Respawn

Chapter 5: The Battle Above The Ground

Takahashi’s POV

To check this lady in front of me, I'm going to touch her. She's still on the ground and appears to be in disbelief at what's going on. I try to get a better look at her because she shields her eyes from me. "Are you alright? Why are you hiding your eyes? Are you in pain? "I inquired. I reach out to examine her arms, but before I can pull her away, she slaps me across the face. I believe I terrified her. She's crying, and when I glance at her, I'm astounded by what I see. "Your eyes... they're different colors," I exclaimed in awe. She yelled, "Don't come near me!" "Don't be afraid," I continued, "listen, I'm just like you." I take out the ring Saki gave me, and my true self emerges. My horns start to sprout, and the color of my eyes begins to alter. "Look, we're both the same," I explained. In a world where individuals, despite their innocent appearances, are more terrifying, we appear to be a beast with a good heart.

"Would you mind telling me your name, Lady?" I inquired softly. "I'm Tori," she responded as she tucked her hair behind her ear. We take a stand together, and I respect Tori's beauty. She takes my hand in hers and we stare each other down. The agony of Saki's rejection dissipates. All that comes to mind right now is this lady named Tori who is standing in front of me. What a stunning woman she is. A breathtaking beauty that no one else in the vicinity can match. Tori, I believe, is the lady who the old lady mentioned. Tori was indeed my first love. I try to draw Tori closer to me, but I lose my balance after stumbling on a stone. We both tumbled to the ground and our faces were close to each other. I looked beside me at a bush a few meters away and noticed Saki peering at us.

She inquired, "Am I interrupting the two of you?" When Tori and I saw Saki, we leapt to our feet. We are quite self-conscious about the fact that another person is watching us. "Not at all," I replied. "This is Tori," I introduced Tori to Saki, "and Tori, that's Saki. She's my friend, the one I said that could assist you. " "Hello" Saki remarked, smiling. Tori extends a shy hand to Saki. Tori is probably still shy and inexperienced with the world. "Look at Tori, Saki," I continued, "her eyes are different colors." Saki examines Tori's eyes carefully. "Her eyes... you guys have the same eye color," she stated. Tori's eyes, like mine, are red and yellow.

"I suppose you folks should start heading to your own homes now that the sun has come up," Saki suggested. "I suppose so," I responded, "but I'll take Tori to my house now because she doesn't have a place to stay." Saki answered, "No problem." Saki parted ways with us and waved farewell. Tori and I continued walking till we arrived at my home. While we are strolling together, Tori maintains a safe distance from me. "You're not at ease?" I inquired.

"I'm still a little shy, and I'm still learning to trust others. This world perplexes me; people seem to despise me for no apparent reason, "she stated. We arrived at my apartment and entered. "This is my apartment; you are welcome to stay here until you find a place to stay," I stated. She seemed quite hesitant to enter my apartment, so I approached her. "Come sit down," I invited. We took a seat together, and I stared into her eyes once more. What a lovely pair of eyes she has. "Like you, I have a lot of questions that are difficult to answer. I understand how difficult it is to explain ourselves to others, as well as how unjust the world is for people like us. People with multiple-colored eyes are considered sinners. In the past, we committed unforgivable sins. But don't worry, there will be at least one person who will stand up for you, someone who will stay and fight alongside you. " I explained.

Tori, I believe, will also find someone who will be there for her. I believe that in this terrible world, there are still good-hearted people like Saki who are willing to help those in need. I believe that there are still people in this place who are very understanding and considerate. "Are you going to be that one person?" she asked. "Me?" I inquired while I was still overwhelmed. "Yes... Will you be that person who stays and fights for me?" She inquired. 

I'm nervous, but I don't want to tell Tori the truth. "Honestly, I'm really not good at any games here, and you see, I am also a newbie in this world. " I don't think I'm the man she is expecting, and her expectations are probably very high. Hey, I saved her from a strange guy before. I said "I have no really high goals, like being a known world player. I just want to know who I am and what the secret of this world is. "

"I get it," she said. "You will also know what you want to do in this world," I added with a smile. She glances down, as if she's experiencing a feeling she can't articulate. "I don't believe I have anything in this world that I want to do. However, I have a strong suspicion that I am not reincarnated in this world to live for myself. I'm not sure what I want and feel like I'm looking for something I don't understand. But as I saw you, all I knew was that I had to stop looking because you were the one that I was searching for, "she stated.

"I don't believe we happened to cross paths by chance. I believe it was fate that led you to me. I believe the Gods truly desire for us to meet, "she continued. "You often talk about God," I commented, puzzled. "I'm not sure, but I believe I have a profound love for God who lives in my heart. I don't recognize him, but I can see him in my vision, albeit his face is obscured. In my dreams, I see him. I'm not sure how I'm connected to him, but I have an indescribable sense that urges me to always love that God. When I saw you, I had the same feeling I had when I saw the God I'm talking about, "she continued.

I gave her a friendly smile and a gentle touch on the head. I rubbed my fingers through her hair and whispered, "I believe that God loves you! I'm sure he always uses his heavenly power to defend you". She nods her head, as if she doesn't believe what I'm saying. "There are a lot of thoughts flowing through your mind. Now is the time for you to take a break. "I kept going. I added, "Sleep on the bed, and I'll sleep on the floor." I grab a futon and set it up on the floor so I don't have to sleep in the bed and Tori can have a good night's sleep.

Tori was still asleep when the morning came. Saki sent me a message inquiring how I was doing. I told Saki that I was fine. I went outside to get some bread and milk for our breakfast, but Saki was waiting for me on the road. "Hey," she exclaimed. She inquired, "How are you doing?" I told her I was alright in the chat, but she continued to ask. "I'm alright," I responded, "but why are you so worried?" "I'm not concerned, I simply want to know how you're doing; you're still my responsibility," she added.

"All I want to do right now is play some new games so I can get some money," I explained. "Wait," Saki said as I was ready to enter the apartment. "Yes?" I asked, looking at her. There is a little pause in our conversation before she continues, "Good luck and please be safe while playing." I answered, "I will, and thank you." I returned to my apartment and finished my meal. Tori must be exhausted because she is still sleeping. While I prepared myself for the game I would play, I placed a letter on the table and left food and milk for her.

I proceed to the game lobby, where you may choose from a variety of portals depending on the game you want to play. I'm still indecisive as to which game to play. This is terrifying, especially since I have no prior experience with any of the games except the murder game. I'm not sure I want to play the murder game again because I know I was just lucky. I'm very sure I'll die today while playing any of these games. I'm completely hopeless. "Hey hey," I heard a man's voice close to me. I gaze at him, and he is looking at me. "Are you new here?" he inquires. "Are you referring to me?" I inquired, pointing to myself as if I had no idea why he was speaking to me. He stated, "You, of course. Let's play some games. "

He placed his hand on my shoulder, as if we were friends. He asked, "Are you afraid of dying?" "Don't underestimate me," I answered, removing his hand from my shoulder. "Hey, take a deep breath. Okay, I'm only joking. Look at me, I'm a friend. "He expressed himself. "I'm not here to play for myself; I'm here to assist players in earning money, and I'm sure you're in need of some," he continued. He appears to be a nice guy, but I get the impression that he has a distinct vibe. His will appears to be completely true, and I have the impression that his strength is far greater than Saki's.

"Now let's go, my friend," he says as he approaches me and is ready to touch me when someone grabs his hand and pulls it away from me. "Saki?" I murmured. Saki was here, and I believe she was already here, just observing me from afar. "What is the name of this individual? Is he making you feel uneasy? ", she stated. She tightens her grip on the guy's wrist, as if she's telling him not to touch me. Saki stares at the man as though she intends to kill him till his flesh is seen. "Hey, my friend," he inquired, "who is this girl?" "If you're not his friend, don't call him that!" Saki yelled. The man begins to radiate a dark aura. A cloud of black smoke could be seen surrounding him, but I think Saki and the others didn't witnessed it. "Saki, please stop. He is a friend of mine," I begged.

When she let go of the man's wrist, he grinned and said, "Thank you, my friend." "So, you're Saki?" she asked, looking at her. He looked me in the eyes and said, "So, how about you, sir? What's your name, exactly? ",. Saki hid behind me, as if she didn't want to say my name. She said, "Don't tell him your name." "My name is Takahashi Fujin," I replied. "Stop being so protective," I remarked to Saki. Saki appears to be upset when she hears what I've stated. "Fine," Saki responds, crossing her arms like a brat.

"I'm Yuu Sato. Good to meet you Saki and Takahashi!" he added with a smile. His aura no longer emits a black color. He appears to be a hothead, yet his mood shifts frequently. He isn't a typical person, yet I have the impression he is a wonderful person. He inquired, "What should we play?" Saki offered a "murder game." "No, what if someone in our group becomes a murderer? Then we'll have no choice but to kill our other pals, which is awful, "Yuu explained, as Saki rolled her eyes.

"Let's play team sky wars so we can be a team while battling opponents and protecting each other," he laughs. Sky wars as a team? That's a game I've never heard of before. "What exactly is that game?" I inquired. "There are 12 participants in all, divided into four teams. Each team consists of three players. The objective is to eliminate the other team's other members, "she clarified. "That's a terrific idea because we can play together as a team and dominate the game!" Yuu exclaimed, putting her arms around Saki and myself. "So, why is it called Sky Wars?" I inquired. "It's called sky wars because we'll fight in the sky," he explained, his expression filled with excitement. We'll play a team survival game called Team Sky Wars, which is a battle above the ground.