Next Morning — Misaki's Room
Sunlight filtered softly through the curtains as Misaki slowly opened her eyes, stretching under the covers. She turned to the side, expecting to see Rei beside her—but the space was empty.
"Rei...?" she murmured, sitting up.
A strange silence filled the room. Her eyes scanned around—until she noticed a folded page on the table near the window, held in place by a small paperweight.
With a sense of unease growing in her chest, Misaki stepped out of bed and walked over. She picked up the note with trembling fingers.
The Letter:
Thank you, Misaki, for always caring about me. I'm somewhere far away now. Please live happily. Smile for yourself—not for anyone else. And tell Ash... thank you for being my friend. Koharu too—thank her for staying strong. You both meant more to me than I could ever say.
—Rei
Her hands shook. The paper dropped from her fingers.
"No..." she whispered, eyes wide with disbelief.
She rushed to her phone—no new messages, no calls. She tried dialing, but the call didn't go through. Panic surged through her chest.
She ran to Ash's place. Koharu was already there—both looked stunned, holding a similar message.
"He's gone…" Ash said, his voice low and tight.
Misaki's eyes brimmed with tears as she shook her head. "Why didn't he tell us?! Why?!"
Ash clenched his fists. "Because he was planning something... alone."
Misaki fell to her knees, her heart heavy with a mix of sorrow and anger.
"Where did you go, Rei…?"
Misaki burst into her room, tears spilling uncontrollably down her face. She slammed the door shut behind her, stumbled to the bed, and collapsed forward—burying her face into the pillow.
"Why… why did you leave me like this, Rei…?" she whispered, her voice muffled by the fabric as sobs shook her body.
Her fingers clutched the pillow tightly, like holding on to a piece of him she couldn't let go.
Knock knock.
A soft knock echoed from the door.
"…Misaki?" Koharu's voice came gently from the other side. "Can I come in…?"
There was no answer at first—just the sound of crying.
"…I got a letter too," Koharu said quietly, still behind the door. "It hurts… so much."
The door slowly creaked open.
Koharu stepped in, her eyes puffy from crying as well. She stood for a moment, then silently walked over and sat on the edge of the bed.
Neither of them spoke for a long time. Misaki didn't lift her face.
Finally, Koharu reached out and gently placed her hand on Misaki's back.
"We're not alone," she whispered. "Even if he left… we still have each other."
Misaki turned her face slightly, eyes red, her voice trembling. "I don't want him to become a memory…"
Koharu looked down, her own tears falling now. "Then we'll make sure he doesn't."
The room was filled with silence again—grief, warmth, and an unspoken bond that held the two girls together in their pain.
The world around him was silent—so silent, it almost hurt. A blinding white space stretched into infinity, endless and untouched. Rei stood alone, his figure small before the towering throne that hovered above the divine platform.
From the throne descended a presence unlike any other: Almirah, the Supreme Lord. Cloaked in radiance, his eyes carried the weight of eons, and his voice echoed like the wind across a forgotten land.
"So… you've finally come," Almirah said, his tone neither warm nor cold—only final.
Rei's eyes, usually distant, burned with quiet resolve. "Yes. Do it early. I'm ready."
Almirah's feet touched the platform, the light dimming just enough for Rei to see the lines of his ancient face. "Becoming my vessel is not a gift," the god warned. "It is a burden. Once this begins, there is no turning back. Are you truly prepared to lose everything that makes you… human?"
"I already lost enough," Rei replied.
The Supreme Lord raised his hand, and divine energy surged around his palm—raw, celestial, and terrible. The air trembled.
"Then let the process begin."
In an instant, ancient symbols burst into motion around Rei, spinning in rings of gold, red, and midnight black. The temperature dropped. The light grew heavier.
A beam of energy erupted from Almirah's palm, striking Rei in the chest.
His body twisted in pain—veins glowing, breath ragged—but he didn't cry out. He stayed standing as long as he could, until his knees finally buckled beneath the force.
Glowing runes etched themselves onto his skin—his arms, his back, his very heart.
The energy storm slowly faded.
Rei knelt, his hands pressed to the glowing floor, breathing hard. His body trembled… but his spirit did not.
"It is done," Almirah said, stepping back. "You are now my vessel… my sword."
Rei looked up, sweat dripping from his chin, eyes glowing faintly with divine fire.
"Then let's begin this war."
Ash stood in the quiet hallway of the academy dorms, fists clenched. His heart had been racing ever since Misaki told him what she found.
He couldn't stay still.
He had to tell someone—someone who would understand the weight of it all.
He walked straight to the training yard, where Kaien was practicing alone, his sword gleaming in the morning light.
"Kaien!" Ash called out, breathless.
Kaien lowered his blade, turning toward Ash with a raised brow. "What is it? You look like hell."
Ash took a deep breath, eyes serious.
"Rei… he's going to become the Supreme Lord's vessel."
Kaien's expression froze. "What…?"
"I'm not joking," Ash said, his voice low, shaking slightly. "He left this morning. Disappeared. Misaki found a letter. He didn't tell us because he didn't want us to stop him."
Kaien dropped his sword.
"You're saying… he's giving his body to that god?" Kaien's voice turned sharp, almost angry. "Why are you saying this like it's already over?"
Ash couldn't answer.
Because deep down, he feared it was.
The guild hall buzzed with low murmurs as the heavy doors creaked open.
A man stepped in, his black coat fluttering behind him. His eyes were sharp like a blade, and his presence alone made even the strongest guild members uneasy.
He walked in casually, hands in pockets, as if he owned the place.
"You know my price isn't cheap," the man said coldly. "Why'd you call me, Kaien?"
From the side, Luna's eyes widened in shock. "Wait… that's Naoto Yatsuki. What the hell is he doing here?"
"The one who completed five S-rank missions alone…," another whispered.
Kaien stood calmly at the center of the room. "I called him," he said flatly.
Naoto's gaze narrowed. "This better be worth it."
"It is," Kaien replied. "We're going to bring Rei back. Even if it means going against a god."
Naoto grinned slightly. "Heh… now that's more like it.
Naoto leaned against the stone wall, arms crossed, eyes sharp as ever. "So, where exactly are we going?" he asked, his voice laced with boredom.
Across from him stood Tenma, cloaked in a dark jacket, his golden eyes gleaming with a deeper truth.
"I will bring you all there myself," Tenma said, his tone serious.
Kaien stepped forward. "There? You mean… that place?"
Tenma nodded slowly. "Yes. The place where gods descend. The altar of Almirah. Where Rei is becoming a vessel."
Everyone in the room fell silent.
Naoto pushed off the wall and cracked his neck. "Tch. A place where gods stand… Sounds fun."
The light faded.
Rei's transformation was complete—but something was wrong.
His body stood tall, radiant with divine energy, but his eyes were empty… soulless.
Inside his mind, Rei's soul floated in a deep, endless void—silent, unconscious.
Almirah's voice echoed within the chamber, colder now. "Your will was strong, but mine is eternal."
A divine smile curled on Rei's lips—only it wasn't Rei anymore.
It was Almirah.
The Supreme Lord had taken control.
He looked down at his new hands, flexing them as if trying on a new outfit. "Yes… this vessel is perfect."
The last trace of Rei's presence—his warmth, his humanity—vanished like smoke in the wind.
The god was no longer just watching this world.
He was walking in it.