The moment that thought surfaced, the fear inside Inoue Kiyoko almost became real.
It pressed against her chest and tightened around her throat.
Her husband still hadn't come home.
That uneasy feeling from earlier.
The strange smell in the air, faint but impossible to ignore.
Like burnt feathers.
Her pupils trembled.
She knew what it meant.
"It seems you've figured it out, Mrs. Inoue."
A calm voice broke the silence.
From the dark purple mist, a man stepped forward.
His body was wrapped in fog. He wore a high-collared outfit, and his manner was composed, almost gentlemanly.
He gave a slight bow.
"Indeed. Just as you suspect."
"The black ash burning in that stove…"
"is your husband."
The room went silent.
Kiyoko's body shook violently.
Her mouth opened, but no sound came out.
Black Mist continued in the same polite tone.
"I must apologize."
"Shigaraki is still young. When it comes to traitors, he can be rather unreasonable."
He paused, as if choosing his words.
"He doesn't merely want them dead."
"He wants them to suffer."
"I tried to persuade him, but he insisted."
His gaze moved briefly toward the stove.
"He reduced Inspector Inoue to ash."
"Then had that ash delivered here."
"As a gift."
The warmth from the stove suddenly felt suffocating.
Kiyoko stared at the fire.
Her husband.
That man who had left for work this morning as usual.
Now he was nothing more than ash inside her stove.
Black Mist lowered his voice.
"He suffered greatly."
Those words were soft.
But they landed like a blade.
Kiyoko's eyes flickered with too many emotions at once.
Fear.
Regret.
Guilt.
Despair.
But there was one thing missing.
Hatred.
Because she knew she had no right to hate.
Years ago, when society had fallen into chaos, one man had risen above the disorder.
He gathered followers.
Built power.
Used ruthless methods to force the world back into shape.
He became the ruler of that era.
The man standing above all.
The one people whispered about as the Dominator.
And yet, everything he built had collapsed.
Not only because of enemies.
Because of betrayal.
His brother.
Allies who turned their backs.
Foreign forces hiding in the shadows.
And people like her.
Small people.
Insignificant people.
Chefs.
Drivers.
Businessmen.
Errand runners.
People who never should have mattered, but did.
Some gained wealth through betrayal.
Some gained status.
Most simply disappeared into ordinary lives.
Kiyoko and her husband had been among the latter.
They lived quietly.
Kept their heads down.
Pretended the past was dead.
But none of them had ever truly been at peace.
Because they all knew one thing.
That man was not easy to erase.
No corpse had ever been found.
And "no corpse" did not mean dead.
It could mean escape.
It could mean disappearance.
It could mean something worse.
For years, they searched for proof.
They wanted confirmation.
They needed to know he was gone.
But nothing turned up.
Slowly, cautiously, they relaxed.
They told themselves they were safe.
They told themselves enough time had passed.
And now he had returned.
Not alone.
Not forgotten.
He had come back with revenge.
Black Mist watched the terror settle into her face and sighed quietly.
"If you had known this day would come, would you still have made the same choice?"
His voice was almost kind.
His words were not.
"Your husband has already gone ahead."
"And now, Mrs. Inoue…"
"It is your turn."
Kiyoko's fingers clenched.
Her body was shaking, but somehow, she still managed to speak.
Her voice came out dry and hoarse.
"I don't want to die…"
Black Mist looked at her with faint pity.
"But debts must be repaid."
He leaned forward slightly.
"Tell me, Mrs. Inoue."
"Other than your life, what do you still have to offer?"
Silence.
Kiyoko lowered her head.
Her hair fell forward, hiding her expression.
When she spoke again, her voice had changed.
It was sharper.
Broken.
"You're going to kill more people, aren't you?"
Black Mist did not answer.
But he did not deny it either.
Kiyoko's fingers tightened until her nails dug into her palm.
If he was dead…
If she was going to die anyway…
Then why should the others live?
Those who had betrayed alongside her.
Those who had escaped.
Those who had hidden.
Why should they be spared?
"…I can help you."
Black Mist's gaze sharpened slightly.
Kiyoko slowly raised her head.
A twisted smile appeared on her face.
"If I'm going to hell…"
"then I won't go alone."
Black Mist stared at her.
For a moment, even he looked faintly surprised.
"…Even after we killed your husband?"
And yet, she was choosing betrayal again.
After a brief silence, he let out a quiet breath.
Almost amused.
Almost impressed.
"How interesting."
Humans truly were remarkable creatures.
Once they crossed that line, there was no going back.
Betrayal was never only once.
It always came again.
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