Hiro walked alone, anger etched deep on his face. His eyes darted left and right, moving silently through the eerie, quiet village. The sun beat down harshly, while the distant chirping of crickets filled the heavy air.
In his mind, Hiro thought,
"If what Haru told me is true... then this cycle will never end. No matter who Giyu really is, we'll never find out—there's no proof his body was ever switched. Damn... this is frustrating."
Suddenly, a shadow flickered on his left. Hiro's eyes snapped sharply toward it, scanning the darkness in an instant.
Hiro screamed, his voice sharp and commanding.
"OI. WHO ARE YOU?!"
Silence answered him—only the chirping of crickets filled the air.
His mind raced. *There haven't been crickets in this village since we arrived... What's happening? How did they suddenly appear?*
He stepped cautiously toward the shadow where the movement had flickered. Every muscle tensed, his eyes locked on the dark corner, waiting.
Then—
Split... Purrrrrrrr.
Blood burst forth like a broken tap, splattering everywhere.
Hiro's eyes went wide. Sweat dripped down his face as his gaze locked onto his trembling hand, stained red.
His pinky finger slipped from his grasp, falling to the blood-soaked ground with a heavy splash. Crimson spread swiftly, staining the floor beneath him.
Inside the shelter, Matsamaru walked slowly, his mind consumed by Hiro's words echoing relentlessly:
"Who do you think is Giyu, among the two?"
He shook his head repeatedly, trying to push the thought away—but it wouldn't leave him.
Those words echoed relentlessly in his mind. He shook his head violently, desperate to clear the noise—until a sudden, sharp shout cut through the silence:
"MATSAMARU!! RUN!! RUN!!"
Matsamaru whipped around, catching the distant shout—"Hiro? What's he talking about? Could this be his—"
Before he could finish, agony struck: his left foot's toes were sliced off, followed immediately by his left wrist being severed.
Matsamaru's eyes shot wide open as he stared at the severed limb lying on the ground.
"Eh?"
For a moment, he was frozen—stunned into silence—before a sharp, piercing scream tore through the air.
"Ahhhhhhhh!!!" A cold shiver shot through his core. Without hesitation, he spun around and bolted like a wild animal, trembling uncontrollably. Hands hitting the ground to steady himself, he sprang back up—and ran faster than ever, desperate to escape whatever hunted him.
Hiro stood his ground, steady and unmoved. As he stepped back, he sensed it—a powerful surge of Honeki crashing down from above. He rolled away just in time, but an unseen force slammed into the ground beside him, triggering a massive explosion that threw him violently across the dirt.
He tumbled recklessly, pain flaring through his body, but somehow managed to steady himself, kneeling back into a fighting stance. His once pristine white inner robe was now stained with blood and mud.
A figure emerged—an ominous presence that screamed, *"He's here."* An eternal force had arrived at last.
A worthy antagonist whose power alone could obliterate the entire village without breaking a sweat...
HINAMI NIMO.
The true S-rank demon—the leader of the Nimo Bandits, a ruthless organization strong enough to overpower entire villages.
His arrival marked a turning point. Things had escalated beyond what anyone in this world could have ever imagined.
"Oi. Where's Haru Iminaqo?"
Hiro's eyes narrowed as he studied the man. "Haru?"
A smirk curled on the man's lips. "Who are you? Part of Giyu's team, maybe?"
His tone hardened. "Giyu… where is he?"
Hiro rose slowly, blood dripping from his hand. "Who do you want to see? Giyu or Haru?"
From the shadows, a group emerged—sixteen men clad in black ninja robes, each marked with the same tattoo but dressed simpler than their leader.
Hiro's gaze darted around, realizing he was trapped. The man in front of him, cold and unbothered, seemed indifferent to his very presence.
A nervous smile flickered on Hiro's lips as a chilling thought struck him: He could order my death without blinking… or kill me in seconds.
He met the man's deadly stare, feeling the weight of time slipping away, each second ticking down his fate.
Hiro closed his eyes and smiled.
"Oi. Tell me—who do you want to see? Judging by your look, you know Giyu."
Hinami responded immediately, his voice cold and distant.
"It seems Giyu has transferred his soul into one of you. We searched for his original body but came up empty. Apologies."
He said it without conviction, his pale, detached face betraying no emotion.
---
Hiro's eyes snapped wide open. "Ah, so there were two souls sharing that body… and one is possessed by Giyu. A soul shifter and memory eraser—scary stuff. Hey, pale man, did Giyu possess someone on my team to kidnap Haru? But guess what? Haru saw through it immediately!"
Hinami didn't flinch. "We didn't order that."
Hiro stared, completely stunned, words caught in silence. "..."
"That would be foolish. We're fully aware of his intelligence. Giyu acted without my organization's orders. I'm sorry." Hinami's face stayed cold and detached.
Hiro snapped, frustration boiling over. "Liar! You don't look sorry one bit!"
Hinami said nothing, only holding his steady gaze.
Hiro's voice hardened, firm and resolute. "We can't find Haru either. We lost him."
Hinami looked at him for a few seconds, longer than seconds...
He turned back against him and started walking away "Kill him"
Hiro's ear became deaf instantly by that word.
Hiro froze. "Eh?"
"Wait... wait—I know where Haru is! I lied, alright?! I was lying!"
Hinami paused mid-step. Slowly, he turned his head, his pale eyes locking with Hiro's.
A cold silence.
Then—"Die."
The word echoed like thunder in Hiro's chest.
Panicked, Hiro shouted, "WHAT DID YOU EVER BELIEVE?!"
Suddenly—rapid footsteps.
Everyone's attention snapped sideways.
Matsamaru burst from the shadows, his face drenched in tears. "EHHHHH!!! HIROOOOOO!!"
Hiro's eyes widened. "Matsamaru?!"
He barely recognized him.
Matsamaru stumbled forward, arms outstretched—then Hiro saw it.
His legs—severed. Toes gone. His lower limbs trailing blood with every dragging step.
Hiro's expression shattered.
"Matsa..."