Later that night, far from the roar of the crowd, Yamato sat cross-legged on a grassy hill, arms resting on his knees. His eyes, fixed on the sky, flicked occasionally toward the arena building in the distance. The stars above shimmered quietly, unaware of the storm inside him.
"What was that last move?" he muttered to himself, brows furrowed.
He leaned back slightly, fingers digging into the dirt behind him. "If I had to face that... I wouldn't stand a chance. I wouldn't even try to win. I'd have to learn a way. I'd need something more."
---
A short walk later, Yamato and Lumei stepped into the medical ward. The soft hum of lights overhead filled the silence. The air smelled of herbs and antiseptic.
Sora lay still on a recovery bed, wrapped in bandages, her chest rising and falling slowly. Her face was pale, but calm. Her arms were limp at her sides.
Lumei walked over and knelt beside her, his expression unusually soft. He placed a hand gently on her shoulder, his eyes filled with worry.
"You weren't ready to use Hatabi," he said in a low voice, almost like a prayer. "But you still did it anyway."
Yamato stood by the door at first, arms crossed, expression unreadable. Then, out of nowhere, his voice burst through the room, raw and tense.
"Oh, come on. Not this again," he snapped. "Don't start talking about gods. You know how I feel when you go off about that stuff."
He walked closer, his gaze fixed on Lumei now. His voice dropped, more serious. "That god you mentioned before. What was that about?"
Lumei looked away, tension creeping across his face. He rubbed the back of his neck, avoiding eye contact.
"It's not my story to tell," he said. "It's not that I don't want to... I just can't. You'll have to find out on your own."
Yamato's brows drew together in confusion. "It's just some random god, right?" he asked, trying to sound casual.
But that word—"random"—made the air feel heavier.
Sora stirred.
Her eyes opened slowly, locking onto Yamato. Her face, once peaceful, now looked terrified. Her lips parted, trembling as she forced out words that felt like a warning.
"Don't," she whispered. "Get that idea out of your head. If there's anyone to follow… don't let it be him."
Yamato blinked, startled. He took a step back.
"What the hell...?" he muttered, looking between the two of them. "What's going on? Why are you both acting like this?"
Lumei looked down at the floor. Sora turned her head away, eyes glassy with fear.
The silence that followed was thick. Something deep, ancient, and dangerous hung in the air—something Yamato could feel... but didn't yet understand