Liu Han stumbled back, cradling his wrist. Red marks wrapped around it where the fingers had been.
"Why is there a hand coming out of you?!"
The hand was rising from her sternum like something crawling out of water. The fingers were long, pale, almost elegant if not for the way they twitched between solid and transparent.
More of the figure emerged from within her. A wrist. Then a forearm. Whoever it was, they were dragging themselves out slowly, as if crawling through a gap that barely fit them.
Then she saw it. Treevines draped over the figure's arm like the sleeve of a long dress. So obvious she should have known the moment the hand appeared.
Conquest gulped with a sly grin on her face.
"Pestilence. So you've finally decided to show yourself."
Granny Chiyo's brow furrowed.
"Pestilence? Who is this person?"
Before Conquest could answer, Pestilence pushed further out. Their torso rose from her chest while the rest of their body remained buried inside her. It wasn't painful at all, but it was definitely uncomfortable, especially with the weight of Pestilence halfway out of her sternum pinning her flat against the bed.
"Tell me, has ten months passed yet? I do believe we had an agreement, you and I. That is the sole reason I stand before you."
"No, I believe it's only been eight months since I was in a coma."
Liu Han sighed.
"So, when do you plan on letting us know who this person is?"
Conquest took a moment as she tried to come up with a way to properly introduce Pestilence. But right as she thought of the right response, Kamui and Gundo rushed into the room. Kamui had his blade raised to his face while Gundo wore dark blue fingerless gloves with glyphs etched into them, which indicated that they were definitely his relic item.
However, she wasn't sure if it was the one that made him large or not. Sorcerers are known to carry one or more relic items with them after all.
"Why are you all just standing there?! Kill it!" Kamui aimed his katana at Pestilence.
Gundo palmed his fist.
"Me kill spirit!"
Conquest aimed her palm at Kamui and Gundo.
"Relax, she is not our enemy."
Liu Han adjusted his black scarf.
"Then who is this? Come on answer already?"
Their persistent questioning overwhelmed her. Four people demanded answers while a Horseman sat half-buried in her chest. She couldn't exactly sit up or take control of the situation the way she normally would.
Conquest gritted her teeth.
"She is—"
"I am quite capable of speaking for myself."
Pestilence's voice cut through hers as she ran a hand through her silky green hair that fell past her hips.
"I am Pestilence. A false Horseman of the Apocalypse, created by the Sovereign from a fragment of Conquest's own soul."
She tilted her head toward Conquest, the treevines along her arm and dress creaking softly with her movement.
"As for why I am here, Conquest and I forged an agreement. Her body would serve as a temporary sanctuary for me to dwell in. And in exchange, whatever she wished to know of the Unseen Realm, or of herself, she needed only to ask and I would answer truthfully."
Granny Chiyo grabbed Pestilence's semi-transparent hand, gently caressing it. Pestilence turned toward her, confusion plain on her face.
"And what is it you think you are doing, human?"
"I know the sort of pain you are currently going through, miss Pestilence."
"And how would a human come to know the pain of a Horseman? Especially pain they may or may not carry?"
Liu Han interjected, a grin plastered on his face.
"Well, since we're sharing secrets, you should know that Granny here used to be one of the Seven Demons of Sin. So I'd suggest you show some respect moving forward."
Pestilence's eyes widened as she turned toward Conquest, almost as if seeking confirmation of what Liu Han had said.
"It's true. She was reincarnated as a human, just like me. However, she can no longer use any of her abilities. All she has left are her memories of the past that remained intact."
"Then in that case, I must truly apologize to you, Lilith, of the Seven Demons of Sin. Greed spoke of you often. He told me you were known as the Mother of Demonkind, that you gave birth to the great majority of demons in hell, save for the Demons of Sin themselves. I must again apologize for my ignorance."
Liu Han chuckled, arms crossed with a smug grin across his face.
"See, was that so hard? A little respect goes a long way."
Ganny Chiyo had a soft smile as she held Pestilence hand tight.
"It's quite alright dear, and please call me Chiyo. Also, You seem to be fading away at an alarming rate. What do you believe is the cause?"
Conquest was just as curious. Pestilence was a Horseman. The idea of her fading away wasn't something that should have been possible.
Pestilence sighed.
"Without a body of my own, I am destined to fade away from this world entirely. The sole reason I have endured for as long as I have is twofold. I was a Horseman of the Apocalypse, and the Horseman of War constructed a sanctuary for me. It allowed me to prolong my existence in this world. Once it was destroyed, I took refuge within Conquest. However, dwelling within her is not a worthy substitute for my original sanctuary. It merely delays the inevitable."
Pestilence turned toward Conquest.
"And this fate extends to your friend as well. He does not have long before he too ceases to exist."
Conquest grabbed Pestilence by the collar of her treevine dress and pulled her close, their faces inches apart.
"How long does he have?"
"I cannot say with certainty. Perhaps a month. Perhaps less. My guidance to you is this: if you intend to call upon him in battle, ensure he remains in constant contact with you."
"Or else?"
"You can mourn him a second time."
She would never let it get to that point. Conquest had made a vow to get him back.
But she hadn't realized how little time she actually had. She had always assumed there was no rush. Kenji's body was in Purgatory, and from what she remembered of it, time was frozen there. Anyone trapped inside would not age. So in her mind, she had all the time in the world.
Unfortunately, she made a huge blunder. She should have known that every human who had been taken by the disappearances was sent to Purgatory with their body and soul intact. But Igarashi was different.
Her Deathmark had pulled his soul and dragged it inside of her. While his body went to Purgatory without his soul. His fate was never the same as the others.
And to make matters worse, even though the Deathmark no longer affected her, the damage was already done. Igarashi Kenji had gone from a spirit to a cursed spirit. That changed everything.
Cursed spirits were not originally human. They were beings created by the Sovereign, each with a place in the Unseen Realm. It was possible for a human to turn into one, but it was an extremely rare case. And from what she remembered of her past life, the ones who did never lasted. They faded on their own, unlike the cursed spirits that had been created that way from the beginning.
Conquest let go of Pestilence's collar. Her grip shifted to the bedsheet beneath her, fingers digging into the fabric. Her expression shifted to one of resolve as her eyes narrowed.
"Pestilence."
"Yes? What is it you wish to know?"
"Tell me how to make my mana flow again."