The mist in the Chūkan was darker than usual.

  Thick.

  Suffocating.

  It swirled with disdain—a realm steeped in the Kegare’s breath.

  At the head of the obsidian table sat the Shingan. Fingers interlocked, raised just beneath his eyes. He didn’t speak. He didn’t move. But the air told the truth.

  He was furious.

  Around him, the Death Phantoms sat in silence.

  YuYu.

  Kenzo.

  Uta.

  Daisuke.

  Subaru.

  Each held their posture—but none dared break the stillness.

  The seventh seat remained empty.

  A faint breeze slipped through it.

  YuYu leaned back, grinning. “Here he comes.”

  A soft glow shimmered above the seat.

  A translucent barrier lifted like gss being peeled away—revealing Toshiro. He stepped forward, arms stretched, joints cracked.

  He smirked zily.

  “For sure think you could’ve waited a few more minutes before dropping the barrier. It was just getting good.”

  The room didn’t respond.

  Not with words.

  BOOM.

  In an instant—his head smmed into the edge of the table.

  The Shingan had moved. Fast. Too fast.

  Only YuYu, Daisuke, and Subaru saw the strike.

  “I was going to do that anyway,” the Shingan said, stepping forward. “But we’ll say that’s for not apologizing first.”

  He raised his palm.

  “Surge.”

  Flickers of Tamashkii glinted across his fingers—targeting Toshiro’s vitals. A cascade of invisible blows.

  Toshiro colpsed, coughing blood.

  The Shingan towered over him.

  “I was told you wouldn’t fail.”

  Toshiro wiped his mouth, bowed low. “I didn’t fail, master. If the lieutenant hadn’t recovered when he did… they’d all be dead.”

  A tense silence.

  YuYu snorted. “Ooooh—excuses.”

  The Shingan’s gre shut him up immediately.

  “Sylvetta is not with you. That makes her dead. And unlike the others—you only had one underling. That is a failure.”

  Toshiro’s muscles tightened.

  “You bme the Jumōnban lieutenant, but you attacked first. You had the advantage of surprise. Yet… you didn’t kill him on the opening strike.”

  The Shingan’s voice grew colder.

  “That. Is. A. Failure.”

  A bead of sweat slid down Toshiro’s temple.

  The Shingan turned away.

  “You’re still useful, so I won’t kill you here. Your inability to finish him is my failure… but I don’t like failure.”

  He paused. Then spoke louder.

  “The Jumōnban lieutenant and captain… they’re strong enough to erase pnets.”

  A faint shiver passed through the room.

  “So if they’re stars—then we must become the bck hole.”

  He raised his voice.

  “We must become the destroyers of space.”

  The Death Phantoms knelt in unison behind him.

  The Shingan turned.

  “We leave for the Earth Realm in three days.”

  “It’s time you all taste the true power of the Chūkan—no… the true power of the Hayashi.”

  Daisuke stepped forward. “I’ve made preparations in advance, master.”

  The Shingan smirked. “Good. Two objectives.”

  “One—find the banished Hayashi. The one who created the Reibaku.”

  “Two—locate one of Kuroda’s filthy cores.”

  At the mention of the name Kuroda, the air twisted.

  Some of them held a grudge for not getting to fight him themselves.

  Others… wanted Kuroda’s research for themselves.

  But before any of them could speak—

  Toshiro slowly tried to rise.

  Weak. Drained.

  He joined the others, head low, still coughing.

  The Shingan gnced at him—then at YuYu.

  “YuYu. You have my grace to fight him for five minutes.”

  Toshiro’s eyes snapped up. “What?! But that move—Surge—it’s draining my Tamashkii. I can’t fight like this!”

  The Shingan chuckled softly.

  “Yes. That was the point.”

  “Surge draws Tamashkii from the one it strikes—and feeds it into my palm. It will keep draining… until you fight back.”

  Toshiro gasped. “But you said my performance was fine!”

  The Shingan stared at him, calm and cruel.

  “I don’t recall saying any such thing.”

  “I told you I failed. But failure isn’t inevitable. It’s preventable. And yours was—sloppy.”

  He stepped closer.

  “Unethical. Weak. That is not the way of the Kegare.”

  “You lost your sister.”

  “I was forced to use a forbidden technique.”

  “And now—thanks to you—they’ll figure it out. How we hide. How we seal our faces. Our swords.”

  “The Households are already holding a meeting. And I missed it… to deal with this.”

  His voice lowered.

  “Do you see how deep your failures run?”

  He paused.

  Then waved a hand.

  “…I don’t even know why I’m expining myself.”

  He turned.

  “YuYu. Make it ten minutes.”

  The room shuddered.

  The Shingan vanished.

  And in the silence—

  BOOM.

  YuYu unched a spinning kick, smming Toshiro into the wall.

  Kenzo sighed. “Guess the timer started.”

  Uta’s form blurred as she vanished into distortion. “Three days without seeing any of your faces? That alone might heal me.”

  Kenzo turned to Daisuke. “You’re gonna help make sure YuYu doesn’t kill him, right?”

  Daisuke nodded. “Yeah. Pretty sure that’s why Subaru stayed behind too.”

  Subaru was back at his seat. Sitting in silence.

  He didn’t look at Toshiro.

  He was watching YuYu.

  The way he sshed. The rhythm. The control.

  He wasn’t guarding anyone.

  He was studying him.

  The question was… why?

  CUT TO BLACK.