After Sosuke Aizen was taken away by the police, the atmosphere that had been filled with tension finally began to ease.
Kiyotaka Masachika stood silently for a moment before letting out a long breath.
For the first time since all of this had begun, he truly felt relieved.
“It’s over…” he murmured quietly.
“No more violence. No more wars of strategy.”
Beside him, Yuzuki Nanase looked at him with mixed emotions.
There was relief.
There was happiness.
But there was also lingering concern.
“So… does that mean this relationship is over too?” Yuzuki asked softly.
Kiyotaka turned toward her and gently shook his head.
“Yes… all the conflicts are over. But before that, there’s still something I need to make sure of.”
However, before he could continue, Yuzuki suddenly wrapped her arms around him.
Without hesitation.
Without holding back.
Kiyotaka was surprised for a moment, but then he smiled and returned the embrace.
“Thank you… my hero,” Yuzuki whispered.
“I’m truly grateful.”
“So am I,” Kiyotaka replied calmly.
“I’m grateful because you were always by my side.”
The moment was interrupted when Koenji Rokusuke casually approached them.
“Come on. We’re going to the police station,” he said as if everything were perfectly normal.
Yuzuki immediately released the hug, her face turning red.
Kiyotaka simply let out a small sigh before following him.
At the police station, Kiyotaka finally stood before Aizen for the last time.
There was no longer any trace of confidence on Aizen’s face.
Only a man who had lost everything remained.
“There’s one thing I want to know,” Kiyotaka said.
“Are you… the final king?”
Aizen laughed weakly.
“I’m not the final king. There are others… and many people will come to hate you.”
Kiyotaka remained calm.
“You’re forgetting something.”
“I have evidence.”
Aizen stared at him.
“This isn’t the peak yet. More threats will come.”
He paused for a moment before lowering his voice.
“I’ve already been cast out of the organization. So… when I’m free someday, I’ll support you.”
“And I’ll take revenge on the person who’s truly behind all of this.”
He looked at Aizen for several seconds before finally speaking.
“I accept.”
“But if you betray me… I won’t hesitate.”
Aizen simply nodded.
He understood.
The next day, the outside world finally reacted.
Yuzuki was scrolling through her phone when she suddenly froze.
News about Aizen had spread everywhere.
The student council president of an elite school had been arrested for misconduct involving multiple victims.
The same story was being broadcast on television.
“…and the mastermind behind Aizen’s downfall was a student named Kiyotaka Masachika, who successfully dismantled every strategy that had been prepared…”
Hearing that, Kiyotaka simply sighed.
“So I became that famous, huh…”
However, when he opened his laptop, a new anonymous message appeared.
Prepare for war.
Kiyotaka read it without showing any emotion.
I’m ready.
That was his only reply.
Suddenly, the doorbell rang.
Yuzuki opened the door and immediately froze.
Several reporters had gathered outside.
Questions came one after another.
“What really happened with Aizen?”
“What strategy did you use?”
“Why did you choose to fight him?”
Panicking, Yuzuki quickly ran back to Kiyotaka.
Kiyotaka stepped outside and calmly faced the reporters.
“The reason I fought Aizen…”
He paused briefly before calling out,
“Yuzuki-chan.”
Yuzuki walked over and stood beside him.
The crowd immediately fell silent.
The fact that Kiyotaka already had a partner—and that their relationship was openly accepted—became a story of its own.
Without saying anything further, Kiyotaka simply closed the door.
That night, peace finally returned.
Yuzuki cooked Kiyotaka’s favorite meal.
The two of them ate together without interruptions, just like an ordinary couple.
However, after dinner, the atmosphere became slightly strange.
Yuzuki grew quieter.
The cold aura she usually carried began to return.
“There’ll probably be a lot of questions tomorrow,” he said casually.
“Yeah…” Yuzuki replied softly.
But in her heart, she could only think about one thing—
The Kiyotaka she had seen during the meeting.
The man who had looked so strong.
So confident.
So far away.
As Kiyotaka was about to go to sleep, Yuzuki stopped him.
“Wait.”
Kiyotaka turned around.
He knew something was bothering her.
“If another girl gets close to you… what will you do?” Yuzuki asked quietly.
Kiyotaka didn’t answer right away.
Instead, he took her hand and looked directly into her eyes.
“I’ll stay loyal.”
“Because you… are my partner.”
Yuzuki’s face instantly turned red.
“You really did manage to melt the Ice Queen’s heart…”
Kiyotaka smiled faintly.
Then he gently lifted her chin.
“And you… have already become my queen.”
Yuzuki lowered her gaze in embarrassment.
“But… what if someone better than me appears?”
Kiyotaka released her hand and leaned against her shoulder.
“You already have everything I need.”
“You’re always by my side.”
“That’s enough for me.”
A warm smile appeared on Yuzuki’s face.
“In that case… sleep here,” she said while patting her lap.
Kiyotaka didn’t refuse.
He lay down, and for the first time since all the chaos had begun, he truly felt at peace.
They fell asleep together.
In the middle of the night, Kiyotaka woke up.
He looked at Yuzuki, who was still sleeping peacefully.
Carefully, he carried her to the bed.
“I hope… we’ll always stay like this,” he whispered softly.
That night ended peacefully.
But beneath that peace…
A much greater war might have only just begun.