The man crouched in front of Levi.
"Well, well, well… hey, sinner," he said. "Guess it's time for you to keep struggling and give up the soul. I need to be quick."
Levi froze, terrified, his vision swimming as he looked around in his half-conscious state.
"Now you've murdered someone again," Emily said, her eyes fixed on him.
"Shut up, cheat," he snapped angrily. "I'll never let any other guy have you."
It was as if killing people was just another normal thing for them.
Her boyfriend glanced around, making sure no one was watching, before he pulled Emily away from Levi's barely breathing body. Together, they turned and headed back to the beach, leaving chaos and blood behind.
Levi clutched his chest, his body trembling. The being crouched beside him terrified him more than anything.
"G-get away from me," Levi stammered, struggling to speak while being let out a wicked chuckle.
"You're already dead," he said, his voice low and menacing. "And I'm here to retrieve your soul."
The being waited patiently, watching Levi struggle.
"I guess you're a fighter," the being said, a hint of interest in his glowing red eyes.
"You shouldn't have been bound to Hell if you weren't such a… pervert," he added with a smirk. "You are a good soul."
Levi's body shook as he struggled to stay conscious. He didn't want to die. He didn't want to be dragged to Hell. Every fiber of him fought to survive, even as pain and fear threatened to overwhelm him.
The being stared at him, eyes glowing red, making an outrageous decision. "How about this? You either go to Hell… or become my slave on Earth."
"You can stay alive," the being continued, "but there's a price. You will become my agent, tasked with retrieving souls from the living. Each soul you collect keeps you alive. Fail, and death claims you for good."
A glowing sigil appeared in front of Levi, pulsing like a heartbeat. The being gestured toward it. "This is your System. It will guide you, show you targets, and reward you. Your survival depends on it."
Levi's mind raced, terror and disbelief clashing with a spark of intrigue. A system that keeps me alive… by taking others' souls? The thought was horrifying—
The being smirked. "Do you accept, or let this chance slip away?"
"Accept or not, sinner," it added, voice low and commanding.
All Levi could think about was survival. He couldn't bear the pain surging through his chest.
"Y-yes… I accept," he stammered, barely able to speak.
The being let out a loud, echoing chuckle.
"Hahaha… humans," he said, his red eyes glinting with amusement.
The being stood tall, a mischievous smirk curling across his face. In his hands, a swirling red orb began to form, spinning and pulsing like it had a heartbeat of its own. Its glow painted the sand and Levi's pale, bloodied skin in crimson light.
Without warning, the being thrust the orb into Levi's chest. Pain tore through him like fire, making him gasp violently. His vision blurred, the sounds of the beach—the waves, the distant laughter, even Emily and her boyfriend—faded into a muffled haze.
Levi's hands clawed at his chest, trying to push the energy away, but it was impossible. Every nerve screamed, his body trembling under the force of the orb. The energy coursed through him, twisting, reshaping, awakening something inside.
"I… can't… breathe…" Levi stammered, every word a struggle as the pain surged through him. He shut his eyes, muscles locking, feeling like the world itself was pressing down.
Then, slowly, the pain began to stabilize, the orb's energy embedding itself within him. His body went limp, and he slipped unconscious. The last thing he felt was the pulsing, strange energy in his chest, marking the beginning of something new.