Ryosen burst through Shichiro's door.
BANG.
"Shichiro. There's something we need to talk about."
Meanwhile, Fortunato Casino
"The hell do you mean you don't know Bellerophon?"
Kentaro sheathed his daggers, staring at Boone in disbelief.
Boone immediately raised both hands.
"Listen, dude. I genuinely don't know who you're talking about."
"You expect me to believe that?"
"I don't care if you believe me."
Boone shrugged.
"I've never heard of a Bellerophon in my life."
Kentaro's eye twitched.
"No way."
"Way."
"No."
"Yes."
"No."
"Yes."
Kentaro pointed at him.
"You're lying."
Boone sighed.
"Lucky me."
"What?"
"I said lucky me."
The next second.
Kentaro wasn't in the casino anymore.
He blinked.
Looked around.
And found himself standing in the middle of the Haven.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"SON OF A-"
Haven of Six
CRASH.
Kentaro kicked open Shichiro's already broken door.
"SHICHIRO! THERE'S SOMETHING WE NEED TO TALK ABOU-"
He froze.
Ryosen was already there.
Shichiro was kneeling on the floor.
Silent.
Motionless.
"What happened?"
Nobody answered immediately.
Ryosen slowly looked toward Kentaro.
"You too?"
Kentaro frowned.
"What do you mean 'you too'?"
Shichiro finally spoke.
His voice was unusually quiet.
"Everyone forgot Bellerophon."
Silence.
Kentaro's eyes widened.
"No way."
Ryosen nodded.
"The temple."
"The village."
"The monks."
"None of them remembered."
Kentaro took a step back.
"...Boone didn't either."
The room fell completely silent.
Rokuro and Katsu entered.
Both immediately sensing the tension.
"Uh..."
Rokuro glanced around.
"What happened?"
Katsu looked toward Shichiro.
Then toward Ryosen.
Then Kentaro.
"...Someone died?"
"No."
"Then why does it feel like a funeral?"
Nobody laughed.
Katsu blinked.
"Oh."
"It was serious."
Rokuro sat down.
"What happened?"
Ryosen spoke first.
"The world forgot Bellerophon."
Kentaro immediately pointed.
"And Typhon."
"And Isocrates."
Ryosen added.
Rokuro laughed.
Then stopped.
Because nobody else was laughing.
"...Wait."
"You're serious?"
Shichiro slowly stood.
"For two years."
His fists tightened.
"I knew something was wrong."
The room remained silent.
Ryosen lowered his head.
"The Blessed One spoke to me."
Everyone turned toward him.
Even Katsu looked interested.
Which was rare.
Ryosen swallowed.
"He said..."
The room waited.
"'They do not remember.'"
Nobody spoke.
"'They cannot.'"
A chill ran through the room.
"'The river has changed.'"
Katsu's eyes narrowed.
"'Seek the ones who remained.'"
Silence.
For the first time all day.
Katsu spoke without joking.
Without sarcasm.
Without laziness.
"...Maybe we're asking the wrong question."
Everyone looked at him.
Katsu crossed his arms.
"What if it isn't the world that forgot?"
Ryosen frowned.
Katsu continued.
"What if we're the exception?"
Nobody had an answer.
Aegis remembered.
Kyuuketsuki remembered.
Rokuro remembered.
Kentaro remembered.
Ryosen remembered.
Katsu remembered.
Shichiro remembered.
Every member of the Haven remembered.
Everyone else didn't.
The realization hit the room like a hammer.
Shichiro slowly walked toward the window.
Outside, the world looked normal.
Peaceful.
Quiet.
Too quiet.
Two years.
Nothing.
Not a single attack.
Not a single warning.
Not a single sign.
Yet now:
Kael had appeared.
The world had forgotten.
And the Buddha had spoken.
Shichiro stared toward the distant horizon.
Remembering the final words of his brother.
"They won't ask nicely."
For the first time in two years.
Shichiro felt that same unease again.
Something was coming.
And whatever it was...
The world had already begun making room for it.