1

The Nullities did little to slow Kazuki down. They were not strong, but they came in persistent waves. They continued spawning out of everywhere it seemed.

Walls, the floor, the ceiling.

Even from the lamps that dimly lit the castle.

Nowhere was safe, and the attacks only intensified the closer to the people he got.

"Persistent, aren't you?" said Kazuki before dispatching the latest wave with his Armament's crossbow form. He let out a "tch" before moving on.

The hallways stretched as far as his eyes can see, and he had gradually grown tired of the monotonous environment. It had become quite a routine at this point.

Walk. Fight Nullities. Rinse and repeat.

All while he's making slow progress in mapping out the location and finding the pathways to the people.

As he walked past a certain point in the hallway, he heard something that caused him to turn.

"Who's there?!" he called, Armament pointed and ready to fire.

"Big Bro..."

"Sana?" he asked as he continued holding the weapon up. "Nah, that can't be right."

There's no way he's anywhere near the readings. Not yet, at least.

"Big Bro..." Sana's persistent and weak voice continued.

He spun around after hearing the call three more times. It was a feeling that caused his hair to stand on end.

It was moving. He was not sure where it was before, but now, he can confirm that it was in this hallway. Now, the issue was where it would strike.

His memory of the previous Fragment was clear as day. In the Samsara Fragment was a class B Nullity that had the ability to shapeshift. Its scariest ability, however, was the ability to access people's memories and adjust its form accordingly.

They had defeated it. To be more precise, Uehara did. But with them not having secured the host of the Magna Arbiter, such a Class B reemerging was inevitable. Until Sana can get contained, these kinds of Fragments and Nullities will keep terrorizing the city.

"W-would you l-leave me?" the voice kept calling. "W-would you l-leave if you found my secret?"

That further confirmed his suspicions. Those questions of uncertainty echoed what Sana had told her the last night they were together. The whole time, that was Sana's greatest fear. She had grown to love him, Hikari, and the rest of the friends.

Her reserved demeanor was a result of her wanting to never say goodbye to those whom she held dear. It was the conclusion he arrived at from their days spent together.

"Hang on. I'll save you, Sana..." he muttered. Then, like a spark, something hit him from behind.

Sensing something at the corner of his eye, he jumped forward and made a complete spin just as he took off.

"Assimilator's Core!"

In mid-air, his Armament transformed into its gauntlet form. A confused look emerged the moment he landed, with him pointing the gauntlet at nothing.

He was so sure of it. That Nullity was behind him, and he thought he had outsmarted it.

"We'll always be together, Big Bro. Always. I will never allow Mama to take you away from me."

Words that seemed reassuring turned haunting when Kazuki gave them some thought. That was certainly Sana's desire, and if given form and allowed to exaggerate in this Fragment...

His eyes twitched, and he hopped forward just as a powerful force blew a gust across his back.

"What the?"

To his surprise, the attack had come not from a monstrous Nullity but a floating mass of darkness. Even in the poor lighting of the hallway, it stood out with a kind of darkness unique to itself.

Staring at it was like staring at the void itself.

"We'll be together, Big Bro," declared the voice. It still used Sana's voice, but it had a powerful conviction and force that Kazuki had not seen from the little girl before.

The cloud of pure black transformed into a gigantic hand, its fingers ready to capture its victim and trap him within it. Before it could make some headway, the fingers were quickly disintegrated with the waves from his Armament.

It continued moving forward in spite of losing its fingers. It pushed through, with each part of the black hand slowly being disintegrated against the powerful waves.

With its entire body assailed by the waves, it let out a threatening noise before dissipating for good.

Is this what I have to face moving forward?

Gripping his left arm, he watched his Armament transform back into its shield form.

Understanding the pain in Sana's heart could be the solution to finishing this madness once and for all. It was where the Magna Arbiter had fed on for so long, and the onus had come to him to free Sana from it.

He did not know what to do when they return to the real world, but as far as the world of Mu and Awakeners were concerned, he felt that he can slowly pick up the pieces of the puzzle.

2

"How could this happen?" complained Asuka. She walked slightly lethargically alongside probably the most unexpected companion of them all, Hikari Arata. "Geez, what an awful day!"

Hikari did not stop to argue. Instead, the girl's pigtails bobbed along with her petite body. Asuka can sense some reservations in the way the little girl moved, but the latter seemed to take their situation pretty well.

Her brother would have said something disrespectful at this point. That's what those edgy tryhard teen types always do.

However, the sister's different, and Asuka found that this one way more pleasant. For starters, she never interrupted her when they were at home, and she never dared question her or say a lot of insulting words like her brother did.

Yeah, it's probably the guy who's more at fault for what happened to Sana.

As if hearing her thoughts, Hikari paused and glanced at her.

"Is there something wrong?" she asked, tilting her head.

Asuka shook her head. Truth be told, her ankle was causing a lot of pain, and she committed extra effort to not give off the impression of hobbling when walking right behind Hikari.

It took a gargantuan effort to not wince when she took a bad step, but she held on.

She can't afford to show a sign of weakness, not in front of another person.

"But there is something wrong. Your face looks even paler than we met, and I can see that you're not walking properly."

"Don't mind me. I'm fine by myself. Always has been."

"That's not what I saw a while ago. You were shouting for help, and you looked like you were about to cry."

"Urk!"

Asuka quickly looked away, avoiding eye contact at all costs.

"Y-you stop it, young lady!"

"Sorry, Mrs. Kurashiki."

"Yeah, you better be," she said. Now that she was able to erase all traces of her flustered expression, she was able to face Hikari once again. "You better mind your own business instead of interfering with matters of the Kurashiki family. The same goes for that brother of yours when we get out of here."

Hikari paused her walk before turning back and looking at Asuka in the eye.

"Please don't say that about Big Bro. He may be rough, but when it comes down to it, there's no one I'd trust with my life more than him."

"Doesn't look like it in the slightest."

Hikari's face brightened up, and she had a wild smile on her face as she began talking faster than before. "Weellll... I'm the one who does housework at home. I do the cleaning, the cooking, the paying of the bills, the grocery shopping, and –"

"Enough! The more I listen to this, the more I get pissed at him," interrupted Asuka. With her palm on her forehead, she only shook her head. "That impertinent fool is the type of child I refuse to have. What good is he anyway? All the while, he's leeching off you and your effort."

"I don't think of it like that at all, hehe."

"I don't care what you think about your brother. All I care is that Sana doesn't become like him."

"Hmm..." Hikari curiously blinked. She gave a look that Asuka found really unpleasant.

What's with that sad expression?

"It's hard for me to understand."

"What is?"

"I know you care about Sana. You love Sana more than anyone else in the world, right?"

"O-of course I do! I want nothing more than for Sana to have the best future she can have. And that involves sacrifice. Lose your focus a second and the world eats you alive. Young ones like you don't know that. All you know are your flimsy friendship things, your idea of what fun is, and what meaning you have for life. You're too young to understand the reality of the world, the blood, sweat, and tears needed to be successful like me."

Instead of acknowledging the whole tirade, Hikari only turned her eyes away, staring at the path ahead.

"Sana loves you, too. She told me about it, and I know that even if she didn't say it, she's super excited to hear that her mom is coming back to Shiroki City."

"As she should."

"All throughout, there's this wall separating both of you. I know you want the best for Sana, and I know she understands it. But I also saw a side of her she doesn't show you... I think."

"The side where she complains? Where she hates me because she doesn't understand what's good for her? Where she rather spend time opening up to her friends than to me? Don't you know how that makes me fell as a mother? For me to bust my ass then have my place be traded for... for... people like your brother?"

"Mrs. Kurashiki, I am sorry, but I think that it's something you should just accept. I know it's hard. I may not be in any position to talk, but I feel the same way towards Big Bro, too. I want the best for him, and a lot of times, I feel that he's going the wrong path. But when it comes to someone like Sana, a little understanding goes a long way in bridging the gap between the both of you," finished Hikari, who turned back at Asuka with a smile.

"Geez..."

Hikari chuckled, and Asuka was only left shaking her head.

"To be fair, you're surprisingly mature for your age. But why do I now feel like I'm talking to a slightly less annoying version of your brother? Be glad I'm feeling nauseous already to argue further."

Instead of getting angry, Hikari kept her positive expression, placing her hand on her chin. "I do wonder how things would have been had Big Bro and I gotten a mother like you. I guess she would leave for work just like how our mom does now, but Big Bro would love spending time with me more. That's a complete win for me! Yeah, he's definitely the type who would argue with mom and find comfort in his little sister, hehe."

"I can't believe it. You youngsters just don't care, do you?" she paused. "On another note, have you seen Yura anywhere?"

Hikari shook her head. "You're the first person I have seen when I woke up in this place."

The two of them continued on, finding themselves in what looked like an abandoned library. Bookshelves lined the walls, most of them empty, while others had moldy-looking scrolls.

Asuka sighed. Forced to let go her tough façade due to fatigue, she sat on the floor and slumped against the wall. She coughed repeatedly before massaging her ankle.

If she can throw up, she would have done so already, but even then, there's nothing for her empty stomach to belch out.

All the while, Hikari curiously looked around the library, skipping from one shelf to another. After confirming that there was no one else, she walked back to Asuka in an upbeat manner.

"I knew it! So you're indeed hurting. Awwww, I didn't bring any sort of first aid kit, but let me try something," she said with her eyes on the injured leg.

"I-it's not so bad!"

Hikari wagged her finger in response before clearing out the ground around Asuka. "Mrs. Kurashiki, can you lie down?"

Asuka obliged, and under Hikari's instructions, raised her injured leg against the wall. Hikari stopped for a moment before she untied her two pigtails.

"It's gonna hurt at first, but please endure it a bit, okay?"

"Not like I have much of a choice."

Asuka flinched when Hikari wrapped the ribbons around her ankle, compressing them in a snug fit.

"There we go! Now, please rest up while I stand watch, okay?" finished Hikari.

Time passed, and things feel into a lull. Asuka had no idea how long it had been, and she doubted that the girl would likewise know. Still, it was a big relief to feel the pain on her ankle slowly subside.

Asuka knew that she had to thank this girl eventually, but that would have to wait. Many things, more pressing ones, still clouded her mind.

Eventually, she felt stronger right in time as Hikari turned to her. It was then that she took a pained breath before opening her mouth.

"Seriously, how can you act like nothing's happened? I'm drained as it is!" Asuka whined as she adjusted her body, returning to her previous sitting position.

"Great! You're feeling better now! You ca—" Hikari started before seemingly registering the question, which made her quiet down a bit, answering in a curious voice. "Nothing's happened?"

"I can't even breathe properly in this place! The whole place reeks of... of... negativity! And didn't you see those demons? They came from out of nowhere, and... aren't you worried in the slightest?" she coughed in between her words before looking at Hikari with a perplexed expression, for the girl seemed less bothered by the appalling atmosphere.

"I'm scared. But I'm sure that Big Bro will be here to save us. And I'm sure that if she's in here, Sana feels the same way. If not..." she pushed a finger against her forehead. "I'm sure things will work out. When I think about it, this place feels similar to the place I've been dreaming about."

"Dreaming about? Don't tell me it's the same as what Sana's told me."

"Oh, she did tell you about that. Right..."

Asuka sighed. "It caused me to lash out at her, too. Seriously, do you know that dreams reflect on your beliefs? I'm convinced she's lost her way, and you're not helping her case."

Hikari did not reply, instead bending her knees down and checking up on Asuka.

"If you're still tired, please continue to rest up, Mrs. Kurashiki."

"You talk so casually like it's no big deal. Seriously, how can you expect me to keep resting up in this place? It's giving me the creeps, whatever you say! Who knows if one of those demonic things would come out and attack us from behind a bookshelf?!"

"But they haven't appeared in a while, haven't they?"

"Yeah. Strange, isn't it? W-wait a minute, about that dream of yours, I haven't exactly asked about it, did I? How did it end?"

"Hmm, I remember it being in the likes of being saved by heroes. Not Big Bro, but I remember two girls with weapons who looked like people I know, and they bravely fought against those black things. Ahahaha, it's all fictional though. No way Amagi and Uehara would be like cool heroines in some fictional story."

"Yeah, I figured," Asuka looked at the ground. "Those things aren't real, but kids these days like to pretend they are. Then they make all those stories and video games and whatnot, further propagating those thoughts. Media these days..."

"However, what if the dreams are actually telling me about my future? That I'll be in this place and—"

"Those girls aren't here, are they? And I doubt you saw me in that dream. Saying that it's some sort of divine vision is just preposterous."

"Ahaha! I know, I know," laughed Hikari. "Still, it's fun to dream. To think of the endless possibilities out in the world."

"I lost that youthful energy ages ago," replied Asuka with a nonchalant tone. "Once you get out to the real world, it changes you. You learn to outgrow the things you like, and you learn to understand how insignificant some things are."

"Uhuh! Not for me. And definitely not Big Bro. Especially Sana and the things she likes."

Asuka smirked at Hikari. She was at a point of disbelief. Yet, she cannot get herself to be truly angry at this girl. Not after she helped her, a woman who had looked down on her for so long. Especially not after hearing about her insane imagination.

Talk about a bitter look at the past.

Looking at Hikari, Asuka saw a reflection of a young girl twenty years ago.

A reflection of a girl full of idealism and youthful energy. She knew that eventually, said girl would get smacked by reality, forced to change in order to pull herself out of the dumps. That girl would grow up picking herself up from nothing, all at the cheap cost of letting go of her rose-tinted glasses.

As an adult, she tried to capture the magic by searching for enlightenment in the spiritual, filling that hole in her life with a divine purpose and spreading the good news to impressionable youths.

That was where fate had brought her.

"Hikari, right?" she asked, a wry smile still on her face. "Why don't you let me get a better look at you?"

"Yes! It's the first time you called me by my name. Feels a bit awkward, now that it happened," sheepishly answered the girl.

Barely did Asuka take another good look at this girl's face when her eyes widened.

Her body froze along with her body temperature. She felt all the blood escape her body when she tried to lift her arm.

"Mrs. Kurashiki?" asked Hikari.

Asuka managed to force her trembling finger as high as she can, yet her words failed her. She was left with her jaw dropped, staring beyond Hikari.

"Run!" was all she can say before the little girl was hoisted above the ground.

"Wha- Ahhh!"

The blackened arm had snatched Hikari by the waist and chest, pinning the girl's arms to her body in the process. Before Asuka can do anything, the girl had disappeared underneath the cloud of grey.

From within, a voice boomed. It sounded deep, hollow, and... familiar?

"I'm done being scared of you, Mama. From now on, you will no longer take these precious people away from me!"

"S-sana?"

That was all a bewildered Asuka can say after she was blasted by the full brunt of Sana's loud voice. Coming from the grey cloud, the voice caused the room to shake.

It was loud and bone-chilling in a way where Asuka can't ignore it. She felt every ounce of frustration and anger from that voice, and it did nothing short of paralyzing her.

"Hikari and I will be together forever. Call me all you want now. But I swear that you'll never leave this place. You, Yura, and everyone else!"

Asuka fell into a heap, the harsh environment having gotten to her at last. After she fell with a thud, she continued looking at the cloud of shadows that had consumed Hikari.

"S-sana, wait!" she begged with outstretched arms.

"Don't ever think of following me again! Begone!"

Sana's voice pierced her to the core, leaving her heart filled with confusion. More than anything, but there was also a tinge of guilt.

It was her first time sensing it.

Had she gone too far in her treatment of Sana?

She asked herself those questions as the shadowy cloud departed through a door at the other end of the room, leaving her alone.

Determined not to become prey of the demons in the world, she forcefully pulled herself back up. She did not know where the path forward will take her, but her goal was clear.

She needed, no, wanted, to help Hikari in any way she can. That's the least she can do for the idealistic young girl, one who undeniably had touched her heart.