The Wind Dies Again
Not gradually.
Instantly.
Everything Stops
No birds.
No movement.
No sound.
Hiroto Feels It First
His body stiffens—
Breathing halts—
"…What… is this…"
Akari freezes beside him
"…I… can't move…"
Yui's voice trembles
"…This is worse than before…"
Kenzaku's eyes widen slightly
"…This isn't them…"
Goro steps forward instinctively
But even he—
Feels it
"…So it's finally here…"
At the center of the settlement
Tamagichi stands alone
His expression changes
For the first time—
Fully serious
Then—
A figure appears
No footsteps.
No sound.
Just… presence
Standing across from Tamagichi
Black Armor
Deep.
Dark.
Almost absorbing the light around it.
No face visible
No features.
Just a silhouette of power
Lean—
Controlled—
Unreadable.
Silence stretches
Then—
The figure speaks
A voice.
Calm.
Low.
"…So this is where you've been."
Tamagichi doesn't react outwardly
"…And you came yourself."
A pause
The figure steps forward slightly
"…Of course."
Elsewhere—
Hiroto struggles to move
His body feels heavy
The blade—
Pulsing violently now
"…What… is happening…?!"
Kenzaku grits his teeth
"…Something's suppressing us…"
Akari drops to one knee
"…This pressure… it's insane…"
Back to the center
Tamagichi and the figure stand face to face
No aggression
But overwhelming presence.
The figure tilts its head slightly
"…You've gathered quite an interesting group."
Tamagichi responds calmly
"…You didn't come for them."
A pause
Then—
The figure turns slightly
Looking toward Hiroto
Even from a distance—
Hiroto feels it
His eyes widen
"…He's… looking at me…"
The blade reacts violently
A sharp pulse—
The figure speaks again
"…So it's true."
Tamagichi steps forward slightly
Blocking the line—
"…That's enough."
A brief silence
Then—
The figure chuckles softly
"…Relax."
Another step forward
"…I'm not here to end it."
That line carries weight
Hiroto's breath sharpens
"…Then why…?"
The figure answers—without looking away
"…To see."
A pause
Then—
"…how far beneath me you are."
Silence
That lands like a blade
Hiroto clenches his fists
But cannot move.
The figure studies him
Long.
Then speaks again
"…You're not even close."
The pressure increases briefly
Hiroto drops to one knee
The blade shakes in his hand
Then—
The pressure disappears instantly
Everything returns
Air.
Movement.
Sound.
Hiroto gasps for breath
"…What… was that…?!"
Akari steadies herself
"…That… wasn't human…"
Back at the center
The figure turns away slightly
Then says—
"…Grow."
A pause
"…Or disappear."
Tamagichi watches silently
Then—
The figure fades
Not fast—
Not slow—
Just… gone
Silence returns again
Hiroto looks down at his blade—
Still trembling slightly—
And for the first time—
He understands
That wasn't a warning…
That was a judgment.
To be continued…