With Silver Eyes fused into the equilibrium lattice and the hunter's glyph reinforcing his core, Kaito stepped fully into the void.
He no longer resisted the pull.
He entered it.
The Core expanded violently in response, attempting to engulf him—but now every surge was intercepted, filtered, refined.
The sphere began cracking.
Not from external force—
From contradiction.
"You are dividing me," the Core hissed.
"I'm clarifying you," Kaito replied.
He reached both hands into the fracture and pulled.
The Core split into two hemispheres of concentrated nothingness. The shockwave that followed tore the eclipse remnants apart entirely. The black shell disintegrated across the sky like burning ash.
Below, people watched as daylight began piercing through for the first time in months.
But above—
The split halves trembled violently.
If released, they would reform.
If destroyed, they would annihilate everything nearby.
Kaito hovered between them, breathing steadily.
The Origin Shadow no longer sounded omnipotent.
It sounded afraid.