The mountain house stood silent beneath the dark sky, hidden deep among towering trees and cold stone paths.
Beru and Nobu carried Baku inside without saying a word.
His body burned like fire.
Even through their clothes, the heat coming from his skin felt unnatural—as if something inside him was still raging, refusing to cool down. They laid him gently on the bed, covering him with a thin blanket. His chest rose and fell unevenly, his face pale yet twisted in pain.
Neither of them spoke.
They stepped outside and sat on two wooden chairs facing the empty night. The wind was cold, but Nobu barely felt it.
"This happened because of me," Nobu finally said, his voice low and heavy.
Beru didn't answer at first.
" the Misaki Clan would save Kaito," Nobu continued. "I promised him everything would be fine. Baku… Baku had only us."
His fingers clenched into fists. "We couldn't save his wife."
Beru exhaled slowly. "We can't change what's already happened."
Nobu laughed bitterly. "At least we saved him?"
Beru turned his head slightly. "That matters. He's alive."
But even Beru knew those words weren't enough.
They both understood the truth—no matter how strong someone was, losing the person you loved most shattered something that could never fully heal.
Inside the room, Baku lay still.
Yet his mind was far from peaceful.
Blood-stained marble floors.
Screams echoing through the palace hall.
His wife's eyes—wide, terrified, frozen in her final moment.
Her head rolling across the floor.
"NO—!"
Baku shot upright, gasping for breath.
"Her name!" he shouted, his voice breaking through the night.
Nobu and Beru rushed inside.
They found Baku sitting on the bed, his eyes wide, hands shaking, sweat soaking his clothes.
"It's okay," Nobu said quickly, stepping forward. "You're safe now."
Baku looked at him.
For a second, Nobu thought he might be attacked.
Instead, Baku's shoulders trembled.
"I couldn't save her," Baku whispered. His voice cracked. "I was too late."
Tears welled up in his eyes—something neither of them had ever seen before.
Nobu placed a hand on his shoulder. "This is my fault."
Baku shook his head violently. "No."
He stood up, stepping back. "It's my fault. I trusted them. I believed they would protect her. I believed they would arrive in time."
His jaw tightened. "Look what happened."
He turned toward the door.
"Where are you going?" Beru asked.
Baku paused but didn't look back.
"Please," he said quietly. "Don't follow me. Ever again."
Nobu opened his mouth—but Beru raised a hand, stopping him.
Baku walked out into the night.
And disappeared.
Silence filled the house once more.
Nobu stared at the doorway. "Why didn't you let me say something?"
Beru looked down. "Because his heart is broken."
He clenched his fist. "Nothing we say right now will reach him. This… this pain is our fault too."
Nobu swallowed. "Will he come back?"
"He will," Beru said after a moment. "When he's ready."
Nobu leaned back, exhausted. "What about me?"
Beru turned toward him. "What do you mean?"
"I want to live with my family again," Nobu said quietly. "But Baku said they'd only use me."
Beru was silent for a long time.
Then he spoke carefully. "That choice is yours. Neither Baku nor I can decide that."
He hesitated. "But I won't lie to you."
Nobu looked at him.
"You made mistakes," Beru said. "Big ones."
Nobu nodded. "I know."
"Your biggest mistake," Beru continued, "was not staying with your wife when she needed you most."
Nobu closed his eyes.
"Now your children don't want you as their father."
"I know," Nobu said. "That guilt never leaves me. But I want to fix it. I want to prove I was wrong."
Beru sighed. "Your wife might understand."
"And my kids?"
Beru shook his head. "That will be harder."
Nobu looked at him. "Then what should I do?"
Beru met his eyes. "Go to them."
"And?"
"Kneel," Beru said. "Not as a leader. Not as a strong man. As a father who failed."
Nobu smiled faintly. "Maybe… that really is my last option."
In the city park, Baku sat alone on a bench.
People passed by, laughing, talking, living their lives.
None of them knew what he had lost.
Every time he closed his eyes, he saw her.
The blood.
The silence.
His chest tightened until breathing hurt.
From a distance, a camera clicked.
Baku didn't notice.
The man lowered his phone and disappeared into the crowd.
Later that night, in a dimly lit room, the Supreme Leader stared at the photo on the table.
"That's him," he said calmly.
The mysterious man beside him leaned forward, studying the image. "Hmm. His eyes don't look like mine."
"They change," the Supreme Leader replied. "When he gets angry."
The mysterious man smiled. "Interesting."
He handed the photo to the man standing at his left. "Finish the job by tomorrow night."
The Supreme Leader frowned. "He's strong. One man won't be enough."
The mysterious man chuckled softly.
"Then send fifty."
Back at the mountain house, Nobu tightened his jacket.
"Keep an eye on Baku," he told Beru. "Please."
Beru nodded. "I'll find him."
"And I'll go to the Misaki Clan."
Beru left immediately.
With the help of his men, it didn't take long to locate Baku.
He was still in the park.
Beru walked up and sat beside him.
Baku didn't look surprised. "Why are you here?"
"Just chilling," Beru replied casually.
Then, quietly, he told Baku everything.
About Kaito.
About the kidnapping.
About why they were late.
Baku listened without interrupting.
Then footsteps approached.
Masked figures surrounded them—forming a tight circle.
One of them spoke. "You can leave."
Beru met his gaze. "What if I don't?"
At the same time, far away, Nobu gripped the steering wheel tightly as he drove toward the Misaki Clan.
His heart raced.
But he didn't slow down.
"I have to do this," he whispered.
The night moved forward—toward blood, toward truth, toward a clash that could no longer be avoided.