In the quiet hum of his office, Kojin flipped through documents, signing each one with full concentration.
A knock broke the silence.
"Come in," Kojin said, not looking up, "but make it quick."
The door creaked open and Alex stepped inside.
"Sorry to bother you, old man Kojin," Alex said, scratching the back of his neck. "Do you have a minute?"
Kojin glanced up, arching an eyebrow. "How're you feeling now? You're not still hung up on Ranpo's death, are you?"
Alex gave a half-hearted chuckle and looked down. "Yeah, I'm over it… but it still hurts. Either way, I came to ask you something."
Kojin leaned back in his chair. "Alright. What is it?"
Alex inhaled deeply. "Do you know who my real parents are? I mean… when Bara destroyed the city, I lost control. In the middle of the fight, I ended up in some void or space. And there, I saw this guy with purple hair... he said he was my father."
Kojin blinked, then smiled gently.
"You're right, kid. That man you saw—Kazuma, the Spirit Lord—he was your father. An A-rank warrior, leader of the Demon Clan. Fast, powerful, and relentless. He fought many battles and trained under Ranpo, who treated him like a son."
Alex frowned. "What do you mean, like a son? Wasn't he Ranpo's actual son? Doesn't that make Ranpo my grandfather?"
Kojin folded his arms and spoke softly.
"Look, Ranpo never got around to telling you this, so I will. Ranpo wasn't your biological grandfather. He took you in because he saw Kazuma as his own son. Before the Demon Clan fell, your father used a teleportation technique to send you to a safe place—straight to Ranpo. And when Ranpo found you… he knew exactly who you were."
Alex sighed, slumping into the nearest chair. "I kind of suspected it… Grandpa Ranpo and I didn't look anything alike. But still... why didn't he ever tell me?"
"He didn't want you getting caught up in who your real parents were. He wanted you to live freely, without being burdened by the past," Kojin explained. "So, anything else you wanted to ask?"
"Yeah," Alex said firmly, sitting up. "I want you to train me, at least for a while. There's so much I need to work on, so many levels I want to reach. Please… be my trainer."
Kojin stood from his chair, walking toward the window with his hands in his pockets.
"Ranpo died believing you'd find your own path. I won't train you, Alex. But I'll say this—don't give up, and don't lose your humanity."
Alex took in Kojin's words, nodding slowly. "If that's what he wanted… then no problem."
He turned and left the room, the door closing quietly behind him.
Kojin stood by the window, gazing up at the sky.
"…Did you really have to die like that, Ranpo? What happened to our promise, huh? That we'd live and never leave each other behind…"
Back in his room, Alex entered and saw Tobi sprawled on the couch, munching on snacks.
"Hey," Alex said. "When did you get back? Haven't seen you in a while."
Tobi tossed a wrapper aside. "The mission was tough. We were ordered to wipe out terrorist bases—over a hundred of them, each with about fifty fighters. Kazui, Luck, and I have been bouncing from one to another."
Alex sat down beside him, cracking open a drink from the fridge. "Well, you guys are B-rank. That's the kind of mission I'd expect you to get. And knowing you, you probably handled it like it was nothing."
But Tobi didn't smile. His expression darkened.
"Alex… can I tell you something? It's been eating at me for a while now."
Alex blinked. "Sure. What's up?"
Tobi hesitated, then said, "Remember when I told you about my sister dying? I… I think she's alive."
Alex nearly dropped his drink. "Wait, what? Are you serious? How do you know?"
"Well," Tobi began, "Veronica sent me to support Kazuki in a fight against one of the Dark Sign that were spotted about 10 miles away. On my way through the forest, I ran into one of them. We made eye contact… and I recognized her right away. I don't think she recognized me, but—I'm sure it was her."
Alex's eyes widened. "But the only female member of the Dark Sign is… Kirihai."
He froze.
"…No way. You think Kirihai is your sister?!"
"I'm not sure," Tobi said, "but I know one thing. My sister is alive."
Meanwhile, in a quiet graveyard under moonlight, Kirihai sat behind Mirio's grave, legs folded, eyes somber.
"Hey, Mirio," she whispered. "I grew so attached to you because you reminded me of my brother. Being near you made me feel close to him. And now… I think he's still alive."
She smiled faintly.
"I don't need to see him. But I know. Tobi's alive. Even if we met now… we'd be on different sides. It wouldn't be much of a reunion. Still… I'm glad he's okay."
Behind her, a voice broke the moment.
"Stop talking to a grave, it's creepy," Sorata muttered. "Then again… I guess I can't blame you. You've been through a lot."
Kirihai glanced back. "Me? You're the one who's had it the hardest out of all of us in the Dark Sign."
"Ouch. Now that's rude. I was trying to be nice," Sorata smirked. "Anyway, Ukina gave us a new mission. A war's coming—with the whole world."
Kirihai blinked. "What do you mean, the world? Sometimes she puts us in the craziest situations."
"She wants to revive some god or something," Sorata shrugged. "So, the plan is—Kenji's heading to destroy the City of Steel. I'm going to my old city to burn it down along with that stupid noble of a father. And you?"
Kirihai raised a brow. "What am I doing?"
"You make shadow puppets, right?" Sorata said. "You'll probably use them to raid the city and other powerfull cities around the world. You'll use it too cause a diversion. Ukina's going straight to the battlefield to take on an entire alliance: the Lightning Nation, the Iron Country, the City of Raijin… all of them."
He paused, then added, "Yeah, i dont knkw man, our leader's insane."
END OF CHAPTER.