Ren stares into the fire, his expression unreadable.

  “I don’t know what happened after that.”

  He exhales, rubbing his temples.

  “All I know is I made it out. And so did the core.”

  He doesn’t mention Akira’s fate.

  Because that’s the part that haunts him.

  For years, he believed Akira had died. That he failed to stop Mori. That he failed him.

  And yet—there were whispers.

  Rumors of a one-armed man wandering the outer territories.

  A former Hoju.

  A ghost from the past.

  Ren had never confirmed it.

  Maybe he didn’t want to.

  Because that was a weight heavier than any mission failure.

  Watari, sitting cross-legged, frowns. “Wait, hold up. If this Akira guy was the strongest Hoju, how come I’ve never heard of him?”

  Ren snorts. “You don’t know any Hoju besides me, kid.”

  Yumi, who had been silent, suddenly speaks. “And Mori? If he was that powerful back then…” She hesitates. “What the hell is he now?”

  Ren exhales, eyes locked on the fire.

  “Mori was strong enough to dismantle Hoju squads… without anyone seeing his form.”

  His gaze darkens.

  “Now rumor has it, he lets people live specifically to tell tales about it.”

  Somewhere—far beyond their reach—

  Mori smiles.