The grand hall of the shogunate castle was still in disarray, its walls scarred from the battle, its banners torn and bckened by fire. The dim glow of braziers cast flickering shadows across the stone floor, illuminating the tension on the faces of the men who stood before me.

  At the head of the chamber, Shogun Hoshikawa sat upon his seat of command—a rge, cquered wooden throne, its edges adorned with the crest of his cn.

  His armor, once polished and regal, was now dented and smeared with soot, the aftermath of the battle still fresh upon him. His sharp, weathered eyes had faced many battles—but now, as they studied me, there was something else in them.

  Something between gratitude… and disbelief.

  To his left, general Daigo stood rigid, his broad frame tense, arms crossed over his chest.

  To his right, patrol captain Masanori , the man who had personally escorted me here, still seemed to be processing my very existence. His fingers twitched against his sword hilt, as if uncertain whether I was real or some strange apparition returned from the Demon Queen’s grasp.

  For a long moment, no one spoke.

  Then—the shogun finally exhaled, shaking his head as if still trying to convince himself of what he was seeing.

  "Jin," he said at st, his deep voice carrying across the chamber.

  "You are alive."

  It wasn’t a statement of relief.

  It was a statement of disbelief.

  I straightened, feeling the weight of a hundred expectant eyes upon me.

  "I am."

  The shogun leaned forward slightly, resting his forearms against his knees, his eyes narrowing.

  "We all saw her take you."

  His fingers tapped against the wood of his throne, a slow, deliberate rhythm.

  "And yet… here you stand, unharmed."

  His gaze flickered toward Masanori, as if seeking confirmation.

  Masanori gave a stiff nod. "I saw him with my own eyes, my lord. He walked through the gates unscathed."

  A murmur spread through the gathered commanders.

  "Unscathed?" General Daigo repeated, his brow furrowing. "You mean to say the Demon Queen simply… released him?"

  I swallowed hard.

  "Yes."

  The room fell into stunned silence.

  A warrior, standing near the back, scoffed in disbelief. "That monster has no mercy."

  "She sughters armies without hesitation," another muttered. "And yet she let this man live?"

  Shogun Hoshikawa raised a hand, and the whispers ceased immediately.

  His eyes bore into mine, sharp as a bde held against my throat.

  "Tell me, Jin," he said slowly. "Why did she let you go?"

  I took a slow breath.

  "Because she knows me."

  The moment the words left my mouth, I felt the weight of every gaze sharpen.

  The murmurs returned, this time ced with confusion, suspicion, and something bordering on fear.

  "Knows you?" Masanori repeated, eyes narrowing.

  "What does that mean?" General Daigo asked, his arms crossing tighter.

  I exhaled. There was no point in hiding the truth.

  "Her name is Tachibana Reika," I said, clearly and steadily.

  The room stilled.

  I pressed forward before anyone could interrupt.

  "She was not always the Demon Queen. Before she came to this world… before any of this… she was human. Just like me."

  I let the words sink in, watching the expressions shift—from denial to uncertainty, from skepticism to something more dangerous.

  Unease.

  The shogun studied me closely, his face unreadable.

  "And how is it," he finally asked, "that you know this?"

  I met his gaze evenly.

  "Because she and I came from the same world."

  The silence that followed was heavier than steel.

  For a long moment, no one moved, no one spoke.

  Then—General Daigo let out a sharp ugh, though it held no humor.

  "You expect us to believe that?"

  Masanori exhaled, his expression dark. "A human… becoming that?"

  One of the commanders near the back muttered, "Lies. The Queen of Shadows is no mortal."

  "And yet," the shogun interrupted, "she stopped attacking and took him away."

  The murmurs halted instantly.

  He leaned forward, his gaze piercing into me.

  "Tell me, Jin. Did you ask her to stop?"

  I hesitated. Then—I nodded.

  "Yes."

  Hoshikawa exhaled sharply, shaking his head in something between exhaustion and amazement.

  "Then for that, you have my gratitude."

  His voice was firm, unwavering.

  "Even if I do not understand how or why, it is clear that she stopped because of you. That alone has spared countless lives."

  He straightened, his battle-worn armor shifting with the movement.

  "But that does not answer the question of what she truly is."

  He studied me carefully.

  "If what you say is true—if she was once human, as you cim—then how did she become this?"

  I hesitated, feeling the weight of Reika’s words still lingering in my mind.

  "I don’t know."

  It was the truth.

  Even after everything she told me, I still didn’t know.

  All I knew was that she had arrived in this world already powerful, that she had spent twenty years searching for a way back, and that, in the end…

  She had simply stopped seeing the people here as equals.

  "Do you think she will return?" Masanori asked cautiously.

  I frowned.

  "I don’t know."

  It wasn’t a lie, but it wasn’t the whole truth either.

  Because in my pocket, nestled against my palm, was a small, bck gem.

  Cold.

  Smooth.

  A single, silent promise.

  "If you are ever in danger… crush it."

  "I will help you. Just once."

  I clenched my fist around it, feeling its unnatural pulse against my skin.

  She had let me go.

  But somehow… I knew this wasn’t the st time I would see her.