They found themselves back at the heart of the temple, the stone altar, etched with ancient symbols that pulsed with a faint, otherworldly light. The temple was silent, save for the soft echo of their footsteps as they took their respective places.

Ryoichiro stood shakingly, his eyes fixed on Risa. “Risa-chan, you don’t have to do this.”

“Of course, I do. Besides, it’s too late to back out now, you silly goose.” Risa's voice was soft, yet it held a steely resolve of its own. She had been with Ryoichiro every step of the way, her unwavering support a beacon of hope in the darkest moments.

Ryoichiro recalled Yuko’s instructions for the ritual. Her voice was calm, but the weight of her words suffocating. “Brace yourself, Risa,” she instructed, her voice steady and resolute.

Ryoichiro opened his mouth to interrupt, but Risa gently placed a hand on his arm, a silent gesture urging him to let Yuko finish. He caught the unspoken message and, after a brief pause, decided not to object.

“Ryoichiro's soul will be separated from his body. When that happens, the green reaper will manifest itself, and Ed will seal it,” Yuko continued. She glanced at Ed, her eyes flickering with a mix of resolve and something deeper — perhaps regret.

“We tried that before and failed,” Ed admitted, his voice barely concealing his fear.

“But this time,” Yuko continued, her gaze steady, “I'll be guiding you every step of the way to ensure we succeed. The containment will only last a few minutes, though. When the green reaper breaks free before I’m done, it will be gunning straight for you, Ed. You have to be prepared for that.”

The color drained from Ed's face. “What?” he stammered, his shock and fear unmistakable. “But... how —?”

“I'll keep you safe,” Yuko assured him, though her words did little to soothe the anxiety etched into Ed's features. Doubt flickered in his eyes, but Yuko pressed on. “While the green reaper is trapped, I'll also separate Risa's soul and shape it to mimic Ryoichiro's.”

“But why Risa?” Ryoichiro finally asked, his heart pounding in his chest.

“Because your love for her will resonate, making it easier for the copy to take shape,” Yuko answered without hesitation. “Like I said, each of you will have a part to play.”

Ryoichiro felt his cheeks flush with heat, and he quickly averted his gaze. Beside him, Risa looked at him with endearment, her eyes softening as she held his gaze a moment longer than usual.

Yuko continued, her tone clinical. “Once the shaping is complete, the green reaper will be released and will latch onto Risa's soul. Ryoichiro’s soul will be hidden in the meantime, to avoid the green reaper.”

Ed shook his head, his skepticism clear. “There are too many moving parts," he muttered, his eyes narrowing. "What are the chances this will actually work?”

Yuko’s expression hardened, a fierce determination burning in her eyes. “It’s the only way,” she said, her voice resolute. “Failure is not an option.”

Ed still looked unconvinced, but Yuko wasn’t finished. “And that’s the gist of it. I’ll handle the rest of the details. The next step is whether Risa fully agrees. And I’m repeating myself here, sacrifices from all of us are required if we’re to save Ryoichiro.”

The room fell into a heavy silence, the enormity of the situation settling in. Risa’s eyes flicked between Yuko and Ryoichiro, her expression thoughtful yet unwavering. The weight of her decision loomed large, but she didn’t falter. Ryoichiro’s life hung in the balance, and she knew the gravity of what was being asked of her.

Ryoichiro’s voice wavered slightly as he asked, “Just to be clear, you’ll make sure Risa doesn’t suffer, right? When my mom’s hold on her weakens and the copy starts to fade, you’ll sever the bond — no harm to Risa?”

Yuko met his gaze with steady confidence. “Removing a weakened bond like that is child’s play for me,” she assured him.

Ryoichiro nodded, relief settling in his chest, trusting in Yuko’s skill despite the anxiety gnawing at him.

“Ryo-chan,” she whispered, her voice trembling, “Let’s do it. We have to.” Risa took Ryoichiro’s hand, her eyes filled with unshed tears. “I don’t know if I can do this,” she confessed, her voice breaking, “but seeing you suffer, knowing there’s a chance to save you… I can’t just stand by.” She turned to Yuko, her gaze steady despite the fear in her eyes. “You better be sure this will work. I’m putting everything on the line here, and I need to know it won’t be in vain.”

The dawn came all too soon, and with it, the beginning of the ritual. Ryoichiro snapped back from his memories as he lay on the cold stone altar, the ancient symbols glowing with an eerie light, he felt a strange calm settle over him. This was his chance to make things right, to stop deaths and to somehow restore the balance.

Yuko began to chant, her voice rising and falling in a language long forgotten, her petite frame towering over Ryoichiro. He closed his eyes, focusing on the image of his mother — her gentle smile, the warmth of her embrace. He could feel the bond between them, a thread of light that pulsed with life.

As the ritual reached its climax, a searing pain shot through Ryoichiro's chest, and he gasped in agony. It felt as though a part of his very soul was being torn away, leaving a gaping void in its place. But he held on, his mind locked on the thought of his mother.

Ed and Risa stared in stunned silence as Ryoichiro's soul hovered above his body, a faint, ethereal glow surrounding it. The sight was unsettling, even for someone like Ed, who had encountered this phenomenon before. But for Risa, it was overwhelming — a surreal vision that made her stomach twist with unease.

Risa swallowed hard, her eyes wide as she struggled to comprehend what she was seeing. “Ed-san… what…?” she began, her voice trembling.

Before she could finish, Yuko’s sharp voice cut through the air, snapping them both back to the moment. “Ed! Prepare the sealing ceremony. Now!”

Ed’s heart jumped at the urgency in her tone, but he forced himself to stay focused. “I’m on it,” he replied, his voice steady despite the adrenaline surging through him.

Risa clutched Ed's arm, her grip tight. “Ed, what is this? What’s happening to him?” Her voice was laced with fear, her usual composure cracking under the weight of the unknown.

Ed placed a reassuring hand over hers, his gaze locking with hers for a brief moment. “Risa, I need you to stay calm. We’ve got this,” he said, though his mind raced with the possibilities of what could go wrong.

Risa hesitated, torn between fear and the instinct to trust Yuko. She nodded, albeit reluctantly, and took a deep breath, trying to steady herself.

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Ed closed his eyes for a second, drawing on every ounce of experience he had accumulated over the years. This wasn’t the first time he had performed a sealing ritual, but the stakes had never felt so high. “I got this. If I’m a rock star now, imagine what I’ll become if I pull this off!” he convinced himself. With a swift motion, he began tracing symbols in the air, his hands moving with the confidence of someone who had done this many times before. Ancient letters, glowing with a faint light, started to materialize around Ryoichiro’s soul, encircling it in a protective barrier.

The temperature in the room dropped sharply, the air growing heavy with an unseen force. Yuko’s eyes darted between Ed and Ryoichiro, her expression unreadable but tense.

“Hurry, Ed,” Yuko urged, her voice low but intense. “We don’t have much time.”

Ed’s hands moved faster, the symbols intertwining to form a complex pattern. He could feel the pressure building, the room pulsing with energy that threatened to spiral out of control if he didn’t act quickly. The ancient letters began to close in on Ryoichiro’s soul, wrapping around it like a ribbon, slowly forming a protective cocoon.

Risa watched in anxious silence, her heart pounding in her chest. The atmosphere in the temple was suffocating, thick with tension and the sense that one wrong move could tip the balance into chaos.

Ed finally stepped back, his brow furrowed in concentration. “The seal is almost in place,” he said, his voice strained. “But it’s up to you now, Yuko.”

Yuko nodded, her expression grim. “Good. But this is where it gets tricky. Keep your focus, Ed. If the seal breaks —”

“It won’t,” Ed interrupted, his tone leaving no room for doubt. “Not on my watch.”

And just like Yuko said, the green light enveloped Ryoichiro’s body, casting eerie shadows across the walls. Yuko took a deep breath, placing her hands over the seal, her fingers trembling slightly as she connected with the energy Ed had summoned. The room vibrated with power, and for a moment, everything hung in a delicate balance.

Ryoichiro’s soul flickered, as if struggling against the seal. Risa’s breath caught in her throat, her eyes fixed on the shimmering form that hovered above his body. “Is he… is Ryoichiro going to be okay?” she whispered, barely able to speak the words.

Yuko didn’t answer immediately. Her focus was entirely on the ritual, her lips moving in a silent chant as she poured every ounce of her strength into the process. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, she spoke, her voice strained but determined.

“If we succeed… he will be,” Yuko said, her eyes flicking briefly to Risa. “But we can’t afford any mistakes.”

Ed felt a bead of sweat trickle down his forehead. The pressure in the room was mounting, the air thick with anticipation. He glanced at Yuko, who seemed to be reaching the limit of her endurance. The green light around Ryoichiro pulsed violently, as if testing the boundaries of the seal.

“Hold on, Ryoichiro,” Ed muttered under his breath, his heart pounding. “We’re almost there.”

As if responding to his words, Ryoichiro’s soul stopped flickering, the green light stabilizing into a steady glow. Yuko’s chant grew louder, her voice commanding and resolute as she guided the final threads of the seal into place. The ancient letters tightened around the soul, forming a protective barrier that pulsed with energy.

“Now!” Yuko shouted, her voice echoing through the temple.

With one final motion, she completed the ritual, the seal snapping into place with a surge of power that shook the very foundation of the temple.

Yuko kept one hand firmly on Ryoichiro, her fingers trembling with the effort to maintain the connection. Her other hand stretched toward Ed, her palm open as if offering both guidance and strength. Ed didn’t hesitate; he knew what she needed without words. The air around them crackled with energy as he began to weave the seal, his fingers tracing ancient symbols that glowed with an otherworldly light.

The letters floated in the air, swirling around the green reaper with a deliberate slowness that belied the urgency of the moment. They moved like a ribbon caught in a gentle breeze, inching closer, wrapping tighter, until they began to constrict the reaper’s form, encasing it in a cocoon of shimmering symbols. The ancient script twisted and knotted, compressing the reaper’s dark essence into a tightly bound ball, like yarn being wound by invisible hands.

Yuko took a deep breath, her voice cutting through the thick tension. “Risa, lie next to Ryoichiro. The transfer is next.”

Risa didn’t need to be told twice. Her heart raced as she quickly smoothed her clothes, trying to steady her nerves as she positioned herself beside Ryoichiro’s lifeless body. The sight of his vacant eyes, staring up at nothing, sent a chill down her spine. She forced herself to focus, pushing the fear aside.

“Ed, reinforce the seal,” Yuko commanded, her tone leaving no room for doubt.

Ed grunted in acknowledgment, his brow furrowing as he intensified his efforts. His hands moved with renewed urgency, tightening the seal’s hold on the green reaper. The pressure in the room seemed to build, as if the very air were being squeezed by invisible forces. Ed could feel the resistance, the reaper struggling against the binding, but he held firm, gritting his teeth as he poured more energy into the seal.

Satisfied with Ed’s work, Yuko withdrew her hand from his, her focus shifting entirely to Risa. The air around Risa began to thrum with energy, the atmosphere thickening as Yuko prepared for the transfer. Risa could feel the intensity of Yuko’s power, the sheer force of it pressing down on her like a weight.

Yuko’s eyes locked onto Risa’s, a silent warning passing between them. “This will be painful,” Yuko said, her voice quiet but grave. “But you must endure it.”

Risa nodded, her throat dry. She braced herself, her heart pounding as Yuko began the ritual. The energy around her flared, and she felt as though her very soul was being stretched, pulled toward something dark and unyielding.

Yuko’s hands moved in intricate patterns above Risa, the same ancient letters that had encased the green reaper now forming around her. The symbols floated down, wrapping around Risa’s body like a shroud, binding her to the ritual. The connection between Risa and the green reaper was palpable, a thread of darkness weaving through her very being.

As Yuko worked, the room seemed to close in, the air growing colder, heavier. The green reaper, now trapped within its cocoon, pulsed with a dark light, struggling against the seal, straining to break free. Ed’s grip on the seal tightened, his knuckles white with the effort to keep it contained.

Risa’s breath hitched as the pain began to build, a searing heat spreading through her chest as the transfer took hold. Her body writhed involuntarily, her back arching off the ground as she fought to stay still. Yuko’s focus never wavered, her hands moving with precision, guiding the dark threads of the reaper’s essence into Risa’s soul.

The agony was unlike anything Risa had ever felt, a deep, wrenching pain that tore at her insides. She bit down hard on her lip, tasting blood, determined not to scream. She couldn’t afford to break, not now, not when Ryoichiro’s life depended on it.

Yuko’s voice was steady, calming, as she continued the ritual. “Almost there, Risa. Just a little longer.”

Risa’s vision blurred with tears, but she nodded, focusing on Yuko’s voice, on the rhythm of the ritual, on the thought of Ryoichiro beside her. The pain was overwhelming, threatening to consume her, but she held on, digging her nails into the ground beneath her.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Yuko completed the final gesture, releasing Risa’s soul. The energy in the room shifted, the oppressive weight lifting slightly as the ritual neared its end.

The shaping part of the ritual was nothing short of excruciating. Risa’s soul writhed within the glowing circle, as though it were being torn apart from the inside. Though no sound escaped her lips, the silent scream emanating from her soul was palpable, a cry of anguish that echoed through the very fabric of the temple.

Yuko’s hands moved with methodical precision, but the strain was visible on her face. Her eyes were locked onto the green reaper, a shadowy, malevolent force struggling against the bindings that held it. Each movement required intense focus, as if she were pulling on the strands of a delicate web that threatened to unravel at any moment, a tremor in her hands.

With a steady breath, Yuko began to unravel the dark threads wrapped around the green reaper. They resisted her touch, slithering like living things, trying to tighten their grip on the entity they encased. But Yuko was relentless, her will stronger than the reaper’s desperate attempts to break free. One by one, the threads came loose, their dark energy pulsing with every pull.

Risa’s soul jerked violently as the first thread detached from the reaper and connected to her. The pain surged through her like wildfire, burning every nerve, every corner of her being. It felt as if the very essence of the reaper was seeping into her, a dark poison spreading through her soul. She wanted to scream, to fight against it, but she was powerless, trapped in the ritual’s relentless grip.

Yuko’s hands trembled slightly as she continued, knowing that each connection brought Risa closer to the brink. She could feel Risa’s agony, the soul’s desperate struggle against the invasion of darkness. But there was no turning back now; the ritual had to be completed, no matter the cost.

Another thread unraveled, snaking through the air before latching onto Risa’s soul with a sickening jolt. Risa’s body convulsed, her eyes rolling back as the pain intensified. The connection was like a hook digging into her, anchoring the reaper’s presence within her very essence. The temple seemed to pulse with dark energy, the atmosphere growing heavier with each passing second.

Yuko’s focus never wavered, even as she felt the weight of the ritual pressing down on her, sapping her strength. Her breath came in ragged gasps, but she pushed through, her hands continuing their intricate work. With every thread she unraveled, the green reaper’s form diminished, its power being drained and transferred to Risa.

Finally, with a final, shuddering breath, Yuko reached the last thread. It was the thickest, the most resistant, and it clung to the reaper with a desperate tenacity. Risa’s soul quivered, on the verge of breaking, as Yuko pulled on the thread, her hands trembling from the effort. The connection felt like a lifeline being severed, the last barrier between the reaper’s full power and Risa’s fragile soul.

With a surge of energy, Yuko tore the final thread free, the dark tendril lashing out before being forcibly anchored to Risa’s soul. The impact was immediate and brutal, a shockwave of pain that ripped through Risa’s being, leaving her soul trembling and weak. The green reaper’s form collapsed inward, its power fully transferred to its new host.

For a moment, the temple was still, the dark energy settling into Risa’s soul like a venomous snake coiling around its prey. Yuko stood there, her breath ragged, her hands hovering above Risa’s body as she ensured the connection was stable. Risa’s soul lay silent now, the agonizing struggle over, but the darkness within her was palpable — a shadow that would linger, a mark of the ritual’s terrible cost.

Yuko’s voice was barely above a whisper as she spoke, her tone heavy with exhaustion and the weight of what had just transpired. “It’s done… but the green reaper… it’s with her now.”

Risa’s body lay still, the ritual complete, but the suspense hung in the air like a dark cloud, the full consequences of the ritual yet to be revealed.

Yuko’s small frame trembled with exhaustion, her breaths shallow and uneven. Yet, her face remained resolute, eyes focused with an unwavering determination, as though she still had a final task to complete. The weariness in her body was undeniable, but there was a fire in her gaze, a silent message that she wasn’t finished yet.

Ed watched her closely, his concern evident. “Was the ritual a success?” he asked, his voice laced with both hope and apprehension.

Yuko didn’t meet his gaze, her eyes still locked on Risa and Ryoichiro’s still forms. “We’ll have to wait and see,” she replied, her tone steady but tinged with the weight of uncertainty. The true outcome of their efforts was yet to be revealed, and the air between them was thick with anticipation.