Yuko froze mid-step, every muscle locking up. Slowly, painfully, she turned around. The moment her eyes landed on her master in the dim moonlight filtering through the curtains, they filled with tears that spilled over instantly.
She dropped to her knees right there on the cold floor, head bowed low in reverence and overwhelming emotion.
"Ma… Master… Master… It's really you. I… I thought I'd never see you again like this. Not after everything. Not after you left us all behind."
Akane's expression softened for the briefest moment, a flicker of raw emotion breaking through her usual iron mask. But she kept her voice steady.
"I have already dealt with Daiki. Go back home, Yuko. This isn't your fight anymore."
Yuko shook her head fiercely, tears streaming down her cheeks as she looked up, voice cracking with desperation. "No, Master… I won't go anywhere. I can't."
