"Awwwe, look how big you've grown!" I sat on my knees in front of Stardust, taken aback by her beautiful, shiny, new coat of fur. Her eyes were rounder and softer, a great sign of health. And to my delight, she recognized my voice and came running right to me, happily rubbing her fluffy sides against my legs. "Awwh-h-h~" I scratched her back.

     "'Awh, she recognizes you!'" Bleachy's sister Kara cooed, standing up from the couch. My escort sauntered into the small but cozy house and plopped into a chair. I looked up, about to ask him something, but then realized I didn't know the words.

     "'What?'" Agh, he caught me. In a frenzy, I pulled out my phone to use Google translate.

     "計画は何ですか? (Keikaku wa nandesuka/what is the plan?)"

     "'Oh. Tff. Right. Well, first of all, I need to be honest with you about something.'"

     "Yeah?"

     "'This whole thing was actually set up by your 'dad.' --Wait! Don't worry! He wanted you to have some fun running around, get your 'kicks out' or whatever you foreigners like to say, then you'd get caught last second and given a good reminding of why you're not to disobey his orders ever again. I would fake my death and bla bla bla, you'd be even more traumatized than before... But see my sister and I decided we just couldn't have that. So we constructed a plan to actually free you for real!'"

     Placing my hand on my chest, I sighed in relief. "く- ください..."

     "'Eh? See, that's why we were able to get out of here tonight of all nights. Thought we could use that to our advantage. Now, we're supposed to pass three checkpoints before reaching the ambush site.'" He pulled out a map on his phone. "'I figured that after we passed two of them, we could diverge from the path. The gap between the second and third checkpoints is the longest, giving us our best chance of escaping.'" I simply nodded along, understanding him perfectly. "'Great! Simply follow my lead and you'll be free soon enough!'"

----------

     The first of the three checkpoints was, funnily enough, the same marketplace we had visited before. A part of me felt like this was no coincidence, however, my vocabulary still wasn't extensive enough to ask about it. Perhaps my previous shopping experience then was simply to loosen up the nerves and make it seem like escaping with Bleachy was really a viable option. To keep me from running off on my own.

     Now that I thought about it, could I even trust Bleachy? I mean, no doubt these guys know of my intelligence, but surely they wouldn't pull a 4-d chess move like this: revealing their game plan and everything, just to trick me. For now, I had to hold hope that Bleachy wasn't lying. That he really did have my interest at heart. And for that, I really owe him.

     It was but a brief flicker in the corner of my eye. Through the crowd stood a tall, wholesome man with sharp canines but kind features. I stopped for a moment, falling behind Bleachy, just to see if it really was him.

     Surprisingly, it actually was. Kafka, Ichikawa, and a few other new recruits from the third division were trekking through the marketplace, the warm glow of shops lighting their casual attire. They were all better now. Heh, thank goodness. I must have been staring at the anomaly for quite some time, because Kafka eventually saw me too. He stopped his laughing--teasing of the younger silver haired lad, and instead went wide eyed as he recognized me. I straightened like a board, panicking, realizing getting this man and his friends involved could spell the end for them. But what if they could help?! No! This issue was bigger than a few soldiers! But what about Kafka's Kaiju form?! Well, strength doesn't solve everything! Like now! What could a crazy-powerful punch do to get me out of my situation?! I know he would never kill a human. And even if he did, there were doubtless a hundred or so other power hungry tycoons who'd jump to take Mr. Sakuragi's place! I had to bite my tongue and turn my back on this.

     Since his voice translated to English in a crowd of people who spoke Japanese, I could hear him better than others. But even so, he was so distant I couldn't make out any of the words. That was until he decided to just go for it, stop questioning his eyes and assume he was right, that this was ME.

     "HEY! WAIT! Ack! Sorry, Ma'am! (Y/N)! E-excuse me, sir! (Y/N), I KNOW THAT'S YOU! COME BACK!" He grabbed my arm, which actually surprised me, and I spun around instinctually and socked him in the jaw! He didn't let go, though he did stumble back, other hand raising to rub the injured spot. An injury that could have been a lot worse had I any actual muscle. "Wh- what the heck?! Oww! D- didn't your little picture book say you got kidnapped?! Are you okay?? Do you need my help?? I- I'm a -- well not officially but aaalmost -- an officer of the third division, and we got your back!"

     "I don't CARE just let me GO!" I tugged, trying to free my arm. Through his whole speech, I din't know why but I kept getting more and more agitated. I was so torn that I genuinely couldn't make any decisions. So I fell back on old habit. "I've GOT it! I can do this MYSELF!! I don't want your help! I don't want your pity! NONE OF IT!"

     This time as I pulled my arm free, he actually let go. There was no way he could understand the words coming out of my mouth, but my expressions, as well as the pitiful shaking in my voice, must have conveyed enough. I wiped at my eyes as I felt tears starting to gather. I was still in the mood to rant, even if it was to someone who couldn't understand. No, because it was someone who couldn't understand me! I stopped live streaming so that I could finally have this moment with just me and my emotions. I clutched my shirt and stared at the ground.

     "Listen, I know how to take care of myself. I- I jumped from foster home to foster home til' the age of nine. No mom. No dad. No siblings. No friends. It was JUST...ME. Am I being stupid right now by not accepting your help? YES! YES I F###ING AM! But I NEED to know I can rely on myself, o-or else the only thing I am GOOD AT will be- w-well NOT--good." I watched his expression soften and for a moment I questioned if he could actually understand me. Tsch. No way. Must be gaging by the tone of my voice. I glared daggers up at him just to be safe. "I DON'T want your PITY!" Pointing at his sorry, puppy-dog-like mug. "I've had enough of that growing up a foster kid! I do NOT want that from you! Or ANYONE! I'm TIRED of it!"

     "'Who are you shouting at?'" Bleachy returned, pushing against the flow of the crowd. He scowled at the sight of the taller dude. I went ahead and continued live-stremaing, since my spiel was done. Placing his hand on my shoulder, "'Is this man bothering you?'"

     I shook his hand off'a me. "No." I turned around, dearly hoping Kafka wouldn't follow. Kafka and Bleachy gave each other studious glares as we parted ways. Then, while I was still in hearing distance, the brown haired officer cupped his hands to impart me with one final message.

     "I-- I've been learning English!" He spoke to me IN English. His voice changing slightly, Japanese accent so strong to indicate he really was, indeed, not bluffing. Same as when Hoshina first spoke to me. My whole body shivered as I realized what that might mean. "Still only basics, but if you need help, find me!"

     I passively gave him a thumbs up, one which he could see over the crowd. Inside, I was haunted to think how much of my little rant he actually understood.

     When we were far enough away, Bleachy elbowed me. "'Who was that??'"

     "古友 (the hardly legible way to say 'old friend')."

     "'H-- what?... Ohh, okay, okay.. got it.'" Bleachy continued to stroll with me, griping about how my little stunt put us a great deal of time behind schedule.

     Hands in my pockets, eyes on the ground, I thought long and hard about my situation, my past, and how I felt about it all.

     You know what would really throw a wrench in that old man's plan? If I just did whatever the f### I want.

     So I disappeared into the crowd. He already lost track of me once, so why not a second time? And after he was far out of sight, I bought a few sweets with cash and chewed on one. I pulled up to a map and imagined a spinning wheel. Once it landed on a direction, I pretended to be some beggar outside of the market selling the remaining candies. Left my phone behind of course. Sold it to another beggar for what little change he had on him. And the money I got from that I used to buy myself a train ticket heading in that random direction my little wheel pointed to. Before Bleachy could even rationalize where I had gone, I was far from that city.

----------

     It was only one city away. Unfortunately, my ticket didn't last me long, but with enough pedaling, honest work, and starvation I'd earn up the money to reach yet another city. Then another. And then another. Who knows? I might finally earn enough to move out of this country. Back to a country where the majority of people speak English. From there... Hhh... I had no future no matter what my plans were... I'd always end up on the street or in someone's laboratory, wouldn't I?

     I groaned as I exited the train. No WAY my life sucks this mu--

     Mr. Sakuragi stood right outside the door, a big, burly bodyguard on either side of him.

     S###! DO I HAVE A TRACKER ON ME OR SUMTHN'?!

     I, for obvious reasons, sprinted faster than I perhaps ever had in my lives.

     Though Mr. Sakuragi and his men gave pursuit, they also didn't want to look suspicious and or draw attention to the situation. So I was allowed to use this speed to my advantage and flee the train station, the city, and even the suburbs surrounding it! Wasn't long before I was on a dirt road.

# RUN FOREST RUN
# ok now u must strip for trackers. not my rules.
# DANG! OUR BOI RUN FAST!
# THEY'RE GOING TO CATCH YOU! Honestly, I don't want to be that person, but maybe it would be better to give up now. 😭 If this was a cyoa I would at least
# bro this stream long af
# Japan tour, fleeing the Yakuza version lol
# hey how long until you learn Japanese finally? Will you learn faster if I sub please?
# STRIP. STRIP. STRIP. STRIP.

     Oh right, forgot I was still live streaming.

     "Rh-h-hight... Sorry, but this is where I gotta end the stream. Be back soon with a video catching you all up, chat!" And I shut off the stream there. "WHOO!" I took another moment to breathe and headed toward a lonely street light. I checked a couple times for cars, then stripped down to my underwear and inspected my clothes closely for anything resembling a tracker. Finally found one sewn into the fibers of my black turtle neck. Hhh, and it was so small too I never would have noticed it unless I knew what I was looking for. Dang it... And did this thing seriously have a..? No way? Was that a MICROPHONE? Just some inexplicable hole, but who knows?? It could be magic!!

     I tossed the tracker and stomped it into the ground, then put on my clothes, all while paranoia-filled and double checking they didn't put a second one on me. Well, if they did, I missed it. I knew following this road would be stupid, so I pulled up a map on my arm of the area around here in my world and from that guessed where the closest road might be in this world. Followed in that direction, hoping back-street roads at the very least wouldn't be all too different from my world. Hey, it worked a couple times before already.

     So on I trudged through the shrubs.

----------

     It started to rain. First just little mists in the air turned to pellets of water. I'd been running through the forest for hours by now. Wasn't getting any closer to finding a solution.

     No matter where I went, they would find me. No matter what I did, they would find me. Heck. Mr. Sakuragi may as well have the government on his side with Hoshina and everything. I couldn't hope to escape THEM.

     And now I was both cold and wet... Was it even worth it to be out here?

     Gravel popped on the road, growing louder and louder until it surpassed the pounding of rain. The lights lit the bushes next to me as the vehicle stopped. I slid my back against the bark of a tree until I was sitting on the roots. Two more pulled up beside the first, illuminating the sparkling shrubs behind me.

Tunk!
   Tunk!--Tunk!

     Half a dozen or so men emerged from the vehicles, confident enough to allow the rain to douse their heads and shoulders.

     "Gochi!" Mr. Sakuragi's voice boomed. "We know you are out here! We put a second tracker on you! There is no point in hiding!"

     I hid anyways, too scared to move. Maybe...if I waited quietly like a good kid...all my problems would go away...

     The old man sighed loudly, his feet scraped over the gravel, and the sound of struggling fought closer. "'If you refuse to show yourself, your friend and his sister here die!'"

     "'C-come one, man, pl-please come out here! I--this was not part of the plan! We were supposed to go to Amori! Remember??! -GAH!'" Bleachy was hit in the stomach and dropped to his knees.

     "'I know you planned to betray me, Kurrata.'" The old man growled, one of his men kicking Bleachy while he was down. Kara was forced to her knees beside him, the woman panting a'frantic and trembling.

     Weight shifted onto my shaky legs as I stood slowly. Then, cautiously, I rose my hands over my head and appeared from behind the tree. The rain water trickling down my face served to hide the tears in my bloodshot, fearful eyes. This was my last chance at freedom, and it was brought to an end so suddenly and so terribly. I pushed through the bushes into the open where two men roughly grabbed my arms and forced them behind my back. I didn't look at anyone. Not Bleachy, not his sister. Nobody. My eyes were on the ground, attention on the grips so strong they could bruise my arms.

     Mr. Sakuragi nodded to one of the men, who shoved my head down. I obliged, knees digging into the gravel at once. The old man's stern eyes turned to Bleachy and his sister. "'...I took you in as children...and yet you betray me...just like that.'"

     "'Lisen, sir, the-there was some kind of mistake, I know it! I would never betray you!!'"

     "'There is no point in lying to me, son.'" He nodded to the man closest to Bleachy, who stomped the traitor into the ground and unsheathed his katana, listening for further instruction. "'Your right hands will suffice.'" That was when I finally looked up.

     "'Wait-wait-no!'" As soon as the blade came down on his wrist, the man shrieked and screamed. Seconds later, his sister joined him. Blood joined the rain in soaking the gravel. I was too slow to even try to help them. All I ended up doing was curling into a ball and hugging myself while the two rolled around in agony.

     The old man then shouted at me, over both the rain and their cries. "THE NEXT TIME YOU ESCAPE, IT WILL BE THEIR LIVES!"

     "OKAY, OKAY, I'M SORRY!"

     I couldn't tell you much of what happened after that. Though after the fact it all seemed to go by so quickly, I remembered thinking of how agonizingly slow the time passed. But, within the hour, I was back in my room, where I was to act like nothing had happened. Like...nothing...had... happened...

     My butt landed on the ground in the middle of my room. I stared down at my limp arms, vision going blurry. I spent a good half-hour or so dissociating until I felt dead. Finally, some color returned to my face, and a thought to my mind.

     "...Why didn't that devil just let me die....?" I remembered my past words in that place between life and death.

'Hhh, fine!... You can send me wherever. Just let me ask for one thing in return.'
'I need to always have access to the internet no matter what. And not just any internet. My internet... At least let me talk to my family and friends... and fans.'
'I want to keep making videos, no matter the world you throw me into.'
'Give me that and I'll do whatever the Hell you want.'

     Above all else, I was just... disappointed. Disappointed to find out Isekai was real. Disappointed that this wasn't the end of my story.

     And alone.

     More alone than I had ever been before.

...

     I was the maker of my own death. I didn't want to live anymore. And I was bummed to discover I would have to live a second time... Immortal, no less.

     ...This second life is basically just my Hell. I'm immortal. I cannot die. And the only things that could be my reason to live are just out of reach...

     My heart felt hollow, as it had in my past life before taking the plunge... But, this time there was no way out.

     The only thing I wanted was further from reach that anything else.

[ Level 2 Unlocked ]

     "Hm?" What was this weird pop-up in front of my eyes? This stupid Solo Leveling-ahh box of text toying with me by treating my life like a videogame. I angrily swiped it away, but that just replaced it with another box of text.

[ Upgraded Abilities: Body Manipulation, Invisible Skin Projection Mode, Audio Broadcast ]

     I growled again. Now this was just stupid. Was the devil mocking me now?! What even WAS "audio broadcast"?? Did I have a speaker in me now or something?? Where from?!

     "What's the point in giving me these abilities?? I'm still stuck as this IMMORTAL FREAK!"

[ Complete Mission to Deactivate Immortality ]

     I blinked a couple times, not sure I was reading that right.

     "...WHAT mission?" But the text faded away, giving me nothing. "WHAT mission!?" Waiting around asking questions did nothing. I flopped onto my back and sighed loudly. "Guess I'll have to find out later..." Annoyed as I was, at least I now knew there was a way out of this Hell...

     I just had to do what that devil wanted. The thing I'd technically already agreed to. Whatever it was.

     I fell asleep there on the ground and didn't take a shower until several days later.

----------
=========================
Ight so since I got some fancy smancy Japanese learning textbooks for Christmas, imma leave the whole confusing Japanese stuff behind. So from now on just assume everyone is speaking Japanese unless narrator says otherwise.
=========================
----------

𝚃𝚠𝚘 𝙼𝚘𝚗𝚝𝚑𝚜 𝙻𝚊𝚝𝚎𝚛:

     I can finally, with confidence, say I can speak good Japanese. Just took a couple months rotting away in my room with nothing to do but study... Yey...

     I experimented on myself too to see what that text meant by "upgraded abilities." To better explain what is going on:

Body Manipulation:
     Basically, I can move my blood and flesh around as I like. Though it took a while to get the hang of it, it's actually a rather simple ability. I can move my organs around inside with ease, push all my blood from one side of my body to the next, and other various tasks. I can't manipulate any blood or flesh outside my body unless it is to call said blood and flesh back. So, now if I lose an arm, I can simply make it crawl back to me on a molecular level. Looks gross as heck but oh well.

Invisible Skin Projection Mode:
     Now this one took a while to figure out. At first I thought it meant I could finally turn invisible, but, no. Sadly no. What it actually means is that now I can project images and video onto my skin that only I can see. So I no longer have to worry so much about people walking in on me editing a video. Instead it would just look like I am very obsessed with my thigh.

Audio Broadcast:
     Turns out this one was the easiest to both figure out and master. By holding my mouth open like some kind of speaker, I can broadcast audio from videos and or audio files. This, of course, could be very useful if I ever needed to mimic somebody's voice. Or if I wanted to play music or sound effects for comedic purposes.

     As interesting as all these new abilities were, it was nothing to the itch in my head: the question of what I would DO with said abilities.

     To put it lightly, I saw no point in remaining alive and desperately wanted an out from all this experimentation and manipulation. Not only was I now having my blood drawn on a weekly basis, but I had to live knowing that any step I took out of line would result in the deaths of both Kurrata and Kara, who to my knowledge were being held captive in Kara's house. I knew nothing other than that they were still alive. They were brought in to visit me every couple weeks or so to erase any doubt they had already been killed. At least they seemed healthy and, for the most part, unharmed. Still pained me to see neither with a right hand.

     At least Gerger remained happy and healthy by my side.

----------

     I knew something was up when I was woken early and guided through this long and complicated regiment of cleaning, dressing fancy, and even having my makeup and hair done to appear younger, prettier, and less depressed. I was their little doll by this point. The old man's perfect prince. This was mostly because I didn't give a f### anymore. Never really did. I didn't even fear boredom anymore, since I had given up recording once my life had fallen into a monotonous pattern.

     But, of course, the intrigue of this situation led me to start recording again today.

     Dressed in a fancy black Kimono with the family crest sewn into the back by silver string, I followed Mr. Sakuragi outside, my head hung low. We, accompanied by two guards, were brought along the stone path which wove through the garden.

     The grass was bright in color, the shadows of the trees sharp and bold. The few flowers still in bloom were absolutely stunning. Though I could see the world's beauty, it couldn't see me; reach me. Nothing so bright and colorful had the power to embrace and truly chance my heart.

     We came to a stop at the gazebo of sorts, which rest in secrecy out of sight from the driveway and prying eyes of the workers here.

     I was instructed to sit in the shade while my "father" stood and waited. So, I sat and let the numbness return. My mind had a habit of filling itself with static, which had only gotten worse after I stopped recording. For this though, today, I decided to record just in case something new happened. Something that might entertain both myself and my starving audience.

     I waited there for an ungodly amount of time. Started to worry the whoever would never show up. Then all of these fancy clothes, makeup, and hair dressing would be for nothing. The clock officially struck twelve, and a tray of snacks were brought out to the small round table I waited at, acting as a sort of apology for making me wait so long. "Don't." The old man growled as I reached out for a snack. I quickly withdrew my hand. Guess no snacks until later?

     A few minutes later, HE arrived. Very different from all the kimonos around here, defence force officers in proper uniform approached...led by General Shinomiya.

     "Be on your best behavior. And hide that accent." My father whispered to me, then descended the steps to shake hands with and bow to the tall and intimidating blond man. "General Shinomiya. It is a pleasure to meet you again."

     "You can cut the formalities. We came to discuss business, didn't we?"

     Rising from his deep and respectful bow, "Why, of course. My son is just behind me. He is still young and new to our customs, so I will answer any questions you may have, if you don't mind.."

     "That is fine. But I would still like to talk to him alone once we're done." The general crossed his arms. The old man hid well his desire to hiss a curse. He smiled placidly and gestured to the hanning I sat under.

     "We have snacks if you would like to try them~ Recipes our family has passed down for generations."

     "I'm good, thank you." Mr. Shinomiya sat at the table, across from where my old man later sat. I was stuck in the middle. Taking the subtle cue, I finally reached out and could start to eat from the tray without being scolded. I was careful not to look Shinomiya in the eyes. Last time I saw him was when I had my heart scooped out, so of course I was wondering why he was here now.

     My old man wove his fingers together and set them on the table. "I assume you wanted to discuss the terms in greater detail. Well then, how about you go first with your demands and wishes?"

     Sitting back with his arms crossed over his chest, "I won't have her married until she is twenty."

     My eyes widened, but I kept that to myself.

     "And she is...how old?"

     "Seventeen. Turning eighteen in one month."

     "And you were able to get her in as a defence force officer at seventeen?? Legally??"

     "There are rare loopholes allowed for children who grade above a certain standard."

     "Still... Rather young to be sending your child onto the front lines. I, for instance, didn't allow my son to start donating blood until he turned eighteen."

     "She can handle it."

     Okay... So they were definitely talking about Mr. Shinomiya's daughter. Aka op ax girl. But, what was this talk about her getting married?? I then looked down at my fancy clothes. ... Oh no.

     "Fine then. I have no problem waiting a couple of years. As long as our families become one, that is all I care about." The old man faked a smile.

     "So you are okay with your son taking my daughter's name, then?" With one question, Mr. Shinomiya caught my father's bluff. His eye twitched, but he soon recomposed himself.

     Leaning a little closer now, "I'm sorry.. I was under the impression we would be following traditional customs."

     "The Shinomiya name holds a lot more importance than the Sakuragi name in this current age. And the future is what I care about more than anything... Remember. You came to me with your proposal for this arrangement. Traditionally, you have put yourself in the role of the bride's father moreso than the groom's. So if tradition is what you're all about, your son would take the bride's role by forfeiting his family name for my daughter's." The tension in the air could be cut with a knife and I sure as heck didn't want to be here. But, at the same time, it was the perfect drama to sit and eat snacks to.

     "I don't mind..." I mumbled timidly before taking another bite. Chewing: the perfect excuse to avoid talking.

     Mr. Shinomiya offered a thoughtful glance to me. Then, his attention turned to the secretly stubborn old man. "See? Your own son doesn't mind."

     "He doesn't understand the importance of the family name like I do..." Growling. I could feel the heat from Mr. Sakuragi's glare on me. Didn't dare look up.

     "Well, other than those two things, the conditions you have proposed are acceptable. So what will be then? A union between our families or not?"

     It was really fun to watch the old man squirm for a change. For once he was backed in a corner and even through all his layered deception there was no hiding his discomfort.

     But then the man breathed, calmed himself down, and chuckled. "Sakuragi will become my son's first name, then. Shinomiya will be his last."

     The much larger blond nodded agreeably. "I am glad we could come to an agreement. Now, if you wouldn't mind, I'd like to speak to your son alone."

     The old man grumbled again but left anyways. Even his guards left with him. Shinomiya gestured for even his own men to leave him be. The moment they were all gone, it was so much quieter. My forehead began to sweat and I started to panic it would ruin the makeup.

     "This is going to sound weird no matter how I say it, but I need you to undress the top half of your kimono and remove any concealer covering your scars." He was right. The demand did sound a little weird. I knew right away it was that, though: a demand. And I treated it as such.

     I stood up from the table and quickly untied and slid out from the kimono top. The sun hit my exposed back as I hurried the brush off as much of the concealing powder around my neck as possible. Once I was done, the man pulled out his phone camera. "Hoshina asked me to provide him with a scan of your scars. I don't know which case it is for, but if you've met the man you'd know there isn't a vice captain more persistent than he."

     I nodded. "Don't worry. I understand. And I won't tell my father." Following that, I spun slowly as the older guy recorded. Was it awkward? Yes. Was I already used to being treated like a lab rat? Also yes. That moment passing by, I put on my kimono top again and tied everything back up as well as I could. Knowing how strict my dresser was about everything, I knew my work was far more sloppy than it was supposed to be. But Mr. Shinomiya neither noticed nor cared. We sat down at the small table again, this time with me taking my old man's place.

     "I understand you were estranged from your father for quite some time. Would you mind moving elsewhere in the future?"

     My head perked up a little bit. "No, not at all, actually. I-- I respect my father as any son should, but as you can probably guess, I feel no strong connection to the man." And that was putting it LIGHTLY.

     "That is good to hear. I don't know much about your life here, but the plan is for you to move in with my family after marriage..instead of the other way around." Even as the man spoke so matter-a-factly and strict, my eyes widened all the more with interest and hope.

     "I wouldn't mind that at all!" I had to mentally slap my own wrist and reel myself in. While of course I did mind being forcibly married to Shinomiya of all women -- not to mention she was three to four years younger than me, ew -- living ANYWHERE but here was a dream come true! Even if it meant marrying someone I shivered at the thought of meeting in person, I'd do so in a heartbeat if it meant getting away from that old man! I, of course, could not convey any of this to Mr. Shinomiya. He would no doubt get suspicious of my father, which would eventually lead to a punishment of some kind for me. "I-- If you don't mind I make an assumption.. You agreed to this marriage because of my..immortality, right?" I spoke softly, trying my very best not to offend the big scary man in any way.

     "..Yes. Simply put, I believe your blood would be of great use to the Shinomiya family further down the line. My daughter may be impressive in some regards, but she's fragile. Your abilities would be of great use in...lessening the casualties.." The man for he fist time showed a hint of tenderness, doubtless thinking back to his own, now deceased wife.

     I knew from the start why he would want me in the family, but it was nice knowing he was just as shallow as everyone else fighting for my blood.

     Oh well. Not like I could say no to this.

     "If you don't mind me pointing this out, you have an awful lot of scars for someone who has never seen battle. Is that all from testing, orr?"

     I froze up. I didn't know what would be better. Admit I'd been chopping myself up in my free time or admit the experimentation I'd undergone was far from humane.

     "Um... Er... Um..." I took my time to translate the words I needed for this. "I... I don't know." In the end, I couldn't say anything.

     The man's brows furrowed as he tilted his head. "You don't know?"

     I thought up a lie and I thought it up quick. "I've been training!.. Fighting..a lot. ... Because I am immortal, I get wreckless and make many mistakes."

     "Oh, I see... That's interesting." I could see the gears turning in his head.

     "I-it really isn't!" I had to hurry quick before he took this as his chance to fight me or something! For the first time, I looked the man in the eyes. "I am not good at fighting at all! I'm--" There was a weird box of text floating over his face. Had it been there all along or had it just shown up now? I didn't know. But the words captivated me. Stole me from my thoughts.

[ Mission: Kill Shinomiya ]

     As I read the words, the man's whole body was outlined with a faint, reddish glow. I assume so he would stand out in a crowd. Or maybe so nobody could try playing tricks on me in the future with fake doubles. Either way, it... It was really something I needed to take in.

     ...So the devil finally gave me my mission, huh?

     "Young Sakuragi?"

     I shook my head and rubbed my eyes. "Sorry... Headache."

     "Ah. Those aren't fun." The man didn't go on to talk about much from there. It seemed his mind was already made up that I was to be his future son in law. It would be nice to know what his opinion was of me personally, but he was a stoic man. Great at hiding his opinions. A real bummer. I bet he was disappointed as heck to see I wasn't the perfectly toned and battle hardened son-in-law he was probably hoping for. Nope. Just some wimpy little guy. Heheh.

     Now having my mission was sure to change everything, though. For at last I knew what I needed to do in order to leave this world. In order to be free. It was both so simple and perhaps the most impossible challenge I could have been given.

     But, I would manage. I would figure it out.

     Because what other choice do I have?