High above Tokyo late that night, a giant owl soared through the sky.
Ze Zenin was unbearably restless. He called Naobito Zenin's phone again and again, but received no answer.
At last, after a long while, Ze Zenin slipped his phone into his pocket. He had guessed how it had ended.
"Big Brother..."
Maki's eyes misted over. "Mother wouldn't..."
Though he had already prepared himself for the worst, Ze Zenin still forced a smile.
"Silly girl. How could anything happen to Mother?"
Maki fell silent. She knew her brother was trying to comfort her, and nestled back into his arms.
"Brother, I've contacted Mai. She'll be here soon..."
With a jujutsu sorcerer's stamina, getting from Kyoto to Jujutsu High was hardly difficult.
Yet as the Zenin Clan estate drew closer, Ze Zenin's heart sank despite himself.
Finally, Nue slowly landed, dissolving into a pool of black water that slipped into Ze Zenin's shadow.
Maki looked at the bloodstained Zenin Clan plaque above the main entrance, her expression grim.
Just then, Mai arrived at the Zenin Clan's gates as well.
The sisters had grown up in the Zenin Clan, and while Ogi Zenin had certainly caused his share of trouble-
Thanks to Ze Zenin, neither of them had ever resented the clan. On the contrary, they felt a sense of belonging.
It was the feeling of having a home-a home where their mother and the big brother who loved them most lived!
"Brother, Maki..."
Like Maki, Mai appeared strong, but was deeply vulnerable inside. In an instant, she threw herself into Ze Zenin's arms.
"Will Mother..."
Watching Mai, a flicker of heartache passed through Maki's eyes.
Ze Zenin did not interrupt Mai as she let her emotions out. He simply let her cry quietly in his arms.
After all, no one