Everyone dived out at almost the same time, except for Kuroyukihime. She was delayed by a few milliseconds, but she had indeed opened her eyelids. She returned to the real world at last.

"Sacchan!"

"Hime!"

Fuuko and Megumi, her two closest friends in the accelerated and real world respectively, proceeded to hug her from either side. She felt a little flustered upon receiving their hugs, but then she remembered she had hurt them both during today's mission, and wanted to properly apologize to them.

"Fuuko… Megumi… I'm sorry… for causing you trouble…"

She was about to cry, thinking that she had done something horrible to them. Tears started involuntarily rolling from her pretty face, but Fuuko wiped them off.

"Sacchan, awkward apologies don't suit you. But that aside, we just want to know one thing."

"You met Arita-kun long ago, right?"

"W-Wha-", Kuroyukihime was struck speechless. "I-I-I… I don't know what you're talking about…", she stuttered, turning over to one side, clearly startled by the advances of those two.

But that was not enough to convince them, as they stared straight into her face with seemingly jealous looks. They believed they had the most special and dearest friendships with her. It was quite a shock for them to learn that she met Haruyuki way before any of them knew each other.

"I-I guess you could call it… like meeting someone you cherished from a past life, reunited by fate or something…", Kuroyukihime awkwardly responded. No matter what she said however, it only made them more furious.

"Hang in there, Senpai.", Chiyuri silently offered her encouragement, having figured out the truth on her own even if she didn't say it. But Kuroyukihime glanced at her, appearing to have read her mind.

"Well, we shall leave this matter for now. Karasu-san, Chiiko, how about a nice dinner to celebrate our victory?"

"Y-Yes."

"Leave it to me, Nee-san!"

Haruyuki and Chiyuri both laid out tonight's dinner, which was rice served with tempura and karaage fried chicken of the best quality, packed with a side of lasagna, as per Haruyuki's suggestion.

Everyone sat down and readied themselves with an 'Itadakimasu'. They were immediately taken in by the smell and taste of the food, which was extraordinarily delightful.

"This is… so good. Kurashima-kun, who knew you could cook such good food? You'd make a great housewife."

As this was her first entry into the Arita residence, which was Nega Nebulas' usual base of operations, Megumi had experienced Chiyuri's home-made cooking for the first time, which blew her mind away, and complimented her as such.

"Ehehe, don't mention it. My mama usually teaches me this stuff.", Chiyuri gave out a coy response.

"I know right? Chiyuri-kun's food is heavenly compared to what I usually eat.", Kuroyukihime added.

"Come on, Hime, you know that worries me, right? I know, I should visit your house sometime."

"N-No… that's…"

"Sacchan once said she prefers the same kind of food as Karasu-san.", Fuuko continued, slightly teasing Kuroyukihime.

"Oi!"

After hearing this, Megumi glared at Haruyuki suspiciously.

"As I thought, Arita-kun really is a bad influence on Hime. Sigh… I just don't get why-"

"Ahem!", Kuroyukihime cleared her throat, saving Haruyuki from any hostility that arose. "Let's just enjoy the food we have, alright?"

"Right…", Megumi withdrew her remark with a pouting face. "So, did you find anything? About the secret of the accelerated world?"

"Well… I was planning to do another legion meeting later and discuss the details once I get in touch with Graph again."

"Ehh, why not do it now?"

"Give me a break, will you? I just came back to my body and I need time to recuperate.", Kuroyukihime replied as she chomped down her food in her usual gluttonous demeanor.

"Yes, Sacchi's right. She needs some rest now.", Akira stepped in.

"…Understood. I won't bother you further."

"Thanks for your consideration."

Everyone loved Chiyuri's cooking and kept asking for more. Within minutes, all of the food they had ready was finished, and the plates were clean as well.

After finishing the dessert prepared by Niko and Pard, everyone had packed up and were getting ready to leave. The members of Petit Paquet, along with Rui were the first to step out of the door. Seri and Akira followed suit.

Niko was next in line, but not before saying:

"Thanks for the food, Onii-chan! And…"

She used her angel mode on Haruyuki, and awkwardly tried to meet eyes with Kuroyukihime before turning away, possibly embarrassed at something. She then spoke in a low voice:

"…See you later, Kuroyuki onee-chan."

Niko walked away with a 'hmph', which made Kuroyukihime chuckle. Meanwhile, Haruyuki had a puzzled look on his face, wondering what their reactions meant.

"CU.", Pard added.

"U2.", Kuroyukihime replied back, seemingly having caught on to her weird lingo.

"Thanks for the food, Kurashima-kun!"

Megumi was about to leave with Koshika after thanking Chiyuri one last time, but quickly caught a glimpse of a downtrodden Kuroyukihime.

"…Hime?"

"N-No, it's nothing. See you later."

"…See you later then!"

Megumi left without any further comment.

The childhood friends Chiyuri and Takumu stayed back to clean up with Haruyuki, and they were just about done. Soon, they got ready to leave as well.

"Alright, I'll see you later, Haru!"

"Yeah, see you later!"

"S-See you… later…", Haruyuki replied, stammering as usual.

Fuuko was last, and she had to drop Utai, Rin and Kuroyukihime to their homes, but…

"Come on, Sacchan. What are you waiting for?"

"Sorry, Fuuko, but… could I stay here for the night?"

Fuuko slightly twitched her eyebrows after hearing that, then put on a Raker smile in front of Kuroyukihime. According to Haruyuki, this is the first time he saw her getting caught in that, when it had always been him.

"Fu-Fuuko?"

"I'll be sure to message Okki-chan later~"

"…Please don't."

"Hmm, ok, I won't.", she replied teasingly.

Just then, Rin spoke in her usual low voice, words that were appalling to Kuroyukihime:

"I want, to stay with, Arita-san too…"

"You can't, Rin. You're coming with me, no arguments. Then, Sacchan, take care~"

Surprisingly, Fuuko dragged Rin by her collar and wished Kuroyukihime well before exiting the door. Kuroyukihime, heaving a sigh of relief now that they were gone, then turned her eyes to Haruyuki and walked up to him.

"Umm… Senpai…"

"Don't speak right now."

She placed her hands to the wall, a situation one might often see in shoujo manga called 'kabedon'.

Haruyuki, as always, turned his eyes away when she was looking directly at him, wondering if she could be mad about something. The Kuroyukihime who possessed a beauty that was simply far too extreme, mesmerizing to anyone that gazed upon it, finally opened her luscious lips and spoke with a soft voice:

"I just… wanted to sleep with you tonight."

"Huhhhh?"

"I haven't had alone time with Senpai in a while… oh, what should I do, what should I do, what should I do?", Haruyuki thought as he wasn't mentally prepared for this sudden declaration. On top of this, his mother said she would be back by tomorrow morning, and he wasn't sure how to explain what Kuroyukihime was doing in his house by then.

"…Or can't I?"

"Y-Yes…", he weakly responded, having lost to her persuasion.

They first decided to take turns bathing. Haruyuki went in first, but he was taking too long due to feeling exhausted from today's mission.

After a while, Kuroyukihime stepped in, though she appeared to be in a trancelike state, seemingly forgetting that Haruyuki was inside.

"Wah? S-S-S-S…", he stuttered, shocked at what he was seeing.

"What? It's alright, we've done this before.", she responded in an unfazed manner and quickly went into the tub.

Without having the chance to excuse himself, Haruyuki ended up being caught by her and slowly started washing her back. As usual, he could never get used to her snow-white body, which looked quite stunning to him up-close. But he did manage to check her nape and noticed something odd. There was purple ink dripping out just below her Neurolinker. As he spun his head thinking about this, he arrived at the only possible reason.

"Senpai's barcode…"

Haruyuki once bathed with Kuroyukihime in her house two months ago. Back then, she showed him a barcode imprinted behind her neck, usually hidden by her Neurolinker, which signified her status as a machine child. Now, it appeared to be slowly fading away.

He wondered what it meant, but Kuroyukihime had only told him what her sister once said to her, that it would disappear when she grew up. He wanted to ask her about that now, but didn't get the chance to. She most likely didn't get to see it either, with her mind being clouded at the moment. And it wasn't like he could take off her Neurolinker to check.

After a while, they switched places, and Kuroyukihime started washing his back. Just then, she finally got around to what she really wanted to say.

"Hey, Haruyuki-kun…"

"Senpai?"

"…We… really were Corrupt Linkers, weren't we?"

"Yeah, it appears so."

"Then it's just as I thought."

"Huh?"

"Truth be told, I was scared of losing you that day. The thought of seeing you getting decimated by that titan was something I could not bear. I've been trying to forget about it since then, but… maybe that was what fueled the avatar of Black Lotus. Not the fear of getting hurt, but of losing those close to me. If only I'd realized it sooner… I wouldn't have fallen into my sister's trap."

Kuroyukihime wanted to share her fears and worries with Haruyuki, hoping that he would comfort her as he always did.

"Me too. I was shocked when it appeared. I couldn't do anything but only watch as it tore the land apart and destroyed everyone. Perhaps that is where I got my metal color from, to shield myself from the painful memories. I guess… I was a coward back then."

"…I see. Perhaps that is why you and Fuuko were able to stay as light types, by focusing only on your positive desires."

"But… I told you already. Senpai's truly strong. No matter what suffering you endured, no matter what pain you felt, you never gave up. It wasn't just yours either. The sadness of everyone in the legion, the anger of Chrome Disaster… you took it all on yourself as thorns in your heart, even though you could've deflected them with your blades. I couldn't even hope to do something like that."

Kuroyukihime was relieved to hear him say this, but she felt his words didn't capture the full story.

"I suppose you can't, since it would mean losing the light in you. But that's just… a bad habit of mine. I don't know how other Legion Masters operate, but ever since I created Nega Nebulas, I've been trying to take everyone's burdens on myself. I thought to myself that no one should have to suffer like I did. If I could carry their pain, maybe they could get stronger, or so I believed."

She continued in the rest in a sorrowful tone.

"Well, in the end, it never worked out. I cut off Raker's legs and ended up giving her more despair. I only attracted everyone's negative emotions, which kept me from truly understanding them. And now it seems Niko's following my example, which is why I worry about her. But…"

"Senpai…"

She put her hand on his, wanting to reassure herself.

"I always thought my duel avatar was a manifestation of my ugliest self, but after today's battle, I finally figured it out. The black of my avatar represents the emptiness inside me, as I was born without familial love. And my blades were a manifestation of my desire to slash away any threat and protect those close to me. If I could think of it like that…"

Without warning, she hugged Haruyuki from the back, raising his body heat a little, and began speaking in her soft and gentle voice:

"That's why, Haruyuki-kun, I'll always love you for who you are. Whatever worries you may have, please share them with me. I may have been hurt along the way, but I definitely don't regret taking this path. So, you shouldn't feel any regret either. The light inside you instills hope in others and is the proof of your strength. All I ask is to keep being yourself and not to lose it. For Nega Nebulas… and for me."

Haruyuki's respect for Kuroyukihime just reached new levels. For an emotionally fragile girl like her to make a request like that… it was something no normal person could do, for it required extraordinary willpower and a strong mental fortitude. And the warmth she displayed… it was the exact same one he felt long ago when he was under Asuna, who had once been a bright light to him.

"Metatron really wasn't kidding when she called her the 'child of gods'. Her kindness is just too much for me to handle."

But that was all the more reason for him to protect her and give her strength. To let her know that her path was not a mistake. Because… she made him her 'child' in the end.

"O-Of course, I have no regrets. After all, it was Senpai who gave me a second chance. And you also… gave me my wings."

"Perhaps you gave me my blades as well.", Kuroyukihime responded while letting out a small chuckle. "It's strange, isn't it? It's like we resonate with each other in a way that transcends the Incarnate System."

"Probably…", Haruyuki replied, though still puzzled on what she meant. "Ah, this is bad, I should probably get out of here!"

Haruyuki excused himself and finished his bath, realizing he would soon be KO'ed if he stood there any longer with a girl as beautiful as Kuroyukihime, though he unwittingly made her sad in the process.

He soon changed into his night clothing, waiting for her to come out. She stepped out of the door, wearing a spare one-piece black dress that she had kept around just in case.

They turned off the lights and went straight to bed. Haruyuki plopped down first, after which Kuroyukihime went close to him and cuddled him.

"Senpai… to klos… kan't breese…", he spoke in a rather muffled voice.

"That's your punishment for leaving me back there."

"I had no choise! That was like a leesal attack on me."

"How rude! Maybe we should bathe together more until you get used to it."

"I don't sink I'll be able to at this reit…"

"Don't ever let go of him, okay?"

Kuroyukihime suddenly recalled Asuna's last words to her, hinting at something sad that might have happened in the sword queen's life. Now, with all doubts in her mind fully cleared, she silently stated her resolve to two souls that may or may not be there.

"Mama… Papa… I may not know what you two faced, but… I've chased after him all this time because I wanted to bring him back to our world. And now that he's here in my grasp, I won't let go. This time, we will definitely fulfill your goal together."

She slowly released Haruyuki, though still wrapping her arms around him. He gasped for breath before letting out a single word in his normal voice.

"…Senpai…"

"Hmm?"

"…I'm really glad that I came to Umesato, and that I got to meet you."

"Me too. I've wanted to meet you for so long, hoping that you would be the one to save me, just like you did back then. Perhaps it was our destiny to enroll in the same school."

"Yes, it certainly was!", Haruyuki responded in exclamation.

She then grabbed his hand.

"Haruyuki-kun, promise me."

"Yes?"

"No matter what the others say, this is our little secret. If you go spilling this out to them, well… you know what will happen.", she said with her super-chill Kuroyuki smile.

"O-Of course, I promise! Absolutely! Not a single word!", Haruyuki replied with a shiver down his spine, which made Kuroyukihime giggle. To her, this easily frightened face of her beloved was too cute not to adore.

She closed her eyelids and switched to a heartfelt smile, one which Haruyuki knew revealed her true self that she'd kept hidden for so long.

"She may be feared in that world as Black Lotus, but… the person in front of me is really warm, kind and gentle. This is the Kuroyukihime-senpai who loves her legion dearly and would do anything for them. Yes, it's just like Chiyu said. Nega Nebulas wouldn't be together without her – no, it wouldn't even exist. We are all grateful to her one way or another. That's why, we need to support her till the end."

At that moment, he swore to forever cherish her, peaceful and serene as she was.

She finally dozed off after saying:

"I'm back, Knight."

He assumed she was alluding to their long-awaited reunion after the now dead Cosmos Corrupt. Thus, he responded in the only way he could.

"Welcome back, Hi…"

Before he could finish his sentence however, he saw butterflies appear before him which quickly put him to sleep. He wasn't sure if this was an effect on his Neurolinker, or a spell caused by her loving embrace.

Haruyuki woke up at 7:00 am the next day only to find his beloved Legion Master nowhere in his sight. Normally, he would find her still sleeping even in the midst of the bright morning sun, as if it didn't have any effect on her. He wondered if last night was an illusion all along, or if she had actually left this world as a result of him setting her free from her curse.

"No, impossible. We connected with each other. She can't have vanished just like that."

When he checked his Neurolinker, he saw that she had left him a mail with her name and trademark butterfly signature on it. He opened the mail and read it.

'Good morning, Haruyuki-kun. By the time you read this, I'll probably be back at my house. Truth be told, I wanted to be the one to wake you up as we made breakfast and did some fun things together, but I unfortunately had to check on something important. Don't worry, I took a nice picture of your sleeping face. It was the cutest thing I ever saw.'

The picture she attached with the mail almost made Haruyuki blush, but he shook himself and continued reading.

'So anyways, I'll see you in school tomorrow. You better not be absent. Oh and… please give your mother my regards.'

"Oh yeah, tomorrow is-"

"Haruyuki, can I come in?"

"Shoot!"

"Y-Yes, Mother!"

Haruyuki's mother, Arita Saya, opened the front door.