"Well, since my arrival was expected, I'm assuming you know fully know who I am, correct?" Asked the female voice.

"Yeah. You're Yae Rin. Younger sister to Yae Sakura, the girl who you want me to free from her painful memories. Pray tell, how exactly do you want me to go about doing that?" Asked Alex.

The boy heard Yae Rin sigh as she began to talk.

"First, I'd like to show you the events that led Yae Sakura to her current predicament." She said.

Suddenly, Alex began to have a vision, as he saw two young girls, seemingly Sakura and Rin when they were children, as Sakura was spoon feeding Rin.

"At one point, our village was a simple, peaceful place. There, the priest had two twin girls, my older sister Yae Sakura, and me, Yae Rin. Unfortunately, ever since birth I had been extremely ill. Because of that, Sakura would never leave my side, always being around and near me. It made us inseparable." Said Rin.

The vision then changed to one of a young Sakura sitting next to a younger looking village organizer, who was revealed to have been the village's priest.

"Suddenly out of nowhere, it had ceased to rain for an entire year. In order to appease the gods, the priest had elected to sacrifice me. Once Sakura had caught wind of our father's plan, she immediately planned our escape. I remember the words she told me when she first explained her plan. She said, 'It doesn't matter if it's just the two of us. As long as we have each other, our lives will always be happy'."

Rin stopped for a moment after that, as she gave out a heavy sigh.

"It stings even more in retrospect how optimistic Sakura was. Though she had managed to escape, the villagers had hamstrung my legs, effectively immobilizing me."

The vision changed once more, this time to a sight of a blood covered young Yae, tears falling from eyes as she held a sword, soaked in the blood of her younger sister.

"In the end, Sakura couldn't change my fate, and to only add insult to injury, the villagers forced Sakura to use the sacrificial blade to take my life. Said Rin.

The scenery changed back to pitch black, as Alex pondered on what he had just saw.

"So, that's why the villagers are so quick to aggression against Yae. Why Yae was so hesitant and having me be offered up as the next sacrifice. She doesn't want to relive this harrowing moment in her life again." Said Alex.

"Precisely. Hear me dear outsider, please save Sakura. A silver haired lady brought something evil and dark, and it's currently poisoning her heart. Her heart is currently being swallowed by this thing, leaving me only able to appear in your dreams." Said Rin.

It didn't take long for Alex to think this through as he immediately made up his mind.

"Heh. No problem. Rin, I promise you that I will save Sakura, and free her from whatever is tormenting her. After all, Yae's done so much for me in the little time I've been here. It's only fair that I return the favor." Said the boy in a confident tone.

"Very well then. I wish you good luck. Be forewarned though, this world doesn't obey the cosmic laws as we know it. The thing engulfing Yae has taken complete control this world. Only the silver haired warrior can defeat it, but she's alrea-."

Rin suddenly being cut off immediately worried Alex.

"Rin. Rin? You still there?" He asked.

Unfortunately, he would be responded by a dark, ominous voice.

"You're out of time, little boy. It's time to wake up."

Immediately, Alex jolted awake as he was met face to face with a girl wearing a Kitsune mask to conceal her face, as the girl was on top of and had Alex pinned down, having her hands pin down Alex's wrists.

The boy immediately tried to break free but quickly realized that he wasn't gonna budge an inch.

"Well well, you're definitely stronger than you look." Said Alex with a little chuckle, trying to make light out of his current predicament.

Off to his left, he saw another Kitsune mask wearing girl appear as she began to speak.

"There's no use in struggling now young demon. You're just a helpless, little boy in this world now." She said.

Just at that moment, the sliding door opened to reveal Yae just standing there, not uttering a word.

"Lady Miko has made her decision. You'll be offered to the gods, so accept your fate." Said one of the Kitsune mask wearers.

"W-What!? You're crazy Yae would never agree to that! She's been looking out for me the whole time!" Said Alex.

The boy then saw one of the mask wearers slowly unsheath a small blade.

"Who's to say Lady Miko simply wasn't setting you up to be captured for the sacrifice? Now then, traditions dictate that we must hamstring him first." Said the mask wearer.

At that moment, Alex immediately snapped his attention towards Yae.

"Hey Yae! I made a promise to Rin, that I'll free you from your pain! I'll break you from the chains of hatred, and give you your life back!"

Right as Alex finished speaking, he felt immense pain in both of his legs, as he passed out.

Hours had passed, until Alex had finally woken up.

When he did, he noticed that he was at a shrine, wrists bound together in front of him, as he couldn't feel his legs at all.

'Well damn, they actually immobilized me.' Thought Alex to himself as he looked forward to see the priest, now wearing a Kitsune mask as well, stand in front of him.

"Finally. Once this offering is complete, Yae Sakura's body will be mine." Said the priest.

"And what's makes you think your plan will go smooth sailing!? I'm still up and running ya know!" Said Alex.

The priest kneeled over to reach Alex's eye level.

"Do you honestly thing you can do anything when we've hamstrung you? You're completely immobile and unable to move. You truly are a frail, young child in this world now. Honestly, you should be grateful that you even lasted a day here." Said the priest.

In response, Alex pulled back and delivered the hardest headbut he could give to the priest.

Blood began to trickle down Alex's forehead as the collision caused a few cuts to appear, whereas for the priest, his Kitsune mask got a few cracks on it.

"My my, you definitely are hard headed." He said as he got back up and turned around, facing away from Alex.

"Oh right. After all this time, you still haven't figured out why you suddenly appeared here, correct? Well then, though I am unaware of the exact circumstances that put you in this situation, what I can tell you, is what your physical body is currently going through." Said the priest which confused Alex.

"Physical body? Are you saying, this is all in my mind?" Asked Alex.

"More like, you're physical self is currently in a coma, and to buy some time, your mind was sent here, into a Stigmata Data Space, that way your physical body could fully however." Said the priest, before he gave out an evil chuckle.

"With that information in mind, what would happen, if your mental state was killed?." He asked.

At that moment, Alex truly realized just how much danger he was in, as the priest gave out another sinister laugh.

"Seems you've caught on. Once your mental state is slayed, so too will your physical body be killed along with it."

Right at that moment, footsteps approached the shrine as no other than Yae showed up.

"Ahh. And here's the guest of honor herself, Lady Miko. We've awaited this moment for far too long. We're two kindred souls, sharing one body, and the same hatred. Once you complete the ritual Yae Sakura, we'll become one. You're destined to be mine!" Excitedly shouted the priest.

Yae approached Alex slowly, eventually standing in front of him as she placed a hand on the sword's handle.

"This is our time Sakura. Swing the spirit blade in your hand, and offer this soul to the gods!" He said.

Yae slowly began to unsheathe her blade, as she did so, her and Alex made eye contact with one another.

When they did, Yae suddenly got a vision, a vision to how Rin looked on the day she was sacrificed.

"R-Rin? NO! I can't do this!"

In that instant, Yae snapped out of whatever trance she was in, as she fell to the ground, holding her hands up to her head as she began to breakdown.

The priest then slashed off the bounds on Alex's wrists as he held the boy up by his arms.

"Once again, you disappoint me, Sakura. Worry not. I'll assist you once more, as I'm the only one keeping us alive. Just look at this boy. This pathetic human you tried so hard to save. They've hamstrung him, just like they did to Rin! They told you that she was beyond saving! That it was better to give her up to the gods! They even convinced her that it was the right thing to do! Don't you remember her last words, Sakura?" Asked the priest.

Yae was truly unsure of what to do at the moment, as within her head, a voice sounding like Rin's began to speak.

"Big sis! You must become a good miko! A miko must serve the gods and give them offerings. It is her sacred duty, and I'm, the god that these foolish humans worship. They're ours to enslave." Said the voice.

This only caused Yae to slip further into insanity, as Alex pushed the priest away, getting back onto his knees as he desperately tried to get her attention.

"Yae wake up! Listen to me! Rin never wanted you to do any of this! Don't fall for her deceptions!" He shouted.

Yae didn't respond, as she then grabbed the sword once more, as the dark sinister voice responded instead.

"It's no use human. She can no longer head you."

Alex felt a sharp pain in his abdomen, as a warm, wet feeling began to spread around him, as he coughed up a bit of blood.

He looked down, and sure enough, Yae had indeed stabbed him.

The boy then looked back up to see, Sakura's emotionless face.

With his breathe getting heavy and his body starting to feel numb, he attempted to get his last words out.

"Y-Yae..................don't give in.........don't, join her. Y-You're, better than that. Even, she can be better than that. R-Rin.....................knows, that."

That was all Alex could say, as the priest pulled the boy off the blade and just dumped his body onto the ground, as he gave out a manical laugh.

"It's been completed! Nothing can stop me now!" He shouted.

As he laid motionless on the ground, Alex slowly began to feel more numb and cold.

"Huh. Out of all the ways I expected to die, I definitely didn't think it'd be within a data space. Heh. I guess, life really is full of surprises." He thought.

Alex then closed his eyes, completely falling unconscious.

"A-Alex!" Shouted Yae, immediately dropping the blood covered sword as she couldn't believe that she had really just done it yet again.

"A-Again...............I did it again!" She shouted in distress.

"And it was the right thing you could've done! With one fell stroke, you've purged this whole world of light and hope! You've finally revealed the crack within your heart!" Said the priest as he kneeled behind and embraced Yae, who felt an extremely sharp pain in her chest and began to wail in agony.

"I've waited 500 years for this. I had to put up with your stupidity and foolish infatuation for that silver haired outsider whore. Despite this, all these years we've spent together, made me fall hopelessly in love with you."

"Now, we shall be together for eternity. We shall be inseparable. We shall share the same, painful dreams. We shall foster this hatred of ours. We shall never forgive. Forever, and ever, and ever............................"

Chapter 3: Complete