The forest trembled.
Saito was still struggling against Shiro's grip.
His eyes were locked on Rin.
Filled with rage.
"Kaito..."
Blood stained his hands.
His breathing had become uneven.
Rin watched the scene with excitement.
A grin spread across his face.
"Let him go."
Shiro didn't move.
Rin laughed.
"Come on."
"Let him unleash his true power."
The killing intent in the air grew heavier.
Saito took a step forward.
Then another.
His fists trembled.
"YOU—!"
His voice echoed through the forest.
A scream of pure rage.
Rin's smile widened.
"There it is."
"That's what I wanted to see."
But Shiro's expression remained calm.
He looked at Kaito.
Then at Saito.
Then finally at Rin.
"...Not today."
Mist suddenly exploded from around his body.
White auris swirled through the trees.
The entire forest became covered in fog.
Rin immediately narrowed his eyes.
"Oh?"
The mist wrapped around Shiro.
Around Kaito.
Around Saito.
Shiro placed a hand on each of them.
"Hold still."
Saito barely heard him.
His eyes never left Rin.
"Shiro!"
But it was already too late.
The mist swallowed them completely.
Then—
they vanished.
The forest became silent.
Only Rin remained.
For a few moments—
he simply stared at the empty space where they had been standing.
Then he clicked his tongue.
"...Damn it."
The grin slowly returned.
"I missed the fun part."
A laugh escaped him.
"Hahaha!"
The sound echoed through the trees.
Rin rested his scythe on his shoulder and looked toward the direction of Lorum Village.
"Next time, Blue Scarf."
His eyes gleamed with anticipation.
"I wonder how much further you'll break."
And somewhere far away—
the battle he wanted had been postponed.
Inside the medical house—
the doors burst open.
Doctors rushed Kaito into a ward.
"Move!"
"Quickly!"
"He's losing too much blood!"
Healers immediately surrounded him.
Auris glowed throughout the room.
Outside—
Saito paced back and forth.
His hands were shaking.
Bomb stood nearby.
"It's okay, Saito."
Saito immediately snapped back.
"No, it's not."
The room fell silent.
Shiro stepped forward.
"You need to be calm."
Saito turned toward him.
"Why?"
His voice cracked.
"Why do I need to be calm?"
The pain in his eyes shocked everyone.
"I already let my friend die in front of me."
Nobody answered.
Bomb lowered his head.
Then quietly said,
"He's not just your friend."
Saito looked at him.
Bomb clenched his fists.
"He's our friend."
Silence followed.
Saito slowly sat down in a chair.
His eyes remained fixed on the ward door.
Waiting.
Hoping.
Praying.
Then—
the door opened.
A doctor stepped outside.
Everyone immediately stood.
Saito rushed forward.
"So?"
"Is he okay?"
The doctor looked down.
His face was pale.
"We're sorry, Sir Saito."
"We tried our best."
The hallway became silent.
Saito stared at him.
For several seconds.
Then his jaw tightened.
"...No."
The doctor blinked.
Saito's voice became harder.
"No, you didn't."
Before anyone could stop him—
he shoved past the doctor and entered the room.
"Saito!"
Shiro called after him.
But Saito ignored him.
Inside the ward—
Kaito lay motionless on the bed.
No movement.
No response.
The room felt cold.
Saito walked to his side.
Slowly.
Then raised his hand.
Yellow auris began flowing around his arm.
The light reflected across the room.
The doctors stared in shock.
Nobody dared interrupt.
Saito placed his hand on Kaito's chest.
The yellow auris flowed into his body.
"Come on..."
His voice was barely above a whisper.
More auris poured out.
"I know you're still there."
The golden light continued to grow brighter around the two friends.
The yellow auris continued flowing from Saito's hand.
Brighter.
Stronger.
Desperate.
Shiro stepped forward.
His expression was grim.
"Saito..."
"You can't bring him back."
Saito didn't answer.
The auris around him suddenly changed.
The golden glow darkened.
Becoming heavier.
Denser.
The air inside the room trembled.
A crushing pressure spread outward.
One of the doctors stumbled backward.
"Wh-What is this...?"
Another nearly collapsed.
Bomb grabbed the wall to steady himself.
"Damn..."
Even the room itself seemed to groan under the weight of the power.
Shiro's eyes narrowed.
"Saito."
The pressure grew even stronger.
Saito's eyes began glowing yellow.
"He's still there."
His voice trembled.
"I know he is."
The darkness around the auris continued spreading.
The doctors could barely breathe.
Then—
Shiro placed a hand on Saito's shoulder.
"Saito."
The young leader froze.
For a moment, neither spoke.
Then Shiro quietly said,
"I'm sorry for your loss."
Silence.
The heavy pressure vanished.
The dark auris faded.
The room became still again.
Saito slowly looked back toward Kaito.
The bed.
The motionless body.
The friend who had stood beside him since the beginning.
A tear rolled down his cheek.
Then another.
"...Why?"
His voice broke.
"Why did this happen...?"
Nobody answered.
Because nobody had an answer.
Saito lowered his head.
His shoulders trembled.
"He already fought Joshua."
"He survived so many dangers."
"He followed me everywhere."
More tears fell.
"So why...?"
His fists clenched.
"Why couldn't I protect him?"
The question echoed inside his mind.
Again.
And again.
And again.
Not directed at anyone else.
Only at himself.
Outside the room, the mansion had fallen silent.
As if the entire village could feel that something precious had just been lost.
The doctors slowly pulled the white cloth over Kaito's body.
The room became silent.
No one spoke.
No one knew what to say.
Saito simply stood there.
Looking.
Staring.
As if waiting for Kaito to suddenly sit up and complain about something.
But nothing happened.
Eventually—
he turned around and walked toward the door.
Without a word.
Takashi stood near the hallway.
His eyes lingered on Kaito's covered body.
Then he quietly said,
"...We'll bury him this evening."
No response.
Saito kept walking.
Takashi looked at him.
Something felt different.
The eyes of the boy he once knew—
the excited kid who dreamed of becoming King of Gangsters—
weren't there anymore.
Those eyes had changed.
Become older.
Heavier.
As if years had passed in a single day.
Outside the mansion—
Fein, Gein, Rick, and John had already arrived.
Rick was still bandaged from his wounds.
The moment they saw Saito, they stood.
Fein stepped forward.
"Saito, we heard—"
Saito walked past him.
Without stopping.
Without speaking.
Gein instinctively reached out.
"Saito—"
Fein gently grabbed Gein's arm.
"It's okay."
Gein frowned.
Fein shook his head.
"He needs time."
Nobody argued.
Because they all understood.
So they watched him leave.
Alone.
A few minutes later—
Saito climbed to the top of Lorum's gate.
The highest point overlooking the village.
The place where he often stood proudly and looked at everything he had built.
Today—
he simply sat there.
Silent.
Below him, villagers moved through the streets.
Guards patrolled the walls.
Smoke rose from chimneys.
Life continued.
But Saito barely noticed.
His eyes remained fixed on the horizon.
The same horizon where Kaito had once stood beside him.
Talking.
Complaining.
Watching over the village.
Now—
there was only silence beside him.
And for the first time since becoming Blue Scarf—
Saito felt completely alone.
The wind blew across the gate.
Saito sat there for a long time.
Silent.
Then slowly—
he stood up.
His hand moved to the sword at his side.
The grip tightened.
Without another word, he climbed down from the wall and began walking toward the forest.
Step.
Step.
Step.
His destination was obvious.
Rin.
Near the village entrance—
Bomb spotted him.
"Captain."
Saito kept walking.
Bomb moved in front of him.
"You aren't thinking straight."
Still no response.
Then Saito finally looked up.
His eyes were empty.
Tired.
"...Move."
Bomb didn't.
Saito lowered his gaze.
"Out of my way, Bomb."
A pause.
"...Please."
Bomb froze.
That wasn't the voice of a leader giving an order.
It was the voice of a friend who had lost too much.
Bomb looked at him for several seconds.
Then sighed.
And stepped aside.
Saito walked past him.
Heading toward the deep woods.
Bomb watched his back disappear among the trees.
Then quietly said,
"...Come back alive."
Saito didn't stop.
But he gave a small nod.
And continued walking.
Back at the mansion—
Takashi immediately stood when Bomb returned alone.
"What?"
"You let him leave?"
Bomb crossed his arms.
"There was no point stopping him now."
Takashi slammed a hand onto the table.
"There is!"
"He could get himself killed!"
The room fell silent.
Takashi turned toward Shiro.
"And you're okay with this?"
Shiro remained seated.
His eyes were fixed on the ceiling.
For a moment, nobody spoke.
Then Shiro sighed.
"...An eye for an eye."
"...A blood for a blood."
Takashi's expression darkened.
He understood exactly what that meant.
Saito wasn't going into the forest as a leader.
He was going as a grieving friend.
The room became quiet.
Finally, Takashi adjusted his glasses.
"...He better come back alive."
No one disagreed.
Because if Saito didn't return—
they wouldn't just lose a leader.
They would lose the heart of everything they had built.