Chapter 3: A pretty girl Ray's eyelids fluttered open, slowly adjusting to the unfamiliar light. A pretty girl with raven-black hair and striking, unusual pink eyes was staring at him intently, her face mere inches from his as he lay sprawled on the sand.
"Hey, who are you...?" Ray mumbled, his voice raspy.
As his mind cleared, the realization of her proximity, and the sudden disorientation of his surroundings, hit him. He recoiled in panic, scrambling backward and quickly standing up.
"Hey! Hey! Who are you, and why am I on this beach?" he demanded, scanning the unfamiliar coastline. "Where is Ager?"
She... she was incredibly close to me, Ray thought, a blush creeping up his neck. In my entire life, I've never seen a girl from this close. She's also very pretty.
"Hey, why are you so nervous?" the girl asked, a playful smirk touching her lips.
"Umm..." Ray stammered, his mind blank, his face burning with embarrassment. He couldn't find a single coherent word to speak to a girl, especially one so beautiful.
The girl's smirk widened. "Hey, your face is turning red! Don't tell me you're blushing in front of me. Haven't you ever seen a girl before?" she teased, a hint of humor in her tone. "Well, I was just joking..."
Her expression then turned serious. "Are you sleeping here? Don't you know you're very close to the frontline of a war?"
"What? War...?" Ray echoed, bewildered.
"Why are you so surprised?" she scoffed lightly. "Don't you know about the war?" Her eyes suddenly widened in realization. "Hey, don't tell me you actually don't know."
"Umm... I don't know," Ray admitted, scratching his head. "I'm not from this world. I was reincarnated here."
The girl's playful demeanor vanished, replaced by suspicion. "Don't fool me. Do you think you can trick me just because you're a real Spiritumen?"
"What is this 'Spiritumen'?" Ray questioned, his confusion deepening.
She lowered herself, placing a hand on the sand near him, leaning in closely to scrutinize his face. "Are you pretending not to know anything?"
Suddenly, she stood abruptly and took a step back, a flicker of fear in her eyes. "Don't tell me you're from the Curseuman side! If that's true, I'll have to seal you immediately. I'm a B-rank Spirit Possessor!"
"Hey!" Ray exclaimed in a panic, waving his hands frantically to show he meant no harm. "I'm not a Curseuman or whatever you're saying! I'm just a human!" He muttered to himself, "Wait, I was dead... so I'm a soul now." Then, speaking louder, "Hey, I'm just a soul! I know 'soul' sounds weird, but believe me!"
The girl visibly relaxed, a small smile returning to her face. "So you're a Spiritumen. I knew that the moment I sensed you closely. But, what are you doing here...?"
"I don't know myself, properly," Ray began, "but last time I was in the Void of Nothingness, then..."
"So, you don't know anything, huh?" she interrupted, cutting him off.
"You could say that," Ray conceded.
"So, what will you do now?" she mused, observing him. "If I'm right, you're pretty weird and don't know anything about this place. With a large war ongoing, I don't think you'll survive."
She hesitated for a moment, a faint blush dusting her cheeks. "If you don't have any problem, I can accompany you. But remember, I won't give you any money, and don't think anything weird about me like I'm afraid and need a man."
"Umm..." Ray paused, deep in thought, processing her offer and her strange conditions. He remained silent for a long moment.
"Don't worry," Yuki said, misinterpreting his silence. "You can take your time and tell me later. Until then, I can take you somewhere where people live. But before that, let's introduce ourselves."
She offered a bright smile. "My name is Yuki, and I am a B-rank Spirit Possessor. I'm also 19 years old. Now tell me yours..."
"Mine...?" Ray stammered, taken aback. "Ah... My name is Ray Ross... I'm 23 years old."
Yuki tilted her head. "You didn't tell me your rank, and I've never heard of a Spiritumen's age. They're typically ancient. Even the spirit I possess, Yuzuki, doesn't remember her age."
Suddenly, a new voice, ancient and clear, emanated from Yuki's body.
"Yuki, don't talk about me to this... What should I call him? I can sense he is neither Spiritumen nor Curseuman. He is a pure soul."
"Hey, who was that?!" Ray exclaimed, his voice laced with fear, looking around wildly. "Someone just spoke!"
Yuki chuckled, a light, amused sound. "Don't be afraid. She is Yuzuki, the spirit I possess."
"Spirit... Yuzuki... Curseuman...?" Ray muttered, his mind reeling from the deluge of new information. "Where in the hell did you send me, Ager?!"