Till Death Do Us Part

SIDE Ray​

Punched right through my heart, I felt no pain at all. Bursting behind where my heart was originally placed was scattered black lightning. Alongside the momentum of my body rising up in the air from the force of his punch, everything changed back to that dark sea once again. A surreal feeling even when repeated many times before. On the moment of my death, the last vision I had was darkness splashing me into deep underneath of what could be considered an endless seas. Honestly it was my soul leaving my body the instant I died, but instead of going to the Other Side of the Shores, I was adrift in the Boundary of Life and Death.

Falling without knowing where I was exactly falling into. Was I even falling or rising up? This place that resembled the deep underneath of the sea, and aquamarine colors clouded and faded to blackness gradually as I continued falling. Though it was darkening by the minute, I was accompanied by the lights flickering all around me in this abyss. These lights were my whole life being replayed like an old film. Frame by frame where scenes are moving by themselves in a subtle pace.

Yeah, these were my recent memories I just had, both good and the bad ones. Seeing such a phenomena happening to me again, I sighed. Honestly, the whole process was getting redundant. It would be nice if there was a skip button I could just click on. Last time I was stranded here for who knows long, I almost went insane in this colorless void. Thinking of such nasty memories springing up, I stopped for the safety of my sanity.

Still, I tried to grab these motion playing images, but it was useless. I could not feel anything attached me even when I can clearly see my body drowning. Still, no cold or heat or even the concept of breathing did not exist here. Suddenly, someone hugged me from behind. Their slender arms were soft as a pillow. It made me feel sleepy, though I was already sleeping or dead back in the real world?

"Aren't you getting cocky, hmm?", a crisp voice sounded behind me as I stare at downward or upward with those flickering images. This annoying messenger, but oh well. I knew what her game was, but I still answered nonetheless.

"Nope, not at all~", I replied nonchalantly as possible. "Hehehe~", she reacted funny. I tried to look cool, but it resulted in her giggling at my pathetic attempt in covering my failure again. Her giggling worsen until she stopped quiet.

"You...", I questioned her but she shouted right beside my ears. Ouch! That hurt, you stupid messenger of! "Don't act coy with me, fool!", she tightened her hug on me. There was obviously no sensation of temperature here, but I felt warmth from just her embrace. This was honestly healing to me, as everything I did to reach this place meant entering hell more than once.

"Kidding, maybe I feel...", I stopped fooling around and seriously tried to reply back to her but, "Arouse?", never mind. "No, definitely not. Especially from you.", my thoughts calmed again, but I was thankful to her for doing this. My recent failures made me depress, especially with how I just died now.

"Hmph! You're no fun at all~", her voice acted hurt, but I knew otherwise. I could somehow feel she was smiling behind me. "Hmm?", she stopped hugging me and the warmth around me disappeared, but she appeared before me in her usual outfit. Covering my memories with her dark dress, this Messenger of Death was forming an enchanting smile on her face. Gazing at me with those fervent eyes, the black wings behind her grew in size and expanded its reach around me, holding me softer than before. Her face closer than before and her gray eyes glowing red. The world around me turned darker instantly as her wings completely covered us, blocking the glowing lights of my memories.

"Hey, aren't you getting tired of this? Dying horribly like some rag doll toss away after nobody wants it anymore. Hey, tell me, Ray?", her voice icy enough to chill my soul, but I could sense the distraught in them. "......", I remained silent and stared back at her eyes. I needed to show her I was not afraid of dying over and over, if it meant saving everyone else in the end.

She stared back and after a minute or so, she slightly move backed and released her hold on me as the black wings covering us whole retracted behind her. We were now falling or rising into the grayish territory of the Boundary of Life and Death. Anymore closer to the grayish layer would surely send me into the Other Side of the Shores. I would be definitely dead once I reach there, as no amount of Restrained Techniques could resurrect or bring back someone from this side of the world.

She then smiled sadly as she drew closer again to me. "You're a fool for provoking fate, Ray.", she muttered as she place her gentle hand on my chest. "Such a fool, why did I... for a fool... like you.", she began crying tears of ink, as she gentle hand became roughed and grabbed me. "Sorry, but I rather be a fool than let others believe I'm a hypocrite. Really sorry, ------", I softly said as I formed a wry smile back at her.

"Ray...", her ink stained face looked ugly, but it remained a cool beauty to me. I... really am a bastard, huh? Making someone like her cry every time I die? What a fool. This world's greatest fool! Still, I would not stop until I change everything for the best back there. I will not allow anyone to hinder me, even if they were modern warlocks like him! I swear! This my promise...

"Ray... Ray... Ray? Ray! Behind you!", she shouted in fear as several arms sprouted behind me. These pale thin arms with unclean skin were the forces of the Boundary of Life and Death trying to finally pull me back to that side. "Hey, -----", I instead talk to her with calmness. "...Ray?", she had a confused look on her face as death was approaching me fast from behind. Not even she could stop my inevitable death, but I very like to reassure her that everything was fine. Yeah, just as always.

"My bad, -----", I address her name intimately. Annoying Restrained Techniques, even in here, it stops me from hearing or saying her name. No bother, she could hear it clearly except for me. "Come closer, please.", I politely asked her as the deathly pale arms had covered half of my body. Each touch sting a pain worse than my death, it felt like icy needles piercing me from multiple spots. The pain was so sever it hurt no different from intense burning. Searing pain covered me while I look at her teary face. Close. Her face and death. Closer. Our noses and death. Closer to me. Our lips and death. Closest to her. Then we...

Unrestrained Technique - Till Death Do Us Part!

Everything jolted and a radiant light blinded me then invading darkness to colors beyond this dimension. I felt my whole body feeling the pressure of rising or falling back to where I fell or rose from in the Boundary of Life and Death. She was no longer in front or beside me. Everything was moving in an insane speed I could not register. Passing through a tunnel of nightmares like in a roller coaster, every single disgusting thought and sensation invaded me. I could hear laughter from the sides as sinister presences were enjoying my suffering wait back to the world of the living.

Sorry, I really am sorry for always resorting to this cursed power of theirs! Damn the Darker Dimensions! Damn the Witches and Warlocks! And damn me for getting pulled into the mess in the first place!

"------, I promised you! I will----", I swear aloud as the end of this tunnel of nightmares came. Light covered everything as sound disappeared alongside the feeling of existing.

SIDE ???​

Dead was the absolute end for those inflicted by my touch. Not even the highest level of Restrained Techniques could revive them from that amount of damage. But today, I stand corrected. Before me laid the scorched corpse I just ended, but now the corpse stands again. It stands alive and breathing. No, I definitely killed him. No, I... Did I kill him? Wait, what I was doing here again? Ah, I came here to kill him. No human would survive my Unrestrained Technique - Black Finisher. I could no longer recall as I was having a rough time organizing my thoughts. My memories were somewhat faulty today? No matter, the mission demanded the death of this individual. I would not stop here just for a mere boy. I walk steadfast towards him and... he smiles.