Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Alucard Castle

A butler carried a tray of milk crepes, financiers, and tea to a small blonde girl in black and red Victorian clothes sitting on a throne, staring into space, until the butler spoke. “Rachel Alucard?” The girl turned. “Your morning milk crepes, financiers, and tea?”

She cleared her throat. “Yes, that will do nicely. Thank you, as always, Valkenhayn.”

Valkenhayn smiled and turned away. Rachel took one of the sweets to eat and drank her tea, but no matter what she did, her mind always flashed back to the red-handled sword planted in the ground like a gravestone. Under normal circumstances, she would ignore the object like insignificant lint on an outfit, but whenever she tried to forget, it came back to her, and when it did, a wave of emotions hit her. Sadness, anger, and most importantly, nostalgia. In fact, on rare occasions, she saw a tall, white-haired man in red, with one green and one red eye. That image, in particular, was too much for her. She threw her teacup across the room.

*SLAM!*

Valkenhayn turned back with a worried tone. “Rachel Alucard!”

Rachel stood up and, without raising her voice, spoke to her butler. “I... would like to be alone.”

She walked away. Valkenhayn looked at the mess and sighed, grabbing a broom, dustpan, mop, and bucket. His mind flashed back to when she first saw the sword as he cleaned it. “Ever since Rachel saw that sword, her actions have been erratic. I had never seen the thing before that day. Just who owns that sword, and why is it so important?”

Two doors opened, revealing Rachel Alucard standing before a machine containing a multicolored rhombus.

Once she stepped forward, a series of glyphs appeared before her. Her hand moved toward them, but then an image of a white-bearded old man appeared in her mind, prompting her to slap herself in the face.

*SMACK!*

“Stop it! Remember what Father said: the seal can't be broken. No matter what.” She quickly left the room as the rainbow rhombus glowed within the machine.

Forgotten Theater

An abandoned amphitheater deep beneath the collapsed ruins of Sector Seven. Here, time is dust, and breath is memory. A lone figure dances for no one, except the world itself. The dancer’s movements are fluid, divine. But stillness breaks his rhythm—a familiar chill crawling from the shadows.

“You still move with grace. Even in a world that’s lost its rhythm.”

A blonde boy steps onto the stage. His face is calm, but not empty. Behind him, a female robot glides. Watching. Protecting. A sealed container glows in the dark, faintly pulsing. The dancer recognized him.

“You’ve changed, Carl Clover. You feel...colder. But not cruel.”

“Because I remember. What it felt like—to be a tool. To be treated like nothing but data and function. I swore I would never do that... to anyone who didn’t deserve it.”

The robot lowers a seal plate. Glyphs spin around Amane’s feet. They shimmer, but they don’t burn. Amane senses it immediately.

“You don’t intend to make me a puppet.”

“No. You still have a soul. A will. That’s exactly why I can’t let you interfere.”

“Because I’d remind the world what it means to be human.”

“Because you'd stop me before I could finish. I’m not sealing you because I hate you, Amane. I’m doing this because I respect you too much to destroy you.” The prism forms—gentle, cold, suspended. Amane’s body slows, his soul caught mid-motion. It isn’t pain. It’s a pause. Carl turns to the robot. “Nirvana, preserve his form. Do not extract. He doesn’t belong with the others.” As they leave, the Nox container behind them hums louder—souls writhing inside. Sinners, not dancers. “Only monsters belong in cages. I’ll make sure that’s all I use. Even if I have to become one to do it.”

A half-reconstructed lab deep underground. Emergency monitors flicker with spatial distortions. An energy signature once identified as “Carl Clover” has resurfaced—for the first time since the world was rewritten. Kokonoe Mercury’s tail twitched with frustration as she studied the holographic logs. Bullet stands by the entrance, tension barely held in check. Litchi Faye-Ling sits at a monitor, hand clenched.

“Confirmed. That was Carl. Amane’s signal disappeared right after.” Bullet spoke

“He didn’t erase him. He sealed him—paused him.” Kokonoe confirmed

“The containment pattern matches something else I’ve seen…”

“Relius?” Litchi wispired

“No. Carl’s method isn’t surgical or cruel. It’s calculated. He’s only using criminals and war offenders for his soul-bound Nox units. But Amane wasn’t one of those. He was… just in the way.”

“That’s not good enough. Since when do we let people get sealed for being in the way?” Bullet asked angrily

“I’m not defending him. I’m telling you—Carl has a code. Which is the only reason he hasn’t built an army big enough to take out the planet already.”

“That code’s going to break the moment he decides one of us isn’t ‘human’ enough.” Litchi pointed out, making silence fill the room

“If Carl is walking the line between martyr and monster…” Trinity Glassfield’s voice then spoke behind them, “We better pray we find Amane before he slips.”

Kokonoe nods to Trinity. “Find Tsubaki, the kids, and gear up. If he’s targeting performers with influence, Amane won’t be the last. And if Carl’s back… we’re out of time.”

The Mercury Church

Two blonde nuns are in a church filled with orphans, cooking. One has red eyes and is cooking a five-star meal inside a kitchen; the other is cooking a minus-five-star meal directly outside the kitchen.

“Lambda, why must I always have to cook outside?” complained the green-eyed nun.

Lambda looks outside and sees... something. What that "something" was defied description. It didn't sit on the plate so much as squat malevolently, hating all and being hated by all.

There was only one nice answer Lambda could make. “Because, Noel, you need all the space you need for your number one customer.”

“I understand, but I don’t want just one person enjoying my food. Are you sure I can’t share it with the other—”

[No, Noel. Never.]

Noel was shut down, and she pouted. Lambda was right, after all. Noel was a notoriously terrible, lethal chef. Her food was practically guaranteed to taste like fecal matter at its tastiest. (Heck, the Remix Heart manga even went as far as to compare it to an Astral Finish.) Not helping matters is her hidden status as the formerly feared Imperator, Izanami, who is also the goddess of death. Hence, her food's nickname: Death Dinner. There were only three people who could stomach their meal. The first one is a godwhomo she never wants to see again as long as she lives—the god of storms, Susano'o, who made her family and world a living hell. The second one is his human vessel, called Hazama, whom she unknowingly worked with, only to quit once he started hurting her friends. In his defense, he was made as a tool—something that she could greatly sympathize with, meaning that half of his actions weren’t his own. As a result, her feelings for him were complicated, to say the least. Finally, the one who liked her cooking was an old friend of hers, a dear friend, actually. Sure, it was because of her bizarre taste buds, but it warmed her heart either way, so much so that it made her slightly blush.

“Noel, they're here!”

“Coming! Be sure that you serve Nu!”

“Already on it!” The two nuns wrapped up their cooking.

Lambda opened the door to a room containing a bedridden, bandaged woman with a red eye and white hair. She glared at her while Lambda greeted her,

“Hey, Nu. Are you feeling okay?” The glaring continued. “I see... Well, we got a couple of guests over, and if you want, you can—”

[No.] Nu spoke.

“You don't want to see them?”

[Murakumo Units are weapons. Not people. And we did so many things to complete her one true goal, only to fail and be villains in the process. The one you see here is one of them.]

“Do you remember what that goal is, yet?”

Nu closed her eyes and sighed. [No.]

“I see... I'll leave this here then.”

Lambda put the meal beside Nu and left. Nu begrudgingly ate it until all she had left was a plate that showed her reflection. The reflection distorted into a tall, white-haired man in red, with one green and one red eye. The two fell into a pit, and a pitch-black monster destroyed the world. Growling at this, she threw the plate across the room and cried.

A human girl, a squirrel girl, an anthropomorphic cat, and a devil arrived at the church with gifts, making Noel smile as she greeted the first two guests.

“Mai! Makoto!”

“Noel!” The three old friends hugged in a group hug, only to break once the girls smelled a stench.

“Noellers, is that what I think it is?” Makoto asked in horror.

“Yep, I was cooking.” Everyone gasped and backed up, except for one person who gasped out of joy. “For Mai. Everyone else will have Lambda’s food.” Everyone sighed in relief as Noel continued. “Is Tsubaki with you?” The two girls shook their heads.

“We haven’t been able to contact Tsubaki for a long while,” Makoto said.

Noel sighed. “I see... In that case, head inside where Lambda is serving. Mai, you’ll be joining me.”

This caught Mai off guard. “J-j-joining you!?”

“Is there a problem?”

“No, it’s just that the way you put it...”

Makoto cut in. “How about we put away the gifts first? You have others to greet, after all.”

“Sure, go ahead.”

The two girls headed into the church, leaving Noel to speak to the cat. “How are you holding up, Jubei?”

“Quiet. That’s the best word to describe it. No cauldrons, no exploited souls, and best of all, no more him.” Noel knew exactly who Jubei meant and chose not to press on. “I do, however, wish that I could share the silence with... everyone else.” A somber air surrounded Jubei, something that Noel snapped him out of.

“Hey, we’re like a family. Do you know that? Between me being raised by Celica, Nine being her sister, and you being Nine’s husband, I’m more or less your niece. No. Me, Lambda, and Nu are your nieces. So let’s try to honor their memory, Uncle Jubei.”

Jubei chuckled. “Damn. What the hell am I doing? Me, one of the legendary Six Heroes, receiving a ‘get a grip’ speech from a nun? It’s still a sad day, but I’m gonna celebrate it anyway. Thanks, Noel. I’m going to see my wife, and Celica would be so proud of you right now.”

“Well, she is my mom, and this church is her legacy.” Jubei nodded and headed into the church, leaving the devil. “Let me guess, Kokonoe couldn’t make it, so she sent you, Tager?”

“Correct assumption, Noel. I did try to convince her, but she has a top-secret project she insists on working on.”

Noel sighed. “She can't avoid this forever. She's family.”

“True, but she’s been working on a secret project with the Imperator. She wants to make sure that any traces of the former NOL are eradicated.”

“That’s... understandable. Still, after everything that we've been through, she has to start opening up again.”

“I believe she will. This church is dedicated to her mother and aunt, after all. Is Jin Kisaragi here?”

Noel shook her head. “He’s at the NOL.”

“Makes sense. He's been wanting to shed that ‘Hero of Ikaruga’ title for a long time now.”

“Yeah. I kind of knew that inviting Jin and Kokonoe would be a long shot, but I sent the invites anyway. How's Bullet, Litchi, and Trinity?”

“They've all been valuable assets to Sector Seven. Right now, they’re helping Kokonoe with the project and working on a vessel for Sena and Luna.”

“That’s great to hear. Though I was quite surprised that Bullet joined the Sector due to her animosity toward Kokonoe.”

“That’s because she thought Kokonoe killed me, when in fact, that’s the opposite. Kokonoe is my savior, regardless of what anyone says, and Bullet is now a living reminder that I was once human.” Tager smiled. “I’ve lost a lot from the Ikaruga Civil War, but my life isn’t gone yet.”

“That’s the spirit. Hopefully, Jin and Kokonoe can come next year.”

“You actually thought less of me, huh?”

Turning to the voice behind him, Tager saw a blond swordsman in blue with a sneer on his face.

“Jin!” Noel quickly hugged him.

Jin was taken aback but decided to reluctantly pat her head. “You haven’t changed at all, have you, Noel?”

Noel shook her head. “I’m so glad you came! Mother would be so glad that we’re unit—”

A tall, white-haired man in red, with one green and one red eye, appeared in their minds, making them groan.

“Are you alright?” Tager asked.

Jin brushed it off. “I’m fine.”

“What about you?”

Noel did not. “I’m not in danger, but for some reason, I keep having this flash in my mind lately—a person popping in and out, even.”

Noticing his sister’s distressed state, Jin took Noel’s hand. “Come on, let’s go.”

“Go where exactly?”

“I think I see Mai in the distance. You two should catch up.”

“W-Wh-What!?”

“Don’t make me regret it.”

Tager’s smile returned as he saw the older sibling making strides to connect with his family and wished Kokonoe would do the same.

*Buzz, buzz*

And speaking of that, Tager activated his receiver. “Kokonoe, this is Tager... I’m at the church right now... What?” As the call progressed, Tager’s face grew into a state of shock. “EVERYONE! THERE’S A HUGE BLAST COMING OUR—”

*BOOM!*

But it was too late. The blast caught up to them, and the church was destroyed. Everyone who came was now falling into blue portals as their worldview blurred.

Sector Seven

"Tager! TAGER!" There was no answer, much to Bullet’s horror at her former captain. When Kokonoe looked at the screens, she saw why.

"Good... God. TRINITY, WHERE’S TSUBAKI!?"

"Here!" Kokonoe looked at Trinity, who held a heart-shaped staff. Beside her were a boy, a girl, and Tsubaki Yayoi with a briefcase.

"We need to evacuate Kagutsuchi, now! I’m going to contact Imperator Homura and—"

*WHOOSH!*

A portal opened up and tried to suck everyone in.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!" The kids got sucked in.

"LUNA, SENA!"

Trinity dove toward them, along with Tsubaki. Kokonoe grabbed Tsubaki by the briefcase, Bullet grabbed Kokonoe, and Litchi grabbed Bullet. This formed a human chain consisting of Litchi, Bullet, Kokonoe, Tsubaki, Trinity, and the kids.

"PULL! HARDER! HOT PANTS!"

"CAN YOU LIKE NOT MAKE ME WANT TO LET YOU GO THEN, YOU DAMN KITTEN!?"

"THIS IS NOT THE TIME!"

Tsubaki looked at Kokonoe, who was losing her grip. "Oh no. The secret project!" Tsubaki then looked at Trinity and the kids.

"I’M SCARED!"

"LUNA DOESN’T WANNA DIE!"

"IT’S OKAY, KIDS! JUST HANG ON!"

Tsubaki’s mind raced. "There’s no way we’re going to pull everyone back up, and if the case falls in there, everything will be for nothing."

Taking a breath, Tsubaki looked at Trinity with an apologetic expression. Trinity turned just in time to see the look and gasped, anticipating her action. The action in question was letting go of the briefcase. Time slowed as Kokonoe, Bullet, and Litchi were flung across the room with the briefcase, while Tsubaki shed tears of remorse for potentially dooming herself, Trinity, Luna, and Sena as they fell.

"I’m sorry."

The portal closed. THUD! Everyone collected their bearings from what had transpired.

"Tsubaki..."

"She sacrificed herself, along with Trinity and the kids, to save the project."

A stream of frustration flowed out of Kokonoe. "No. No, No, No, No, No, NO!"

She tried to communicate through her dashboard. "Jin Kisaragi! This is Kokonoe of Sector Seven! Come in, Jin Kisaragi!" There was no response. She tried someone else. "Come on, come on, please pick up, anyone! Imperator Homura, this is Kokonoe!" No response. "Kagura Mutsuki, this is Kokonoe!" No response. "Hibiki Kohaku!" None. "Bang Shishigami!" Still nothing. She reached down to the last person she ever wanted to contact. "I can’t believe it’s come to this... Jubei, this is Kokonoe! Come in, Jubei, please respond!" There was silence. "Jubei! JUBEI!!" With so much reluctance, she tried one last method of contact with him. "DAD!!!" There was no response. All Kokonoe could do was stare. "No... Not him, too..." Her fangs clenched as tears started to form in her eyes. "WHAT THE *SLAM*/FUCK IS GOING ON!?"

Earlier: Alucard Castle

As Rachel was about to return to her room, a noise rang out, particularly an explosion.

*BOOM!*

The ringing rattled in her head as she raced down the hall to see a human-sized wolf fighting a horde of robots. "Valkenhayn!?"

"GET OUT OF HERE, RACHEL ALUCARD! THIS ARMY IS TOO MUCH!"

Rachel was in shock. Her butler never yelled, let alone at her. This might be a battle he couldn’t win. She attempted to reply, "But I—"

However, she was cut off. "CAN’T FIGHT ANYMORE, REMEMBER!? YOU MUST GO NOW!!"

There was no way around it. Rachel was facing an enemy so powerful that they were on par with one of the legendary Six Heroes. She ran as the wolf-form Valkenhayn continued fighting the horde. But no matter how many he fought, there were always more. Worse, they knew his moves—they had been countering them until they found an opening.

"These underhanded tactics... There’s only one man who can keep me on my toes with that kind of fighting, and he’s—"

*MULTIPLE EXPLOSIONS!*

Multiple robots destroyed half the castle. Valkenhayn got up and was instantly restrained. Struggling against the muzzle and binds, his mind raced about the familiar attacks until he heard a voice.

"Relius would be ecstatic to see his friend, rival, and enemy caged up like the dog you are."

Emerging from the horde was a familiar boy with a robot. Valkenhayn recognized him instantly.

"You!"

*SLAM!*

The robot knocked Valkenhayn out.

Rachel was running, with a big black cat and a red fat bat in tow.

"Mistress, you’re running!?" the cat asked.

"I don’t know what’s more serious, the castle attack or your depowered sta—GAK!" Rachel grabbed the bat as she mounted herself on the cat.

"Gii, if you’re not going to have your priorities straight, then I’m not allowing you to talk. Nago, take us to the basement, now."

"Yes, Mistress."

Nago carried Rachel to the basement where she had been earlier and saw the machine with the rainbow rhombus with the glyphs activated. She moved the glyphs around, and they formed a crest that could best be described as a rose with bat wings. Once it disappeared, Rachel stood a few feet away from the rhombus.

"*Muffling!*"

Gii was trying to speak. Rolling her eyes, she let him go. "This better be good, Gii."

"Mistress, are you sure you wanna do this?"

"He’s right. Clavis had that thing sealed away for a reason."

Rachel looked at the rhombus and heard the rumbling upstairs. She sighed. "This object must never fall into the wrong hands." "Sorry, Father, but I have to do this."

She took the rhombus and turned to leave, only to find herself standing before the boy and his robot. Gii and Nago gasped as Rachel sent a glare.

"No way..."

"Carl Clover."

The boy smiled. "How reassuring. I thought you’d confuse me with my father."

"I got confirmation on Relius’s disappearance. There’s now only one person in the world outside of the Six Heroes and my father who can get the jump on Valkenhayn."

"Correction."

*Snap!*

On cue, the robot pulled a rope with enough force to drag the restrained and unconscious Valkenhayn to the ground beneath Carl’s feet. "Defeated Valkenhayn."

Gii and Nago were now horrified as Rachel's eyes narrowed. "What do you want?" she asked with a hint of anger.

"What I want are three things, which can be best described as a short-term goal, a mid-term goal, and a long-term goal. The long-term goal is to give this world a merciful end. Relius often used people as tools, and after seeing the Boundary, along with learning the truth about the Master Unit, I can’t blame him. All of us suffered from an immature unit who wanted a knight to save her like she was a princess from a fairy tale, with no regard for the consequences. We may be free from her deluded fantasy, but we’re all still affected—and the best example is me and my mid-term goal." Carl gestured to his robot. "Nirvana. An automaton, Nox Nyctores, is powered by an innocent soul. My sister’s soul." He said this with a hint of venom. "My father turned her into a weapon, and when everything was said and done, everyone’s story was resolved—BUT MINE!" A tear rolled down his cheek. "Well, that’s going to change. I’m going to reset this world back to zero. That way, there will be no more seithr, no more Black Beasts, and no more Boundary."

Rachel scoffed. "You plan on destroying the Boundary? Pray tell, how do you plan to achieve such a maddening, fever dream?"

"I’ll start with my short-term goal."

Carl pointed to the rhombus in Rachel’s hand, making her realize his plan. "Your father’s prized possession. A crystal containing the ultimate observational power—the Keystone."

Rachel now clutched the Keystone tighter. "This Keystone was made by my father to perform cross-dimensional observation and the creation of new possibilities. It was made to free me from being a Bystander, not a weapon."

"Then why did he hide it? Why didn’t he ever use it?"

"Because he was afraid of it falling into the wrong hands. The Master Unit’s intended sword was the best example of this notion, along with your father."

Carl clenched his fist. "Do not call that bastard my father. He used souls as weapons and tools!"

"And I suppose you’re not doing the same thing? The fact that you took down Valkenhayn means you’ve been making Nox Nyctoreses—the same weapons that use souls as fuel."

Carl looked away in shame. "I know... but I have nothing left now. Except for the stone. With it, I can observe the possibilities of Ada being human—and bring her back here. I can restore everyone, even! Everyone who died, everyone who suffered. All of those bad possibilities will be rendered asunder. And all you have to do is give it to me."

Rachel was conflicted. On one hand, this meant solving the mystery of the lost sword she kept seeing in her mind. But on the other hand, it meant breaking her father’s last will to her. "I can’t do that. Even if there is less than a 1% chance, I won’t risk breaking my father’s last promise to me. I’m sorry for your loss, Carl Clover."

Gii and Nago could only stare. "Mistress Rachel is APOLOGIZING!?" "She’s taking the Keystone’s safety more seriously than we thought."

Carl was taken aback. He was expecting resistance, not an apology. Even so, this was not the outcome he wanted, so all he had to say was:

"I’m sorry, too, Rachel Alucard. You are trying to fulfill your father’s last wish—and I didn’t even realize." Rachel kept her guard up and glanced at Gii and Nago. Her eyes shifted above them, then back to them, much to their confusion. "How similar we are in that regard. GET HER!"

Rachel threw the Keystone into the air, making Gii and Nago realize her true plan. Time slowed as they ran to try and catch it, but Carl’s Noxes were gaining. Gii was able to avoid them due to his size, but Nago wasn’t so lucky and was restrained. As the stone now fell toward the ground, Gii attempted to catch it with his feet, but a Nox bot grabbed him by the wing while another bot flew toward the stone. Gii looked back and saw Rachel and Nago being restrained by the bots. Acknowledging that it was up to him, he did the only thing he could—much to Carl’s dismay—use his wing to change the trajectory of the stone and have it smash against a wall, causing a rainbow explosion.

"NO!"/*SMASH!*

*BOOM!* 

Darkness surrounded the area. Valkenhayn woke up with his restraints and muzzle destroyed and saw the aftermath of the explosion. The Noxes bots were destroyed, the castle was in ruins, there were rainbow-colored cracks in the air, and Rachel, Gii, Nago, Carl, Nirvana, and the Keystone were nowhere to be seen. All he could do was fall to his knees and howl in despair.

"No... NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"

Chapter Text

The Velvet Room

The music is gone. The room, dim and trembling, breathes cold silence. The endless blue has flickered into static. Elizabeth stands alone in the chair meant for guests, not attendants. Her expression is unreadable, but her grip tightens around her book.

"A breach... here of all places."

The usual chairs—Margaret's, Theodore's, and even Igor's high throne—are empty. Worse than empty. Dim. As though the soul signatures that gave them meaning have been muted, stolen.

"He didn't just take them. He bypassed the doors."

A faint tremor runs through the room. Elizabeth snaps her fingers. A fragment of a soul—Margaret's, perhaps—flickers in the air, distorted like a torn film reel.

"This was deliberate. A punishment? A message? Or… a test?"

She rises. The Velvet Room responds weakly—its power flickering, flickering.

"You've broken the rules of this place, stranger. And in doing so… you've permitted me to break a few more,"

Elizabeth declared with narrow eyes, as the cracked and damaged room continued its blue hue, flickering while a crack swallowed her whole, like she knew what was coming.

Junes Food Court, Inaba

The Investigation Team sits around a table. Empty dishes. Laughter fading. Yu Narukami looks out toward the sky. "The clouds aren't red, but something about the air is wrong."

"...So then she throws the cabbage at me like I'm the villain! Like I haven't suffered enough, man," Yosuke Hanamura complained.

"You are the villain, Yosuke. Crimes against vegetables," Chie Satonaka declared.

"Crimes against vegetables? Pthf… Hahahahahahahahah! That's not how justice works, Chie," Yukiko Amagi laughed.

*BOOM!*

An explosion shook the ground beneath them, interrupting their chatter.

"...Did any of you feel that?"

The group paused. The wind died. For a second, the soundscape shifted—like static—before snapping back to normal.

"That wasn't a local tremor. That was metaphysical. Like the TV World's fog—but colder," Naoto Shirogane deduced.

Teddie sniffed the air. "...I-I don't like this. Something touched the border between here and there. Not a Shadow. Not a Persona... something else."

Their phones buzzed. A message from the Shadow Operatives appeared on Yu's screen.

[The Velvet Room is silent. Attendants missing. Elizabeth has gone dark. We're coming to Inaba. Be ready.]

Everyone's blood ran cold.

"The Velvet Room? Isn't that supposed to be... untouchable?" Rise Kujikawa asked.

Naoto glanced upward mid-conversation, her voice trailing off as something glinted in her eyes. A thin shimmer, like heat rising off asphalt, wavered across the horizon.

"Not anymore."

The group followed her gaze. The air split—not loudly, but with a soundless rending, like cloth tearing behind thick glass. A black line crawled across the twilight sky, jagged and wrong, glowing faintly red at the edges.

Yosuke panicked. "Dude… is that the fog again? No—worse. What is that crack?"

The rift widened—not just in the sky, but through it, like someone slicing open a canvas. From within, a golden-yellow light pulsed.

"Th-That's not just some portal... It's like the sky itself's been hollowed out!" Teddie assessed

Suddenly, a shockwave burst from the crack. Not wind. Not heat. Just pressure—suffocating and wide, like something massive just looked down on them from the other side.

"What the hell's happening?!" Chie asked.

The world froze for one heartbeat. Birds stopped. Trees held their breath. A whisper bled from the rift, but it wasn't a voice—it was a presence, modulated like a glitched AI crossed with a god.

[IDENTITY: OBSERVER DETECTED. SIGNAL LOST. SYSTEM FAILURE. PROTOCOL 9 ENGAGED: HARMONIZE / NULLIFY / RESET.] Suddenly, the voice shifted. Glitched. Then steadied. [QUERY: STATUS OF KEYSTONE – FRAGMENTS MISSING. DESIGNATED HOLDERS – UNKNOWN. LOCATE: PIECES / INTEGRATE: CORE.] Silence followed. Just the wind.

Kanji was confused. "Did it say... keystone?"

"Keystone...? That's a new one," said Yu.

"And not a word that should be coming from... whatever that is," Naoto inquired.

Teddie whimpered. "It sounded like it wants it back! But... from who?!"

Naoto thought aloud. "That voice expected us to know what a keystone is. Or worse—it thinks one of us has a piece."

The sky continued to flicker, the crack like a bleeding wound. Everyone watched, breathless.

Then, System XX spoke again. [SCAN COMPLETE. SUBJECTS: NON-INDEXED. NO RECOGNITION OF DESIGNATED TERM: 'KEYSTONE'. STATUS: OBSOLETE. ACTION: STIMULATE ENVIRONMENT.]

Yu raised an eyebrow. "Stimulate...?"

The rift screeched—a sound like radio static being torn in half. Then, twin vortexes spiraled open at either end of the crack. One glowed steel-blue, mechanical. The other, oily black-purple, twisting like a Shadow's fog.

"Incoming—multiple readings!" Rise shouted.

From the steel vortex, Nox Nyctores-style automatons descended. Each bore a different form—some humanoid, others spider-like, serpentine, aerial. Their chassis glowed with eerie runes, and they moved in stiff, haunted rhythm. From the dark vortex: Shadows. Not minor ones. Massive, corrupted, mutated forms. Some resembled twisted animals, others mimicked people—like reflections from a funhouse mirror set on fire. The Investigation Team was familiar with the Shadows, but the Nox Nyctores were a different story.

"What the—Are those robots!?" "What the hell kind of team-up is this?!" Chie and Yosuke asked.

A Nox drone slammed into the ground beside them. Its voice was emotionless, echoing with hollow logic: [Keystone location required. If not found, extract cognition. All cognition.]

A Shadow reared up behind it and devoured the drone, only to grow larger and turn on the group. These two forces weren't allies—they were chaos incarnate, competing to dominate Inaba like it was a battlefield simulation.

Rise whipped out her phone. "I-I'm sending an SOS to Mitsuru! This isn't just a Shadow outbreak—it's a warzone!"

Yu drew his card. It shimmered violently, reacting to the dimensional instability. "Then we fight. Together. PERSONA!"

He crushed the card—Izanagi roared to life. The rest of the team followed suit, standing shoulder to shoulder as the streets of Inaba became a collision point for horrors beyond their world.

As the battle began, above it all, the crack in the sky continued to bleed, watching, waiting. [MERGE. ADAPT. RESET.]

Shadow Operatives Headquarters

Red alert klaxons screamed through the facility. Maps and surveillance footage flickered on massive digital screens. All eyes were locked on one zone: INABA. Mitsuru Kirijo stood at the command platform. Calm. Controlled. Deadly focused.

Akihiko Sanada leaned forward over the railing, fists clenched. "Mitsuru-san, we've confirmed multiple non-Shadow signatures in the town's perimeter! The first wave resembled anti-human constructs—advanced mechanized units. The second wave is Shadow-class, but unstable. Aggressive."

"Estimated threat level?"

"Unknown. All readings are outside standard parameters. It's not like anything we've faced. Not even the P-1 incidents."

"You mean they're worse."

Akihiko punched his palm. "Damn it… Yu and the others are caught in the middle again."

"I'm picking up distortions in spatial-temporal structure. It's like the whole area's been ripped open from both sides. These things—whatever they are—they're not all from one source."

Labrys spoke up. "We may be witnessing a dimensional breach… from more than one foreign system."

Mitsuru summarized, "Wait—I just picked up a pulse."

Fuuka Yamagishi pointed at the screen. "A name repeated inside the signal that caused the rupture. System... System XX."

Mitsuru's eyes narrowed. "Dispatch strike teams to Inaba. All Shadow Operatives are now on full alert. And trace that name. I want to know everything about this 'System XX'—even if it doesn't exist in our world."

"I'll go myself. Someone's targeting our people—and I'm not letting it happen again," Akihiko volunteered.

Mitsuru nodded. "Go. Protect them. And if this thing came from another world… we'll find out how—and why now."

The looming screens still showed the crack above Inaba, and the Shadows clashing against glowing machines.

Inaba

The sky above Inaba shuddered. Then it happened—not one, but dozens of rips in the fabric of space, stretching in every direction. Cracks forked across the clouds like lightning with no thunder. System XX spoke as if addressing multiple dimensions: [CORRECTION PROTOCOL ACTIVE. SUBJECTS SELECTED. EXTRACTION INITIATED.]

The first crack erupted directly over the battlefield in Inaba. Yu Narukami gripped his sword, but the ground beneath him vanished. He fell into light.

"YU—!"

Yosuke lunged forward, but his outstretched hand was caught by another crack forming horizontally. It tore open like a spinning saw blade. He was gone.

Chie and Yukiko spun to react, back-to-back. A surge of Shadows closed in—only for the sky to drop around them like a trapdoor.

"YUKIKO—" / "CHIE—" They vanished, screaming each other's names.

Kanji, mid-headbutt on a mechanical drone, was frozen mid-motion as the very air distorted and sucked him sideways, like a vacuum into space. "WOAH!"

Naoto tried to stay calm but was quickly losing her composure.

"Everyone, fall back! We need to—!" But she was cut off. Her voice was the last thing anyone heard before she was ripped backward into a sideways spiral, gun first.

Rise and Teddie were the only ones left. "We need to run. WE NEED TO RUN!"

They ran as fast as they could, but the crack above them pulsed like a heartbeat and swallowed the two users feet-first. Teddie grabbed onto the ledge. "Climb, Rise-chan! CLIMB!"

Rise did just that, making it out of the rift, and faced Teddie. "Okay, Teddie, I'll pull you out, and—"

"WATCH OUT!" Teddie screamed as a Nox was about to strike Rise.

"YIPE!"

She dodged out of the way, but as a result, Teddie let go and fell into the portal. "TEDDIE!"

"STAY ALIVE!"

Rise's eyes filled with tears. "I'm... the last one... For all I know, I'm the last one..."

Grabbing her microphone stand, she got into a fighting stance. Despite her nerves, she was ready to fight with her persona, Himiko, by her side.

That was, until a limo crashed in.

CRASH!*

The bot broke apart from the impact. The door opened to reveal Fuuka inside.

"Fuuka-senpai!?"

"Hurry, Rise-san!"

Rise got in, and the limo drove off. She hugged Fuuka tightly as she cried.

"They're gone! ALL OF THEM ARE GONE! Teddie, Naot,o and Kanji-kun, and even Yukiko, Chie, Yosuke, and Yu-senpai!"

All Fuuka could do was comfort her by giving her the good news.

"They're still alive, Rise-san."

"What?"

"It's faint, but I can still detect them, just like how I can still detect Mitsuru, Akihiko, Aigis, and Labrys."

As much as this made Rise happy, something caught in her mind.

"Still detect? What happened to them?"

Fuuka sighed. "The cracks invaded HQ..."

Earlier: Shadow Operatives Headquarters

In Shadow Operative HQ, the command room started trembling. Labrys turned as the holograms flickered and bent unnaturally.

"No—NO! I can't override it!"

She reached for a terminal, but the rift opened inside the room, dragging her into the screen itself. Akihiko barely had time to shout her name before a second rupture clawed through the wall like a cleaver. He vanished in a flash of red. Mitsuru stood fast, cold as steel—but even she could not resist. The floor beneath her split, and the last thing seen was her eyes locked on the sky, lips unmoving as she fell. Somewhere nearby, Aigis knelt in a destroyed alleyway. She opened her hand toward a child she had been protecting. The child was safe—Aigis was not. The crack pulled her through like a magnet for data.

Present

"...I was ordered to take you all to headquarters, but in light of all of this, I'm taking you to Junpei, Yukari, Ken, and Koromaru. They're fighting off the invasion as we speak." Rise smiled weakly, and Fuuka nodded reassuringly. She turned to the driver. "I appreciate you doing this, Natsuki."

The driver turned, revealing a tan redhead. "Why are you thanking me? You know damn well I'll do anything for my girl. And besides..." Her voice turned coy. "You owe me a trip to your private garden."

Fuuka blushed profusely. "Suki!"

Natsuki laughed lightly as Rise quickly turned to her phone to ignore the conversation. She scrolled through her gallery with the Investigation Team. She stopped at a sole picture of Yu and breathed heavily.

"I have faith in you, Senpai. Give that cosmic horror show hell."

Inaba Prison

A man named Tohru Adachi was holed up in a jail cell in Inaba after committing a string of murders for fun. Each day had been the same for him: wake up, go outside, do labor, earn gum as actual currency, eat, and sleep. There was only one person who ever visited him—his old boss, Ryotaro Dojima, even though Adachi had nearly killed his daughter. Adachi didn't understand Dojima's forgiveness at all, but he ended up looking forward to the visits anyway, purely because they offered a change of pace. Especially since he planned on keeping his word to the Investigation Team about following the rules of this boring world. Something that pissed him off.

*BOOM!*

"GAH! WHAT!?"

An explosion occurred, grabbing his attention. Adachi looked out the barred window and saw a crack in the sky. Multiple cracks started appearing, and in fact, a big one formed directly beneath his feet. All he could do was sigh, unable to hold onto the bars forever.

"...And here I thought things couldn't get weirder. Or more boring."

He let go—and was swallowed into the portal.

Chapter Text

Kanzakai Outer City Alley

In a shadowy alley of Kanzakai, there was an eerie sense of foreboding as a violent purple crack suddenly split the sky. The rift ripped through space-time and sent an enormous wave of distortion, tearing through the atmosphere. Akatsuki, recently thawed from the iceberg, stood motionless in the alley, eyes scanning the distortions flooding the city.

"What…is this…?"

Confused but on alert, he sensed the ripples in reality as the atmosphere bent unnaturally around him. He stared at the crack in the sky, still unsure about how he had arrived in this place.

"So… this is Kanzakai. How long have I been out?"

The rift expanded wider, and more cracks appeared in the surrounding area. From one, a shadow-like presence emerged, flickering in and out of reality—an eerie distortion formed from the Night. At the same moment, a woman in purple emerged from a nearby intersection, her expression unreadable. She didn't seem shocked by the chaotic event unfolding around her.

"This... is not supposed to happen. At least, not here. It seems we are not the only ones to be affected by this disturbance."

Akatsuki, now noticing her, moved closer, a feeling of dread settling in his stomach. "Who… are you?"

The woman hesitated for a moment, then gave a faint nod, sensing the question was not one of interest but of necessity.

"I am Eltnam. But that is not the issue at hand right now. We're facing something far larger than we're prepared for."

A loud cracking sound, like thunder tearing through the world, filled the air. The rift in the sky grew larger, distorting the cityscape around them. Akatsuki and Eltnam exchanged a glance as they felt the distortion pull at them, as though the world itself were being ripped apart.

Akatsuki gritted his teeth. "You've got to be kidding me…"

Without warning, another dimensional fracture opened directly above them. Shadows flooded the area, viciously attacking the first life forms they found: a massive creature formed of nightmarish, writhing limbs and black mist, charging down the alley toward Akatsuki and Eltnam.

"Get ready, Akatsuki."

"Wait—how did you—Never mind."

Akatsuki activated his powers, electricity materializing around him as he prepared for the fight. Eltnam, too, drew on her arcane knowledge, summoning barriers and creating glowing runes in the air.

"So, that's how it's going to be, huh?"

Abandoned Shrine Hideout

Dark energy pulsed from the sky. Hyde gripped the Insulator as Voids lurched through the rift, followed by Shadows and a Nox unit, thrumming with corrupted programming.

"This isn't the Hollow Night anymore... What the hell are these things?"

"Stay sharp. They're not Void-born, but they are just as deadly," Linne instructed.

A surge of steel sliced the air—Yuzuriha appeared, smirking with casual confidence.

"Man, I take one detour from my noodle run and stumble on an apocalypse. You two always throw the best parties."

They engaged the intruders as the rift destabilized the shrine, already a forgotten relic of older Night Blade wars.

Mountain Dojo Ruins

Snowfall halted. Time seemed to tremble as a rift opened. Waldstein, arms folded, watched as Nox automatons and Void-choked Shadows crawled across the frozen earth.

"Another war? Then let the young rest... and the old rise."

He lunged into the wave, primal strength shaking the mountain, holding back the tide through sheer might.

Autonomous Observation Site

Deep beneath the surface, in a sterile facility powered by artificial energy, Vatista monitored the Hollow Night.

[Cross-dimensional contamination. Logic error: simultaneous threat types detected. Initiating suppression protocol.]

Energy barriers activated around her. Nox missiles tore through steel corridors while Voids phased into walls. She floated forward, gem-like eyes flickering as radiant blasts sliced through them.

Makeshift Bar Outskirts

In the back of a smoky, neon-lit bar on the outskirts of town, Gordeau enjoyed a quiet drink as he leaned on his scythe, having just fended off a small Void swarm.

"Heh. You Void freaks just don't know when to quit."

*BOOM!*

His glass shattered as a gash in space ruptured above him—this one not Void-made. A mix of Shadows and Nox bots descended in a coordinated strike.

"That's new."

Gordeau spun his scythe, ready for battle.

City Slums

Voids and Noxes crashed into abandoned buildings. Carmine cracked his knuckles, blood swirling freely.

"I don't know what the hell you things are… but I'm gonna paint this whole street with what's inside ya."

He rushed headlong into chaos, grinning maniacally.

Inner-City Alley

Hollow howling filled the alley. Merkava emerged, body writhing unnaturally, as a Shadow attempted to possess him, only to get shredded in the process.

"Darkness... devouring darkness... I won't go quietly."

He plunged into the growing swarm, instincts sharpening into savagery.

Splinter Cell Safehouse

Below ground, a former Night Blade dojo turned rogue hideout flickered under backup lights. Seth, leaning against the wall, watched the feed of multiple rifts opening at once.

"Tch. So this is how the old world ends."

He vanished, daggers drawn, phasing through the invasion with deadly precision—silent, merciless, and alone.

Amnesia Central Hall

A vast room with shifting chains and ethereal runes. Hilda lounged on her throne as Shadow and Nox figures breached reality. She smiled darkly.

"What elegant guests we have. And here I thought the Void was dramatic…"

With a flick of her wrist, spectral chains bound dozens of enemies midair. The room twisted with her EXS, like a spiderweb laced with venom.

Licht Kreis Tower

A pristine cathedral-fortress pierced the sky. Voids, Shadows, and machines converged on it from all sides. Alarm bells echoed.

Orie summoned Thanatos.. "These monsters... This is not the Hollow Night we protect. Mika, to arms!"

Mika slammed her gauntlets together.. "Time for Operation Purge-the-Scary-Stuff! LET'S GO, ORIE!"

Their synergy turned the cathedral steps into a battlefield of radiant light and explosions. But the pressure grew—the rift expanded above them. Every faction fought in isolation, defending what little order remained. As the sky continued to tear, a massive central rift formed above the Hollow Night, visible to all.

[Keystone fragments—error: not found. Initiate purge protocol. Commence assimilation.]

Ruins of the First Night Blade Temple

Surrounded by enchanted relics and ritual seals, Kuon stood calmly amid a storm of static and black flame. As the fabric of space tore, a jagged portal opened in front of him.

"So the void dares challenge the true origin…?"

Chains forged from pure logic and entropy lurched out, binding him midair. He resisted—but it was futile. The entire temple folded into the rift with him, swallowed like an afterthought.

Kanzakai Outer City Alley

The creature lunged at them with a guttural roar, but Akatsuki sidestepped and landed a quick blow with a punch. Eltnam followed up by shooting at the creature's dark limbs with her gun. The battle was intense, but as they fought, it became clear that there was more happening in the background than just their immediate skirmish.

"This is too much. What's going on here? Why are these things here?!" Akatsuki shouted.

"These… aren't the same as the typical entities we deal with. Something is pulling them through. There's a larger force at work," Eltnam answered.

Before they could react, the sky ripped open once more. A voice rang out across dimensions, carrying an unnatural echo. [Keystone fragments—error: not found. Initiate purge protocol. Commence assimilation.]

Akatsuki felt the air shift again—he knew he wasn't supposed to hear that voice, but there it was, powerful and ominous.

"What…was that?"

"That voice... It's not from our world," Eltnam whispered.

An orange vortex formed behind them. Chains of entropy erupted, snaring Eltnam and dragging her backward despite her resistance.

"Hmph... Cowards."

Akatsuki launched toward her, but the portal warped around him too. Their surroundings inverted, and both vanished in a flash of orange.

Suddenly, purple portals opened at every major battlefield. Characters were yanked mid-motion, mid-battle, mid-breath. Hyde, Linne, and Yuzuriha defended the shrine before it split beneath them. Linne vanished, and Yuzuriha was being pulled in.

"LINNE! YUZU!" Hyde tried to rescue them, but failed as he was pulled into the rift.

Waldstein swatted enemies with a boulder-sized fist before a portal opened at his feet. "RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH!" he roared as he fell.

Vatista calmly computed probabilities before being swallowed by the rift.

Gordeau landed a few hits, but a black-tethered claw grabbed his weapon, holding it mid-spin. The portal yawned wide beneath him—he didn't fight it. He was grinning. "Guess the party's movin'. Lead the way." He fell in.

Carmine's reaction was the polar opposite. "I just started having fun!" Gone.

Merkava struggled against the Shadows until a black chain yanked him by the neck.

Seth eyed a portal while skewering a Nox bot. "Tch... looks like my turn." He stepped in without hesitation.

Hilda let the portal consume her throne. "Curious. Let's see who dares summon the queen."

And finally, Mika was pulled mid-air during a charge, yelling, "NOT AGAINNNNN—!"

"MIKA!" Orie called her name before a rift engulfed her, too, as the last rift swallowed the Hollow Night.

[Keystone fragments… converging. Universal locks: disengaged. Initiating Collapse Phase One.]

Chapter Text

The Domain of Darkness

Somewhere deep within the Domain of Darkness—an ominous, dark chamber lined with Grimm growth and black stone. The inner sanctum of the enemy's war council. A black witch named Salem gazes into the seething black pool.

"Everything is falling into place. The Fall Maiden will be ours... and Beacon, next."

Arthur Watts taps away at a holographic screen. Hazel stands like a silent wall near the edge of the room. Tyrian paces like a mad hound, grinning ear to ear.

"Emerald’s illusion is set. The girl’s anger will ignite a storm," Watts summarizes.

"Still feels like too much risk," Hazel disapproves.

"But such delicious risk! Chaos always has the sweetest flavor," Tyrian laughs.

*BOOM!*

A sudden pulse echoes through the chamber, silencing all voices. The black pool begins to bubble. The entire room darkens, and above them, a rift forms in midair, violet and red like a bleeding scar across dimensions.

Salem is alarmed but calm. "This is not... Ozpin’s doing."

A distorted, mechanical voice begins to crackle from the rift. [Anomaly detected. Entropy-rich signatures found. Capturing dimensional threats… fragment convergence in progress.]

Salem’s eyes narrow. She raises a hand—Grimm tentacles surge upward to block the rift. But they're shredded in an instant by jagged, code-like chains.

Watts is going through his screen profusely. "What is this? Who’s accessing—?"

A black lance made of pure glitch pierces the chamber. One wraps around Watts. Another lashes Hazel’s leg and pulls him down like a weightless doll. Tyrian’s laughter turns to manic shrieking.

"No fair—I was going to cause the panic today!"

Salem’s eyes glow as she begins to shout, "This world will not be taken!"

But it is. All four are ripped into the vortex. The rift closes, leaving behind a pulsing glyph on the floor, slowly fading like a brand burned into reality.

Amity Coliseum

Just as Yang Xiao Long winds up to strike, everything slows. The camera zooms in on Yang’s attempted punch on a defenseless student, until—

*BOOM!*

A massive tear splits the sky above the arena. A thunderclap of cosmic distortion silences the crowd. Yang’s fist halts mid-swing, trembling, and even Emerald’s illusion drops as everyone looks up.

"What… is that?!"

General James Ironwood turns on the radio. "All units! Eyes on the sky! This isn’t part of the broadcast!"

A white-haired principal with a cane can only stare in shock. "No… It’s begun."

Suddenly, the stadium loses power. Grimm, Voids, Shadows, and corrupted Nox units begin pouring from the crack above, along with an unnatural wind echoing the voice: [Keystone fragment not detected. Initiate convergence. RW-003: Infiltration active.]

The Fall of Beacon… never happens.

Chapter Text

Holy Spirit Institution
The city was quiet for once. After sealing off the Celestial Union's final anomalies, Heart Aino leaned back on the rooftop of the Holy Spirit Institution. She watched a bird glide by and giggled.

"I guess…we actually saved the world, huh?"

Not far below, Saki Tsuzura and Petra Johanna Lagerkvist inspected the sealed rift core, while Weiss, no longer possesse, —stood silently with Mildred Avallone, the once-hostile Drexler leader now working with the Spirit Regulation force. It was peaceful. Too peaceful.

*BOOM!*

Without warning, an explosion resulted from a jagged crack that split the sky, bled pink light like an open wound across reality. Everyone stopped. From the rift echoed a synthetic, chilling voice: [Keystone fragment not detected. Initiating sweep. Targets of dimensional influence prioritized for containment.]

Weiss turned first. "...That voice. It’s not from the Arcana."

Mildred’s eyes widened. "It’s not from this dimension at all."

Dozens of black-and-gold machines poured from the crack—Nox Nyctores doppelbots—and behind them, hungry Shadows, Voids, and Grimm slithered down like oil.

Petra summoned her rifle, firing at the nearest invader. "Tch. They're not from Drexler. They don’t belong anywhere."

Weiss fought them off with cursed energy. "Whatever they are, they’re hunting something."

The ground beneath Mildred and Weiss ruptured. Chains of light—the same ones that once held Arcana captive—shot from the sky and dragged both of them upward, despite their resistance.

"—No! Not again!!" Heart shouted, leaping after them.

Saki reached out. "Heart, wait—!"

But it was too late. As the chain-bound leaders vanished into the crack, another tear opened beneath Heart, swallowing her in a swirl of radiant pink and chaotic static. Then she was gone. The rift closed, leaving silence and scorched air in its wake, much to Saki's dismay.

"HEART!"

Darkness flickers. Then, starlight. Heart floats through an endless sky, her fists clenched as if mid-battle. Her Arcana, Partinias, glows faintly at her side—but says nothing. The world is silent, as though waiting to exhale.

"I’ve been here before… haven’t I? This doesn’t feel like Arcana anymore. It feels…" She pauses, floating past disjointed fragments of landscapes—cityscapes, shrines, ruined laboratories. "...like the dream of those girls I met. The ones from that other world!"

The sky warps. Suddenly, Ein appears, shooting at multiple targets, killing them instantly. Homura kneels, bloodied, trying to stand herself back up with her swords that burn in her hands. Ouka crash-lands on the ground with her panda and starts gearing up for a fight.

"Ein! Homura! Ouka! Wait!"

They don’t hear her. Their eyes are hollow, reflections of memories that don’t belong. The battlefield distorts. Sonico’s voice echoes faintly, her song distant and drowned in static. The sky darkens further.

"This isn’t real. That fight… it already ended. We won, didn’t we?"

From above, something massive begins to crack. A pink keystone, glowing with ancient energy, looms over the entire scene, then fractures, scattering pieces across the dreamscape like meteors.

"Heart...Aino..."

A voice rang out, much to Heart's confusion, "What the-A voice!?"

"You remember crossing worlds, you remember standing against the chaos, but you were only a spark."

"Who’s there?! Show yourself!"

The stars blink out. The voices stop. Partinias flares defensively as a black portal forms beneath her feet, swallowing the sky.

The dream collapses into whispers. "The war never ended. The keystone has shattered. Find the others… before they’re consumed."

Heart’s eyes snap open—she’s mid-jump, mid-attack—only to see that she's not at the Holy Spirit Institution anymore. She's falling through a pink portal and sees corrupted Arcanas, Nox robots, Voids, and more falling above her. A single piece of glowing debris—faintly resembling a pink rhombus—plummets past her as the invasion begins.

She doesn’t have time to react before an end portal forms underneath her, ejecting everything that entered through it into another world.

Heart thinks, "So that wasn't a dream. It's really déjà vu all over again, huh? Okay then. Round two—let’s go!" She dives toward the stone and leaves the portal.

Chapter Text

Asakusa: Asuka's apartment

A girl with short hair lay in bed with a sleeping mask on. She was breathing heavily and moaning softly. This was interrupted by a knock on the door.

*Knock, knock!*

She woke up. "Who's there?"

"It's me, Yumi."

"Yumi!?" "Oh crud!" Come in!"

The door opened to reveal a gray-haired girl with icy blue eyes in a gray school uniform.

"Asuka? Have you been in bed this whole time?"

"I… didn't get enough sleep last night," said a sweat-dropping Asuka, scratching the back of her head. A shiver ran up her spine, causing her to squirm.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, just feeling a bit under the weather. Sorry about that. I know how much this year's Christmas shopping means to you, especially since you reconnected with your sister. How is Fubuki, anyway?"

A bandaged woman in a brown cloak flashed in Yumi's mind. "She's alright. Especially since the Ninja Council determined that all sentient Yoma will be treated as citizens, as long as they follow the rules of this Earth. Much to some of the other ninjas' dismay." As she spoke, Asuka breathed slowly, heavily, and quietly. "It's been an entire year since that day, and I want our first proper Christmas together to be special."

*Smack!*

Asuka hit her sheets, drawing Yumi's concern.

"Sorry, thought there was a bug."

"Asuka, you should use a fly swatter if you're not going to grab it by the fingers."

"Got it. Are the girls at Gessen available?"

"I haven't even gotten them gifts yet."

"Well, you could bring just one."

"You're right, I can do that. However, as a shinobi, I prefer to take the stealthiest option I can get—and in this context, having you as my partner was my best choice. Ikaruga and Katsuragi graduated, Yagyuu and Hibari are joined at the hip in a romantic sense, and any interaction with the elite Hebijo students has a good chance of being awkward at best."

Asuka rubbed her arm. "Yeah, I can see where you're coming from. The Ryou twins are not even an option. Murasaki's a shut-in, and Imu would most likely join you if you were shopping for Miyabi. In fact, Miyabi is the most logical choice, but I bet she'd probably rather train or take Imu out for a date than shop for her rival team." Yumi giggled. "What's so funny?"

"I never thought I'd even entertain the thought of hanging out with Hebijo students, but here we are—and that's before getting into Homura's Crimson Squad. How's it been since the… disbandment?"

Noticing the shift in Yumi's tone, Asuka smiled reassuringly. "Everyone's doing well. Ikaruga and Yomi are eliminating poverty, Hikage is helping Katsuragi find her parents, and as for Mirai and Haruka—they've been loving their retirement together."

"What about Homura?"

"She's doing the same thing I've been doing since enrollment—mastering the path of the shinobi. And regardless of whether we're light or renegade shinobi, we're not going to die until we do it together."

Yumi smiled. "Alright, in that case, I'll take my leave." Yumi turned around

"Don't worry, I'll be down there. Just give me about… fifteen minutes—"

"Pardon the interruption, but I'll do this myself. You get some rest. And, Asuka," Yumi gave a knowing smile, "don't let your romance consume your duties as a shinobi."

*Click*

The door closed.

A few seconds later, Asuka raised her sheets. "She's gone, Homura—" She didn't get to finish. A tanned girl bit her on the neck like a snake striking a frog—hard enough to leave a mark, but not hard enough to draw blood. "Homura!"

"That wasn't very smart of you, granddaughter of Hanzo. Forming plans with another girl without telling me is one thing, but not even locking the door? And I think I remember telling you to place a sock on the doorknob, but you were so eager to let me ruin you, huh? Be honest with yourself, you love my ass, don't you?"

Asuka could deny it—say it's the other way around—but with them not even wearing anything, what was the point?

"*Sigh* I'm not even going to deny that."

Homura blinked. "Wait, what? Isn't this the part where you say no, then try to one-up me, and with enough rival banter, we have sex?"

"It is—but last night, you didn't do any of that. You went straight to kissing me, didn't give me time to think, as you proceeded to have my way with me without warning."

That made Homura wince. "Did I… scare you?"

"A little at first. But I decided to go along with it for two reasons. One—you were being gentle. You knew what you were doing was outside our usual routine. Otherwise, you'd have been rough instead. Two—you were distracted all through our date. And whenever you get like that, you try to avoid talking about it entirely. Yesterday was supposed to be our night, and you felt so guilty about not having me on your mind, you went straight to making love as an apology, didn't you?"

Homura sighed. "Leave it to my rival to thoroughly read me like a book."

Asuka's face hardened. "Homura. I'm not even going to kiss you unless you tell me what's going on."

Homura relented as she got off her. "I'm sorry, babe. I'll tell you what's on my mind. Just promise me you'll at least try to believe me. Because I'm having trouble believing it myself."

Asuka looked uncertain, then nodded. "Okay. Go ahead."

"There's this dream I keep having. I was… transported somewhere. Somewhere not of this world. This… other world had others pulled in, too. Female warriors, to be exact. And we were fighting this girl who was supposed to be a corrupted version of a book for some reason. And through the entire dream, my body was on autopilot. I fought without reason. Without conviction. I fought… like a hollow corpse."

Asuka gasped. Ever since Homura was betrayed and disowned, fighting was the only way she felt alive. Hearing that she didn't—it was a red flag. "Why?"

Tears welled in Homura's eyes. "That's the scary part, Asuka—I couldn't remember."

"What?"

"My memories were gone. I was a blank slate. I couldn't remember anyone—Suzune-sensei, Haruka, Mirai, Hikage, Yomi… and worst of all… you. At some point, I got my memory back, and I was furious. Being taken from you physically and mentally felt worse than when those two bastards betrayed me."

Asuka knew she meant her childhood confidant and her former principal, l—and chose not to press it.

"After trial and tribulation, I woke up in a cold sweat. Haruka and Mirai were at my side. I told them it was a bad dream—but it felt so real."

"Homura…"

"I honestly don't expect you to believe such a ridiculous story. Like I said, I can hardly believe it myself. But the thought of not remembering who I am… made me feel like I was dead—"

Asuka hugged her from behind, tears in her eyes.

"Asuka!?"

"I don't care if it was real or a fantasy! My strongest friend—no, my girlfriend-was—was carrying this the whole time, and I didn't even know!"

"Hey, I chose to keep it to myself. There's nothing you could've done except believe in me if you had known. Besides, didn't you tell Yumi that we'd master the path of the shinobi together before we die?"

"Yeah… I did."

"You're still here. And you make me feel even more alive than fighting."

Homura kissed her forehead. "We should leave and train soon. We'll continue this later." Homura walked to the door.

"Yeah. Don't want you to worry about me, after all."

Homura stopped. "Who said I'm worried?" She asked as she turned to Asuka

"Good point. But you were super mad about not being by my side."

Homura stutters, "T-th-tha-that's because I didn't even remember you! If it were physical separation, then whatever. We may be lovers—but we're still rivals, you know. I'm not clingy."

"Not unless someone else defeats me in battle. I wonder if you were so mad you started worrying I'd be defeated."

Homura's eyes narrowed. "What are you trying to say?"

Asuka's tone turned flirtatious. "You once said I'm yours to defeat, so…" She crossed her arms under her chest, pushing her breasts up. "…defeat me."

Rational thought fled Homura. She chuckled. "You're right, you are mine to defeat. You and your cheeky boobs!"

Homura pounced, pushing Asuka onto the bed with a grin that was all teeth and heat.

"Wait—are you wearing that already!? I was only here for three seconds!"

"Three seconds too long." Homura leaned in, her voice a low growl near Asuka's ear. "Any last words before I make you regret leaving me unsupervised?"

"Yeah," Asuka whispered with a smirk, matching her rival's energy. "You better not hold back."

Homura's laugh was feral, and her lips met Asuka's as the world around them slipped away—leaving only heat, rivalry, and the warmth of a bond stronger than any blade.

Asakusa streets

As Yumi walked down the streets, she pondered how the rest of her girls were doing. "Shiki might be helping Murakumo with her manga while Yozakura is supervising Minori for something childish again. Wait a second—why don't I call Gekko and Senko? They worship Fubuki after—"

*BOOM!*

A sound like glass breaking across the heavens. A massive green crack tore through the blue sky, fracturing like a spiderweb of light. Violet-red energy bled through the gap, followed by a deep, unfeeling voice: […Missing pieces detected. Commence retrieval.]

Yumi's breath caught. This wasn't a secret ninja art, nor Yoma—it was something far worse. Suddenly, her instincts flared—danger. Shadows pooled at her feet, forming into grotesque monsters with glowing yellow eyes. Sleek, metallic Nox Nyctores drones dropped from the tear above, and strange black entities—Voids—began warping into existence.

"What is this…?" she whispered, drawing her fan.

Before the swarm could descend, two blurs shot down from the treeline.

"Yumi!"

"You're not fighting this alone!"

It was Asuka and Homura, fully clothed, swords drawn, already cutting through the first wave. Despite their legs quivering due to their..."exotic" date earlier, they moved in sync beside her.

Yumi smirked. "Nice to see you two taking my advice to heart."

Asuka and Homura blushed in dismay. "You knew!?" "God damn it!"

"More are coming," Yumi points out. More invaders poured onto the scene. Blitzsoldiers, Drexler constructs, and now Yoma were taking over.

"We're surrounded."

Suddenly, bursts of energy lit up the slopes—blossoms of ice, wind, lightning, and steel. Asuka, Homura, and Yumi looked and saw the remaining members of their three factions. Standing behind them are other light shinobi from other factions such as Milky Pop, Zodiac Guiding Star Association, Amagi Sealing Congregation, and so many more.

"Homura, Yumi, look!"

"Now this is what I call a cavalry!"

"I'm amazed how fast you all got here. I expect nothing less from our squad."

"Don't count us out yet!"

Everyone turned to see a masculine girl with spiked white hair and golden eyes, along with four other girls. Behind them, an army of dark shinobi

"Miyabi!"

"You took your time getting here."

Miyabi scoffs, "Only because I want to make sure all members of Hebijo are accounted for this fight. So do you want our help or not, renegade?"

Yumi cut between the two. "Save it for after the battle, you two. Right now, we need to stop this invasion. Shinobi—TRANSFORMATION!"

Yumi pulled out a scroll, and in a light blue flash, her clothes disintegrated into sparkles, replaced by a white and light blue kimono.

Asuka nodded. "Everyone! Back-to-back! Watch each other's blind spots!"

From the clouds above, Grimm beasts, Blitzsoldiers, and even Drexler alchemic constructs joined the onslaught. The unnatural mix of enemy types overwhelmed even the most seasoned shinobi, (Yes this also means that some of the girls' outfits were starting to shred, to the point of exposing their T&A. This IS Senran Kagura after all) but, for Asuka, Homura, Yumi, and Miyabi, that was nothing compared to what they saw in the distance. Legendary shinobi were struck by beams of binding light from the rift: Kiriya, Master Sayuri, Hanzo, Daidouji, Rin, Gekkou, Senkou, and even Fubuki. They screamed, frozen mid-technique, then were pulled into crystalline containment shards and drawn into the rift.

"No!" Yumi reached out, but it was too late. All of the ninjas stared in shock and ceased movement.

However, a mental voice rang out in one of their heads. "They're still alive."

Homura's head. "What the!? Who's there?" She looked around for the source.

"I'm not an enemy. I'm part of the captives. Whatever you do, don't let anyone fall."

Miyabi's tone went dark. "I don't know what the hell's going on." A Void attempted to ambush her, only to be cut down. "But I'm not letting these things erase our legacy!"

As the sky split further, a rift tore open beneath their feet, glowing with unnatural energy.

"EVERYONE, JUMP!" Homura shouted.

Everyone did. However, a portal opened behind Yumi.

"YUMI, NO!"

Grabbing two recoiled ropes from under her skirt, Asuka leaped for Yumi and threw one end at her, the other to Homura, who grabbed it, joined by a few other ninjas from Hanzo, Gessen, and the Crimson Squad.

"FOCUS ON THE BATTLE! THEY'LL SAVE YUMI!" Miyabi commanded.

Asuka was hanging for dear life..

"YUMI, CLIMB!"

Nodding, Yumi did just that. Once she climbed above Asuka, the latter started climbing too. The ninjas on the other side pulled hard. It continued until the two were just feet away.

"Almost there!"

But before Homura could grab Yumi's hand, the portal closed, cutting the line.

"No…" Yumi whispered as she and a screaming Asuka fell to the other side..

Reactions to the loss of Asuka and Yumi were devastating, to say the least. The Hanzo and Gessen girls were horrified—at least one of them was on the brink of tears. Miyabi and her squad, though more stoic, still recognized the two shinobi not just as rivals, but as valuable allies in times of crisis. The Crimson girls were almost as distraught as Hanzo and Gessen, though their primary concern was Homura. She stood silently, staring at the spot where her girlfriend had fallen.

Her mind flashed back to their conversation in the apartment:
"Who said I'm worried?... If it were physical separation, then whatever. We may be lovers, but we're still rivals, you know...Didn't you tell Yumi that we'll master the path of the shinobi together before we die?"

"Yeah… I did... Mastering the path of the shinobi… and regardless of whether we're light or renegade, we're not going to die until we do it together."

Homura put away her swords. The invading horde surrounded her, much to her squad's panic as they rushed to help. But as the horde closed in, Homura took a deep breath as tears formed in her eyes.

"I won't die…"

Her hair turned red.

"Nor will my beloved Asuka…"

She drew her final sword, now bathed in crimson flame.

"Not until she and I…"

A tear streaked down her cheek, as Asuka's face flashed in her mind.

"Master the path of the SHINOBI!"

*BOOM!*

Crimson flames erupted and burned everything around Homura, much to the horde's dismay. The Crimson Squad halted their movements as Crimson Homura took center stage.

"LISTEN UP, EVERYONE! ASUKA AND YUMI ARE FINE! THEY'RE STRONG ENOUGH TO TAKE CARE OF THEMSELVES! OUR JOB HERE IS TO TAKE OUT THE INVADERS—EVEN IF IT MEANS ENDING UP IN ONE OF THEIR HOLES!"

"So you're not even going to try to rescue your girlfriend?" Miyabi asked, provoking Homura's ire.

"Don't put words in my mouth, Miyabi. You and your squad have a choice: remain here while the rest of us search for Asuka and Yumi, try to save as many people as possible, or at least gather intel on the bastards who managed to poach our sensei."

Miyabi smirked. "Get intel? Hebijo will do a lot more than that."

"Going to pick a fight with them, huh? And you call me hot-blooded."

The two morally complex shinobi leaders turned to their teams. "Each of you has a job to do. Fan out—and let's get it done!"

Everyone nodded and performed one last technique before disbanding.

"Shinobi—KEKKAI!"

A gigantic multicolored dome formed around Asakusa and trapped the crack. Hebijo headed for the massive rift in the sky, while Homura and the remaining shinobi jumped into the holes, much to the mysterious voice's dismay.

"You didn't follow my orders."

Homura smirked. "Sorry to tell you, Voice, but I'm a renegade shinobi. Nobody tells me what to do that easily."

"In that case… try to find the other world warriors you encountered before."

Homura's eyes widened. "Wait—so that WASN'T a dream?!" There was no response. "Wow. PERFECT time to shut up!"

Asuka's image appeared again in her mind, hardening her expression.

"Wait for me, Asuka. We may be rivals—but we're still lovers. And I'm not letting you fall that easily."

With crimson flames blazing behind her, Homura propelled herself toward the hole leading to the other side.

Chapter Text

Sector Seven

Deep within a sealed-off sector of Sector Seven's underbelly—a reinforced prison chamber designed to suppress the Mad Dog.

*BOOM!*

An explosion rang out, making the chains groan. Azrael stirred, muscles flexing against the reinforced bindings. His eyes snapped open, gold with hunger.

“...That smell.”

From the darkness, the crack in the sky bled through the walls—not literally, but as an instinct. A disturbance. A challenge.

“A portal?” he chuckled low. “You think you can hide a fight from me?”

Screams echoed from above—metallic, beastly, unnatural. A mix of Voids, Nox fragments, Shadows, and monstrous anomalies from other worlds tore through the lower facility, heading straight for him.

“KEK—FINALLY.”

The seals shattered as the distortion reached the chamber. Azrael tore through containment like paper, grabbing the first mook that dared lunge at him and snapping it in half with a feral grin.

“More. More!”

His voice was manic as he leapt headfirst into the convergence of portals above, voluntarily.

“You better not disappoint me, portal!!”

And with that, Azrael vanished into the crack, laughter echoing like a war cry.

Kagutsuchi

A remote hill under a starlit sky, quiet—almost too quiet. Es stood beneath the trembling stars, her eyes scanning the sky above. She had felt it—something unnatural splitting across existence. Not with emotion, but certainty. A faint glow shimmered above her, a crack bleeding violet light into the sky. Her hand instinctively moved to the sword at her side. This disturbance… it did not belong to this world. Then came the voice. Metallic. Hollow. [Keystone fragment… incomplete. Retrieval initiated.]

Es narrowed her eyes. [That word again... Keystone.]

She had no recollection of it, but something inside her trembled. From the fissure, shapes surged—unnatural distortions of monsters, and mechanical limbs of Nox Nyctores constructs, swirling together with a gravitational pull that aimed at her.

She stepped back, blade raised. [This world is compromised. Protocol—unknown.]

The ground beneath her shattered as the pull intensified, and before she could calculate the threat, the portal consumed her entirely.

Alternate Kagutsuchi

A ruined cityscape, dim with neon remnants. Naoto Kurogane paced atop a broken rooftop. He stared at the sky, exhaling slowly.

“That’s not normal.”

He’d seen plenty of strange things—alternate timelines, Observers, the Boundary. But a tear across the sky that screamed through his blood? That was new. He gripped his hand, the faint shimmer of his Drive sparking.

“Es… did you feel this too?”

The voice answered him, not hers. [Next target located. Priority: high. Subject: Kurogane, Naoto.]

His eyes widened. “What the hell—?!”

A monstrous fusion of Voids and Nox echoes emerged from the crack, forcing Naoto to dive forward, punching one aside. But the pull was stronger. Reality buckled beneath him. He dug in his heels—too late.

“Damn it! Not again—”

A pulse of light and sound—and he was gone.

Kagutsuchi

It was now a dark and stormy night. Actually, the correct term was glowing and cataclysmic. Cracks were everywhere, each glowing a different color: pink, red, orange, yellow, green, blue, purple. Pouring out of the cracks were locations, and monsters—falling into a world that shouldn’t exist, but did, due to the breakdown of the cosmic order.

*BOOM!*

Lightning flashed near a cliff where a sword with a red handle stood.

*BOOM!*

The lightning struck closer, growing louder with each strike.

Voices echoed: “It’s time to wake up, hero. The unit has been revived. The old wheels of fate have fallen. Falling into a state of entropy, and on the verge of creating a new one. And it’s turning as we speak. You can’t escape from crossing this new wheel of fate.”

*ZAP!*

The lightning hit the sword, causing the ground to crumble.

“Rise from your bed. Pick up the sword. And show the multiverse why you were called the Grim Reaper. The Central Fiction. The most dangerous criminal in Kagutsuchi—Ragna the Bloodedge!”

*BURST!*

The ground exploded, revealing a white-haired man with one green and one red eye. There was only one thing he could say as he looked around the fractured sky:

“I’m… alive.”