1

"And that is exactly how Shiroki City's premier observation tower functions. With the coming improvements scheduled for later this year, we will be able to provide a brand new experience."

As the panelist finished with his presentation, the watching audience clapped.

Kazuki and Amagi heard all that from inside a theater-style cabinet. After taking off their goggles and the receptors that linked their bodies to the machine, they watched the crowd disperse after the closing remarks.

After they disembarked the machine that had given them an extra special view of Shiroki City, they walked towards the clapping Yuichiro Ishida.

"Had a great time?"

Amagi was quick to reply with a bow. "Thanks. It was a lot of fun!"

"How about you?"

The black haired teen nodded once. Brushing his bangs back to their proper place: over one eye, he said a very reserved "thanks" to their benefactor.

Despite his aloof way of saying thanks, those images that he saw won't be going away from his mind anytime soon.

He and Amagi were able to freely control themselves in their pretend flight, soaring between buildings and gliding past Fuyusato Academy, the Chronodome, and the high-rises of Melissa Road. Being able to virtually fly over the various landmarks of Shiroki City was something that he thought he'd experience.

He won't be hurrying to spend his money on that surely expensive attraction when it opens in Eden, the sky-high observation tower in the heart of Shiroki City. Besides, he was sure that his childhood friend enjoyed it a lot more than he did.

If he inferred correctly, she was a lot more adventurous on her journey, giving the audience an even better view of the city through the LED connected to her side of the machine.

"I'm happy," answered Yuichiro.

"Still..." Amagi continued. "I said you didn't have to do all this. You already gave Arata and me an express pass to the VR gaming panel a while ago, that's enough. Any further and I'll feel bad about it."

"We only got around half an hour before the main stage, fifteen minutes before my call time. I've got to show you one last thing."

Unable to resist the young man's sudden enthusiasm, Kazuki and Amagi just looked at each other and shrugged.

Minutes passed, and the three of them now sat around a square table at a pop-up café.

"And everything's on me!" proudly claimed Yuichiro Ishida to the waitress who headed over their table.

Waitress was a stretch, as she looked more like one of those sci-fi cosplayers, at least from Kazuki's perspective. The purple plug suit looked extremely good on her, and he knew that Shiki would also have a blast seeing her.

What made him happier was seeing Amagi's pleased face while she munched down on Samsara's exclusive pastries and chatted with the gray-haired adult. He only helped himself to some coffee, leaving the more expensive stuff for the two to enjoy.

He had kept to himself more, but Amagi was chatty for the past few minutes, telling jokes and having a lot of small talk with Yuichiro.

He barely recalled much of that, but he did remember them having fun with the theme naming in the Ishida family.

Yu-ICHI-ro, Rei-JY, and MITSU-o.

All of them had Kanji spelling of numbers, one, two, and three.

For all the serious and scary atmosphere their father gave off, at least one half of the parental duo had a sense of fun with names.

Time passed quickly, and the trio quickly left to give way to the people in queue.

"Well, it's almost my time to go and head off to the grand presentation. Hope you had a great time, and please relay my thanks to Ms. Sadohara."

"Look, it's not that I hate it or anything, but what's with suddenly being all friendly with us?" asked Kazuki the moment the three of them walked back into the corridors of the expo hall.

"Arata..."

He expected Amagi's concerned reaction. What he did was just rude, and it's not the best way to thank someone who offered so much to them already. However, the sudden friendliness really triggered Kazuki's suspicion towards this person.

A brother of Reijy, no less.

In response, Yuichiro can only hang his head. It was an act that caused Kazuki to feel the hint of shame, but before he can hurry up and apologize for his sudden comments, the young man looked him in the eye.

"Kazuki Arata. I'm really sorry for what my brother has done to you."

Taken aback, Kazuki can only stare blankly.

"And this was your way of apologizing?"

"I know it's not enough. But it's been a rough few years, especially for you, Arata. I know I'm not Reijy, but when I learned who you are, I just felt that I had to do it."

Before Kazuki can respond, it was his childhood friend who interjected.

"If you knew what was going on at school, you should have told Reijy off yourself. It's your job as his older brother, right?"

"I'm really sorry," Yuichiro apologized to Amagi. "I tried my best, but Reijy has always kept his distance from the family. Is it because he saw me as competition?"

He sighed, his eyes looking far away. "It's still one of my deepest regrets, not being able to open up to him. I was not able to save Reijy. If only I knew this was what's going to happen, I would have given up my stakes at the conglomerate."

"Spare me the self-pity."

Kazuki had expected the reaction from both Yuichiro and Amagi when he muttered his thoughts. That was not enough to stop him.

"You had all the time to try to fix your relationship, and you talk about all that now that he's gone? What's that going to do? The same goes for you treating us. Do you think you can make up for Reijy's deeds by giving us all these perks?"

"Arata!" reprimanded an upset Amagi.

"You had to wait until he's not with you anymore..."

Yuichiro kept a solemn look on his face, not showing any signs of fighting back.

"What kind of brother is that?"

He probably stepped out of line at that point, but the way Yuichiro's backstory was laid out stuck a nerve. The gesture to make up for Reijy's asshole behavior was nice, but none of this could have happened had something else been done way back.

No decent family member would do what Yuichiro did. For Kazuki, you had to cherish every bit of time you had with your family.

Show them appreciation, guide them if needed, be there for them in their most troubling of times.

Hikari's love had taught him that.

"If that's how it's gonna be, then I guess Fujiwara's a better family member than you are."

"Fujiwara?" interrupted Yuichiro, honest confusion in his voice.

Kazuki closed his eyes. This conversation's over.

"Apologies for that."

2

In contrast to the happenings all over the hall, tranquility reigned in the executive lounge, stowed away in a private section of the expo hall. 

Here, food and drinks were lined up, and multiple sofas were placed next to each other. For the guests, a large TV screen was set up that showed the main stage that was being set up. Audio feed of some announcements can also be heard inside, and a group of people in service crew attire, gray with a leather tie, stood in their positions.

In the midst of the adults was a ten-year old boy. He ran around, exhibiting a surprising amount of energy.

"Uncle Izaya! Look at this cool stuff!"

Putting his phone aside, Guren Izaya beamed in response to the boy. With his gray hair, the boy eagerly bounced around, showing off his tablet that showed some of the various inventions and exhibitions in the expo hall.

"Yeah, they are. Your family made an amazing event, Mitsuo. You got to thank your dad and your brother for inviting the brightest minds from all over the world to this once-a-year gathering."

Mitsuo stopped before giving Izaya a surprised look. 

"But don't you want to be out there with everyone?"

The silver-haired man chuckled at the thought. "Crowds are not exactly my thing." 

"How about you? Don't you want to watch your brother when he steals the show later? Being there is a lot more fun than watching on this TV," he continued, pointing at the large TV.

"The last time I went out for an event, I got lost and dad got really mad."

"Is that so?" frowned Izaya, stroking Mitsuo's short hair.

"Yeah. Dad's always so mean. He just doesn't understand. Don't you think so?"

"Hmmm... Your dad's not a bad person, but he can be a bit overbearing at times."

"I know right! No wonder Big Brother Reijy ran away."

Izaya only had a series of gentle pats ready for the boy. A caring look on his eyes betrayed the him that knew the whole truth about the incident. It was true that Reijy Ishida had issues with his family, but this boy did not know what bigger role he, Guren Izaya, inadvertently played in this result.

A part of him anticipated it, but he never knew that it would work out far too well.

It never dawned on him that Reijy Ishida had such a strong affinity with the spiritual. He had underestimated the rebellious youth and granted him power far beyond his psyche can handle.

For Guren Izaya, it was one of the few mistakes he ever made. And one of the few last ones he would ever make before his plan to rescue humanity from the whims of fate can go full throttle.

"Don't you worry, Mitsuo. I am sure that your brother will find his way back soon enough. I know he's out there somewhere, waiting for the time to come back."

"I sure hope so!"

"Now then, tell me something. What is it that you truly desire when you grow up? Just something out of curiosity."

"Ehh? Would you give it to me?" he asked with a teasing look. "What are you trying to say?"

"Come on. Tell me."

"Hmmm..."

"Having a hard time deciding when your family can just buy whatever you want? Granted, you have to still get through your dad first," chuckled Izaya.

"Yeah... you said it."

He paused for a while, scratching his head and squinting his eyes in deep thought.

"Maybe something like world peace?" he nervously asked.

Izaya laughed. However, he immediately stopped upon seeing the boy's embarrassed expression.

"Sorry, Mitsuo. I just got caught off-guard. It was quite sudden, and that's a really big wish."

Such an extravagant and idealistic wish from Mitsuo was all according to Izaya's expectations regardless. Quite the impossible task, if they were to talk about human terms. Was it even his true wish? 

Whether that was this boy's true wish or not was not for him to find out. The one that could ultimately confirm it and grant it to him would be the power of the Akashic Records. If it was what his heart truly believed in, it will come true in due time.

On the day of reckoning.

In order to get to it, however, he had to first open the path to Babel, and in order to do so, he had to open the portal with the power of both the Render of Bounds and the Magna Arbiter. Then, he will finally reunite with Kiyone and free her from the deplorable being that called itself a false god.

And that was the real reason he decided to stay in this room and observe. In a short while, Yuichiro Ishida will head the presentation of the expo's main attraction, a device created from the blueprints of the AR devices used in the Chronodome. Improved with technology taken from the remnants of the IRIS, he knew that it had a connection with spiritual energy.

When the energy from the devices meet with the host of the Magna Arbiter, a phenomenon similar to what happened at the Chronodome could happen.

That would lead them to the trail of the host.

Furthermore, according to Ms. Utara's intel, she had spotted Miyuko's group in the building. If so, a Fragment could facilitate a meeting between their groups.

There were only two people of interest among them. Two people who could share his vision. That much he had learned from the previous encounters.

The two of them showed potential, just as much as the other individuals that he had recruited to his cause. 

No. They could be greater. 

In fact, one of them wielded unlimited potential with his Armament, an antithesis of his rapier. While Yasakani allowed him to take in the very energy from Mu, it only allowed him to distribute it to other individuals. Whereas for that person, he had an ability that accepts people's heart, their souls, and integrates them into his strength.

Sharing and taking. Two sides of the same coin.

And on his side was a girl who leaked an aura of destructive want. 

Crimson Lust was the name of her Armament ability - a power than enhances her physical senses to more than what's humanly possible.

It's a fitting name for craving that he had not quite seen from anyone else. The girl's eyes told a story of longing, of emotions more powerful than any individual in Euphoria had mustered. Such power will turn into strength.

It would be such a waste for them to not be able to see his vision for the salvation of mankind. Getting one of them to understand and accept his goals would be as big of a victory as obtaining the powers of the Magna Arbiter now.

"You've been quiet, Uncle Izaya."

Snapping back to reality, Izaya smiled at Mitsuo. He eyed the boy who had little awareness of the impending upheaval.

Not that the boy needed to. It will be he and his comrades who would be at the forefront, fighting against fate.

"Yes, I have been. Sorry about that."

Shaking his head, Mitsuo smiled. "I'm just worried that maybe my wish is too unrealistic. I would have wished for something simple. Like a book I've always wanted to read."

Izaya laughed.

"Oh, you. It's nothing like that. Come, let's chat some more."

He moved aside, leaving some space on the sofa for the young boy, who happily sat next to him.

"So, what do you want to talk about?" he kindly asked before looking at the TV, paying attention to the time and the nearly-completed set up of the main stage.

"Just some little things to pass the time. Or maybe we could play a game. Anything before your brother takes the stage."