Meanwhile, Kuroyukihime dived into the Unlimited Neutral Field and charged full speed towards a certain location. After arriving there in approximately an hour accelerated time, she stood there waiting for a certain someone.

"Sorry to keep you waiting, Lotus!"

Earlier today, she made a promise with Megumi - Oracle - to see her one last time - her Parent, Saffron Blossom. Though she had long since retired from the accelerated world, her spirit was still residing in her player home in Odaiba, as a fragment of memories left behind in the Star Caster.

Kuroyukihime also wanted to ask some questions to her, as she was unsure about how her relationship with Haruyuki would proceed from this moment on, and feared that it would meet the same tragic fate as her and her lover, Chrome Falcon, the Burst Linker who would later be known as the Chrome Disaster.

Eventually, Saffron's other Children arrived, though two of them brought unexpected guests. Lavender Downer, who was originally from Prominence, drew the attention of Niko and Pard, who tried to follow him.

"Honestly, ya think I was gonna let you go off on your own? After you barred me from visiting Haru- Crow's place?!", Niko shouted, almost leaking out Haruyuki's real name.

"W-Well, I can't help but worry what you'll do over there!"

"…And yet you allow those two to waltz into his house as they please?", Niko rebutted, pointing to the flying avatar coming ever closer from a direction that appeared to be close to what she took.

"Don't tell me…"

"…Hehe. I suspected something was up with Sentry, so I followed her one real world second late."

"How did you even catch me diving in the first place?"

"That's a secret~"

Turning her eyes to Kuroyukihime, Fuuko, having guessed what she wanted to do, said:

"Don't worry, Lotus. I won't tell Karasu-san about this for now."

"The way you just said that is a bit concerning but… thanks."

Looking at the player home that they travelled past Rainbow Bridge for, Niko asked:

"So, how do you plan to get in there? Crow left the key inside with no way to get it out. Don't tell me you're planning to break in and enter."

"Relax, Rain. I have a brilliant plan.", Kuroyukihime responded with a grin. Fuuko, concerned that her friend might have been too influenced by her master, the 'idiot hero' Graphite Edge, along with her beloved Haruyuki, could only sigh as she proceeded with this brilliant plan of hers.

"If Rider's ghost could show up the same way, then maybe…"

Kuroyukihime made a heavy breath and proceeded to shout:

"CAN YOU HEAR ME, CHROME FALCON, SAFFRON BLOSSOM? I WISH TO SPEAK TO YOU RIGHT NOW!"

…No response.

After a few seconds, a somewhat feminine voice sounded:

"…Good grief. You still don't know how to go without disturbing us."

The spirit that made that voice acquired the key that was lying inside the house. He then proceeded to unlock the door, letting everyone in. There was no mistake. Chrome Falcon – the first Chrome Disaster – had apparated before them.

"Long time, no see, my dear children. Curren as well, you're looking sharp as ever."

Unlike her fellow Elements, Akira was a 'second generation' – in other words, a 'child' of an Originator. In the dawn of BB, there had once been a couple similar to Kuroyukihime and Haruyuki who sought to reform the accelerated world from within. As the story went, they worked on starting a cooperative legion that would help others who ran low on points, and the afflicted would pay them back with interest. However, tragedy befell them both, and while one was exiled from the accelerated world, the other was driven to madness, plaguing the accelerated world like a curse.

His name was Chrome Falcon, the one who had introduced Akira to the accelerated world as her 'parent', but couldn't teach her anything about it. Just around that time, he struck terror as the Chrome Disaster following the loss of his partner, Saffron Blossom. Her fellow execs and King must've sensed the pain in her as she averted from talking about her troubled past for so long, but eventually, thanks to Haruyuki's encouragement, she was finally able to open up to her entire legion and confess everything. So when she heard that Wakamiya Megumi – Orchid Oracle, a 'child' of Saffron – had enrolled in Umesato Junior High with Kuroyukihime, she was secretly a bit relieved even though she didn't meet her directly.

After a few minutes, everyone felt comfortable inside the house. Saffron Blossom had also appeared, preparing tea for their guests. This was the first time she had seen all eleven of her children in one place, following her exile from the accelerated world. They were all reunited under the flag of the Black Legion.

Kuroyukihime herself felt that it was fate that drew them all together, and the will of Saffron Blossom that drew herself to Megumi. Following the destruction of the first Nega Nebulas, she felt as though she was lonely and had lost a part of herself. But Megumi helped her pick herself back up until she also met Haruyuki in Fall 2046. Realizing this turn of events, Kuroyukihime bowed to the peach avatar and said:

"Saffron Blossom. Thank you for showing me a new path. Without you, I would've been lost for good."

"Oh dear, the great Lotus is bowing to me? I never would've imagined it.", Saffron responded coyly.

"You can call her Kuroyukihime if you want.", Megumi responded, much to her friend's chagrin.

"Ara, you even gave her a nickname as well? Your naming sense never fails to amaze, Okki."

A long time ago, Megumi nicknamed the peach avatar 'Sakuyahime', alluding to her real name when she met her in the hospital. In the same way, she nicknamed her friend, once known as Kuroba Sayuki, into 'Kuroyukihime', representing her mystique and beauty.

As for Chrome Falcon, when Kuroyukihime turned her eyes to him, she could only feel an unbearable aching in her heart as though it was about to tear itself apart. Like her, he was also a victim of the schemes of White Cosmos and the Acceleration Research Society, but there was also another reason.

She had once heard from Cosmos - her sister - that there was another healer besides herself, a princess who was torn in a conflict between two princes seeking love and decided to exile from the accelerated world. But after listening to Haruyuki's story and the memories he acquired from the Armor of Catastrophe, she realized that was a lie.

For the healer in question was none other than Saffron Blossom herself, trapped in a horrid EK plot by the Society, while Falcon could only watch in despair as the person he loved was repeatedly murdered by the Beast-Class Enemy Jormungandr.

In a way, Kuroyukihime saw herself and Haruyuki in those two, and thus feared that they would end up meeting the same tragic fate one day. Just thinking about that, and the fact that she wasn't around to help them, made her go in tears.

However, Saffron placed her hands on the sobbing face of the obsidian avatar and spoke rather tenderly:

"Don't cry, Lotus. You're much stronger than I am. You're the only one who can stand by his side."

After composing herself, Kuroyukihime turned to Falcon and said:

"Chrome Falcon. I'm sure you must have had your troubles as well. But just tell me, what did you see in Crow?"

"Well, my shell was to shield myself from the darkness inside me. But those bastards tore it open by killing Fron and reopened the wound in my heart, making me go berserk. But Crow is different. He never stopped believing in the light that he mustered in, as though his shell protects the warmth inside him."

"And yet, Karasu-san doubts himself, whether he can truly overcome his own scars which he himself has kept further from his reach."

For a long time, Kuroyukihime was afraid of herself. She had thought that the black in her represented her malicious nature, drawing her closer to the darkness in her heart. Ironically, her fear of loss led to a desire to cut others off completely, manifested in her blades.

But at least this once, she could turn her negative feelings into positive ones. That is because, a silver crow was always supporting her from behind, always encouraging her to try her hardest and never give up. Eventually, she accepted the light of everyone in her legion in place of the darkness inside her, overcoming her past guilt and acquiring the strength to move forward. Now, it was her turn to help him, the one who had shown her a new path, one who was afraid of losing himself just as she was and enclosed himself in his metal shell.

"Alright then, it's decided. I'll tear open Crow's shell and help him out of there."

Hearing that, Falcon stood up, slightly peeved by what she just said.

"Are you crazy, Lotus?! Do you want to infect him with your darkness?"

"Don't be so hasty, Fal. It's not true darkness that Lotus possesses. I can tell. Inside her is a great light, a yearning to save the one she loves, just like when she deliberately took your attacks. That's what you had as well, did you not? That's why she, who is kinder than any other, draws on the power of the blades, the absolute strength to overcome anything between her and her precious friends. That is a characteristic of the color black that only the children of KA possess. The ability to absorb the light around them and use it as strength."

KA… as she recalled, that were the initials of the developer of the accelerated world – in other words, of the three trials Accel Assault 2038, Brain Burst 2039, and Cosmos Corrupt 2040. The very same developer whom she had just confronted three weeks ago on the meaning behind the accelerated world and their duel avatars.

Hearing the encouragement she needed from the long-parted couple, Kuroyukihime stood up and declared:

"Don't worry, Falcon, Blossom. I'll be carrying your last wishes and pass them to Crow."