Episode 24: The Reason She Kept Stitching
A heavy silence filled the gymnasium.
Only the lingering scent of blood remained, hanging in the air.
Soma still couldn’t stand.
Kei had already lost what was inside him.
—And Touka had fallen.
But there was one man who rose to his feet.
His name was Tomma Shikanosuke.
Shikanosuke forced Soulbind’s blade into his arm, locking it in place with sheer muscle.
In an instant, Soulbind severed his own arms to escape.
Shikanosuke followed up with a lightning strike, slowing Soulbind’s regeneration.
He didn’t hesitate.
A metal bat wrapped in lightning.
An orange Gorin ignited.
Soulbind was sent crashing through the window and blown outside.
Then—
Yakushiin struck Shikanosuke from behind.
Poison spread through his body, burning through his muscles.
Even so, Shikanosuke turned to face him.
Yakushiin sneered at Touka.
> “What a foolish, fragile girl.
She kept ‘stitching’ people to save them, only for it to destroy her in the end.
And in the end, she dragged innocent people into it.
Truly… a pitiful way of thinking.”
Shikanosuke’s expression twisted in fury.
> “Pitiful…? Take that back!
What do you know about Touka!?
She didn’t stitch people to break them—
she did it to save them!
—I won’t forgive you!”
Touka wasn’t just a comrade.
She was his friend.
He didn’t want to remember.
—But anger tore open wounds he had tried to ignore.
And so, his memories resurfaced.
---
Past – The Tomma Family
Shikanosuke was born into the prestigious Tomma family.
A family of scholars.
His father graduated from Waseda.
His mother from Keio.
His younger brother was an academic prodigy.
—Only Shikanosuke couldn’t keep up.
Whenever his test scores dropped, the house grew cold.
His father looked at him with disappointment.
> “You’re not cut out for thinking.
If you’re going to work, you’d better rely on your body.”
His mother tried to stop him.
But his father snapped.
> “This is a noble family!
Do you understand what it means if someone like him comes from here!?”
His brother spoke calmly.
> “He’s not good at studying…
but he’s always been strong.
Why not have him join the Kadan Corps?”
That one careless suggestion changed everything.
And Shikanosuke accepted it.
> “If I go…
then no one will get hurt anymore, right?”
—That’s how he entered the Kadan Corps.
---
Life in the Corps
There were no real exams.
Just training—and survival.
Life wasn’t hard because of fighting.
It was hard because of loss.
A casual conversation with a friend…
> “Let’s talk again after this mission.”
…only to find them later—gone.
Shikanosuke screamed.
But over time, he got used to it.
Or at least, he thought he did.
---
The One Who Changed Everything
One day, he was assigned a partner.
Her name—
Kamishiro Touka.
> “Don’t get too close.”
She kept her distance.
But they fought together.
And slowly… something changed.
---
The Mission
A normal city.
A crowded food court.
But one presence stood out.
—A distorted energy.
They moved.
The creature attacked.
Touka struck first.
But a sudden wide attack injured civilians—and herself.
She couldn’t stand.
The creature moved in.
—Death was right in front of her.
But then—
> “I won’t let you take any more of my friends!”
Shikanosuke stepped in.
He blocked it.
Took the hit.
And countered.
> “Lightning Soul Smash!”
The strike shattered the creature.
But it released flames.
The building ignited.
People screamed.
Shikanosuke carried Touka and escaped.
—But one child was left behind.
Touka stood up.
Even with her injuries.
> “I can’t leave them.”
She stitched the child’s wound.
But she had already used too much power.
Her body began to give out.
Still—she didn’t stop.
---
The Turning Point
Another injured man.
Touka saved him too.
The couple embraced.
For a moment—
she smiled.
But then—
she collapsed.
Shikanosuke panicked.
More people needed help.
A father screamed for his child trapped above.
Shikanosuke couldn’t choose.
—Then—
Cold air filled the space.
Flames froze.
A girl appeared.
She saved the child.
She healed Touka instantly.
> “Next time… don’t die.”
She vanished like lightning.
Her name—
Shirakiri Yukino.
---
After the Battle
On the train home—
Everything felt… normal again.
Shikanosuke pointed outside.
> “Hey, look! Full moon!”
They laughed.
For the first time—
peace.
Then he asked:
> “Why do you go that far… to save people?”
Touka paused.
> “It’s a long story.
And not a light one.
You sure you want to hear it?”
Shikanosuke looked straight at her.
> “Yeah. Tell me.”
Under the moonlight—
Their stories began to connect.
Slowly… carefully…
Like something being stitched back together.
