Chapter 256: Last Hope
Yuuna's footsteps echoed softly against the polished wooden floor as she made her way toward the main hall.
She had been summoned and called directly by the current leader of the Yuki Clan.
That's right.
At this very moment, she was within the ancestral residence of the Yuki Clan.
The same household Misuzu had once called home.
A place Misuzu now refused to set foot in.
And how could she?
This place, steeped in tradition and pride, was where Misuzu had suffered with the weight of persecution leaving behind scars that never truly faded.
Her absence wasn't due to physical distance, but emotional chains, forged from cold memories and silent pain.
Yuuna walked steadily, her stride firm, but beside her, Aria moved with a different energy.
She was tense, coiled, and ever-watchful.
Her sharp eyes flitted across every shadowed corner, scanning for the unseen.
She looked as though she expected an ambush at any moment, and perhaps, she did.
After what happened to Kouhei—the man she held in her heart—Aria's sense of loss had transformed into a fierce instinct to protect.
She couldn't afford to lose another precious member of the Yuuna Faction, much less Yuuna herself.
And even though she was emotionally fragile, on the verge of collapse, she still carried out her duties as Yuuna's maid with unwavering devotion.
Eventually, they arrived.
The doors of the grand chamber opened with a deep groan, revealing the throne-like chair where the current leader of the Yuki Clan sat with graceful authority.
She was a woman of striking beauty with a light blue hair cascading over her shoulders like a frozen waterfall.
Her green eyes, sharp yet serene, glimmered with a familiarity that pulled at Yuuna's thoughts.
They were the same eyes as Misuzu's.
But unlike Misuzu—at least before she became a model—this woman exuded confidence. A commanding presence that couldn't be ignored.
A strength born not from pride, but power, and clarity.
"Sarushima Yuuna," the woman greeted with a gentle but deliberate smile. "It's a pleasure to meet you."
She was none other than Yuki Momoko.
Misuzu's younger sister.
A formidable demon with mastery over ice magic—and more dangerously, the ability to manipulate memories themselves.
To Yuuna, she was a being to be avoided at all costs.
"I'm honored to meet you as well, Yuki Momoko-sama," Yuuna replied, dipping into a graceful curtsy, her voice composed but restrained.
"There's no need for such formalities," Momoko chuckled softly, waving a hand. "No '-sama.' After all, we're both heads of our own houses now, aren't we, Yuuna? We stand on equal ground. And besides… you're the one looking after my dear older sister, aren't you?"
"Yes. Misuzu is in my care," Yuuna confirmed, her tone polite and respectful.
"I was just wondering why she didn't come with you today."
Yuuna's lips pressed into a firm line. "As I mentioned during our earlier phone conversation, Misuzu's condition doesn't permit her to travel. Her mind is too vulnerable right now, and bringing her here—back to this place with all its painful history—would've only made it worse. It's for her own well-being that she stayed behind."
"I see..." Momoko murmured, her smile faltering ever so slightly, tinged with something mournful. "Well… the past is past. My father no longer rules this clan. She doesn't have to face that shadow anymore. Still, I suppose I can't blame her if she doesn't want to see me again. Even so… I miss her. Deeply. I wanted to see her with my own eyes again."
Yuuna looked up and met her gaze in silence for a moment, reading between the wistful tones.
"Now then," Momoko said, her expression shifting back to business. "You're welcome to stay here for as long as needed. You're looking for it, aren't you? That place... the one with no name."
Yuuna nodded. "Yes. That's correct."
"And your purpose… it's for the dead human boy you brought with you, isn't it? I assume he's the Child of Anti-Prophecy."
"He is," Yuuna said, her tone low. "Masayoshi of Souichiro's faction ambushed him. The result... was his death."
Her voice was calm, but her eyes—her eyes seethed.
Rage smoldered behind them like magma beneath cracked earth.
Even speaking Masayoshi's name made her want to tear something apart.
Momoko noticed immediately.
"I see…" she said with a knowing smile. "So you're here to bring him back to life, then? Killed by a member of Souichiro's faction... It must've devastated you, losing someone like that. You must love him very much. Enough to come all this way, chasing the faintest chance of revival. But surely… you understand what this means, don't you? Bringing him back—changing the composition of his human body. You're not just reviving him. You're transforming him into something else entirely. Do you truly grasp the weight of that choice?"
"I do."
"And you're still willing to go through with it?"
"I love Kouhei-kun with all of my heart," Yuuna declared, her voice unwavering. "And since he already chose to abandon his humanity… I have no right to back down. I will follow through. No matter the cost."
For a brief moment, silence filled the air between them. Then, a slow, approving smile curved on Momoko's lips.
"Your resolve is admirable, Yuuna. Very well… Allow me to offer you my full support."
"That's appreciated," Yuuna said, bowing deeply.
***
Meanwhile...
Hina stood on the barren edge of the Antarctic plains, her gaze fixed on the infinite stretch of white.
The cold was merciless.
It bit into her skin, even through the thick layers of clothing wrapped tightly around her.
The wind sliced through the air like icy blades, howling across the wasteland with a voice that felt ancient and unforgiving.
There was nothing but frost and ice, as far as the eye could see.
And then—
"Hina-senpai!" came a teasing voice, full of mischief.
It was Himeno Yui.
A fallen angel.
It was strange—even absurd—to see a demon and a fallen angel standing side by side.
Their kinds were never meant to align.
But fate had a twisted sense of humor, and this situation had forced them into a alliance.
"What are you doing here?" Yui's voice pierced the howling wind, sharp and playful. She crossed her arms and tilted her head with a smirk that didn't quite reach her eyes. "You're not actually thinking of heading into that place all on your own, are you? Come on, Hina-senpai. You're not that dumb, right?"
Her breath formed little clouds in the freezing air, and despite the dire atmosphere, she managed to pull a thermos from her coat. "You want hot chocolate? I made some. It's still warm."
"I'm fine," Hina responded coldly. Her voice was flat and distant—like she hadn't truly registered Yui's presence, or maybe just didn't care.
Her eyes didn't move.
Her posture didn't shift.
She stood like a statue carved out of ice, frozen not just by the elements but by the weight in her chest.
She was that far gone—consumed by grief, drowning in the silence.
Yui's smirk faded. "It's really such a pity, huh?" she murmured, letting her gaze wander to the blinding white landscape around them. "To watch the person you love die... right there, right in front of your eyes. And you couldn't even lift a finger to stop it."
Hina finally turned toward her, her icy gaze sharp and furious, more of a warning than a look.
"I'm not here to piss you off, senpai," Yui said quickly, raising her hands slightly. "I'm not mocking you or trying to step on your pain. I'm just saying... that shit hurts. Really bad. I won't say I understand. I don't... not completely. But I know it must've been hell for you. And now, this... this is all that's left. Your last hope. The only thing left you can hold on to—to bring him back."
There was a pause.
The storm wailed around them, swallowing up all warmth in its frozen embrace.
Hina turned her head slowly, her eyes fixed once again on the blizzard-covered horizon.
The wind had picked up, carrying flakes of snow like razors cutting across their skin.
Visibility was near zero—you couldn't see more than a meter in any direction.
Everything beyond that dissolved into a curtain of white nothingness.
But none of it mattered to Hina.
She knew it was out there.
Somewhere beyond the veil of snow and death.
She didn't care what it took—she would find it.
She had to.
Because bringing Kouhei back wasn't a choice. It was her only path forward.
"Hina."
The name called out firmly behind her, slicing through the storm louder than the wind.
Yuuna had arrived, her voice steady despite the harsh cold. "We're going to start the search now."
Hina nodded silently.
And with that, they moved forward—into the blizzard... into the unknown—searching for a place they weren't even sure truly existed.
***
Meanwhile…
Kouhei stood in the middle of the kendo club, eyes scanning the room with quiet urgency. His heart pounded in his chest.
"This really does look like the kendo club," he muttered to himself, the familiarity of the place stirring something deep inside his soul.
The air was still, unnaturally so, like time itself had frozen in this place.
"Well, that's because it was built off your memories," Yui replied, trailing her fingers along the dusty edge of a bench nearby. Her voice echoed softly in the eerie quiet. "Everything here—the walls, the smell, the dust, the layout—it's all molded from what you remember. That's why it looks so real."
Kouhei frowned, his brow furrowing as he looked around again. "So... these aren't the actual details from the real world? Just my version of it?"
"Exactly." Yui flashed him a toothy grin. "It's like a dream you're half-lucid in. Nothing is exactly right, but it all feels close enough to fool you."
She turned, and her eyes lit up. "Oh! Look over there—shinais!"
Finally, they had found them.
The training swords sat in a rack just as he remembered.
Kouhei rushed over, grabbing one with a firm grip. It felt light in his hands, but solid.
He needed it.
Because they were coming.
Right now, Kouhei was just a lost soul—adrift in a place between life and death—and the angels tasked with collecting the dead were on their way to retrieve him.
"I'd say the timing's just right, senpai," Yui said, stepping back with a sly expression. "Because they're here."