Finally a new chapter. This is the second part of the introduction to the plot, so I promise things will get more interesting in the third one, and we will see some comeos too. I-d also like to note that, since not everything in SE is explained, I will add my own interpretation to some things and I'll try my hardest to make it all a bit more realistic... well, at least for SE. xD As always, feedback is very much appreciated!

Death City is most certainly a beautiful place, even more so then I previously imagined. Still, to be completely honest, it looks far more like some touristic attraction, rather then the City where Death himself resides, and where lies the world's most famous school. I wouldn't call it childish or overdone, though... perhaps having a special aura is a better way of putting it.

The only problem that's on my mind is the burning heat that's very hard to handle, but the fact I decided to wear a jumper during my journey probably does me no good, either. To make the matters worse, my rubber-band is somewhere in my bag and I don't feel like stopping and searching for it, which means I have no means of tying up my rather messy hair and will be sweating even more then normal. Fuck it.

None of that makes this experience any less amazing for me, though. I roll my sleeves and spill some water over my head, as well as Lisa's fur, much to her protest. She shakes herself dry fairly close to me, to show her protest, not that I mind. I would like nothing more then a small trip around the City and check out all its beauty, but that will have to wait until we find our apartment and get comfortable.

Good thing about this place is that it isn't hard to figure out where exactly you are, since there are many famous locations marked on the map. We passed a place called 'Deathbucks Cafe', knowing that my own apartment should be a few streets away. Another great point is that City is basically one large hill, with Shibusen on the top, and most other main streets leading towards it. My apartment, judging by the map, is somewhere on the bottom. I suppose all that makes it impossible to get lost, even for a getting-lost-professional like me.

I smirk when I see a small sign with red letters reading 'apartments for renting'. That should be it!

A huge, gloomy looking building, kinda similar to all others I've seen in the City, but a bit more dump, I guess. Or is it that way purposely, to keep the town's atmosphere? Can't really tell.

In the garden in front of the building, at a small table by a tree sits an old, chubby lady, holding a bunch of keys in her hand. I presume she is my landlord, and I greet her once I enter the gated, but she doesn't respond. Once I come closer, I notice she isn't moving at all, or acknowledging my presence in any way. Her solemn, droopy eyes remain glued to the ground in front of her, and if it wasn't for her shallow breathing I would probably think that she's a goner. Still, I'm surprised that someone would be willing to wait around in such heat, for whatever reason.

Without giving me any warning or sign that she noticed me, she whirls the key in my direction and I barely find time to catch it.

"Woah, Miss. Is everything alright? Do you need any help?"

She murmurs something, and all I really can catch on to is a single word 'sleep'. Is she... trying to sleep?

"Excuse me? I-It's really hot, don't you maybe want to... come in, or something."

Silence.

Okeeey, I can't even start to imagine why is this woman just sitting around and waiting to get a sun-stroke, but if that's what she wants to do I sure as heck don't want to stand in her way. It's not like she doesn't know how to enter the house, I figure. I leave the money for the following month on her table, pick anxious Lisa up and head in.

The apartment I will be living in with my partner is actually quite fancy, unlike the building itself, with mint green walls and colorful furniture, as well as several posters and pictures here and there. It isn't all that much spacey from what I can see, but I figure it's all I will need. I untie Lisa's collar and put some water in her bowl before taking a small tour, but she scurries away and hides under the closest table.

I shrug, deciding to go check the place out. There are two bedrooms with separate bathrooms, a hall, and a kitchen. There is a single window with a surprisingly beautiful view of the desert scratching into the horizon. My curious side sets in.

The Witch girl is the one who told me that this is the apartment I'm supposed to stay in, and I thought it'd because she wants us as far from Shibusen itself as possible, so it could be a bit easier for her to sneak in the City when she needs us. But could it also be that her own home is somewhere out there, among the sand and rocks. Scorpions live in deserts, and don't all Witches live among their familiars?

I shiver at the thought of having to do anything for a Witch and what I might have gotten myself into when I accepted her offer and promised my loyalty. She said I wouldn't have to dirty my hands, and my job for the most part will be delivering information regarding Shibusen's activities, but she's a Witch and there's no saying she will keep to her word. On the other hand, if she chooses to fuck me over, there's nobody I can even turn to so I'm stuck being her servant. Nobody at Shibusen is going to go easy or take mercy upon someone who made a deal with a Witch, so I'm scared my secret will be discovered. It's a bit troublesome how I've known this all along, but I was so desperate to get a shot at better life that I decided to jump right into the offer without much consideration... but even though I got what I wanted I couldn't ignore my logical side for too long. Soon enough, fear always starts setting in.

"How much do you have to lose? From what I've been told, your life sucked from the get-go."

Her words ring in my mind. Almost in desperation, I close my eyes and take a deep breath, concentrating as I swing my stiffened left arm into the air in front of myself.

Transformation isn't really as hard as some famous Weapons on the TV have noted, and I can freely say I'm close to mastering it. Well, two blades, at least… Being a multi-tool knife, I guess there are several more things to go. I've practiced transformation with a great amount of devotion ever since the Witch undid my straps and told me that the painful experiment was finally over, and as it usually goes, practice does wonders.

The key to a successful transformation, I have found over the previous month, is basically persuading your mind that it's completely natural - mind over matter, or something along those lines. But fear, pain, sadness, or any other strong emotion actually help the process along, at least for me.

It sets in almost immediately, as it usually does when I'm feeling upset. I can feel it, it's almost as if, elbow onward, my right arm dissolved and turned into pure, raw energy. A bit hard to describe, but it's like something you would expect ghosts to be made of, and I have no better way of putting it. The energy circles around the area where my arm used to be, an the feeling is actually quite amazing in a strange way. Then, it happens. My arm quickly hardens into a completely different shape. I open my eyes a breathe a sigh of relief when I see my arm has turned into a sharp blade. I take a look at its shiny form, studying my own reflection it, and I manage a small smile. Now this is my pride and joy, even though my other hand can turn into an even bigger blade.

Fingers of my other arm slowly trace around the edge – it's fairly sharp, but I'm sure I could do better. The sight of my weapon form always has a calming affect on me. Trying to shake away any trace of bad thoughts out of my damn head, my smile widens, and I figure that even if Witch does fuck me over, I've gotten what I have always wanted. She helped me become a Weapon and therefore I can be actually productive to the society, and she got me out of that rotting pit… Those two things are some of my biggest wishes, and I guess that I can't lose much either way. As long as I try my best to use my Weapon form for good causes, even if she commands me to do something bad, I'll be able keep make sure I'm still doing more good then bad.

There is no use crying over spilled milk, and what is done is done.

I should concentrate on brighter thoughts, like my new Meister, for example. All I know is what the Witch told me, which all in all isn't much. His name is Rigor Mortis, and he's skilled in all types of Weapons, so I shouldn't worry whether my Weapon form will trouble him. He'll be living along with me, too, under her orders. But that's it, and I'm still left wondering what he looks like, what kind of a person he is, and what exactly forced him to make a deal with the Witch girl.

Even if he is skilled with different weapons, I don't honestly think he'll be happy, because most people generally prefer cooler and more dangerous-looking Weapons, like scythes, guns or swords, while I look more like something some old granpa would carry in his pocket and use for small tasks. Not that you can change this, though, because it's closely rooted to one's soul in a similar way witches are connected to their animal familiars. But even if I could, I don't think I would, since it is a part of me, right? A part of me I just might have payed for in blood, but a part of me nonetheless, since hopefully nobody will ever know about it.

I turn my arm back the way it used to be. That's fairly easy, seeing that staying in Weapon form is actually what requires concentration, and once you lose it, you will return to your previous shape. Knowing this eased up my paranoia on getting stuck. I open my bag and dig around it, pulling out a fine bottle of wine. There's a small tag attached to it.

'Get wasted! –Dad'

"I love you too, Dad..."

I mutter quietly, guessing that this will do in most cases, unless my Meister is against alcochol, which really makes me wonder if we will be able to even resonate that way. I place it carefully on the nearby table and get back to digging until I pull out my brush next, figuring that my hair probably doesn't look all that good after the lengthy trip. Some make-up wouldn't hurt, either. I do want to leave a good first impression on the guy, after all.

Either way, it's only 1 AM now, and I doubt he will be coming any time soon... I might as well go to a nearby shop and get some groceries. Maybe I should cook us some steak, or make something else, to go along the drink.

I have spent a nice period of time imagining what my Meister would be like. Quite a nice share of ideas have gone trough my head, but I admit I never saw this coming.

He is a child.

And not in a good 'he's a lil' younger' way.

His blond hair is messy and uneven, and his dark eyes stare straight at me, without a single hint of unfriendliness. His smile is wide and gentle, complimenting his face that's riddled with freckles, but still devoid of any traces of beard, pimples, or any other possible sign of him hitting puberty any time soon. I notice that he's fairly shorter then me, thinner too, although it's hard to see due to his funny-looking hoodie. He is tenat most, although I wouldn't even give him that, to be honest.

"Are you Rigor Mortis, by any chance?"

Or did you just lose your parents?

I don't say that out loud, of course, but I wonder if perhaps the crazy landlord lady just tossed the other key to the room over to another random person that came near, which happened to be this kid, and this is all a huge misunderstanding. I know Shibusen is not too strict when it comes to age limitations of the students, but still, I can't wrap my mind around someone this young kid doing any actual combat.

"Yes, that would be me. And you're my Weapon, right?"

"Yeah... pleased to meet you! Just call me whatever until I figure out what I want as my stage name."

Once I introduce myself, trying my best not to let any trace of disappointment or confusion show on my face, I force a small smile and extend my hand, which he accepts.

...

Once I feel his hand in my mine, something bizarre happens. No matter how much I try, I don't think I will ever find it possible to put this feeling into words, but it's almost like feeling both fear and peace at the same time. Fear makes me break a sweat and my heart beats louder with each second, but at the same time, my mind remains peaceful... and somewhat and how do those two emotions happen at the same time? I have no idea, but the feeling reminds me of something I experienced in the experiment that turned me into a Weapon, albeit it's not as terrifying or painful. It slowly washes away any trace of doubt I had, and I come into terms with this kid being my new partner, the one who I have ot be ready to die protecting like any other Weapon should. I grin, and for once, it's sincere.

"Good, I see you two have finally met."

My grip on his and tightens.