Chapter 20 — The Promise Beneath the Cherry Blossoms

Everything became quiet.

The screams...

The fire...

The goblins...

For a brief instant...

They disappeared.

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One month after King Cosmos' defeat...

The afternoon sun shone gently over a peaceful city park. Children laughed as they played beneath blooming cherry blossom trees while families enjoyed picnics across the grass. For the first time in years, there was peace.

The former Bravers had gathered to celebrate humanity's victory, and without their armor, they looked like ordinary young people rather than the heroes who had saved the world. Roland and Saki were arguing over who had eaten the last slice of cake while Endou quietly laughed as he listened. Yuki watched them with the faintest smile, and Ryuen was already complaining that the celebration lacked "style."

A short distance away, Sakura sat alone on a wooden bench. She watched her teammates from afar, a gentle smile resting on her face.

"They look happy..."

She lowered her eyes slightly.

"I don't want to interrupt..."

"...There you are."

Sakura looked up and found Taichi standing before her. He scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

"I've been looking everywhere."

Sakura smiled.

"What are you doing here?"

Taichi shrugged.

"I could ask you the same thing."

She looked back toward the others.

"They were all talking... I didn't want to get in the way."

Taichi glanced toward the group before looking back at Sakura. He hesitated for a moment, rubbing the back of his neck again as his cheeks slowly turned red.

"...Actually... Out of everyone... you're the teammate I like the most."

Sakura blinked.

"...Really?"

Taichi's eyes widened.

"N-No!"

He frantically waved both hands.

"I didn't mean... I mean... Not... like..."

His face became even redder.

"I wasn't trying to say it like that!"

Sakura covered her mouth as a small laugh escaped her lips. Taichi immediately looked away in embarrassment.

"...You're laughing..."

"I know."

She smiled warmly.

"...It's cute."

Taichi sighed dramatically.

"I'm never saying anything personal again."

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Both of them laughed together as the breeze carried cherry blossom petals through the air. For a little while, neither of them said anything. They simply enjoyed the peaceful afternoon and the distant sound of their friends talking and laughing.

After their laughter faded, Sakura quietly asked,

"What will you do now?"

Taichi looked toward the blue sky, his smile becoming calmer.

"The same thing I've always done. I'm going to keep protecting people."

Sakura lowered her eyes. She hesitated for a moment before gathering enough courage to speak.

"...Then... Could I keep helping you? Fighting beside you?"

Taichi remained silent for several moments. Sakura waited nervously until, finally, he smiled.

"You know... I've always loved your songs."

Sakura looked surprised.

"They make people smile. They give them hope."

Taichi extended his little finger toward her.

"So... Let's make a promise. I'll keep protecting people's lives. And you... keep singing. ...Keep protecting people's hearts."

Sakura's eyes sparkled. She reached forward and wrapped her little finger around his.

"I promise."

Their fingers locked beneath the falling cherry blossoms. It was a simple promise between two young heroes enjoying the peace they had fought so hard to obtain—one neither of them imagined would someday be tested.

Suddenly—

"There they are!"

Roland shouted from across the park.

Saki immediately grinned.

"Oooooh?"

She pointed dramatically toward the two of them.

"Did we interrupt something?"

Taichi jumped to his feet.

"W-What?!"

Roland burst into laughter.

"So you finally asked Sakura out?"

"I DID NOT!"

Taichi yelled, his face completely red.

Saki laughed even harder.

"Suuure you didn't!"

Sakura couldn't stop herself from laughing. Soon, the sound of everyone's laughter echoed beneath the cherry blossoms, carried away by the gentle afternoon breeze.

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The memory shattered.

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Sakura crashed into the ground, the impact knocking the air from her lungs.

"...Ah..."

She struggled to breathe. Around her, people continued running as goblins chased them through the stadium. Several spectators noticed the fallen Pink Braver and, for a brief moment, stopped.

Sakura weakly reached toward them.

"I..."

Before she could finish—

"You call yourself a hero?!"

"You were supposed to protect us!"

"My son's still in there!"

"Get up!"

"Do something!"

"You let this happen!"

Their angry voices struck harder than any blow. Sakura's hand slowly fell back to the ground.

Greed landed gracefully beside her, not a speck of dust touching her shoes. She folded her hands behind her back, watching the panicked crowd with the same delighted smile.

"My cute little goblins... They release a tiny aura."

She twirled happily.

"It brings out the darkest corners of the human heart. When people face death... They stop pretending. They show who they really are."

Sakura looked around in disbelief. Only minutes ago, these same people had cheered her name. Now they cursed her and blamed her for everything happening around them. Some even pushed others aside in desperation to escape.

Tears streamed down Sakura's face.

"...Why...?"

Her voice barely came out.

"...Why are you doing this to me...?"

Greed stopped in front of her. For the first time, her expression seemed to soften.

"I already told you."

She smiled.

"Because I love you. So... So... So... So... Very... Very... Very much."

Greed knelt beside Sakura, bringing herself closer to her.

"I love you so much... that before you're reborn... I want you to see the ugliest parts of humanity. So you'll finally let go. So you'll awaken your... Wrath."

Black shadows gathered within Greed's hands. From within the darkness slowly emerged a living uniform: a black hooded jacket with vivid pink trim, a black cropped shirt beneath it, a pink-and-black plaid necktie and matching skirt, a black belt with a silver hanging chain, a dark choker, torn black stockings, and heavy black boots.

The empty sleeves slowly writhed as living black tendrils emerged from inside the fabric, swaying as though the uniform itself were breathing. A suffocating darkness radiated from it.

Sakura instinctively recoiled.

"...What... is... that...?"

Greed hugged the uniform affectionately.

"The newly awakened... Embodiment of Wrath."

She lovingly stroked one sleeve.

"Once you accept it... we'll finally be together."

She giggled.

"Our love will bloom... while we crush every last bit of hope in this world."

Sakura didn't answer. She simply stared downward as memories began surfacing in her mind.

The promise beneath the cherry blossoms.

The smiling boy.

The warmth of that afternoon.

It all felt impossibly distant now.

The screams surrounding her continued, and the accusations never stopped. Every frightened voice seemed to press against her from another direction.

Inside Sakura, something slowly broke.

A quiet whisper escaped her lips.

"...Will... the pain... go away...?"

Greed's delighted smile became almost tender.

"Yes. You'll never feel pain again."

Sakura closed her eyes. She no longer had the strength to stand, nor did she have the strength to argue. She simply remained there, motionless, while the chaos of the stadium continued around her.

Greed's impossible smile stretched wider than ever.

"There you are... My Sakura."

The living uniform suddenly sprang to life.

Its black tendrils shot forward, wrapping around Sakura before she could react. Pink Braver's armor dissolved into shimmering particles of light as the dark uniform flowed over her like liquid shadow, slowly beginning to replace it.

Black tendrils coiled gently around her arms and shoulders as the transformation began, while Greed watched in silent anticipation, her delighted eyes never leaving Sakura's face.