'Huh?'
Kagero took a cautious step backwards. "What do you mean?"
The lady's face rested into a neutral expression, before she raised her finger, pointing towards Kagero's arm.
"Take a look at your arm."
Curiously, Kagero turned his attention away from her and shifted his gaze onto his right hand.
But the instant he saw it. His heart sank, his body slightly trembling as he watched in disbelief.
At his withering arm.
The skin on his arm was wilting, like a leaf exposed to harsh flames. All around it, several dark lines stretched visibly, the damage even seeming to seep deep into his bones.
"What the hell?" Kagero gritted his teeth, the pain of his erosion just now getting to him.
'How did I not notice this?'
"It's your human soul." The woman confessed, dragging him out of his thoughts.
"It's not meant to survive in such a world. The energy here is too—" She paused and rolled her eyes as if trying to think up a suitable word.
"Harsh."
"You are in quite the dilemma if you ask me." She rested her fingers beneath her chin with an intrigued smirk.
"If you choose to stay here, your soul would be reduced to nothingness. And if you even think of trying to ask anyone in this world for help?" The woman let out a gentle laugh.
"Let's just say what they'll do to a human— is something I can't say."
Kagero held onto his cracking arm, his eyes widening at her accurate observations.
"Your best bet will be to leave this world."
Watching his helplessness, the woman then sighed, shrugging her shoulders pompously. Much to Kagero's annoyance.
'The hell is she smiling for?' Kagero stared holes into the lady, but her next words immediately froze his annoyed expression.
"I can help you with that." Her eyes gleamed with a shrewd spark. "If you choose to leave."
Kagero was taken aback by her words. But he needed to compose himself and weigh his options wisely.
He placed his fingers on his lips in thought, still clenching onto his arm in slight pain.
If indeed he would fade away from existence by being in this world, he would have to leave.
That was an incontestable truth.
However, there was just one problem.
'I don't trust this woman.'
He peeked at her. And she tilted her head, raising a brow in question of his inconspicuous glares.
Sure she was right about one thing; his best bet was leaving. But that didn't mean she was his only option.
"Thanks for the offer." Kagero lifted his palm in nonchalant gratitude. "But I've already got a sure way to leave."
That's right.
From the onset. The moment Kagero had stepped foot in this strange world, the moment Kagero had drifted through the limitless celestial marbles, and even up to the mere moments before his death.
He had a plan.
Lifting up his head proudly, Kagero's lips parted into a cunning smirk.
'What is he doing?' The lady's eyes narrowed, watching as Kagero raised his hands in an exalted manner.
He had intentionally perched himself right in front of the crimson moon. The result?
A transcendental presence from the rays of the moonlight kissing onto his skin.
With the mental time limit of his pose reaching its threshold for speaking, Kagero slowly opened up his eyes, declaring a single statement.
"System, take me home."
"…"
"…"
"…"
There was an unsettling silence, causing Kagero to nervously hold his pose for another added minute, before finally muttering inaudibly in a way that only the system could hear.
"Hey— you heard me, didn't you?"
"[Oh you were actually serious? I can't send you back home.]" It replied apathetically.
Kagero swallowed hard, beads of sweat becoming visible on his face.
'What do you mean by you can't send me back?' Kagero probed the System in his mind.
'You gave me your word remember?'
His face remained outwardly relaxed, but within him, he shivered in frustration.
'[ I never said that, all I said was I would support you.]' She added defensively.
'[ And I did that by granting you mastery over Fuijut—]'
"Shut the hell up you darn system!" Having exceeded his limits, Kagero let his annoyance wax hot.
"Why did you let me die if you knew you couldn't revive me?!"
The system paused for a brief moment before responding. "[Why should I care about what you do to yourself?]"
Kagero's face paled at the system's lackadaisical attitude, twisting his face into a pained grin.
'I've really gotten a dud system.' Kagero wiped his teary eyes.
If he had known that the System would refuse to revive him, then he would have never sacrificed himself to begin with.
Kagero clenched his withering fist.
Since the System had brought him back to life before, then he was sure it would be able to do the same a second time.
It wasn't like he was some sort of self righteous hero who would run head first into hell without a reasonable plan towards escaping.
Kagero paused his thoughts, a bitter feeling gripping onto his heart.
The annoying System was right. There was no guarantee that he would be revived.
He just desperately hoped for things to turn out that way because he desperately wanted to save everyone.
'Arghh, that's nonsense.' Kagero rammed his fist into his head violently.
'There's no way I sacrificed myself for others.' He pounded his chest consecutively until the throbbing pain in his chest stopped.
The pain had faded, but the mist clouding his true feelings still roamed within his heart.
"It's all your fault you crap…"
Kagero's bickering was interrupted by the woman's sudden laughs.
"Ohh sorry." She apologized in between her chuckles. "It's just that you and your friend have such an interesting dynamic."
'Friend?' He questioned, turning towards the blue screen and back to the lady, and then back to the screen once more.
"Wait, you can see it?!"
The woman tilted her head in confusion.
"Of course, humans can't?"
Kagero nodded in affirmation.
"Interesting." She added, quickly burying the topic.
"Well, your— plan, doesn't seem to have worked."
The lady folded her arms across her chest, cocking her head with a welcoming smile.
"So, would you like my help now?"
Kagero itched the side of his head, rolling his eyes in thought.
Concluding that she could probably see the system due to her being a much more spiritual being, Kagero's mind wandered towards her offer.
He would die if he didn't take it.
However, would accepting her offer really be better?
Kagero observed her foxy smile.
He had seen it countless times in shows. A character makes a tantalizing deal with a cunning spirit, and the con artist ends up asking for his soul or something worse for repayment.
"What?!" The lady exclaimed, a little shocked.
"I'm not going to ask for your soul, silly."
Kagero paused, taking a look around before staring at the woman in stupefaction.
'Did I say that out loud?'
"You don't have to worry about that, I'm not like the other Shinigamies."
Kagero raised a brow in disbelief. "That's what they all say."
"Tell me then." He pointed at her. "Is this offer free?"
The woman placed a finger to her lip in thought before proceeding to answer.
"Yes."
'I guess she isn't so ba…'
"And no."
'Damn!' Kagero's shoulders fell.
"Come on now silly, I'm not going to attempt something so dangerous without some sort of compensation."
"Do you know what happens if one gets caught with a human?"
Realising she was right, Kagero let out a sigh.
"So what exactly do you want in return?"
She suddenly sprung back with excitement, taking slow steps towards Kagero.
"What I want." The lady narrowed her eyes, staring at him from head to toe. "Is to hear your stories."
Okay, the weird just got weirder.
'Hear my stories?' Kagero tried to make sense of her statement.
Maybe she meant how exactly he had gotten to this point in his journey.
But if he was wrong, and there was a hidden message behind it— then he would be screwed.
'But if I don't accept her offer.' Kagero switched his gaze to his arm, watching his degradation reach his shoulder. 'I'll be just as screwed.'
Letting out a defeated breath, Kagero finally yielded.
"All right, I accept your proposal. So what do we do first?"
The lady's face immediately lightened up at his response, a joyous smile spreading through her lips.
"This is what we do first." The lady held Kagero by his chin and pulled his face forward.
But before he could realize what exactly was going on, his entire body flushed red, his hands hanging in the air.
As he felt her lips press onto his cheek.