From afar, Sawada Tsunayoshi spotted the grand Ishida residence, a manor-like structure impossible to miss. Masaki's directions were unnecessary; Tsunayoshi flew straight toward it, Fullbring propelling him forward.
As soon as he set Masaki down, an unfamiliar spiritual pressure rippled toward them. The manor's large gate opened, and a slender, silver-haired man appeared—Ryūken Ishida, Hae's father.
"Ryūken, I'm back." Seeing him, Masaki smiled despite gasping for breath from the exertion.
Ryūken immediately supported her, concern evident. "Why are you so weak now? Where's Kurosaki Isshin? And who is this child?"
"Never mind that, Hae, how is Hae doing?" Masaki asked anxiously. She and Hae had been close; Hae had always respected Masaki's choice of Isshin. Her heart raced to reach her friend.
Ryūken's expression shifted. "How do you know Hae..."
"It's Auswählen! The Quincy Emperor's Auswählen!" Masaki interrupted.
With Masaki's words, Ryūken recalled fragments from his father Zongxian's records on the Quincy Emperor. Regret washed over him—his estrangement from his father had left him ignorant of much Quincy history.
"This Auswählen targets mixed-blood Quincies. Weak bodies might die outright! Take me to Hae quickly!" Masaki urged.
"I understand," Ryūken said, trusting Masaki despite his uncertainty about her ability to counter Auswählen. Yet, his gaze subtly swept over Tsunayoshi.
Masaki noticed. Having grown up with Ryūken, she understood his suspicion. "I was also subjected to Auswählen. Little Tsunayoshi saved me; he knows about it," she explained, synchronizing key details with Ryūken.
Ryūken, trusting Masaki, asked no questions for now. "Come along, little friend."
Following Ryūken, the three navigated wide corridors to the innermost room. The tall door opened to a simple yet tasteful chamber. On the bed lay a long-haired woman; beside her, a boy about Tsunayoshi's age wept silently.
"Uryu, don't cry. Mom will be fine." Masaki's weak voice reassured despite her fragile form.
Masaki stumbled to the bedside. "Hae, you..."
"Hae, you, why are you here?" The woman's pale face, framed by black hair, spoke of fragility.
"How are you feeling?" Masaki asked, leaning on the bed.
"I'm fine. Just weak for now. Rest will fix me," Hae replied gently, comforting Masaki as she would her son.
Masaki's eyes moved to Ishida Uryū with hesitation. Hae immediately understood.
"Uryu, go to sleep. Mom will talk with Auntie," Hae instructed.
Uryū opened his mouth, but Ryūken's firm voice stopped him. "Uryu! Go to your room!"
Obedient, Uryū quietly left, casting a glance at Tsunayoshi with curiosity. His father's authority was absolute.
Masaki turned to Hae with urgency. "It's Auswählen. Not just you—I've experienced it too. I've lost my strength completely."
She tried gathering Reishi; the network on her arm collapsed immediately. Control was gone.
"Masaki, how did you survive Auswählen?" Ryūken asked, stepping to the bedside. He wished Hae a normal life.
"Ryūken, I didn't recover. This is my state post-Auswählen. Little Tsunayoshi said it targets mixed-blood Quincies; weaker ones might die outright," Masaki explained.
Masaki watched Ryūken, noting no surprise. "Ryūken? You know?"
"I know. My mother passed away recently," Ryūken said, face cold. His mother's death drove his urgency to protect Hae.
"How? Mother? She's pure-blood—how could Auswählen affect her?" Hae asked, shocked.
"She was injured by a Hollow as a child. I examined her body; scars remained on her feet," Ryūken replied grimly. Unlike Hae, she hadn't survived the Auswählen.
Masaki, shocked at Aunt Ishida's death, turned to Tsunayoshi. "Little Tsunayoshi, can you help Hae survive? Not restore powers—just allow her to live normally."
Ryūken, noting the child's knowledge, paused, Heiligenschein forming on his hand. Tsunayoshi, sensing the tension, hid behind Masaki, joking, "Aunt Masaki, this silver-haired uncle is scary!"
Masaki, serious, pulled Tsunayoshi forward. "Little Tsunayoshi, tell me—how long do I have?"
Tsunayoshi avoided her gaze. "I don't know. If I hadn't appeared…"
Masaki's eyes narrowed. She understood: without Tsunayoshi, she would have died post-Auswählen, Hae too, from a silver thrombus.
"Little Tsunayoshi, can you prevent Hae from dying from a silver thrombus?" Masaki asked gently.
Ryūken lowered his weapon, covering his forehead. Calm normally, he lost composure over Hae.
"How could I send you to this arrogant uncle as a master without a few trump cards?" Tsunayoshi said.
Ryūken's vein twitched, but he held back, awaiting Tsunayoshi's explanation.
"I'll agree, Ryūken. Little Tsunayoshi, please help Aunt Masaki," Masaki pleaded.
"No problem. Silver of Stillness forms after Auswählen. Remove it before it consolidates into a silver thrombus," Tsunayoshi explained.
"Angiography?" Ryūken asked, thinking medically.
"It's not that simple. If it were, you would have fixed it months ago," Tsunayoshi replied.
"What exactly do you mean?" Ryūken asked, cautious.
"I have something better than medicine, something that sees through layers of illusion." A green light flashed on Tsunayoshi's chest. "D. Spades' Demonic Mirror."
Three monocles floated around his left eye, each with silver spikes and small white wings.
The weapon, belonging to D. Spades, the First Vongola Mist Guardian, was said to curse anyone it stared upon, leaving corpses floating at sea.
For Tsunayoshi, the Demonic Mirror didn't enhance illusions—its true power allowed him to see through them. Stacking all three lenses and infusing them with spiritual pressure revealed the truth.
Tsunayoshi scanned Hae: blood vessels and meridians revealed three silvery-white spots—Silver of Stillness. Masaki had five, more dispersed.
"Aunt Hae has spots in chest, right arm, left leg; Aunt Masaki has five across limbs and abdomen," Tsunayoshi explained. "When they gather in the heart, a silver thrombus forms. Masaki's spots are dispersed—her body is stronger."
Masaki closed her eyes, nodding, then grabbed Tsunayoshi's cheek with the other hand. "You stinky Tsunayoshi! Be careful, or I'll tell Mama Nana!"
Tsunayoshi defended himself. "The Demonic Mirror isn't deceitful. Your bodies are illusions here. What I see clearly are the Silver of Stillness on powerless bodies."
Masaki hesitated, feeling the force tighten involuntarily. "Besides, if I could really see through everything, you wouldn't think your arm could block it, right...?"