Two months had passed since our fighters reached the Chūkan.

  Now, the gate stood before them.

  It wasn’t grand or imposing—not like the massive structures they had seen throughout the Chūkan.

  If anything, it looked… wrong.

  Distorted.

  A rippling tear in space, like the world itself refused to acknowledge its existence.

  The air around it bent unnaturally, flickering between visibility and absence.

  Watari squinted.

  “Yeah. This is some insane stuff.”

  He didn’t step through immediately.

  Instead, he lifted his hand, slowly pushing it forward.

  The moment his fingers crossed the threshold, a sensation rushed through him—

  cold, dull, and thin, like stepping from an ocean of raw energy into a brittle, lifeless shell.

  The warmth of the Chūkan evaporated instantly.

  He yanked his hand back, shaking it.

  “Nope. Nope. That’s weird as hell.”

  Yumi let out a sharp breath.

  “So that’s the way back, huh?”

  Ayase smirked.

  “Terrifying, isn’t it? That feeling. Like you’re stepping into a weaker, more rigid world.”

  Akira folded his arms.

  “Yeah, well, nothing to be scared of. We made it here, we’ll make it back.”

  Koharu stepped forward, arms crossed.

  “Before you go… there’s something you should know.”

  The group turned to her, instincts tensing.

  “You’ve leveled up,” she continued, “but your Reibaku? Your Shinsei-gai? Those are of the Chūkan. Since none of you belong to a veil, they won’t manifest in your world.”

  Silence.

  Then—

  “Wait, what?”

  Ren’s voice was sharp, unreadable.

  “You resonated with your spirits in ways you never have before,” Ayase crified. “That doesn’t go away. But the weapons you wielded here, the clothes you wore, the raw energy that strengthened you—that was the Chūkan’s influence.”

  Watari scoffed, throwing his hands up.

  “So you’re telling me all that badass training, all that power we just got, doesn’t even carry over?!”

  Koharu’s smirk deepened.

  “Did I say that?”

  A pause.

  Then—realization crept in.

  They hadn’t simply been given power—

  they had unlocked it.

  “You don’t need the Chūkan’s boost anymore,” Koharu said. “Your strength is your own now. From here on out, it’s up to you to grow.”

  Yumi exhaled, shaking her head.

  “Of course there was a catch.”

  Koharu turned, stepping away.

  “I have other matters to attend to, so I won’t be able to see you off. Good luck.”

  She gnced over her shoulder, eyes gleaming.

  “And remember—The Chūkan will always be watching.”

  Before stepping through, Kaito pulled Yumi aside.

  His expression was uncharacteristically serious.

  “On my way here,” he said, voice quiet, “I saw her.”

  Yumi’s breath hitched.

  “Saw who?”

  He met her eyes.

  “Nao.”

  Silence.

  It wasn’t a vision.

  Wasn’t a dream.

  A soul-to-soul encounter.

  Yumi didn’t move.

  “She wasn’t sad,” Kaito continued, his voice steady. “She was smiling.”

  Yumi clenched her fists.

  “She wanted me to tell you… she’s always watching. And she doesn’t want you to be sad.”

  He paused.

  “She wants you to smile more.”

  Her nails dug into her palm.

  A slow inhale—shaky, but controlled.

  And then—

  A small, almost imperceptible smile.

  “She always said stuff like that.”

  Kaito exhaled.

  “If she ever manages to manifest here… tell her ‘hi’ with a big grin when you see her again.”

  Yumi gave him a slight nod as she looked toward the vast sky of the Chūkan.

  Then—

  She let out a big grin.

  ?

  Watari noticed her smile out of the corner of his eye and walked over next to her.

  Now, Watari and Yumi stood before Kaito.

  They knew.

  This was the st time they’d see him.

  But before they could say anything, Kaito grinned and waved them off.

  “Nope. We’re not doing goodbye.”

  Yumi tilted her head.

  “No?”

  “It’s more of a ‘see you ter.’”

  Watari smirked.

  “You just wanna keep the dramatic tension, huh?”

  Kaito ughed.

  “Gotta keep you on your toes, my proud Heishi. If I don’t, who will?”

  The three ughed together.

  Then—

  They prepared to leave.

  ?

  As everyone turned toward the gate, Watari suddenly froze.

  “Wait.”

  Everyone looked at him.

  “I forgot to get the kids souvenirs.”

  A long silence.

  ”…You’re joking.” Ren deadpanned.

  “NO, I’M SERIOUS! I CAN’T SHOW UP EMPTY-HANDED!”

  Watari clutched his head.

  “I spent how long in a mystical spirit realm and I didn’t grab a single charm?! The kids are actually gonna KILL me!”

  “Watari,” Yumi sighed, “you’re being ridiculous.”

  “No, Mii-chan, you don’t understand! They expect things from me! A keychain! A talisman! Hell, I’d take a rock from the street! SOMETHING!”

  He turned to Ayase.

  “Hey! You guys got a gift shop?!”

  Ayase didn’t respond.

  Instead—

  He slowly raised his hands—

  CLAP.

  A shockwave burst through the air.

  The sheer force hurled all of them backward, their bodies flung through the portal like ragdolls.

  The st thing seen before the cut to bck was Watari’s horrified face disappearing into the gate.

  “WAIT—MY SOUVENIRS—!!”

  ?They crashed back into reality.

  Instant. Brutal.

  The air was heavier, the world duller—

  colors muted, the energy thin and lifeless compared to the Chūkan.

  The ether that once flowed through them now felt distant.

  Watari groaned, pushing himself up from the ground.

  He looked around.

  The air felt different.

  The weight of reality snapped back to him.

  Then—

  A long pause.

  “Damn, a souvenir would make this pce feel much better.”

  Before anyone could even fully process the shift—

  A slow cp.

  They turned.

  Jin. Raigo. Katsuro.

  Their figures loomed in the distance, waiting.

  Jin tilted his head, grinning.

  “What took you guys so long? Round 2 usually happens right after round 1. Not two months after.”

  Their weapons gleamed.

  The air grew tense.

  ?Smash cut to bck.