It dispersed completely into the deepest part of the forest.

Among the trees, Genzō laid Aoi on the ground, resting her back against the trunk of one of them.

The girl could barely see.

«Genzō…» she called in a faint voice.

«Don’t speak,» he said, continuing to press his jacket against the wound.

The blood would not stop.

—What do I do!?—

He kept pressing harder and harder.

«Genzō…» she said again.

«Don’t worry… we’re leaving together…» he tried to reassure her.

A hand came to rest on his face.

«Genzō, I want to talk to you…» she told him.

«What are you saying!? We’ll talk later!»

«Please… enough… I feel tired…»

Genzō hesitated.

The blood still would not stop.

After a few seconds, he pulled his hands away.

«Why… why!? Why did you save me and not yourself!?» he gritted his teeth.

«Between the two of us, it should have been you to survive!»

Without realizing it, tears began to gather in his eyes.

He took her hands in his, hiding his face.

«These past months…» she began in a weak voice.

«They were truly wonderful… when I was that man’s object, I was used at his whim…» she coughed.

«Today, when I was with you… I understood the difference between doing it by force… and doing it with someone you love.»

She lifted his face.

«Thank you… thank you for taking me out of my cage,» she gave him one last smile.

«I… I should be the one thanking you,» his voice broke with sobs.

«Before you… I never asked myself what was right or wrong…»

«I was just a criminal…»

Aoi gently stroked his head.

«Tomorrow will be another day…» she said.

«So start over… be happy for me too.»

The light in her eyes flickered.

—What a beautiful evening…— she thought, looking up at the sky.

Then she let go.

Her hands slipped from his face.

«Aoi…» he called her.

«Aoi…» again.

He sat down beside her without saying a word.

Now and then, he would glance at her face.

He remained still for many long moments.

—So this is how it is…— he thought.

—Even though I was your brother, it didn’t matter. Even though I was their commander, it didn’t matter…—

He thought of Kanzō.

He thought of his old comrades.

—Was I… always alone?—

Slowly, he stood up and took Aoi’s body in his arms.

«Sorry, Aoi… I don’t even know where you were born.»

He walked aimlessly.

«I don’t even know how you would have wanted to be buried…»

He kept going until he spotted a small abandoned hut.

«This will do…»

He went inside and laid her on a wooden bench, covering her with a white sheet.

«Aoi… I promise you, I’ll change… but not tonight.»

His voice turned hard.

«Tonight… the Fuyumi will be wiped out.»

His gaze filled with hatred.

With slow steps, he left the small structure.

At the same time, Reon had been treated and was now in the White Place before Kanzō Fuyumi.

«What have you come here for?» he asked in a hard tone.

«I came to report,» Reon replied.

«I inform you that your brother has deserted, and that…» he hesitated for a moment before continuing, «…the merchandise has been lost.»

«Lost? What do you mean?» Kanzō sat down on the edge of the platform.

«That woman…» he said irritably.

«She got in the way just as I was about to finish off the traitor,» he admitted through clenched teeth.

«So she died in front of Genzō?»

«Yes… or shortly after,» he answered.

«This won’t end well for you,» Kanzō said calmly.

«W-what do you mean? Are you perhaps… going to punish me?» Reon swallowed hard.

«Don’t be ridiculous,» he sighed.

«Genzō will come back,» he stated.

«What do you mean? Explain yourself better,» Reon began to lose his composure.

«My brother can be very frightening…» he said vaguely.

«Head of the family!! Reon!!»

A guard reached them, panic obvious in his eyes.

«What are you doing here!?» Reon asked.

«You need to get out right now! A fire has broken out in the forest!» he revealed.

«What!?»

Kanzō remained composed.

—So he’s already back… brother…— he thought.

Meanwhile, at the entrance, several soldiers were trying to contain the flames.

«Hurry, bring buckets of water!» one of them shouted.

«It’s not working!»

They kept throwing them onto the fire.

«There are too many flames!!»

Panic was swallowing them whole.

Then, suddenly, they stopped.

«W-what is that?» they stared at the red glow of the forest.

A figure was slowly approaching.

«To arms!!» one of them shouted.

The shadow vanished, and the man collapsed to the ground.

His neck had been pierced.

«Damn it, that’s…!!»

With a swift movement, two more soldiers fell to the ground, holes torn through their bodies.

«It’s Genzō Fuyumi!! Anyone who isn’t a Possessor, run!!»

The guards began fleeing in a panic.

Only three remained.

The color of the flames grew more intense, reflecting in their strained faces.

«Commander… know that this does not please us…» said one of them, his voice trembling.

The man’s shadow stretched across the wall.

«You…» Genzō whispered.

«You’ll pay…»

«Spiritual Block.»

The first guard was swept away by the impact.

His body was hurled against what remained of the monastery.

«SHINJI!» the other two screamed.

Genzō gave them no time to react.

He appeared in front of them.

«Now… it’s your turn.»

He grabbed them and flung them into the still-burning flames.

Genzō remained motionless as the heat licked his face.

There was no hesitation left in his eyes.

Only emptiness.

—I know, Aoi…—

He entered the monastery, continuing to slaughter anyone who stood in his way.

—It’s a disgusting sight…—

With brutal force, he seized one of the guards and hurled her to the ground.

The stone cracked under the impact.

—But if I don’t do this… what happened to you… and to me… will never change.—

He stopped in front of their room.

The room he had shared with Aoi.

Perhaps by instinct, or perhaps for something deeper, he decided to go inside.

He approached the kitchen.

Aoi’s voice came back to him in his mind.

He glanced out the window for a moment: the flames were advancing.

«You said you would finish it…»

On the table there was still a handmade scarf, unfinished.

«I can’t leave you here as just a memory…»

He took it in his hands.

«I hope you don’t mind…»

He put it around his neck.

At that very moment, the main door opened.

«I knew I would find you here…»

A figure entered the room.

«Reon…» Genzō spoke his name, lifting his gaze.

«You’re a madman for coming back.»

Shingan appeared at his side.

«You’re wrong, Reon…»

Genzō’s voice was cold.

«I want to end this story.»

He prepared to use Spiritual Block.