The battlefield lay silent, save for the dying embers of Aiko's foxfire flickering in the dark. The Onibane had fled, their fear palpable in the wake of something beyond their comprehension. Aiko and Ryou stood at the center of it all, their breathing heavy, their hands still lightly touching as if neither was willing to break the fragile thread between them.
Mei broke the silence first. "So… are we just not going to talk about the fact that you two just did that?" She gestured wildly between them. "Because I have a lot of questions."
Aiko barely registered her words. Her heart was still racing—not from the battle, but from him. From the way Ryou had pulled her close, the way his lips had found hers, not out of desperation, but of choice. A choice he had spent so long resisting.
But it was more than that.
The bond between them still pulsed, an unseen thread tightening around their very existence. It wasn't fading. If anything, it was growing stronger.
Ryou seemed to feel it too. His fingers twitched at his side, as if unsure whether to let go or pull her back in. When he finally spoke, his voice was quieter than before, roughened by uncertainty. "Something's changed."
Aiko nodded, swallowing hard. "I can feel you. Even now."
His brows furrowed, and she knew he understood. The connection they had discovered in battle hadn't been fleeting. It hadn't vanished with the fight. It remained—an ever-present hum beneath her skin, a whisper of his presence in the back of her mind.
Mei crossed her arms. "Well, that's mildly terrifying."
Aiko exhaled, trying to steady herself. "It's not just us fighting well together. It's deeper than that. The Kyūbi's power… it's shifting. Changing. It's never bonded like this before."
Ryou hesitated. "How do you know that?"
Aiko looked down at her hands, flexing her fingers. Because I can feel you inside me. Your thoughts, your emotions. She didn't say it aloud, not yet. Instead, she lifted her gaze to his. "Because the Ninth Tail acknowledged it."
Silence fell again, heavier this time. Ryou clenched his fists, his internal struggle evident in every tense muscle of his frame. "Then what does that mean for us?"
Aiko shook her head. "I don't know. But I think… I think we need to find out."
Mei scoffed. "You think? Aiko, you just rewrote the laws of power. The Watchers barely understand what you two have done, and the Onibane weren't prepared for it. Whatever this is—it's bigger than you. And if you don't figure it out soon, someone else will."
Ryou exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair. "Then we start at the shrine."
Aiko turned to him, searching his face. He had been so conflicted before, so hesitant. But now, there was a resolve there—a quiet acceptance. He might not have wanted this bond, but it was theirs now. And if the world wanted to challenge it, then they would stand together.
She took a step closer, lowering her voice so only he could hear. "Are you with me?"
His dark eyes met hers, something fierce and unshakable in them. "Always."
The bond between them pulsed in agreement, sealing the vow neither of them could take back.
Together, they would find the truth.
And together, they would face whatever came next.