Haru didn't answer.
Instead, he adjusted the sleeve on his arm calmly, his eyes fixed ahead as if nothing had happened.
Matsamaru's voice came out low. "That wasn't Chimaru… or not the one we knew."
They all took a step back unconsciously.
Shino gritted his teeth. "What the hell happened to you, Chimaru?"
Akira faced Haru, who was also behind them.
"Was that speed?" he asked.
Henji and Matsamaru turned slowly toward the rubble, where Chimaru was already standing—rising from the rumble like he hadn't even been scratched.
Akira turned to Haru, his voice low but sharp.
"Was that… speed?"
Chimaru rose slowly from the rubble, unscathed. Not a wound, not a flinch. His eyes, calm. His presence, heavier than before.
Like nothing had touched him
He said nothing.
Time skipped—like a frame out of place.
In an instant, he was right in front of Akira, blade flashing down.
But before it could land, Haru blinked into view—his fist already buried in Chimaru's gut.
The impact was thunderous. Chimaru's body folded, then flew—ripping through the air, crashing into rubble with a distant
BOOM
Akira stood frozen, eyes wide.
"Wh... what was that…? Why is he going after me?"
Haru lowered his smoking fist, his voice calm but heavy.
"He's been consumed… by the Mizuno Kōban."
"Eh?" Hiro snapped his head toward him.
"You mean… that was the Laki spirit?"
Matsamaru's face drained of color.
"EHH?!! You mean Chimaru's possessed—like how Akira and Giyu were?!"
Haru sighed deeply, the weight of his words settling in the air.
"No... he can't be. If the Laki Spirit had truly taken over Chimaru, then there's no coming back."
He glanced ahead, eyes sharp.
"The Laki Spirit is universal—omnipotent, omniscient, omnipresent... and far beyond concepts or creation itself. It's said to be the beginning of all things. There was nothing before it. And we… we came after."
He narrowed his gaze.
"If Chimaru was the Laki Spirit… I wouldn't have been able to keep up with that speed."
Chimaru rose from the rubble, dust trailing off his body like smoke. His voice came out—deep, hollow, echoing as if layered with something ancient.
"You are correct..."
He stepped forward, each word soaked in a terrifying calm.
"At last, I'm free from that wench... After an eternity."
The group froze as Chimaru's eyes gleamed unnaturally.
"I don't know how he managed to wield the Mizuno Kōban… but somehow, he visualized Laki—without passing through the Guardian."
He tilted his head slightly, his voice now laced with a cruel smile.
"And for that... he paid the price."
"I... AM... FREE!"
The scream shattered the silence, echoing like thunder from the depths of something not of this world.
Haru closed his eyes calmly, unfazed by the eruption.
"Guys..." his voice was low but clear, "this is a beast of Laki—a creature cast down into Laki from the other side."
Hiro blinked, confused. "Other side? What do you mean—?"
Haru took a slow step forward, the ground cracking subtly beneath his foot.
"This isn't Chimaru. No matter what we do to this, it won't reach him. Which means—"
In the blink of an eye, Haru vanished from sight—reappearing right in front of the possessed figure, eyes blazing.
"We beat the demon out of him."
Chimaru staggered back two steps, the ground cracking softly beneath his heels, his eyes locked on Haru.
"Haru, right? That's your name…"
Haru didn't flinch. He stood unmoved, his gaze steady—silent.
"I heard of you… in Laki."
A subtle twitch crossed Haru's brow. Just enough to catch it. Concern—not fear.
Chimaru—or rather, the thing speaking through him—tilted his head. His voice echoed unnaturally, as if layered with a thousand whispers.
"The Laki… it encompasses all time and all regions. It was here before here. The earth without form—yet the fate of all things written within it. Every breath you take, every thought ever birthed, Laki knew."
He paused, a grin crawling slowly across his twisted face.
"It was whispered countless times in the shadows of eternity… You. You are Iminaqo Haru—a god."
Everyone stood frozen, tension thick in the air. The weight of Chimaru's words pressed down on them harder than the silence. Just moments ago, they'd escaped an abduction—one that claimed Haru was a god. Now, it echoed again… from something far worse.
Hiro's thoughts raced, eyes narrowed, his breath low.
"What's going on...? Haru… a god? Could he be bluffing?"
His mind flashed back—Hinami said the same thing.
"No… it can't be a coincidence. If even Hinami said it… then—did the village know all along? Is that why they sealed his Honeki?"
A cold sweat slid down his temple.
"Just who… or what… is Haru?"
Everyone's eyes locked onto the two figures—Haru standing firm, unreadable… and Chimaru, or whatever wore his face now, slowly grinning with a haunting calm.
The air grew heavy, the kind that warned of a storm long before it breaks. Dust settled between their feet, the world around them eerily still, as if even nature held its breath.
No one dared speak. No one moved.
All they could do was watch—two forces, unblinking, unmoving—tension thick enough to snap steel. Trying to understand what kind of history or fate now stood between them.
Haru didn't flinch—his body still, but his presence sharp like a drawn blade. He was already reading the beast.
Chimaru slowly closed his eyes.
"Very well... I'll fight you all. I mean... it's fun, riiiiight? Eheheh..."
The chuckle echoed, distorted and unstable, as his eyes snapped open—glowing with eerie malice.
In a blur, he vanished.
The wind split.
CLANG!
He reappeared mid-swing, slashing his sword toward Haru.
Haru ducked instantly to the right—the blade sliced air to the left, just inches from his face.
Without pause, they launched into a brutal exchange.
Sparks lit the air.
Blades whirled.
Dust exploded from every missed strike.
But to Hiro and the others… it was all a blur.
Only faint glimpses.
Only sounds.
Only pressure.
The battle was too fast for their eyes. Too violent for their senses.
They watched, powerless—witnessing gods in motion.
Henji's eyes were wide, unable to hide the shock.
"That's... that's some speed Chimaru's got. He's matching Haru-san step for step now—like he's on the same level when it comes to speed..."
Shino snapped back, his voice sharp.
"Shut it! That's not Chimaru—or whatever the hell that thing is!! We didn't even get a damn moment to breathe before another monster comes crashing in... Tsk."
Akira said nothing. He just stood, arms folded, silently processing the whirlwind of destruction unfolding before them. Every movement, every clash—it was overwhelming.
Hiro stood frozen, thoughts racing behind his tired eyes.
"Wait... is this because he's an Iminaqo? Or is it because of the Syogen?"
He looked at Haru, still calm amid chaos.
"Everyone calls him strong... even without seeing his Honeki. Is that power... or is it something deeper?"
Chimaru slid backward, feet barely touching the ground, his sword dragging with a haunting screech as he drew it behind him.
On the other side, Haru slid back too—this time, on one knee, back turned toward the group.
Matsamaru's eyes narrowed, glinting with realization. "I can see it…"
Everyone turned to him. Hiro leaned forward, curiosity piqued. "See what?"
Matsamaru didn't blink. "Haru's speed. He's holding back against Chimaru… No—he's far faster than before. Five times, maybe more… he might even be moving instantaneously."
They all let out a breath—silent, shaken.
Haru rose calmly to his feet. The group instinctively focused on him.
"He's a beast. A Water Dragon."
Henji tilted his head, confused. "Water dragon?"
Haru's voice remained low, unwavering.
"According to the SHIRÉ… when using Mizuno Kōban, the soul must dive entirely into Laki. You feel the ocean's infinity. You become it. But Chimaru… he couldn't pull his spirit back. He lost himself in that void."
He looked at the raging figure of Chimaru.
"He was replaced. Not by water, but by what walks over it. A beast that lives with the spirit of Laki—freed without a host. And Chimaru… was taken over."
Hiro turned to Matsamaru, fear flashing in his eyes. "if that's a spirit beast from Laki, then he's got mastery over water-based techniques. Damn it—this is bad…"
Haru cracked his neck, voice calm but firm. "Like I said—we beat the beast out of him. One way or another, Chimaru will either drown in the ocean or find his way back. So when we hit him... don't just strike. Remind him who he is. That might be our only shot at pulling him out."
Shino clenched his teeth, anger rising. "This was your fault from the beginning… Tsk! You manipulated him into this."
Haru turned slightly, one eye sharp as a blade. "Would you have preferred death instead?" His voice dropped, cold. "Because Tanzegtsu won't stop at me. He'll come for your heads next."
Matsamaru tightened the Kurugisama around his hand, eyes fierce, body low in a combat stance. "Let's go save Chimaru—and beat the hell out of that beast!!"
Henji raised his fist, shouting in sync with him, "Yes!!"
But Haru's eyes narrowed as he caught sight of the weapon in Matsamaru's grip.
"Oi," Haru called out, voice serious, "That Kurugisama… it's extremely dangerous."
He took a slow step forward, his eyes never leaving Chimaru.
"If you get cut—even by a splinter of that blade—you will not heal. Not even a drop."
His tone darkened, a weight behind every word.
"Even an immortal… would die by it."