The great hall's doors dissolved into black mist from the inside, vanishing. With a low, grinding groan, the double doors swung open. A figure wreathed in shadow stepped slowly into the entrance of the great hall. From the feet that touched the floor, black mist crawled outward, spreading like something alive. Saya, who had been made to stand before the inquiry platform, felt her eyes widen. Her long silver hair trembled faintly. The moment that figure reflected in her cold blue eyes, her lips quivered. "[surprised]Re……n……?" Her voice was hoarse. Dozens of people in the hall rose to their feet all at once. The hunters in the gallery, the inquisitors, the Association staff. Every gaze converged on Ren's silhouette, shrouded in shadow. A murmur spread. Someone shouted sharply; someone else stood and stepped backward. Takuto, who had been standing at the witness stand, grinned. His green eyes gleamed with an eerie light. "[cold]You know what you've done, don't you? You let Absolute Obedience run wild, destroyed your restraints, and broke out of prison—everyone here is a witness." Takuto's voice rang through the great hall. His jet-black hair swaying, he spread both arms and swept his gaze across the entire assembly. "[loud]Look! This is the true nature of S-rank hunter Kazama Ren! Absolute Obedience gone berserk—he's a danger! Restrain him immediately!" Several hunters rose from the gallery. But no one moved. The sight of Ren cloaked in shadow had frozen their feet. The black mist crawling across the floor pulsed like a living creature. Ren did not flinch. In his shadowed state, the edges of his vision bled black. Intermittent headaches clamped down on his temples. A fog of memories was spreading deep in his consciousness—and yet, the eyes fixed on Saya did not waver. He raised his right hand. From his fingertips to the back of his hand, patterns like black tattoos had surfaced. On his wrist, the marks of the destroyed restraints remained. That hand lifted his hunter terminal high. "[serious]Everyone. Look at this." A low, quiet voice resonated through the great hall. The moment Ren operated the terminal—every shared display installed on every floor of Hunter Central began projecting footage simultaneously. The giant screen behind the inquiry platform, the wall panels in the gallery, the information boards in the corridors—the same data appeared on every screen. Call logs. Records of multiple calls exchanged between Takuto's personal terminal and an unknown external device. The dates and times: the night before the Lament Corridor operation. And the early morning of the operation day itself. The air in the hall froze. What appeared next was the unaltered corridor footage. The scene of Ren facing the Kagebito alone. The "collusion footage" Takuto had submitted as evidence had been fabricated by cutting and splicing this recording. The video's metadata clearly showed traces of tampering. "[angry]Wh……at are you……!" Takuto's expression changed. His confident smirk peeled away, and his green eyes shook violently. "[loud]This is a fabrication to frame me! It must be a Kagebito curse trap! Reveal the source of this evidence!" At that moment, the rear doors of the hall opened. Short crimson hair caught the light of the great hall's illumination. Yuiry stood there, trembling but upright. Her golden eyes were moist, but deep within them burned a fierce resolve. "[serious]The source of the evidence is me." Yuiry's voice rang through the now-silent great hall. She stepped forward, one step, then another. Her small hands clenched tightly, desperately suppressing her trembling as she walked to the side of the witness stand. "[serious]This data was directly recovered from the Kagerou Tower surveillance server. They are log fragments that were incompletely deleted. The traces of tampering are also recorded as metadata." "[angry]Shut up! You were threatened by Ren—" "[crying]Because I know senpai isn't the kind of person who would hurt his comrades." Yuiry's words cut through Takuto's shout. Tears spilled from her golden eyes. She bit her lip, but still continued speaking. "[crying]The day I first joined the guild, senpai told me—'You have strength. So make absolutely sure you can protect your comrades.' There's no way someone like that would betray anyone. That's why I investigated this of my own will." The atmosphere in the hall shifted. The hunters in the gallery exchanged glances. One of the inquisitors whispered to a colleague. A mid-level inspector operated his terminal and began verifying the log metadata—his face transformed into one of astonishment. "[serious]……It's genuine." That murmur broke the silence. Voices of confirmation rose one after another. "The traces of tampering are definitely recorded." "The dates and times of the call records—they match, before the operation." The color drained completely from Takuto's face. He stepped back once, then—clenched his teeth as if resolving himself to something. Red light began gathering in both his hands. He was trying to activate a skill. "[angry]Shut up……shut up, shut uuuuup!!!" The moment Takuto thrust both hands forward, intending to blast Saya away along with the inquiry platform— The black mist crawling across the floor entangled both of Takuto's legs in an instant. "Wha—" His knees were slammed against the floor. Takuto could no longer move a single step. The black mist crept up from his ankles to his knees, to his waist, stitching his entire body in place. The light of his skill faded from his fingertips. Ren had not moved once. Only his shadow had moved. The black mist overflowing from his shadowed body was restraining Takuto as if it possessed its own will. Ren's hands were trembling faintly. He was nearing the limit of his mental load. The edges of his vision were steadily staining blacker, and the fog of memories was spreading inside his head. The power of Absolute Obedience was scraping away at his own psyche—and yet, he did not release his shadowed state. "[cold]—Don't move." Just one word. For the first time, terror stained Takuto's green eyes. A senior executive of the Association rose to his feet. A white-haired man declared in a solemn voice: "[serious]—Restrain Takuto immediately. The charges: submission of false evidence, and false accusation against an S-rank hunter. Furthermore……obstruction of the inquiry through use of force. All charges are hereby formally recognized as fabrications by Takuto himself." Before the inquiry platform, the tension drained from Saya's shoulders. She clasped both hands before her chest, her lips trembling. Tears welled in her blue eyes and traced down her silver hair. —Every false charge had been cleared. But at that moment. From a section of the gallery, another voice rose. "[cold]An inspector having a relationship with the subject of inspection—the fact that this in itself is a violation of regulations remains unchanged." The hall stirred with murmurs. Several inspectors nodded; others furrowed their brows. A faint shadow fell over Saya's face. Ren slowly turned to face the entire assembly. His shadowed body moved, dragging the black mist with it. His breathing was ragged. The trembling in his hands would not stop. Even so, he lifted his head. His deep brown eyes glowed red within the shadows. "[serious]Saya—even knowing the regulations forbade it," A low, quiet voice resonated through the great hall. "[serious]When I collapsed, she was the first to rush in." Saya lifted her face. Her blue eyes, wet with tears, gazed at Ren. "[serious]If that is an abuse of authority—then I owe my life to that abuse." The hall fell silent. No one spoke a word. Ren exhaled once. His ragged breath blurred white within the shadows. "[serious]I, who couldn't protect her, have no right to stand in a place that condemns her." Having said that, Ren closed his mouth. It was brief. But each and every word shifted the atmosphere of the great hall. The voices of objection vanished. Several inspectors slowly lowered their gazes. The expressions of the hunters in the gallery changed from something cold to something else entirely. The silence stretched for several seconds. "—The complete dismissal of all charges is approved." The senior executive's voice cut through the stillness. Saya's shoulders trembled violently. She broke into a run from before the inquiry platform. Her long silver hair streamed behind her, slicing through the air. The rhythm of her shoes echoed through the great hall—and then. Saya threw herself into Ren's chest. The moment the black mist of his shadowed state touched her body—Ren released the shadowing. He had reached the limit of his mental load. His vision went white, and his knees buckled. Even so, he did not fall. Because Saya's warmth was in his arms. "[crying]Ren……Ren, Ren……" Saya grasped Ren's shirt with both hands. With all her strength. Her silver hair disheveled, her tears soaking into his chest. Like a child, she called his name over and over and over. Ren wrapped his arms around her back. Pulling her close, tightly, fiercely. In full view of everyone remaining in the great hall, the two of them did not move from that spot for a long while. Saya's tears continued to wet Ren's shirt. Ren buried his face in her hair. He caught the scent of her silver hair. Soft, and warm—and now, undeniably here. Without making a sound, Ren poured that warmth into the strength of his arms. —Never again will I let you go. That will alone supported his trembling arms. —. From Takuto's confiscated terminal, the Association's technical team proceeded with a full analysis of the data. On the great hall's giant screen, another video was displayed. The complete version of the operation footage from the corridor. The moment the Kagebito leader was annihilated by Ren's shadow army— Dissolving into black mist, the Kagebito leader opened its mouth. A low voice, wrenched from the depths of its throat. —The gate opens. The true master comes. The audio waveform played through the speakers. A cold shadow fell over the celebratory mood in the hall. The expressions of the Association executives shifted to tension. Someone issued rapid instructions to the analysis team; someone else picked up an emergency contact terminal. Ren watched that footage over Saya's shoulder. (The true master—) The resonance phenomenon between Absolute Obedience and the Kagebito's voice. Something still slumbered within his own shadow. What it was—no one had the answer. But. In this moment, he felt that didn't matter. Saya's warmth was in his arms. That alone was enough. —. After the inquiry concluded, Saya submitted her resignation to the Association's senior executives. A small office. In that sterile space surrounded by white walls, she stood with her back straight. Her silver hair was still slightly disheveled, and the area around her eyes was tinged red—the traces of tears. "[serious]May I ask your reason?" Saya paused for a breath. "[serious]When regulations and personal judgment truly came into conflict," Her voice did not tremble. "[serious]I chose personal judgment without hesitation. I do not possess the aptitude to serve as an inspector for the Association." The executive attempted to dissuade her. But Saya's resolve did not waver. She bowed deeply, turned her back on the executive who had accepted her resignation, and left the office. In the corridor, Ren was waiting, leaning against the wall. His short black hair was disheveled, and the marks of the restraints remained on his wrists. His face was utterly exhausted. But the moment he found Saya, his eyes smiled faintly. "[gentle]It's done?" Saya smiled, a small smile. The first genuine smile she had ever shown. The moment the mask of the cold inspector fell away completely. Her blue eyes narrowed, and her