Time moves violently fast when a deadline is placed on your life.
"If the fight is exactly one year from today," I murmured to myself, staring through the windshield, "then I have just enough time."
For a fleeting moment, my default instincts kicked in. I thought about preparing alone. Up until now, I had always relied on my own strength, my own judgment, and my own isolated way of doing things.
But this wasn't a standard contract. I stopped the thought before it could take root.
"No... not just me," I corrected myself.
"We need to prepare together. We need all eight Elite Spirit Hunters."
It wasn't a simple decision to make. I had never wanted to be a part of the Spirit Hunter Palace. Even though I knew of its existence, and even though my grandfather's legacy was deeply woven into its foundation, I had actively chosen to stay as far away from it as possible.
But the board had been flipped. This was no longer about personal preference or maintaining my independence.
This was entirely about survival. And revenge.
From the passenger seat, Haroku noticed how long I had been quiet. He shifted his weight, turning to look at me.
"Symen," Haroku called out, breaking the silence in the cabin. "So, where exactly are we going?"
I kept my eyes on the road and replied calmly. "We're currently in the Hinamoruka Hills. The Spirit Hunter Palace headquarters is located not very far from here. That's our next stop."
Haroku nodded slowly, taking in the information. "So we're finally going there."
He let a brief pause settle between us before asking his next question. "By the way... your grandfather. Was he just a highly ranked Spirit Hunter?"
"No, Haroku," I answered. "He wasn't just a Spirit Hunter."
Haroku waited for me to finish the thought.
"He was the main leader of the entire Spirit Hunter Palace in the year 1967."
Haroku's eyebrows shot up in genuine surprise. "Oh. Well, that makes a lot of sense. No wonder Koshido said your grandfather was an absolute monster in his prime."
"Maybe," I said.
But my voice didn't carry its usual confidence. Instead, there was a heavy trace of uncertainty.
"Because the truth is... I don't even know everything about my grandfather," I admitted. "Or about the Palace itself."
Haroku looked completely confused. "You don't know?"
I shook my head. "No. I only know fragments. Most of the critical details were kept from me."
Haroku thought about that for a second. "So what do you actually know about the Spirit Hunter Palace?"
I took a moment to organize my thoughts before answering.
"I know that there are eight Spirit Hunters who hold the title of Elite," I told him. "They are the strongest among all of them. They aren't normal exorcists. Their raw power, their combat experience, and their skill sets are on a completely different level."
Haroku listened intently.
"Apart from the Elites," I added, "there is a massive roster of regular Spirit Hunters. But they are mainly responsible for perimeter security, gathering intel, and handling lower-tier missions."
Haroku nodded, piecing the hierarchy together. "That makes sense. So the eight are basically the core strike team."
"Yes," I agreed. "Exactly."
I let out a slow breath before continuing. "My grandfather told me something important right before he died."
Haroku looked at me, waiting.
"He told me that after he was gone, I needed to join the Palace."
"And what did you decide back then?" Haroku asked.
I answered honestly. "I refused."
Haroku looked slightly taken aback. "You just flat-out refused?"
"Yes," I said. "I had zero interest in joining them. I didn't want to be dragged into the politics of that world. I wanted to handle things my own way."
A short, heavy silence filled the car.
"But now," I continued, my voice turning cold, "things are different."
Haroku looked at me, his expression turning serious.
"I'm going to them now because I need power," I stated, my tone absolute. "I need strength. To kill Jason."
Haroku smiled slightly. "Nice, bro. At least now you have a crystal-clear goal."
I didn't respond to the praise. My focus was entirely locked onto the logistics of what we had to do next.
After a moment, Haroku asked another practical question. "But like you said earlier... these are elite, highly guarded Hunters. How are we supposed to get past their security?"
I offered a faint, grim smile. "They'll recognize us."
Haroku looked curious. "How?"
"We just need to say a name," I answered simply.
Haroku raised an eyebrow. "Which name?"
I looked at him briefly before turning back to the road. "Sekonami Shinji."
Haroku repeated the syllables slowly, testing the weight of them. "Sekonami Shinji... That sounds like a heavy passkey."
"It is."
Haroku adjusted his posture in the seat. "So, how far is this headquarters from our current position?"
"Around forty to fifty kilometers," I replied.
Haroku let out a small breath. "That's quite a drive." He rolled his shoulders, his expression shifting back to his usual combat-ready determination. "Alright. Let's finish the journey."
I nodded. "Yeah."
We continued moving forward, the car eating up the miles of empty asphalt. The mental fog that had clouded my judgment over the past few days was completely gone. The path ahead was brutally clear. I needed to reach the Palace, meet the Elites, and forge us into weapons capable of surviving the one-year deadline.
I also knew it wasn't going to be a simple walk through the front door.
Locating the Palace was just step one. Gaining the trust of the strongest hunters on the planet, understanding their power scale, and proving we deserved to stand alongside them would take an immense amount of blood and effort.
But I was ready. The decision was already made.
From the passenger seat, Haroku was radiating a mix of nervous excitement and curiosity. This was entirely new territory for him. The idea of meeting the legends of the underground and becoming part of an actual army was thrilling to a fighter like him.
But at the same time, he fully understood the gravity of the timeline. This wasn't a training camp adventure.
After driving for another stretch of miles, Haroku spoke up again.
"Symen," he asked, looking out the window. "Do you actually think these Spirit Hunters will accept us easily?"
"I don't know," I answered bluntly.
Haroku looked over at me.
"But if they recognize my grandfather's name... it might open the door," I added.
Haroku nodded. "I really hope so." He offered a dry smile. "Because I really don't want to have to fight a bunch of Elites before we even officially join them."
I gave a slight, acknowledging smirk. "That would definitely complicate things."
We continued down the road, the tires humming against the pavement. Every mile brought us closer to the Society's gates. Every mile ticked a minute off the one-year clock.