Outside the temporary safe house.
In an abandoned parking lot.
The night sky was pitch black.
The air still carried the faint smell of smoke and dried blood from the Shibuya Incident.
Standing in the shadows—
Was Choso.
His left hand was raised slightly.
A thin crimson thread wrapped around his fingertip.
Almost invisible.
Blood Tracking.
A highly precise application of the Blood Manipulation technique.
Once a trace of an opponent's blood was obtained, the technique could follow the residual cursed energy connected to it—no matter how far the target fled.
The red thread trembled slightly.
Pointing toward a building glowing faintly in the distance.
He was there.
Choso slowly closed his eyes.
Seventeen years.
From the moment he awakened inside a cold experimental tank—
To surviving countless battles afterward—
He had never possessed anything.
No name.
No home.
No future.
Only two younger brothers.
Eso.
Kechizu.
They were crude.
Violent.
Unable even to fully understand their own existence.
But they were still—
His family.
Now both of them were dead.
Choso opened his eyes.
At the other end of the red thread—
The lingering cursed energy felt painfully clear.
As if carved into his veins.
Yagami Sora.
He did not know the man's name before.
But he remembered the cursed energy.
Cold.
Precise.
Overwhelming.
The man who had killed his brothers.
Choso stepped forward.
"Choso."
A calm voice came from the building entrance.
Choso lifted his head.
Yagami Sora stood there.
Hands in his pockets.
Expression calm.
As if he had expected this meeting all along.
"…You knew I would come."
"Of course."
Sora walked down the steps slowly.
"The fluctuations from Blood Tracking are obvious."
"I could feel them three blocks away."
He stopped five meters away.
"So."
"Are you going to attack?"
Choso said nothing.
His fingers tightened slightly.
Blood gathered at his fingertips.
One second.
Two seconds.
He still did not attack.
Sora studied him quietly.
"If you're not going to fight."
"I'm going back inside."
He turned.
"Stop."
Choso's hoarse voice rang out.
Sora halted.
But did not turn around.
"…Eso and Kechizu."
Choso's throat felt dry.
"…Did you kill them?"
"Yes."
The answer came instantly.
No hesitation.
No excuses.
"They were eating people."
Sora's tone remained completely neutral.
"I exorcised them."
"…Eating people."
Choso repeated the words slowly.
He already knew.
He had always known.
From the moment they were created—
The Death Painting Wombs were cursed existences.
Products of experiments conducted by the ancient sorcerer Noritoshi Kamo.
Eso and Kechizu were destined to feed on human flesh.
It was their nature.
They had never been given a choice.
"So what?"
Choso's voice trembled slightly.
"They were my brothers."
Yagami Sora finally turned around.
His eyes held neither mockery nor pity.
Only a ruthless calm.
"They were your brothers."
"But they were also murderers."
"Seventeen victims."
Sora pulled out his phone.
Opened a file.
Photos appeared on the screen.
Missing person reports.
Autopsy records.
Families crying before cameras.
"This came from Ijichi's investigation report."
Sora tossed the phone toward him.
"Eso and Kechizu killed at least seventeen people in three months."
"Students."
"Office workers."
"Elderly civilians."
"When they killed those people…"
"They didn't remember they were your brothers."
Choso caught the phone.
His knuckles turned white.
He scrolled through the images.
One by one.
Every face seemed to stare back at him.
"…I know."
His voice fell almost to a whisper.
"I know they killed people."
"I know they deserved to die."
The phone screen cracked slightly in his grip.
"But they were my only…"
The sentence never finished.
Yagami Sora said nothing.
The wind rustled across the empty parking lot.
After a long silence—
"You came here."
Sora finally said.
"For revenge."
"Or for an answer?"
Choso looked up.
"What's the difference?"
"If it's revenge…"
Sora shrugged.
"You can try right now."
"You can't beat me."
"But I'll still fight you."
"And if you're searching for an answer…"
"I don't have one."
"You already know it."
Choso stood there silently.
For a long time.
Then slowly—
He raised his hand.
The crimson thread snapped.
"I can't defeat you."
His voice was calm now.
Like still water.
"And even if I kill you…"
"Eso and Kechizu won't return."
He stared at his empty palm.
"I just…"
"…don't know what to do anymore."
Seventeen years of hatred—
Collapsed in an instant.
He had imagined rage.
Madness.
Relentless revenge.
But standing here now—
All he felt was exhaustion.
Overwhelming exhaustion.
Yagami Sora watched him quietly.
Then—
He did something unexpected.
He pulled a canned coffee from his pocket.
And tossed it to Choso.
"Drink that."
"Then go home."
"…What?"
Choso caught it reflexively.
Confusion filled his face.
"In your current condition."
Sora said while turning back toward the building.
"You couldn't even beat a Grade 1 curse."
"If you want revenge…"
"Come back when you're serious."
"And bring proper killing intent next time."
His shadow stretched beneath the streetlights.
"Also."
"Stop following me."
"It's annoying."
Choso stood there.
Holding the still-warm coffee can.
He didn't know how long he remained like that.
Until hurried footsteps approached.
"Big brother!"
Yuji Itadori rushed out of the building.
A bandage covered his cheek.
But his eyes were bright.
"Sora-nii said you were outside!"
"I thought he was joking again!"
Choso stared at him.
This face.
Looked nothing like Eso.
Nothing like Kechizu.
But the emotion in his eyes—
Was unmistakable.
Concern.
"…You."
Choso spoke slowly.
"Aren't you afraid of me?"
"Afraid?"
Yuji scratched his head.
"Why would I be?"
"I came here to kill Yagami Sora."
Choso said bluntly.
"Oh."
Yuji nodded.
"Did you?"
"…No."
"Then it's fine."
Yuji grinned.
"If Sora-nii could be killed that easily…"
"He wouldn't be Sora-nii."
He grabbed Choso's wrist.
"Come on, big brother!"
"It's freezing out here!"
"Let's go inside!"
Choso was pulled forward a few steps.
He looked down.
At the hand gripping his wrist.
Yuji's palm was warm.
Alive.
"…What did you call me?"
"Big brother."
Yuji answered naturally.
"Big brother Choso."
Choso said nothing.
He allowed himself to be dragged toward the building.
Step by step.
The wind was still cold.
But the coffee in his hand was warm.
I'm not forgiving you.
I just don't want to lose any more family.
He never spoke those words aloud.
But the moment he crossed the doorway—
He understood something.
From today onward—
He was no longer alone.
"Big brother, want some coffee?"
"…No."
"Then I'll drink it!"
"…That one is mine."
"Hey! You said you didn't want it!"
"…Give it back."
Yuji's laughter echoed down the hallway.
Followed by a clumsy scuffle.
Yagami Sora leaned against the wall nearby.
Listening to the commotion.
A faint smile appearing on his lips.
"Idiot."
He muttered softly.
Then turned.
And disappeared deeper into the darkness.
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