Risk

Time slowly flew by, and Ozawa and I slowly started to get used to the routine of living together. We never crossed the line or were intimate. For now, we didn't want to run anywhere, and therefore, we decided to spend this time just getting used to living together.

Slowly teams that went to the various missions were returning, but the one we sent to the Immortal Sage stayed silent; nobody received any news about their whereabouts, nor did they contact anyone, which seemed suspicious. Not to rush to conclusions, we came to a conclusion that, for now, we will stay silent and wait for them will return.

One month….

Two months….

Half a year ….

Nothing about them was known about their mission; it almost looked like they evaporated into thin air, which could not be ignored. Today sitting in our house, I decided to raise this topic.

"Ozawa," I attracted her attention while she was humming some kind of song while dancing around the kitchen, cooking something delicious.

"Something happened?" asked Ozawa looking at me while frying some meat.

"Indeed. There is something I wish to discuss with you…" I took a second to think about the content of my next words. "In fact, I have three things that I wish to talk to you about."

*Sigh*

She put down everything that was in her hands at the moment and took a seat next to me, not breaking eye contact. "I know that there is something worrying you, I didn't want to make you speak about them, but if you wish to do it yourself. I'm sure we can figure things out together."

Woman… Where did they find things that I didn't even think about before?

"Well, I will leave the most worrying matter for the last and start with something not as dangerous, but it doesn't make it less important." I opened the inner pocket of my jacket and took out a small pendant with a sphere in the middle that was painted in the color of gold.

"Here take this pendant, this is something I came up with after understanding more about souls." I explained shortly.

She took a pendant and inspected it with eyes full of sparkles with a faint smile on her face.

I hated to break it to her, but I had to tell her about the reason I created this piece. "I don't want to disappoint you, but this pendant is more practical than you might think about it."

"Huh?" She looked at me and then at the pendant, trying to understand. "What do you mean?"

I didn't know at first thought about creating something like this, but I understood one thing. There is a reason I need this instrument, and It will be necessary for people close to me.

"This pendant is something that contains piece of my soul. You are already aware of my curse " She nodded in response, listening without stopping me.

"This instrument is for this reason, I don't want if something to happen to me, so you don't lose me. The way it works is an indication of my state, or to be precise my availability. Gold means I'm alive and well, when golden light replaces with green that means I'm in some danger but not critical. Yellow means that I'm injured and in risk of death and red that means I'm close to the death bed, if some miracle it not to happen I will probably die. And lastly black - death. It will stay black until the moment my cycle repeats. I created this pendant for the sole reason that people that I can trust the most than anyone, will be aware of my well-being or moment when I return to the world of living."

I could see her hands slightly shaking and her eyes that were no more curious but cold as ice. "You won't be making something like this if there is no need for it, definitely not at the time like this when there is nothing on horizon that could endanger you, unless?"

"Yes. I decided that this is something necessary with the unknown enemy we have."

She didn't speak back; instead, her eyes didn't blink, and neither did they move away to avoid my sight; I could see that her attitude was not something full of happiness and love, but I didn't take chances; I took them long enough.

"Explain!" her voice was calm yet domineering.

"This pendant will also allow you or anyone that you can trust with my live to locate my new 'host'" I continued explaining the functions of the pendant, it's not like I wanted to ignore the fact that this was not something she wished to hear at the moment, but I had to make sure she is sure about the functions of the instrument that will be essential for the future.

"That's not what I want to hear from you, Soma!" her cold eyes pierced me and made me feel uneasy. No, I didn't fear her, neither did I fear death. My fear was towards something else. She is the one, despite not taking a special place in my heart. She is someone I could not endanger, while also the only one I could fully trust.

"I will tell you everything, but don't rush before your kunai leaves your palm," I tried to ease an atmosphere that was slowly turning ice-cold. "It's not like I will throw myself into something dangerous right now or without thinking about it!"

"But you will soon enough? Am I right?"

Why do they have this kind of sixth sense? Instead of making it hard for both of us, my eyes lost the glimmer that they usually had, and I stared back at the woman I cherished for the first time in a while.

"Ozawa, I know that you worry about me, and I hate to break it to you, but you won't be able to stop me, so calm down and stop being spoiled little girl and be serious." Instead of making it harder, I had to push with authority; I know that this will not be the best course of action, but the one I'm used to.

She didn't reply, but I could see how her body shook, but she kept herself together and decreased the degree of emotions.

"Second news, this pendant will show who is leader of the community, but at the same time nobody that isn't recognized by either you or me can pass this on, I don't trust others to the degree I do to you, so you will be the first holder of this artifact. Too much is at stake."

"And now for the worries that are not baseless. Remember the team we send about half a year ago to investigate the phenomena of a man that called himself 'Immortal Sage'?"

She nodded, and his eyes went wide "Don't tell me that they found something that our warriors can't handle? How strong is he?"

I shook my head. "No, there is a problem. Since the day we last saw our team we lost contacts with them since than, like they existed , non of them communicated with anyone since the start of this mission, even despite the long period of time, there is literally zero news. No bodies, no messages and no trace."

"And? You want to go there? And alone at that?" The sides of her lips lifted up, but she didn't look happy.

"I have to… You know that. This is a kind of responsibility I have. I can't ignore dangers such as this one."

"And?!" her eyes ignited in the burning fury. "Why not take someone to support you? Why do I feel like no matter what I will say you will never accept anyone help?"

"Ozawa," I tried to calm her down.

"And why do you always ignore the fact that here am I? Strongest person in this place after you? And despite that you won't ask me for help, will you?"

"OZAWA" I shouted, making her silent, her eyes still on fire.

"I need you to understand one truth, I won't risk lives of the people I decided to trust once again after a long time. It won't matter how strong you are, won't matter how stubborn you are, you won't go with me." Why it's hard to tell those words to her? Why is it that uncomfortable for me to look into her eyes? Am I betraying the trust she had in me? Or am I just an egoist and don't want to count her thoughts as something of value that could stop me?

She looked at me with eyes I never saw before. Without saying anything, her body turned around, making it impossible for me to look at her. However, I could feel she felt betrayed; she felt weak and useless. But for this one time, I didn't want to take a risk, I don't know why for sure, but I had this feeling that something might go wrong if I was to take someone alongside me; I have to do this alone.

I know I will have to take a step towards her once all of this is done. But for this time, I think it is right to do this alone; people that are under my care don't know much about fighting despite being trained; they don't know much about the chaos that will appear on this earth in the future, and for now, they are not ready.

Without saying anything to anyone anymore, I left the island. I went towards the last know location of the said person in hopes that nothing would go wrong.

[Ozawa Pov]

Stupid!

Why does he think that he is the one that is responsible for handling this alone?

Why do all of a sudden, I have such a burst of emotions that I have never noticed?

Why does he think he is responsible for something? I know that he hides something, something about dangers that are too hard to handle for others for now. But this does not justify this stupid mutton.

Stupid man that I, for some reason, can't throw from inside my head.

Squeezing the pendant, I prayed to the higher being and shinigami. I prayed for one sole wish to be true.

Please return being well.

Please do not leave me alone just yet; I won't handle everything alone.

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FInally was able to write the chapter, busy day, will try to write 2 more chapter for this week.

If you enjoy the story feel free to show your support using your comments and power stones.

Thanks for attention.