By the time they returned to Reikōsha Academy, the sky had already shifted into late afternoon. The golden light stretched across the buildings, casting long shadows that made everything feel calm on the surface.
But none of them felt calm.
The academy gates opened as they approached, and for once, no one joked, no one raced ahead. Even Tyouro, who usually couldn't stay quiet for more than a minute, walked without saying anything, his expression unreadable.
Kairo glanced at him a few times, noticing the missing arms again.
It still didn't feel real.
"...you okay?" he finally asked, his voice quieter than usual.
Tyouro smirked, but it didn't have the same energy as before. "I mean… I've been better."
"Yeah, no kidding."
Yura walked ahead of them, already focused. "Stop talking. We're here."
Inside the academy, everything felt normal. Students were walking around, talking, laughing, completely unaware of what had just happened beyond those walls.
That contrast felt strange.
Like they had stepped into a different world.
They headed straight for the clinic.
The moment the door opened, the smell of medicine and clean air hit them. Inside, Judas Iscariot was already there, standing near one of the beds as if she had been waiting.
Her long hair fell neatly over her shoulders, and her calm eyes immediately scanned the group.
They stopped on Tyouro.
"…so it's that bad," she said quietly.
Tyouro raised what was left of his shoulder slightly. "You could say that."
Kairo stepped forward. "Can you fix it?"
Judas didn't answer right away. Instead, she walked closer, her gaze sharp but controlled as she examined the damage.
"…sit," she said.
Tyouro didn't argue this time. He moved to the bed and sat down, his usual confidence replaced with something more grounded.
Yura leaned against the wall nearby, arms crossed, watching closely. Kimimaru stood silently near the corner, his eyes focused on everything happening without missing a detail.
Judas placed her hand slightly above where Tyouro's arms had been.
For a moment nothing happened.
Then-
A faint glow appeared.
Soft at first.
Then stronger.
A warm, golden light wrapped around Tyouro's shoulders, slowly forming into something more defined. It wasn't fast. It wasn't instant.
It was controlled.
Precise.
Kairo watched closely, his eyes widening slightly. "That's… her energy?"
Yura nodded slightly. "Restoration."
Judas's voice remained calm as she worked. "It's not simple healing. I reconstruct what was lost… based on what remains."
Tyouro winced slightly as the light intensified. "Yeah… I can feel that…"
"Good," she replied. "That means it's working."
The light began shaping itself, slowly forming bone structure first, then muscle, then skin. It was almost unreal to watch, like something being rewritten carefully instead of rushed.
Minutes passed.
No one interrupted.
Even Tyouro stayed quiet, focusing on the sensation.
Then-
The light faded.
And his arms were back.
Not perfectly.
Not instantly strong.
But real.
Tyouro stared at his hands for a second, flexing his fingers slowly.
"…damn."
Kairo let out a breath. "That's crazy."
Judas stepped back slightly, her expression unchanged. "They're restored, but not fully recovered. Don't overuse them."
Tyouro smirked again, this time a bit more like himself. "Yeah yeah… I got it."
But before the moment could settle..
Judas's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…your energy changed."
That caught everyone's attention.
Tyouro blinked. "Huh?"
She stepped closer again, observing him more carefully.
"…you didn't just lose your arms," she said. "You gained something."
Yura straightened slightly.
Kairo frowned. "What do you mean?"
Judas crossed her arms. "…there's heat in your energy flow."
Tyouro looked down at his hands again, confused. "Heat?"
Before anyone could say more-
A small spark flickered.
Right in his palm.
He froze.
"…what the-"
The spark didn't disappear.
Instead, it grew slightly, forming a faint glow, like something trying to awaken.
Kairo leaned closer. "Yo… are you doing that?"
"I'm not even trying!"
The heat increased just a little.
Not burning.
Not painful.
Just… there.
Yura's eyes sharpened. "…it's stable."
Judas nodded. "Yes. That's the strange part."
Tyouro stared at his hand, then clenched it slightly. The glow intensified for a second before fading again.
"…I felt this before," he said slowly.
Kairo tilted his head. "When?"
"…during the fight."
Everyone went quiet.
Tyouro continued, his voice more serious now.
"When I almost got erased… there was this… heat inside me."
He looked at his chest.
"It didn't hurt."
His eyes narrowed slightly.
"…it felt like something woke up."
Judas stepped back slightly. "Then it's confirmed."
Yura spoke next. "…Blast Energy."
Kairo blinked. "Wait that's his thing already, right?"
"Not like this," Yura replied.
Judas nodded. "Before, it was raw output. Explosive force."
She looked at Tyouro again.
"Now… it's evolving."
Tyouro smirked slightly. "So what? I'm stronger now?"
Yura didn't sugarcoat it.
"…yes."
Kairo let out a low whistle. "Damn…"
Judas added calmly, "But it comes with control issues. If you don't master it, it will damage you instead."
Tyouro cracked his neck slightly. "Then I'll just master it."
That confidence was back.
Not fully reckless.
But real.
From the side of the room, a quiet voice spoke.
"…that's not the only thing that changed."
Everyone turned.
Griffin Larbhoar stood near the doorway, his coat slightly moving as if he had just arrived.
Kimimaru's eyes narrowed slightly. "You've been there the whole time?"
Griffin smiled faintly. "Long enough."
His gaze shifted toward Kimimaru.
"…your weapon."
Kimimaru didn't react immediately. "What about it?"
Griffin stepped forward slowly, his eyes sharper now.
"That sword… Zweihander."
He paused slightly.
"It's not just a weapon."
Kairo glanced between them. "Wait, what?"
Griffin's tone remained calm, but there was weight behind it.
"…Astral Trapping."
Kimimaru's grip tightened slightly.
"That ability… doesn't fully come from you."
Silence filled the room.
Yura narrowed her eyes. "…explain."
Griffin nodded slightly.
"The sword contains it."
Kairo blinked. "So… like a built-in ability?"
"Not exactly," Griffin replied. "It's dormant."
He looked directly at Kimimaru.
"You've only been using the surface of it."
Kimimaru's expression didn't change but his eyes did.
"…meaning?"
Griffin's smile faded slightly.
"It has a hidden function."
That landed.
Kairo leaned forward slightly. "Like what?"
Griffin shook his head. "That… you'll have to discover yourself."
Tyouro groaned. "Bro, why do you always talk like that?"
Griffin ignored him.
His gaze remained on Kimimaru.
"…but I'll tell you this."
He paused.
"When it fully awakens… it won't just trap souls."
Kimimaru didn't speak.
But inside...
Something shifted.
Yura crossed her arms again, thinking.
"…so both of them evolved during the fight."
Judas nodded slightly. "Extreme conditions accelerate growth."
Kairo looked down at his hands.
"…then…"
He clenched his fist.
"…I need to catch up."
Tyouro smirked. "You're already behind."
"Shut up."
That small exchange...
It felt normal again.
But only slightly.
Because deep down, all of them understood something now.
That fight wasn't the peak.
It was just the start.
Griffin turned slightly, walking toward the exit.
"…rest while you can."
He didn't look back.
"The next time… you won't get the chance."
The room fell quiet again.
But this time...
It wasn't empty.
It was heavy with something new.
Growth.
And the beginning of something far more dangerous.