«Come on, this way!» she shouted, motioning with her hand.

She was still carrying Kagura’s unconscious body.

—Kaito… will you make it?— she kept asking herself, clenching her teeth.

After a few moments, the group reached the Ai elevator, the same one they had used to get to that floor.

«Listen to me carefully! We’re taking the stairs!» she said firmly.

«Why don’t we use the elevator?» a frightened woman asked.

«We’ll never fit inside!» Yume replied, pointing at the side staircase.

«And if it gets stuck, we’ll be trapped down there!»

She raised her voice: «So stop arguing! Move!»

She positioned herself beside the stairs, making sure no one was left behind.

—Good… so far so smooth…— she thought as she watched the prisoners rushing down one by one.

«Yume!» Toma called from behind.

She turned, noticing the rage on his face.

«What do you think you’re doing? Put that Fuyumi down!» he growled, glaring at Kagura’s limp body.

«You’re saving an enemy! Do you think she would spare you if she were in your place?»

Yume stiffened at his words. Her gaze slipped onto the wounded face of the girl she was holding.

—Maybe not… but that’s not the point…—

«Toma… I get what you mean,» Yume hesitated.

«But I can’t pretend all that time together was just an act!»

«Are you kidding me?» Toma’s voice was low, but charged with anger.

«She wanted to kill you! She wanted to punish all of us!» His fists clenched tightly.

«Do you have any idea how that thing treated us?! Huh?! Do you have the slightest idea!?»

«I know…» she whispered.

«And maybe I am making a mistake… but I want to give her another chance!»

Yume’s eyes hardened.

«Tsk!» Toma turned away, jaw clenched.

Without another word, he started down the stairs.

Yume watched him for a moment, then lowered her gaze to Kagura.

—I’ll give you only one chance— she thought, tightening her grip.

She began to follow the group.

—I have blood on my hands too, I’m no saint…—

Each step weighed on her like a memory.

—To survive, and to protect the ones I loved, I killed everyone Shirogane ordered me to.—

She swallowed painfully.

—I still dream of them sometimes…—

The memory brushed her mind like a fleeting shadow.

—But Kaito said he didn’t care about what I had done…— she recalled his words on the train as she descended the last flight of stairs.

—He gave me a chance… I’ll do the same for you, Kagura…—

With those final steps, Yume and the prisoners finally reached the hall of the Tenshō Tower.

Everyone’s expression turned to shock.

The main hall of the Fuyumi Tower was a mound of ruins.

«What does all this mean?!» Toma burst out, unable to hold back.

The windows had shattered inward, glass shards covering the floor.

The ground was carved with cracks and marks of recent combat.

Yume moved slowly toward the exit, jaw tight.

But before she could reach it, a staggering figure approached her.

—That silhouette…— her body tensed instinctively.

She recognized him immediately: the same person who had separated her and Kaito just before the auction began.

—What is he doing here!?—

The man slowly lifted his gaze.

His eyes were filled with anger.

«Those bastards… they fooled us this time…» he muttered, voice hoarse.

Then he fixed his stare on her.

«You…» he hissed, and in an instant the air around them grew heavy, almost suffocating.

«Put her down.»

Reiji’s gaze sharpened, locked onto the body in Yume’s arms.

«You’re talking about… Kagura?» Yume managed to utter.

In that moment, Reiji moved.

He vanished from her sight and reappeared right in front of her, inches away.

—What!?— Yume reacted instinctively, raising her leg to kick him in the face.

Reiji stopped the kick with the palm of his hand effortlessly.

Then disappeared again.

Yume spun around.

The group of prisoners, terrified, scattered and left her room to move.

Among them, the Fuyumi man was already heading back up the stairs, carrying his sister.

«Wait! What are you going to do with Kagura!?» Yume shouted, frantic.

She stepped forward, but froze.

From the main entrance, new figures began entering the devastated hall of the Tenshō Tower.

«Let’s finish cleaning up.»

A firm, authoritative voice echoed among the debris.

The figures moved in: they were the ones who had defeated the security guards and captured the buyers fleeing the White Place.

Now they revealed themselves.

«You… you’re…» the words caught in her throat.

«The Reikeitai!»

The assault group counted at least fifteen members.

At their head, a figure Yume recognized immediately.

—Akizame…!?—

Beside Akizame walked another high-ranking member.

Blue hair, a bandage over his left eye: his name was Tetsuya.

«Tetsuya, let’s take care of the lower floors,» Akizame ordered, calm but resolute.

«Alright,» he replied, stepping forward.

He turned toward the rest of the squad.

«Listen up! Akizame and I will deal with that Fuyumi member. You take care of them!» he pointed at the still-shaken prisoners.

«And remember: treat them well.» His tone was strict yet measured.

«Yes, sir!» the agents responded in unison, immediately moving into formation.

Yume remained still.

—Akizame warned us… If we met again, he wouldn’t hesitate to capture us— she thought, teeth clenched.

A moment later, their eyes met.

«You!?» Akizame’s eyes widened in recognition.

«You know her?» Tetsuya asked, studying Yume closely.

«I don’t have time for this,» Akizame replied, walking past her without another glance.

«If she’s here, it means he’s here too.»

He said nothing more.

He signaled sharply. «Arrest her.»

Two Reikeitai members closed in at once.

Yume tensed, ready to react.

The two squad leaders left the hall.

«Akizame,» Tetsuya called as they quickly ascended the stairs.

«You owe us some explanations.» His voice was firm, almost accusatory.

«In the reports you submitted, there’s no mention of that girl,» he added, not hiding his distrust.

Another tremor shook the tower, its walls creaking.

Akizame didn’t look back. «I know,» he answered quietly.

«But for now…» a brief pause, his eyes hardening. «Let’s finish this story.»