The domain's black shell dissolved into nothingness.
In the crater's center, a battered Suguru Geto lay on his back, staring up at the glittering night sky.
Sawa padded over quietly and settled beside him, hands clasped behind his head.
They lay in comfortable silence, listening to the cool breeze whisper through the pines.
"Sawa… what do you think a sorcerer's purpose is?" Suguru finally asked, voice soft.
Sawa turned his head and shrugged with a gentle grin. "Purpose? I don't know if there has to be one. To me, sorcery's just a job—same as driving a cab or fixing people as a doctor."
Suguru let out a hollow laugh. "Everyone's always searching for some grand meaning. But that's different for each person, right?"
"Exactly." Sawa sat up on one elbow. "Your reason to live is totally personal."
Suguru stared at the stars, lips curling into a wry smile. "I drilled 'protect the weak' into my bones, but I never actually felt it."
He shook his head, running a hand through his hair. "Truth is, I've been cursing myself this whole time."
Sawa nudged him lightly with an elbow. "Hey, don't beat yourself up. You've got decades ahead—if you're lost, just coast for a while. Eat ramen. Enjoy life."
Suguru managed a weak chuckle but his brow furrowed. "There's one thing I can't get past."
"Yeah?"
"When you and I fought the Pan-Star Cult, you wiped them out without a second thought. So why bother saving these superstitious villagers now?"
Sawa rolled his eyes and laughed. "Get real. Those cultists knew exactly what they were doing—spreading murder and hatred on purpose. But these villagers? They're just scared idiots."
"Scared idiots?" Suguru echoed.
"Think about it: you're a farmer here, you've never even heard of cursed spirits. Then people start dying, neighbors go mad. You're terrified for your own family."
He paused, watching Suguru absorb the words. "And then you see two strange girls at every accident, whispering to empty air. What would you think?"
Suguru frowned, turning the idea over. "I'd suspect them of causing it."
"Exactly my point." Sawa stood and brushed dust from his sleeves. "Ignorance breeds fear. Fear breeds violence. It's pathetic, but it's not evil."
Suguru's shoulders sagged. "And the cult? They knew the truth of Tengen and the Vessel. They chose to kill an innocent girl anyhow."
"That's evil," Sawa said quietly. "There's ignorance—and then there's spiteful cruelty."
Suguru fell silent again, the weight of it all pressing down on him.
Sawa gave him a playful shove. "Come on, philosopher—time to write our incident reports."
Suguru blinked. "Right. Reports."
"And hey," Sawa added, grinning, "you told these villagers you'd kill them. You might want to apologize."
Suguru's eye twitched. "Fine, fine. Sorry."
A sudden crack echoed through the crater as a rock whizzed by, bouncing off Sawa's limitless barrier.
"You monsters! Get out of our village!" the headman shouted, leaning on his cane.
Sawa's smirk turned mischievous. "Scratch that apology. Here's the real deal…"
"Fools don't deserve mercy—but they could use a lesson!"
He raised a hand. "Technique Forward: Blue!"
Over a hundred terrified villagers shot into the air as if strapped to rockets, houses shrinking beneath them.
"Ahhh!" their screams cut through the night.
Before they could plummet, Sawa's Blue lifted them gently in a loop—then deposited each back on the ground face-first.
Suguru buried his face in his hands. "You are the worst."
A small, trembling voice broke through.
"Geto-sama…"
He looked up to see Nanako and Mimiko crouched nearby. The older sister dabbed at Suguru's wounds with a frayed handkerchief.
"Uh… thanks," Suguru managed.
"N-no problem," Nanako stammered, eyes wide as she watched Sawa. "Are… are you guys monsters, too?"
"Monsters?" Suguru sat up and ruffled their hair gently.
He brought his hands together, activating Reverse Cursed Technique. Soft light pulsed from his palms, knitting flesh and fading scars.
"We're not monsters," he said, voice warm. "We're sorcerers."
The sisters gasped in awe. "That's… so cool. Can you teach us?"
Suguru's chest lightened, as if a weight had lifted. He smiled down at them.
"I promise I'll teach you."