Koharu’s golden eyes scanned the room, her voice steady.

  “However—this will not be an open unit. We cannot act under our usual names or banners.”

  Watari frowned. “What do you mean?”

  She tossed him a capsule.

  “Crush it.”

  Watari did as instructed.

  A shimmer of energy erupted.

  When it settled, his eyes widened.

  A new uniform.

  ? Matte bck trenchcoat. Sleek, high colr.

  ? No belts—just buttons. Designed for mobility.

  ? Attached hood—for stealth when needed, but removable in battle.

  ? Gold embroidery lined the coat, but the insignia was invisible to the naked eye.

  “Only those who infuse Tamashkii into their eyes can see our insignia. Otherwise, to the world—”Koharu’s voice sharpened. ”—we do not exist.”

  Watari ran a hand over the coat, grinning. “Whoa… this is actually sick.”

  “Swipe it away.”

  Watari tugged at the coat, and in an instant—it vanished.

  Returning back to a capsule in his hand.

  Koharu tossed a capsule to each of them.

  “I had these made by the Rokumōnban.”

  Her voice was cold.

  “For any matter regarding the Shingan or his underlings—you wear these.”

  Kaito pced a hand over his chest, stumbling back dramatically.

  “Damn, bro, you had me for a second. I thought this was a casual rebellion—now we’re going full secret agent?”

  Watari smirked. “Feels like a damn movie.”

  Koharu ignored them.

  Then—her tone shifted.

  “But before we even think about fighting the Shingan, we have a more pressing issue.”

  The room quieted.

  “Your training.”

  Watari blinked. “Training?”

  Koharu’s gaze flicked to him.

  “You’ve been gone for two years, Hayashi. You don’t even know the Jūmonban techniques.”

  Watari stiffened slightly.

  “And that goes for the rest of you as well.”

  She exhaled sharply, then folded her arms.

  “As you know, the Chūkan has ten Gates. Each Gate possesses unique combat styles, philosophies, and techniques that form the foundation of a true warrior.”

  She gnced at Ayase.

  “I’ve ensured that each Captain has prepared something… important.”

  Her gaze swept across the room.

  “If you want to call yourselves warriors of the Chūkan, then you need to master what this realm has to offer.”

  She paused.

  Then—her tone softened just slightly.

  “I am your Captain. It is my responsibility to make sure each of you leaves here with something valuable. Something that will make a difference.”

  Silence.

  Then—

  “That is why I am sending you to the Ichimon first.”

  Watari frowned. “Why there?”

  “Because you’re starting from the ground up. Also because at each gate, I’ll be needing you to recruit an essential member. I’ll give you the names of each ter.”

  Her golden eyes locked onto him.

  “You have strength, Hayashi. But strength without a foundation is a house that colpses the moment a storm arrives.”

  Watari clenched his jaw slightly but said nothing.

  “You and Yumi will start at the Ichimon, learning their fundamentals. Then, you will move through the other Gates—each one teaching you a different key element.”

  Yumi crossed her arms. “And what about them?” She gestured to Kaito, Ren, and the others.

  Koharu exhaled.

  “The Fifth Gate warriors already know most of what’s being taught, so they will not be joining you. On the other hand, the 9th gate warriors know much from their time here. But I’ll still be sending them with you to master the other techniques.”

  She turned to Kusanagi and the fifth.

  “Your priority is hunting Death Phantoms. Any disturbance, any unusual movement—you handle it before it becomes a problem.”

  Kusanagi nodded. “Understood.”

  Koharu turned back to Watari, Yumi, and the others.

  “You all leave for the Ichimon in two days. Prepare accordingly.”

  Silence.

  Then—

  “Meeting adjourned.”

  The barrier dropped.

  For a moment, there was silence.

  The Fifth Gate warriors exchanged brief nods, then stepped toward a rift.

  “We’ll see you soon,” Kusanagi muttered before stepping through.

  One by one, they vanished.

  Then—only the core group remained.

  Kaito stretched. “Two days, huh?”

  He turned to Watari, a smirk forming.

  “You wanna train, or you wanna party? I already know your answer.”

  Watari smirked back.

  “Party, of course.”

  Kaito blinked.

  “Really?”

  Watari chuckled. “No, dumbass. Let’s train.”

  CUT TO BLACK.