A woman unlike anyone he's met before, standing with a smirk on her face.
"You must be the one." She tilts her head the opposite way as she observes Kairo a bit more.
"Tell me..." Her voice suddenly appeared behind Kairo while he was still focused on an afterimage of her before him.
The woman standing behind him reached over his shoulders and caressed the clothed blade Kairo held.
"Do you know what you're doing?" She asks, but Kairo found himself unable to move, let alone speak if he wanted to.
However, from around the corner, a flabbergasted Marin comes barreling in.
"So this is where you ran off to!" Marin stomping towards the woman and Kairo with irritation in her steps. Ingrid quickly followed behind her at a distance.
"So you brought friends, how cute..." The woman quipped as she vanished off Kairo's body, suddenly hearing two bodies thudding against the ground.
As Kairo looks over at Marin and Ingrid, they are instantly knocked unconscious all of a sudden. Yet the trickle of Soul Strain coming from the rafters caused Kairo to look directly at the mysterious woman.
"Don't worry, they're only taking a nap. After all, I only grazed them." She smirked as she trotted along the rafters.
"What is it you want exactly?" Kairo found himself finally able to speak.
"If I'm not mistaken, it was you and your friends who came to me?" The woman questioned as she swung around on a steel beam and leaned off it.
"I only came here because of the Fissures—." Kairo exclaimed, but before he could finish, the woman appeared before him as she leapt from the rafters, landing directly before Kairo.
"You wanted to come and help; it wasn't just the Fissure that led you here. It was also my soul." She smirked as she appeared behind him with a ninja-like reflex, her hand caressing his back, causing Kairo to turn around.
"But another thing has been bothering me. Are you intentionally leaking your soul out? She whispers into Kairo's ear as she quickly steps back as Kairo turns towards her. A big gap between them as she stands and awaits his answer.
Kairo stood staring down with the mysterious woman. Unsure of what to say to her. Her eyes observing him as she quietly waits.
"Seems even you're unsure; not to worry. I have just the thing to help you out." The mysterious woman appears right beside Kairo.
"This should help you keep your soul sealed for the time being. Make sure you don't remove it, or else Fissure's won't be the only thing coming after you." She smiles before slapping Kairo on the back.
Before Kairo could even speak to her, she vanished along with the slow stinging of his back pain. All he was left with were questions and a bracelet made of arts and crafts rope and plastic gems.
"This thing... seals my soul?" Kairo looked confused at it before looking over at his friends.
"I swear I told you guys to wait back at the school." Kairo sighed with irritation but couldn't help feeling a bit relieved they weren't seriously hurt.
Several hours later—Kairo's Room
Kairo, Marin, and Ingrid are situated inside Kairo's room. Kairo is forced on his knees as both Marin and Ingrid stand over him.
"Now you listen here, I wanna know who that woman was and why I suddenly fell asleep!" Marin demanded with an abrupt beating on Kairo's head.
"Not only that, I'd also like to know more about what I saw today." Ingrid calmly stated as he took a seat in Kairo's study chair.
"-And don't try to worm your way out of it either!" Marin shouted, grabbing hold of Kairo's cheeks as she puffed up her own in a childish behavior.
"Okay, okay! Just let me prepare myself!" Kairo mumbles as his face is being stretched, while he holds onto Marin's wrists trying to free himself.
But before Kairo can start explaining, Nasaki barges into the room with snacks and drinks.
"Kairo, why haven't you offered your guests refreshment!" Nasaki exclaims as she sets them down on Kairo's small table.
"Oh, Nasaki, you didn't have to do that. Ingrid and I are just fine." Marin shyly and politely says as she waves her hands gently at her.
Suddenly an expression on Nasaki's face you'd normally never see when she's around Kairo appears. Her eyes sparking up and her face blushing red. As she rushes into Marin and pulls her into her chest.
"Oh, you're so innocent and sweet, Marin. I wish I had a sister instead of an annoying little brother. Why don't you just stay here forever?" Nasaki pleading with Marin as she rocks her in her arms.
"N-Nasaki, Kairo can't be that bad of a brother." Marin asks with concern. Causing Nasaki to stop rocking abruptly and turn her head towards Kairo.
"The worst." Nasaki said bluntly, causing Kairo to feel his soul leave his body.
Ingrid quickly rushed over to assist him by picking him up and calmly encouraging him.
"No, don't go towards the light. It's not worth it." Ingrid calmly tried to pull Kairo back.
Suddenly Nasaki's head jolts up as she remembers something.
"Oh crap! I left the oven on! I need to get back downstairs!" Nasaki hastily stood up, releasing Marin, and rushed out of the room.
With Nasaki gone, Marin and Ingrid were finally ready to hear all Kairo had to explain. So he decided to start at the beginning and reveal the one thing he was wanting to keep a secret. His newly obtained sword and how he obtained it.
"This sword is from a swordsman who died because of me. But even after that, he entrusted this sword and his power to me. However, every time I use the sword or feel the need to use it,. I feel a strong deterrent of guilt. I wonder why it had to be more. I wonder if it'll happen again but with someone I care about. But I also wonder... If I don't do anything, then who will?"