The moment the word left my lips—
"Hekonami."
Reality fractured.
Haroku stood rigidly beside me, his eyes squeezed shut exactly as I had instructed.
"Haroku," I said, my voice cutting cleanly through the dead air. "Open your eyes."
My tone was perfectly steady, but I knew what he was about to witness.
He opened them slowly.
For a brief second, he blinked rapidly, his vision struggling to adjust as if waking from a deep, disorienting sleep. Then, he saw it.
The scroll resting on the table had changed.
It wasn't just lying there anymore. It was unrolling on its own, peeling back inch by inch, guided by a completely invisible force.
Dense, intricate symbols covered every square inch of the parchment. They weren't written in ink. They were alive. The runes shifted and pulsed faintly, breathing in a slow, synchronized rhythm.
Haroku took an unconscious step forward. "There's... so much on it," he murmured.
There was no blank space. Some of the symbols glowed with a faint, ethereal light, while others looked deeply carved into the paper, carrying a heavy, ancient weight that defied logical explanation.
I stood beside him. "This isn't written in any human language."
He turned to me. "Then how are we supposed to read it?"
I shifted my gaze toward the invisible presence filling the room. "My guardian spirit will translate."
The air vibrated in response.
The scroll reacted instantly, the symbols flaring brilliantly before settling into a steady hum.
And then, the voice came.
It wasn't spoken aloud. It didn't vibrate against our eardrums. It bypassed our physical senses entirely, echoing directly inside our minds.
How to kill Jason.
The opening words alone were enough to send a visible chill down Haroku's spine. This wasn't just hidden lore or background information. It was a tactical path. A point of no return.
The telepathic voice continued, carrying the distinct, unwavering cadence of an old man.
Hello, Symen.
My chest tightened. I knew that tone instantly. Even filtered through an ancient spirit, I knew exactly who was speaking.
I know you asked the guardian to read this. Thank you... for taking this step. For finishing my revenge... and for defending our bloodline.
Haroku cast a sideways glance at me. I didn't need to look back to know he understood the absolute gravity of it.
And also... for the Hinamoruka Hills.
There was that name again. Every single thread kept leading back to the exact same location.
Now, listen carefully. First... you must go to my Spirit Palace.
Haroku's reaction was immediate, his eyes widening.
Meet them. Train with them, the voice commanded, leaving zero room for interpretation. Then... all of you must fight Jason together. Not just you alone. The entire strength of the Spirit Palace.
And I know... you already know exactly where to go.
I lowered my gaze to the floor. Yes. I did.
Now go... and do what I couldn't.
A long, heavy pause echoed in our minds.
Your grandfather. Sekonami Shinji.
The ethereal glow instantly faded. The living symbols went dormant, settling back into static ink. The oppressive presence in the room calmed, retreating to the corners of the house.
Everything looked normal again. But absolutely nothing was the same.
Haroku didn't speak. Not immediately.
Neither did I. My eyes were still locked onto the dormant scroll, but I wasn't seeing the paper anymore. I was trapped in a flood of memories. Fragments of the past. The sound of his final breath. The crushing weight of the responsibility he had just formally handed down to me.
Haroku took a decisive step closer. "Bro..."
I didn't respond.
His tone instantly shifted, growing much stronger. "Didn't you hear what he just said?"
I blinked, pulling myself out of the trance. He was looking straight at me, his expression hard and resolute.
"He told you to do what he couldn't," Haroku said, letting the words sink in. "So don't just stand here staring at a piece of paper."
His voice carried real force now.
"Let's do it."
It was a simple push, but it was exactly what I needed to hear.
I looked at him. And slowly, a faint, determined smile broke across my face.
"Yeah..." I said. "I'll do it."
I paused, then shook my head, correcting myself.
"No." I met his eyes directly. "We will do it."
Haroku smiled instantly, the tension melting away. "Yeah."
There was no hesitation left. No lingering doubt. In that exact moment, it stopped being just a personal blood feud. It became our fight.
The guardian's presence suddenly shifted again, flaring with active energy. Its voice echoed through the room—soft, but razor-clear.
"Tonight, you stay here and rest."
We both looked around the empty space, listening closely.
"Tomorrow... you leave for the Palace."
A brief pause.
"And I will come with you."
Haroku exhaled a slow, shaky breath. The entity was still incredibly strange, and its sheer power was deeply unsettling. But knowing it was actively on our side changed the odds entirely.
I gave a firm nod to the empty room.
"Alright."