Kouga returned to the house where Theresa, Sakura, and Kallen were staying. Pushing open the door, he was greeted by a surprisingly peaceful sight.
The room was filled with laughter — the small fox-like girl was floating around the air, wobbling a little as she tried to keep balance, while Kallen and Sakura watched her curiously. Even Theresa, sitting nearby, looked far more relaxed than before.
When she noticed him, Theresa straightened a bit.
Kouga spoke first, his tone calm but firm."...It's done."
Theresa nodded, a faint smile of satisfaction crossing her face. "I see. Good work."
Kouga's eyes then shifted to the little girl now in Sakura's arms. She giggled softly as Sakura steadied her."So," Kouga asked, pointing toward her, "anything you could get from her?"
Sakura looked down at the small girl cradled against her chest."Well," she began, "from what we gathered, her name is Higokumaru. It seems whatever you did to her… changed her."
She glanced at Kouga briefly before continuing."She can still manipulate fire and fly, but nowhere near as powerful as before. And…" Sakura's tone softened as she looked at the girl's innocent, curious eyes. "She doesn't seem to remember anything. Not who she was, or what she did."
Kouga nodded quietly, and soon after, everyone stepped out of the building together. The morning sun had begun to rise, painting the sky with soft gold. The tension from last night was gone — replaced by a calm sense of closure.
"It seems that our work here is done," Sakura said, her voice gentle as the breeze that brushed past them. Higokumaru, now small enough to perch comfortably, sat on Sakura's head, playfully tugging at her long pink hair.
As they reached the edge of the path, Sakura turned to the others."We should go our separate ways now," she said softly.
Kallen, who was still sitting on top of Kouga's helmet, tilted her head. "Do you have to?" she asked, sounding a little disappointed.
Sakura smiled warmly. "Yes. I want to explore this world on my own terms — to see how it's changed in these five hundred years, and maybe… help others along the way. There's still so much I don't understand about this era, and so many people who might need someone like me. But…" Her gaze softened as she looked at each of them in turn. "I have a feeling we'll meet again. Fate has a strange way of crossing paths."
Theresa crossed her arms with a faint grin. "If that's the case, how about you work as my security for a while? You'd still get to travel — and you'd have a chance to learn more about the world as it is now."
Sakura chuckled lightly, though her expression grew uncertain. "I appreciate the offer, truly… but I don't think people would exactly welcome someone like me." She hesitated, then lifted a hand to touch the bunny-like ears on her head.
"Is it the bunny ears?" Kouga asked, raising an eyebrow.
"They're fox ears, actually," Sakura corrected with a small sigh, though there was amusement in her tone.
Theresa waved her hand dismissively. "No need to worry about that. Honkai energy can affect people in all kinds of ways. Having animal features isn't rare — if anything, it just makes you unique."
Sakura thought about it for a moment, then nodded slowly. "In that case… I'll accept your proposal," she said with a small, hopeful smile.
Kallen cheered, leaping off Kouga's head to perch happily on Sakura's shoulder. "Yay! We got a new teammate!"
Theresa smiled at the sight, though her tone became more serious. "Since you're from five hundred years ago, there's a lot we'll need to catch you up on. The world isn't what it used to be."
Sakura nodded in understanding. "I'll do my best."
"Then let's head back," Kouga said simply.
At a different location, deep within the grand halls of Schicksal Headquarters, rows of monitors bathed the chamber in a pale blue glow.
One screen in particular displayed a replay — Kouga's battle, from his transformations to the moment a colossal, fifty-meter-tall mecha towered beside him.
Otto Apocalypse stood before the image, hands clasped neatly behind his back. The faint hum of the machinery filled the silence as he watched with quiet fascination.
"My, my…" he murmured, lips curving into a faint, knowing smile. "You truly are full of surprises, aren't you?"
The footage froze — Kouga's masked face filling the screen. Otto took a slow step forward, the reflection of his own sharp, emerald-green eyes flickering against the glass-like surface.
For a moment, his gaze lingered — analytical, amused, and filled with curiosity.
"Well then," Otto said softly, the words almost like a whisper meant only for himself. "What other secrets are you still hiding from me?"
A low chuckle escaped him, echoing through the empty hall as the surrounding screens shifted, each showing fragments of Kouga's previous fights, forms, and impossible feats.
He turned away, his coat trailing behind him as he made for the exit.
"Let's see," Otto continued, his tone a mix of intrigue and delight, "just how far your power truly goes… ."