— How so…? — Kinetsa whispered, almost breathless, feeling the words choke in her throat. Her eyes trembled, wide, locked on that girl with bicolor red and green hair, staring back at her as if everything was simple.
Under the shadow of a tall building, in the isolated city, the heat still made the ground shine around them. Wen, at the center of it all, kept her smile intact, while her long kimono brushed the ground.
— You'll be able to forget him forever. Revild will never again be part of your life. It will be just me, you… and Haruto. — Wen said it like it was a gift, not realizing — or not caring — how heavy it landed on Kinetsa.
Kinetsa's body trembled. It wasn't fear, but confusion, disgust, the feeling of her mind being crushed by something impossible. Nina, beside her, felt her legs weaken. Behind, Sasuke watched in silence, about twenty meters away. And the rest — Rotina, Orimya, Sara, Sora — came closer, uneasy, as if the presence of little Wen burned hotter than the blazing sun outside.
Kinetsa fell to her knees, hands trembling as she held Wen's face. She felt the soft, warm, living skin.
— I can… I can make you forget Revild? — Wen repeated, almost singing, fascinated, her crystalline eyes locked on Kinetsa.
Tears ran down Kinetsa's face, dripping on the hot ground. She didn't even try to wipe them.
— I can be your sister… but I could never forget Revild — she said, voice choked with everything she still held inside. — He is my brother. Do you understand that?
For an instant, Wen's smile vanished. Her face turned serious, almost empty, but the tears didn't come again.
— I understand — Wen said, with the voice of a child… but without the tone of one. — Then take me to the human world. I need to go.
Kinetsa took a deep breath, felt a small relief. She held Wen's face tighter, trying to give strength to a promise.
— We still don't know how to get out of here. But I promise: as soon as we get the elixir and beat the game… I'll take you home.
Behind her, Nina and Sara nodded, as if trying to give more weight to those words. But Wen's eyes didn't shine with gratitude. What shone there was something else. And when she opened her mouth, the child sounded bigger than all of them.
— No. You can't take the elixir.
Wen pushed Kinetsa's hands away from her face. Her strength was not human. Kinetsa stepped back, confused, staring at those eyes that didn't blink.
— What do you mean by that? — Kinetsa whispered, hugging her own arms, feeling them tremble again.
Wen turned her neck slightly.
— Because you refuse to forget your brother. And I would never give my child to you.
Silence swallowed everything. The word lingered: my child.
Kinetsa stood up, legs shaky. Everyone swallowed hard. Sara stepped forward, step by step, the question stuck in her throat like a knife.
— Why… why did you call the elixir your child?
Sara raised her arm, trying to touch Wen's shoulder.
Slash!
A dry, grotesque sound — flesh being ripped apart. Sara's body froze, headless. Blood dripped before the rest fell to the ground, at Wen's feet. But the blood didn't stain anything — it floated straight to the black blade that appeared behind them.
Garu was there.
Green hair swaying in the breeze, black mark shining on his forehead, eyes fixed on the group — not on fallen Sara, not on the blood, but on Kinetsa and the others. The desire for revenge burned in him like dead fire.
Wen smiled, her eyes glittering.
— You came, brother!
The smell of blood and dust filled the shadow.
— Uro gü ükaē aē Naruè — Garu growled, clenching his teeth. (Translation: They killed our brother Naruè.)
Wen stood still, tears falling as she smiled.
— You can kill… except her — she pointed at Kinetsa.
Blue lines covered Wen's body. In a blink, she was gone. And she left Kinetsa, Nina, Sasuke, Sora, Rotina, Orimya… all alone in front of the monster.
Nina trembled, clenching her arms. Lights materialized, taking the shape of two golden swords. Sora readied himself. But Garu took a step — and vanished. He reappeared behind Rotina. One blow. The head fell. The blood ran straight to his blade.
When they tried to react, Garu was already on the other side, to Orimya's right. Nina screamed, lunged, raised her sword — but Garu dodged, broke her blade in half and sliced Orimya's face from top to bottom. Half a face each side. The body dropped, useless.
Nina screamed in rage, struck blindly — Garu spun, vanished again, reappeared behind her. The blade already touched her neck when:
— Absolute space, switch! — Sora shouted, fingers raised.
In an instant, Nina disappeared, appearing where he was. Sora took Nina's place — inside a blast of white energy. But when the light faded, Sora was on his knees, throat cut. Garu stood intact, the blast doing nothing.
Sora coughed blood, looked at Nina, as if seeing another time.
— Thank you… — he whispered. A breath. Garu raised the blade. Sora's head rolled to Nina's feet.
Sasuke, from afar, smirked. Fascinated. Garu was living force, living revenge.
Kinetsa was frozen. Trembling as if she would shatter.
Nina, in a burst, teleported to Garu, grabbed his shoulders — and teleported again. Both vanished, reappeared in free fall on the other side of the city. Nina let go of Garu, returned to the group in a flash.
Garu fell, twisted his body, landed on his feet. The impact cracked the ground, but he stood there, intact. He raised his eyes.
In the empty street, four waited for him:
Otakura. Takamira. Alya. Revild.
The air vibrated. The ground seemed to hold its breath.
In Garu's eyes — only death.