A global summit convened.
Leaders requested direct communication with Kaito.
Not as myth.
As authority.
He appeared via projection — not descending, not glorified. Just present.
"Can you relinquish control if needed?" one leader asked directly.
Kaito paused.
"No."
The honesty unsettled the room.
"Because control is not what I hold," he continued. "I hold balance. Removing it collapses both halves."
The broadcast went global.
Trust did not increase.
Fear did.
That night, the Cult of Continuance released a statement:
"If one man cannot step down, we will step up."