All the Kamome Wonders waited.

Y/N had never felt so much tension. Everyone around her - human and spirit - had their eyes locked on a specific door of the Rift - it was straight ahead of them, on the long, wide hall they stood in.

The Rift was a maze of scattered staircases, doors and floors, so that Yashiro and the Mokke peeked down with fear that they may fall into the abyss. The older Wonders, however, looked more grave.

Y/N gazed at Hanako. He held her hand tightly. And suddenly, the crowd around them stirred.

The door had not opened. Instead, a great gray cloud broiled and thundered like a storm, revealing the silhouettes of foreign Wonders within.

"Alas!" Tsukasa's voice was like a frigid bite.

Hanako stepped forward to shield her, but Y/N moved, too. She wanted to fight him as well.

The Kamome Wonders held their ground as the Sakura Wonders' forms materialized. Tsukasa was in front of them.

The twin tilted his head, looking deceptively innocent. "What's this all about, Amane? Why are you getting in my way?"

"What do you want with Kamome?" Hanako demanded, knife glinting in the unnatural red light.

"Something I've always told you, but you wouldn't listen. Our freedom. Our well-deserved reign over humans-" and Tsukasa glared at the living, particularly Sakura. "Really. You're giving up your contract with me for her?"

"She doesn't deserve to be thrown into my business." Sakura coolly replied, crossing her arms. Y/N looked back gratefully.

"But she does." Tsukasa leapt to his feet, and suddenly he was there beside Y/N, hugging her tightly.  "And she deserves punishment."

Hanako's eyes flared. He rose his blade, but it met nothing but cold air, and a trail of laughter.

Y/N clenched her fist, dropping to a defensive stance. In the other side, Temari clapped his hands and sparked a raging fireball in his palms.

Tsukasa popped up in front of the Kamome Wonders again, hands and arms spread out as he grinned.

"Amane, I'm afraid you've brought back another Y/N with you. This is not the one you love. She was reborn to be a murderer. And her time is running up. But you won't let her kill me, will you?"

Hanako glared daggers at him, but said nothing. Tsukasa whirled to the Sakura Wonders.

"But she's already killed our 7th Wonder! She's too dangerous to be left alive!"

"I'm innocent!" Y/N lashed above the Sakura Wonders' angry cry. "I never killed Osane! She killed me!"

"Oh yeah? And where's Osane to tell us that?"

Y/N shut her mouth helplessly. Osane was not with them. Tsukasa daintily lifted a hand to his mock gasp.

"Right. Our precious Aka Manto's dead. Murdered in cold blood."

The anger of the Sakura Wonders heightened. The match was struck.

"ATTACK!" Hanako roared, just as Tsukasa screamed-

"END THEM!"

Y/N had intended to stick with Hanako, so it was to her great terror that suddenly he was gone. Y/N's eyes darted across the fray, searching for him. It had been so peaceful just seconds ago...

Y/N heard a scream and caught a wisp of silver-green hair. She chased after it, dodging a rabid Mokke biting into a screeching Orphaned ("PAPA!") and what looked like a spider leg as big as a house.

Her wild eyes finally met Yashiro, who was running as fast as she could from a tall, mummy-like creature; the 6th Sakura Wonder. Bits of paper and scraps whirled menacingly fast around it, as if the spirit was a tornado, trying to suck Yashiro in-

Bright blue ribbons lassoed the creature, forcing it back like a restrained animal. It let out a turbulent scream, and Yashiro finally collapsed.

"P-please don't hurt me! I...."

"Why don't you lend me a hand?!" A familiar voice yelled.

Yashiro looked up in shock. Sewing Girl was holding the ribbons tightly, looking like a crazed seamstress-cowboy.

"Oh wow. What's your name?" Yashiro's eyes shone.

"Satin!" She barked, and Y/N realized she had never asked for the seamstress's name. Satin continued - "Grab that ribbon on the left before it's too late!"

Yashiro quickly got on her feet. A smile streaked Y/N's face and she dashed onward. They could take care of themselves.

She thought she caught the blue light of Hanako's hakujoudai, whizzing through the battle like a lost child. She ran towards it, but nearly had her head cut off by a giant pair of scissors.

"Yako!" Y/N exclaimed. The fox was in her human form. But Yako paid her no heed - her pretty face was scowling at something overhead.

Y/N fled as the 4th Sakura Wonder - a beautiful geisha - let out an ugly screech, her patterned robes billowing in her wake.

Yako dodged the Geisha, sneering.

"Is that all you got, child?"

"HA! Just one touch from my hand and you'll be bleeding to petals in a day!" And to emphasize her point the Geisha reached for Yako's neck with her claw-like hands.

"Oh shut up! My heart belongs to no one!" Yako whipped her hand up and clenched it, her giant scissors nearly cutting the Geisha's hands.

"Good, because you're such a hideous beast no one would want it anyway!"

Yako was caught off guard by this, her eyes wide. Then a giant spider leg stabbed into the Geisha's right arm, and Tsuchigomori cried-

"What's gotten into you, Kitsune?!"

Yako shook her head from her reverie.
Then her voice turned unholy.  "I WILL CUT YOU INTO A HIDEOUS BEAST!"

Y/N tugged her hood over her head as vixen and spider leapt at the Geisha. She noted: never insult Yako's looks.

She leapt across a section of floor that had broken. Below the gap, she could see the crackle of electric blue light from Kou's staff, bursting to sparks from Temari's wall of flames-

A cold sensation brushed her cheek. Y/N held up her hand to touch it, and when she turned, her eyes met the blue Hakujoudai.

"Follow me." It seemed to say, bobbing up and down urgently.

Y/N's heart raced. 'Mr. Wisp. Take me to Hanako.' And in response the orb immediately darted to a set of stairs.

She dashed after it, nearly out of breath from dodging, but the image of Hanako dying in Tsukasa's hands fueled her adrenaline.

She ascended the long, spiralling stairs, and thought she heard the metal twang of knives clashing. She ran faster, and heard Sakura's voice to her left call out-

"Y/N! Be careful!"

A chill rushed down her spine. Instinctively, Y/N whipped to the left, and a white-haired boy leapt to where she stood just a second ago.

The 2nd Sakura Wonder gazed at her with placid blue eyes, a smile on his face. "Ah, our fake leader. A pleasure to end you."

Angelo rose, as if to tackle her, but suddenly his wrists were bound, and he fell off the stairs into oblivion.

"How did you do that?" Came Sakura's voice - though Y/N barely recognized it - she had never sounded so shocked.

"Got this from an ol' acquaintance. Kou's older brother." Came Natsuhiko's reply. "Impressed, Senpai?"

"Teru?" And Sakura's voice turned deadpan again. "He'd give two talismans for the both of us. Give me mine."

"But then how can I impress you-"

A cry of pain resounded over Natsuhiko's voice, seizing Y/N's attention.

She climbed the remaining stairs. The hakujoudai was buzzing wildly before her, then disappeared to what lay behind it.

Tsukasa had pinned Hanako down, a manic joy in his amber eyes, as Hanako struggled against Tsukasa's blade on his neck.

"Just like the old times." Tsukasa hissed in his ear. "But there's no mother to cry to, now."

A flash of red knocked him off.

Hanako swept to his feet, gaping. Now it was Y/N who had locked Tsukasa in a death grip.

"Hey, hey, old friend! Go easy on me!" Tsukasa trembled under her knife.

"Easy?" Y/N growled. "I would kill you. I would cut you into pieces and spit on your grave. But you're lucky Hanako has a heart."

The fear in Tsukasa's face dawned to realization. "Your moves are just like his." And Tsukasa pushed her blade with shocking strength. "Which means I can defeat you, too!"

The wind knocked out of her as Tsukasa pushed her away, her back skidding across the rough ground.

"Y/N!" Hanako immediately swept her in his arms. Y/N blinked blearily, his wide, concerned eyes blurry from the trauma to her head.

But one thing sounded clear: "TSUKASA!"

Y/N struggled to regain her composure as Hanako rammed his twin off the platform.

That got her scrabbling to her feet. She looked over the edge, searching desperately for where they fell.

The unmistakable buzz of hakujoudai and kakujoudai guided her eyes to a single lone platform, surrounded by a fleet of doors like an audience overlooking a stadium.

There was a fire in Hanako she had never seen before, as he hacked, slashed, and swept at his twin. But Tsukasa was equally deft. Y/N watched in confusion as Tsukasa took the defensive, blocking Hanako's strikes. Then she saw where Tsukasa was backing into.

One of the doors. He was tying to get Hanako into another realm.

Y/N held her breath, made a running start, and leapt off the platform. Her stomach tied into knots as she soared over the dark abyss - the battleground appeared small and insignificant below her -

"Y/N! NO!" Hanako cried.

Y/N's eyes widened. A black specter flashed towards her, aimed straight at her heart. It was Tsukasa's kakujoudai.

In that brief window of surprise, time seemed to slow. Tsukasa seized Hanako's distraction and pushed him towards an open door-

Y/N felt an odd calm wash over her. She looked at the kakujoudai, still speeding towards her.

She grabbed its tail.

The noise of the battle came rushing back to her ears. The kakujoudai screeched with surprise, enveloping her in a dark cloud.

When the smoke cleared, she found she had teleported to the platform surrounded by doors. Hanako lay trembling  by a near-open door, his own white specters spinning around him swiftly, trying to rouse him back to consciousness.

Y/N's resolve faltered seeing him like that, but then Tsukasa addressed her.

"Used my kakujoudai to get here, huh?"

Y/N rose her blade, pointed at the smug spirit's own. She stood in front of Hanako's fallen frame.

When she looked below her, she could see Kamome falling behind. Temari had Kou cornered in a ring of fire... Satin and Yashiro cowered, torn bits of ribbons in their hands... the pink color of Mokke was diminishing to the inky black of the Orphaned...

Y/N narrowed her eyes. "This ends. Now."

Tsukasa striked first. 'Sure, you can read me.' Y/N parried it with her blade. 'But do you know about this?'

She kicked her right leg out, knocking Tsukasa off his feet. Before he could so much as gasp, she round-housed kick him and sent his back hitting a door.

Y/N didn't give him time to breathe. With her arms she gripped him to her chest, and her legs kicked down a door.

"Goodbye." Y/N lashed at his face, positioning to push him down to the unknown realm.

Hot pain erupted from her jaw.  Tsukasa's other kakujoudai had slammed into her face, sending her reeling.

Just like before, she was excrutiatingly thrown to Hanako's side. Only this time, when she met his weak amber eyes, she realized with dread he no longer had the strength to fight.

Y/N shook her head, helping him up with his hakujoudai. 'No! It can't end like this!'

"Fool! How could you ever forget your own weapon, Y/N?!" Tsukasa laughed as he stepped down from the now-closed door. He was battered and bruised, but his eyes screamed for even murder.

He walked slowly, as if to savor the sight of the cowering pair, Y/N's knife clutched tightly in his bone-white knuckles.

"You tried to kill me with my powers." Tsukasa rose the blade, his grin wide and inhuman.  "But in the end, I will kill you with yours."

Hanako's grip on Y/N's hands tightened, and they huddled closer-

The sound of blade meeting flesh drew the battle to a stop.

Y/N shut her eyes tight. How did it feel, to die twice? Would it be even more painful than when she was alive? Where would she go? What would happen to Hanako?

But she felt no pain. She dared to open her eyes...

A brunette stood before her, her Sakura uniform pooling with blood. Her ghostly form trembled as the shine of Y/N's blade stabbed straight through her heart.

"Osane."  Y/N cried out loud.

Hanako's body froze in her arms. Even Tsukasa's eyes were wide. His hand shook on the hilt of Y/N's blade as Osane strengthened her grip on it, grinning darkly at the stunned twin.

"Tsukasa-sama." Her red eyes bore into his. "We meet again."

And finally her legs gave way, her body crumpling into a heap with Y/N's knife.

The Sakura Wonders stood rooted where they were, all their eyes on Tsukasa and the fallen Aka Manto beside him.

"She was alive."

That was the sound of Sewing Girl's voice. It was weak, then erupted into a hoarse yell.

"Osane was alive, and you killed her!"

The cunning in Tsukasa's facade was gone. Now he shrank into a corner as the Geisha, Nun's Daughter, Perpetual Stains... all the Sakura Wonders, who had so adored their leader... closed in on him, trapping him from all sides.

"Now, guys!" Tsukasa nervously chuckled. "Don't you see? This is all an illusion! Conjured by Y/N! Look at her!"

No one followed his accusing finger. Angelo spoke for them, "Why don't you look at her? She and her pitiful partner are too weak to even move."

"Just how long have you deceived us?" Temari's words burnt as harshly as the flames in his hand.

Y/N felt Hanako struggle to a stand. She looked at him worriedly, but he only nodded, squeezing her hand as a sign for her to stay.

Although his cloak was tattered and his wounds stung, Hanako moved like the Rift was his domain. The Kamome Wonders, who now joined the crowd around Tsukasa, bowed low along with the Sakura.

"A-Amane!" Tsukasa forced a grin, looking at his last sign of hope - a silent, emotionless Hanako. "Surely you won't let them kill me?"

"No." Hanako knelt to his brother's level, and tore a piece of his Hakujoudai in his hands. "But you're too dangerous to let free."

"Wait... what are you doing?! Amane?!"

Y/N watched, jaw slack, as the bit of specter fled through Tsukasa's head. This seemed to cause him immeasurable pain - he kicked, cried, wailed, as Sakura stepped forward and slipped a black paper crane into Hanako's hand...

'He's erasing his memories.' Y/N realized with a jolt. 'Just like Tsukasa did to me.'

Tsukasa sounded so agonized that Y/N had to peek through covered eyes. Even the Wonders look horrified. Hanako himself kept his placid look, but if she looked closer, she could see he was fighting his own pain.

Then Hanako lifted the black paper crane, and light enveloped Tsukasa - a bright, hot coccoon - and when it faded, Y/N could not see the evil twin any longer.

Y/N stumbled towards Hanako. "What did you do?" She whispered.

Hanako's eyes were closed as he murmured something to the crane in his cupped hands. Then he opened one of the doors, but not without looking back at the crowd.

Neither person from Sakura or Kamome objected. Hanako lifted the paper crane, and threw it a great distance into the unknown realm.

He closed the door. Hanako was silent for awhile, as if he couldn't believe what he had just done.

"He's gone." He said at last, turning to Y/N with an unreadable expression. "I trapped his soul in the paper crane. I don't know where he'll go, who he'll meet, but he's definitely not coming back."

Both sides heard this, and people from both schools began to stir with relief, when Y/N remembered-

"Osane!"

She dashed away from the crowd. Tsuchigomori gazed inquisitively at Hanako - 'Should we follow her?' - but the boy only shook his head.

Y/N rushed over to the fallen spirit. The old Aka Manto's brown hair was messy and dreadlocked, while her red eyes were glazed over. The knife Tsukasa had stabbed her with lay at a distance, streaking the floor with her blood.

"Osane?" Y/N held the brunette's head up, her voice shaking. She didn't know what to feel; but she knew that she really, really wanted to cry. "Talk to me."

Osane remained still. Then something flared to life, and she was taking shallow, shuddering breaths.

"Y/N?" Osane's bloodshot eyes darted wildly. "Where are you...? What happened..?"

"We won." Y/N tried to keep her still. "It's all over. Tsukasa's gone. And you..."

Y/N choked. "...you saved us both. Why?"

At this, Osane seemed to easen a little. She managed a weak smile, even as blood trailed down her lips. "I had to finish the trouble I started. It's good to see you in solid form. You... you don't have to worry about fading, now."

Y/N looked down with a start. Her hands, covered in Osane's blood, were now completely in view. Her whole body looked perfectly translucent.

"I fulfilled my rumor!" Y/N's voice lifted, then quickly dropped. "No, no.... th-that means..."

Osane lifted a hand, and placed it upon Y/N's heart. Each word Osane spoke took great effort from her body:

"As... a leading Wonder.... as your precedent, I lift my title from you, to take it someplace where no one will ever claim it again. You are no longer Aka Manto. You will no longer kill."

As Osane recited those familiar words - once spoken in the darkest stall of Sakura High, right before Osane had killed her - the red cloak on Y/N's back began to disappear. Her kitchen knife lost its glint, vanishing into nothing. Osane was fading, too, blood lifting off her body as she began to fragment like a shattered mirror, light refracting around her like little suns.

"Forgive me." Osane's eyes began to cloud over. "You could've gone through all I did. Please forgive me."

Y/N shut her eyes to fight her tears, holding her friend's fading body close to her heart.

"I do."

Y/N never saw, but she felt - Osane's smile. She was finally at peace.

Y/N held on until the light faded, and the friend in her arms left her embrace.