The balance didn't last.
It never does.
For a brief moment—
Haruki had matched it.
Movement for movement.
Instinct against instinct.
But that moment—
Was already fading.
The creature shifted again.
Not drastically.
Not visibly.
But enough.
Haruki felt it before he saw it.
A subtle change in timing.
A difference in intent.
Then—
It moved.
Faster.
A strike aimed directly at his blind spot.
Haruki reacted—
Barely dodging.
"…It sped up again…" he muttered.
Karin tightened her grip.
"…You've gotta be kidding me."
The creature didn't pause this time.
No hesitation.
No curiosity.
It attacked again.
And again.
And again.
Haruki blocked.
Dodged.
Countered.
But he was being pushed back.
Step by step.
His breathing grew heavier.
Not just from the fight—
But from the pressure.
It's not stopping…
It's not slowing down…
A flicker of vision.
He ignored it.
Another.
Ignored.
But something was wrong.
Without the visions—
He was slower.
Not mentally—
Physically.
The creature exploited that instantly.
A feint—
Then a real strike.
Haruki misread it.
The blow landed.
He was thrown back across the snow.
"…Haruki!"
Karin moved—
But Raizen's arm blocked her path.
"…Don't."
She froze.
"…What?! He—"
"…He's not done."
Haruki pushed himself up.
His body screamed in protest.
But he stood.
"…Why… didn't you step in…" he said, breathing uneven.
Raizen didn't move.
"…Because I won't."
That answer—
Was colder than the snow beneath them.
"…If I step in now…"
Raizen continued,
"…you'll rely on me the next time."
Haruki's jaw tightened.
"…I'm not—"
"…You already are."
Silence.
The creature began to move again.
Slowly.
Deliberately.
As if—
Waiting.
Haruki exhaled.
"…Fine."
He stepped forward.
Again.
"No more shortcuts…"
His eyes steadied.
"No more waiting."
The creature lunged.
Haruki moved.
Not perfectly.
But without hesitation.
The clash resumed.
This time—
Haruki didn't try to control anything.
He didn't try to predict.
He didn't try to outthink.
He just fought.
The difference was immediate.
Not overwhelming—
But noticeable.
He reacted faster.
Not because he saw more—
But because he doubted less.
Karin watched closely.
"…He's stabilizing…" she said.
Raizen remained silent.
But his gaze—
Didn't waver.
The creature adapted again.
But this time—
Haruki adjusted with it.
Not through visions—
But through experience.
Every strike taught him something.
Every mistake—
Refined him.
He still got hit.
Still stumbled.
Still fell behind—
But not for long.
"…I see it now…" he muttered.
Another clash.
This time—
He didn't get pushed back.
The creature's strike came—
He deflected it.
A follow-up—
He dodged.
A third—
He countered.
Karin's eyes widened slightly.
"…He's keeping up…"
Not perfectly.
But enough.
The creature stepped back.
Its body flickered again.
But not like before.
This wasn't instability.
This was—
Change.
"…It's evolving again," Karin said.
"…Of course it is," Haruki replied.
But this time—
He didn't sound frustrated.
He sounded—
Ready.
The creature's form sharpened.
More defined.
More real.
Then—
It vanished.
Haruki didn't panic.
Didn't search.
Didn't think.
He moved.
Instinctively.
The attack came from behind—
And missed.
A second strike—
Blocked.
A third—
Dodged.
Haruki exhaled slowly.
"…You can change all you want…"
He stepped forward.
"…I'll keep up."
The creature attacked again.
Faster.
Sharper.
Haruki matched it.
Blow for blow.
Movement for movement.
And this time—
He wasn't falling behind.
Raizen watched.
And for the first time—
A faint shift in his expression.
Not quite approval.
But—
Recognition.
"…Good," he said quietly.
Karin smirked.
"…Took him long enough."
The fight intensified.
Snow scattered with every movement.
The air itself seemed to tremble.
But the difference now—
Was clear.
Haruki wasn't chasing the fight anymore.
He was part of it.
The creature lunged—
He met it head-on.
Their clash echoed through the clearing.
For a moment—
Everything stood still.
Then—
They both moved.
At the same time.
Equal.
Haruki's breath steadied.
His movements sharpened.
Not perfect.
But real.
"…This is enough…" he whispered.
Not as a conclusion—
But as a beginning.
The creature stepped back again.
Watching him.
Not as prey.
But as something—
Worthy.
And Haruki—
Didn't look away.