Night had long since fallen, but Kaen and Tobias couldn't find sleep.
Sakina's revelations kept turning in their minds like a weight too heavy to ignore.
Kaen, lying on his bed, stared at the ceiling.
— So… the Sanuya… They're supposed to be some kind of heroes, right? he muttered.
Across the room, Tobias stayed silent for a while before answering, eyes still closed.
— Heroes don't exist. Only people who defend their own interests.
Kaen sat up, surprised by the cold tone of his friend.
— Don't you think… that's a little harsh?
Tobias opened his eyes, a strange glint flickering within them.
— All I'm saying is, I'm not going anywhere until I know what I really am. This gun… I've had it since I was a kid. But I don't know where it came from. Why me.
Kaen fell silent, half-understanding the pain behind his friend's words.
Suddenly, a faint noise echoed at the window. A shadow slipped into the room.
Kaen jumped up, his ethereal katana materializing instantly. Tobias, too, summoned his spirit gun in a fraction of a second.
— Who's there?!
A hooded figure calmly raised both hands. An odd aura—powerful yet restrained—filled the room.
— Easy. I'm not an enemy.
The voice was deep, steady. The figure stepped forward, revealing a man in his thirties wearing a dark coat marked with a symbol: two crossed blades encircled by a ring.
Sakina rushed in, alarm written all over her face.
— You…! What are you doing here?!
The man bowed slightly.
— My name is Raihou Kenzaki, regional commander of the Sanuya. I came to observe.
Kaen and Tobias exchanged a troubled glance.
— Observe? Kaen repeated.
Raihou's piercing eyes locked onto them.
— Yes. The receptacles. Those who carry within them power inherited from ancient forces. You two.
Tobias clenched his fists, his jaw tight.
— Tch. So you see me as some kind of freak show too…
— Not a freak show, Tobias, Raihou replied calmly. A key piece in a war that has only just begun.
Sakina stepped in front of them, eyes blazing with anger.
— You have no right to approach them without my consent. I left the Sanuya for a reason. And I refuse to let you sink your claws into my brother and his friend.
A tense silence filled the room.
Raihou let out a faint smile.
— As you wish, Sakina. But know this: whether they join the Sanuya or not… the entire world will come knocking at their door. Blutlkingen. Haseidan. Goldo. They already covet them.
He turned, heading toward the window he had entered through.
— Think carefully. The moon and the sun cannot shine alone forever.
And with a rush of wind, he was gone.
Kaen stood frozen, his katana trembling in his hand.
— … Do you think he was serious?
Sakina laid a hand on his shoulder, her expression grave.
— Yes. And that's why you'll have to choose. Soon.
Tobias said nothing, his eyes fixed on the window
. His thoughts wandered elsewhere—toward a lost brother… and an uncertain future.