The night sky above the temple was stained dark crimson, as if the world itself was holding its breath. The wind whispered softly, carrying murmurs from the spirit realm, and in the center of the altar bathed in black light, Itsuki stood motionless.
Reina and Hana were behind him, silent, not daring to interrupt Itsuki's thoughts. After the events in the underground chamber—Akari's betrayal and the fall of the First Shadow—Itsuki had changed. Not just stronger, but quieter, deeper, like a dark lake whose bottom could no longer be seen.
"Are you sure?" Reina asked gently.
Itsuki stared at the spirit gate, now cracked. White and black light flickered from the fractures, crossing each other—signs that the boundary between worlds had grown dangerously thin.
"No," he replied softly. "But I know one thing: if I don't step forward now, we won't get a second chance."
From the shadows, Akito emerged. The wound on his shoulder still lingered, but his eyes burned with a resolve that matched Itsuki's.
"The second gate will open tonight," Akito said. "And Yurina… she'll be there. Waiting for you."
Itsuki turned to him. "What do you mean, waiting for me?"
"She doesn't hate you, Itsuki. Quite the opposite. She hopes you'll join her. That the blood of the Black Emperor within you will guide you to her side."
The atmosphere grew heavy. Hana stepped forward. "We know Yurina still has a trace of humanity in her, but if she opens all three gates, the spirits will roam freely. This world will lose its boundaries."
Itsuki nodded slowly. "That's why I need to see her with my own eyes. I have to know if my mother is truly gone."
---
Their journey to the location of the Second Gate led them to the ruins of an ancient temple in a hidden valley—once a place of worship for the land's guardian spirits. But that night, everything had changed.
The ground around the temple was covered in dimly glowing summoning circles. Hooded figures stood silently, forming a ring around a massive stone altar. And in the center of them all stood Yurina.
She stood calmly, her long hair dancing in the wind, her face expressionless. Her golden eyes radiated pure power. Behind her, the Third Shadow—shaped like a scaleless dragon—writhed, waiting to be set free.
"So you came," she said as she saw Itsuki.
Itsuki stepped forward alone. Reina and Hana stayed on the sidelines, alert. Akito stood ready, but he knew—this wasn't his fight.
"Why are you doing this?" Itsuki asked, his voice breaking.
Yurina smiled gently—the same smile he remembered from childhood. "Because this world is broken, my child. The human world is full of lies. The spirit world, full of suffering. I just want to reunite them. To bring back what was once forcibly separated."
"You'll destroy everything!" Itsuki cried. "This isn't unification—this is invasion!"
Yurina looked at him for a long time. "You haven't seen the whole truth. But if you wish to stop me, then prove that the legacy of the Black Emperor can choose a different path."
Then, without warning, the ritual began. The magic circles flared brighter. The Third Shadow roared, releasing a wave of energy that split the sky. Yurina raised her hands high, summoning power from another dimension. Itsuki stepped forward, dark aura cloaking his body. The battle between bloodlines had begun.
---
Itsuki awoke in silence. The sky above was gray, like a world that had yet to decide between light and darkness. He lay atop the now-cracked altar, dried blood on his temple. The air felt heavier, quieter.
"He's awake!" Reina's voice called from a distance, followed by hurried footsteps.
Familiar faces appeared in his blurred vision: Reina, Hana, Akito—and Yurina, now sitting nearby, her head bowed in silence.
"You did it," Hana said quietly. "The Third Shadow has been sealed. You stopped them—for now."
Itsuki tried to sit up, but his body felt weighed down. "How long was I out?"
"Two days," Reina replied. "We took turns watching over you. The spirit world went into chaos after that. But not as bad as it would've been if the gate had fully opened."
Akito looked at him intensely. "But there's a cost."
Itsuki turned slowly. "What do you mean?"
Yurina finally spoke, her voice hoarse. "You absorbed part of the Third Shadow's soul. That power isn't just bound to you—it will grow. And when the Third Gate begins to open, you'll be the first they come for."
Itsuki fell silent. He understood. This wasn't the end—only a pause.
Hana pulled a wrapped scroll from her bag. "This is a record from our former Master. It contains the final part of the Black Emperor's seal—it can only be used when all guardians have fallen."
Reina added, "It's the last resort. If your power becomes uncontrollable—or if the world can no longer contain it. This scroll is the key to imprisoning you between worlds."
"An eternal seal?" Itsuki asked softly.
"Yes," Hana whispered. "You'd be trapped—alone—forever."
Silence fell. But Itsuki looked at each of them and said,
"If that's the price I must pay to keep you all alive, then I accept it."
---
That night, beneath a sky where the stars refused to shine, Itsuki stood at the edge of the temple with Yurina. The wind carried the restless sounds of the night.
"I'm sorry I couldn't be the mother you deserved," Yurina said, gazing up at the sky.
"You still have a choice," Itsuki replied. "To atone for what was done."
Yurina nodded slowly. "I will stay here, guarding the final gate. If I fail—seal me. Don't hesitate."
She then placed a small pendant in Itsuki's hand. Inside was an ancient symbol—the pure mark of the Black Emperor.
"That symbol will save you one day. But only if you believe in your heart."
And as the two parted that night, the sky rumbled once more—a sign that the Third Gate had begun to stir.
---
Flashback – Wounds That Remain
The night sky looked calm, but beyond the dim stars, unease never truly left. The wind carried the scent of damp earth and wildflowers, creating an atmosphere untouched by the war between worlds.
Itsuki sat by a small fire behind the temple, distancing himself briefly from the preparations for the Third Gate. In his hand, Yurina's pendant glowed faintly.
"My father…" he murmured. "What was he really like?"
Footsteps approached. Yurina stood a short distance behind him. Her face was soft, but weary. "You want to know about him?"
Itsuki nodded. Yurina sat beside him, her gaze fixed on the flames. "Your father wasn't a fighter. He wasn't part of the Black Emperor's cult, not a guardian, not a priest. He was just a poet, lost in the old library of my ancestral home. And I loved him."
Itsuki looked at her face. "But you left him. And me."
Yurina swallowed, holding back the ache in her throat. "I had no choice. When the Black Emperor's blood awakened in me, I began hearing voices. They called to me. Commanded me. When you were born, they wanted you. I… I thought that by leaving, I could hide you from that world."
She turned away, tears in her eyes. "But I was wrong. And you grew up with no answers."
Itsuki lowered his head. "I hated you. For years. But the more I've learned about what's inside me, the more I understand. This world doesn't give us many choices."
They were silent for a long while.
"He wrote his final poem for you," Yurina said suddenly. "It's called 'A Child of Light in a Darkened World.' He knew he would lose you, but he always believed you'd choose the right path."
Itsuki felt warmth in his chest—not spiritual power, but a memory taking root. "I want to read it one day."
"If we survive," Yurina answered with a fragile smile, "you will."
---
Elsewhere, Reina stood alone before a stone statue of the ancient guardian deity. In her hand, she held a small pendant that belonged to her late younger brother, trapped by the Second Gate.
"I'll keep my promise, Ren," she whispered. "Itsuki… he's different. Maybe he's our last hope."
And deep beneath the temple, in a long-buried hidden chamber, something stirred. A shadow not fully destroyed began to reform. Like an old wound that refused to heal—the spirit world was not finished.
---
Reina's Flashback – Shadows Behind Promises
The night sky above the temple had turned completely dark. The stars shimmered faintly, veiled by thickening clouds. Reina stood in the temple courtyard, just before the ancient stone gate that led to the final guardian chamber. In her hand, she held an old scroll—the final letter from her brother, Ren.
"If anything happens to me, protect them. Protect this world from the darkness to come."
Ren. That name was like a blade in Reina's heart. Each time she said it, she was reminded that she had failed. Ren had been the youngest temple guardian of the previous generation, sacrificed while trying to seal the first rift between the human and spirit realms. It was the night Reina realized that training, strength, and courage weren't always enough.
And now, Itsuki was repeating the same fate. One person, standing against the world.
Reina clenched her fist and looked toward the main temple. In the distance, she saw Yurina and Itsuki sitting together. There was something strange in the way they looked at each other—a feeling Reina thought she'd never see again: trust.
"So alike…" she murmured. "You even have the same eyes as Ren."
Footsteps approached from behind, making her tense—but she didn't need to turn to know who it was.
"Still trying to forgive yourself?" Akito asked, leaning against the stone wall.
Reina responded flatly, "I don't need forgiveness. I need results."
Akito stepped closer, eyes fixed on the sky. "You know, Reina. I used to envy you. Your discipline, your resolve, how everyone trusted you. But now I realize—you're just as fragile."
Reina turned sharply. "What do you mean?"
"You're not tough because you're strong. You're tough because you're scared. Scared that if you stop, everything will fall apart. You still carry Ren's letter, don't you?"
Reina was silent.
"I know you blame yourself," Akito continued. "But this world never gave us perfect choices. Even now, we walk a road paved with ashes of past decisions."
After a moment, Reina asked softly, "Do you believe Itsuki can make it through?"
Akito stared into the darkness of the forest. "I want to believe. But I also know… if he fails, then maybe we were always doomed to fall."
Reina nodded slowly, and for the first time, she looked vulnerable. "Then I'll make sure he doesn't fail. No one else will die alone."
She turned and walked back toward the temple, Ren's letter still clutched tightly in her hand. That night, Reina made a choice—not just to fight as a guardian, but as a sister who had failed, as someone who didn't want to lose another soul. And the night wind whispered softly, as if the world had heard her vow.