UNTIMELY ENCOUNTER

Life is hell for Arex as the everyday struggle to hide away from his enemies becomes even more challenging. particularly when they all appear to be getting bigger by the day.

"I think he went in that direction!" one of the pursuing gang members shouted, indicating a possible path that Arex might have taken.

What they failed to realize was that Arex never went straight there. Instead, he swiftly sought refuge in a dark dumpster, concealed from the sight of the gang members.

As night fell, the place where Arex concealed himself was shrouded in darkness, ensuring his pursuers remained oblivious to his presence.

Arex was already gasping for air. The echoes of the gang members' heavy footsteps reverberated in his ears as they relentlessly pursued him.

He never imagined finding himself in such a predicament. Arex was filled with regret, realizing that if he had just stayed away from the arcade today, he wouldn't have come across them. 

However, it is now too late for him to ponder over such matters. Now, Arex must discover a means to evade them entirely. Regrettably, he had never ventured into this specific region before, which poses a challenge for him.

His phone had completely run out of battery, leaving him without access to online maps or the ability to call for back up.

He wanted to go fight them all and kick some of their fat asses but, as he was heavily outnumbered, he had to flee until he could get some back up.

This has been Arex's daily street-brawl life and it has become a natural routine to him more than attend his class.

Despite feeling trapped, Arex found a way to regain his footing once the sound of his pursuers' footsteps faded away.

However, a sudden lightning strike that unexpectedly hit the ground in front of Arex just as he was about to take another step knocked him backwards.

Arex was taken aback when he realized he hadn't been harmed at all. Still reeling from the events that had transpired, Arex found himself at a loss for words.

Only when a mysterious woman emerged from the dense fog, left in the wake of a lightning strike, did Arex regain his composure once more.

"You're shade number ninety-nine, Arex Carceri, and apparently the last soul I am supposed to turf out." A strange woman with obsidian-coloured hair informed Arex. 

She was looking at a holographic scroll that appeared to be a long list of souls she had successfully turfed out.

Arex had not the slightest knowledge of how this woman knew his name or whatever she was trying to accomplish. But if there was any reason that was making Arex feel unease right now, apart from the unbelievable hologram the woman was using, it was the eerie clothes she was wearing.

A black veil covers her entire face,face that Arex barely even recognize how she even looks like. She was even wearing a dark dress that almost resembled a priest's clothing, which was sure to give him more of the chills, esp ecially since this woman keeps talking about collecting his soul. 

Arex couldn't help but consider the possibility that this woman may have been part of a cult or could be on drugs.

"You must have lost your mind, miss. I don't know what kind of drugs you are even taking, but I'm seriously not into your thing. Okay? I gotta get going." Arex tried to escape soon after he said that.

However, the woman was swift to stop Arex when she outran him instead.

"Let me clarify things promptly. I was sent here to collect your soul, human, and it is not a matter up for negotiation." The woman promptly replied with her hand pointed towards him.

Arex, feeling a sense of bewilderment, cautiously retreated a few paces. 

Although death was something he had been anticipating since the start—especially when that lightning bolt nearly struck him earlier—it wasn't exactly what he had wished for. The current unsettling events have dampened his expectations of how he would die.

"Wait a moment," Arex responded, reaching out with his hands in an attempt to gain clarity on the situation. "I don't understand what you're saying," Arex stated. He spoke with a hint of perplexity, his words laced with a touch of bitterness.

However, instead of responding kindly, the woman simply scoffed and acted as if she had no interest in Arex's current emotions. Based on her actions, it was clear that she was resolute in completing the task without the need for any explanations to Arex.

Out of nowhere, she burst into laughter, seemingly making fun of Arex's earnest desire to uncover the truth. "Have you ever thought about slaughtering a pig and having to justify it to the creature?" she responded.

Her reply instantly made Arex feel belittled. It seemed as if the woman regarded Arex's life as insignificant, daring to unexpectedly snatch it away.

Instead of continuing to engage with the woman, Arex concluded that it was best to distance himself from her. He had a sudden thought that the woman might be a bit crazy. 

Arex stood confidently; his hands were now casually resting at his sides. He gazed directly into the woman's emerald eyes as he responded, "No, but let me share what I do know. You approached me with the claim of being tasked with acquiring my soul, as if you were a member of some peculiar cult. Sorry, but I'm not interested in attending your pagan party, miss. Perhaps you should consider extending an invitation to someone else. " Arex said that followed his swift exit from the location. 

Although what he said may have been his sneaky move to excuse himself away from the woman. Arex sure found the things that happened to him today rather tiring.

"What a waste of time," Arex muttered to himself, accompanied by a deep sigh. As he walked away from the secluded place, he suddenly became aware of a dense, ominous mist enveloping his surroundings.

He then made his walk faster, enough to get away from the weird woman quickly. 

Arex was taken aback as he turned around, his eyes widening in horror. The woman before him was no longer standing on the ground, but instead, she was floating effortlessly in the air. 

To his astonishment, he realized that the eerie, dark mist enveloping the surroundings was emanating from the woman's body. It was flowing from the hem of her dark skirt, which covered her entire legs and feet.

"I don't recall granting you permission to leave just like that. As I mentioned earlier, collecting your soul isn't something you are entitled to bargain with," she stated firmly, locking her set of jade-tainted eyes on Arex once again. "And by the way, you've got about an hour left, Arex. You have only one hour remaining before you leave the realm of the living."

"Hold on a sec, what do you mean by just an hour? Just who do you think you are to make such assertions? Are you a god to tell me that?"

"I'm not. and I've already explained my reason for being here. It doesn't really matter if you find out my identity or not, because in the end, I will still claim your soul."

"You mentioned that I only have one more hour left to live. Is it possible for me to learn about my eventual demise?" Arex inquired, his body tense and his mind reeling from the shocking revelation.

The mysterious lady inched closer, delicately brushing her fingers through her hair. "I'm sorry, but I don't have the authority to do that. Why are you still curious when you understand that you couldn't prevent it regardless?" Her response indicated a deep understanding of Arex's thoughts.

However, just as Arex seemed to snap out of his deep contemplation, he quickly jumped up and dashed away from the woman once again. 

"This is nonsense! Who do you think you are, spouting such a ridiculous claim?" Arex's furious outburst reverberated through the air, his words dripping with frustration and intensity.

Meanwhile, with a deep sigh, the mysterious woman moved forward. 

"This foolish one seems to be rather headstrong, contrary to what I have been informed. Those morons betrayed me by assigning me to this foolish human, of all people." She said this while looking somewhere from afar.

With no alternative in sight, the woman wasted no time as she swiftly soared past Arex until the two of them met at a bridge. She landed gracefully in front of him, wasting no time in positioning herself before Arex's presence. 

With a sly smile, she remarked, "Human diplomacy never seems to get the job done, don't you agree? Humans like you refuse to believe it, especially if it hasn't been proven. However, once you uncover the reality of your destiny, you will be filled with anguish and desperation, begging for clemency to spare your life. I highly doubt you would even consider begging for your own, as much as I would like to witness it."

"I'd rather choose to end my life than plead for mercy from someone as deranged as you!" Arex shouted back boldly, undeterred by the woman's intimidating tone.

Suddenly, the mysterious woman's energy underwent a remarkable transformation. The weight was overwhelming, causing Arex to instantly drop to his knees before her.

"And that concludes our discussion then. Submit to me, Arex. Beg for the remaining moments you hold dear."

Arex found himself in a difficult situation, trying to regain his footing. Arex found himself struggling to counter the overwhelming force emanating from the mysterious woman.

The woman approached Arex and said, "Because if not, I might have no other choice but to introduce you to my long-time friend, Wisteria." She uttered these words as she retrieved a scythe from a hidden spot between her breasts. 

Arex's eyes grew wide with astonishment as he watched her extract the scythe from her chest. He couldn't wrap his mind around what had just happened. It was quite challenging for him to grasp how such a thing could be possible.

Despite initially doubting the woman's honesty, Arex had become convinced that she might actually be telling the truth. Especially after witnessing all of those inexplicable events unfold.

"Hold on—" In the face of overwhelming obstacles, Arex summoned all his strength to express himself. After a while, he finally inquired, "Did you just take it out between your breasts? How the hell did that fit there?"

"Fascinating, isn't it? You know, I don't really feel like elaborating today. But as time dwindles for you, I'll probably just tell a few out of mercy." The woman said as she extended the scythe facing Arex, before she continued, "This scythe possesses a significant status as one of the esteemed scythes of the black parade, a concept that may elude your comprehension even if I were to explain it. So I might as well show it to you as a gift before I turf you out, Arex Carceri."

"Black parade?" Wisteria? Now that I've seen all of these things in a row, I might be going crazy. Look, miss. I'm not sure what type of magician you are, but I'm not particularly interested in continuing to watch a performance that seems more suited for a children's party. I'm not interested in any more gimmicks or tricks you have planned. Please leave and give me some space." Arex exclaimed, attempting to convince himself that he was merely experiencing a vivid dream.

However, the mysterious woman simply ignored him and spared no time to brag about her scythe.

"You know what's truly remarkable about this scythe? The reason lies in its name. Whenever I utter the name of my scythe, its abilities come to life. And when I mention abilities, I'm referring to nothing less than lethal powers," the woman remarked, casually stroking the underside of her scythe. 

Arex stubbornly clung to the notion that it was all a figment of his imagination, dismissing the reality of what he had witnessed and the overwhelming presence exuded by the mysterious woman. Even worse, he entertained the notion that he had completely lost his sanity.

"Activating Wisteria," the woman whispered, as if conversing with the scythe. And inexplicably, the world around Arex trembled in a flash, as if in response to the scythe's awakening.

Out of nowhere, Arex found himself in a state of distress as the woman forcefully swung her scythe after activating it, slicing through the fringes of his hair that obscured his vision. Once again, this action made Arex feel completely shocked, as it almost took his life in a snap.

"I think I may have missed that one." The woman remarked as she examined the end of the scythe that was pointed towards her. "Perhaps the next time I see Hermit, I'll need to bring this with me for inspection." She even added a great deal of sarcasm.

Meanwhile, the recent events sent a tremor through Arex's knees. Throughout the ordeal, he had been desperately trying to rationalize the bizarre occurrences as mere pranks or thoughtless behavior. 

However, it became abundantly clear that the woman before him was genuinely determined to end his life with her menacing scythe.

"Don't worry, Arex. The next one would be the final blow." The woman exclaimed, raising the scythe's blade above her head, "Let's get him, Wisteria!" she exclaimed with determination in her eyes. Following that, she unleashed a powerful swing of the scythe, fully intent on ending Arex's life once and for all.