An apology

The man's piercing gaze locked onto Lilith, who appeared disheveled with her robe and hair tousled as if she had been rolling around.

Lilith's robe was loosened, revealing a hint of her breasts that were peeking out as she struggled to adjust it to fit her properly.

"Do you need help?" The man asked as he noticed Lilith gaze at the sword on his waist.

"Ahh... no." As Lilith shook her head, refusing his help, the man gently took her arm and fixed her robe. He carefully adjusted the fabric, ensuring it fits snugly around her body, hiding any signs of skin that may have been peeking through.

"The robe you're wearing is called a Kimono." The man spoke as she patted the dust off Lilith's shoulder.

"Yes, it's very comfortable to wear," Lilith commented.

"I'm glad to hear." The man spoke. "My name is Haruki Kato. You may simply call me Kato."

"Yes, I'm Lilith." Lilith introduced herself.

"I take it that you're from the West?"

"Well, not really. I'm not even from this realm. Wait, but this is the universe I'm supposed to take care of..." Lilith murmured softly under her breath as she left, her expression tinged with confusion.

"You must be hungry... I have prepared..."

Just then, Lilith abruptly halted Kato's words as she intercepted him mid-sentence, her hand raised to signal a pause. "You don't have to. Everyone must be busy. Instead, can I ask you what happened here?"

"Kato gazed at Lilith with his dark eyes before gracefully lowering himself to the ground and positioning himself in front of her. He then began to explain to Lilith.

Kato's tale was adorned with the recurring presence of the Witch of Alorea, a formidable enchantress whose name carried weight. She was a solitary figure, much like a wandering mercenary, journeying from land to land in search of a calling that she alone could fulfill. It was said that these nameless witches sought not gold or glory but something far more elusive.

It was the Witch of Alorea who lent her unholy powers to the ruthless humans of the west, like a tempestuous storm descending upon Kato's peaceful village. With her sorcery as their weapon and her malice as their guide, they pillaged the land, sparing neither man nor beast in their insatiable quest for plunder.

"Wait, your my village?" Lilith asked, her eyes shining with admiration.

"Yes, my village." Kato nodded.

The scene unfolded as Kato's powerful form emerged as a towering figure amidst the chaos. He bellowed a fierce battle cry that echoed through the village as he charged toward the remaining pillagers. With a mighty swing of his weapon, he struck down his enemies one by one, forcing them to retreat in fear. As the dust settled, Kato stood victorious, having driven out the invaders and saving a third of his beloved village.

"Don't you think you're selfly praising yourself too much?" Lilith muttered as she stared at Kato with a dead look.

"That was how I remembered it..." Kato coughed.

"But how did they get this high up the mountain?" Lilith asked.

"That was where the Witch of Alorea came into play..."

It turned out that the Witch of Alorea possessed a spell of immense power, capable of transporting hundreds of soldiers in the blink of an eye.

The humans knew better than to challenge the mountain deities directly, for their strength was legendary and far surpassed that of any mere mortal. And so, they resorted to stealth and surprise. A ranking system had been devised to determine the strength of people and things. It began with E-rank, the weakest of creatures, and progressed to D-rank, C-rank, B-rank, A-rank, and S-rank - the pinnacle of power. To further refine their calculations, they added plus and minus signs. Of all the creatures that roamed the earth, it was said that none were as varied in their strength as humans.

"What will you do," Lilith asked.

"It's simple... we will regain our strength and strike back."

...

"Then as an apology for Haruto's mistake, I would like to fulfill one of your wishes as long as it's within my power."

"Ah...?" Lilith's gaze lingered on Kato for a moment, her expression one of surprise. Her attention was then drawn to the sword at his waist, glinting in the sunlight. "May I see the sword for a second?"

Kato seemed a bit reluctant to give Lilith his sword, but in the end, he passed his sword over to Lilith. "It's called katana."

A rush of adrenaline coursed through Lilith's veins as she lifted the katana from its resting place, her fingers closing around the hilt like a lover's embrace. The metal sang beneath her touch, its weight both foreign and familiar all at once. Her eyes sparkled with excitement as Lilith had dreamed of holding a sword.

Lilith slowly drew the katana from its scabbard, the sound of metal scraping against wood echoing through the room. With a steady hand, she brought the blade to her face, studying its razor-sharp edge with awe. And then, without hesitation, she pressed down her finger on the sharp razor blade. 

A drop of blood welled up from the wound, its deep red hue a stark contrast against the gleaming silver of the katana. 

Though she had made the decision to lower her DEF stat, she knew that her body was more resilient than ever before. And yet, as she gazed down at the wound on her finger, she couldn't help but marvel at the sheer sharpness of the blade. It had sliced through her skin with ease, leaving behind a thin line of crimson that seemed to glow in the dim light of the room.

"Hey, don't cut yourself! You might scar yourself!" Kato shouted as she took his katana away from Lilith.

But just then, the blood that dripped from Lilith's finger slipped back into her wound like magic. Then her wound closed as if it was never there.

Just then, the wound on her Lilith's finger began to close, the edges of the skin knitting themselves back together as if by some magical force. It was as though the blood itself was alive, flowing backward through the wound and disappearing into her body. And then, as if by some unseen hand, the skin sealed itself shut, leaving no trace of the injury behind.

Lilith slowly withdrew her finger, casting a furtive glance in Kato's direction. The last thing she wanted was for him to notice the wound that had now vanished as if it had never existed. Who knew what other kind of misunderstanding it would bring if Kato saw it?

"Do you need a bandage or anything?" Kato asked.

"Does that count towards my one wish?" Lilith joked while shaking her head. "I'm fine, but if it would be possible, could I also get a Katana of my own?"

"Is that your wish?" Kato asked as he stood up, and Lilith nodded. "Then you can come over to my place. I have an excellent blacksmith."

"Do you want to come right now?" Lilith asked as she also stood up, making sure she didn't put wrinkles on her kimono.

"Sure." Kato lightly smiled while nodding.