—
Hoshiro emerged into silence.
Not darkness—but a place beyond light and shadow. A vast marble platform floated in a void of shifting colors—like the universe itself was breathing around him. Before him stood a council of robed figures, faceless and unmoving. Each pulsed with a different hue—gold, crimson, violet, azure.
Tsukihana stood to his left. "The Balance Council," she said. "They observe the flow of existence."
A booming voice echoed from everywhere and nowhere. "Hoshiro Takeda. Hero of Tokyo. Slayer of Amaterasu. You stand before the Tribunal of Threads."
Hoshiro bowed slightly. "I didn't come to deny what I've done."
Another voice spoke, this one more curious. "Then why come at all?"
Hoshiro looked up, eyes glowing steady. "Because if I've broken something, I'll fix it. If power demands responsibility, I'll carry it. But I won't let guilt stop me from saving my people."
The Tribunal was silent for a long moment. Then, the golden-robed figure stepped forward.
"You are… a paradox. Born from trauma. Molded by chaos. Yet, you choose meaning over vengeance."
Tsukihana watched him carefully, unreadable.
"We offer a choice," the voice continued. "Relinquish your powers—and return as a mortal. Or keep them… and accept the burden of cosmic consequence."
Hoshiro didn't flinch. "I keep them."
A ripple surged across the void. Light bent toward him.
"Then rise, Balance-Breaker. Not as a threat—but as a guardian."
Tsukihana smirked faintly. "You passed."
—
Back in Tokyo, Ayame looked up suddenly as the sky shimmered.
"He's coming back," she whispered.
—