Kouhei and Hina stood there for a long moment, completely exposed, their bare skin pressed together as they held each other in a silent, vulnerable embrace.
Neither of them said a word at first.
They didn't care about the cold brushing against their naked skin, or the void surrounding them.
None of that mattered now.
Right now, in this space where time seemed to stand still, it felt as if the entire world had vanished—leaving behind only the two of them.
"Please... never leave me like that again…" Hina murmured, her voice low and trembling as she buried her face into Kouhei's chest, tightening her arms around him with a quiet desperation.
It wasn't just a hug.
A silent, raw cry that came straight from the pit of her soul.
She clung to him like she was terrified that the moment she let go, he'd dissolve into thin air, and she'd be left alone again in the dark.
That fear... it was still fresh in her heart.
"I won't," Kouhei said softly, gently placing a hand on the back of her head. "I'll stay right here with you. From now on. Forever."
He didn't want to see her break like that again.
Hearing her cry—something so unlike her—had crushed him. It was the kind of pain he never wanted to feel again. And the only way to stop it... was to never leave her side again.
That was why he'd returned.
To live. To live with her. And never be apart again.
"Uh, but first… how exactly are we supposed to get out of here?" Kouhei asked, breaking the moment with a sheepish chuckle.
"Right," Hina said with a slight nod, her tone shifting. "First, we have to go... over there."
She pointed toward something ahead in the distance.
Kouhei followed her gaze.
A faint, glowing light flickering far away in the blackness—a singular beacon in the sea of shadow that surrounded them.
It was the only point of illumination in this endless void.
"If we reach that light, your soul will return to your physical body," Hina explained calmly, but firmly. "But we can't afford to delay. We're consuming an insane amount of mana just to keep that pathway open. We don't have much time."
That was all Kouhei needed to hear.
"Kouhei," she said, as she turned to face him again.
She extended her hand toward him, her fingers open, waiting for his.
"Wanna go there together?"
Kouhei looked into her eyes for a moment, taking in her expression, the sincerity on her face.
Without hesitation, he reached forward and grasped her hand.
The moment their fingers intertwined, the space around them began to shimmer faintly.
Together, they dove into the surrounding darkness, swimming hand in hand toward the distant light.
But unlike earlier, when he had struggled like he was wading through thick mud, this time was different.
Now, the journey was smooth.
Like he was gliding forward instead of forcing himself through resistance.
Maybe it was because she was guiding him.
Or maybe it was just her presence—reassuring, warm, and steady—that made the difference.
Honestly, just being with her... made him feel whole.
He didn't feel lost anymore.
And then, after what felt like both seconds and eternity, they reached it.
The glowing light pulsed as their fingertips touched its edge.
And in that instant...
Like being caught in a sudden current, his body and soul were pulled forward, sucked into the brilliant glow.
Meanwhile, in the real world...
Hina and the others were huddled around the ancient platform, pouring every ounce of mana they could muster into its runes.
Streams of glowing energy flowed from their bodies, channeled directly into the stone beneath them.
And one by one, the arcane symbols carved into the surface began to illuminate—first dimly, then with increasing brilliance until the entire platform was ablaze with light.
A blinding explosion of radiant white light burst outward, engulfing everything, and focusing all its energy onto one point.
His form began to glow—faintly at first, then violently—as if it were being reawakened from deep within.
Then, his body lifted.
Slowly, he began to rise from the platform, hovering in the air like a figure suspended between life and death.
The mana they'd poured in now surged toward him, as if being drawn into his very soul.
Kouhei's body shimmered with a divine luminescence, floating higher and higher.
And then, with no warning—a massive eruption of mana exploded from his body.
A visible burst of power expanded in a shockwave, sending out a pulse that rippled through the air and snow, shaking the earth beneath them.
Everyone instinctively moved, grabbing their clothes and covering themselves once again as the snowfall began to return—harder and heavier now.
They quickly draped a cloth over Kouhei's floating body as he gently descended back onto the platform, now motionless once more.
Yuuna's voice broke the silence.
There were texts and records of this resurrection—but those were all ancient stories, possibly myths. She had never seen one herself.
So it was no surprise that she trembled with anxiety.
Nagisa and Aria were just as tense, watching every movement with held breath.
Hina, however, moved forward without a word.
She slowly lowered herself beside Kouhei and pressed her ear against his bare chest.
She didn't feel any warmth.
But... maybe that was because of the cold.
So instead, she closed her eyes—and focused.
She blocked out the wind. The snowfall. Even her own breath.
Badump...! Badump...! Badump...!
A slow, steady rhythm.
Hina's eyes welled up instantly. She let out a choked breath—and threw her arms around Kouhei's body, pulling him into a trembling hug.
He hadn't opened his eyes yet.
That was all she needed.
The others saw the tears falling from her eyes—and the light of joy that replaced the despair she had been drowning in.
And in that instant, they all knew.
Kouhei had been successfully resurrected.
Yui stood at the edge of it all, watching with a sly smile curling on her lips.
But it wasn't a smile of joy.
It was mischief. A secret satisfaction.
"Ah… I guess I can't hang around long enough to see the finale, senpai," she whispered to herself, her voice barely audible under the snowfall. "Wouldn't wanna ruin the real fun coming soon."
Something was approaching.
That woman from the Yuki Clan had betrayed Yuuna.
"Fufufu… guess it's time for me to disappear. For now, anyway. See you again soon, senpai…" she murmured before spreading her wings wide.
In one smooth motion, she took flight into the stormy sky, her silhouette vanishing into the snow.
Nagisa saw her vanish.
But she didn't speak a word.
She only turned back to look at Kouhei—his chest rising and falling.
There was life in him now, more than ever.
That fallen angel… Yui… she might've been a wild card.
But she had helped them.
This time, at least, she wasn't their enemy.
But right now… the only thing Nagisa could do was feel relief.
That moment of peace didn't last long.
A voice suddenly pierced through the silence.
Raspy. Cold. Familiar.
"Didn't I kill him before? Why is he still alive?"