«No doubt about it… I’m getting closer.»

He took one hand off the steering wheel.

His wakizashi was answering the call of the other.

He could not help but remember Akizame’s words.

«Those blades are not yours!»

he had said.

«He knew Ren…»

Kaito tightened his hand on the gearshift.

«I can’t think about that now.»

Suddenly, he widened his eyes.

After a day of travel, he had finally reached it.

«There it is…»

Before him unfolded the seaside panorama of the city of Yorigakure.

«The sea… I’ve never seen it before.»

He was left stunned.

The beach was crowded with men and women, with umbrellas and chairs.

He parked the car in the nearest parking lot.

Once out, he slung his backpack over his shoulders; inside was everything essential.

He made his way to the beach.

«Mom! Mom! Look!»

a child shouted.

At that sight, Kaito let out a faint smile.

— Ren… Rin… Reina… I wish I could have shown this to you —

he thought, with a trace of nostalgia.

Then his gaze changed.

It turned serious.

His eyes settled on the imposing prison, visible even from the beach.

«Yume… hold on a little longer.»

Without looking back, he headed toward the outskirts of the city.

The brick houses matched the stone streets perfectly.

People were talking about this and that.

— I never imagined it would be like this… —

he thought, dodging a small group of people.

His gaze fell on a small open-air shop selling various kinds of fruit.

Some women were watching him, whispering among themselves.

«Him…»

he caught them saying.

— I wonder what they found so interesting about me… —

he thought, not giving it much weight.

He kept walking until he noticed a small notice board.

Most of the people’s eyes were fixed on it.

«I don’t believe it…»

he gritted his teeth.

Kaito found himself staring at his own wanted poster.

Below his face, it read:

“If you encounter this man, notify the Reikeitai forces immediately.”

As soon as the crowd recognized him, they took a step back.

— Shit… —

«Grandma, is that him?»

a child asked, frightened, clutching the woman’s skirt.

«The one who caused the incident at Shinkase?»

— This is going to end badly… —

Without saying a word, Kaito leapt onto the fire escape behind him.

At that moment, the only solution was to run.

«Someone stop him!»

«Call the Reikeitai!»

Kaito kept running, ending up on the roof of a small hotel.

— I don’t understand anything… they should think I’m dead… —

He jumped from roof to roof.

— And yet… —

He stopped abruptly.

«Of course…»

he clenched his fists.

«Akizame knew the blades were linked…»

He lifted his gaze.

«He knew I’d come here if I survived…»

«They don’t know for certain that I’m alive.»

He inhaled slowly.

«And like Genzō said… that was their precaution.»

He looked around.

«Where do I go now…?»

«You seem agitated.»

The voice came from behind him.

Kaito spun around sharply, instinctively stepping back.

«You’re cuter than I expected.»

In front of him stood a woman with pleasant features. Her dark hair was neatly tied back, her expression alert.

A thin scar crossed her left eyebrow.

Kaito’s eyes sharpened.

«I’m guessing you’re here to capture me.»

She gave a small smile.

«I see that besides being cute, you’re also intelligent.»

She stepped forward.

«We were told that if you were alive, you’d come here.»

Kaito clenched his jaw.

«You’re here for her, aren’t you…»

Those words struck him harder than he wanted to admit.

Silence fell between them.

Only the wind dared break it.

Kaito sighed.

— If I fall for her provocation… it’ll only get worse. —

«Since you did me the favor of coming to me…»

she brought her right hand to the sheath attached to her belt.

«How about telling me… how to get into the prison.»

The blade slid free with a metallic hiss.

The woman lowered her gaze to the weapon, studying it carefully.

For a moment, she remained silent.

«It’s exactly the same as the other one…»

she murmured, intertwining her fingers, surprised.

Then she smiled slowly.

«I’m sorry to tell you, but besides your life…»

she licked her lips.

«You’ll have to hand over that weapon too.»

The shadow at her feet stirred.

«Appear, Nebari.»

Behind her, a spirit resembling a jellyfish took shape.

From its long tentacles it secreted a viscous substance, thick as saliva.

Kaito’s hand trembled for an instant at the sight.

— What’s wrong with me… just because I don’t have both blades? —

He watched the creature move slowly through the air.

— I won’t lose. —

«White Sea!»

The girl touched the surface of the roof.

Nebari began secreting enormous amounts of that milky saliva, which spread rapidly.

— She wants to take away every foothold I have! —

Kaito darted forward while the ground was still solid beneath his feet.

The saliva reached him in moments.

— Maybe I overestimated him — she thought.

The boy’s blade made contact with the viscous substance.

Fifty percent.

With only one blade, he could absorb only fifty percent of the spiritual energy he would have controlled wielding both.

But it was enough.

Enough to open a path toward the guard.

«W-what?!» the woman tried to step back.

— Let’s put Genzō’s teachings into practice. —

Kaito spread his fingers.

«Spiritual Block!»

With a quick gesture, the woman ordered the spirit to react.

One of Nebari’s tentacles intercepted the blow.

An instant later the tentacle exploded, dissolving completely.

The remaining substance bent like two waves closing in on themselves.

In the middle stood Kaito.

Against all expectations, the boy smiled.

Genzō’s words came back to him.

«A spiritual block isn’t enough.

If you want to win, train your Body even more.»

The muscles in his legs tightened.

The little spiritual energy he had absorbed ran through his body like a current.

In an instant, he was on top of her.

The wakizashi pierced her shoulder.

A strangled cry escaped her lips.

Kaito slammed into her with his body, making her lose her balance.

He let her fall to the ground without hesitation.

Then he pinned her down for good.

Kaito already had the next strike ready.

A spiritual block pressed against her neck.

«Now answer my question.»

His gaze was cold, free of hesitation.

«How do I get inside there?»

The woman swallowed.

For a moment, she seemed truly frightened.

Then something changed.

A shiver ran through her body, and a slow smile curved her lips.

«No doubt about it…» she murmured.

«You really are my type of man.»

«What—»

«Too bad.»

She leaned in a fraction, whispering in his ear:

«You’re still too immature.»

A sharp удар to his abdomen lifted him off the ground.

Instinctively, Kaito brought his arm up to protect himself.

Before he could react, a second impact struck him in midair.

His body was hurled off the roof, smashing through the glass window of a jewelry shop.

The glass exploded into a thousand shards.

From the roof, the woman watched him without moving.

«Welcome to Yorigakure.»

She slowly licked her lips.

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