Out on in the sea.

"Bache comes on up," said Cirrus, with no mask on. "I’ll tow the boat with mine. I should owe you an explanation… all of you, really."

"You better explain everything in detail!" said Ai. "And apologize for making me, Bache, and Nox so worried!!"

Cirrus looks at Nox and Bache, making a painful and sad expression, as did the pink-haired spirit.

"Well… I guess I should start at the beginning." Cirrus said as he pulled up a wooden chair. "It all began when I killed the Iku-Turso…"

 

In the depths of the ocean, Cirrus was flung around by the sea currents and with his mind now far away, he simply ragged dolled his way through the currents. His body fighting the poison left his body extremely weak. Paired with his mind down, he was not in a good situation.

Cirrus was drifting for 3 days when on the 4th he made it to land.

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Whoosh!

Walking around the beach, the pink-haired woman gazes at the sea as she slowly walks.

"… So boring… I can still feel the god and spirit… I wish they would hurry and lea—Kyaa!!"

Thud!

She falls flat on her face on the sandy beach.

"Ugh... What in the love of Hecate is this…." She turned around to find a pale-skinned child on his back gripping his chest. Next to him was a black-bladed spear with a green gem embedded into it.

The young woman got up and looked at the boy.

"…"

She got a stick and poked him.

Poke!

Poke!

‘No response…’

She got in close and placed her hand over his mouth, and felt a weak breath.

"!?"

She then checked his temperature and found his head to be boiling.

"Your sick… but…" she looked down at what to do. The more she thinks, the more she becomes confused about what to do. "Grrr!!" she messes with her hair. "Why did you have to get through my magic? Only spirits of my era could… get past…" Her eyes shot at Cirrus with curiosity.

She walked above him as he lay on the beach, and she made a circle with her fingers over her eyes.

"(A myriad vapors obscure the light.) [Atéleio̱tos Voyage]."

Her hair glows a luminescent pink, and a pink-tinted screen covers the space between her fingers.

"Your soul… it's mixed with something foreign, but… it’s not hurting you… it's helping you? But this… this, however… its….!!" Her eyes widen as a big smile grows on her face. "You are a Spirit Contractor!! and one from my era! Today is your lucky day!! or not." She thinks about what to do for a second, but looking at how weak he is, she couldn't just let him die. "... Fine."

Her hair dims as she drags Cirrus back to her place.

 

Once he was back at her home, she put him in bed and treated him, but she soon realized that she could heal the injuries' but whatever was affecting him was a whole different beast entirely. 

5th day.

"Grrr!!!! How are you still sick!! I used my magic and used my herbs and potions on you! Yet nothing!! What in the hell do you get in your body!?"

She used her magic again to see his body and something white and green was slowing his magic recovery and health.

"Hmmm…. dammit!!! The one-time someone actually showed up on my island and he was on death's door!!" she said, messing with her hair even more.

‘I… I don’t want to do this… but I guess if it’s saving his life, his spirit would forgive me… right?’

She got out a sharp stone and cut her hand. With it, she dripped it into his mouth.

Drip!

Drip!

Drip!

"My name is Circe, The Unique Spirit of Witchcraft. I give my blood and body to you in need. With this contract of blood, may you return to perfect health!"

Cirrus’s body shook violently, as did Circe's.

"!!!!" She falls to her knees as she feels her magic drain from her like a pricked water balloon. She fumbles a bit but keeps herself up with a chair.

"W-what the hell is…"

She watched as a white and light green substance seeped out of his body before she collapsed from having her magic drained.

Thud~

When she wakes up, she looks to find Cirrus looking much better than before. His pale skin had more color to it and his breathing was steadier.

"Ugh… to think you take so much of my mana… Hm? Do I actually feel slightly better? Oh well, time to end this contract."

She walked over and placed her hand on his chest.

"I Circe hereby—!!"

She could feel something was off.

"…. Eh? N-no it can’t be!!"

She used her magic again and found that his soul had a pink shade to it.

"… Huff! Huff! Huff!" she breathed heavily as she saw that. "N-no way! It was only supposed to be a temporary Body Contract! How!! I would never make a—!?" She looked at the soul more carefully and found that the white portion of his soul was mixed with another shade of purer white. "No wonder! I should have looked more carefully! Ahhh!! The thought of finding a person who was contracted with another sprite of my generation made me too excited! After so many years, I threw caution to the damn winds!!!!" She grabbed her hair tightly and started messing with it. "And now I’m tied to him! Ahhh!!!" She messed up her hair even more.

She walked away a bit before looking at Cirrus.

"T-this is your fault!" she said with a blush on her face. "To think I would cheat on another of my generation…."

She walked out and held her hands out.

"… Huh?" Nothing happened. "A-are you kidding me!! I can use my magic to see his soul but not my barrier!! What the fu—"

 

A bit before Circe gave Cirrus his blood.

Cirrus himself was floating in a space with the Hecatoncheires.

"Hmm, you're pretty good at Othello, Hecton."

"I catch on quickly, sir," it said. "It is nice to be able to speak with you again."

"That's nice, buuuuut… I would like to get out of here?" He said it in a tone that conveyed he didn’t want to hurt Hecton’s feelings.

"Your body is fighting the poison. You have accumulated several versions of diseases and poisons from that monster, Sir. So there is currently no point in getting out while I am working to fight the toxins."

"Yeah, that was a rather disgusting monster... Thank you for working to fight it and still have time to face me in this match in my mind."

"I have many heads and hands. If I could not spare one, I would lose pride in myself. It is, however, my greatest shame to now be able to help you, not be taken by the current. I cannot help on the outside unless you order me. Helping manage your body is the most I could do."

"That’s fine. I mean, it fucking sucks. I got swept up by the sea, but at least I’m still alive—!?" While looking at the board, Cirrus finds a shadow flying over it.

He looks up to find a rather large bird flying high in the air with light pink feathers and blue-pink eyes glaring down.

"What the hell is a bird doing here?"

Hecton looks up and shoots up his arms, quickly capturing the bird and showing it to Cirrus.

"Sir, look a hawk, possibly a falcon."

The bird didn’t do anything. It simply stared.

"Huh? What a cute-looking bird." Cirrus extends his hands and pets it. "!?" The pink of the falcon crawled up his arm quickly. The bird was seemly being absorbed by Cirrus. "W-what the fuck!? Hecton!"

"So it was absorbed as well," Hecton said as his body began to turn red in pace with Cirrus’s pink.

"Uhh, is my body alright?"

"... Yes, it would seem they have accelerated recovery. I must go and not let this opportunity go to waste."

Hecton then leaves the mindscape as it changes to a tropical beach with a white sky.

"… Huh? Neat."