Kaito stared at the masked man.
"...Void."
Void stood calmly in the middle of the ruined street.
"Kaito."
"...Long time no see."
Without another word, Kaito raised his knives into a fighting stance.
Void looked at him for a moment.
"So..."
"You're really going to fight your senior?"
Kaito's grip tightened.
"If I have to."
Behind him, Jori and Ling instinctively took a step back.
Their confident expressions disappeared.
"...Sir Void..."
Ling swallowed nervously.
Jori remained silent, but his eyes never left the Fourth Noctarion.
Void didn't even acknowledge them.
Instead—
His gaze shifted toward the cloud of dust where Saito had been thrown.
Footsteps echoed.
Tap...
Tap...
Saito emerged from the broken wall.
He wiped the dust from his shoulder and picked up his sword.
Void looked at him.
"...Oh."
"There you are..."
"...Blue Scarf."
He slowly walked toward Saito.
There was no anger.
No hatred.
Only quiet composure.
Saito rested his sword on his shoulder.
"...Void."
A small smile appeared on his face.
"So..."
"I finally get to meet you."
He lowered the blade into a ready stance.
The two men faced one another in the center of the empty village as everyone else instinctively gave them space, realizing that the true confrontation had only just begun.
Kaito stepped in front of Saito.
"Saito."
"We need to fall back."
"This guy is too strong for you."
Saito smiled without taking his eyes off Void.
"Then..."
"You all fall back."
"Let me handle him."
Kaito immediately shook his head.
"Saito—"
Void calmly interrupted.
"I heard about your dream."
He reached into his coat.
"You wish to become..."
"...the King of Gangsters."
Saito nodded.
"That's my life goal."
Void's voice remained emotionless.
"Then..."
"...it's unfortunate."
"To see that dream shatter before your eyes."
He flicked a single poker card between his fingers.
With a casual motion—
Flick.
The card shot toward Saito like a blade.
Saito tilted his head.
The card sliced past his cheek.
"...Missed."
Then—
The card suddenly glowed with a faint purple light.
Kaito's eyes widened.
"Saito!"
BOOM!
A violent explosion erupted behind Saito.
The shockwave blasted dust and broken stones across the street.
Jori and Ling instinctively shielded their faces.
When the smoke cleared—
Saito was already several steps away from the blast.
He looked back at the scorched crater in the ground.
"...Wow."
"That card is dangerous."
Void lowered his hand.
"It wasn't meant to hit you."
"It was meant to remind you..."
"...that distance offers no safety."
The silence that followed was heavier than before as everyone realized Void's attacks were far more unpredictable than ordinary weapons.
Saito tightened his grip on his sword.
Without taking his eyes off Void, he spoke.
"Kaito."
"Take the others back."
Kaito hesitated.
"...Captain."
Saito's voice became firmer.
"That's an order."
After a brief pause, Kaito nodded.
"...Understood."
Void calmly watched the exchange.
"There is..."
"...nowhere to run."
Footsteps echoed from the far end of the street.
One after another—
A group of assassins emerged from the shadows.
Each held a weapon against a member of the Blue Scarf crew.
Bomb struggled against the grip on his arms.
Rin clenched his jaw as a blade rested near his neck.
Alya stood frozen with two assassins holding her in place.
Fanny glared at the enemies surrounding her.
Saito's eyes widened.
"Guys!"
Void slowly stepped forward.
His voice remained as calm as ever.
"Let's make an exchange..."
"...shall we?"
He raised a single poker card between his fingers.
"One life..."
He pointed the card toward Saito.
"...for four lives."
The assassins tightened their hold on the captured crew, waiting silently for Void's next command as the entire battlefield fell into a tense silence.
Saito glared at Void.
His grip tightened around the hilt of his sword.
Void met his gaze without emotion.
"So..."
"What's your choice..."
"...Blue Scarf?"
Silence filled the empty village.
Kaito looked at Saito.
Then at Bomb.
Rin.
Alya.
Fanny.
He lowered his knives.
Without another word—
He began walking toward Void.
Saito's eyes widened.
"Kaito!"
"Stop!"
"There has to be another way—"
Kaito didn't stop.
"There isn't."
He continued forward until he stood beside Void.
The assassins remained still.
Void glanced toward Jori and Ling.
"You two."
"Report back to the base."
Jori frowned.
"...Sir."
Ling looked at Kaito.
"...Senior?"
Kaito met their eyes.
Then gave a small nod.
"...Go."
Ling lowered his head.
"...Understood."
Jori clenched his fist for a moment before exhaling.
"...Take care of yourself, Senior."
The two turned away.
They disappeared down the empty street, leaving Moa Village behind.
Saito watched them leave before looking back at Kaito.
"Kaito..."
Void remained silent, his masked face fixed on the Blue Scarf captain as the tense standoff continued.
Void gave a small nod.
"Let them go."
The assassins immediately released their captives.
Bomb stumbled forward first.
Rin quickly pulled Alya and Fanny away from the blades.
All four hurried to Saito's side.
Void turned to Kaito.
"...Let's return home."
Kaito lowered his head.
"...Understood."
He walked toward the line of assassins.
One of them smiled respectfully.
"Welcome back..."
"Sir Kaito."
Kaito didn't answer.
He simply walked past them and took his place beside Void.
Saito's jaw tightened.
"...You bastard."
Void looked back at him.
"There."
"It was easy..."
"...to follow the rules."
Saito raised his sword.
"This isn't over, Void."
Void tilted his head slightly.
"...Is it?"
"Then..."
"Let's make it over."
He flicked several poker cards into the air.
Flick!
Flick!
Flick!
The glowing cards shot toward the Blue Scarf crew from different angles.
Bomb reacted instantly.
He clapped his hands.
Boom!
Several hidden explosives detonated in front of the cards.
The shockwave disrupted part of the attack—
But not all of it.
Some cards continued flying through the smoke.
Rin stepped in front of Fanny.
Saito moved in front of Alya.
The glowing cards closed the remaining distance.
Void spoke calmly.
"...Here is your end."
Just then—
A shadow flashed across the battlefield.
An old man.
Alpha.
He caught one glowing card in his hand.
Boom!
The explosion engulfed him.
Before the smoke could clear—
Another Alpha appeared and caught a second card.
Boom!
Then another.
And another.
Each clone intercepted a different card.
One by one, the explosions erupted around them.
Boom!
Boom!
Boom!
The smoke gradually drifted away.
Every explosive card had been stopped before reaching the Blue Scarf crew.
The remaining Alpha stood between Saito and Void, leaning calmly on his cane as the last of his clones disappeared into fading wisps of light.
Void looked at him without surprise.
"...Alpha."
Alpha smiled faintly.
"I believe..."
"...that's enough for today."
Void looked quietly at Alpha.
The two veterans stood facing each other in the middle of the ruined street.
For a long moment—
Neither of them moved.
Then Void spoke.
"...Let's go."
The surrounding assassins immediately obeyed.
One after another, they stepped back into formation.
Kaito remained silent among them.
Alpha rested both hands on his cane.
"You've already recovered your comrade."
"Now..."
"Leave this place."
Void looked toward the Blue Scarf crew one last time.
"...But..."
"The show has only just begun."
"It would be a pity..."
"...to leave so early."
For a brief moment, no one spoke.
Then Void turned away.
His cloak swayed gently as he walked.
The assassins followed behind him.
Kaito never looked back.
Within moments, the entire group disappeared into the distance.
Only the ruined streets of Moa Village remained.
Saito lowered his sword but kept his eyes fixed on the road where Void had vanished.
"...Kaito."