The silence in the base was a quiet kind of loud. People went about their duties, laughter still floated through the cafeteria, and the sparring rings were active—but beneath all of that, something felt off. And Kazu knew it. He just didn't know what.
But Reina did.
She was watching. Waiting. Calculating every step like a game of chess with lives on the line. She had always believed in strength—only strength. Charm could be faked. Loyalty could be manipulated. But power? Power was real.
And Kazu… was overflowing with it.
She had watched him during his match—watched the way he took control of someone's body like it was nothing, like a puppet on strings. It wasn't just impressive. It was dangerous. It was exactly what she wanted.
Her plan was simple.
Lure him out. Get him alone. And drain him—his soul, his energy, his power. She had a talisman she wasn't supposed to have, something ancient and cursed, something that drank power like it was water.
All she needed was the perfect moment.
That moment came two nights later.
Kazu had been recovering quickly. He was cleared to walk around, socialize, and even do basic patrols—so Reina "coincidentally" bumped into him as he was headed to the garden behind the training wing.
"Oh! Kazu!" she chirped, holding a bag of tea packets like she had just finished some errand. "Heading out for a bit?"
Kazu nodded with his usual polite smile. "Just walking. I like the quiet there."
She smiled wider. "Mind if I join?"
Kazu hesitated for a moment but nodded. "Sure."
They walked in silence at first, the moon casting silver across the grass, lighting the garden in a ghostly glow. Reina seemed relaxed, laughing softly at nothing. But Kazu could feel something strange—like a weight in the air. Like the wind was holding its breath.
They reached the far side of the garden, near the older shrine stones. That's when Reina struck.
The moment Kazu turned to admire a cluster of pale blue flowers, he felt something crack through the air. A talisman had been activated—one that pulsed with wicked, ancient energy.
His knees buckled.
"What—" he gasped, falling to the ground.
Reina stood over him, her face twisted with a strange blend of obsession and triumph. "I've waited too long to let you keep all of this for yourself."
She held the talisman high, chanting words that hissed with a language Kazu didn't recognize, and suddenly he felt like something was trying to pull his soul from his body.
But before she could finish—
A burst of soft golden light erupted between them.
Reina staggered back, shielding her eyes, and Kazu groaned, blinking at the figure now standing in front of him.
A woman in a white, flowing gown. Her long hair shimmered with a glow that wasn't earthly, her eyes filled with both sadness and wrath.
It was Kami.
Reina gasped. "What—who are you?!"
Kami didn't answer. She simply stepped forward and raised her hand, and in that motion, the talisman in Reina's hand shattered, bursting into embers.
"Not. My. Brother," Kami said, her voice calm but sharp as steel.
Reina stumbled back, fear finally breaking through her arrogance. "He's mine—he's—he doesn't deserve that power!"
"He earned it," Kami replied. "And you never had a right to take it."
The garden glowed as Kami turned to Kazu, who was still struggling to sit up. She reached down, brushing his hair back like she used to when they were younger.
"My little starlight," she whispered. "Rest."
And just like that, she vanished again—like stardust in the wind.
Reina was gone when Kazu woke up, having collapsed where she had stood.
Mamoru had found him, unconscious, and rushed him back to the infirmary. When he woke, Kaku was already there, anger in her eyes and worry in her chest.
"She tried to take your powers?" she asked, already piecing it together.
Kazu nodded weakly, his voice hoarse. "She... would've succeeded. But... Kami."
Kaku's eyes softened. "She was always your protector."
A pause.
Then Kazu whispered, "She still is."
Meanwhile, Reina didn't return to the base.
Hanzo and Yoichi were already tracking her. And this time, Kaku made it very clear: she would not be allowed back inside the walls.
She had crossed a line no one could forgive.
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The morning sun spilled golden light over the horizon, casting soft shadows on the quiet hill where Kami's grave rested. The air smelled of dewdrops and wildflowers, and the wind whispered gently through the trees as if nature itself was holding its breath.
Kazu stood beside Kaku at the top of the hill, both of them silent as they looked at the polished stone engraved with Kami's name. A bouquet of fresh white lilies sat at the base of the grave—Kazu's doing, his hands still dusted with pollen.
"She always loved these," he murmured, his voice barely above a whisper.
Kaku nodded slowly, arms folded, the breeze tugging gently at her long coat. "Yeah… she did. I used to think they were too plain. But they made her happy."
Kazu chuckled softly. "She said plain things are peaceful. Safe."
Kaku didn't say anything for a moment. Then her voice softened. "She'd be proud of you, you know?"
Kazu looked at her with a tilt of his head.
"I mean it," Kaku continued. "You've gone through hell and back. You never gave up. Even when we..." Her voice cracked slightly. "Even when I didn't see you. Didn't stand up for you."
There was a pause. Kazu looked away, staring at the flowers as the wind rustled the petals.
"She saved me, Kaku," he said quietly. "Again. Just like when we were kids. I didn't even say goodbye the last time I saw her. And yet… she still came for me."
Kaku's jaw clenched as her eyes watered. "She always watched over you. Even when no one else did."
Then, without another word, she stepped forward.
She wrapped her arms around Kazu.
Kazu froze at first, surprised. Kaku had always been distant. Cold. Duty-bound. But now, standing under the soft morning light, she was just his big sister again.
Her arms were warm and shaky as she held him tight, like she was trying to make up for every missed moment all at once.
"I'm sorry, Kazu," she whispered into his shoulder. "For everything. For not protecting you. For not listening. For making you feel like you had no one."
Kazu didn't respond right away. Then, slowly, his arms wrapped around her, holding her close.
"You're here now," he murmured, his voice thick with emotion. "That's all I ever wanted."
They stayed like that for a long time—two siblings mending broken bridges beneath the blue sky, in front of the one who had always brought them together.
When they finally left the grave, Kazu felt lighter, like a weight he hadn't even noticed was finally gone. Kaku walked beside him, not ahead of him as she used to, but with him.
As they reached the gates back into the city, Kazu turned to her and smiled.
"Hey, Kaku?"
"Yeah?"
"…Thanks for hugging me. That was new."
She rolled her eyes with a smirk. "Don't get used to it."
But Kazu saw the faint smile tugging at her lips.