—
The streets of Tokyo were chaos incarnate. Sirens wailed. Citizens fled in waves. And above it all, Amaterasu descended slowly—silent, glowing, divine.
Its wings unfurled like solar flares, casting shadows that moved on their own. Every camera that tried to record it fried instantly. Every machine touched by its presence turned to dust.
In the control van, Kazuki tapped into a hardwired satellite channel.
"I can stall the broadcast interference, but not for long. Hoshiro, if you're gonna do something insane, now's the time."
—
On the rooftop of Meiji Tower, Hoshiro stood alone—mask on, hood whipping in the wind. His blue aura flickered in rhythm with his heartbeat. Far above, Amaterasu halted its descent, its single vertical eye scanning him.
"You are the variable," it said. Its voice echoed inside his skull, more thought than sound. "You must be erased."
Hoshiro smirked. "You sound like every villain who ever lost."
Amaterasu raised a hand. The air split with a soundless quake. A beam of raw plasma screamed downward—but Hoshiro vanished.
In the blink of an eye, he was above the beam.
Faster than light.
His hand touched Amaterasu's mask—and for a fraction of a second, it cracked.
—
Below, Ayame and Kazuki watched in awe.
"Did he just… outpace a god?" Ayame breathed.
Kazuki shook his head. "No. He *challenged* one."
—
The battle had begun, not just for the city—but for reality itself.
—