—
The godkiller stood unmoving, yet its very presence distorted the fabric of reality. Buildings around it aged and crumbled. Rain fell upward. People forgot their names.
Hoshiro stared up at it, jaw tight. The First Blade pulsed faintly, as if unsure whether to strike or retreat.
Ayame forced herself to her feet, her vision still flickering. "We can't win this with strength alone. It exists outside of cause and effect."
Kazuki checked his gear—everything that ran on power was fried. "Okay, then we throw out the rules. You're the walking glitch in this universe, Hosh. So break the system."
Hoshiro took a slow breath. "Then I need the mask."
Ayame's eyes widened. "The *Voidweaver's Mask*? That's too dangerous—"
"It's the only artifact that can anchor me between worlds without tearing me apart," he said. "I have to meet that thing *where it lives*."
Kazuki handed him the relic wrapped in cloth. "One step past madness, bro. Just come back."
Hoshiro placed the mask over his own. It clicked into place with a hiss—black threads creeping across his skin.
Suddenly, the world *twisted*.
Colors inverted. Sound warped. He stood now not in Tokyo, but in a shadow of it. The same skyline, overrun by echoing screams and frozen time.The godkiller turned. It *saw* him.
And smiled—without a face.
—
Back in reality, Ayame gripped her sword. "Now it's just us. Let's buy him as much time as he needs."
She charged toward the impossible.
Kazuki followed, shouting, "Let's rewrite fate!"
—