The moment I spoke—
"Hekonami."
Everything changed.
The tension in the room didn't just increase… it collapsed into something deeper.
Not the kind you hear in an empty place—but the kind that erases sound itself. No movement. No air. No distant noise. It felt as if the world had paused… just for that moment.
Haroku stood beside me, his eyes still closed, just as I had told him.
"Haroku… open your eyes."
My voice sounded steady.
But I knew what he was about to see.
He opened them slowly.
For a brief moment, his vision struggled to adjust—like waking from a deep sleep.
Then—
He saw it.
The roll.
It had changed.
It was no longer just lying there.
It had begun to unroll on its own—just slightly—like something unseen was guiding it.
Symbols covered its surface.
Not written.
Alive.
They shifted faintly, almost like they were breathing.
Haroku stepped closer without realizing it.
"There's… so much on it…" he murmured.
Every part of it was filled. No empty space. Some symbols glowed faintly, others looked carved—older, heavier, like they carried weight beyond meaning.
I stood beside him.
"This isn't any human language."
He turned toward me.
"Then how do we read it?"
I looked toward the presence in the room.
"My spirit will explain it."
The air responded.
A faint movement.
The roll reacted.
For a moment, the symbols brightened—
And then—
A voice.
Not spoken.
Not heard.
Felt.
It didn't reach our ears.
It reached our minds.
And it began.
---
How to kill Jason?
The words alone were enough to send a chill through Haroku.
This wasn't just information.
This was a path.
A decision.
A point of no return.
The voice continued.
Hello, my Symen…
My chest tightened.
I knew that tone.
Even through the spirit…
I knew.
I know you asked the spirit to read this. Thank you… for taking this step. For my revenge… and for our family.
Haroku looked at me.
I didn't need to see him to know.
He understood.
And also… for Hinamoruka Hills.
That name again.
Everything kept leading back to it.
Now listen carefully.
First… go to my Spirit Palace.
Haroku's reaction was immediate.
Meet them. Train with them.
No room for interpretation.
Then… all of you must fight Jason.
Not just you. The entire Spirit Palace.
And I know… you already know where to go.
I lowered my gaze slightly.
Yes, i did.
Now go… and do what I couldn't.
Your grandfather.
A pause.
Then—
Sekonami Shinji.
The glow faded.
The symbols returned to their still state.
The presence in the room calmed.
Everything looked the same again.
But nothing was the same.
Haroku didn't speak.
Not immediately.
I didn't either.
My eyes were still on the roll—
But I wasn't seeing it anymore, I was somewhere else.
Memories.
Fragments.
His voice.
His words.
It felt like a responsibility.
Haroku stepped closer.
"Bro…"
I didn't respond.
Then his tone changed.
Stronger.
"Didn't you hear what he said?"
I blinked.
He looked straight at me.
"He told you to do what he couldn't."
A pause.
"So don't stand here like this."
His voice carried force now.
"Let's do it."
Simple but encouraging word's by him.
I looked at him.
And then—
I smiled.
Slightly.
"Yeah…"
"I'll do it."
I paused.
Then corrected myself.
"No."
I met his eyes.
"We will do it."
Haroku smiled instantly.
"Yeah."
No hesitation.
No doubt.
In that moment—
It wasn't just my fight anymore.
It was ours.
The presence in the room shifted again.
The spirit.
Active once more.
Its voice echoed—soft, but clear.
"So… tonight, you stay here."
We both looked around.
Listening.
"Tomorrow… you leave."
A pause.
Then—
"I will come with you."
Haroku exhaled slowly.
The presence was still strange.
Still unsettling.
But now—
It was on our side.
I nodded.
"Alright."