A/N: Slightly quicker this time, and I'm currently riding high on BlazBlue hype due to Central Fiction being right around the corner, so maybe there's hope for quicker updates for a bit? Here's hoping my muse cooperates in that regard.

Also: bullshit pseudoscience incoming.

"Right then. Last time, Konoe. I ain't doin' this again. Yer comin' back to us today."

No words answered Jubei, but a chilling wind gusted by him, making his hair stand on end. At Phantom's beck, large snowflakes formed and launched, their bladed edges glistening in the light as they whizzed toward Jubei. A whirl of blades sliced through the entire barrage. Rather than close in, however, he stood his ground and glared up at her. The wind howled, the only sound for several long moments.

As though reaching the end of her patience, Phantom jetted downwards, darkness blossoming behind her, abysses like scars cut into the air. White lights came to life within this darkness and lanced down at Jubei. A blur, he dashed off to the side, good eye trained on her as he circled. The lasers followed his path, while Kokonoe summoned forth a pair of gravitons to sandwich Phantom. Her advance stalled, pulled as she was from either side. "Heh. Deal with that, mother. Go ahead, try to spam spe—"

In a swirl of darkness, Phantom disappeared from the trap and reappeared high above, free of the gravitational pull. Kokonoe sighed. "Oh. Right. You can do that."

Bolts of lightning cracked down at the two of them. Kokonoe vanished in a mechanical ring, while Jubei caught them on his blade. He snarled and readied Musashi, electricity sparking on its edge. All he had to do was wait for her to overload… He stabbed the ground with his blade and allowed the lightning to discharge in safety. "That all ya got, Nine? Somethin' like that ain't enough to bring us down, n' you should know it."

As he figured, Phantom gave no answer. Instead, waves of fire scorched towards him. Well before they could reach the ground, however, a dark mass formed in the center of them and swallowed them up. Kokonoe grinned up at the shell of her mother, before vanishing once more.

So was this fight—an exercise in demonstrating how painfully adept both sides were at accomplishing absolutely nothing. Every attack, every screaming abyss and constellation of white lights, blades of ice, or fireballs from Phantom left neither the swordscat or the scientist any worse for the wear. So too did their own attacks fail to even faze the dark entity.

Soon the air had turned to a single wide abyss, the tears left behind by Phantom scattered about but seemingly coalescing into a single continuous pool of black. Meanwhile, the ground lay pockmarked with cracks and slits from Jubei's blade. And both sides stared on, unflinching. Resolute. Equals.

Phantom's attacks ceased, her figure falling eerily still. Yet Jubei did not lower his guard; anything could be coming now. A rune, little more than a spark of light, flashed from behind Phantom. Then another. Symbols dotted the air, a storm building in intensity, waiting to unleash. Grinding his teeth, Jubei darted forward, eyes on the ground. "Oh, no ya don't. Yer not foolin' me with yer illusions, Konoe."

With a grunt, he leapt up at her and slashed. But to his surprise, she faded away into nothingness. "…Guess I looked away too late, eh? Lessee what ya've got in store for me here."

A bolt cracked, and so did Jubei's vision. Phantom writhed in pain in the air, drifting downwards, as Kokonoe's voice came from the shadows. "Geez, you old fart. Did you really need to me to bail your ass out?"

"…Reckon so. Ain't what I used to be, after all." Growling, Jubei stepped back from Phantom, allowing himself ample room to counter her next attack.

The darkness etched through Ishana's sky glowed behind Phantom as she trembled in place. All of the holes in space torn by the mage charged energy, a constellation of quasars, blinding to the eye. Jubei lifted the edge of a sword to cover his good eye, doing his best to watch in spite of the brilliant display. "Right then. This is it…"

A spear of light fired from the first abyss, aimless. Although it missed Jubei entirely, it scorched a hole through the stone upon which Ishana sat. Jubei snarled; if just a single bolt struck him… But there was no time to think. More bolts fired; slowly at first, but quicker by the moment. With a hiss, Jubei flipped backward, trying to afford himself more space. With so many beams to dodge, he couldn't see himself emerging unscathed…

Another bright glow blinded him, this time from mere meters in front of him. When it faded, he found himself in shade, a silver colossus towering before him. Without warning, Kokonoe appeared at his side, grinning. "Figured she'd pull something batshit like this. So meet Silver Tager X. Not much firepower, but nothing's getting through this thing's defenses."

"Yer sure somethin' else, Kokonoe. Don't know what I would'a done without ya here."

"Died and spared me some headaches. But I think it's worth it."

And sure enough, none of the beams pierced the mech's armor. As the barrage slowed, Jubei, still grinning from Kokonoe's words, leapt out from behind the replica of Tager—he noticed its arms crossed in front of its body, a shield projecting from it—and charged straight at Phantom. That had to have overwhelmed her. And sure enough, although several fireballs formed to greet him, most fizzled out. "It's over, Phantom. I'm takin' Konoe back right now! Musashi!"

The blades in his hand and hung by his tail glowed blue. In a burst of speed that kicked up dust behind him, Jubei drew near Phantom and leapt. A black vortex formed around her, an attempt to teleport to safety—and it failed, the wormhole faltering and vanishing behind her. One slash crossed up along the length of Phantom's body; the other, a spin of his tail, cut across. As he came down behind her, two more slash marks glowed on her back. He turned back—had it worked?

A scream that would have shattered glass answered him, dark malevolence thundering with the sound. Jubei turned to look behind him, fighting oppressive unseen waves to do so. Phantom stood on the ground, body twitching to and fro, black gasses seeping from her body while dark lightning cracked all around. A plume of shadow overtook her, rising up and spreading at the top into a mushroom cloud. The lightning stopped. The scream silenced. The waves quelled. All was still, as though the entire world was watching to see what would emerge from the dark haze.

As the shadows and dust cleared, a bright pink mess of hair cut through the receding gray. A naked woman knelt on the ground, panting and sweating. She lifted trembling hands to her face, as though she were seeing such things for the first time. From where he watched, Jubei let out a soft sigh of relief, his swords falling out of his grip. Ginger, he stepped toward her. "Konoe… yer alright…"

Nine's eyes snapped over to him, and with a wave of her hand, a jet of fire pressed him back. "Stay back!"

"What in tarnation…?!" Jubei leapt back, although it was far from necessary; the flames never came close. He found himself sweating as well, panic setting. After so long, he finally had the love of his life back, and she greeted him with flame? "What's the matter, Konoe? Ya remember me, right?"

"Of course I do. Of goddamn course I do. You and the others." Shivering, Nine rose to stand, towering over the feline. With a snap of her hand, a black one-piece dress and a witch's hat appeared to clothe her. "Why did you bring me back?"

"Oh come on, mother. You really need an answer for that?" Kokonoe emerged from wherever she had been hiding, lollipop stuck between her lips. Completely nonchalant. "Don't know if you remember, but Terumi's kinda been controlling you. Here, come back to my lab. We'll get you up to speed on all the bullshit that's going on."

"You're…" Nine stared long and hard at the girl in front of her. That pink hair. Those ears. Those tails. "…Kokonoe? Is that…?"

"That's my name, yeah."

"…You've grown." Nine looked away, scowling. "You shouldn't have brought me back."

"Why? What, let me guess." Kokonoe placed a hand her hip. "You're going to say everything you did was completely by choice. You hate the world, so you want to help Terumi and Izanami fuck everything up. Is that it?"

With a hiss, Nine wheeled back around to glare at her daughter. "Don't say I want to help that murderous snake with anything! But you're not entirely wrong. This entire world is a lie. A lie that feeds on the suffering of those living in it. If I'm to be forced back into this world… I'll make sure it meets its end!"

Behind her, Jubei sagged to his knees in shock. His mouth felt as though it were filled with cotton, dry and suffocating. "That's… Konoe, that ain't right… yer not the kind to…"

"I've seen the truth."

With a roll of her eyes, Kokonoe shook her head. She should have seen this coming; of course nothing could actually be convenient. "You're spouting Terumi's lines. You don't like the shit he and those others are doing? Do something about them. This talk of a world of lies is just bullshit." She took a step closer.

"You don't understand anything!" With a wave of her hand, Nine created a barrier of ice in front of her. "You shouldn't have brought me back; the dead should stay dead."

"Technically, we didn't bring you back. Terumi did. We just broke you out of his control. Or whoever's control. Actually don't really know who was pulling the strings there."

"Then you should have killed me. Killed me, and let me see my sister again, instead of bringing me back into this suffering!"

"Your sister? Ah, yes. Celica A. Mercury. Supposedly vanished after the Dark War, but intelligence indicates she took up a life of solitude outside of the Hierarchical Cities." Kokonoe tapped her chin in thought. "You want to see her again? You know I could make that happen, right? Salvage her from a point in time…"

The look in Nine's eyes, wide and savage, shut Kokonoe up in an instant. Twin balls of flame erupted and swirled in her palms. "Don't. You. Dare. She did nothing, but suffered all the same. I won't let you put her through that again!"

"Okay, okay, no need to torch me, geez!" Kokonoe waved her hands, trying to calm her mother down. "Just though I'd offer. Gah, you're hard to deal with…"

Nine closed her eyes, allowing the fireballs to fizzle out. "Just go. You will not convince me."

"…Fine, whatever." Kokonoe slipped her hands into her pockets, so as to hide the clenching of her fists. The glint of sunlight on her glasses concealed the tears in her eyes. A blade had been driven through her heart at the finality of Nine's words, ethereal but unbearably painful all the same. It took all her willpower to keep her emotions in check. "Hey, Jubei, come on. I'll teleport us back to Rachel's place."

Nine turned to stride away. Before she went too far, though, she glanced back one more time. "…But I am glad to see how you've grown." And with that, she vanished into darkness.

Kokonoe just stared at the spot her mother had stood in just a moment ago. "…Can't let me respond to that, can you?"

"Kokonoe…" Slumped over, Jubei trudged back to his daughter. He had never looked nor felt so defeated in his life. "…I'm sorry…"

"…The shit are you apologizing for? Come on, let's…" But Kokonoe couldn't finish the sentence. Her quaking knees gave out and dropped her into a kneel. Leaning forward, she clasped her head, tears now running freely down her cheeks.

A scream of anguish like the roar of a bomb shattered the serenity of the abandoned city of Ishana.

"Hmm…"

Kajun's fingers whizzed about the keyboard, creating a machine gun fire of clicks and clacks as she typed. The file was full of information about Nu and her basic medical tests. Nothing unusual so far had caught Kajun's eye; nothing in Nu's blood seemed out of the ordinary. What exactly could Izanami be using to control Nu…?

"Kajuuuuun…" A voice whined from the lounge room of the lab, and Makoto poked her head in. "You about done yet? We're starving here."

"Oh, my apologies. Just let me finish recording Nu's information here and I'll prepare something." Kajun typed a few more lines into the document and rose. "Alright. That's everything, I suppose."

"Find anything interesting?"

"Unfortunately, no." Kajun strode past Makoto and beckoned her to follow. "Blood, urine and cell tests all came back normal, and various scoping revealed nothing out of the ordinary about her body." She smiled. "It's pretty amazing how close to being normal humans Nu and Noel are."

"Yeah, pretty crazy… wait." Makoto stopped and stared at her friend. "You knew that Noel's a Murakumo?"

"Not at the Academy, no. But when reporting to Kokonoe, she mentioned it to me. It's fascinating; I never would have guessed that cute little Noel was a bioweapon." Kajun led Makoto into a small kitchen and to a freezer in the corner. She pulled free, with some difficulty, a large slab of some meat and placed it atop an oven. "Sorry I don't have anything better, but least this is filling."

"Uh." Makoto stared down at the meat. It was dark and flaky; when thawed, it would clearly crumble to pieces. Certainly nothing she had ever seen before. "What exactly is this? I mean, that's definitely not something sold anywhere, and any animals out here are…"

"Contaminated by seithr, yes. I believe this was ursine in origin, although it would certainly resemble no bear we're familiar with." As Makoto gaped at her, Kajun giggled. "I have various Ars traps set to catch wandering animals, and have a device that purifies the seithr tumors throughout the meat. Unfortunately, so much of the animal is contaminated, whatever good meat there is ends up falling to pieces. Hence the flaking."

"…Huh. Okay." Makoto's tail swished as she stared down the bear steak a few moments longer. "Well, better than nothing, I suppose. Thanks!"

"It's no problem. Now…" As Kajun set the temperature for the oven, she stroked her chin. "The simplest explanation of how Izanami controlled Nu would be something in her system, but that's apparently not the case. Do you know if Nu has any connection to Izanami?"

"No idea. I'll…"

"Affirmative. Unit is a copy of the body Hades: Izanami occupies." Nu glided into the kitchen. "Requesting status on food."

"About to start it, hon." Kajun closed her eyes. Maybe… "So you're a clone of Izanami. If that's the case, I have a couple ideas."

"Oh!" Makoto perked up. "What are you thinking? Come on, spill it!"

"I did not say they were ideas to be excited about. Possibly quite the opposite."

Tail and ears fell. "Oh."

"Whatever the control mechanism in Nu is, it may be linked to her genetic structure. Her and Izanami would be rather similar in that regard. It's… a stretch, but I believe it is worth looking into. I will examine her samples in greater detail after we eat."

"…Huh. So, her DNA?" Makoto cocked her head. "What're we gonna do about that?"

"Science, of course." Kajun's eyes glinted. "I… may have to run a few things by Kokonoe first, but I believe if I could isolate the segment of DNA that contains the control structure, I could modify it and cut the connection between Izanami and Nu. If I can find it. That may be difficult; I'd need something to do it to ever segment of DNA in her body. A vector of some kind that is injected into multiple parts of your body and works by snipping the control segment and then linking it to itself to take it away. Yeah, that should work. Only thing is, the slightest error will kill you."

Nu, who had stuck her face inches from the thawing meat, wheeled around as though snakebit. "Nu does not approve of this plan."

"It'll be fine! That particular strand only acts as Izanami's control mechanism—probably—and so modifying it won't adversely affect you! Maybe."

Makoto just stared. "…Yeah. You definitely learned from Kokonoe."

"Unit is not reassured."

"…Please trust me? I'm pretty sure I know what I'm doing here; just have to create a powerful enough bio Ars. I'll contact Kokonoe, and if she doesn't okay it, I'll drop it, okay?"

Nu nodded. "Unit does not approve of methods, but will accept them due to lack of options."

"Well, if Nu's game, then…" Makoto trailed off. Her eyes bulged and her face paled. "Oh, shit. If Nu's being controlled because of her DNA, then Noel probably would be too, right?"

Kajun cocked her head. "I don't follow."

"Prime Field Device Number 12, also known as Noel Vermillion, is a clone of Hades: Izanami's host as well." Nu turned Kajun's way, biting her lip in fear despite her emotionless tone. "Logical assumption is that Noel would be vulnerable to Izanami's control as well, assuming Murakumo DNA is the control mechanism."

"…Ohhh. Oh, that's bad. Well, mostly." In spite of the rankling news, Kajun smiled. "If I can get a sample of Noel's blood as well as Nu's, I can find where their DNA coincides for the control mechanism. Possibly."

With a sigh, Makoto shook her head. "That's way too many 'maybes' already! But anyways, you don't get how bad this is. Noel's supposed to be our trump card against Izanami! Mu-12, Kusanagi the Godslayer!"

"…And said 'godslayer' is in danger of being controlled by very thing she is supposed to counter. I see." Kajun closed her eyes. All of a sudden, everything was so much direr. "…Then I suppose I should contact Kokonoe as soon as I can here. Mutant bear meat can wait."

This was the end. Her body was a time bomb, ticking away until the Boundary claimed it.

Before that happened, she would make her mark. The one thing she had to do, or everything to this point had been a waste.

Litchi would, without fail, save Lotte Carmine.

Of course, even in her best condition, that was easier said than done. And now the Boundary's corruption had reached its peak. Fire burned under her skin, lead weighed down her legs. The sclera of her eyes had degraded to black, and dark veins pumped in plain sight. Every step was a chore, every breath a needle. She should not be out here, in the wilds. But she didn't care anymore.

However, this curse had its advantages. Litchi felt the Boundary, despite Lao Jiu's buffer against its influence, and all connected to it. Including Arakune. Tracking him, once a feat reliant on luck, was now pure instinct. He couldn't be much further; maybe even over the next hill. Soon, she would have him. And maybe, with this last chance, empowered by the Boundary, she would finally break the Boundary's grip on him.

And sure enough, over the next rise, she caught her first glimpse of him. The dark mass slithered into a shadowy copse and, from Litchi's senses, didn't move beyond there. Was he resting? Whatever the case was, she had him now. She tried to break into a jog to catch up sooner, but her body refused. If she could just get to him before he moved again…

Daunting and agonizing though the trek proved, she nonetheless arrived in the grove some minutes later. Arakune was nowhere in sight, but Litchi could feel his presence, basking just under the earth. Leaning on her staff, she reached up to stroke Lao Jiu. "...Stop filtering the Boundary's influence, please. I'll need my…"

"What is this that is myself and not myself?" The scratchy voice jolted Litchi, and Arakune rose from the ground, peering at her. "Why does it come here? Should I consume, consume the me that is not me, that which is the Azure and not the Azure?"

"…Lotte." With a grunt and a wince, Litchi prepared her staff. "I've come… to take you back…"

"Return, return, return!" With a laugh, Arakune lunged forward, his body spreading out in a canvas as he drifted toward Litchi. "I become complete, devour!"

Although Litchi screamed, her body wouldn't move. Rather, her body magnetized to Arakune's. As Arakune's body closed around her, a spark of a thought struck her, and she understood what he was in an instant. And then the world went black.

But even being devoured by Arakune was not the end for her.

Grumbling under his breath, Kagura scrawled out words onto a sheet of paper. Damn Belioz, demanding these pointless updates. But no matter what the new Imperator demanded, Kagura found no inclination to tell him everything—particularly in regards to his recent group of guests. The thought brought a light smile to his lips. Even with Amane out doing whatever, coming and going as he pleased, at least they had managed to liven up this mansion a bit. Perhaps even moreso than the occasional women Kagura would bring back in drunken stupor. Although…

"Just let me tell you again—if you're betraying us to Belioz, Luna's going to make sure you never bang a woman again."

There was definitely that aspect of his guests. Or, just one of them, rather. With a sigh, Kagura just shook his head. He had long since learned to ignore Platinum's repeated threats. "Don't worry, I'm not even mentioning that you guys are staying here, or anything about Amane. All he needs to know is that we have allies against Izanami; not the details."

Carl, lounging in Nirvana's lap with his hat removed for once, reached out Platinum's shoulder. "Please, Luna, relax. Mister Kagura seems more trustworthy than Belioz was."

"Sure. And then we wake up in a shithole NOL prison." Nonetheless, Platinum plopped back down onto the couch. "You almost done there?"

"Yeah, just a sec…" Kagura finished writing the brief report. He folded the note twice over itself and recited an incantation. In a flash of flame, the paper vanished to be delivered by the Ars. "And done. So." He swiveled around in his chair to face the two of them. "If you don't mind me asking, why are the two of you involved in this anyways? Oh, and uh, Hibiki? I know you're around, you don't have to hide yourself."

Hibiki did not appear, but his voice did sound, seemingly coming from everywhere. "No, I do believe I will remain concealed as long as the young miss holds such hostility towards you, sir."

"Pft." Platinum rolled her eyes and made a rude gesture to nothing in particular. "As if you could take Luna, shorty." The girl seized up for a moment, and when she relaxed, Sena spoke. "Um… please don't take Luna too seriously here…"

"Oh yes, I positively quiver at the thought of ambushing a prepubescent girl. Truly a feat beyond my meager skill."

"Enough, you two." Kagura shook his head, praying that Sena would remain in control of the girl. Not that he understood any of this, of course. "Just… answer the question, alright?"

Platinum looked down, pallid and somber. "It's… because of what Izanami's allies did. I don't want to talk about it much, but…" And then she all but leapt to her feet. "And because Master Jubei's trying to stop her, too!"

"So revenge, and because a friend is, huh?"

"Yeah. Problem?"

"Not at all. Was just curious." Kagura, now lounging across the couch with his legs kicked up over the armrest, turned to Carl. "And how about the esteemed Mr. Clover?"

"W-well… it's complicated." Carl looked up at Nirvana for a moment, before turning back to Kagura. "It's not really because of Izanami, but rather one of her allies. My father, Relius Clover."

Kagura nodded, eyes, closing. "Yeah, I've heard the name. What'd he do?"

"I know this will be hard to believe, but this…" Carl closed his eyes and drew a breath, preparing for an emotional stab to the gut. "This doll is really my sister, Ada. It was my father who turned her into this, and I'm trying to restore her."

"Your sister, huh?" Kagura flashed him a grin. "She pretty?"

"Yes! She was absolutely gorgeous!" After the exultation, Carl cocked his head in confusion. "But… why does that matter?"

"Oh, uh, no reason. But I definitely want to help you with that as well, kid." Kagura rose and waved a hand toward the back of the mansion. "Here, why don't you go ahead and start searching my library? Maybe there's something to help with your sister as well there."

"Ah!" Carl beamed. "Yes, I would love to. Thank you very much, Mister Kagura."

"No prob, kid. Hibiki?"

"Of course, sir." Hibiki at least appeared, stepping out from behind the couch, right beside Platinum, who squawked. "Follow me, if you will, Mister Clover."

"W-what?" Platinum leapt away from the couch, hands going for her staff. "When the hell did you get there?!"

"Hm. Perhaps my skills are not so meager after all."

Hibiki led Carl into the recesses of the mansion, not even bothering to grace Platinum with another glance. As soon as they were gone, Kagura sat up and stretched. "So. You said something about-"

"Shut up, Luna doesn't want to deal with you right now. Ooh, that little asshole's going to get it next time I see him…" And so Platinum stomped off in the opposite direction, presumably up to one of the guest rooms.

"…Okay then." Kagura shook his head, rising to leave. No point hanging around here anymore. But before he could even take a single step, a bell sounded. As the chime echoed all through the mansion, he jumped at the sound. A visitor? He had no idea who it could be; Amane would just waltz right in, after all. Possibly literally.

One half-minute journey to the front door later, Kagura grunted as he pulled the heavy door open. Just to the side of the door, in easy reach, waited his sword. Just in case. But as he looked upon the young girl, clad in a black dress and with long blonde hair cascading down in tails, standing there, he relaxed. "Hey there. You lost?"

"Oh, not in the least. This is where Amane has been lurking, has it not? And so you must be Kagura Mutsuki. It is a pleasure. I am Rachel Alucard. There is a matter I must discuss with you." Without waiting for invitation, Rachel stepped inside. She glanced back with a frown. "Come, Miss Vermillion. It is quite alright."

"…So, can I assume you're the other Observer Amane mentioned? Can't say I was expecting…" Kagura trailed off as Noel stepped into view as well. "Well, hello. What have we here?"

"O-oh, um…" Noel turned to him and bowed her head. "I'm Noel Vermillion. Pleased to meet you, Mister Kagura."

Simply adorable. Kagura flashed her a grin. "Hey, what's with the formality? Just 'Kagura' is fine. Let me know if there is anything you need, alright?"

"Oh! Sure. Although I don't think I do right now…"

Rachel closed her eyes and cleared her throat. "As I was saying, there is an important matter to discuss with you. Concerning the Yayoi family."

"The Yayois?" At once, Kagura's overly friendly demeanor vanished. The thought of what had happened to them churned his stomach; it was nothing he could ever forgive Belioz for. "Sure, I'll hear you out. What's up?"

"It is quite simple, really. All survivors have congregated in my mansion, as per the wishes of Tsubaki Yayoi. Unfortunately, it is… a poor choice of safe house, to say the least." Rachel gestured toward Noel. "Miss Vermillion is to be our greatest asset against Izanami. In order to fulfill this role, she is currently training to unlock a tremendous power within her—that of the godslayer, Kusanagi. It should go without saying that this is rather dangerous with so many others around."

"…Well, damn. Noel, you're quite the special girl, aren't you?" Kagura grinned, and this time took hold of Noel's hand, drawing a deep blush and a stutter. "What do you say that once we're done here, we go for a drink? I have some of the finest pre-millennial spirits one can find in my wine cellar, just waiting for an ample occasion."

"H-huh?" Noel recoiled, entire face bursting into flame red. "B-but… I don't drink…"

Thunder cracked, and Rachel glowered at Kagura. "Mutsuki. Save this nonsense for later. I do believe the fate of the Yayoi family takes precedence."

"Ah, right, right. Sorry about that." Kagura turned back to Rachel, crossing his arms behind his head. "So, what makes you so certain I'm an ally in this regard? As you probably know, the Mutsuki family patriarch is the one that led the assault against the Yayois."

"I am also aware of your disdain for your uncle. Furthermore, Amane has seen fit to trust you. If one such as he believes you trustworthy, I shall do so as well. But do be warned; you will pay a terrible price if you dare betray us."

"Fair enough. And don't worry; I'm no fan of what Belioz is doing. But how are they going to get here?"

"Worry not; I shall bring them. Miss Vermillion and I shall take our leave now; I will return shortly with the Yayoi family."

"Aww… alright then." Sporting his smirk once again, Kagura waved to Noel. "Hate to see you leave already. Come back some time, alright? I'd love to get to know you better."

"U-um… alright, I guess…" Noel ducked away, flustered.

"…Perhaps it would be wise to not bring Miss Vermillion next time." Rachel shook her head, but said nothing else as she created a dark portal before herself. She and Noel stepped through, vanishing into the maw a moment later.

"Oh. So you fancy yourself a substitute for the Master Unit? My dear, that is quite ambitious of you." Stretching an arm out to one side, Amane smirked with ease that belied the tension in his body, ready to spring should Izanami make any move in the least. "But I see you have truly shed your Imperator act. Powerful though your Ars Magus was, this should prove rather intriguing."

"Hmph. The façade was merely a necessity for controlling Take-Mikazuchi. But spare the flattery, Nishiki. Nothing you say carries a shred of sincerity. But do answer me this." Izanami pointed directly at him, while the halo behind her energized. Beams of electricity connected to the triad of blades, preparing to launch them at her beck. "Are you aware of the truth of this world? Of this lie that your mistress has conjured? Of how she will not allow this world to progress towards its impending end?"

"I am. As Amaterasu's emissary, of course I am aware of the falsities of this world." Arm lowering, Amane frowned, a storm building in his eyes. "And perhaps I should not be surprised that you are, as well."

"And still you serve her?"

"Until the end. Whether it's my own death, or Amaterasu finally waking from her slumber, it is my duty to carry out her will." Drills of cloth spun at the ends of Amane's sleeves. "Even if this world is merely a fabrication of Amaterasu's will."

"…Then you are a fool. You deny the souls of this world their right to move on in doing so. Heed my words, emissary." Grey mists billowed at Izanami's fists. "As one who governs life and death, I will not suffer this world's existence any longer. It is but the desperate creation of a girl not prepared to move on. Such a thing is a blight, one that I shall erase by my own hand."

"I will not allow it. My mistress has willed this world, and all within, into existence. Including yourself, I believe. Why an extension of Amaterasu's will has rebelled so is beyond me, but the time for pondering that is long past." And with that, Amane lunged, one of the cloth drills aiming to pierce straight through Izanami. Before the attack could land, one of the blades intercepted it. With a grunt, Amane bounced away and lashed with another ribbon. The lace struck Izanami square in the face, and left a gash in her cheek. He smirked, the oppressive atmosphere lifting from him. "So, let us dance. I do wonder if you can keep up with my pace."

"You should not worry about such trifles." Izanami wiped the blood from her cheek before lifting a hand, a blue aura rising from it. She returned his smirk, her crimson eyes narrowing. "I wonder, are you capable of overcoming this?"

In a burst of grey mist, an ethereal ribcage appeared, surrounding Izanami on all sides. At the same time, the three blades making up her halo spun together and launched at Amane. Ribbons crossed in front of him, and the blades slid past. However, a moment later Izanami vanished and reappeared a moment later, sliding at Amane's feet at high speed. Amane tossed himself off to the side, just dodging the sweep, and lashed out with a ribbon. It struck the skeletal structure around Izanami and glanced off. "…Well then. This may be problematic."

A haunting giggle answered him as Izanami sent her blades at him again. Amane hopped back, tossing out another swing of cloth, this one with a dense ball at the end. Once more, it failed to pierce Izanami's defenses, while she hovered his way undaunted. And for once, Amane's eyes widened with fear. As Izanami came near, he spun cloth around either arm and lunged. The twin drills struck the ribcage with enough force to stall Izanami's approach, but could not pierce in the least. "…What is this?"

"Something a mere emissary like you could never hope to penetrate." Izanami reached out, her arms passing through the shield as though it weren't even there, and grabbed Amane by shoulder and waist. She leaned forward, bending him back. "You are a fool to challenge me, Nishiki."

With that, she slammed him hard against the ground and lifted a hand into the air. A blue sphere of flame erupted at her fingertip, and grew larger by the second. "Begone."

The miniature star crashed down on Amane, erupting into a blue plume that seared the sky. When the fire cleared, Amane knelt on one knee, covering his body in armored cloth. He allowed his defenses to retract as he glared up at her. "I'm afraid… you'll find me rather tenacious, my dear."

"…Is that so? I am afraid I have not the time to waste on you. Know my power, and tremble in its wake, Nishiki." Izanami's barrier fell, and she darted straight forward, jabbing Amane straight in the chest with two fingers.

The next thing Amane knew, he lay on the ground, gashes and blood adorning his clothing. He coughed, trying to find breath. And trying to figure out what just happened. Izanami stepped into view—he knew she had not been there just a moment ago—and placed a foot down on his chest. "You are a rather impressive fighter. But even you cannot defeat the ravages of time. What was but a moment to you, was tenfold that to me. Your soul is nearly ripe for harvest."

Wheezing, Amane tried to press against her foot, to no avail. "Well… perhaps this was a mistake… but I will not fall here. You can stop time, Izanami? Then you should have taken my life while doing so."

"Hmph. Whatever do you mean? There is no esca—" And is of on cue for Izanami tempting fate, Amane vanished. Izanami grunted and closed her eyes. "…I should have known. Amaterasu, you are watching, are you not? But you cannot interfere beyond this."

With a sigh, she took a cross-legged seat where Amane had just been. And pondered why nothing was going according to plan for her any longer. "Perhaps… I must revise my methods."