Kder Island, December 15th.

Hiroshi wakes up from a nap in his old bed. His body still seems to be getting used to his old sleeping routine.

Before getting up, he runs his hand over his face, expecting to get blood on it, but his hand remains dry, indicating that there is no longer any wound.

"I'm already healed...? I don't think I could do it on my own so quickly, much less in my current condition. Is Lord Vak being charitable to me?"

He spends a few more seconds lying down looking at the ceiling, since lying in a bed is a privilege he can no longer take for granted.

After finally standing up, he slowly walks over to the mirror to take a closer look at his current fragile and decayed appearance.

When he lifts his shirt, he sees his ribs easily visible beneath the skin, the result of spending a month without food, receiving the nutrients necessary for his survival through a tube. His body was in a coma, but he was not in a hospital, obviously he would not receive adequate treatment.

Like every time he was in that place, in that prison, his survival was the only guarantee he had. Anything beyond that was a luxury they were not willing to provide him.

Looking at his wrists, reddened by the marks left by the handcuffs that forced his body to remain upright, he questions his memories:

"Did I have this when I first came here...?"

Lastly, he simply stares at the reflection of his own face. They haven't done anything to his head, so there's no drastic difference. However, his face now bears an expression unlike any he remembers wearing. His eyes have never looked so dead.

"These eyes... are very similar to his..."

The man who killed his older brother. On the day this man was killed by Hiroshi, his face seemed empty somehow, as if his final battle carried no meaning.

In the anger of the moment, the boy didn't care at all about what was going on in the man's mind, but his last words somehow never left his memory:

"I'm sorry, kid... I was just tired."

When he heard this, he had no idea what it was supposed to mean. He would never bother trying to understand the words of a murderer, no matter how hypocritical that logic might be. Besides, what was he tired of? What tiredness would drive someone to become an instrument of murder?

Yet, several weeks later, for some reason this memory became much more recurrent in his mind, and with each repetition it began to make more and more sense.

He continues to look at himself in the mirror, trying not to get too lost in his thoughts. His hair is still pretty much the same as before, if not a little messier. Ever since Vektor Drenn cut it, he has never been able to feel the same grandeur that his appearance once carried. On the contrary, he looks more pathetic every day.

The wound on his head that would still not have healed if not for his lord's interference is the definitive mark of his loyalty, the trial necessary to participate in this current mission. The memento of this trial was kept in the drawer of Katsuo's room.

In the worst case scenario, this drawer will be the tomb of his memories. In the best case scenario, someone will open this drawer and find what was stored inside. Either way, this item no longer means much to him, because it is something that connects him to a life he no longer plans to return to.

Before leaving, he decides to eat whatever he finds in the fridge. It may be rude to take someone's food without permission, but technically this is still his home.

The taste and sensation of swallowing food were things he had not experienced in a long time, as his soul had been trapped in the World of Nightmares ever since his last defeat. If they had not immediately taken his body away after that, it would be very unlikely that he would even be able to return.

If his body were to die, the most likely scenario would be for his soul to be trapped in the World of Nightmares, eternally having to live with irrational dark monsters, haunted by insatiable hunger and endless pain without even having the chance to seek death.

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You could say it would be as close as you could get to being trapped in Hell.

By this logic, it could be considered a miracle that not only did his body survive, but that he was also assigned to be part of this mission. However, the reality is that he is now trapped in a loop of servitude, and any attempt to escape this loop would only lead to his ruin.

"Indeed, anyone would be exhausted by that..."

Immediately after feeding, he uses a Shadow Crystal to teleport to the Dawn Plateau, his point of action in the mission.

According to the plan, Hiroshi was supposed to wait at the Dawn Plateau for a certain amount of time to give them the opportunity to summon Vektor every evening. However, Katsuo manages the splendid feat of obtaining all the Netern Crystals in just one day.

It doesn't take long for Katsuo to arrive at the Dawn Plateau carrying the crystals. Even Hiroshi shows momentary surprise, but soon recovers:

"I see you kept your end of the deal. Excellent work."

"I hope you also keep your promise."

"Don't worry about that. As long as all the conditions are met, this entire situation will be concluded very soon."

"By the way, there's something I've been wondering since our last meeting. What are the other conditions for releasing your hostages?"

"The second condition is exactly what you have been doing: gathering the Netern Crystals to summon Vektor Drenn back to our world. For this reason, your contribution was essential to the success of the plan."

"And what do I need to do now to fulfill my part?"

"Just place the crystals on the ground and imagine Vektor Drenn returning. The crystals will then respond by creating a portal that will pull him back."

Katsuo follows the instructions, gathering the crystals in a place a little far from the two. Upon completing the process, the Netern Crystals shine brightly, gathering into a brilliant sphere of light...

...and nothing happens beyond that.

"What happened? Is this what was supposed to happen? The summoning... failed?!"

Unable to believe what just happened, Katsuo slowly walks back to Hiroshi, not knowing how to describe the situation:

"I've done it..."

"So, where's Vektor?"

"I don't know how, but... the summoning was not complete."

"Hmm... I see. That's weird, the Netern Crystals should never fail. Could it be that there's something preventing his return...? Well, it's really a shame."

"What should we do now?"

"No matter what's stopping him, Vektor Drenn will definitely return at any moment. So all we need to do is wait for his return."

"I see..."

"Well, consider your job done. You've done your part in our plan. All that remains is the third condition, which Vektor must fulfill once he returns."

"Thank goodness..."

According to the original plan, once Katsuo completed his duties, he would be dismissed. However, Hiroshi had a second plan in mind for this moment...

"Thank you for your help. I knew you would cooperate with me, but you were even better than we all anticipated. Unfortunately, someone as extraordinary as you could become a hindrance in the future..."

"Huh? What are you talking about?"

"I'm sorry to say, but our truce ends now. With your role accomplished, I have no more reason to let you live."

"What did you say?! But what about your word?!"

"As promised, the plan will proceed and everyone shall be freed. Your life, however, was not part of the deal."

"Will you... actually kill me?"

"...Yes. All to ensure Lord Vak's will."

The truth is that Katsuo still poses no threat to Vak-Oh. The falseness in his words is so obvious that not even his supposed target can feel threatened:

"You had several chances to kill me when I tried to stop you in the past. On Kder Island, nothing stopped you from cutting off my head. On this island, you were able to stab my heart without me being able to react. Yet, you never, ever took the initiative to complete your work. Even if it was in the name of your lord."

"I admit, I have certain issues with hesitation. I always try my best to avoid the option of taking the lives of others. However, I realized that I no longer have the luxury of repeating that mistake forever."

"You say that, but I know you don't want to do it either! You're my sworn brother, I know you're lying!"

"I'm sorry, but this whole fraternity thing isn't going to work with me anymore. That's because... I've already left it all behind."

After a sudden gust of wind blows over the two, Hiroshi reveals his left ear:

"This is the symbol of my loyalty to Lord Vak."

"...!!"

His earlobe is horribly torn, indicating that his golden earring was forcibly ripped off. If it weren't for Vak-Oh's healing factor, his ear would have continued to bleed for months straight.

"Is this proof enough to you?"

"I- It can't be... You...!"

"Well, we don't have much time. I need to finish you off before Vektor Drenn returns."

Hiroshi finally realizes the irony of his current situation. He is in the same position as the first person he took the life of. He is about to fight to the death against the swordsman Kder. Perhaps the two really did have the same motivations before their battles.

In the worst case scenario, the two might meet again someday in whatever place their souls go after death. In the best case scenario, he will die there, possibly at the only time his cycle can be broken.

Hiroshi raises his hand. To completely abandon his hesitation, he decides to give up the stability of his mind by surrendering his soul to receive his lord's power. Unlike a curse, his soul will remain within his body.

He is about to become a monster, an uncontrolled animal acting purely on his instincts and desires kept deep in his mind. However, he trusts that the legendary swordsman will be able to finish this monster off and free his soul. He decides to flee one last time, leaving everything in the hands of his sworn brother.

"I'm sorry, Katsuo. I'm just... really tired."