While Kaito and the students stood before the elegant man inside the forgotten city of Yami, the headquarters' doors were burst open. Emma and Raiden (Lilith's deputy) stumbled in, their clothes torn, their bodies covered in wounds and dried blood. Emma was deathly pale, her eyes wide with terror and exhaustion, while Raiden struggled to support her. The medical team rushed toward them, but Emma signaled that they were fine. They stood before Lilith, who was waiting in the main hall.
"Lilith..." Emma said in a trembling, broken voice, "the mission in Kyoto... was a total disaster. We lost all eight hunters... none survived."
Lilith's eyebrow arched slightly as she took in their state. Raiden continued, panting: "Our enemy was a Time Monster... but it wasn't ordinary. It deceived us... an elegant man in a clean black suit. He spoke with us, laughed with us... then suddenly annihilated half the team in an instant. We barely survived... only by a miracle."
Heavy silence fell for several seconds. Lilith looked at them with cold eyes and said quietly: "So... it seems monsters are evolving and using human intelligence. This is interesting..."
At the same time, the elegant man standing before Kaito gave a broad, calm smile, as if he knew exactly what was happening at the headquarters.
He walked with calm, steady steps through the rubble. His black suit was perfectly clean, his dark red tie perfectly straight, and his polished shoes reflected the faint light. Ren noticed with a hint of strangeness that the man's footprints left no mark on the dust, as if the ground itself "forgot" he had passed. Kaito stopped, and the students stood directly behind him.
"Who are you?" Kaito asked sharply.
The man gave a polite smile. "Let's just say I am… a guide. Someone who knows this city well. And you seem to be in need of a safe place, don't you?"
Yuki looked at Kaito tensely, while Ren was still panting from the previous battle, and Haru hid her trembling hands.
"Zone Zero is full of surprises," the man continued. "Follow me. There is a place nearby… relatively safe."
Kaito hesitated, then finally nodded. "Lead the way."
They walked behind him. The man navigated the ruins perfectly. Kaito suddenly said: "You know, we don't need a safe zone. I am the safety for these students. I only follow you because I want to know what you're after."
The man stopped and let out a soft laugh. "Confidence… a beautiful trait. Dangerous, too." He resumed walking. "Did you know that there was a man who lived here before it became Yami? He loved his wife dearly. When she died, he developed a fear of forgetting her. He feared he would wake up and not remember her voice or her laughter. He spent nights re-reading her letters... just so he wouldn't lose her memory."
A silence reigned—a silence so unnatural that even the wind seemed to vanish, as if the world were forgetting how to make sound.
The man continued: "Fear ate his soul. Eventually… he transformed. He became the Monster of Oblivion. Now he steals the memories of others, erases them, because he cannot bear to remain alone in the void of memory."
Kaito stopped abruptly. He felt a slight headache, as if the man's image was trying to escape his mind. He moved between the man and the students. "You..." Kaito whispered.
The man gave a broad smile that no longer seemed human. "Finally, you've realized it. Welcome... I am the Monster of Oblivion. Or rather... what remains of that man."
The atmosphere changed. Colors faded. The man looked at Haru, his eyes now a dull, ashen gray. Haru felt a strange coldness sweep through her mind as images of her family became faint.
"As for you… little one… there is someone who wants to play with you."
Suddenly, a monster grabbed her by the neck and hurled her into a distant building. Kaito tried to pursue the new monster, but he was shocked when Yuki used "Teeth of Hunger" to strike him. Kaito dodged easily, only for Ren to surround him with "Prison of Loneliness" and use "Shadows of Isolation" to form spears.
Kaito struck the ground with force, shattering the pavement to avoid their attacks. "Hey... what's wrong with you two?"
Yuki spoke to Ren: "Ren, we must eliminate this monster. We will never forgive him for killing Haru."
Ren replied, panting: "Yes, even if it costs us our lives."
Kaito burst into a loud laugh. "Oh... so you made them forget who I am. Yes... this is the spirit I wanted... even if I am the enemy... show no mercy to anyone who hurts your friends. But..." Kaito looked at them sharply, "now it's bedtime, my students."
A massive killing intent erupted from Kaito, causing them to collapse unconscious as if their souls had been pulled. "I'm sorry, but there is no other choice. I must focus on killing this monster regardless of the cost."
Kaito turned his piercing gaze toward the elegant man, who remained relaxed. "Kaito, then... the King of separation. You seem confident in your ability to defeat me... confident in your ability to fight."
The man's expression changed, becoming like a cold, expressionless corpse. "So, what if I make you forget how to fight?"
Kaito replied after placing Yuki and Ren safely within the wreckage of a bus, "Really... I am truly eager to see if you can do that... but let me tell you before you try... how can you make someone forget how to fight... when he was born fighting, without ever even learning it?"
Questions for Readers😎:
1) The Monster of Oblivion made the students see Kaito as the enemy who killed their friend. Do you think this "oblivion" will heal itself after the fight, or has the relationship between Kaito and his students been destroyed forever?😥
2) Haru was thrown away to face another monster alone while in a state of oblivion. Will she be able to survive, or will she be the first victim in the city of Yami?😵
3) Kaito claims he was born fighting and doesn't need to learn it. Does this mean his skills aren't just "memories" that can be erased, but are part of his biological makeup?⚔️
🎁The Monster of Oblivion is trying to erase Kaito from existence.. Don't let that happen! Your Gifts are what strengthen the King of Separation and keep him standing in this battle. Does Kaito deserve your support to reclaim his students🙏🏻😘