WE ARE SECURITY GUARD 👮‍♂️

The air near the Seal Ground was thick and suffocatingly quiet. Towering, ancient trees blocked out most of the moonlight, leaving the four boys in near-total darkness. The only sound was the constant, aggressive buzzing of insects. Yuki, Tatsuya, Masaru, and Kazuya had been standing guard for what felt like eternity, their eyes straining against the shadows.

Growing annoyed, Tatsuya grumbled, "Yuki, did you bring us out here just to get eaten alive by mosquitoes?"

Yuki kept looking around anxiously, his hand resting instinctively near his weapon. "Hey, it's a free buffet for them," he shot back, trying to mask his nervousness. "If it bothers you that much, just bite the mosquitoes back!"

Tatsuya stared at him, completely done. "Yuki, are you seriously joking right now?"

"Why would I be?" Yuki replied.

"Because literally no one is showing up!" Tatsuya snapped.

Masaru chimed in, his voice dropping to a low whisper. "Yuki, is someone really going to come and break the seal? The seal has held for generations. Disrupting it could tear the barrier between our world and the spirit realm apart. Would anyone really be that reckless?"

Yuki tried to reassure them, though his own heart was racing. "Come on guys, yes, absolutely. She knows what's buried underneath here."

"We’ve been standing here for almost an hour and a half," Masaru countered, glancing at the glowing ancient runes etched into the stone altar ahead. "Where is everyone?"

Yuki scratched his chin, scanning the tree line. "I bet that lady figured out we were planning to ambush her. She isn't just some ordinary rogue; she knows the ancient spells. She probably sensed our spiritual energy from miles away."

"I don't think anyone is coming at all," Kazuya sighed, shivering slightly as a sudden, unnaturally cold breeze swept through the clearing. "Let's just head back home."

"Yeah, man, I'm getting chewed up out here," Tatsuya agreed, rubbing his arms. "Let's just ditch this duty and go home."

Yuki shrugged, trying to keep the mood light despite the eerie chill. "Why are you blaming the mosquitoes? They're just doing their job."

Tatsuya rolled his eyes and looked at Masaru. "Honestly, I think the mosquitoes are doing their job a little too well. What do you think, Masaru?"

Masaru chuckled quietly. "You're right. It’s like the mosquitoes don't even notice Yuki. Maybe they're afraid of him."

Hearing the two of them tease him, Yuki finally sighed and lowered his guard. "Alright, fine, let's go home. But I swear, that woman explicitly said she would come to the Seal Ground and break it. That part was true. If she manages to unleash what's trapped under those stones, none of us will be sleeping safely at home anyway."

Meanwhile, a short distance away from the damp chill of the woods, Tasumi walked over to where Onna was sitting. Onna was staring blankly into a flickering campfire, the light casting long shadows across her face.

"Onna? You look lost in thought. Is everything okay?" Tasumi asked softly.

Onna looked up quietly, the crackle of the fire filling the silence between them. "No, I'm fine, Tasumi. I was just thinking... do you remember how lonely we used to be before you stepped up and stood by us?"

She paused, staring back into the dancing flames. "You know, Tasumi... at the end of the day, we are all born alone. We only really come together out of necessity. Fear, survival, a common enemy... that's what drives people together."

Tasumi smiled gently, sitting down beside her. "Maybe that's how it starts. But you know what, Onna? You're the one who opened up a whole new chapter in our lives. Because of you, we aren't just fighting to survive anymore—we actually have a future to look forward 

As the conversation with Tasumi deepens, the scene smoothly transitions into a beautiful, poignant flashback.

After leaving Makoto’s place, Hikaru found herself at a nursing home, spending her ays caring for the elderly. Over time, the residents began to open up to her pouring out the deep sorrows of their lives. They spoke of how their own families had mistreated and abandoned them. It was a cruel irony—only in their old age, stripped of everything, did they truly understand the harsh meaning of life.

Because Hikaru had lived without any power for the longest time, she understood their vulnerability perfectly. SHe knew exactly what it felt like to be completely helpless.

Seeing their pain, Hikaru made up her mind. She decided to go to the Akuma to retrieve what was stolen and seal their powers safely back within them. We then see a striking scene where Hikaru stands before the elderly residents, ready to restore and seal their abilities. These very elders had once gone to the female Akuma, Onna, making desperate pacts that cost them their strength. Watching them, Hikaru couldn't help but remember his own past—because long before this day, he had stood in that exact same spot, facing the Akuma to seal away his own power.