Chapter 3: The Unknown Being
Nagi had been fighting these monsters for two days without rest.
Hiroshi's eyes fluttered open, the world spinning around him. His body felt heavy, but something was different—he wasn't dead. He had survived. Slowly, his surroundings came into focus: the cold, dark stone walls of the Tower. He could feel his wounds healing, a strange force pulsing within him.
As his senses sharpened, Hiroshi saw him—Nagi, his closest friend, fighting for his life. A herd of monstrous purple creatures surrounded him,Nagi was on his last breath, but he kept fighting, pushing forward as if the entire world depended on him. And maybe, in some twisted way, it did. He was fighting to protect Hiroshi.
Without a moment's hesitation, Hiroshi sprang to his feet, his body still aching but ready for battle. He moved like a shadow, swift and deadly, cutting through the herd of monsters with unmatched precision. The creatures crumbled before him, their monstrous howls fading into silence.
Nagi collapsed to the ground, unconscious, as Hiroshi stood over the fallen creatures. His breath was heavy, and his heart pounded with fury.
"Are you okay, Nagi?" Hiroshi whispered, kneeling beside him.
But in that moment, a deep frustration welled up inside Hiroshi, his voice rising in a furious shout.
"Why? Why again? Why does everyone I care about keep dying?!"
His words echoed through the empty halls of the Tower, the anger in his chest burning hotter than ever. And then, something changed.
A dark, ominous aura erupted around him. The air grew heavy, crackling with raw energy. The monsters' bodies disintegrated into dust, and Hiroshi's rage spilled out uncontrollably, shredding anything in his path.
Far away, in a place beyond time and space, an unknown being felt the surge of power. It watched with curiosity as Hiroshi's fury tore through the monsters.
A sudden notification appeared in Hiroshi's mind, its words cold and detached.
"Do you want to save your friend?"
YES or NO.
Hiroshi barely registered the question, his mind consumed with one thought—Nagi.
"Yes. I want to save him."
A voice, deep and sad voice, spoke inside his mind.
"Then you must become my Incantation."
Hiroshi paused. "Incantation? You mean I'll become a Saint?"
"No." The voice responded, its tone amused. "You are not a Saint. You are merely an entertainment show for me."
Hiroshi was stunned. "What?!"
"Are you in, or not?"
The darkness around Hiroshi pressed in on him, the weight of everything threatening to crush him. But then, a thought crossed his mind—If this was the way to save Nagi, he'd do anything.
Hiroshi clenched his fists. "Fine. I accept. I'll become your Incantation."
A strange, cold sensation filled him as the agreement was made. Hiroshi felt an overwhelming surge of power, and then, the voice spoke once more.
"You have unlocked a system created by the killer of 100 gods■■■■■■■."
The words hit him like a thunderclap.
"A killer of 100 god's ?"Hiroshi thought, shocked but unwilling to dwell on it. **"I don't care. As long as I can save Nagi, I'll do whatever it takes."
The unknown being's voice was unbothered, as if it had already expected this response.
"You will now form a string contract. This contract will tie your life to another, binding your fates together."
A glowing string appeared in Hiroshi's hand, shimmering with dark energy. Hiroshi extended his hand toward Nagi, attaching the string to him. As the string settled into place, something strange happened.
The divine contract between Nagi and the God Bishamonten… it broke.
Far from the Tower, Bishamonten, the God of Warriors, felt the disruption. His divine bond with Nagi had been severed, and for a moment, he thought Nagi was dead. His anger flared, and without hesitation, he sought a new mortal to form a contract with.
Back in the Tower, Hiroshi stood over Nagi, the string between them pulsing with energy. The contract had been made, their fates intertwined.
Nagi's eyes fluttered open, confusion clouding his expression as he looked up at Hiroshi.