"Memory?"
The word left Haru's lips like a whisper—fragile, broken, human.
His stance fell.
Arms loose.
Guard dropped completely.
From afar, the rest of the team tensed.
Henji squinted.
"He dropped his guard… completely. What the hell is happening? Don't tell me Chimaru's possessing Haru-san too?"
Shino clenched his fists, frustration boiling over.
"Oii! Haru, you shithead! SAY something!"
But Haru didn't flinch. Didn't blink. Just stood there.
The silence stretched like a noose.
Akira's voice finally cut through it, calm and steady.
"We wait."
They all turned to him.
"He can't be possessed… not Haru. This is different."
The team exchanged uneasy glances, eyes flickering back to Haru—
silent, drenched in Laki water, blood trailing from his ear… and completely unguarded.
Whatever was happening,
They wait it out.
Matsamaru couldn't tear his eyes away from Haru. His expression was tight—jaw clenched, brows drawn low—not from fear, but worry. A silent kind of concern that weighed on his chest like stone.
Hiro, watching him from the side, caught the look.
He glanced at Haru… then back at Matsamaru.
His own face softened, eyes narrowing with quiet sympathy.
Without saying a word, Hiro shifted closer and gave Matsamaru a firm, understanding nod—followed by a subtle squeeze of his shoulder.
"Yeah… I feel it too," Hiro whispered, more to himself than anyone.
Something wasn't right.
Not with Haru.
Not with any of this.
Back at Haru, Chimaru let out a dry chuckle. "Oi oi, weren't we just fighting a second ago? Why the sudden interrogation?"
But Haru didn't even blink. His tone remained flat, distant. "Isn't that your fault?"
Chimaru blinked. "Eh?"
Haru's gaze sharpened, still unreadable. "The only reason I was able to slip into the ocean… was because you were missing."
Chimaru's eyes darted, clearly unsettled. "What are you saying?"
Haru's voice cut through the air .
"The beasts of Laki—those born from its depths—were created to block any form of invasion through the ocean. No one is meant to pass through that current. Not without a cost. But your absence created an opening. A fracture."
Chimaru tensed, his fists slowly curling. "I didn't intend—"
"That doesn't change what happened," Haru interrupted, eyes unwavering. "You weren't there. So something else got in."
The air between them thickened. A silence heavy with truth.
From the distance, Matsamaru stared. "Something's wrong…"
Haru dulled his eyes even more, his voice lowering. "Return, Chimaru… then the ocean will still be your home. Those are the words of the Laki spirit."
Chimaru let out a dry, mocking laugh. "Oii. Who are you planning on fooling with that? Just because you travelled through Laki doesn't mean I'm an idiot."
Haru didn't flinch. His expression remained unreadable. "I saw this in my memory… you'll move three steps backwards."
Chimaru froze. For a second, nothing happened—then, as if compelled by something beyond himself, he stepped back once… twice… and then a third time. Stunned, his eyes widened in disbelief.
Akira responded quietly, "No. Something already went wrong."
"You will look at the steps," Haru said calmly, "and then face me."
Without hesitation, Chimaru obeyed, his movements almost mechanical. Then Haru continued, "But… you didn't believe me when I told you to return, Chimaru."
Far behind, Henji squinted at the scene. He noticed Chimaru stepping back, following Haru's words exactly. His voice rose with confusion, "Haru-san is winning somehow… Is this body language? No, maybe they're insulting themselves… or some part of themselves?"
Chimaru clenched his teeth, frustration flashing across his face.
"You! How did you remember all this?!" he barked.
"You shouldn't be able to understand… or even recall anything from a memory… Tsk!"
He clicked his tongue and narrowed his eyes.
"Fine. I'll return," he growled, his voice low and reluctant. "But that will require help… from your side as well."
Haru's eyes remained locked onto him, calm yet unwavering.
"I know," he said quietly. "Let's cooperate… and bring Chimaru back from the Shadow Prison."
He took a slow step forward.
"A place where intruders are cast… Maybe there, we'll also find the answers to the transporter."
Haru finally turned to face the team.
They all shouted at once, voices rising in disbelief,
"Oiiii!! He's facing us! What happened?!"
In a flash, Haru appeared right in front of Hiro. Hiro instinctively stepped back as Haru spoke flatly,
"Chimaru and I are cooperating. We're heading somewhere else."
The team froze.
Shino stepped forward, irritation in his voice,
"Oi oi oi! Where?! What the hell are you saying?"
Haru cut in without hesitation,
"We're heading to the Shadow Prison to save Chimaru."
Hiro's eyes widened, his voice shaking,
"Wait... This is absurd! This isn't like the other missions!"
Haru closed his eyes for a moment, then turned silently and began walking back toward Chimaru.
Matsamaru stepped forward, concern in his voice.
"Your body is soaked... What happened just now?"
None of them moved. They just watched as Haru walked ahead, his steps steady and deliberate.
Without turning back, Haru spoke.
"Return to the village. The seal has already been broken by Hinami. I'll return… with Chimaru."
They all watched in silence as Haru walked away, his presence felt distant now—like he was already somewhere else entirely.
He reached Chimaru, his tone calm but edged with urgency.
"How? How are we going to reach the Shadow Prison?"
Chimaru gave a faint smile, something unsettling behind it.
"A terrifying master of Water techniques… only someone like that can channel the path to the Shadow Prison. You'll imagine it—shape it—however you desire… and it will manifest exactly that way."
He paused, his eyes cold.
"He misused Laki… and he paid the price. His body is just a shell now. The only way to bring him back is through the Shadow Prison."
Then, he faced Haru directly.
"So… are you ready?"
Haru remained silent, his expression cold and unreadable as ever.
Behind him, Matsamaru clenched his fists, unable to hold back anymore. His eyes burned with emotion as he suddenly sprinted forward.
"We're going with you—together!"
But before he could get close, Chimaru calmly raised his palm. In an instant, Matsamaru froze mid-step, his body locking up unnaturally before collapsing to the ground—conscious, but paralyzed.
Haru's eyes narrowed slightly.
"What did you just do?"
Chimaru tilted his head, a small smirk forming.
"I'm a terrifying water user, remember? Everyone has blood... and blood is mostly water. I simply altered the fluid in his body. Just enough to hold him down for a few minutes."
The rest of the team rushed to Matsamaru's side, panic and concern flooding their faces.
Haru glanced down at him, then back at Chimaru.
"You could've used that on us before. Why didn't you?"
Chimaru didn't answer right away. Instead, he turned as a swirling water portal opened behind him, its currents glowing faintly with Laki energy.
"I guess... I was being rational."