The world collapsed around Kouji.
His eyes were wide, locked on the empty space where Yuusuke had stood just a heartbeat ago.
No sound.
No body.
Just nothingness.
As though his best friend had been erased from existence.
"No…" Kouji's voice cracked. "This can't be.
He stumbled forward, reaching out, but there was nothing to reach for. His hand only cut through air.
He tries to use his Analyzing-Plus to search for Yuusuke's Body.
Nothing happened.
Yumi walks down the corridor and takes the corner to the main-entrance, only for her smile to fade, her body shaking.
Shinji turned his gaze toward her, calm as ever, the weight of his presence pressing everyone down. "Ah… a fragile one." He dismissed her with a glance, as though she weren't worth his attention, and returned his focus to Kouji.
Yumi falls to her knees, as she realizes the situation.
Kouji was already on his knees, fists clenching against the floor until blood seeped between his knuckles. His teeth ground together, tears burning his eyes. He wanted to scream and to tear everything apart.
"You took him from me," Kouji whispered. His voice trembled at first, then rose in rage. "GIVE HIM BACK!"
Aura exploded from him in violent waves, his eyes took a tint of yellow, forcing cracks through the floor. He picked up the remains of his broken sword, swinging toward Shinji with all his force.
The steel didn't do damage.
The impact shook the hall, but Shinji didn't move. His expression was neutral, unbothered, as if swatting away a fly.
"This is an expression I like to see," Shinji said evenly. "But it is still powerless before me."
Kouji screamed, pouring everything into his strike. His body twisted, aura surging as his devil-amp threatened to tear through his own muscles. "I'LL KILL YOU!"
The floor shattered under his feet.
And yet, his body did not move.
"Pathetic," Shinji said simply.
Kouji could break into tears, as he realises how powerless he really is.
"What are you," he eventually asked.
"What am I?"
"I am the ruler this world needs," he added.
Kamina finally stepped forward. His presence was cold and silent until his boots echoed against the floor.
His hand rested on his sheathed weapon, his voice calm and steady.
"Enough," Kamina said. His words were not loud, yet they carried weight that silenced the hall.
Kouji's chest heaved. He tried to resist, but Shinji's aura crushed down, suffocating, and unyielding.
His legs trembled.
"See?" Shinji said. "Even your rage bows before me."
Kouji's breath broke into a sob. He could still see Yuusuke's grin in his mind, his stupid jokes, the way he always had his back.
Now he is gone — not even a body to bury.
"Why…?" Kouji's voice was hoarse. "Why him? Why any of this?"
Shinji tilted his head. "I already told you, this is the sacrifice for my new world"
"The weak die, the strong survive."
He raised his sword, slow, deliberate, the edge reflecting the faint glow of the Association lights.
He placed the blade just above Kouji's head.
Yumi tried to move, tears in her eyes, but Kamina's gaze shifted slightly in her direction.
Just a glance.
That was enough for her legs to freeze.
Shinji's voice was calm, almost gentle. "Farewell, Kouji."
The blade came down—
—And stopped.
A flash of steel intercepted it. Sparks screamed across the hall as metal clashed.
Kouji slowly stared upward, with his dead eyes.
A tall figure stood between him and Shinji, holding the blade back with his own.
Shinji smiled faintly for the first time, not from amusement but recognition. "Ah…"
"The Subsistence arrived"
White hair waving by the force of the strike.
Shinji withdrew his blade with calm grace. "Why didn't you interrupt earlier, when I fought Ryo?"
"Rintaro."
"I merely wished to make an appearance. But it seems I will have to save the rest for later," Shinji turned, his cloak shifting with the motion.
Kamina followed silently, not sparing Kouji or Yumi a glance.
At the threshold, Shinji's voice raised one last time. "We will meet again, Kouji. When you are ready to serve your king."
Then they were gone.
Silence swallowed the Association hall.
Yumi instantly ran towards Kouji.
Kouji collapsed forward, his breath breaking into sobs. The rage drained out of him, leaving only grief. He pounded his fists into the ground, blood mixing with tears.
"Yuusuke…"
Yumi knelt beside him, reaching out with trembling hands, but Kouji shoved her away, his voice rough.
Her lips trembled, eyes filled with sorrow, but she said nothing and left.
Behind them, Rintaro stood like an immovable wall, eyes locked on the door Shinji had left through. His presence filled the room — silent, commanding, unreadable.
Since the fight against Akechi, Kouji didn't feel that small.