The heavy mahogany doors to the courtroom swing wide open, cutting off any ongoing conversations as the countless figures in the theater seats surrounding the pulpit in the middle of the massive hall turn their masked faces towards the entrance. Accompanied by the loud clack-clack-clack of her footsteps on the marble floor, Niko storms in, raising an accusatory finger at the cloaked adjudicator on the throne directly opposite the pulpit — a dozen or so armed guards rushing in behind her.

Niko: What is the meaning of this?! I demand an explanation!

Justicar Nczyblk: (the figure in the seat next to the adjudicator, wearing a tall, brimless hat, stands up to voice his indignation) Of all the— Bailiffs, arrest this wretch at once!

The bailiffs don’t hesitate to obey this command as they dart out from their usual spots guarding the hall’s many pillars like statues snapping to life, quickly intercepting Niko’s beeline towards the pulpit and restraining her in spite of her resistance.

Niko: Let go of me! (she tries to wrestle herself loose from the grips of the four guards it takes to hold her back, but to no avail) Don’t take me for a fool. I know the Senate has called for my Master’s arrest. On what grounds, I ask you! On what grounds—

Justicar Pvirro: (a chilly voice resounds from the second row, to Niko’s right) Why do you raise your voice, young one?

Prompted by the justicar’s inquiry, the figure on the throne speaks up.

High Adjudicator Czosacz XXIII: Because… that is what she has been taught. Witness, fellow Wardens, the unsightly results of the accused’s teachings. His wicked words have sown the seeds of imbalance and corruption into the bosoms of our youth. His “Path”… is leading them all astray.

Some muttering follows. Only now does the man standing behind the pulpit join the conversation, albeit not before turning to flash his pupil and kind smile.

Niko’s Master: … With all due respect, but… that’s where you are wrong, High Adjudicator. You may believe to see before you a graceless cur… a slave to her emotions—

Justicar Qjvbeii: (from up high to the right, a sneering voice hisses) Entropy, senator. The word you are to use is entropy.

Niko’s Master: (after a brief pause and a few “hear, hears”, the Master continues) … but what I see is a young woman who is driven to fight for what she believes in. Willing to stand up for what she desires. Don’t you see how this is the way towards the future? That the Path — the cultivation of the soul — will lead us to even greater achievements? If you let her, my apprentice will —

High Adjudicator Czosacz XXIII: (with a dismissive gesture of his hand, the adjudicator interrupts) This court ill needs another display of your heretical sorcery, senator.

Niko feels the anger well up inside of her. The humiliation. The insolence of rejecting her Master’s wisdom. She cannot help but snap back.

Niko: What gives you the right to call heresy!

Justicar Nczyblk: Rest your tongue, young one!

High Adjudicator Czosacz XXIII: (disregarding his subordinate’s lashing of the young apprentice, the high adjudicator decides to humor her) … Eons ago, our ancestors foresaw an eternity of stability for the galaxy. Now, our visions are muddy, blurred by countless possible futures vying for dominance, as opposed to the single, clear track we used to on. These… loose strands are the direct result of your Master’s teachings, young one. He has introduced chaos and disorder to the way of all things. (some of the court members mutter “hear, hear!” upon hearing these words) By teaching you these… emotions, he has incentivized you to make illogical decisions. Choices that do not serve the universe’s best interests. Choices that have steered our fate, and that of the universe, irreparably off course. The one and only way the cosmos is meant to be now lies buried underneath an infinity of lesser futures — with your Master’s heresy at the very root. Entropy has taken a hold of the galaxy, and we will be spending an eternity trying to weed it out.

Niko: Or it could lead us to even greater heights! So what if you don’t know what the future brings?

They did not expect her to reply. Especially not like this.

Justicar Pvirro: What could possibly be greater than an eternity of stability, girl?

Niko’s Master: (calmly, the master comes to his pupil’s defense) … To transcend our physical form. To become one with the cosmos and the cosmos to become one with us. To decide our own fate, and the fate of all that exists. To go beyond reason. Beyond death. Beyond.

Beyond. Magia.

Justicar Nczyblk: (upon hearing this word, the court member in the hat nearly jumps out of his seat, yelping hysterically) Heresy. Heresy! We are the wardens of the universe, not its masters! This man is a blight on our very thoughts! I demand his immediate execution!

Shocked by Justicar Nczyblk uncharacteristically intense — not to mention inappropriate — outburst, several other court members get up from their seats as the noise filling the courtroom intensifies.

Justicar Pvirro: Justicar Nczyblk… What is getting into you?

Niko’s Master: … I am relieved to see the most honorable Nczyblk agrees. Emotions allow us to express ourselves in ways reason will not allow.

Justicar Qjvbeii: He is losing himself. What have you done to him, sorcerer?

Niko’s Master: Don’t you get it? We all walk the Path. All I did was light the fuse. And all over the galaxy, the fire is spreading. It is plain to see for all those willing to look.

Justicar Pvirro: What in divinity’s name are you talking about?

Niko’s Master: (the master shakes his old head, his expression revealing a sense of pity more than of fear) … Do you honestly believe my pupils and I paved the Path ourselves? If only you could see that across the universe, fledgling civilizations and empires are being built by fellow pilgrims, as we speak. Entire systems are being explored and enriched and conquered by beings who are spurred on by their cultivation of the Soul, their ambitions driven by their emotions.

Justicar Nczyblk: You cur! You would corrupt the entire universe with your entropy? Did you infect them all as you infected me? How?! I demand an explanation!

Niko’s Master: I did no such thing, justicar. All living beings have a Soul, whether they want to or not. We are all on the Path. The only choice is to merely walk, or run.

High Adjudicator Czosacz XXIII: (by standing up, the high Adjudicator cuts off his accused’s plea, though unlike the justicars, he remains as restrained as ever) … I have heard enough. You are no warden, Senator. And now the blood of the entire universe is on your hands. Your wicked ways have doomed us, our children, and their children, and their children and our descendants all, and for this heresy… you shall face death.

Justicar Pvirro: Death.

Justicar Nczyblk: Death!

Justicar Qjvbeii: Death.

As the court erupts into cries mirroring those of the justicars, Niko’s Master solemnly closes his eyes as the remaining bailiffs close in on him.

Niko’s Master: … Then so be it.

Not in a million years. Making use of the distraction, Niko tries to throw off the guards restraining her once again, but she isn’t strong enough. Only strong enough to yell.

Niko: No! On what grounds, you fools! On what grounds!

Niko’s Master: (surrendering to the bailiffs without resistance, the Master holds out his wrists to be shackled, turning to his desperate pupil) … One day they will realize, my pupil. And the day they discover regret will be a day closer to a bright future.

Niko: To oblivion with that! I… I don’t want to lose you. They have no right!

Niko’s Master: This too, my pupil, these feelings of injustice, of resentment, of fear, of anguish, of grief, of love, they are all a part of the Path. Let them propel you forwards. Let them guide your feet as you walk the Path, one in front of the other. Towards the great beyond.

She feels the tears welling up and her vision going blurry as they take him away. She doesn’t know who this man is. She doesn’t know who any of them are. But she knows this is wrong. It seethes deep within her chest. It claws its way through her veins. Thousands of bugs swarming her brain. 

Niko: No… Don’t leave me—Master!—Let go of him, you bastards! 

Black fog in her eyes. Miasma in her throat. No thoughts in her head. They are going to kill him. Anger. Fury. Despair. She can’t feel her limbs. She can’t feel her insides. Only their strong arms wrapped around her body, holding her back, holding her down, pushing her towards the ground.

Niko: You will pay for this! LET HIM GO! You fools! Don’t you understand? 

They are taking him away. They are going to kill him. Despair.

Niko: You will pay for this! You will pay!

Despair.

Something breaks inside of her.

With a gasp, Niko snaps awake. She instinctively reaches for her throat, for her chest, but the fog and the bugs and the miasma are gone. Instead, there’s a splitting headache. She clutches her head, groaning as she sinks back into the apartment’s worn-out couch. They made it out.

Cecilia: (clutching her head, specifically over her left eye, Cecilia stands by the boarded up window, as if looking out of it.) …Made it back, did we?

Niko: (she continues to breathe heavily, groaning) Ugh… (she tries to get up, but quickly stumbles back into the couch) My head feels like it’s made of pudding… Really heavy pudding…

Anisa: (sitting in the coach opposite Niko, she brushes some of her hair out of her eye) … But you survived. You didn’t turn into a Witch.

Niko: Not… Actually sure about that, to be fair. How did you all wake up?

Anisa: You… eh, killed us, actually. 

Niko: What?!

Anisa: We’ll make sense of that later. Did you channel another memory?

Niko: Sure fucking hope it was another memory. It’s a… (her eyes widen as she clutches her head again) Shit! They’re… Not wasting any time, aren’t they?

Shinju: Wh-what’s happening now? Niko? 

Niko: S-Shinju! (relieved to see the girl next to her waking up as well, and far more peacefully than she did herself, she smiles, until, with an uncharacteristic sense of urgency, she grabs onto Shinju’s shoulders) Oh man… The others… How long has it been? I, uh… I think they could really use our help.

Shinju: (She fumbles in her pocket to get out her phone) Shoot! Um… Let me check with Yui and them. (Shinju’s phone shows several missed calls, from both Yui and Hanako.) Uh-oh. Hang on, I’ve gotta see what’s happening! (She places her fingers to her temple) {Hanako? What’s wrong? Is everything okay?} 

Hanako: {Ah? Shinju! You’re awake!} (A noticeable pause) {Yui will message details of the plan, and you can call her if needed, but… Mother found the location where the Balancers were keeping the hostages. Basically, we’re conducting a two-pronged assault. Are you, um… are you okay, Shinju?}

Shinju: {Don’t worry about me, man, worry about the people who are fighting! Has it already started?} 

Hanako: {It’s about to. Yui’s organized the parties. Well… more that we have directions we’re going to go to suppress the riots.}

Shinju: {O-okay. Where am I headed to? Sorry, this Dreamscape thing got a little out of hand. We’re done now, though.}

Hanako: {Yui should have sent the details by now. Basically, look for that bubblegum lady’s zombies? Apparently, she’s just having them break and burn whatever she can… I think the idea is that we quell these riots, and smoke out the Balancers as they try and stop the hostage rescue situation.} 

Shinju: {Okay. Okay. I’ll check it on my phone and get right out there.} (To Niko) Hey, they found where the hostages are being kept. Everyone’s on their way now. 

Niko: Y-Yeah, I know… Wait, how do I know?

Anisa: … Looks like our little experiment is paying off.

Cecilia: …While I recover from my disorientation— the nature of our “return” to the waking world took a toll on me— I shall remain to ensure Niko’s safety. Shinju… as you are needed, go with confidence. Niko… I wish you luck in adjusting to the power afforded to a Puella Malefica, even if you are not one.

Niko: Uh… Thanks?

Shinju: … (She gives Anisa a stern look) I don’t know about this Malefica stuff… I’m not saying I believe everything I’ve heard about you from Aoi, but I can trust you to be here while I’m gone, right? 

Anisa: I don’t have access to my powers at the moment, so you’d want me here, as opposed to getting in the way on the battlefield. I promise, Ms. Hayama, I don’t want to hurt anyone.

Shinju: (sigh) Fine. (to Niko) I’ll be back as soon as I can, okay? 

Niko: I gotta come with you! I… I can help now. If not, why did we even do all of this—Nghh…! (she clutches her head as another migraine rips through her skull)

Shinju: (She gently puts her hands on Niko’s shoulders) Come after me when you can, okay? You don’t have to do it while you still have such a headache… 

Niko: (she sighs) Be safe out there, okay?