Baki pocketed the parchment and stood up. He looked at the empty plates, the spilled venom, the ghost-knife, the demon bone. He bowed to the chef. "Thank you for the meal," Baki Hanma said. And for the first time, he walked away from a battle not with a new technique, but with a full stomach and a quiet heart.

It was a humid Tokyo night when the letter arrived. No return address. Just a single, thick sheet of black paper with silver kanji that read: "You are invited to the Last Supper. Come hungry."

Outside, the Tokyo rain washed the subway dust from his jacket. He wasn't stronger than before. But he was wiser. And sometimes, that's the same thing.

Four minutes passed. Then five. Baki opened his eyes. "I'm still hungry," he said.