The void rippled.

  The air, thick and suffocating, trembled as something began to shift. The darkness pulsed, as if it had a heartbeat of its own.

  Then—

  A single step.

  The first figure emerged.

  The Shingan stepped forward, his presence alone distorting reality around him. His robes, woven with the very essence of the Chūkan’s forbidden knowledge, fluttered slightly in the unnatural breeze. But his face—his face remained unseen.

  His gaze swept over the three standing before him.

  Kenzo.

  Daisuke.

  YuYu.

  Then—he spoke.

  “Let me introduce you…”

  A pause.

  A faint, knowing smirk in his tone.

  “To the New Order.”

  The mist parted.

  And from the depths of the void—

  The first warrior stepped out.

  A man. Towering. Power incarnate.

  His frame was massive, but there was no wasted bulk—only refined, honed destruction. His dark, untamed hair fell wildly over his shoulders, his sharp crimson gaze carrying the weight of one absolute truth—

  He was born to fight.

  He exhaled, rolling his shoulders.

  The ground beneath his feet cracked from his very presence.

  The first warrior of the void had returned.

  The Shingan’s voice resonated.

  “Toshiro.”

  Kenzo’s smirk sharpened. “Hoh… Now that’s a presence.”

  But before anyone could react—

  The mist swirled again.

  A second figure emerged.

  A woman. Effortlessly graceful.

  Her midnight hair was fwless, flowing down her back with a quiet, haunting beauty. Her expression was calm, but her eyes—her eyes were something else. They carried depth. Cold. Calcuting. And yet… almost gentle.

  She exhaled softly, her hand tracing the hilt of the bde at her side.

  A stillness followed her, like a void that could swallow sound itself.

  The Shingan’s voice lingered with a quiet amusement.

  “Uta.”

  Daisuke’s golden eyes flickered with something sharp. Curiosity.

  “Haven’t seen a presence like hers in a while.”

  And then—

  One st ripple.

  A third figure emerged.

  A man. Effortlessly composed.

  His uniform was slightly loose, almost zily worn. His silver hair was tousled, his sharp features carrying the perpetual look of someone half-awake—as if he had just risen from a long, deep sleep.

  But his eyes.

  His eyes were the true giveaway.

  They carried a weight far beyond weariness.

  A depth beyond mere fatigue.

  A quiet understanding of war itself.

  With a slow breath, he pulled a single glove over his hand, flexing his fingers.

  “Subaru.”

  The Shingan’s voice was final.

  Kenzo exhaled, shifting his stance slightly.

  “Well. That’s a squad.”

  YuYu, however—

  YuYu grinned.

  “Oh, this is gonna be fun.”

  His gaze locked onto Toshiro.

  Before anyone could stop him, YuYu stepped forward.

  “Oi.” He tilted his head, his smirk widening. “You look tough.”

  Toshiro’s red eyes narrowed slightly.

  YuYu cracked his knuckles. “Wanna go?”

  A beat.

  Then—

  Toshiro moved.

  Fast.

  Before anyone could react, his hand shot out, gripping YuYu by the face.

  Then, without hesitation—

  He tried to sm YuYu into the ground.

  But.

  Nothing.

  Toshiro’s eyes flickered with realization.

  YuYu didn’t budge.

  He didn’t even flinch.

  For the first time—Toshiro’s grip tightened.

  And yet, nothing happened.

  YuYu’s smirk grew.

  “Damn, you’re fast.”

  Then—

  With a single, effortless motion—

  YuYu headbutted him.

  The impact sent a ripple of force through the ground.

  Toshiro’s grip loosened slightly.

  Then—YuYu followed up with a sharp knee to the gut.

  Toshiro stumbled back.

  Not much. Just a step.

  But enough.

  YuYu grinned, stepping forward—ready for more.

  Then—

  The Shingan moved.

  A single step.

  Not fast.

  Not aggressive.

  Just one step forward.

  And in an instant—

  YuYu stopped.

  His body—his instincts—froze.

  YuYu felt it.

  Absolute authority.

  The Shingan’s voice was as calm as ever.

  “Save the fighting for ter, YuYu.”

  YuYu’s grin twitched, but he didn’t move.

  The Shingan continued.

  “They have just reached a new height. Let them adjust first.”

  A pause.

  Then—

  “But once they have adjusted…”

  A hint of anticipation in his tone.

  “I would like to see a fight between all of you.”

  The weight of his words settled.

  He wanted a battle between all the Death Phantoms.

  A test.

  To see who was truly the strongest.

  Kenzo let out a low chuckle. “Sounds like a good time.”

  Daisuke, ever unreadable, simply exhaled. “Interesting.”

  Then—

  Kenzo’s smirk returned, but there was something sharper behind it now.

  “Well. We have our full squad now.”

  A pause.

  Then his voice dropped slightly.

  “But Hyouma is still a dead man.”

  The room stilled.

  Kenzo tilted his head. “So who’s gonna be the next Ubuyō?”

  For the first time—

  The Shingan took a seat.

  His posture was rexed, almost casual.

  Then—his voice, smooth as silk.

  “Oh… have I not told you all yet?”

  Kenzo’s eyes narrowed.

  Daisuke’s fingers twitched.

  YuYu’s smirk faded just slightly.

  The Shingan exhaled.

  “The next Ubuyō… the one who will take my pce…”

  A pause.

  Then—

  “Itsutsu’s son.”

  A single name.

  “Watari Hayashi.”

  Silence.

  The room darkened.

  The air grew thick.

  YuYu’s grin twitched back.

  “Oh-ho.” His eyes gleamed. “Now that… is unexpected.”

  Kenzo let out a slow exhale. Processing. Calcuting.

  “Are you sure he’s the one for the job? He seemed a little weak the st time I saw him.”

  The Shingan chuckled. Calm, unwavering.

  “By the time he comes to us, he will be ripe for the picking.”

  Kenzo, still a bit skeptical gave a nod. Then accepted the Shingan’s words.

  “If that’s what you say, Lord Shingan.”

  Daisuke was the only one who didn’t react outwardly.

  But his eyes—the way his fingers tapped against his arm, just once—spoke volumes.

  The Shingan’s gaze remained steady.

  Unwavering.

  Certain.

  “This all begun with the Hayashi family. It’s only right, they be the ones to end it.”

  CUT TO BLACK.