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A small, black-and-white sketch at the bottom corner. Yuuki, lying unconscious in a dark void, reaching out his hand. And someone else's hand—smaller, feminine, with cracked nails—reaching back. A silhouette that looks like... his missing sister, Aoba.
Yuuki is on the ground nearby, clutching his chest. The collar around his neck (the Slave mark) is sparking with purple energy. He sees a vision—a flash of a memory from the last chapter: The captured Onmyou Agency operative whispering something to him: "The true enemy is not the Shuuki... it's the Peach itself."
The aftermath of the previous battle. The Seventh Unit's base is in ruins. Ren Yamashiro (the Chief) stands with her arms crossed, her expression unreadable. Kyouka is on one knee, her Thunder God form flickering, her Peach energy visibly depleted. Varvara (the Seventh Unit captain) is smirking, holding a fragmented Peach crystal.
"No... she can't be..."
Kaguragi raises a hand. Without a word, a wave of invisible force slices through the Seventh Unit’s barrier like paper. Several unnamed Mato Defense Corps members are thrown back. Ren's eyes widen for the first time.
"Interesting. But void consumes all."
Kyouka (in the new form) simply walks forward. The void waves hit her—and split around her like water around a stone. She reaches Kaguragi in one step and places a hand on his chest. A small, black-and-white sketch at the bottom corner
Back to the surface. Yuuki forces himself to stand. He looks at Kyouka, who is still struggling. Then he looks at Ren, who is now stepping forward to face Kaguragi. Ren's aura flares—massive, oppressive, like a storm made of gold.
Kyouka finally stands. She grabs Yuuki's wrist. The Slave collar glows intensely.
The Slave transformation—but different. Instead of the usual beast form, Yuuki's body dissolves into pure energy, wrapping around Kyouka like a suit of living, chained armor. Her hair turns silver. Her eyes become hollow, glowing purple. A new form: "Slave: Absolute Submission - Oathbound Regalia." A silhouette that looks like
Tenka unsheathes her blade in a flash. A brilliant arc of blue light—her "Kumo no Nagare" (Cloud Stream). But Rokuro parries with all six weapons simultaneously, sparks flying. The shockwave cracks the basement walls.
A shocking panel. Ren's eyes flicker—for just a fraction of a second—red. The same crimson as a Shuuki's. No one else notices, but Yuuki sees it.