Chapter 7: The Breaking of Chains
The moon's cold surface had started to feel less like a prison and more like the threshold of a new beginning. The souls Haruto had freed from their endless torment hovered around him, their forms glowing softly in the vast emptiness. Their presence was no longer a mass of restless energy; it was now a quiet, almost serene calm that hung in the air like a gentle fog.
Haruto stood at the center of them, still processing what had just happened. He had broken the cycle. These souls, once trapped in the void, had been given the chance to move on. But what next? Where would they go? How would they find peace in a world that had long since lost its balance?
Kaguya stood a few feet away, watching him with an unreadable expression. Her arms were crossed, and she didn't seem to be in a rush to speak. Haruto took a deep breath and turned to face her, the weight of the task at hand pressing down on him.
"The souls... they're calm, but they have nowhere to go," Haruto said, his voice filled with uncertainty. "You said I needed to guide them. But how? What's next?"
Kaguya's eyes softened, and she uncrossed her arms. "The first step is done. You've freed them from their despair. Now, you need to offer them a place to rest. But that's not all. There's more to this than just moving souls. This world, this moon, can become the foundation for something new. Something real."
Haruto frowned. "Something new?"
Kaguya nodded, her expression growing serious. "Yes. You will need to create a place for them to pass through—a true afterlife. A place where their journey isn't merely an end, but a continuation. That is where you must go. But first, we must deal with the other souls—the ones who still cling to the world of the living."
Haruto's eyes narrowed, sensing the weight of her words. "The living world? You mean… the souls who have not yet passed on?"
"Yes," Kaguya replied, her voice cool and calm. "They are the ones who will cause the most trouble. The souls who don't belong, the ones who refuse to move on and instead become corrupt. Hollow."
Haruto tensed, his mind flashing back to the dark shadows he had seen on the horizon earlier. "The ones who turn into monsters."
"Exactly," Kaguya said. "These corrupted souls—Hollows—are the result of the cycle being broken. They are the embodiment of unchecked death. They devour anything they encounter. If we don't stop them, they will spread and consume everything in their path, including the souls you've freed."
Haruto clenched his fists, the urgency of the situation finally hitting him. If he didn't act, everything he had done would be for nothing. These souls, the ones he had tried so hard to save, would be torn apart by those twisted creatures. He couldn't allow that.
"How do I stop them?" he asked, his voice steady with resolve.
Kaguya stepped closer, her gaze piercing. "You have the power to control death, Haruto. You are no longer merely a mortal man. You are a being of death, of souls. Use that power. But know this: you cannot do this alone. You will need others—those who understand this world, this balance. The Shinigami."
Haruto's brow furrowed. "Shinigami?"
"Yes. They are beings who oversee the balance between life and death. Their purpose is to ensure that souls who pass on find their way to the afterlife. But in your case, it will not be as simple as that. You will need to create your own Shinigami. They will help you restore order, protect the souls, and fight the Hollows."
Haruto looked out into the distance, his thoughts racing. He had no idea how to create such beings, but if that was what it would take to restore balance, he would do whatever it took.
"And the souls that have already turned?" Haruto asked. "The ones who have become Hollow."
Kaguya's expression darkened. "They must be defeated. But it's not enough to just destroy them. You must purify them. Bring them back to their original form, before they were corrupted. Only then can they pass on peacefully."
Haruto felt a shiver run down his spine. Purifying a Hollow wasn't something he had ever thought about. But as he glanced back at the souls around him, he realized that it was the only way forward.
Kaguya placed a hand on his shoulder, her grip firm. "It will not be easy. You will face challenges beyond what you can imagine. But you must not falter. If you are to restore the balance, you must become something more than you are now. You must become the one who guides death."
Haruto's heart pounded in his chest. The weight of Kaguya's words hung heavily on his mind. But deep down, he knew that there was no turning back. He had stepped into this world, and now he was responsible for its fate.
"I understand," he said quietly, determination settling in his chest. "I'll do whatever it takes."
Kaguya gave him a small, approving nod. "Good. The first step is to return to the living world. There is much to be done there."
Haruto took a final look at the souls he had freed, their forms glowing brightly now, their energy pure. They had been given the chance to rest. And it was time for him to do the same for those still caught in the cycle of death.
With a final nod to Kaguya, Haruto closed his eyes and focused. The energy of the moon, of death itself, surged around him. A portal began to form, swirling with the power of the afterlife.
"Let's begin," Haruto whispered.
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