The smoke slowly cleared—
—
Revealing Lamo—
—
Standing still—
—
His horns… gone.
—
A massive hole through his chest—
—
Silence.
—
Makoto and Richard approached—
slowly—
—
Richard spoke—
calm—
—
"…Just as I said…"
—
"…safe play."
—
"…It's not about how hard we get hit…"
—
"…it's about understanding the pattern."
—
Makoto nodded weakly—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…We waited…"
—
"…read his cooldown…"
—
"…and finished it with teamwork…"
—
Lamo let out a faint laugh—
—
"…Heh…"
—
"…No one has defeated me like this…"
—
"…In 123 years…"
—
His voice weakened—
—
"…absorbing souls…"
—
"…and yet…"
—
"…you two…"
—
He smiled—
—
"…Interesting…"
—
A pause—
—
"…But don't misunderstand…"
—
"…I'm not the strongest…"
—
"…Your next fight…"
—
"…will be against real monsters…"
—
His eyes dimmed—
—
"…Sanami…"
—
"…the Okutso Slayer…"
—
Richard raised his hand—
—
"…We'll deal with it."
—
Makoto's eyes widened—
—
"…Wait—Richard, don't—"
—
But his body gave out—
—
"…Damn… I can't move…"
—
"…I used everything…"
—
Richard didn't stop—
—
"…Pulse… Burst."
—
—BOOM—
—
Lamo's body disintegrated—
—
Gone.
—
Silence fell.
—
Richard stood still—
looking at the sky—
—
Then—
—
…collapsed.
—
—THUD—
—
Makoto's vision blurred—
—
"…Richard…?"
—
"…Why…"
—
"…Why did you…"
—
"…sleep…?"
—
His voice faded—
—
Darkness closing in—
—
He collapsed too.
—
—
In the distance—
—
Susano and Horus began to fade—
—
"…They did well…"
—
"…Yeah…"
—
They vanished.
—
—
Rohan stood still—
watching—
—
"…So…"
—
"…it's over?"
—
Fujiko exhaled softly—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…They're stronger than we thought."
Fujiko rushed forward—
—
Kneeling beside Richard first—
—
Her hands glowed softly—
—
"…You pushed yourself too far…"
—
A gentle pulse of Shingon flowed—
—
Wounds closing—
breathing stabilizing—
—
She exhaled in relief—
—
"…Good…"
—
"…It's not as severe as I thought."
—
—
Scene Shift
—
Silence.
—
A quiet room—
—
Makoto lay still—
—
Then—
—
"…Mm…"
—
His eyes slowly opened—
—
"…Where…?"
—
He blinked—
trying to focus—
—
"…Ah… yeah…"
—
A faint laugh—
—
"…Guess I'm alive…"
—
He tried to move—
—
"…Huh…?"
—
Bandages wrapped around his body—
—
"…Seriously…?"
—
He looked around—
—
Then—
—
"…Richard…?"
—
Richard was nearby—
—
Lying back—
staring at the ceiling—
—
Awake.
—
Silent.
—
The battle was over—
—
But the weight of it—
—
remained.
Richard stared at the ceiling—
—
"…Don't you think something's off?"
—
Makoto turned slightly—
—
"…What do you mean…?"
—
Richard's voice was calm—but sharp—
—
"…That wasn't a normal mission."
—
"…The threat level was too high."
—
"…Either we were misinformed…"
—
"…or assigned wrong."
—
Makoto frowned—
—
"…It was just a mission…"
—
"…right?"
—
Richard didn't look at him—
—
"…After that fight…"
—
"…you still think so?"
—
A brief silence.
—
Fujiko stepped in—
—
"…I'm glad you're both okay…"
—
"…I've treated your wounds."
—
Makoto nodded—
—
"…Yeah… thanks…"
—
Then his expression shifted—
—
"…But wait…"
—
"…Was this mission intentional?"
—
Fujiko paused—
—
"…What do you mean?"
—
Richard sat up slightly—
—
"…Was Lamo the actual target…"
—
"…or did we just run into him?"
—
"…Because that wasn't a coincidence."
—
Fujiko's face grew serious—
—
"…I… can't say for sure…"
—
"…but…"
—
"…you're not wrong."
—
Richard's gaze sharpened—
—
"…Then why didn't you step in?"
—
Makoto blinked—
—
"…Huh…?"
—
"…Didn't you say you couldn't—?"
—
Fujiko sighed softly—
—
"…I'm a healer…"
—
"…there are rules."
—
"…I can only intervene directly in extreme emergencies."
—
A pause—
—
"…I was about to…"
—
"…but I received orders not to."
—
She smiled faintly—
—
"…So I didn't."
—
Silence filled the room.
—
Richard said nothing.
—
Makoto's expression hardened—
—
"…Why…?"
—
"…Why us?"
—
"…Was this planned?"
—
"…Did Araki Amatsuka send us knowingly…?"
—
The question lingered—
—
Unanswered.
—
—
Scene Shift
—
Night.
—
Cold wind howling—
—
On top of a building—
stood Saito Kojima
—
Hand resting on a communication tower—
—
He smiled.
—
"…That was entertaining…"
—
A soft chuckle—
—
"…Altering mission documents…"
—
"…really does spice things up."
Cold wind—
—
Saito Kojima stood above the city—
—
"…This is fun…"
—
A faint smile—
—
"…Turning everything into a game…"
—
He vanished.
—
—
Scene Shift — Restaurant
—
Makoto and Richard arrived—
—
Makoto stretched slightly—
—
"…Finally…"
—
"…This place is perfect for food."
—
He smiled—
—
"…Hey, sir—"
—
"…Do you have Unagi?"
—
The old man nodded—
—
"…Yes… give me a moment."
—
Makoto sat down—
—
"…Alright."
—
A short pause—
—
Richard spoke—
calm but serious—
—
"…About Lamo…"
—
"…He was strong."
—
Makoto nodded—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…But still…"
—
"…we handled it, right?"
—
He grinned—
—
"…Doesn't that mean we're strong too?"
—
Richard shook his head slightly—
—
"…That wasn't normal."
—
"…That kind of mission…"
—
—
Makoto blinked—
—
"…Eleven squad…?"
—
Richard corrected him—
—
"…Eleven Core members ."
—
A pause—
—
"…How do you even know about them?"
—
Makoto leaned back—
—
"…Louis told me."
—
Richard's eyes narrowed—
—
"…Louis Berzato…?"
—
"…You know him?"
—
Makoto nodded—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…He saved me once…"
—
"…the night I first activated Susano."
—
Richard stayed silent for a moment—
—
"…I see…"
—
Makoto continued—
—
"…He's a good guy…"
—
"…I think he really wants to protect people."
—
Richard's tone hardened—
—
"…You shouldn't trust anyone that easily."
—
A pause—
—
"…Still…"
—
"…he knows a lot."
—
Makoto scratched his head—
—
"…About that Eleven Core thing…"
—
"…just a guess, you know…"
—
Richard looked at him—
dead serious—
—
"…Do you think I'm joking?"
—
Makoto waved his hands
laughing awkwardly—
—
"…No, no—nothing like that…"
—
—
At that moment—
—
The old man returned—
—
"…Here—your two Unagi."
—
Steam rose gently—
—
A brief calm—
—
before the next storm.
Makoto looked at the plate—
—
"…Alright…"
—
"…this looks delicious, not gonna lie."
—
He smiled—
—
"…Let's eat, I'm starving."
—
He picked up the Unagi—
—
Just as he was about to take a bite—
—
Richard spoke—
—
"…About Lamo…"
—
"…when I fought him…"
—
"…he knew too much."
—
"…He mentioned someone stronger."
—
The old man suddenly stopped—
—
"…Did you just say… Lamo?"
—
Makoto looked up—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…Why?"
—
The old man's expression changed—
serious—
heavy—
—
"…He killed my son…"
—
"…thirty years ago."
—
Silence.
—
Richard narrowed his eyes—
—
"…Is that so…"
—
"…What was his name?"
—
The old man replied quietly—
—
"…Eita."
—
Richard thought for a moment—
—
"…Eita…?"
—
"…I haven't heard of him…"
—
"…but… I see."
—
The old man continued—
—
"…That man… Lamo…"
—
"…he killed my son…"
—
"…and took his soul…"
—
His voice trembled slightly—
—
"…I was there…"
—
"…I told him not to touch anything…"
—
"…but Lamo came…"
—
"…and took my son right in front of me…"
—
Makoto lowered his gaze—
—
"…That's…"
—
"…hard to hear…"
—
A pause—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…he's dead now."
—
The old man exhaled—
—
"…I'm glad…"
—
"…Truly…"
—
"…to see the ones who defeated him…"
—
"…sitting here."
—
He gave a faint smile—
—
"…Two Okutso…"
—
"…eating in my shop…"
—
Makoto shook his head—
—
"…You don't need to say that…"
—
"…We just did what we had to."
—
A quiet moment settled—
—
The weight of the past—
—
meeting the present.
Louis Berzato and Saori Sanjo watched from a distance—
—
The gray-haired man entered a castle—
—
Louis narrowed his eyes—
—
"…He's going inside…"
—
From within—
a long orange-haired man appeared—
—
"…Is everything done?"
—
Louis stayed hidden—
—
"…They're planning something…"
—
The orange-haired man continued—
—
"…Lord Shimura will be pleased…"
—
"…Once we take the sacrifices…"
—
"…Susano… and Horus."
—
Louis' eyes widened—
—
"…What…?"
—
"…That's their plan…?"
—
Inside—
the gray-haired man sat on a sofa—
—
"…I'll handle it myself…"
—
—
Outside—
Louis stepped back—
—
"…This is bad…"
—
"…If we don't act…"
—
Saori spoke quietly—
—
"…We've been following them for two days…"
—
Louis nodded—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…We've learned a lot…"
—
"…but we still need the right moment…"
—
—
Inside—
the gray-haired man reached for water—
—
"…Where's my—"
—
The glass slipped—
—
—DROP—
—
Just before it hit—
—
—SHIFT—
—
Louis altered its position—
placing it safely on the sofa—
—
The man glanced down—
—
"…Huh…?"
—
"…A mouse…?"
—
He ignored it.
—
Outside—
—
Louis exhaled—
—
"…That was close…"
—
—
Scene Shift — Outside Restaurant
—
Makoto and Richard walked out—
—
The old man called from behind—
—
"…Come again…"
—
"…so I can thank you properly…"
—
Makoto waved lightly—
—
"…You don't need to, sir…"
—
"…Heh…"
—
They kept walking—
—
Makoto spoke—
—
"…The food was good…"
—
"…but…"
—
A pause—
—
"…I don't want to kill people…"
—
"…Even if they're bad…"
—
"…There should be another way…"
—
Richard glanced at him—
—
"…That kind of thinking…"
—
"…can make you weak in battle."
—
Makoto shook his head—
—
"…No…"
—
"…It's not like that…"
—
Richard continued—
—
"…Even today…"
—
"…you didn't finish him."
—
Makoto replied—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…You were the one who ended it…"
—
Richard's tone grew more serious—
—
"…Inside him…"
—
"…there were countless souls…"
—
"…suffering."
—
A pause—
—
"…Sometimes…"
—
"…killing is the only way to free them…"
—
Silence followed—
—
Not agreement—
—
But understanding beginning to form.
Makoto frowned—
—
"…Still…"
—
"…it's not morally right."
—
Richard didn't reply—
—
"…Whatever."
—
He turned—
starting to walk—
—
"…Just remember this…"
—
"…You keep putting yourself in danger."
—
A pause—
—
"…That's why I had to save you."
—
Makoto stayed quiet.
—
Richard continued—
—
"…That blast earlier…"
—
"…If I was even a second late…"
—
"…we'd both be dead."
—
Makoto scratched his head slightly—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…I get it…"
—
"…I just wanted to see it through."
—
—
—WHOOSH—
—
A sudden presence—
—
—THUD—
—
Richard was kicked—
sent crashing to the ground—
—
"…Tch—!"
—
Makoto's eyes widened—
—
"…Richard!"
—
Richard collapsed—
—
The attacker landed smoothly—
—
"…So weak…"
—
A woman stood there—
calm—
dangerous—
—
Makoto stepped forward—
—
"…Who are you?"
—
She smiled—
licking her lips slightly—
—
"…Hmm…"
—
"…My name is Himeno Amane…"
—
"…Nice to meet you."
—
Makoto blinked—
—
"…Huh…?"
—
"…Okay… but—"
—
"…are you a threat?"
—
Himeno tilted her head—
—
A soft smile—
—
"…Not really…"
—
"…my dear."
She stepped closer—
—
"…I'm not here just to watch…"
—
A faint smile—
—
"…I want to see if you can impress me."
—
Her eyes locked onto him—
—
"…You look… interesting."
—
—FLASH—
—
She vanished.
—
"…What—?"
—
A whisper—
right beside his ear—
—
"…You are strong… aren't you?"
—
Makoto's body froze—
—
—THUD—
—
He dropped to the ground—
—
"…How…?!"
—
"…That fast…?"
—
Himeno stood behind him—
calm—
—
"…So…"
—
She turned—
smiling softly—
—
"…I challenge you, Makoto Mori…"
—
A pause—
—
" to beat me."
Himeno smiled—
—
"…Now…"
—
"…let's see what you can do."
—
Makoto pushed himself up—
—
"…Tch… I'm not done yet."
—
—BOOM—
—
"…Pulse Burst!"
—
The attack rushed toward her—
—
—SWISH—
—
She dodged effortlessly—
—
—THUD—
—
Her palm struck—
—
Makoto was knocked back—
—
"…I won't go down that easily!"
—
He rushed again—
—
She countered—
—
Makoto barely dodged—
—
"…Got it—!"
—
—BOOM—
—
Another Pulse Burst—
—
Without stopping—
—
"…Now—!"
—
A compressed sphere formed—
—
"…Here I go!"
—
He launched it—
—
—but—
—
—GRAB—
—
She caught his hand.
—
The sphere—
—
vanished.
—
Makoto's eyes widened—
—
"…What…?!"
—
—CRACK—
—
A single strike to his neck—
—
He collapsed—
—
"…Ah—!"
—
Himeno looked down at him—
—
"…That's all?"
—
Makoto gritted his teeth—
—
"…Damn it…"
—
"…She's too fast…"
—
He forced himself up again—
—
"…I'm not giving up…"
—
"…Richard is my friend…"
—
"…That bond—"
—
"…is enough for me to keep fighting!"
—
A brief silence—
—
Then—
—
Himeno smiled—
—
"…I like that."
—
She stepped closer—
—
"…Then…"
—
She gently pulled him in—
—
into her arms—
—
"…You'll be my future husband from now on… but you'll have to wait."
Makoto blinked—
—
"…What…?"
—
Before he could react—
—
—FLASH—
—
She vanished.
—
Silence.
—
Makoto looked at his body—
—
"…Huh…?"
—
No pain.
—
No injuries.
—
"…I feel… fine?"
—
As if nothing had happened.
—
He quickly turned—
—
"…Richard—are you okay?"
—
A pause—
—
Then—
Makoto frowned slightly—
—
"…Wait…"
—
"…What did she just say…?"
—
"…Future husband…?"
—
He scratched his head—
confused—
—
"…Huh…?"
Makoto scratched his head—
—
"…So…"
—
"…I'm getting targeted by baddies now, huh?"
—
He let out a small laugh—
—
"…What even is my life…"
—
—SHIFT—
—
A faint movement—
—
Richard's fingers twitched—
Richard opened his eyes—
—
"…What… actually happened?"
—
Makoto exhaled—
—
"…I'm wondering the same…"
—
"…She came out of nowhere…"
—
"…and left just as fast…"
—
He looked ahead—
—
"…I couldn't even keep up with her…"
—
A pause—
—
"…She said I was interesting…"
—
—
Scene Shift
—
High above—
leaning against a wall—
—
Himeno Amane watched—
—
A faint smile—
—
"…Very interesting…"
—
—
Scene Shift
—
Louis Berzato observed from afar—
—
"…So this is it…"
—
"…Their real goal…"
—
"…Taking both Horus and Susano at once…"
—
He narrowed his eyes—
—
"…They're planning more than we thought…"
—
He gathered a small amount of Shingon—
—
A faint flame forming in his hand—
—
"…This could be useful…"
—
Saori Sanjo stood beside him—
—
"…We should move."
—
Louis nodded—
—
"…Yeah…"
—
"…This is getting dangerous…"
—
A pause—
—
"…If we get caught…"
—
"…we're done."
—
"…They're strong."