At the same time, with Kazahana Doto's chakra armor barrier broken, the massive fire dragon in mid-air began its descent—its overwhelming heat threatening to incinerate his body entirely.
If it landed, the remains of Kazahana Doto would be reduced to a scorched corpse.
Kaito frowned. He still needed the body for proof, and allowing it to burn to ash was not an option.
With a flicker of thought, the fire dragon disintegrated mid-air into primal chakra and vanished completely.
In the next instant, Kaito grabbed Doto's body and disappeared in a flash of lightning.
---
Inside a wide wooden meeting hall, glowing coals emitted a soft warmth that pushed back the cold.
Men, both young and middle-aged, all dressed in traditional samurai garb, sat facing each other with tense expressions.
At the center of the room sat Asama Santarou, cross-legged and serious—this was the headquarters of the anti-Doto resistance.
His voice rang with conviction as he addressed the gathered samurai.
"Princess Koyuki has returned to the Land of Snow," he declared. "This is our only opportunity. We must strike down the traitor Kazahana Doto!"
He continued, fire in his eyes, "Support Princess Koyuki's ascension! Restore order to our homeland!"
Creak!
Just as his voice echoed through the hall, the door swung open.
Asama Santarou's brow furrowed in irritation, but his gaze turned to the door—along with everyone else's.
The moment he saw who entered, his expression shifted to surprise, and a flicker of concern appeared in his eyes.
"Ayanami Kaito? Weren't you protecting Princess Koyuki? Why are you here? Don't tell me... something's happened to her?!"
"Look!" someone suddenly cried out, pointing with trembling fingers. "What—what's he holding?"
All eyes turned toward Kaito, and the room fell into stunned silence.
Gasps followed like a wave as shock rippled through the crowd.
"That... that's Kazahana Doto!"
"No doubt about it!"
"Wasn't he in the palace?!"
Even Asama Santarou could barely believe it.
Without a word, Kaito stepped forward and dropped the lifeless body at Santarou's feet.
"This is Kazahana Doto," he said plainly.
His voice was cold, matter-of-fact. "I'll remain in the Land of Snow for one more day. After that—whether Princess Koyuki continues ruling or returns to acting—I'm leaving."
Without waiting for a response, Kaito's body flashed with lightning, and he vanished.
It took a long moment before Asama Santarou moved again.
He stared at Doto's frozen corpse, unable to mask the disbelief on his face. After careful inspection by several of the samurai, they confirmed the identity—there was no doubt.
The order was given immediately.
Kazahana Doto was dead. The time had come to announce it across the nation and welcome Princess Koyuki's ascension to the throne.
With the news spreading, excitement surged through the rebel ranks.
Their loyalty would soon be rewarded. Koyuki's rise meant a new future for the Land of Snow—and those who stood by her would rise with her.
As the hall gradually emptied, Asama Santarou stood alone, staring out the window toward the direction where Koyuki was resting.
His eyes were dark, unreadable—completely different from the righteous leader everyone else knew. Only he knew what thoughts were stirring within.
But after a long silence, he sighed deeply, as if releasing a burden.
"Forget it," he muttered. "From now on... I'll dedicate myself fully to supporting Princess Koyuki."
---
The following day, led by Asama Santarou, the people warmly welcomed Princess Koyuki into the palace that once belonged to her father.
With the public's approval, a modest coronation ceremony was held within the city to formally declare her as the new ruler of the Land of Snow.
Though the ceremony was simple, it was time-consuming—much to Koyuki's frustration. Still, by the time night fell, everything was in place.
Koyuki Kazahana had officially ascended the throne.
Kaito observed the ceremony quietly, his expression unreadable. After grabbing a quick bite during the feast, he retreated to his quarters. The celebration didn't interest him.
Still, his electromagnetic sensing ability remained active, keeping a silent watch over Koyuki's movements.
By tomorrow, his mission would be complete.
His job was to protect Princess Koyuki. Once the throne was secure, his role ended. What happened after that was no longer his concern.
Just then, he sensed Koyuki's chakra signature moving toward his location.
"…Why is she coming here?" Kaito muttered, frowning.
Knock knock.
"Kaito san, are you there?" Koyuki's voice called out from behind the door.
Kaito opened it calmly and raised an eyebrow. "What do you need?"
Koyuki smiled mischievously. "Aren't you going to invite me in?"
Kaito's frown deepened, but he stepped aside silently.
She quickly stepped inside before he could change his mind.
They sat across from each other at the table.
"Well? What did you come to talk about?" Kaito asked, his face unreadable.
"Nothing important," Koyuki said with a gentle smile. Then she stood and bowed deeply. "I just came to thank you."
For her, the past day had felt like a dream. Only yesterday, she was a hunted, exiled princess, forced to hide her identity. And now—she was the sovereign of the Land of Snow. Her father's killer was gone.
Everything had changed.
And it was all thanks to the boy sitting across from her.
No… the man.
As she gazed at him, a faint blush crept across her cheeks. Could this be because of what I said last night...?
Kaito raised an eyebrow at her strange expression. "What's with your face? Are you feeling sick?"
"No!" Koyuki shook her head quickly, flustered.
After a short pause, she leaned forward and whispered, "If you want to know what I meant last night... wait until you're older."
"Last night?" Kaito blinked. "What last night? Be clear."
He scowled. "A lot happened. I'm not a mind reader."
She turned even redder but said nothing.
Kaito sighed in irritation. "Women…"
---
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