Akane peeked past Santa's shoulder at her shadow, which stared back at her with those same baleful purple eyes. It was waiting.

"I guess...I have a dark side too. Don't I. I'm not proud of it." There was some small part of her that even considered attacking her shadow and cutting it down, to see if that would make that wretched part of herself go away for good. But life wasn't that easy. There were no shortcuts.

Taking a deep breath to steady herself, she let go of her brother and rose to her feet, taking slow, even steps to stand face to face with her other self. "You're hurting, I know. That is...I'm hurting. The things we have to do aren't something I would wish on anyone. But for the sake of the world, and those we love...there's no going back. No giving up. No rest, until that future is safe."

Her shadow's eyes narrowed fractionally. Akane reached out to touch its hands, and grasped them firmly.

"But I promise I won't lose sight of the good things we do still have. Our friends might not be many, but they're loyal, and true. And we have a brother who loves us enough to die for us...even if we don't want him to," she chuckled softly. "I can't forget these things. And Junpei..."

Her shoulders rose and fell. "Maybe, after our work is finished, we can apologize to him properly, and thank him. You'd like that, wouldn't you?" The shadow inclined its head. "I think...I would too," Akane smiled, and closed her eyes. The shadow's body glowed brightly, the flare of white light dispelling every last shape of darkness in the room, before vanishing abruptly.

Left alone, Akane's last reserves of strength finally diminished, and she dropped to her knees, panting wearily. Even the knife was gone. It was just Akane, Duster, and Aoi.

And Keys Kupo, who removed Akane's crystal from the machine, and delivered it securely into the young Hero's cupped palm.