—
The moment Hoshiro's blade struck the godkiller's exposed core, a pulse rippled through the in-between realm. Space cracked like porcelain, revealing flashes of thousands of timelines—some ruined, others impossibly perfect.
The godkiller recoiled.
For the first time, it *staggered*.
But its burning eye flared wide, locking onto Hoshiro. And then—
*He saw.*
His body froze as the creature forced visions into his mind. Not memories. *Truths.* The Eye that Watched All pulled apart the mask of his identity.
He saw a child abandoned.
He saw himself, not chosen—but *designed*.
He wasn't just a hero.
He was a failsafe.
"A weapon," he whispered, knees buckling. "That's what I am."
"Wrong," said a voice from nowhere—and everywhere.
It was Ayame's voice.
Her real voice, echoing through the Void, cutting through the creature's control.
"You're not what they made you to be. You're what you *chose* to be."
The mask in his hand—cracked, trembling—began to glow.
Hoshiro stood again, eyes blazing with sapphire fire. "You gave me sight," he said to the godkiller. "Now let me return the favor."
—
He plunged the First Blade into the ground. Runes exploded outward. Behind him, the ghostly silhouettes of allies long gone—Kaizen, Aiko, even his mentor Ryuji—stood beside him, their spirits summoned from memory.
"Time to rewrite the end."
The final clash had begun.
—