The woman tilted her head, her smile unwavering but distant, like an unbroken mask concealing something beyond comprehension. Her crimson gaze shifted to Mahito, freezing him in place as though his essence was scrutinized.
Mahito's usual smugness wavered. For the first time, the cursed spirit felt truly insignificant. His limbs refused to obey him as though the air around him conspired to hold him in place.
She began to walk, her movements fluid and deliberate, the hem of her white dress brushing softly against the ethereal flowers beneath her feet. Mahito's breath hitched—or at least, it felt like it should have- had his lungs to breathe. Yet, to his surprise, the woman didn't stop before him. She walked past him as if he were nothing more than a shadow in her path.
With great effort, Mahito managed to turn his head, his twisted grin replaced by a grimace of confusion and unease. He saw her approach Seijuro's frozen form, focusing entirely on the still, lifeless man standing amidst the strange domain.
The woman extended her hand, and Seijuro's body levitated gently into the air as if pulled by invisible threads. Mahito could only watch in stunned silence.
The woman's fingers caressed Seijuro's face with a gentleness that seemed almost maternal, her smile soft yet distant. "An elemental... pretending to be human... how quaint," she said, her tone laced with intrigue.
Her crimson eyes trailed down his form, her hand moving from his face to rest lightly on his chest. "You've forgotten who you are, brother. Your entanglement with these mortals... it isn't what Gaia intended."
Mahito's mind raced, trying to piece together what she was saying. Elemental? Brother? Gaia? The words meant little to him, but their weight was undeniable.
The woman's hand began to glow, a radiant light that enveloped Seijuro's body. His form pulsed with the same glow, the ethereal energy coursing through him like rivers of light. She manipulated his body gently, lowering him back to the ground, where he landed with a soft thud among the flowers.
Her empty smile lingered as she leaned closer to Seijuro, her voice a soft murmur. "Remember who you are, brother. You are far greater than this."
With that, she straightened, her movements elegant and deliberate, like a queen surveying her domain. Her crimson eyes turned to Mahito, who instinctively tensed, his body refusing to move but his cursed energy flaring in quiet rebellion.
Her gaze pierced through him, silencing even his thoughts. "Cursed spirits... your existence is insignificant to us elementals. You are mere echoes of despair, fleeting in the face of eternity."
Mahito swallowed hard—or would have if his form allowed it. For the first time, he felt fear that wasn't rooted in survival but in something far deeper—primal and unyielding.
She stepped closer, her presence suffocating. "Harm him, and you'll face not just my wrath but the world's wrath itself."
The words were spoken softly, yet they thundered through Mahito's very being. His usual defiance wavered as he felt something he had never experienced: the instinct to obey. This wasn't submission—it was survival.
The woman turned her crimson eyes toward Kenjaku, who stood motionless at a distance. Her serene expression betrayed no emotion, yet the sheer force of her presence sent waves of tension rippling through the air. The wind carried the faint scent of flowers, but nothing was peaceful about the atmosphere she commanded.
Her elegant steps barely disturbed the white flowers beneath her feet as she began walking toward him, each movement as deliberate as it was graceful.
Kaori and Jin stood rooted in place, their breaths shallow, their limbs frozen. They were mere spectators to something far beyond their understanding.
For all his power and cunning, Kenjaku found himself immobile, caught in the gravity of her presence. His usual confidence wavered as he watched her approach, his grin fading into something that resembled unease.
The woman stopped before Kenjaku, her crimson eyes locking onto his. Her gaze was piercing, as though she could see through every layer of his soul.
"You may have lived a long life, sorcerer," she said, her voice calm yet heavy with authority, each word resonating like a bell in the stillness. "And fortune may have smiled upon you thus far. But heed my words—I am not interested in you... at the moment."
Kenjaku's grin flickered back, though it lacked its usual boldness. His hands hung loose by his sides, ready to move yet hesitant under her overwhelming pressure. "How intriguing..." he murmured, more to himself than to her. "To inspire such power... Tell me, what are you? A god, perhaps? A mistake in the fabric of this reality?"
The woman remained silent, her expression unchanging, as though his words were mere background noise to her thoughts.
She leaned forward slightly, her tone sharpening ever so subtly. "You and your companion. Leave."
Kenjaku felt the weight of her command, not in her voice but in the suffocating force that pressed down on him. He inhaled sharply, regaining enough control to force a smirk.
"Very well. I'll take my leave... for now." His eyes flickered with curiosity. "But rest assured, I'll learn more about you, whoever—or whatever—you are."
The woman's gaze never faltered, and her silence was more intimidating than any response she could have given. To her, his parting words were irrelevant.
Kenjaku turned his attention to Mahito, who lay paralyzed nearby, his body limp and his face frozen in an expression of terror. With a fluid motion, Kenjaku reached down, grabbing Mahito by the collar and effortlessly hoisting him onto his shoulder.
"Piercing Blood."
Kenjaku fired the technique into the ground, propelling himself into the air and away from the scene. The vortex of cursed energy he left behind dissipated as he disappeared into the distance, carrying Mahito with him.
Kaori and Jin, who had been holding their breaths the entire time, finally exhaled, their knees weak from the tension. Kaori's hands clutched Jin's arm tightly, her mind struggling to process what had happened.
The woman turned back toward Seijuro, who remained still, his eyes empty, as though in a trance. The ethereal light from the moon bathed her figure, and for a moment, Kaori thought she looked more like a divine being than anything human.
Kaori opened her mouth to speak, but no words came out. She could only watch as the woman approached Seijuro, her presence radiating an inexplicable sense of finality.
The mysterious woman knelt beside Seijuro, her crimson eyes softening as she gently touched his head. Her voice was calm yet commanding, carrying an air of absolute authority.
"You're supposed to be the ultimate one... wake up."
As her words echoed, the air shifted, and a gentle breeze stirred.
-Fwoosh!
The surroundings changed instantly, dissolving the flower field and returning them to the dim, broken street where the confrontation had started. The oppressive atmosphere lifted, replaced by the familiar stillness of the city night.
Kaori and Jin gasped in unison, the overwhelming pressure that had pinned them down now gone. They turned toward Seijuro, who lay unconscious on the ground.
"Seijuro-san!" Jin shouted, rushing toward him without hesitation.
Kaori snapped out of shock and followed, worry etched across her face. Jin knelt by Seijuro's side, shaking his body gently.
"Seijuro-san, wake up!" Jin called, his voice tinged with panic.
When there was no response, Jin placed his hand on Seijuro's chest. He froze for a moment, feeling for a heartbeat. Relief washed over him as he felt the steady rhythm beneath his palm.
"Phew, he's alive," Jin said, exhaling deeply.
Kaori let out a breath she didn't realize she was holding and allowed a small smile to cross her lips. "Good."
As she stood over them, her gaze unintentionally fell on Jin. She blinked, her eyes tracing over his broad, shirtless chest, glistening slightly from the earlier chaos. Her face quickly turned red as she realized what she was doing.
"Crap..." Kaori muttered, snapping her head away in embarrassment.
Jin noticed her sudden movement and turned his head toward her, confused. "Kurosaki-san, is something wrong?"
Kaori flinched and gestured wildly, keeping her eyes firmly averted. "P-Put on a shirt already!"
Jin looked down at himself and blinked in realization. "Ah, right. My shirt..." He glanced around at the ruined street, awkwardly rubbing the back of his neck. "It, uh, didn't survive all this."
Kaori groaned and covered her face with her hands. "Just... find something to cover up! Anything!"
Jin chuckled nervously, scratching his head. "I'll figure something out once reach the hotel."
Meanwhile, Kaori crouched beside Seijuro, her tone softening. "Seijuro-san, please wake up soon. We need you..."
Jin nodded, his expression growing serious again. "Yeah... whatever just happened, we're not safe yet."
As they knelt by Seijuro, the eerie quiet of the street felt foreboding, like the calm before another storm.