Judgment Hall – A Different Case

  A lone figure knelt at the center of the grand hall, his head bowed as the final words rang out.

  “Permission granted.”

  The doors opened, and the man stood, walking away with measured steps. His presence faded into the massive corridors of the Chūkan’s inner chambers.

  As he passed, another man stopped him with a hand on his shoulder.

  “Itsutsu.” A voice. Gentle, yet cautious. “I don’t know if this is the right time, but… I heard about Suna. I hope she recovers soon.”

  A polite smile stretched across Itsutsu’s face. A practiced one.

  “She’s holding in there. I’m hoping she recovers any day now.”

  “That’s good to hear.” The man hesitated, then shifted the conversation. “And your son? How is he?”

  The smile stiffened for just a fraction of a second.

  “Energetic.” Itsutsu exhaled through his nose. “I leave him at the Rokumōnban most of the time. They take care of him while I handle my duties.”

  The man chuckled, nodding. “Don’t let these households take away all your time from your family.”

  A polite nod. A courteous farewell.

  And then, as Itsutsu walked away, the smile vanished.

  His hands curled into fists.

  “My wife is dying… and he dares to bring up such trivial things?”

  His footsteps quickened.

  He had more important things to deal with.

  ?

  The door smmed shut behind him.

  Itsutsu wasted no time. In a single motion, he swept a mess of papers across the table, spreading them out in front of him.

  His eyes flickered across half-finished notes, calcutions, research fragments—all dedicated to one thing.

  The Tamashkii Sickness.

  He muttered to himself, scanning through his own work. “The Chūkan’s Tamashkii isn’t enough… Where can I get the rest?”

  His mind churned through possibilities.

  Then—his fingers stopped.

  A map. A globe. A diagram of the other realm.

  The Earth.

  He stared at it. Then, slowly—his breath hitched.

  “If I can combine the Tamashkii of the Earth Realm with the Chūkan’s…” His voice trembled with something close to revetion. “The bance will be perfect. It should flow so purely that no matter how much she gets, it will sustain her. She’ll be healed.”

  His hands shook.

  Then—

  Laughter.

  Quiet at first. Then growing.

  “That’s it. That’s it. That’s it—” The words spilled from his mouth as his body trembled with excitement. “It’s all so simple.”

  Now all he needed was a method.

  His thoughts raced.

  “I need something to transform the very essence of the soul.”

  Then—an answer.

  “The Hachimōnban.”

  The Eighth Gate—the division that handled experiments, research, and the limits of Tamashkii manipution.

  If any pce held the key to his success, it was there.

  His mind continued spiraling through the pieces he needed.

  Daisuke.

  A specialist in the manipution of Tamashkii. A genius, if not a bit reckless.

  If he had Daisuke—then he could likely secure Kenzo as well.

  Kenzo’s swordsmanship. His sheer raw power. His Tamashkii alone would be enough to test any transformation.

  And then there was Yuyu.

  His test pupil. A talent so terrifying that even Itsutsu himself barely grasped his full potential.

  “Yuyu will be ready in time.”

  He could see it all now.

  A chessboard in his mind.

  Pieces falling into pce.

  Checkmate was inevitable.

  “This… this cannot fail.”

  The weight of his pn settled into his bones. His breath steadied.

  Then—

  A flicker of movement.

  Itsutsu’s gaze snapped to the corner of the room.

  A shadow. A figure.

  Someone was watching.

  ?

  The grand chamber loomed, silent and oppressive. The Judgement Hall.

  This time, Itsutsu was at the center.

  But he was not the judge.

  He was the one being judged.

  An Elder’s voice echoed through the hall.

  “Itsutsu Hayashi. We have received word that you have been conducting forbidden experiments.” A pause. “Do you deny these cims?”

  Itsutsu lifted his chin. His expression was calm. Controlled.

  “The experiments I have conducted have been for one reason only—to save Suna’s life.”

  His voice did not waver.

  “Everything I have done has been to make her better.”

  A moment of silence.

  Then—something shifted in his face.

  A crack in the composure.

  His lips twitched. His eyes gleamed.

  “No—better than that.” His voice sharpened. “Through my studies, I have realized something greater. I can not only save her. I can make the Chūkan better. I can make all of us better. We can evolve. We can become—”

  The murmurs from the Elders rose to a crescendo.

  “He’s lost himself within it.”

  “He’s too far gone.”

  “The Hayashi household must be removed.”

  Silence fell again.

  Then—the final ruling.

  “Expulsion is the w for those who practice forbidden techniques.”

  A pause.

  “Our decision is final—The Hayashi Household is hereby banished to the Earth Realm.”

  The judgment was passed.

  Two Kyūmonban guards stepped forward, their expressions unreadable.

  Tamashkii cuffs locked around Itsutsu’s wrists.

  His fate was sealed.

  Or so they thought.

  ?

  The massive doors groaned as they swung open.

  Itsutsu was led forward, fnked on either side by the guards.

  Then—footsteps.

  A lone figure stood outside, waiting.

  Daisuke.

  His golden eyes gleamed with something knowing.

  Itsutsu met his gaze.

  A moment of silence.

  Then, quietly—

  “It is time.”

  Before the guards could react—

  A flicker.

  Then—a sound.

  SHNK.

  The guards’ heads hit the ground before their bodies.

  Daisuke had not even drawn a sword.

  Blood painted the floor.

  The cuffs shattered.

  Itsutsu rolled his wrists, free once more.

  Then—

  Darkness.

  And then they were gone.

  CUT TO BLACK.