The next morning, Osaka's bunker was drowned in artificial light — harsh, cold, and unwelcoming. The war council had reconvened, but this time, the atmosphere wasn't one of strategy.
It was judgment.
A massive screen displayed Ishita's battle record — from the Himalayas to Seoul to Arashi's final moments. Every surge of her Scarlet aura had been catalogued, analyzed, and weaponized as evidence.
The world's most powerful leaders sat around the oval chamber, their expressions ranging from cautious to openly hostile.
At the center of the room stood Ishita Joshi, hands bound by a light-sealing brace, glowing faintly blue — not to imprison her, but to limit her aura flow.
Beside her stood Rehan and Li Wei, silent but alert.
The U.S. President opened the session. His voice was steady, but his eyes betrayed unease.
> "We convene under emergency protocol Theta. The purpose: to determine whether the Scarlet Wielder remains an asset… or becomes a global threat."
A murmur ran through the assembly. Cameras rolled. Every word spoken here would shape the world's next move.
---
The Accusation
France's delegate, Jean Moreau, was the first to rise.
> "Let's not pretend we're debating philosophy. The Scarlet Aura is chaos itself. We've all seen the recordings — one breath from her destroyed half a glacier, destabilized the aura field of three wielders, and nearly killed Master Arashi."
He slammed his hand against the table, voice rising.
> "And now that the Ghost Demon has named her directly, we can't ignore the possibility — that she's connected to him!"
Gasps spread through the room.
Ishita's eyes widened, but she said nothing. Her pulse pounded in her ears.
Zahir stepped forward, sand aura flickering around his shoulders.
> "That's a lie! Arashi trusted her more than any of us. If she were linked to the demons, he would have sealed her long ago."
Moreau shot back,
> "Maybe he was blinded by sentiment. Even sages make mistakes."
The insult hung in the air like poison.
Rehan's golden aura flared, lighting the entire room.
> "Say that again."
Li Wei raised a hand — calm, precise, but heavy with power. The air stilled.
> "Enough."
His gaze moved to the council.
> "If you fear what you don't understand, you invite your own extinction. The Scarlet does not serve darkness — it mirrors it. That's what you fail to see."
---
The Evidence
China's representative, Liu Wen, projected a hologram. It showed Ishita in the Himalayas — her aura exploding outward, shattering stone. Mountains cracked. Glaciers melted.
Then another recording — Seoul — Ishita kneeling, surrounded by frozen corpses, her aura trembling wildly before Li Wei suppressed it.
> "These are not fabrications," Liu said coolly. "Each time her aura manifests beyond her control, it tears through the balance field. If this continues, she could destabilize the planet's aura network entirely."
Ethan leaned forward, voice sharp.
> "She's still learning. You can't judge potential by fear. Arashi's teachings take time to master."
The British Prime Minister countered,
> "Time is what we no longer have. The Ghost Demon's forces are expanding. If she loses control again, she might wipe out more than just demons."
The room erupted into overlapping voices — debate, accusation, defense — the chaos Arashi had once warned them about.
---
The Breaking Point
Ishita finally spoke. Her voice trembled — not with fear, but restraint.
> "You're right about one thing. I have lost control before."
All eyes turned to her.
> "I've felt what it means to break — to see my power consume everything I love. I won't deny it. But if you think chaining me will save you, you're wrong. The demons don't care about your votes. They don't care about your fear. They want your souls."
Her scarlet aura flickered faintly, like a heartbeat.
> "If I wanted destruction, I'd let it loose right now. But I'm still here. Fighting beside you, not against you."
The silence that followed was absolute. Even the ventilation hum seemed to stop.
Then, from the shadows, a voice said quietly:
> "And what happens when you can't fight it anymore?"
It was the U.K. Defense Minister, a man with deep scars along his neck — a survivor of the Shanghai Cataclysm. His voice trembled, not with anger, but trauma.
> "I saw what one demon did to a city. What happens when the Scarlet loses control in the middle of ours?"
Ishita looked at him — not as an enemy, but as someone who had seen the same nightmare she carried inside.
> "Then I'll let Rehan end me before that happens."
Gasps echoed through the chamber. Rehan's expression froze — a mix of shock and fury.
> "Don't say that again," he hissed.
But Ishita didn't look away.
> "I mean it. If it comes to that — I want my end to serve as a wall between this world and the abyss. That's my choice."
---
Li Wei's Judgment
Li Wei stepped forward, breaking the suffocating silence. His aura — calm and ancient — filled the chamber like the tide swallowing fire.
> "Enough of this fear masquerading as reason."
He turned toward the leaders.
> "You argue about her aura as if it were a weapon you can measure. You forget — the Scarlet is not a curse to be cured, nor a bomb to be disarmed. It is evolution. The next phase of aura itself."
He pressed his hand on the table, and the lights flickered with the pulse of his Soul Aura.
> "Without Scarlet resonance, humanity cannot surpass the demons. Without her, you have no future to debate."
Liu Wen frowned.
> "And if you're wrong, Li Wei? What if the Scarlet becomes the very thing that ends us?"
Li Wei's gaze hardened.
> "Then I'll be the one to end it."
The words carried finality. No one challenged him after that.
---
The Decision
After hours of silence and whispered arguments, the council voted.
7–5 — Ishita would remain free, but under continuous monitoring.
When the result was announced, Ishita lowered her head, exhaling softly.
Not relief — resolve.
The meeting dispersed. Cameras shut down. Guards escorted the delegates away.
As Ishita and Rehan walked toward the exit, she whispered,
> "So they trust me… barely."
Rehan smirked faintly.
> "Barely is better than not at all. Besides, I'll make them regret doubting you."
Li Wei approached from behind, cloak swaying lightly.
> "You did well, both of you. But remember — this was not about trust. It was about fear. And fear has long legs. It travels faster than truth."
He looked toward the ceiling — where distant thunder echoed through the underground dome.
> "The Ghost Demon will use that fear soon. Be ready."
---
Epilogue Scene
Later, alone in her quarters, Ishita sat before a small candle.
Its flame flickered red — reacting to the faint aura pulsing from her palms.
She whispered quietly,
> "Master Arashi… did you know they'd turn on me this fast?"
The flame wavered. Her reflection shimmered in the glass wall — her eyes glowing faintly scarlet, but softer, calmer than before.
> "I'll prove you were right," she murmured. "Scarlet isn't destruction… it's rebirth."
Outside, the night wind howled across Osaka's towers.
And somewhere deep beneath the earth — in the shadows of the Amazon — the Lord Ghost Demon opened his eyes.
The balance was breaking.
The world had entered its trial.