Mark stood frozen, his breath caught in his throat as he stared at Kyoka Carter—his father. The revelation struck him like a thunderclap.
"You're my son, Mark," Kyoka said, his voice calm yet firm.
Mark took an unsteady step back, shaking his head in denial. "No... that's impossible."
Kyoka smirked, understanding his son's reaction. "I don't blame you for doubting me," he admitted. "I haven't exactly been much of a father to you. But whether you like it or not, we are related."
Mark's eyes widened. "But… you said your name was Kyoka. That can't be right. Kyoka Carter is supposed to be a legend—an exorcist unlike any other."
Kyoka sighed, looking at Mark with a mixture of regret and pride. "When I married your mother, the Carter clan abandoned me. They cast me out because of my beliefs. I always loved Seireis and swore to protect them, no matter the cost. But now, I no longer exist in this world to do that." He placed a gentle hand on Mark's head and smiled. "That responsibility falls to you."
Mark stood speechless, his father's touch warmer than he expected. The weight of his words settled on him.
"You're holding back, aren't you?" Kyoka continued. "You still hesitate to accept the truth—that you're risking your life for Seireis. Stop hesitating. I made a promise to ensure every Seirei finds peace. Now, you must carry that promise forward because I can't anymore."
Mark clenched his fists, thoughts racing. So this is Kyoka... The man everyone idolized. And he was my father all along? I was such a fool.
Kyoka's body flickered and glitched. He glanced down at his fading form and sighed. "Looks like my time is up."
He turned to walk away but paused before disappearing completely. "Oh, and Mark… I don't know if this is cringe or not, but this will be the last time I see you, so..." He smiled. "I love you."
Mark gasped, his heart pounding. He opened his mouth to respond, to say the words back, but before he could, he jolted awake.
—
His eyes fluttered open to see Ninda, Smith, Vanessa, and the Boss staring down at him.
"He's waking up!" Smith exclaimed.
"I can't believe you're still alive after that," the Boss muttered, helping Mark sit up with Ninda's support.
Vanessa broke into tears, throwing her arms around him. "Don't you ever scare me like that again!"
Kaki, standing at a distance, took a wary step back. His face twisted in disbelief. "This isn't possible… Who—what—are you?"
Mark ignored him, his mind still reeling from what had just happened. He turned his gaze toward the Boss. "Why didn't you tell me my father was Kyoka Carter?"
The room fell into stunned silence. Ninda, Smith, and the Boss exchanged shocked glances.
The Boss finally spoke. "Because you were nothing like him. You claimed to be his opposite, saying you didn't care if all Seireis died. I couldn't tell you then—it would've been disappointing."
Mark exhaled sharply. Slowly, he stood, ripping the remnants of his torn clothes off as he stepped forward. His eyes locked onto Kaki, blazing with newfound determination.
"I understand now," Mark declared. "I'll make up for my mistakes. I will carry my father's goal forward. No Seirei will be harmed under my watch—that's a promise."
In that moment, Ninda, Smith, and the Boss swore they saw Kyoka standing in Mark's place.
The Boss smiled.
Kaki, regaining his composure, clenched his fists and got into a fighting stance. "Bring it on."
Mark glanced back at his allies. "Go help the others. No one is to interfere."
He took a slow, measured step toward Kaki.
Kaki's breathing grew heavy. Damn it… I've used too much Standz energy. I can barely stay on my feet. If I push any further, I might die.
Realizing his disadvantage, he made a choice. He deactivated his army of machines. Every towering robot, every mechanical weapon, and every gadget ground to a halt. The Seirei Exorcists gasped in surprise as the battlefield suddenly went still.
Kaki took a deep breath. I'll put everything into this fight.
Mark dashed forward, his speed blurring. He aimed a punch at Kaki, but Kaki's auto danger force field activated just in time, shielding him. Kaki smirked. "Nice try, but it's useless."
Mark ignored his words and kept attacking, striking the shield repeatedly.
Kaki scoffed. "It's hopeless."
Then, he noticed the cracks forming in the barrier. His eyes widened. "No way…"
Mark gritted his teeth and delivered a final, devastating punch. The shield shattered into pieces, sending Kaki flying.
Everyone stood in stunned silence.
Kaki coughed up blood but raised a trembling hand. "It doesn't matter if my shield is gone. My Standz ability lets me manipulate technology—I can rebuild it easily!"
But before he could react, Mark vanished from sight.
Kaki's eyes darted around in panic. "Where did he—?"
A powerful blow struck his back, snapping his spine. Kaki was sent hurtling across the battlefield, gasping in pain.
Mark didn't stop. He moved with relentless speed, striking Kaki again and again, not allowing him a chance to recover.
Ninda, Smith, and the Boss watched in awe.
"How is this possible?" Kaki coughed. "How can someone with no Standz ability move like this?"
Just as it seemed like Kaki was finished, he grinned through the pain. He caught Mark's wrist mid-attack and whispered, "If I can't stop you… I'll take you down with me."
He pulled out a grenade with a blinking red light.
"Mark, move!" the Boss shouted.
But Kaki's grip was too tight.
The grenade was about to explode—
A blur of motion.
Jack swooped in, jetpack roaring. He grabbed Mark, yanking him away just as the explosion erupted mid-air.
Kaki crashed to the ground, too weak to move. He was still alive, but barely.
Jack landed beside the others with Mark.
"Thanks for the save," Mark said.
The Boss turned to Jack. "Where did you get that jetpack?"
Jack smirked. "When Kaki summoned his, I touched it for just a second—just long enough to duplicate it."
Mark turned back to Kaki, who lay motionless. He grabbed him by the collar and lifted him. "What do we do with him?" he asked the Boss.
The Boss crossed his arms. "We'll hand him over to the police. The Seirei Exorcist group doesn't deal with human criminals. We only exorcise Seireis."
Kaki let out a weak, bitter chuckle. "You think this is over? You may have beaten me, but Dani Kiryuu is still out there. Compared to him, I'm nothing. You'll all die. Dani never loses."
Then, his consciousness faded.
Mark dropped Kaki's limp body to the ground, staring at him with cold, unreadable eyes. "We'll be waiting. No one will harm Seireis on my watch."
He turned away, the battle won, but the real war had only just begun.