The Grim and Soul Reaper welcomed Orion with an eerie grin.
"Why are you doing this?" Orion asked, confused.
"Because you've managed to cheat death, and the Life Deity doesn't want any failed missions," replied Grim and Soul Reaper in perfect harmony.
"I—I was just pulled into this mess, I swear I didn't see anything," Orion stammered, trembling in fear.
"While we understand your predicament, it doesn't really matter if you saw something or not. What matters is that we kill you, and we'll gain from it," Grim stated bluntly.
"So please, don't make this any harder on us. We promise it will be a quick death and won't hurt much," Soul added, trying to sound comforting.
In a moment of desperation, Orion hurled a golden arrow he always kept for teleportation. As soon as he released it, he vanished and ran as fast as his legs could carry him, fleeing from the two figures.
"I need to get away. I didn't see anything, I promise. No! This has to be a dream, just a dream," he thought frantically.
The towering trees around him blocked out the sunlight, making it impossible for him to tell if it was day or night.
As he continued his escape, Soul managed to catch up with him.
"Why don't you take a break? I mean, your legs must be tired from all this running," Soul taunted.
Orion shot back, "I'd love to, but we're not exactly on friendly terms."
"Ooh, harsh! Also, I noticed you're no longer stuttering. Are you lying?" Soul pressed.
"Is it that obvious? Yes, I'm not stuttering, but it was all part of my plan," Orion admitted quietly.
In a flash, Soul conjured two daggers and charged at him, swinging them with precision. Orion dodged the initial strikes, but Soul added a final slash that caught Orion off guard, leaving a gash on his shoulder.
"This dagger is laced with poison. If you don't eliminate me, you won't survive," Soul warned menacingly.
"Before I kick the bucket, I'll ensure you go down first," Orion shot back, releasing a barrage of golden arrows toward Soul. However, Soul gracefully avoided them while deflecting a few with ease.
"I need to escape; I don't stand a chance, but this poison…" Orion thought desperately.
Suddenly, a large scythe descended from above, aimed directly at him, but Orion managed to evade it just in time.
"Let's take him down!" Soul and Grim communicated telepathically, launching their attack simultaneously.
Soul unleashed a flurry of dagger slashes. Orion dodged skillfully, but a scythe attack from behind caught him, leaving a deep cut on his back.
"This slash will gradually disintegrate you. Sadly, you won't get to see the faces you long for. Any last words?" Grim asked coolly.
"Yes, I do: I'm not dying easily," Orion retorted defiantly.
With a powerful kick, Orion fractured Grim's foot, then swiftly turned and landed a punch on Soul, sending his teeth flying. He followed up by firing two massive golden arrows at both of them, knocking them back with the force of his attack.
Having successfully dispatched them, he fled once again, racing toward the edge of the forest.
But then a troubling thought struck him: he hadn't finished off Soul and Grim yet, and his chances of survival were looking increasingly bleak…
He fell to his knees, overwhelmed and unsure of his next move. He was exhausted from constantly running and fighting for his survival. Suddenly, he heard loud footsteps approaching from behind. When he turned to look, he saw the two figures again, blood slowly dripping from them.
A smile crept onto his face, igniting a flicker of hope within him. Even the slightest possibility of something changing felt significant.
"Why are you smiling?" Grim asked, confused.
"Well, I realized I should always try to stay optimistic," Orion replied.
"That's a pretty weak response," Grim said, dismissively. "Finish him," he commanded.
Soul lunged toward Orion, but Orion countered with a powerful volley of arrows. This time, they weren't just forceful,they were massive and designed to inflict serious internal damage that could cause lasting injuries.
As Orion aimed a huge arrow at Soul's heart, it was expertly dodged. However, the arrow inexplicably teleported and struck Soul in the left foot, causing devastating injury.
Soul dropped to his knees, overwhelmed and unsure of what to do, as a sharp pain shot through his left foot.
In that moment, the Grim Reaper lunged at Orion, but he sidestepped effortlessly and retaliated by shooting Grim with an arrow designed to paralyze its target.
As the arrow struck, Grim felt a powerful impact that left him unable to evade it.
"You're strong," Grim remarked, "but when confronted with true death, will you flee or stand your ground?"
"I won't run," Orion replied resolutely. "As a good person, it's my responsibility to fight against anyone, even death itself."
"What a dramatic response! Are all the Zodiac so theatrical?" Grim couldn't help but ask.
"Not all of us, just me," Orion said with a hint of pride.
"Better hurry, Death won't be far behind," Grim warned.
"What about the threats of disintegration and poison?" Orion inquired, still wary.
"We were just trying to intimidate you into giving up," Grim admitted.
"Thank you," Orion said, regaining his composure and sprinting away once more.
---
"Hey, Ryuta," both Roy and Yami greeted him.
"I recognize you two," Ryuta replied.
"Did you really forget us?" Roy asked, a hint of disbelief in his voice.
"Not exactly. I just needed a moment to recall. What's going on? How did you end up getting caught?" Ryuta inquired.
"We were teleported," Yami explained.
"By the life deity?" Ryuta asked, seeking clarity.
"Exactly," Yami confirmed.
The friends have finally come together," Life remarked, slowly applauding as he approached the trio. He went on to ask, "Are you planning to challenge me, Transmigrators?"
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(Authors Note, this section is basically Making the chapter words long, I don't want to add any more so... But an important announcements, remember this novel will have three sequels.