On the fringes of the Du Du Dojo, Qatazo was sitting around the Go board with Sun Wei, who had invited him to be Yujin's teacher of the Immortal Way.
　The hand holding the black stone of the clan stopped, and he looked up and caught the evening light.

''That fool......... He broke the seal.

'Yes, well ... have you met that many people?　And then ... the seal

"Out of the seven ... two of them were solved. The only thing that helps is that Gao pulled out a two-knife shell made by Gao from the sealed space. It's a lot more stable now.

Hmm ... how does that affect you?

I don't know. But those of us who have just met him cannot remember him at all. Well, the first time I saw Shinagawa, I solved six of them out of the blue. Compared to that time, I think the effect is much weaker.

It's a tricky thing to do. What a troublesome power it is to use the attention and recognition it has given to you and the bond it creates with you. That is the power that allows all of us to exist in this world.

　Sun Wei tapped the iron ashtray, flipping the goose neck of the smoke pipe.

It's a miracle, or perhaps a tragedy, that his body contains both spiritual power and magical power, which are opposites. The mother of the greatest witch in the demon world who came through that Demon's Cave, and to inherit her magic power and the spiritual power of Liaoichi, who was said to be the reincarnation of the first generation of the Dou Dou Dou family, all at once.......

　Sun Wei filled the flue with a new tobacco cigarette and lit it.



　Sun Wei exhales a large amount of smoke as he inhales deeply into the flue pipe.
　In fact, Sun Wei couldn't hide his surprise at Yujin.

　If he couldn't trust his own Immortal Ki, at the time he broke the seal and activated his spiritual and magical power at the same time, Yuyin's body would have been nothing more than a lump of meat.
　Yuto made that possible.
　It seems that he got a hint of that power a year ago in Shinagawa. But at that time, he had the support of his mother. And after that, they should have blocked the use of that simultaneous release, saying it was too risky.

　I'm sure you'll be able to find out what's going on in the world. Sun Wei thought that he was prepared to take that risk and that he had to do it.

　As a teacher, Sun Wei, he considers his beloved disciple.
　What happened to make him ready to do so?
　

　And the situation where he had mastered the simultaneous activation of spiritual and magical power, a skill that was next to death, and every time he activated it, he was cut off from his acquaintances and friends.......
　How did he deal with that at such a young age?
　Most of all ... how did you wield the unspeakable power gained by that simultaneous activation?

No one remembers who you saved or what you defended, though.

　Sun Wei meditated, opened one eye with concern and raised the smoke pipe to the sky, pointing in the direction of the North Star.

It is the simultaneous use of spiritual and magical power. It is the embodiment of the harmony of yin and yang. Theoretically, it is a link to the creation of the universe. Theoretically, it could lead to the creation of the universe, which would be a tremendous power. But the catalyst of that power, or shall we say, the repercussions of that power are just as cruel.

　The starry sky gradually spread out from above the evening light.
　Kazura raised his eyebrows in anguish.

But it's enough if someone remembers him. If even one person remembers him then everyone will remember him someday. Someone who wasn't a hermit who abandoned people like us...

　Katazo crossed his arms and stared at the deepening sunset sky.

'Yes, just one. If you remember him, you'll take the thread of his connection and we'll all remember him again. I hope that the person who will remember him to the end will be the one who saves him one day...

　Then Kazura muttered again.

'That kind of life-altering encounters, encounters that bring you together with a strong relationship, may it be to you.......may it be to Yuto.

　It was almost like a wish or a prayer, coming from deep love.




　Right now, Mari was still lying helplessly on the bed in her room.
　She still hadn't been in touch with Yuto since she decided to contact him the day before yesterday.

　Yuto said he was going to take an exam to qualify.
　Mari even had the feeling that if she knew where it was, she would go out from here.
　But in reality, it was extremely difficult to get in touch with Yuto, who didn't even have a cell phone.

　Mari called her teacher, Kazura, to ask for his whereabouts.
　However, Sumazo also didn't know where Yuto was, and this was the first time he had heard of the qualification exam.

''Huh~. What am I doing........

(But that exam is supposed to end today, so if things go well, I might be able to get a call tonight...)

　Mari turned over with a rumble.

(Totally!　(Remember that when you get a call!)

　Mari swears at Yuto, who floated in her mind, "I'm sorry.


　.........It was then.


''Eh?　What?　This has been done before...


　It was a strange event. The Yuto that floated in Mari's mind faded and disappeared.
　Mari desperately fought against this sensation she had felt before.

(This feeling.................I felt it this spring break. But........weaker than before)

　The first time I remembered this feeling that for some reason only Yuto was disappearing inside me was during spring break a year ago.
　And the second time was this spring.

　Both of those times happened to be when I was thinking about Yuto. Maybe that's why I remember this feeling so well.
　The first time, I was so anxious and scared that I felt as if something irreplaceable was being lost, so I just fought desperately against it.
　The second time, I realized that Yuto's presence was fading within me, and I strongly felt that I shouldn't let this happen to me, so I ruminated on the memories I'd had since I'd met him.

　And this was the third time.

　But Mari's final reaction to this sensation she didn't know why was always the same.
　That's how she'd always gotten through it.
　It was a strong urge that decidedly arose in Mari before the question of why this was happening.
　It rebounds everything.

'What the hell is this already!　You can't do it!　I don't know what it is!　I won't forgive you until I make Yuto a man. I won't forgive you if you're a guy like that, who can't even make a good confession!

　Whenever Mari has a memory in her mind of her and Yuto, she eventually arrives at the scene of Yuto's confession.
　And she is invariably overcome with anger.
　But this was also the moment when Mari was most aware of Masato and couldn't stop thinking about him.

　Last time, and the last time before, she had overcome this mysterious feeling with this anger. Even more so, this time it was a much weaker sensation than the previous one.
　He didn't know why, but this sensation was most horrifying and annoying to Mari.

　And after lightly rebounding from this sensation this time, Mari made a strong decision to go directly to Yuto's house and stood up vigorously.



　The rookie exam party hall that was destroyed in the aftermath of the battle.

　With Gaston in front of her, Masato picked up the unconscious Mizuho and Marion in turn and laid them down on the couch set up at the end of the hall.
　Meanwhile, Gaston was breathing heavily and unable to move.
　When Yuto finishes putting them both to bed, he turns to Gaston in silence and starts walking slowly.

　Also, since when in the world.......when he turns around to face Gaston, a jet-black long sword is held in his right hand and a white silver Tsubaki sword is held in his left hand by Yuto.
　Gaston retreated with a laughing knee.
　The Immortal was now facing the fear of........death for the first time.

'I was hoping to stall for time until Mr. Alfred arrived but I'll stop now.

　Gaston could see Yuto's figure as he said that, as if he had become translucent for a moment.
　Then, before he knew it, one arm of someone else was stuck in that jet-black long sword that Yuto was holding.
　You will be able to find a lot more information on this topic.

''I'll give it back...''

　With those words, Gaston realized for the first time that his right arm was missing.

'Ughhh!　My arm!　Kee-yaa!

　Gaston waved his hand around his right arm, which was missing from his shoulder, as if searching with his left hand.
　With his eyes wide open and tears streaming down his face, Gaston crawled over and picked up his own right arm that had fallen in front of him and placed it against the shoulder of his lost right arm.
　At that moment, befitting the name of the immortal, Gaston's removed right arm was repaired in an attempt to return to the main body, and a vapor-like smoke was generated.

　But..........

'Kyi Yaaaah!　Nah!　Will it ever come back?　My arm!

　Gaston let out a strange cry, tears and nasal discharge from the unexpectedly intense pain.

I cut you. It's all your magic. You can't repair it in such a short time.

　Gaston trembled as he looked at his right hand, which was erupting with Yujin's magical power.

''Such power!　You are...　f*ck, no!　Get away from me!　You're a freak!

　The immortal's previous leeway disappears far away, and with a bullshit pause, he swings only his moving left hand.
　Yuto, whose expression doesn't change, nonchalantly and surely approaches Gaston.

''It doesn't matter anymore ... it doesn't matter. Well, it's not half wrong that you're a monster. I just want you to disappear now.

　Yuto approaches.
　The immortal backs away with a laughing foot.
　At this moment, it was only a fraction of a second.
　However, however, the inner workings of Yuto's heart definitely entered Gaston.

(Is this........this feeling of revenge?　Why?　(For me?)

'Wait a minute!　Wait, please!　You're making a mistake!　I am not your enemy!　Why would you want revenge on me?　What did I ever do to you?　What on earth did you react to!

　Gaston yells, writhes, flails, struggles and crawls, trying to escape in a haphazard position.
　Yuto doesn't speak, but approaches Gaston with a cold expression on his face.
　Gaston has no idea what kind of gait he's in, disappearing and appearing, and disappearing and appearing.
　No, or rather, it was already past time to think about it.

　And then, as an immortal, Gaston's own predator, the first and last of Gaston's life, appears in front of him.
　From the eyes of that predator, he could no longer feel any emotion.
　Gaston no longer has any images coming in from Yuto.
　The only image that comes in now........is the everlasting shadow.......the darkness that lives in the heart of Yuto, which rejects all light.......the only image that comes in now.
　It was the same Yuto that Gaston had seen in Yuto's memory, the same Yuto that was relative to that demon god of disaster.

　Here, Gaston realized. What was this boy's reaction to.
　It was those words.
　The words that Gaston said to Yuto, Mizuho, and Marion.

'It means that you guys can live inside me, right?　...forever.

　There was no way for Gaston to know at that time, but it was, oddly enough, the same statement as the Demon God of Disaster who was the avenger of that fellow Yuto.

　Yuto stood in front of Gaston with a face like a Noh mask........
　Then, Masato raises his eyes to the immortal who is crawling and stumbling on the floor, and with a large amount of ki, he raises his voice to shake the atmosphere.

''Listen to me, psycho........ The beloved ones that exist there don't exist as someone else's property. And moreover, in you........in a lowlife like you!　We're here to feed on it, never!　I don't have--!

Ma!　Wait for me!　I'm for Sophie!　I just wanted to be with Sophie all the time!　So!　I'm sorry!　I just missed........givaaaaaaaaa!

　Gaston's body blows up in a crosshairs as he doesn't finish and screams out a decapitated voice.

'....Sophie!　

　And there was no expression on Yuto's face as he unleashed the power to bury the undead under a single blow.......



　Now, in front of Masato, Gaston's body turns to ashes and crumbles in front of him.

　Masato watches the scene emotionlessly.
　Then..........along with Gaston's crumbling body, a scene, perhaps a memory within Gaston, bursts through and enters the mind of Masato.
　It might have been Gaston at the time of his death, the reverse flow of his satori ability.

　Right in front of Yuto's eyes..............there is a woman with a gentle yet beautiful smile on her face.
　And Yuto could also feel how Gaston was looking at this woman.
　As the history of her and Gaston is etched in Yuto's mind, the woman with the smile on her face is aging beautifully.

　At every turn, she speaks to Gaston in a whisper.


(Gaston is a lonely man, isn't he? Why don't you admit it already?)


(Saying that ... you've never sucked blood before. I know what I'm talking about, okay?)


(No ... Gaston. If you live long enough to do that I'm sure it won't make you happy.)


(Gaston..... I want you to know not only the sadness of this world with goodbyes, but also the beauty of this world that there are goodbyes. So when I'm gone...............promise to love someone else.)


　There, the image went dark and the expressionless Yuto meditated.

　In its place, Gaston's body, which was cut down by Yuto, disintegrated, leaving only his clothes behind.
　The rest was just waiting for Gaston's left hand to be reduced to ashes.......
　In his left hand, Gaston holds a golden rosary with a string of fragrant beads.
　The rosary held by that Gaston........Sophia Sutherland.......was inscribed on it.

　Yuto opened his eyes and just stared at that rosary...with an expression that showed no emotion at all.
　Yuto understood. Gaston hadn't killed the woman named Sophia.
　Gaston had witnessed Sophia's deathbed and sucked her blood as she breathed her last.

　And then a miracle happened.

　Sofia's ability to be dead had been transferred to Gaston.
　Perhaps it was Sophia's strong desire to leave something for Gaston to do, which she did.
　But Gaston had gone mad with that last gift of his beloved, but he had gone mad with the madness of loss....

　Yuto muttered in a voice that only he could hear.


''In a way.......you're just like me.......''


　Yuto stood there, staring at Gaston's dwindling left hand... and then he turned his face upwards and closed his eyes once more.
　Then, Yuto put his hand in front of him and stood the jet black long sword on his right palm. Then the long sword sank from the hilt into Yuto's palm and disappeared completely.
　Likewise, he stands the remaining white and silver Tsubagatana on his left palm. As it was with the long sword, the Tsubagatana begins to sink inside the left palm.
　But just as the hilt of the Tsubagatana begins to sink into his hand, Yuto opened his eyes.

　Masato grabbed the hilt of the Tsubagatana, and then he re-hit the grabbed Tsubagatana in his reverse hand and suddenly thrust his right palm, which contained his own powerful magical power, through it.
　A great deal of blood flowed out of the right palm of Masato, which was impaled by the man himself, and overflowed onto the floor of the hotel.

I'm tired of my own stupidity....

　Yuto muttered that and laughed while looking at the blood flowing without stopping with lifeless eyes.

　Right now, in the space in front of Yuto's eyes, there was a girl with indigo hair that he met in the demon world.
　That girl is angry, laughs, cries, and gives Yuto an expressive appearance.


''But you understand, Lieselotte. Because you love me ... that's why I'm able to believe in myself ... that you love me.