The Mockery of Death and the Eternal Sunset.

Yokota Air Base was a skeleton of metal and concrete collapsing under the rain. Only the sound of the downpour hitting twisted sheet metal and a few sporadic gunshots could be heard, their echo bouncing through empty hallways, making it impossible to tell which direction they came from.

Inside, in the storage area, the situation was critical. Yamato and Shinji had barricaded themselves behind some medical supply crates, protecting Kaori with their bodies and their lives if necessary.

"Chances are there aren't many hostiles left in the zone," whispered Kaori, crouched down, checking the magazine of her pistol with trembling hands. Her face was smudged with grime.

"That doesn't matter now, Commander. The only thing that matters is getting you out of the base alive," said Shinji, firing at an undead creature that had tried to cross the main door threshold. The body fell with a dull thud.

"I think that's a very complicated thing to do," Yamato interjected, keeping his spear in an attack stance, his eyes fixed on the shadows in the hallway. "We're surrounded on all sides. And realistically, the evacuation plane Kyosuke suggested hours ago is probably scrap metal on the runway by now."

Kaori didn't respond. She pressed her lips together. She also wanted to go out and fight, to unleash her frustration on the monsters destroying her home, but she knew her survival was vital to the organization. Still, she held her pistol firmly. Guys... she thought, closing her eyes for a second. Images of Kyosuke, Ken, and Natasha crossed her mind. Her best cards had vanished into the city, facing the devil himself, while her base collapsed. I hope you're okay...

Her thoughts were violently interrupted. Five undead soldiers, fallen Kijin, burst into the room with terrifying speed. Growling, they lunged at Shinji and Yamato, ignoring the bullets. Yamato braced his spear for the final impact. Shinji closed his eyes, awaiting the bite.

But it never came. Mid-leap, like puppets whose strings were cut simultaneously, the five monsters collapsed. They fell to the floor, motionless. The red light in their dead eyes went out instantly.

The silence that followed was absolute. This stunned Kaori so much that she emerged from her hiding spot, forgetting caution. "What... what just happened?" asked Shinji, lowering his weapon, staring at the inert bodies.

The silence that followed was absolute. This affected Kaori so deeply that, driven by a need to confirm the truth, she ignored Shinji and Yamato's warning shouts. She ran towards the damaged blast door and stepped outside, exposing herself without caring if enemies still lurked in the mist.

She no longer felt fear. In her heart, she had a hunch that never failed her: if the monsters had fallen, it was because the head of the snake had been cut off.

Kaori looked towards the direction of the city, where the sky seemed to be clearing slightly. A solitary tear rolled down her cheek as she understood the magnitude of what had occurred. The source of the magic animating the dead had been broken.

"Those three..." said Kaori, her voice trembling but filled with immense pride. "They did it..."

At ground zero, the black rain began to stop, turning into a gray drizzle. Natasha was the first to wake. The pain in her shoulder told her her right arm was dislocated, hanging uselessly at her side. She couldn't lift her katana. With blurred vision, she searched for her companions. She saw Kyosuke under some rubble. She saw Tanimoto leaning against a broken wall. Both were unconscious, breathing with difficulty, but alive. A few meters away, little Kazuha tried to get up, but the pain forced him back to the ground with a groan.

Then, panic gripped her. "Ken?" She searched for him desperately with her gaze amidst the chaos of asphalt and twisted metal. She found him. He was lying near the massive body of the Regent.

Natasha ran to him, stumbling, ignoring the pain of her own wounds. She fell to her knees beside the boy. "Ken... please..." She carefully turned him onto his back. His face was pale, covered in blood. Natasha pressed her ear to Ken's chest, holding her breath. Thump-thump... thump-thump... Weak. Slow. But steady.

"Idiot..." Natasha sobbed. She wanted to cry, to release all the tension, but she held back. With her good hand, she grabbed Ken's clothing, clinging to him as if afraid of losing him again.

A metallic sound behind her chilled her blood. The creaking of broken armor. The Regent... was still alive.

Natasha turned slowly, taking her katana in her left hand. Her eyes regained their killer gleam. The giant was lying on his back. His armor was shattered, with a huge hole in his chest where Ken's fist had struck. The horns on his helmet were broken. Yet, he made a titanic effort to turn his head slightly and look at the sky, where the black clouds were beginning to part. His red eyes, once intense, were now slowly dimming.

Natasha stood up, staggering, and walked towards him. She raised the katana with her left hand, ready to drive the blade into his throat and end this forever. But she stopped.

"That human..." a slightly distorted voice, surprisingly young and tired, came from within the Regent. "Is an incredible warrior."

Natasha froze. She didn't expect the monster to speak. She didn't expect praise. The Regent moved his eyes to fix them on her. "Don't celebrate yet, girl," he whispered with difficulty, and a gurgling laugh escaped his lips. "You've made a fatal mistake by defeating me."

"Shut up," said Natasha, gripping the sword hilt so hard her knuckles turned white. "Shut up, damn you! I will never forgive you... not for destroying the city, but for what you did to her. You used Natsuki's body. You stained my sister's memory by turning her into your puppet. She deserved to rest in peace!"

The Regent stopped his laugh for a moment, looking at her with a morbid curiosity. "Use her? Puppet?" he repeated, as if savoring the girl's ignorance. "Ah... I see... So your human mind is so fragile it had to rewrite history to avoid breaking."

Natasha frowned, confused and furious. "What are you talking about?"

"I didn't steal her body by force, foolish girl. She gave it to me," said the Regent, and his words hit Natasha harder than any of the Regent's attacks. "Think back, brat. That day... you didn't survive. You were dead. You were the one who should have perished under the rubble. But your dear older sister made a pact with me."

The monster coughed, but kept his gaze fixed on Natasha's terrified eyes, enjoying every second. "Her humanity in exchange for your life. She agreed to become my vessel, my sword, just so you could walk out of that hell breathing. You are not the survivor, Natasha... you are the bargaining chip. Your sister damned herself to save you, and your mind invented a merciful lie to hide your guilt."

"You're lying!" Natasha screamed, taking a step back, feeling a sharp pain in her body as if a glass wall in her memory were cracking.

"Believe what you want. The truth always finds a way out," mocked the Regent, before changing his tone to a graver one. "But my sacrifice and hers don't matter now..."

"I was only the guardian... the weakest of the Generals," the Regent continued, enjoying the horror on Natasha's face. "My death is a signal. You've kicked the hornet's nest. By killing me, you haven't brought peace... you've awakened the master of the house. A being far more ancient and terrible than us is about to open its eyes."

The Regent coughed up black blood, but his gaze shifted to Ken, who was still unconscious. "And be careful with that boy..." he warned, with a tone mixing respect and fear. "His Essence... is not human. If he continues to grow, he will be a threat to us... but also to you."

Natasha, tired of his mind games, sick of his prophecies, stopped listening. "Go to hell."

With a cry of effort, she brought her katana down with all her might. But the blade found no flesh. Just before impact, the Regent's body disintegrated into black ashes and dust, carried away by the wind. Natasha's katana hit the empty ground with a metallic CLANG, embedding itself in the asphalt. The General of Kanto had vanished, leaving behind only a warning and the silence of a dead city.

Ken opened his eyes. He felt no pain. He felt no cold. He found himself once again in the Takamagahara, the spiritual plane. But this time, the setting was different. There was no defined floor or ceiling. He was floating under an infinite sky of intense orange and gold, an eternal sunset adorned with clouds that looked like flames frozen in time.

"What a pleasant surprise."

A feminine voice, soft and vibrant, sounded behind him. Ken recognized that voice instantly. He turned. "You are..."

The Kirin was there. In her humanoid form, with her dragon horns and that divine aura surrounding her. She looked at him with an amused smile, lightly swishing her scaled tail. "It's a pleasure to see you again, Ken," she said in a seductive, calm tone.

"Wait..." Ken looked at his hands, which were clean of blood. "I shouldn't be here yet. The battle... the Regent... I have to go back."

The Kirin let out a soft giggle and floated closer to him in the golden air. "Easy, little warrior. It's over. You won." Ken sighed, feeling a weight of tons lift from his shoulders. "Your friends are alive," she added.

Hearing that, tears welled up in Ken's eyes. He covered his face with his arm, sobbing with relief. He hadn't failed. No one had died because of him this time. He quickly wiped his tears and looked at the deity. "So... can I go now?"

The Kirin's expression changed. Her smile turned sharp. "Not so fast, Ken. The death of the General of Kanto has only stirred up the hornet's nest across Japan. Something even greater is about to awaken. The Calamity has noticed your existence."

Ken frowned. Frustration replaced relief. "Wait!" Ken protested, taking a step toward her. "This is too much for me! I only joined the Kijin Organization to find my older brother! We barely survived the Regent by a miracle! How do you expect me to face what's coming if it's worse? I'm not a hero!"

The Kirin looked at him in silence for a few seconds, her golden eyes gleaming with mystery. "And what if I told you... that one of the Generals knows the whereabouts of your brother."

Ken froze. The complaint died in his throat. "What...?"

"Your brother's disappearance, the movement of the Generals, the arrival of the Calamity, and you... it's all connected, Ken," said the Kirin, approaching until she was centimeters from his face. "They are setting the stage for the final act, and that finale includes you."

She smiled, a predatory and fascinated smile. "And I will be more than happy to watch it from the front row."

Without giving him time to react, the Kirin extended her hand and touched the center of Ken's chest. "Awaken."

A white flash, blinding and pure, erupted from the contact, erasing the eternal sunset.

"Gah!" Ken gasped for air as if breaking the surface of water. His senses returned all at once.

Ken opened his eyes. The ceiling was white, unfamiliar. It wasn't a dirty shelter, nor the ruined Yokota base. It was a clean room.

He tried to move, but his body was stiff. He slowly turned his head to the right. There, sitting in an uncomfortable chair next to his bed, was Natasha. She had bandages covering her arms and part of her face, and she looked exhausted, but she was fast asleep. Most importantly was her hand. Even asleep, Natasha's hand held Ken's firmly, as if afraid he would disappear if she let go.

Ken looked at his hand intertwined with hers. Then he looked towards the window. He didn't know where they were. He didn't know what had happened after he passed out. But he was alive. His companions were alive. He gently squeezed Natasha's hand and closed his eyes, allowing himself to truly rest for the first time in a long while. That was the only thing that mattered in this world.