The air crackled as the shattered pill dissolved between Hyouma’s fingers.

  For a single moment—everything stilled.

  Then—

  His Tamashkii surged.

  The room vibrated. The space around him warped as an immense energy pulsed outward.

  Ren instinctively stepped back, his eyes narrowing. “…What is this…?”

  Yumi’s breath caught. “Is he… resonating?”

  The energy spiraled upward, colors shifting wildly—blues, purples, reds—like his Tamashkii was trying to align with something far beyond comprehension.

  For a moment—it looked like power.

  Like something huge.

  Like something unstoppable.

  But then—

  His veins turned bck.

  Cracks formed along his skin. Thin, jagged fractures glowing faintly.

  Kaito’s eyes widened. “…Wait.”

  The glow spread.

  His body twitched.

  Then—convulsed.

  Hyouma let out a choked gasp, his back arching violently as his Tamashkii spiraled out of control.

  Yumi’s stomach dropped.

  “…It’s not working.”

  The energy didn’t stabilize. It didn’t merge.

  It devoured.

  His very essence began colpsing inward, as if his soul was eating itself alive.

  The squad could only watch.

  A grotesque sound echoed—a mixture of cracking bones and distorting energy. His hands cwed at his chest, his own body rejecting the forced transformation.

  Hyouma gasped, barely managing to force out his final words—

  “For… the Shingan.”

  Then—

  BOOM.

  A white-hot explosion erupted from his core.

  The shockwave ripped through the chamber.

  Blinding light.

  Seared air.

  The walls shook.

  And then—silence.

  When the smoke cleared—

  Nothing remained.

  No body. No trace.

  Hyouma was gone.

  The squad stood frozen, their eyes locked on the empty space where he had been.

  For a long moment—no one spoke.

  Then—

  Watari exhaled.

  “…Well, that was horrifying.”

  Ren’s gaze remained sharp, focused.

  “This is worse than we thought.”

  Ayase clenched his jaw, stepping forward.

  “This isn’t just an investigation anymore.”

  He exhaled.

  “This is preparation.”

  Yumi’s hands curled into fists. “They’re pnning something.”

  Watari’s smirk was gone.

  No jokes. No quips.

  Just quiet understanding.

  This wasn’t just about power.

  This was the start of something far worse.

  —CUT TO BLACK.