked the ground just as a tear fell from his eye.

"Kiyone, it's not supposed to end up this way. After we get back, we were supposed to celebrate. To have our getaway. We're going to see the world, starting from the destinations that you always dreamed of going to. I even invited Miyuko to our eventual wedding. I... I am not ready to just leave you behind like this."

The woman's entire body stirred. She moved in stuttered motions, as if wanting to physically touch the man she loved once more. Instead, tears fell down her smiling face.

"Thank you. Thank you for everything, Guren. I can never put into words how happy I was with every moment we spent together. Being by your side, feeling your gentle touch, hearing your gentle words, everything. I will forever treasure being able to meet you and Miyuko."

"So why?"

Kiyone went silent. "Maybe... we're just not fated to be together. Maybe my true calling is to the guardian of this world, after all."

"I refuse to accept that! Take me with you if you had to resign to that fate!"

Kiyone groaned. Her body convulsed, and Guren felt the powerful pressure once again sinking into his body.

Yet, the brave woman inside fought through it, stabilizing before shaking her head slowly.

"You have a purpose. You all have your roles to play, Guren and Miyuko, but they are not in this world."

Her palm faced both of them before it started to glow. Two beams shot out, hitting both Guren and Miyuko.

"Before we part, there's something that I must do."

"No, Kiyone!"

Getting the feeling of what she was trying to do, Guren resisted with all his might. Alas, his efforts were snuffed out by the searing pain in his chest. Whether it was due to Kiyone's beam or the sheer pain throbbing in his heart, it did not matter for him. He refused to accept this fate.

"These are two of the Absolute Order's greatest treasures, manifested as spirit weapons. Use them well."

A rapier materialized on Guren's hand, much to his surprise. Looking at Miyuko, he saw that a necklace materialized around her neck as well.

"I will be sealing Babel within a place where no one but those as strong as the Absolute Order can access. That is why I want to give you those parting gifts. These will help you two survive this world while you look for a way out. Take care. Miyuko, watch over Guren, okay?"

Kiyone sniffed before letting the tears fall out for good. Tears that she no doubt held back for so long.

"Farewell, Guren. Thank you for everything."

"Kiyoneeeeee!"

Guren shouted with all his might before his eyes closed, putting him in a deep slumber for who knows how long.

2

Miyuko Sadohara blinked repeatedly, her head still spinning from the teleportation.

Feeling the craggy ground that she laid on, she realized that she had been sent back to the outskirts of Babel. However, when she turned her head, the great tower was no longer in sight.

No sign of the structure remained.

She touched her chest, and after concentrating, brought out the one proof that the whole ordeal was not something from her imagination: a necklace that seemed to contain magical properties.

She gripped it with all her might as her lips pursed. "Kiyone."

Muttering a silent prayer for her friend's sacrifice, she refused to let go of that parting gift. However, the thoughts about Kiyone spurned her attention towards someone else.

She looked around to check on him, but she did not need to.

She had barely turned when Guren reached out for her, helping her up.

"Guren, I'm so sorry."

However, the lonely sadness that he expected to see on her friend's face was not there. Instead, what she saw was a face hardened in determination. His eyes of lead were impassive, yet she sensed the blaze that burned within.

"Haven't you heard what Kiyone said? You're not to blame, Miyuko."

"I cannot just let it slide like that. I-I'll think of something when we get back."

"We're not going back."

"Pardon?" asked a perplexed Miyuko.

"Haven't you heard what Kiyone said? She sealed off Babel in a place where only those as strong as the Absolute Order can access. If we can get our hands on an Ascended One..."

"Wait, wait, wait! Get our hands on an Ascended One? How are we going to do that? How can we even find it? Are we even capable of doing it?"

"Haven't you noticed, Miyuko? Ever since we entered this world, we have not gone hungry. We also never needed anything to drink. Something tells me that as long as we are in this world, we stop being human. Thus, the curse of aging and degeneration no longer apply to us, and we can stay here forever."

"That's not the point! We're going gung-ho and hunting an Ascended One! Those things are gods in this world!"

To which she received a death glare from her partner.

"No god is born out of humanity's excess. No god will crave a human vessel to realize its full potential. It is nothing but a demiurge. We are going back to Babel and saving Kiyone from it. And that's final!"

"Are you out of your mind?! We just barely made it to the top of the tower alive. Listen to Kiyone for once. In their new form, she and the Absolute Order can seal this dimension away for good and maintain the balance of the worlds. Please, trust Kiyone this time."

In response, Guren materialized the rapier in his hand, raising it like a much-prized treasure.

"We didn't have these before. With these, we can defeat an Ascended One, and we can grasp the key to our salvation. Have you forgotten about what the Akashic Records can do? We have the key to a bright new world at the tip of our fingers."

Miyuko's eyes widened, her heart overcome with terror. "Haven't you been listening? I saw the potential that it holds, and it frightened me."

"It is the answer to society's problems. In addition to letting us save Kiyone, getting access to the Akashic Records will allow us to rewrite the world's truth. With it, we can rule together, Miyuko. We can open up a new world for all, one without suffering, one without tears. We can solve all of mankind's problems with it."

Miyuko shook her head.

"The thing holds too much power. No one individual deserves to wield it. You are a lawyer. You of all people should know what too much power entails."

"Power to destroy the broken system that plagues our world! The way to take control of fate and overcome its whims. No longer will people be trapped within its caprice. No longer will they submit to the wiles of the flawed system in our world. No longer will they resort to needless bloodshed and conflict. How can you say no to that as a scientist?"

"How do you exactly plan to do that?"

"The Akashic Records. Getting my hands on it, freeing Kiyone from that monstrosity... Heck, if what the Absolute Order said was true, I can even make my own truth reality. All that this world needs is for the overwhelming majority of the city to believe in it."

"T-that's..."

"I shall envelope this city in an endless dream. An eternal paradise, if you will."

Silence dawned upon Miyuko before she snapped back, her voice starting to shake with horror and anger.

"Have you learned nothing from the tales of people's arrogance?! The world order exists for a reason."

To her surprise, she quickly saw the tip of a blade on her face. Unable to shake off her disbelief, she was left blinking. She had never felt so small, but for the first time, she was being crushed by the presence of his will.

This meek man never felt so fierce and resolute before. But there was no changing his mind, and Miyuko knew that fact.

"At least give me the chance to save Kiyone. If you would not help me, feel free to leave. Leave, and you are no longer to associate with me."

"You'll end up destroying yourself, Guren. Your power alone cannot defeat the gods of this world."

"Don't you worry about me. Worry about the world we'll leave to the next generation if I were to fail. Worry about a world where the weak get oppressed and forced to fight in a never-ending cycle."

He then placed his rapier inches away from her necklace. "We have been chosen by Kiyone. Only the two of us can save the world. If you're not with me, don't get in my way."

"Guren..."

3

Kazuki found himself fully engrossed in the story, but he was not sure whether the other girls in the room felt the same.

He glanced around to see Amagi and Kimura stunned in silence. Sometime in the midst of Ms. Sadohara's narration, they had stopped whatever they were doing and given the woman their complete attention.

The same cannot be said of Uehara, who had a faraway gaze. He knew that she was likewise interested in the story, but something seemed off.

"I never thought he'd go through with it to this extent," sighed Ms. Sadohara. "I was hoping that he would go on that crusade alone and that he'd die trying. I was a fool, and I take full responsibility for what happened at the school."

Kazuki could hear a pin drop.

"I understand it is very hard for you to accept, and like the situation with Guren, I do not know what I can do to make up for it, if it's even possible. I felt Fujiwara's loss as much as you do."

How are we supposed to respond to that, anyway?

Kazuki wondered. True, there was nothing she can do to erase the past. Fujiwara can never be brought back... but can she?

"Wait a minute," Kazuki started. "When you said something about the Akashic Records, you said that it has the power to rewrite the rules of the world?"

"That is correct. By manipulating the overall thought process of the world and rewiring the 'truth' to be something else, the Akashic Records holds the power to overwrite that 'truth' into phenomena that will manifest in this world."

"Gives a whole new meaning to the saying that whatever humanity chooses to believe in for generations slowly becomes the truth. I mean, I knew that while part of it sounds viable, part of it sounds absurd. That is, until you told us of the existence of the Akashic Records."

"So that means, we can bring Fujiwara back to life!" exclaimed Kimura, but she abruptly clasped her hands over her mouth, abruptly killing her excitement.

"Sorry..." she apologized, probably realizing the implications of what she just said coupled with the story about Ms. Sadohara and Izaya's conflict.

"No worries, Kimura. It's human instinct to wish for that power. After all, 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."

"So, what you want us to do is to prevent the power of the Ascended One from falling into Izaya's hands, is that right? That way, we can prevent him from gaining access to Babel once more and getting hold of the Akashic Records."

Ms. Sadohara affirmed Kazuki's query. He then looked around to see Amagi nodding along with the suggestion.

"We cannot let him harm anyone anymore," responded his childhood friend. "But where do we start, Ms. Sadohara?"

"Fujiwara could be the key to this. If you recall, everyone except those with powers like us forgot about Akane Fujiwara. It was as if the girl never existed, and all recollections of her were wiped clean."

"So you're saying that the one person who became the vessel for the remnants of the Magna Arbiter's powers would be able to remember her."

"Correct, Arata."

"That seems to be an absolute chore to do. And we can't afford to involve the public in this."

"Correct. Simple techniques like that are also prone to inaccuracies brought about by other factors, such as lying. One easy way we can do this, however, is to wait for the Fragments to form. One of these days, the powerful Fragment spawned by the Magna Arbiter's power ought to appear. The host would likely be inside."

"There's still a catch to that, right?"

"We have two wild cards in the equation. One is Izaya's faction, Euphoria. And the second is..."

She took a deep breath as everyone waited.

"Reijy Ishida. We have no info on his whereabouts, but seeing as how everyone's memory of him has not been wiped clean, I'm almost certain that he's alive. He could be barely clinging to life as an outlier, or..."

"... Becoming a vessel for what remained of the Magna Arbiter," finished Uehara, her first words in the conversation taking everyone's attention.

"Once everyone gets better, I would like to ask for your help in monitoring the Fragments in Shiroki City. We absolutely cannot let Izaya get his hands on the Magna Arbiter's full power."

4

Sayaka Uehara closed the valve, letting the last stream of water flow down her long hair. As she waited for the steam to clear, she stared at the lone mirror in her apartment's small shower room. Then, her eyes focused on the photo stuck beside it, one showing a messy-haired teen and a girl with black, shoulder-length hair.

A hot shower's all she needed to unwind after a day of exploring Fragments and sealing Nullities with Amagi, but in contrast to the other times, she cannot find it in herself to smile this time. Physical fatigue aside, a thought still lingered in her mind.

She would be caught dead showing it in Kazuki's house, but what Ms. Sadohara revealed that very same day had rattled her.

Akashic Records. Absolute Order.

Her mind ran wild with endless possibilities revolving those two terms that Ms. Sadohara mentioned.

She had barely stepped out of the unit's bathroom before reaching for her phone.

It rang several times after

"Hello?" Amagi's voice asked over the phone. "What is it, Uehara?"

"Hi. Are you busy now?"

An alert notification beeped, and Uehara saw that her friend was asking for a video call. Clicking the prompt open, her face froze in an attempt to hide the slightest flustered expression.

On the screen was the smiling face of her friend.

Only the brunette's upper body was seen on the camera, but Uehara can clearly see part of her friend's bountiful chest push against the walls of the tub.

Uehara had never seen Amagi like this before, but the latter's wet hair framed her cute face, unlocking a never-before-seen beauty in the usually simple-looking Amagi.

How ironic that they had been bathing almost the same time, but it turned out that she had interrupted her friend.

"Oh, sorry to disturb. I'll call later, Amagi."

"No! It's fine. What is it about? Asking about Arata and his favorite food? Or games like the last time?"

"Aaaaah... That makes me sound like a creepy stalker."

Amagi chuckled, much to Uehara's embarrassment.

So this is the fabled power of the childhood friend, huh?

She cleared her tongue, however, and proceeded with her main agenda.

"If it's fine, I just want to know what you think about something."

"Hmm?"

"Ms. Sadohara's story. It's so crazy, isn't it?"

"Ah, yes, I think so. I wish she told us sooner, though."

"Right?!" replied Uehara without a second thought.

"Hehe. But I trust her with that. There's no one more reliable than her, after all. You know, I still wonder what would have happened had you not enrolled to Fuyusato."

"Pardon?"

"We've become quite busy these days, so it's only in times like these that I can sit back and reflect a bit on all these adventures we've had. It's scary at times, and it hurts, but thanks to meeting you and getting thrown into the world of Awakeners, I was able to express myself more and grow closer to Arata."

Uehara nearly dropped her phone in surprise. She retained her grip on it with one hand before holding her body towel up in a panic with the other.

"A-ah, sorry. You're not used to me being sentimental, are you?"

"All good. I've come to expect that out of months of friendship, hehe. Thanks for the kind words, too."

"Still, our job's not done. Let's work hard and find the host of the Magna Arbiter, Uehara. If we can stop Izaya from getting his hands on that person, we could stop the world's destruction."

"Magna Arbiter, huh?" Uehara took a deep breath. "Actually, I want to talk about the Akashic Records."

"What about it?"

"Do you remember how it can change reality? I'm just thinking... just a thought. What if the good guys use it? Perhaps we can..."

She paused.

"Maybe you can even have Arata fall for you. Of course, he made a promise to me, and I intend to... H-how do I say this?"

"Ehehe, that is certainly true. But I don't think that's the answer."

Uehara's heart sank.

"Uehara, I do think that it's veeeery tempting, but part of the happiness in success comes from the chase. What good is there if we can get everything we want on a whim? Sure, it can be painful at times, especially if it doesn't pay off, but those are also valuable experiences that we can grow from. I learned that from you and Arata at Tenka Peak."

"T-that makes sense," she said, being careful to hide the disappointment in her voice.

"Besides, that would be cheating on our deal. Didn't we agree on being love rivals for Arata? Let's both work hard, and maybe in the future, we can take our crack at him."

"Wow, you're surprisingly confident."

"Shhhh. Don't tell him I said this, okay? Then, I won't tell you about your questions about his personal life."

"Deal. Thanks for the time. Take care."

"Same to you, bye!"

The call ended, and Uehara was left alone in the silence of her apartment room.

Without even changing out of the bath towel, the black-haired girl crashed down her bed with a plop. Looking at the scattered dolls on her bed, she randomly picked one and hugged it tight.

Her mind still in disarray, she closed her eyes and let sleep take over.