Binding Vow?

" You want to make a 'Contract', with me? " Shiro asks as he's still with Azi Dahaka's Spirit, in whatever place he suddenly gets in.

" Yes, more like a 'Binding Vow' to both of us... " Azi Dahaka says.

" What's that? " Shiro innocently asks.

* Azi Dahaka sighs. *

"( Kids these days... tsk tsk... )"

"( How could their elders never taught them of such thing? guess this thing are really forgotten these days. )"

"( But, speaking of 'forgotten'... )"

"( Keukukuku... )"

" Fine, I'll teach you... " Azi Dahaka returns from his thoughts.

" About a 'Binding Vow', it is essentially an unbreakable contract set for a specific time... "

" But unlike the contracts in that you humans written and signed on paper, this contract is signed using blood as its media. "

" For through Blood, the Contract this Vow made, will bound both parties' Souls... "

" Blood? " Shiro asks.

" Yes, child, if you immediately remembered your 'Akafushi', she might've been adept at this... "

" I've never seen her if she can or not, but since 'Blood' is her arsenal, then she should've known or used this already. "

" But as I was saying, like all Contracts and Vows. "

" It all comes with a 'Penalty', for those who dared to disobey it. "

" And since this thing is Bound to our very Souls, then this contract will immediately put one's Soul into the greatest of harm, even making one die in an instant. "

" Really!? " Shiro panicked as he heard this.

" Yeah, it is... " Azi Dahaka chuckles terrifyingly.

" It's a 'Special Case Contract' after all... " Azi Dahaka ends the chuckle

" Let's just say, unlike the ones who made a contract with me before, I'm going to give you some relief. " Azi Dahaka said it.

" You mean it? " Shiro asks with joy for a second, but retracts it, knowing who made that offer to him.

" Nice one there, I'm not going to trust another person's offer again... "

" I know, I know, mmm... " Azi Dahaka replied.

" But, sadly, this is the only solution... "

" You want to get out of here and I don't want to see you any longer in this place... "

" So, I've decided to just help you get out or perhaps heal your body entirely... "

" Hell, perhaps I look past on your Mutated Hand I've made, the one I forgot to retract to its normal form. " Azi Dahaka says, explaining to Shiro what happened to his body.

" You..., 'mutated' me...? "

" I simply overdid it, your body is surprisingly comforting despite being not the best suitable... "

" Don't worry, I already returned most of your body to normal in the seconds I tried to take my powers away from it, sadly, some remains in your hand, I believe it's the right one. "

" So... "

" Do you want to hear the vow I'm going to propose? " Azi Dahaka asks.

...

" Me, not telling everyone about the Contract? " Shiro asks, Azi Dahaka, as he proposes this.

" Yes, if you don't say to anyone, I'll immediately help you return, restore your body, and even better... "

" I'll empower you... "

" But... " Shiro answers him.

" I don't know if I can... "

" Fine, I'll sweeten the deal boy! "

" How about I'll return you to the real world, restore your body. "

" Retract the contract I gave you back then, the one I offered and you accepted when I first possessed you. "*

" Not just that, with this contract, I can't harm you or even those you cared about. "

" But, for around ten minutes, when I say 'Reave', I will take your body for around the time I told you just now. "

" Wow, that's some sweet deal... " Shiro says.

" But, you know I can't... "

" Of course, you will break if those two women around you suspect anything while you're asleep. " Azi Dahaka understands.

" So, instead of you not telling... "

" How about you forget about this deal instead after you're here... "

" You liked it? " Azi Dahaka asks Shiro which he responds with silence.

" ... "

" ... " Shiro silences.

" Hey, what do you think? " Azi Dahaka asks him during the silence.

* Shiro turns around and runs. *

" Tch, idiot! " Azi Dahaka sighs, seeing the boy fleeing from him instead of taking the deal.

Shiro runs as fast as he can while searching if there's a way could get out.

"( Idiot, even I still wonder how you got in here in the first place? )" Azi Dahaka gets annoyed as he immediately sends a blast of his power towards Shiro, hitting him.

...

...

...

( Meanwhile. )

[ Thorned Mountains, Yakujin's New Lair ]

[ Cocoon of the Kagimushi ]

Back in the real world, in the Cocoon.

" *Gasp* " Shiro gasps as he awakes from his slumber.

He moves around and sees himself bound inside a liquidated closed cocoon.

" Hmph! " Shiro sees this and fears, fears of being drowned, suddenly remembers something during his times in the Sakurazaka Village back then, one of his tortures by the Head Shaman.

Shiro remembers himself being drowned in a pool many times, hard breathing.

" Hmph! " Shiro knocks the cocoon from the inside, he punches it, many times.

" Hmph! " Shiro tries to punch again, but this time, the cocoon breaks as his 'Right Hand' breaks it, suddenly changing for a bit.

* Shiro comes out from the Cocoon. *

Shiro exhales hard, he also inhales as much air as he can get.

" Where... " Shiro is still in panic.

" What was that!? " he hears a voice, he prepares to leave as soon as he hears it, since he doesn't recognize the place.

* Shiro slips, his limbs are still weak. *

"( I can't move... )" Shiro is still not used to it, not only that, he shivers.

Not in fear, but by the cold that suddenly strikes, freezing him as his wet body coldens it.

"( I had to flee, from whatever place this is... )" Shiro still remembers one of his bad memories within the Sakurazaka Village, during his days prepared as a sacrifice.

"( I... I... )" Shiro tries to crawl away, but then...

" Shiro...? " he hears it and looks to the source of the voice, seeing a familiar face.

" It can't be..., you're awake? " the voice says to him, as Shiro sees her, who immediately hugs him with warmth and cries of happiness.

" Sister..., Akafushi...? " Shiro is hugged, feeling a great warmth after he wakes up cold.

< Initializing >

" Huh? " Shiro says as he sees a sudden flash in front of his eyes.

" What the-... " Shiro sees it, confused.

< System Pill Successfully Installed >

< Hello there, User Shiro >

< I'm the System, inserted by the 'Black Merchant' using some pills before he put you in the Cocoon. >

_______________

Extra:

*" Retract the contract I gave you back then, the one I offered and you accepted when I first possessed you. ".

It happens secretly during Chapter 26: Attack on the Lair Part 2.