'Agh. What the fuck happened...?'
Mark scratched his head and opened his eyes.
A bright sky above.
It took him a couple of seconds to remember the events that had transpired earlier.
'What the hell was that about...?'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" is smiling!]
[Your Title "Devourer" proudly sneers at you.]
'Proudly? The fuck do you have to be proud of?'
[Your Title "Devourer" clicks its tongue.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" reminds you that you asked for it not to turn out like last time.]
'I didn't ask. But... Yeah. That's a good thing, I guess.' Mark reluctantly admitted.
He stared at the bright sky without standing up.
"Morning."
Mark immediately turned his head to the side.
A smiling Elisa was seated on her folded knees. And on those knees,
Meow-
Lay a cheeky Moonlit Feline.
Mark looked at them for a bit, before turning to face the sky again.
"Slept well? That Levi person really didn't want to leave you with me. It took a bit of convincing, but it worked out in the end. He said they were going to bring you food or something."
He listened to her, and felt more confused than ever.
'Why is she talking to me... After... All that?'
Mark turned his head sideways once more.
He stared at her for a moment.
Elisa lowered her gaze towards the leisurely stretching Moonlit Feline, before gracefully placing a lock of her ashen hair back behind her ear.
'Something's definitely wrong with her.'
The Moonlit Feline got up and off Elisa's knees.
Mark directed his gaze back to the sky.
Seconds later, something damp went up his cheek.
'Yeah...'
And Krista walked away.
"So... I talked a bit with that Spirit. He's quite the character. And he also had many things to-"
[What are you doing?]
"Huh? Um. Making conversation. Seems appropriate, since you just woke up."
A confused expression was on Mark's face.
The two stayed silent for a bit.
After a couple of minutes, Mark turned his head towards her.
Elisa's gaze was glued to the hands she rubbed one against the other.
Sigh-
Mark opened his mouth, and decided to close it back down a second later.
[I guess I should apologize about earlier.]
Elisa's arms straightened, and so did her posture.
She blushed, which Mark found incredibly hilarious and strange. He didn't say anything though.
"Well..." Elisa looked away. "You have nothing to be sorry about. While touching me that way was inappropriate and could be perceived as absolutely despicable, I understand that it was necessary to get rid of the Corrup-"
[What?]
"What?" Elisa asked, slightly flustered.
[That's what you're focusing on?]
"Um, who do you think you're talking to? A fair maiden does not deserve to be treated that way. And you should apologize for it-"
[I was talking about me trying to kill you.]
"Oh. That?"
'That's her response?!'
"Well, I would have fought back to the death. So we're even, I suppose."
'How?'
Mark stared at her for a bit.
She seemed different.
[Without Krista interfering, I would have probably gone through with it.]
[You know that, right?]
Elisa was at a loss for words for a moment.
"Well if you hadn't shown me that you could use Corruption Magic, I probably would have let you."
[What?]
"What?"
They stared at each other.
Mark tried his best, but he couldn't keep a straight face.
He laughed.
He laughed out loud and uncontrollably.
Elisa tried to contain herself too, but ultimately failed just like him.
And the two laughed.
Together.
Mark went back to staring at the sky.
[I was right.]
"How so?"
[You're unstable.]
[And strange.]
[I mean I was so close to killing you.]
[And you care more about me barely grazing your skin?]
"First of all, it wasn't barely, and you know it. Second, I can't help what I care about, alright? I just do. I just care. That's all there is to it. Can't control it. Third, I would say you're at least as bad as me when it comes to instability, okay?"
[Okay well-]
"I'm not done. Fourth, I have an excuse. It's called Corruption. You have none. So... There you go."
Mark turned to face her.
[You seem to be taking it rather well.]
"What do you mean?"
[I mean you're joking about the Corruption Magic that destroyed... Wait let me see... Everything dear to you?]
"Well aren't you a bitch? You didn't have to make it personal like that." She smiled and looked away.
Mark silently stared at the sky for a couple of seconds.
Her occasional use of foul language amused him.
[Anything happened while I was out?]
"Mm? Oh, yes. Apparently, something appeared on your left arm. To be honest, I can't tell if it's new or not."
Mark frowned for a moment.
'My left arm...? Right.'
He extended that arm in front of him, and...
'Doesn't seem like a big deal.' Mark thought to himself.
Three dark disks of varying sizes had been drawn on his arm somehow.
The first at the shoulder, the second at the elbow, and the third on the back of his hand.
The three dark disks were connected by a thick dark line.
Mark passed his right hand over both those dark disks and that dark line.
'It's like the scales were painted black. Is that all there is to it...?'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" urges you to behold its creation!]
'Creation? This...? It's more like tattoo than-'
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" explains that all the devoured traces of Corruption have been stored inside your left arm.]
[Your Title "Evolving Monster" adds that all Magic Skills involving Corruption or Dark Magic will now use up less Mana.]
[Your Title "Devourer" demands that you consume more traces of Corruption.]
"Oh. Now that I think about it, they're similar to the lines that go below your eyes. Those that go all the way down to your waist."
Mark instinctively brought a hand to those thick dark lines.
'Huh. Similar...?'
A short silence.
"It's pretty impressive really." Elisa broke it.
[What is?]
"You can use Corruption Magic. I could've been fine with that now that my curse has been... Lessened? Which... I guess... I should thank you for. Anyways, I could've been fine with that, but now..."
[Now?]
"Well... Do I even need to say it? I mean you reeeek of Corruption. And I mean, you really do. Like really really. As in it would be impossible not to notice, or even pretend not to."
[Huh.]
[How can you tell?]
"How? I can't say for sure. You just reek of it, that's all."
[Well, that doesn't help at all.]
"Well, it does help. You're just not listening. It's just like when I say that it smells of flowers. What does that mean? It means that it smells of flowers. Simple as that. And if you don't know how flowers smell, then I don't think I can explain it to you."
Mark remained silent for a bit.
[You're fun.]
"I am, aren't I?"
[Truthfully, I think I can trust you.]
[It would be nice to have you by my side.]
"Well... Uh... Hum. I mean... How would I benefit from that?"
[Not sure honestly.]
[I'm not even over all the stuff that happened earlier.]
"And what does that mean? Not over it? As in you hold a grudge?"
[Means I might...]
[Do something like that again.]
"So you're sooo unstable that you need to warn me in advance. That's what you've just admitted, right?"
Mark didn't answer. Elisa stood up and walked closer.
"You don't need to worry about that."
She extended a hand towards him.
"The moment you flip out, lose your shit, or go crazy, I'll grab that Moonlit Feline and disappear. I'll steal her from you forever. I can promise that I'll take care of her properly. And more than that, I can bet that she will looove being with me."
Mark chuckled.
He took her hand.
And he tightened his grip around that hand.
[Just know that if you stab me in the back-]
"I can't really do that now, can I? I... Uh... I... Sort of? Need your help for an extended period of time."
[Right.]
She tightened her grip around his hand.
"Which is why I will do everything I can to keep you alive. Because with this Corruption of mine, even if I were to find myself outside, making it to a Healer capable of getting rid of it on time would be near-impossible."
Nod-
[Then I'll be counting on you from now on.]
"Same, same. And you better not let me down. I've gotten my hopes up now, so..."
[Sure.]
They shook hands.
[I'll try.]
