The filament pulsed again.
This time, a region the size of a human hand vanished from existence.
No debris.
No distortion.
Just absence.
Kaito slammed full Axis authority into the surrounding space, freezing local structure.
The removal stopped expanding.
But the cost was immediate.
One Boundary Star dimmed to near extinction.
Silver Eyes collapsed to one knee, barely manifest.
"Kaito," she whispered, "if you reinforce against subtraction, the stars will fall."
He understood.
He could block deletion.
Or preserve planetary orbit.
Not both at maximum strength.
The anomaly waited.
Patient.