The Night Remains Silent
No one speaks immediately after Hiroto's words.
The fire crackles softly nearby—
But even that feels distant now.
Akari Stares at Him
"…What do you mean… it remembers?"
Hiroto Sits Slowly
Still exhausted.
Still shaking slightly.
But awake.
He Looks at the Blade
Long.
Carefully.
"…I saw someone."
Kenzaku narrows his eyes
"…Inside the blade?"
Hiroto nods once
"…Maybe."
A pause.
"…Or somewhere connected to it."
Yui looks uneasy
"…That's impossible…"
Goro quietly responds
"…No."
A beat.
"…Not impossible."
That changes the atmosphere instantly
Akari looks toward Goro
"…You know something?"
Before Goro can answer—
Footsteps approach
Tamagichi arrives
Silent.
Calm.
But the moment his eyes land on Hiroto—
He stops
A long silence follows
Then—
"…So you crossed it."
Hiroto looks up
"…Crossed what?"
Tamagichi steps closer
Eyes fixed on the blade.
"…The first threshold."
Nobody fully understands
Akari immediately asks
"…What does that even mean?"
Tamagichi answers calmly
"…The blade acknowledged him."
Silence
Yui whispers
"…Acknowledged…?"
Tamagichi nods once
"…Most people die before reaching that point."
That lands hard
Hiroto's expression tightens
"…So the dream was real."
Tamagichi immediately responds
"…It wasn't a dream."
The fire suddenly feels colder
Kenzaku folds his arms
"…Then what was it?"
Tamagichi's gaze darkens slightly
"…Memory."
Everyone goes silent again
Hiroto remembers the figure
The voice.
The pressure.
The words.
A weapon created to end kings.
Tamagichi notices Hiroto's expression
"…What did you see?"
A pause
Hiroto answers slowly
"…Someone holding the same blade."
Goro's eyes narrow slightly
Tamagichi stays silent
Too silent.
Akari notices immediately
"…You know who it is."
Tamagichi closes his eyes briefly
Then—
"…No."
A pause.
"…But I know what it means."
Hiroto leans forward slightly
"…Then tell me."
Tamagichi looks directly at him
For the first time—
There's visible concern in his eyes
"…It means the blade has started preparing you."
Hiroto's grip tightens
"…Preparing me for what?"
A long silence
Then—
"…War."
That word changes the room
Akari's expression hardens
"…With the Ten Shadow Clans."
Tamagichi doesn't deny it
Instead—
"…With everything behind them."
Kenzaku exhales quietly
"…So this goes deeper than clans…"
Goro answers calmly
"…Far deeper."
Yui lowers her voice
"…Then what are we even fighting against…?"
Nobody answers immediately
Because nobody fully knows
Tamagichi finally turns away slightly
Then says quietly—
"…Something that has controlled the world for far too long."
Silence fills the room once more
Hiroto looks down at the blade again
Not fear.
Not hesitation.
Resolve
As the fire flickers against the darkness—
Tamagichi's voice lowers one final time.
"…And now…"
A pause.
"…they'll begin hunting you seriously."*
To Be Continued!!!