The gap closed.
Not slowly.
Not gradually.
Instantly.
The creature was faster now.
Not just in movement—
But in thought.
Haruki felt it.
That shift.
Before, it reacted.
Now—
It anticipated.
A flicker of vision.
The creature lunging.
Haruki dodging.
Counter—
He moved.
But the moment he did—
The creature changed.
Mid-motion.
Its strike curved—
Adjusting to his dodge.
Haruki's eyes widened.
It saw that?
The attack grazed past him—
Closer than before.
"…This isn't working," he muttered.
Karin dashed in from the side.
Her blade cut through the air—
The creature blocked.
Effortlessly.
Then countered.
Fast.
Karin barely raised her guard in time—
The impact forced her back.
"…It's reading us!" she said.
"…No," Haruki replied, breathing uneven.
"…It's learning us."
Raizen's voice came from behind.
"…And you're still trying to predict it."
Haruki clenched his jaw.
"…That's all I can do."
"…Wrong."
That word hit harder than any attack.
Haruki froze for a fraction of a second—
And that was enough.
The creature appeared in front of him.
Too fast.
Too close.
A strike—
Direct.
Haruki's vision flared—
Too late.
He raised his arm—
The impact sent him crashing into the snow.
"…Haruki!"
Karin moved immediately—
Intercepting the creature before it could follow up.
Their clash rang through the clearing.
Sharp.
Violent.
Haruki lay still for a moment.
The world spinning.
The visions—
Fragmented.
Unstable.
"…Get up," Raizen said.
Not loud.
Not urgent.
But absolute.
Haruki forced himself up.
His body ached.
But that wasn't what mattered.
"…What did I do wrong…?" he asked under his breath.
Raizen stepped closer.
"…You're relying on something that no longer applies."
"…My visions?"
"…Your dependency."
Haruki's eyes narrowed.
"…Then what am I supposed to do?"
Raizen didn't answer immediately.
Instead—
He pointed.
At the creature.
At Karin.
"Watch."
Karin fought alone.
And she was struggling.
Not because she was weak—
But because the creature was adapting to her.
Every strike—
Countered.
Every movement—
Read.
And yet—
She kept attacking.
Without hesitation.
Without overthinking.
Haruki's eyes widened slightly.
She's not trying to predict it…
She's just moving.
"…You think too far ahead," Raizen said.
"…And in doing so…"
"…you fall behind."
Another clash.
Karin dodged—
Barely.
Her breathing grew heavier.
"…Tch… this thing…"
Haruki stepped forward.
"…Switch."
Karin didn't argue.
She moved back instantly.
Trusting him.
The creature turned.
Its gaze locked onto Haruki again.
That same focus.
That same awareness.
"…Alright…" Haruki muttered.
"…Let's try something different."
The creature moved.
Haruki didn't wait for a vision.
Didn't wait for confirmation.
He moved first.
The attack missed.
Not because he saw it—
But because he acted.
The creature paused.
Again.
That moment of recalculation.
Haruki pressed forward.
No hesitation.
No overthinking.
The next exchange was messy.
Unrefined.
Imperfect.
But it worked.
The creature reacted—
But not perfectly.
Because Haruki wasn't following a pattern anymore.
A vision flickered—
He ignored it.
Another one—
He ignored that too.
"…Stop relying on it…" he whispered to himself.
"…Just move."
The creature attacked.
Fast.
Haruki reacted—
Not based on foresight—
But instinct.
He dodged.
Clean.
Karin watched from behind.
"…He's changing…" she said softly.
Raizen didn't respond.
But his gaze sharpened.
The fight intensified.
Blow after blow.
Movement after movement.
Haruki wasn't perfect.
He took hits.
Close ones.
But he didn't stop.
More importantly—
He didn't hesitate.
The creature adapted again.
Faster.
Sharper.
But this time—
So did Haruki.
Not through visions.
But through experience.
Through instinct.
Through trust in himself.
"…This is it…" he muttered.
"…This is what I was missing."
Another clash.
This time—
Haruki didn't fall behind.
He matched it.
For the first time—
They were equal.
The creature stepped back.
Not forced—
But willingly.
Its head tilted again.
But this time—
Not in curiosity.
In recognition.
"…You see it now," Raizen said quietly.
Haruki exhaled.
"…Yeah."
"This isn't about seeing the future…"
Another step forward.
The snow crunching beneath his feet.
"…It's about being ready for anything."
The creature moved again.
Faster than before.
Stronger.
Haruki smiled faintly.
Not out of confidence—
But understanding.
"Come on."
This time—
He didn't wait.
And this time—
He wasn't too slow.