1

After he left Maria's gift over to the side of Hikari's bed, the first thing Kazuki did was go to his room and open his phone. He did not need to scroll down too long before reaching Amagi's name on his contacts list.

The phone rang once. Twice. Thrice.

It rang a total of five times before she answered.

"I'm sorry, Uehara. Maybe later," she said with a sleepy tone.

"Amagi?"

All it took was one word before a surprised yelp followed.

"A-a-a-arata?!"

"Yeah, take it easy. It's just me."

He audibly heard her sigh before taking a deep breath.

"I'm sorry. I was just sleeping, but I'm fine now."

Remembering that it was nearing midnight, Kazuki suddenly regretted calling her up.

"You better get some rest, then. Sorry to have bothered—"

"No, wait, it's okay, Arata! I'm fine now, I said."

"You sure?"

Amagi did have a habit of feeling sleepy after a busy day. Had she investigated a Fragment, presumably with Uehara, she would have been feeling the effects.

"Yes, I am. It's just that I haven't had much sleep the past few days."

"Ms. Sadohara been keeping you busy?"

"Kinda."

"That woman..."

"She's dealing with a lot right now. It's the least we can do to help her while she's on leave."

"Wait, on leave?"

"After she invited everyone over to your house, she had been keeping herself busy for days. She tasked Uehara and me with dealing with the minor Fragments and only to contact her for severe incidents."

"Well, if she actually contacted me to do something, I might have known."

"So, what's this call about?"

"Hmm, you see, something's been bothering me. It's about Uehara. Since you've been dealing with Fragments the past couple of days, ever felt anything strange about her?"

"Strange? Not really. She's the same reliable partner that she's always been. Very straight to the point and efficient in dealing with Nullities, and afterwards, we occasionally go café hopping."

Kazuki kept quiet. Perhaps Amagi herself was not privy to the details.

Uehara did seem to be the person to still hide secrets, and she might not have told Amagi the full details about her brother. If that's the case, it's probably not the best to open the topic up.

"Oh, wait, she did say something strange the other day. Well, not strange, but it came out of the left field, sort of."

"I'm listening."

"She mentioned something about Ms. Sadohara's story, and she took a particular interest in the artifact... Akashic Records, was it?"

"The Akashic Records?!" Kazuki blurted.

"Is that what you meant by strange, Arata?" asked her with a bit of reservation.

"Ever since the incident at the school festival, I can tell that something's really off with her. It's as if her mind's elsewhere after entering the Temple of Recollections. Then, Ms. Sadohara's story probably set her off further. I don't blame her, though. The idea of an Akashic Records and that much power can be overwhelming to anyone."

There was a pause, and Kazuki can tell that his words triggered something out of Amagi.

"It scares me." She finally broke the silence.

"What does?"

"The Akashic Records. Does that mean that we can all die just because someone wanted to? If someone got their hands on it, they can just wave me out of existence. Or... they could make it so that we have never met each other. Sorry, I do not quite get your conversations with Ms. Sadohara, but that's how I understood it."

Kazuki had to pause and gather his thoughts for the appropriate response.

"Technically speaking, it is a big possibility."

A much longer period of silence followed.

"All my memories, both of you and Shiki, of Uehara, of our friends and family... I don't want to lose them."

There was no mistaking his childhood friend's emotional investment in this. She did not sound as emotional as Kazuki had feared, but she was clearly shaken.

"You won't," he replied.

"Hmm?"

"I said you won't. I know the whole conversation and the story were hard things to take, but I believe that you are not someone whose memories can be so easily taken away. You are strong, far stronger than I am."

"Oh, Arata..."

The conversation sure had taken an unexpected turn, and Kazuki hurriedly tried to set them back on track.

"Anyway, back to the topic... I called you up because I was worried for Uehara, and now that you mentioned it, I feel that if there's someone who can help Uehara out, it's Ms. Sadohara."

Kazuki held his breath.

"I understand. I'm just as frustrated, too. I just know there's something bothering the two of them these days, and I cannot get through. Not to Uehara, and not to Ms. Sadohara. As much as it pains me to not be able to help, I think you can do it."

"Of course. You can count on me, Amagi."

2

It had been a couple of weeks since Uehara had gone on a leisurely stroll through South Quinn Street. Normally, she would be on patrol for Fragments that could be forming around Shiroki City around this time. Or she would be busy with finishing school requirements in-between her almost nightly chats with Amagi.

Today was different. For a brief moment, she barely felt the infectious excitement and energy that radiated off the South Quinn Street evening. She did not even know how long had been wandering aimlessly, but she was certain that it was long enough that she had found herself deep within the streets.

This feeling was mostly due to the conversation she had with her classmate yesterday.

No ounce of hatred for him made its way to her heart. She had little qualms with how Kazuki answered her, yet her heart still ached.

Such was the feeling of disappointment.

It was the first time that she had opened up her true feelings about her brother, and she had wanted his support. She wanted someone to tell her that she's justified in her feelings.

Her long journey was headed towards its end, and her long vendetta against Nullities or people like Euphoria had a surprising end in sight. If they could acquire the power of the Akashic Records, she could finally put a rest to the darkness in her heart.

Why does it hurt so much?

She asked herself those questions while the buzzing sound of the crowd and the loudspeakers that blared on the streets all blended into a mess of noise.

Brother would never have understood.

Before more negative feelings about Kazuki could fully sink in, she quickened her pace in walking through the throngs of people, some which she could already recognize by face.

She passed several establishments: Imperial Tracks, now with large banner promoting a new idol with orange-yellow hair, the collectibles store Avarice, and the famed sushi restaurant Natural Selection.

None of those were her destination. At a time like this, only one establishment was capable of curing the clouds in her heart.

Her spirits rose when she finally found herself in the doorsteps of the inviting palace.

"Good evening, Sayaka!" happily greeted a girl with a brown ponytail. She lifted her blue and white cap in greeting. "Been a while."

"Hi, Momo," she replied while entering what had become one of her favorite shops in South Quinn Street: Tamaki Garden.

Lined up are walls of goods of the titular Tamaki-kun, an anthropomorphic cat mascot character who has appeared in quite a lot of tourism material for Shiroki City. Uehara smiled at seeing the sheer amount of merchandise available. Tote bags, clear files, keychains, mugs, shirts, small figures, the shop has it all.

She quickly zoomed to the end of the store, towards where the big plush dolls were.

"Getting yet another one, Sayaka?" asked Momo.

"H-hey, can't have too many of them, right? My bed can't have enough of them!"

Momo nodded energetically. "Of course not. Tamaki-kun's really cute and suits you really well!"

"You know your stuff! See? You're not just a random clerk out here for the money. You really are a girl of culture!"

She did not know how long she had her hands on Momo's shoulders, but it was enough that both girls looked with mild discomfort at the other customers staring at them.

Releasing her hold, Uehara cleared her throat. "Okay, how much will this be? For repeat customers, please."

The transaction went by smoothly.

Happy with her purchase, she started walking out of the store with the big plastic bag but not before passing by the other section of the surprisingly large establishment.

She walked by the cabinets of crane games, passing by kids and teenage couples alike. With each one of them having the face of satisfaction, it was not hard for her to get into the mood to try one. For old time's sakes.

She lined up for one that showcased a petite Tamaki-kun in various outfits, ranging from a frilly dress to Tamaki Garden store clerk uniform.

With her eyes on the prize, she lined up in front of a little girl and a person likely her mother, waiting her turn.

The little girl's blonde hair bobbed up and down while she kept to herself, and when she turned around, her eyes and Uehara's crossed.

"Big Sis?"

Sana Kurashiki's muted expression turned into a slight smile when the two recognized each other. She gave a hesitant wave at the black-haired girl.

"Oh, you know each other?" asked Sana's caretaker before turning to Uehara.

Uehara furrowed her eyebrows and spaced out. The first thing to come to her mind was the Temple of Recollections, but that's a definite no-no for Sana's caretaker. However, another event quickly entered her mind.

"Oh, yeah! The summer festival. I was with Hikari and some friends."

Sana nodded her head in affirmation.

"Is that so?"

"She's also the brave Big Sis who protects me in my dreams!" interjected Sana.

"Wha—"

"Oh, don't worry about it," smiled the caretaker. "You see, ever since I left her with the Arata siblings to attend Fuyusato Grand Festival, she has been getting super-detailed dreams almost every night. It worries me a bit, but she always insists that those dreams had a good ending, and she always wakes up feeling fresh."

"I-is that so. Yeah..." chuckled Uehara.

"She always wakes up telling me of two brave heroes who just saved her from scary hand monsters. I have met Amagi, but it's the first time we've met, right?"

Uehara nodded sheepishly.

"Kids will be kids, I guess. I am sure that the earthquake scared her enough to give her those nightmares, but you'll always be in her dreams to protect her, so I'm happy. I know it will all work out."

"Yeah," replied the black-haired girl. She then saw Sana's complete fixation on the crane machine and found an opening to change the topic. "Sana, want me to help you with that?"

It took several tries, but with Uehara's guidance and Sana's determination, the Tamaki-kun doll wearing an ornate crown fell down the chute into the waiting hands of the middle school girl.

"Hooray, you did it!"

"Yay, thanks!"

Holding the doll in her arms, the triumphant Sana let out a surprising burst of emotion, hugging Uehara before burying her head in the teenage girl's chest. Uehara awkwardly smiled while Sana's caretaker looked on happily.

"You're so cool, so kind, and so pretty. You're my hero, Big Sis!"

"Don't worry. You'll get there someday, Sana. Then, you'll be your own kind of cool and awesome. I'll be rooting for you to shine."

She patted Sana's back affectionately. Today was not all bad after all.

3

Miyuko Sadohara's eyes locked on to the strings of data on her laptop screen.

The strings of data were squeezed in between photos and half of a schematic diagram of a gun.

Looking at it gave her a hint of nostalgia before strengthening her resolve. After three long years, it was finally time to once again ride into battle with her trusty friend.

It was her complacency that drove everyone into this mess, and acknowledging that fact caused her stomach to turn in guilt. She furiously hit the laptop keys and cleaned the images of her lab while jotting down notes.

It's about time to fix the mistake of hers and put an end to Guren's ambitions.

With her attention fully focused on the screen, the sound of the doorbell caused her to flinch. Hearing it again, she combed her ruffle hair with her hand before walking off the table. Before that, however, she brushed off the scattered blueprints from her table, not that it fixed the mess made by the pieces of paper.

She did not expect visitors at all. Thus, it was with utmost surprise that she heard the knock on the door this particular evening.

After wading through the mess of empty cans and scrap paper en route to the door, the woman in the tank top doubled in surprise upon confirming the identity of her guest.

"Yo! Good evening, Ms. Sadohara."

"What are you doing here?" asked her, perplexed that he knew where to find her.

"An emergency, just as you said to Amagi."

Despite her initial hesitation, she let the second year student step inside her dimly lit room. After the door closed, she hurried towards a faraway fridge before picking up a can of soda from within.

"I'm sorry, but this is all I have that's non-alcoholic."

She tossed the can over to Kazuki, who skillfully caught it while he carefully treaded the studio-sized unit.

"Color me surprised. I'd expect some swank apartment, but this..."

She can tell that her student received a bit of culture shock. Her tiny quarters looked absolutely nothing like one would expect from a high-ranked counselor, one with connections to the government to boot.

"Don't worry. I don't live here every night. It's just in this place where I toss my research materials."

She then saw Kazuki glancing at the paper littering the floor.

"Seems like you've been very busy alright. I really did not expect this level of diligence. The mess checks out."

Ms. Sadohara grinned. "Oh, don't mind that. You know I'm not a slob if I tried. Just look at the counselor's room at school," she said before opening her own can of soda.

"We know that's mostly Shizaki. Speaking of, how's he doing?"

"He's fine. I asked him to take these weeks off, too. Wouldn't want to get him involved in the coming battle, do we?"

"So that's what this is about, eh?"

"Defeat does leaves a bitter aftertaste," she motioned to her chest. "After what happened in school, and after being trounced by Guren, I felt that it's about time to get serious."

"Looks like you're not as infallible as you might show."

"Takes one to know one, isn't it? Maybe just a bit more, and you'll get your mojo back. Then, I can reintegrate you into the team."

As she reclined back to her seat, she temporarily minimized the windows on her computer before asking her question.

"So, what is this 'emergency' you speak of?"

Kazuki opened his soda can before taking a seat on a dusty sofa. Sitting right across Ms. Sadohara's table, he began.

"It's about Uehara. Ever since you gathered us together and told us the story of your previous adventures, it felt as if there's been something bothering her."

Ms. Sadohara sighed.

"After all these years, huh?" she murmured. "Yeah, I figured something like this would happen eventually."

"Hmm?"

"Remember what I said when we had our duel? Ever since I first met her, it had been clawing away at her, filling her heart with the thirst for vengeance. It was a darkness in her heart that I cannot seem to get through."

"Yes, but after the battle with Dr. Kagami, I asked her if she would—"

"That's pretty naïve just taking her word for it," chortled Ms. Sadohara, who seemed to have easily predicted what her student was about to say. "She seemed to fit comfortably with the group after defeating Dr. Kagami. But after all this time, there's still a part of her that she had kept locked away."

Kazuki's hesitation in asking further was probably due to her giving out a look of disappointment.

"When I first met Sayaka three years ago, I was visiting the neighboring Kasugaya City as part of a private investigation. Mysterious disappearances. You know the drill."

With eyes that stared off into the distance, she finished her can of soda in one swoop.

"When I got to her, Sayaka had already sustained grievous wounds from fighting off Nullities. I did get the barely-conscious girl out. However, when she woke up, I could tell that something was wrong. She would rarely talk, and she would constantly mutter the name of her brother."

Her eyes reached a faraway shelf with a photo of her and the thirteen-year old Sayaka, and she continued.

"In my brief time in Kasugaya City, she would always tell me about Senri. Ah, that great brother of his. She would talk about how great he was, about how much he loved her, and about how he always had big dreams of being the world's savior. How can I compare?"

She felt a wry smile appear on her face.

"I'm not surprised. If he really had that strong of an impression on her, that's only logical."

"I know, right?" Ms. Sadohara answered. "I tried everything to distract her from it. Instead, she turned to risk-taking behavior. She's a real feisty and meddlesome girl even at thirteen, fourteen years old."

"I think she mentioned something about going on missions with you in passing once."

"It's natural that being on parole after burning down the Elysium facilities comes with a catch. I contributed to burning down a chunk of a facility, after all."

She tried to lighten up the mood with a few laughs, but she can tell that Kazuki was in no mood to join in.

"I eventually thought that giving her the life of a proper teenage girl would be enough to fix her issues. That's why I had her enrolled into Fuyusato under the guise of the continued quest to hunt down Nullities. While I tried to get her integrated into regular society, I kept looking for answers. I thought that I had it when she met you, a person whom she projected Senri into."

"Sorry to disappoint."

"It's no fault of your own, Arata. I should be the one apologizing for being a scumbag. I had planned for you to be her savior," she stopped. "That's something that I should have been doing as her surrogate parent, not you. Ah, I just am not cut out for this whole mentor-parent thing."

She paused, caught in a reflective mood. The atmosphere seemed to rapidly cool down while her eyes stared into Kazuki's. She was not sure what to make of the boy and his reaction, and upon seeing the serious look on his face, guilt came over to her.

Why was she suddenly talking about all these things? She was supposed to be affectionately riling up Kazuki and watching his reactions, smiling deep inside as new sides of the standoffish boy slowly come to the fore while she went back to working.

Yes, working and trying to find an answer, a way to redeem herself for her failure to stop Guren. Twice.

Yet, here she was, talking to this guy about the past and a side that she had kept hidden from everybody else, even Uehara.

"If I had instead empathized with Guren, how would things have gone?" she involuntarily blurted out.

To her surprise, Kazuki stepped up and walked towards her.

"Don't be so hard on yourself. You made the right call on Izaya. As for us, you've done more than enough. Come on, now, being all gloomy and shut-in just doesn't suit you. Leave those anti-social things to people like me, okay?"

Ms. Sadohara stared at him, speechless.

"It's no longer just the two of you at this point, Ms. Sadohara."

He gingerly scratched his head before looking elsewhere, scoffing.

"Man, out of all things to rub off onto Uehara..." he complained. "You take things too serious and are too hard on yourself."

The tense atmosphere subsided with his comment, and Ms. Sadohara simply chortled. She kept it as quiet as she can before the boy turned back to her.

"You have the gift of being hypocritical, you know?" commented her slyly.

"I said this to her, and I would say this to you, Ms. Sadohara. Stop trying to shoulder everything by yourself. I know you feel responsible for Uehara, and you feel responsible for solving the case of the Magna Arbiter. But now, you've got Amagi, Kimura, and I. Heck, even Hikari, Shizaki, and the rest of the folks at school. We'll always be here to support everyone's favorite school counselor."

In that instant, she felt an enamored sensation wrap around her heart.

Still, you're pretty smooth with words, huh? That's the other gift that had helped you get this far with that Armament of yours. You're really the perfect match with that shield.

"Let's not get hung up over the past and look forward. We still got work to do."

Thanks.

"Right on cue then," Ms. Sadohara said as she rotated back to her computer. "I've been trying to dig up the files concerning the IRIS and see where they've been. Maybe I could use its blueprints to formulate a less destructive method of extracting the Magna Arbiter's powers from the host. I want to know where we can find its scraps and what the technology behind it had become."

She was about to ask for Kazuki's help regarding something, but he was way ahead of her before she can even spill out the details.

"Looks like it's decided."

"What is?"

"Consider yourself getting an assistant for tonight. If you won't let me dive into a Fragment, I'll be right here getting the job done!"

Ms. Sadohara smiled with amusement.