Kuki Shinobu was running away.
She couldn't bear the thought of her parents seeing Yuna in this state, and she didn't have the courage to face them.
Her mother had always worried most about Yuna, yet loved her most dearly. Her father, though he often scolded Yuna for her lack of ambition, would secretly watch her whenever she set up her street stall. During the Arataki Gang's lean times, he would slip Shinobu money, telling her to make sure Yuna didn't go hungry.
Then there was her Big Sister, gentle-natured and endlessly indulgent toward Yuna, practically spoiling her to no end.
How could they possibly cope with knowing Yuna was dead, especially after such a tragic end?
Shinobu had always prided herself on her resilience and rationality. But her sister's death shattered her completely.
And her mother, who was already in frail health...
At this moment, Shinobu felt utterly helpless, unsure of what to do.
Itto watched her with aching tenderness.
Shinobu had always been the Arataki Gang's external brain, decisive in every action and radiating unwavering authority. He had never seen her like this before.
Without a word, Itto knelt beside Shinobu, mirroring her position.
-
At the entrance to the Arataki Gang's headquarters, Chu Xi, Lumine, and Paimon were diligently guarding the entrance for Kuki Shinobu. Yoimiya and Ayaka, having learned they couldn't enter for the time being, waited nearby. Fellow gang members Mamoru, Akira, and Genta persistently begged:
"Traveler, we're really worried about the Boss and the others! Please let us in!"
"Yeah, Traveler! Let us go in and see if there's anything we can do to help!"
"Is the Boss hurt? Or Yuna? Or Miss Shinobu? This is so nerve-wracking!"
Paimon, her little face tense, refused to let anyone pass.
She had promised Shinobu: no one would enter unless Shinobu herself gave the word!
"Traveler, it's alright. Let them in," Kuki Shinobu said slowly as she approached, her voice flat and her face pale.
Paimon glanced at Shinobu with concern before stepping aside.
As the path cleared, Heizou burst through first, followed by Yoimiya and Ayaka.
"Lumine..." Paimon murmured, trailing behind Lumine, her worry growing.
Chu Xi patted Paimon's head reassuringly, and the three of them brought up the rear.
"Wh-what?"
Heizou froze just inside the entrance, staring at a figure lying on a mat, covered with a white cloth.
As Inazuma's renowned detective, Heizou knew exactly what this meant.
His gaze swept the room. Yuna was nowhere to be seen, nor was Itto. Yet the small figure beneath the cloth looked unmistakably like Yuna.
Then he remembered Yuna's earlier injuries...
Yoimiya and Ayaka also witnessed the scene. Ayaka froze in shock, while Yoimiya covered her mouth with her hand, her eyes peering through her fingers at the cloth-covered figure, her vision blurring with tears.
Mamoru and his companions, who had been rushing forward, slowed their pace to a crawl after seeing the sight.
Earlier, when they had noticed Miss Shinobu's grim expression, they had harbored dark suspicions. They had only imagined the Boss or Yuna might be injured, never considering someone could be dead!
The Boss and Yuna both possessed Visions, both were so powerful... but, but how could this be...
Heizou reached out, intending to lift a corner of the white cloth.
Kuki Shinobu seized his hand. "It's Yuna," she said.
Although she had meticulously cleaned away the bloodstains and Rukkhadevata, the Dendro Archon of Sumeru, had wrapped Yuna's body with vines to conceal the gruesome scars, still...
The terror on her sister's face and the despair in her eyes lingered, refusing to fade. She didn't want anyone else to see it.
Heizou withdrew his hand and turned to Kuki Shinobu. "Who did this?" he asked.
"The black-robed figure... the Abyss!" Shinobu replied.
"Waaah, Sister Yuna..."
"It's Yuna? How could it be Yuna? No, this is a lie, it has to be a lie!"
"Waaah..."
The three core members of the Arataki Gang knelt beside Yuna's remains, weeping uncontrollably. They had once been down on their luck in Inazuma City, dismissed as good-for-nothings and layabouts.
Their Boss had taken them in and let them join the Arataki Gang.
Miss Shinobu and Yuna had never looked down on them, treating them like family. They respected the Boss, Miss Shinobu, and Yuna deeply.
For the sake of everyone in the Arataki Gang, Yuna would set up a stall every few days, returning home exhausted each time, collapsing into bed the moment she arrived.
To them, Yuna was both their Sister Yuna and their little sister!
And now, she lay lifeless before them...
Kuki Shinobu turned her head away.
Lumine didn't see Itto here. At a time like this, he should be by Yuna's side. Where had he gone?
-
Inazuma City, Kuki House.
Itto had stripped off his shirt, his muscular body resembling an ancient Roman sculpture.
He knelt in the courtyard of the Kuki House.
Yuna's death had nothing to do with Itto, but in his mind, he was the one who had taken her out. Now that she was gone, as the Boss, he bore an inescapable responsibility.
He had witnessed Shinobu's struggles and knew she couldn't face her family, knew she was blaming herself.
His heart ached for her, but he was powerless to help.
His own guilt gnawed at him, driving him to take Shinobu's place in delivering the news to Yuna's family. He would shoulder all the blame, sparing Shinobu the confrontation and easing her burden.
Ever since the incident at the Altar, Itto had never felt such torment.
He sensed his body had changed significantly, his strength seemingly amplified, but he had no time to dwell on it.
The Grand Narukami Shrine had closed early for the day, and Kuki Miyuki was home.
Itto's bizarre behavior alarmed them, drawing them all to the courtyard.
"What are you doing?" Yuna's Dad rushed over, trying to pull Itto up.
Itto remained kneeling, unyielding to Yuna's Dad's efforts.
Growing concerned, Yuna's Dad asked, "Have you done something to wrong my family?"
Itto opened his mouth, but he realized the situation was far more complicated than he'd imagined.
He couldn't bring himself to break the news of Yuna's death!
Only then did Itto understand: Shinobu wasn't afraid to face her family; she was afraid they wouldn't be able to cope with Yuna's death.
"Tell us already! You're driving me crazy!" Yuna's Dad's heart raced. "Did something happen to my daughters?"
Yuna's Mom pulled him aside. She knelt in front of Itto, stroking his head, and asked gently, "Child, don't be afraid. Tell Auntie, what happened?"
Itto, feeling the gentle touch on his head, looked up, his eyes brimming with tears.
Yuna's Mom's heart skipped a beat. Her two daughters were both with Itto's Arataki Gang. She had made it a point to learn about Itto's personality and habits, knowing he wasn't one to cry easily.
Something terrible must have happened, and it likely involved her daughters.
"I'm sorry... I couldn't protect Yuna!"
"What happened to Yuna?"
"Yuna... she... she was killed by the Abyss..."