The Infinity Castle shattered like glass.
The endless shifting corridors, floating platforms, and impossible architecture dissolved into sparkling particles and faded away. The domain vanished completely.
In the dense forest on the outskirts of the city, Yuna, Senior Kanji, Akari, and Yoshi slowly opened their eyes. They had all been lying unconscious on the ground.
Senior Kanji sat up, groaning as he rubbed his head. "What… happened?"
He looked around and noticed something missing. "Where is your katana, Yuna?"
Yuna stood up slowly, her expression dark and unreadable. Her voice was low, filled with restrained fury.
"I left it… in that bastard's stomach."
Back in their small apartment…
Haru's eyes fluttered open. He sat up on the futon, rubbing his eyes cutely.
"Uwaa… what a long dream," he mumbled sleepily. "Brother was fighting bad uncles and Onee-chan came and—"
He turned his head.
And froze.
Kanashimi was leaning against the wall, breathing weakly. His entire fighter uniform was soaked in dark red blood. Deep wounds covered his chest and stomach. His face was deathly pale, and fresh blood still trickled from the corner of his mouth.
Haru's small body started trembling.
"Big… brother…?"
He ran toward Kanashimi on his tiny legs and fell to his knees beside him.
"How…? It was just a dream! Why are you bleeding?! Why is there so much blood?!"
Kanashimi slowly lifted his hand with great effort and gently touched Haru's cheek, leaving a faint red smear.
"Ahh…" he breathed painfully. "Haru…"
Tears immediately filled Haru's eyes.
"Brother… you're hurt… You're really hurt… This isn't a dream… Why…?"
Kanashimi smiled weakly, his voice hoarse and broken.
"Yeah… it was a dream… but sometimes dreams affect the real world, Haru."
Haru's lips quivered as he tried to wipe the blood from Kanashimi's chest with his tiny hands, only making it worse.
"Means…?"
Kanashimi nodded slowly, coughing lightly.
"Yes… Yuna is coming. She's coming to help me."
Inside Kanashimi's mind:
I'm sorry, Haru…I'm lying to you again.She's not coming to help me.She's coming to finish me.To end the traitor she hates with all her heart.But I can't tell you that… I can't break your innocent little heart.Even if this is the last time I get to hold you… I want you to believe your big brother is still someone worth loving.
Kanashimi gently pulled Haru into his bloody arms and hugged him weakly.
"Haru… when Yuna comes… don't call her Mizuki, okay? Call her Onee-chan… or Yuna-nee. Just… don't mention the other name."
Haru buried his face in Kanashimi's chest, sobbing quietly.
"But… you're bleeding so much… Will Onee-chan really help you? Will she make the pain go away?"
Kanashimi closed his eyes, tears slipping down his own cheeks as he stroked Haru's hair with a trembling hand.
She will make the pain go away, Haru…By ending it completely.
"Yes," he whispered, his voice cracking. "She'll make everything okay."
Outside the apartment window, the Sunday morning sun continued to shine brightly.
But inside their small home, a broken older brother held his crying little brother tightly — knowing that the woman he still loved more than life itself was coming closer with every passing minute…
Not to save him.
But to kill him.
The apartment door creaked open.
Yuna stood in the doorway like a ghost from the past — long black hair flowing, silver threads faintly glowing around her fingers, eyes cold yet burning with a thousand unshed tears.
Kanashimi looked up weakly from where he sat slumped against the wall, covered in blood, still holding Haru tightly in his arms.
For a moment, time froze.
Haru turned his head slowly and saw her. His tear-stained face lit up with innocent hope.
"Onee-chan…!" he cried out, voice breaking. "Big brother is hurt! He's bleeding so much! Please help him… Please don't let him die…"
Yuna's body stiffened.
She had come here to kill him.
She had trained for three years imagining driving her blade through his heart.
But now, a four-year-old boy with tears streaming down his face was begging her — calling her "Onee-chan" like she was family.
Kanashimi smiled bitterly, blood trickling from his lips.
"Yuna…" he whispered, voice barely audible. "You finally came."
Inside Kanashimi's mind:
Look at her… She's even more beautiful than I remembered.Those eyes that once looked at me with love now only hold hatred.But Haru… my sweet, innocent Haru is looking at her like she's his savior.If she kills me now, he'll watch.I can't let that happen. Even if it means living as her prisoner… even if it means endless pain… I'll accept it. Just don't break his heart.
Yuna stepped inside slowly. Her silver threads moved on their own, gently but firmly wrapping around Kanashimi's wrists and ankles, binding him.
"I'm not here to kill you today," she said, her voice shaking despite how hard she tried to keep it cold. "Only because of him."
Haru crawled closer to Yuna on his knees, clutching the edge of her clothes with bloody little hands.
"Onee-chan… please don't be angry at brother. He's always nice. He makes me breakfast every day… and runs with me even when he's tired… and sings me songs when I'm scared… Please don't take him away…"
Tears fell from Haru's eyes like rain.
Yuna looked down at the small boy, and for the first time in three years, her ice-cold mask cracked.
Her lips trembled.
She wanted to scream. She wanted to tell Haru the truth — that this man betrayed her, broke her heart, stained their marriage.
But she couldn't.
Because the way Haru looked at her… it reminded her of the Kanashimi she once loved. The gentle boy who promised to protect her when they were only eleven.
Senior Kanji and the others appeared at the door, ready to take Kanashimi away.
Yuna raised her hand, stopping them.
She knelt down slowly in front of Haru and Kanashimi. With trembling fingers, she gently wiped the blood and tears from Haru's cheeks.
"…I won't kill him," she whispered, almost too softly to hear. "But he has to come with me. He has to answer for what he did."
Haru shook his head desperately and hugged Kanashimi tighter, getting blood all over himself.
"No…! Don't take my brother! I don't have anyone else…! If you take him, I'll be all alone… Please Onee-chan… I'll be a good boy… I won't ask for toys… I won't make noise… Just don't take him away from me…!"
Kanashimi broke down completely.
Tears streamed down his face as he hugged his little brother with what little strength he had left.
Haru… my precious Haru…You're begging the woman who wants me dead… to save me.How did I become so lucky… and so cursed at the same time?
Yuna turned her face away, unable to watch anymore. A single tear finally escaped her eye and rolled down her cheek before she wiped it away angrily.
"Take him," she ordered the others, voice hoarse.
Senior Kanji and Yoshi carefully lifted the heavily injured Kanashimi. Haru refused to let go, crying loudly and clinging to his brother's leg.
Yuna stood up, her back turned to them.
"Haru… you can come too," she said quietly. "You won't be alone."
She didn't look back.
Because if she did, she was afraid she wouldn't be able to keep her promise.
The team began to leave, carrying the broken and bleeding Kanashimi away.
Haru kept crying, holding his brother's hand tightly the entire way.
And Kanashimi, barely conscious, could only think one thing as darkness slowly swallowed him:
Thank you, Yuna…Even if you hate me…Thank you for letting me live… for Haru's smile.