Blood in the water.

**[Scene: Brotherhood Stronghold – Ruined Courtyard]**

*The air reeks of gunpowder and blood. Mia leans against a shattered pillar, pressing a torn strip of her vest into the gash on her thigh. Around them, the remnants of the Brotherhood close in—**a thousand strong**, rifles raised, blades glinting.*

**Mia** *(gritting her teeth, reloading her pistol with her last round)*:

*"Well… this sucks."*

*Beside her, **Mikoshi** stands perfectly still. His conical hat tilts forward, shadowing his masked face. Then—*

*A **low hum** fills the air. The ground trembles. Black smoke begins to **curl from his fingertips.***

**Mia** *(blinking)*:

*"...Uh. Mikoshi?"*

*He doesn’t answer. His **eyes glow crimson** beneath the mask.*

*The first Brotherhood soldier fires—*

*—and Mikoshi **moves.***

**[The Warlock Unleashed]**

*It happens in a **blur of darkness.***

- Mikoshi’s hand **flicks out.** Black smoke **coalesces into blades**, slicing through throats before the bodies hit the ground.

- A soldier **swings a machete**—Mikoshi **catches it mid-air**, the metal **rotting to dust** in his grip.

- Gunfire **freezes** in place as the smoke **wraps around the bullets**, then **hurls them back** twice as fast.

*Mia watches, her own pain forgotten, as Mikoshi **becomes the storm.***

**Mia** *(muttering)*:

*"Okay. *Now* I see why he’s S+ Rank."*

*A grenade rolls toward them—*

*—Mikoshi **stomps.** The ground **erupts in black flames**, consuming the explosion before it can detonate.*

*Silence.*

*The courtyard is **littered with bodies.** Mikoshi stands at the center, smoke **dripping from his sleeves like liquid shadow.***

*Then, as suddenly as it began—**it stops.***

*The glow fades from his eyes. The smoke dissipates. He adjusts his mask and hat, as if nothing happened.*

**Mikoshi** *(calmly)*:

*"We should go."*

**Mia** *(staring at the carnage, then at him)*:

*"...Yeah. *Yeah*, we should."*

*She limps after him, leaving the Brotherhood’s last stand **smoldering behind them.***

**[Post-Credits Scene: HSI Med-Bay – Later]**

*Tally bandages Mia’s leg, eyes wide.*

**Tally:**

*"So, uh… Mikoshi just *went full demon mode*?"*

**Mia** *(sipping painkillers)*:

*"Like someone flipped his ‘off’ switch. Scary part? He didn’t even *breathe hard.*"*

*Across the room, Mikoshi **polishes his katana**, silent as always.*

*Leia leans in the doorway, arms crossed.*

**Leia:**

*"That’s why we don’t *piss him off.*"*

*Mikoshi **glances up.***

*Everyone **pretends not to notice.***

**[Scene: Chiyo’s Dojo – Tranquil Garden]**

*The scent of jasmine tea and cherry blossoms lingers in the air. Chiyo pours Mia a cup of **iced matcha**, her twin Zylixx blades resting against the tatami mat beside her.*

**Chiyo** *(smirking)*:

*"What brings you here, Mia? Finally figured out where to get the best iced tea?"*

**Mia** *(taking the cup, sighing)*:

*"Not really. But I’d love some. Also… please tell me more about Mikoshi."*

*Chiyo’s smirk softens. She sets the teapot down.*

**Chiyo** *(leaning back)*:

*"Ah. Mikoshi."* *(Her fingers trace the rim of her cup.)*

*"He’s not a person, per se. He’s the **embodiment of a vengeful spirit**—S+ Rank, **on Leia’s level** in combat. Fast. Deadly. And *trapped*."*

**Mia** *(frowning)*:

*"Trapped?"*

**Chiyo** *(nodding)*:

*"Between realms. He once told me he’s ‘**anchored**’ here by unfinished business. No death. No rest. Just the blade."*

*She unsheathes one of her Zylixx blades, flipping it gracefully.*

**Chiyo:**

*"I taught him **MikoZai**—his twisted version of Kansai style. Where most swordsmen flow like water, he **burns like shadow.**"* *(She mimics a strike—the air itself seems to *warp* around the blade’s path.)*

*"His techniques aren’t *learned.* They’re **remembered.** Every cut, a ghost’s grudge."*

**Mia** *(staring into her tea)*:

*"So… he’s literally **unstoppable**?"*

**Chiyo** *(chuckling darkly)*:

*"Oh no. He’s stoppable. Just not by anything *mortal.*"* *(She sips her tea.)*

*"Leia keeps him close because he *chooses* to obey. But if he ever **unravels**…"*

*The garden’s lanterns flicker. For a second, Mia swears she sees **black smoke** curling at the edges of Chiyo’s silhouette.*

**Chiyo** *(calmly)*:

*"Well. Let’s hope you never see that."*

**[Scene: Dojo Courtyard – Dusk]**

*Mia finds Mikoshi **standing perfectly still** beneath a maple tree, his mask turned toward the setting sun. She hesitates, then tosses him an iced tea.*

**Mia:**

*"Heard you’re a **ghost with a grudge.**"*

*Mikoshi catches the bottle. Doesn’t drink. Just **holds it**, condensation dripping over his gloves.*

**Mikoshi** *(flat)*:

*"And?"*

**Mia** *(shrugging)*:

*"And nothing. Just figured you’d like something cold. Since, y’know. **Eternal suffering** probably gets sweaty."*

*Silence. Then—*

*A **huff**. Almost a laugh. Mikoshi **tucks the tea into his robe** and walks away.*

*Mia grins.*

**Mia** *(calling after him)*:

*"Hey. Next mission? Try not to **eat any souls** without me."*

*Mikoshi doesn’t turn. But the **shadows around him ripple**—amused or annoyed, she can’t tell.*

**[Scene: Chiyo’s Dojo – Armory Chamber]**

*The air hums with the weight of centuries. Ancient blades line the walls, each pulsing with a faint, otherworldly glow. Mikoshi stands before them, his mask tilted toward Mia as he gestures to the weapons.*

**Mikoshi:**

*"Choose."* *(His voice is a whisper, yet it echoes.)*

*Mia runs her fingers along the hilts, feeling the **resonance** of each—some hum with vengeance, others with sorrow. Then she stops. A **curved dagger**, its edge shimmering like fractured moonlight, seems to *call* to her.*

**Mia** *(gripping it)*:

*"This one."*

*Mikoshi nods. Chiyo steps forward, her twin Zylixx blades already drawn.*

**Chiyo:**

*"Good. Now, *listen closely.*"* *(Her voice sharpens.)*

*"The things we hunt—**bullets can’t kill them.** Steel alone won’t cut their threads. Your blade must *hunger* as they do."*

*She strikes a **warding sigil** into the air with her sword. The symbol *burns* crimson before fading.*

**Chiyo:**

*"Mikoshi will teach you to **see** the unseen. I’ll teach you to *cut* it."*

**[Scene: Training Grounds – Midnight]**

*The torches gutter out. The world plunges into **perfect darkness**—then *worse*. The air *thickens* with whispers. **Shapes** flit at the edges of Mia’s vision—*too-fast, too-wrong*.*

**Mikoshi** *(from nowhere, everywhere)*:

*"Breathe. The dark is just **another veil.**"*

*Mia’s dagger *glows* in her grip. She *sees* them now—**pale, elongated figures** with too many joints, crawling toward her.*

**Chiyo’s Voice** *(distant)*:

*"First lesson: *They fear the edge of dawn.* So *bring it.*"*

*Mia **moves.***

**[The Fight – Beyond Human]**

- Her dagger **carves** through a creature’s neck—**black ichor** sprays, then *ignites* in midair.

- A second horror lunges—Mikoshi **materializes** behind it, his warded katana *cleaving* it in two. The halves *screech* as they dissolve.

- Chiyo **dances** through the fray, her blades leaving *trails of fire* in their wake.

*Mia’s muscles scream. Her lungs burn. But the dagger in her hand *sings*—and she *answers.**

**[Aftermath – Bloodied, Unbroken]**