"So, as things stand, the Caged Bird Seal has no solution. You can't think of any good way either, and if the Caged Bird Seal isn't properly resolved, then neither Yukina's eyes nor her problems within the Hyuga Clan can be solved. In other words, everything has hit a dead end."
From within the dim confinement cell, beyond the cold, heavy black iron door, came Hirohiko's thoughtful voice.
"That's right."
Chiba nodded. He was sitting with his back against the iron door now, his face carrying a fair amount of helplessness.
After leaving the Japanese-style wooden house, he had rushed all the way here. Once he had brought Hirohiko his meal, he took advantage of the time Hirohiko was eating to tell him every detail of the current situation.
And that was what had prompted Hirohiko's remark.
"Then, about this matter..."
After receiving Chiba's confirmation, Hirohiko seemed to hesitate before asking again.
"As for methods, every idea I have leads to a dead end. None of them can get around the fact that the Caged Bird Seal has no solution. But I haven't put all those ideas into practice yet, so I can't say there's absolutely no hope."
Chiba shook his head as he spoke.
Perhaps he was simply the sort of person who would not give up until he reached the Yellow River. In this matter, practice mattered more than theory. He always felt that unless he tested every possibility and rejected them all based on actual results, things could not truly be so hopeless.
He even felt that that sliver of hope might lie in putting those ideas into practice.
"Testing them? Do you have some plan you don't want to use, but could still use if you were left with no other choice?"
Yet Hirohiko's next words