Silence Remains After He Leaves
No one speaks.
Not immediately.
Because the pressure he left behind—
Still lingers.
Akari Breaks First
"…Okay."
A pause.
"…I officially hate these people."
Yui exhales shakily
"…He talked like the end of the world was normal…"
Kenzaku's eyes stay narrowed
"…That's because to them, it probably is."
Hiroto remains silent
Still thinking about those words.
The moment the blade fully awakens…
His grip tightens unconsciously
Tamagichi notices immediately
"…Don't let fear control your hand."
Hiroto looks at him
"…You heard what he said."
Tamagichi answers calmly
"…Yes."
Hiroto steps closer
Eyes sharper now.
"…Then tell me if he was lying."
A long silence
Nobody moves
Because they already know—
Tamagichi's answer matters.
Then—
"…No."
That single word changes everything
Akari's eyes widen
"…Wait—WHAT?!"
Yui looks genuinely shaken
"…You can't be serious…"
Kenzaku's expression hardens further
"…So the blade really is that dangerous."
Tamagichi finally turns toward them fully
"…Dangerous isn't the correct word."
A pause
"…Absolute is."
The atmosphere grows heavier again
Hiroto stares at the blade silently
"…Then why give it to me?"
Tamagichi responds immediately
"…I didn't."
Silence
Hiroto looks up sharply
"…What?"
Tamagichi's gaze lowers slightly
"…That blade chose you long before you touched it."
Akari mutters quietly
"…That's terrifying."
Goro finally speaks
"…And rare."
Yui looks confused
"…How rare?"
Goro answers calmly
"…There are stories of weapons like that."
A pause.
"…But almost nobody survives them."
Hiroto exhales slowly
"…You all keep saying things like that."
Then his voice hardens slightly
"…But nobody's giving me actual answers."
Tamagichi walks toward him
Slowly.
Then stops directly in front of Hiroto
"…Because answers won't help you right now."
Hiroto immediately responds
"…That's not your decision."
A brief silence
Then—
For the first time in a while—
Tamagichi smiles faintly
"…Good."
Hiroto blinks slightly
"…What?"
Tamagichi turns away slightly
"…You're finally angry."
That catches Hiroto off guard
Tamagichi continues calmly
"…Fear sharpens survival."
A pause.
"…But anger pushes people forward."
Kenzaku watches quietly
Understanding what Tamagichi means.
Akari folds her arms
"…Still think this whole thing is insane."
Goro answers immediately
"…It is."
Suddenly—
The blade pulses again
Not violently.
Differently.
Hiroto freezes slightly
"…Again…"
This time—
He hears something clearer
Not a full voice.
Not words.
A feeling
A direction.
His eyes slowly shift toward the distant mountains
Tamagichi notices immediately
"…What did you feel?"
Hiroto answers quietly
"…Something's there."
Kenzaku narrows his eyes
"…An enemy?"
Hiroto slowly shakes his head
"…No…"
A pause.
"…Something waiting."
Far beyond the mountains—
Inside ruins untouched for centuries—
A single ancient door trembles slightly.
And deep behind it—
Something opens its eyes.
To Be Continued