—
Morning light bathed the city in golden warmth. Tokyo—though scarred—was beginning to pulse with life again. Vendors reopened street stalls. Children laughed. And amidst the quiet healing, whispers of a new masked protector stirred across neighborhoods.
At Hanamura High, Hoshiro returned—not as the broken boy who once sat silently at the back of the class, but as someone reborn. Though his mask remained hidden beneath his hoodie, his eyes told the story: he'd seen things no sixteen-year-old should.
"Kazuki," he called, spotting his best friend lounging on the rooftop, bento in hand. "You're still skipping class?"
Kazuki grinned. "You fought gods. I'm fighting algebra. We all have our demons."
They laughed.
But the laughter died quickly when the sky dimmed—just slightly. A ripple in the clouds. Familiar.
Ayame landed softly beside them. "We've got company."
From the horizon, six floating figures approached—each wearing a mirrored mask, each cloaked in midnight blue.
"New enemies?" Kazuki asked.
"No," Ayame said grimly. "New *judges*. The Balance Council."
Hoshiro's expression didn't change. He stood tall, wind brushing his hair back, eyes glowing faintly blue.
"I'm done being judged."He pulled his mask from his jacket and slid it on slowly.
"If they want answers, they'll have to earn them."
—
And as the council descended, the city watched—once again caught between peace and the spark of another war.