The air was still heavy as they exited the gate.
The ground outside was eerily quiet, as if the city itself was breathing slowly after the shock.
Sunlight looked dim, pale on Kaido and Minato's faces as they stepped out of the glowing energy circle that began closing behind them.
Outside, there was an emergency team—but not from their guild.
Men in black uniforms bore unfamiliar insignias, and vehicles were equipped with energy-scanning tech.
They were waiting, not to aid them… but to observe.
Kaido walked in silence. His steps were heavy—not from exhaustion, but from the weight of what had happened.
Inside, he felt as if something had awakened—and refused to return to sleep.
Leading them was Kentaro, calmly smiling as though everything that had happened was merely an introduction.
He said softly as he walked beside Kaido:
"You know? I didn't expect the Chosen One to be just an E-Rank kid… but pacts don't make mistakes."
Minato turned to him with a wary eye:
"What do you want, exactly?"
Kentaro replied without even looking at him:
"Me? Nothing. I'm just a messenger. It's the pact that wants."
Kaido said nothing, but his gaze was sharp. He said quietly:
"Stop speaking in riddles. What do you know about the pact?"
Kentaro finally smiled—genuinely, like someone who had been waiting for that question.
Then he said:
"More than you can imagine. Less than I should."
They arrived at a black vehicle. The doors opened automatically, and the three of them entered without a word.
Inside, a large screen displayed Kaido's vitals, with an unstable pulse reflecting his fluctuating energy after the pact.
Kentaro, staring at the screen, said:
"You've started to feel it, haven't you? That pulse deep in your chest. Something unlike your old energy… something older."
Kaido finally looked at him and asked:
"What's happening to me?"
Kentaro nodded slowly.
"What happened is called the Initial Union. The pact doesn't grant power instantly. It tests you. If you survive… the next phase begins."
Minato asked:
"What phase?"
He replied in a low voice:
"Awakening."
He paused for a moment, then continued, addressing Kaido directly:
"And we… in the Black Thorn Order, know how to guide those chosen by the pact."
Kaido looked out the window, the city passing by like gray ghosts.
Kaido said quietly:
"And why help me? What's in it for you?"
Kentaro answered with unexpected bluntness:
"Because the one before you… failed.
And if you fail too, there may be no world left worth fighting for."
A heavy silence filled the space.
Then Kaido asked softly:
"Where… are we going?"
Kentaro smiled faintly and replied:
"To the hidden headquarters.
Where the true choices begin.
To the heart of the shadows."
---
Elsewhere…
An elderly man stood before a massive energy map of the world, placing his hand on a region glowing with deep red.
He said to his servant in a sharp voice:
"The pact has been summoned again.
Send our spies to Tokyo immediately.
And tell Ryu Hayashi… the game has begun."