A distant rumble cut through the rain. A convoy of multiple jeeps emerged from between the battered trees,. The vehicles skidded to a halt, wheels throwing mud in every direction.
Doors burst open. Twenty men in black tactical gear spilled out, rifles raised and sights locked onto Makima and her group. A few figures stepped forward, standing out from the soldiers—a handful of devil hybrids glinting with lethal modifications. Among them were the Whip Hybrid, Spear Hybrid, and Miri Sugo.
Kishibe's eyes narrowed, his fingers drifting toward the hilt of his dagger. His voice dropped to a razor's edge. "…What's the meaning of this?"
Before anyone could answer, the Whip Hybrid lashed one of her whips forward. It snapped around Barem Bridge, still pinned under Kang Woo's lingering dark gravity. With a sharp tug, she dragged him out of the zone, though he groaned as his body scraped over the ground.
Once he was close enough, the Whip Hybrid hauled Barem to his feet, dusting off his torn, dirt-smeared clothes with one armored forearm. "You alright, Barem?" she asked coolly.
Barem grimaced, clutching his ribs. "I'm alright… though I think you broke one of my bones, damn it."
Miri Sugo, leaning a spear against his shoulder, rolled his eyes. "Don't be a pussy, Barem. We're devil hybrids. Practically immortal. Suck it up. You're the flamethrower hybrid for fuck's sake."
Barem shot Miri a dismissive glance, then turned to face Makima's group. His eyes swept over Makima, Aki, Kishibe, Denji, Power, and Himeno, his expression hardening into cold authority. "Surrender yourself, Makima. By order of the Japanese government… you are under arrest. As for the rest of you—cuff her up if you want to survive."
Kishibe slid his eyes sideways to Makima. His voice was quiet and dry. "Tell me you've got a plan."
Makima didn't look at him. She stared straight ahead, her voice low and flat. "No. I don't. To be honest… I see no way out of this."
But as she spoke, her fingers twitched subtly at her side—a tiny, almost imperceptible gesture. Kishibe caught it instantly. A hidden signal: Buy me some time… if you want you and your students to survive.
Kishibe narrowed his eyes, exhaling smoke through his nose. He turned his attention to Barem, his voice rough.
"So let me get this straight, Barem. All of this—the plan to take down the Aging Devil, everything that's happened until now—was all staged. The real target was Makima, And the rest of us… we're just loose ends you plan to bury."
Barem's eyes glimmered with cold amusement as he tilted his head.
"You're in no position to bargain or talk, old dog. Right now, you've got two choices: apprehend Makima and deliver her to us… or eat lead."
The special forces shifted around them, the click-click of safeties being released echoing through the forest air. Rifles lifted, barrels trained on Makima and her group.
Power raised one finger into the air, completely unfazed."I say we take a vote! Do we get rid of Makima… or not?"
Aki glared at her, his voice sharp. "I stay with Makima. What I saw back there… was just a woman who's lost her light.."
Denji reached over and smacked Power on the back of the head. " Power! We still get fed because of Makima, you know!"
Power rubbed her head, scowling. "Lies! Aki is the one who feeds us, not Makima!"
Himeno stepped closer, eyes narrowed and suspicious as she fixed Makima with a cold stare. "I despise you, Makima-san. You're the one who's always made Aki like this—so damn devoted to his job that he doesn't even care if he dies. You twisted him up inside."
Makima stared at her, utterly expressionless. Her voice came out flat and final. "Then cuff me up. Let's get this done. I'm tired of hiding myself."
But Himeno didn't move. She crossed her arms tightly, her voice trembling with quiet fury. "I'm not finished, Makima-san. your grief back there—that's the only thing making me trust you even a little right now. But stay away from Aki. You're dangerous. And you always will be."
Makima tilted her head slightly, her eyes glinting as a faint smile curled at the corners of her mouth. Her voice dropped into a soft, teasing lilt. "Then convince Aki to love you already, Himeno-chan. After all this… this love triangle is getting boring."
Himeno gave a short, bitter laugh, shaking her head. "Are you picking up Kang Woo's habits now, Makima-san? Joking around at times like this? Although… I might just cuff you up and hand you over to Barem myself."
Kishibe's sharp eyes flicked across the gathered soldiers. He saw one of the gunmen shifting his stance, finger tightening on the trigger, aiming squarely at Himeno—to prove a point.
Kishibe's gaze darted back to Makima. His voice dropped, low and rough. "I have my final question for you, Makima. What did you see in Kang Woo that made you act like this? And… did you ever manage to control him?"
Makima lifted her eyes slowly, . "I didn't manage to control Kang Woo at all."
She exhaled, her breath trembling. "He's like the moon. You can calculate its trajectory… but you can never change where it chooses to shine. He saw every part of my true nature, every intention I ever had to control him. But regardless… he still accepted me."
A faint, broken laugh slipped from her lips as her eyes glistened with tears. "He hugged me. My entire century of life… all that endless search and Torment, … was filled in just a few days with him. One crazy adventure after another, glimpses of worlds I never even dreamed existed. I would give everything… everything I am… just to see Kang Woo again. But he's gone."
Kishibe watched her face carefully, studying every twitch, every flicker of her eyes. Searching for the lie.. But all he found was the truth. Makima was indeed changed.
Kishibe's lips curved into the smallest, wryest smile. "Kang Woo… still owes me a few favors. And the Compound V he promised to manufacture."
Suddenly, a gunshot. A single bullet screamed through the rain, its target Himeno.
But Kishibe moved before anyone else could blink. He lunged, slamming his body in front of Himeno, arms outstretched, bracing for the impact. He shot a final look at Makima, his eyes fierce and sad all at once. "Take care of my students, Makima. Congrats… you found your love. While I… never did."
He squeezed his eyes shut, steeling himself for the sharp bite of death. But nothing happened.
Makima stood perfectly still, eyes narrowed in cool contempt. "Are you done monologuing, Kishibe? If you are… stay out of my way."
Around her, luminous symbols blazed into existence. Zaiphon runes spiraled outward like a blossoming flower, forming a protective barrier that enclosed Makima, Kishibe, Himeno, Aki, Denji, and Power.
Aki blinked, eyes wide, staring at the glowing runes. "…Isn't this… Zaiphon? The same power Kang Woo—or Mikhail—used to wield? But… how?"
Power elbowed Denji sharply in the side, eyes glittering. "Denji, look at Makima's left back palm!"
Suddenly, the Eye of Mikhail flared open from the flesh of Makima's back left palm, its crimson iris expanding like a blooming flower. Light pulsed from its core, painting eerie reflections on the rain-soaked ground.
Mikhail's voice crackled out, sharp and disdainful. "If you're done admiring my Zaiphon, then shut up. Let me and Makima handle this. But honestly… I still wonder why the hell Kang Woo, my master —that man who had everything and could get out of any world whenever he wanted—chose to sacrifice himself for you lot. It would've been much, much easier for him to leave you all to die. Because frankly… you all have no worth at all."
Himeno thought to herself, I knew it. And I mean right now… Makima did change. But Mikhail's still a bitch-ass alien.
Aki swallowed and turned his eyes toward Makima. "Makima-san… did Mikhail choose you?"
Makima glanced at him, her face calm, her voice cool and even. "Aki… stay here. So Himeno won't be sad if her partner dies."
Himeno's cheeks flushed pink. She dropped her eyes quickly, silent and embarrassed.
Power threw both arms into the air, beaming. "I was right, Denji! Makima's a good woman!"
Denji rolled his eyes and smacked Power lightly on the back of the head. "Power, you've got a whole library of delulu stuff inside your skull."
Kishibe exhaled a plume of smoke and muttered under his breath. "We already know that. But I think Power's crossed the line this time."
Makima stepped forward. Her boots splashed into the puddles outside the Zaiphon barrier, the rain running in rivers down her torn coat. She strode ahead without hesitation, coming face to face with the line of special forces soldiers and the devil hybrids.
She stopped and stood there, the rain lashing against her hair,.
A quiet smile curved her lips as she spoke in a voice as smooth as silk—and as lethal as a blade. "Before anyone wants to go and get themselves sent to their death… does anyone want to retreat?"
A silence spread over the clearing. Even the soldiers shifted nervously, fingers trembling on their rifle triggers. The hybrids exchanged wary glances, suddenly less certain of the battle they'd been ordered to fight.
Makima tilted her head slightly, her gaze sweeping across them all like the eyes of a predator. Her voice dropped to a low, menacing whisper. "Because I promise you… the cost of coming at me will be more than any of you can pay."
For a brief instant, silence reigned, broken only by the patter of rain. Then one of the gunmen, his face twisted with panic, raised his rifle and emptied his entire magazine at Makima.
Muzzle flashes strobed the forest in bursts of orange light. , the rest of the special forces followed suit. Dozens of rifles roared at once, spewing rounds at Makima in a frenzied storm of fire and smoke.
Barem Bridge's eyes went wide. He lunged forward with a strangled cry. "Cease fire! CEASE FIRE! You idiots might hurt her—but if you kill her, the Prime Minister will put a bounty on our heads! Don't you get it?! The current Makima… if she's killed, she stays dead for good. Her contract for damage transfer to Japanese citizens has been revoked!"
But the bullets kept flying. One of the gunmen stumbled backward, his breath coming in ragged gasps as he clutched his rifle. "Sir… I worked under Makima back when she was still under the Prime Minister… but this is … the first time I've ever felt like I want to run. No… I need to run, no matter what."
Miri Sugo lowered his spear slightly, glancing around at the chaos, his jaw tight. "They're right. We hybrids… we don't fear death. But right now… I can feel it. Makima can kill us for good. She's not bluffing."
Before he could finish, a blinding streak of light tore through the battlefield.
A giant Heilig Pfeil materialized out of nowhere, gleaming blue-white like a spear of judgment, and stabbed clean through one of the gunmen, impaling him to the ground.
Smoke and dust billowed into the air. As it cleared, Makima stood completely unharmed at the center of the chaos. Blue Blut Vene veins pulsed visibly under her skin, running across her arms and neck like glowing circuitry. Spent shells lay scattered around her feet. One bullet, caught squarely in her mouth during the fusillade, glinted between her lips as she slowly spat it out onto the muddy ground.
Makima stood there in total silence, rain dripping off her hair, her gaze locked on the soldiers like a wolf staring down trembling prey.
Suddenly, Mikhail's voice rang inside her mind, calm and analytical. I suppose the Quincy ability no longer clashes with your devil physiology. Kang Woo—my master—bestowed every Quincy technique he knew upon you. He even altered your biological structure before he was consumed by the space between time. Let's finish this,.
Makima's lips curled into a cold smile. "I will," she whispered. "Don't interfere, Eyeball. They're my targets… and I have a lot of frustration to vent."
Off to the side, the Whip Hybrid's eyes went wide. "Isn't that… that eyeball the Prime Minister's reports mentioned? Why the hell is it stuck on Maki—"
But before she could finish, Makima had vanished. A sharp crack of displaced air split the rain-soaked silence as Makima reappeared directly beside the hybrids, moving so fast that her form blurred into streaks of afterimages. She leaned forward, her voice dropping to a hushed whisper. "Lichtreigen."
The sky split open in a violent blossom of blue light.
A volley of Heilig Pfeil rained down from the heavens, hundreds of glowing arrows screaming earthward like divine wrath. Simultaneously, countless beams erupted from Makima's outstretched palms, lancing out in every direction.
The storm of spiritual projectiles tore through the ranks of the soldiers. Bodies were ripped apart mid-motion, torn into chunks of blood and armor. Mud and viscera sprayed across the battlefield as the gunmen fell, screaming, and then fell silent.
When the light finally faded, the only ones left standing were Makima—and four devil hybrids, who had instinctively retreated and put distance between themselves and her.
Miri Sugo knelt on one knee, panting hard. He'd dragged Barem Bridge back behind cover. His face twisted as he glanced down—one of Makima's Heilig Pfeil protruded from his thigh, blue light searing his flesh. He clenched his jaw, sweat pouring down his face as the wound smoked.
"Everyone… okay…?" Miri gasped.
The Spear Hybrid stumbled forward, eyes wild. A jagged Heilig Pfeil was lodged deep in his chest, piercing his heart. His body spasmed as he fell to his knees, blood gushing from the wound.
"It hurts … like fireeee !" he screamed, voice hoarse with agony.
His skin around the wound blistered and peeled, as though something inside him was devouring him from within, just as Hollows burned away under Quincy power.
The Whip Hybrid lunged forward, shoving a blood pack into Spear Hybrid's trembling hands. "Drink it! Now!"
Spear Hybrid bit into the blood pack, but as the crimson liquid mixed in his mouth, he coughed violently. A red mixture flecked with glowing blue substance spilled from his lips instead, smoking as it hit the ground.
Rather than healing, the wound spread, burning deeper into his chest.
Whip Hybrid stared in horror, voice trembling. "…Barem… Spear's not regenerating."