SPECIAL CHAPTER (ĥíƙãřû TO őņŋã )

Makoto stood by the window, staring out into the fading evening light, his chest tight with a mix of worry and frustration. When the front door finally clicked open and Hikaru walked in, he turned to face her."Where were you?" Makoto asked, his voice strained.Hikaru looked tired, her pregnant frame moving slowly as she set her things down. "I was just at a friend’s house," she replied softly.Makoto’s anger flared, though it was deeply rooted in fear for her safety. She was heavily pregnant, yet lately, her behavior had been strange. Even more unsettling were the traces of power he had noticed around her over the past few weeks. It made no sense. Hikaru wasn't supposed to have any power.Years ago, Hikaru belonged to the Yamaguchi family, while Makoto belonged to the prestigious Kaijo family. Hikaru’s own uncle, a Second-Grade officer in the Shimaru Sector, had secretly engineered a volatile new chemical. He used it directly on Hikaru’s Name Seal, permanently damaging it and leaving her completely powerless. Her lack of power was the very reason she had been married off to Makoto. Makoto's father had only agreed to the match because Hikaru’s father had once done a massive favor for the Kaijo family. So, seeing Hikaru suddenly manifesting abilities left Makoto completely bewildered.Driven by suspicion, Makoto had quietly used his own powers to trace her steps. The truth he uncovered chilled him to the bone—Hikaru had made contact with an Akuma.A few months later, on a particularly gloomy evening, Makoto was walking home from the medical center, his heart heavy. The doctors had confirmed what he feared: for children to inherit and absorb spiritual power naturally, both parents needed to have an active Name Seal. Because Hikaru’s seal had been destroyed beyond repair, the chances of their unborn babies inheriting any power were abysmally low.Distressed by the thought of his future children being powerless, Makoto hurried home, only to find the house empty. When Hikaru finally walked through the door moments later, Makoto didn't wait for her excuses."You went to the Akuma to get power, didn't you?" Makoto demanded, his voice trembling with anger. "Why would you do that?"Hikaru looked at him, her eyes calm but fiercely resolute. "I don't want our children to grow up powerless," she said softly. "Just because mine was taken from me doesn't mean I will let them suffer the same fate.""Do you even realize what you've done?" Makoto yelled, stepping closer. "You bargained with an Akuma for power! Do you have any idea what that means?"Suddenly, Hikaru’s calm exterior shattered. "Do you know what it means to be powerless?!" she retorted, her voice cracking with years of buried pain. "Do you know how people look down on you? How effortlessly they break your spirit and hurt your feelings? You would only understand the weight of that word if you had actually experienced it yourself!" She was talking about her own childhood, the agonizing years she spent as an outcast after her uncle stripped her of her birthright.The heavy tension between them eventually quieted down as the final months of her pregnancy passed. Soon after, Hikaru gave birth to beautiful twin boys. For a brief moment, the house was filled with pure joy. Both Makoto and Hikaru were deeply happy, holding their newborns close.But the peace didn't last long. The trouble began when it was time to officially name the babies."Why are you trying to perform a Name Seal?" Makoto asked, his brow furrowing as he watched her prepare.Hikaru looked up, answering quite naturally, "To set their powers, of course."Makoto froze, completely stunned by her casual reaction. "Are you... are you planning to use the power you took from the Akuma to seal their names?""Yes," she replied without hesitation.Panic seized Makoto. He tried desperately to reason with her, explaining the horrific danger. He knew that wielding Akuma power came with a terrible, fatal price to her own life, and he couldn't bear the thought of losing her. But Hikaru refused to listen. Her stubbornness sparked a bitter, exhausting argument between them.Desperate to stop her, Makoto clashed with her, their powers colliding until Hikaru, completely drained and exhausted, sank to her knees.She looked up at him, her eyes filled with a profound sadness. "I don't want to fight you," she whispered, her voice trembling. "I don't want to inflict pain on anyone, because I know exactly how much it hurts."She took a deep breath, as if making a final, painful choice. "Maybe... maybe I was just a burden in your life all along. So, I am leaving. But before I go, listen to me. You can name the boys whatever you want. I won't argue with you anymore. And I'm sorry... I'm so sorry that my broken Name Seal prevented you from naming your own children the way you wanted to."Tears slipped down her cheeks, but a small, reassuring smile touched her lips. "But you can do it now. You can name them exactly how you wish. There is no risk to them anymore, I swear it. When they grow up, tell them I am here. I will always be with them... even if it's just as a shadow."









Before Makato could reach out and stop them, Hikaru was already gone, disappearing into the cold night. Yet, in that final fleeting moment, a strange, serene peace washed over Hikaru’s face. Deep down, Hikaru felt a quiet sense of relief; behind Makato’s back, they had already succeeded in sealing the name of one of their sons, . Hikaru had originally come to the Place of Seal ground seal another name, but that task remained unfinished. Before the ritual could be completed, Hikaru chose to walk away, severing the ties and pulling themselves out of the situation.Left behind, Makato stood frozen, eyes mirroring an unspoken, heavy grief. Outside, the snow fell softly against the dark sky, but inside Makato's heart, a much colder, agonizing winter was taking hold.What Makato didn't fully understand was the depth of Hikaru's sacrifice. When Hikaru had journeyed to meet Akuma, they had willingly cast aside their past. Through Akuma's dark assistance, Hikaru changed their identity and sealed a powerful, ancient force within themselves. And in doing so, Hikaru had completely shed their old self, transforming forever from the person they once were into Onna-