Reincarnated Into A Dead Woman's Body In Another World-Chapter 127: Arc 3, - 37: Mortality

Something twinkled in Fumeko’s eyes as she glared to the blonde. "You can stop crying detective, I’m not ending myself," Jotou shook her head, a little tease in her voice. Hotaru and Asobi turned to look at the brunette.

"Huh? I’m not cryi-" Fumeko reached for her eyes, "Tch," she twisted around to clear up her face again.

Jotou walked over to the back wall and looked to her sword thrown on the floor. She picked it up and stared at the blade, "I swear, I pushed it hard enough, I couldn’t’ve stopped it," Jotou whispered to herself.

Jotou squinted, looking at it gleam. ’The enchantments on this wouldn’t stop me from hurting myself.’ "I need to test something before anything else," Jotou turned to everyone.

"Test what?" Asobi queried.

"This," Jotou brought the blade over her left forearm, about to slice into it.

"JOTOU, STOP!" Hotaru yelled to which Fumeko turned.

"No, no, hold on, I’m not doing anything- Meko, wait," Jotou glanced at Fumeko first, putting her left hand out, "I promised you, didn’t I? Just... trust me."

Fumeko who was ready to blink... contemplated... Her eyes closed. She took a deep breath and stood back for a second, "Fine, but the second blood drops..."

"Hotaru can heal me, right?" Jotou glanced over.

Hotaru’s ears folded, "Jotou... This isn’t, the way..."

"I know. I just need to test something," Jotou brought the sword to her forearm.

"Test something?" Hotaru’s ears went back up in concern.

’I need to cut my arm off. Fully commit to it.’ Jotou brought the blade down on her skin and-! The blade did not go further; it couldn’t go further... ’I can’t, I can’t hurt myself?’

Jotou gritted her teeth and pushed harder, gripping the sword tighter as her brows knitted together whilst the others watched in confusion—Fumeko inching closer.

It hovered right over her arm. Jotou looked like a mime pretending; although all the force of her body was being pushed into the thrust... the blade did not reach her skin.

’What in the world...’ Jotou pushed harder and harder until a sensation of buzzing went down her spine; like a spell she was not supposed to cast and yet she was casting no spell.

The sword, would simply, not go, down! Sparks began jolting through her hair as her skin filled with goosebumps; her breaths were getting heavier.

The blade began sparking, surrounding itself in mild electricity before,- "PZZZZ!!" Jotou’s hand flew back, pushing Jotou’s sword away from her forearm.

The sparks dissipated as Jotou finally relented. The others stared whilst Jotou panted. Sweat went above her lips as she stared at the spot she tried to cut herself.

"Was that... a trick?" Asobi tilted her head.

"Your entire head was sparking..." Hotaru’s brows furrowed.

’One more time!’ "Hya!" Jotou flung her hand back down, trying to use the sword to pierce her skin, but like two magnets with the same side, the sword was repulsed.

Some sort of force pushed against Jotou’s intended direction. "FIZZLE... PZZZ!!!" It jolted her hand back stronger. "The hell..." Jotou stared to her arm and then to the sword.

"I, I can’t hurt myself," Jotou uttered, "Even when I’m trying... I need to test something; other than my sword."

"Woah, woah, woah! You want to experiment hurting yourself!?" Fumeko halted.

"That’s the thing," Jotou glanced at them, "I feel some sort of buzzing in my head; like when I try to cast a spell which I’m not supposed to be able to cast. I don’t think I can hurt myself..."

"That’s, a good thing, yes?" Hotaru queried.

"I- why can’t I hurt myself? Wait, Fumeko gimme your dagger."

"What!? NO! What if this is all a trick to get us comfortable and then you just stab your neck instead!?"

"Well, then I can depend on you to be on edge apparently. I thought I’m supposed to be the paranoiac, come on, hurry up."

"I’m serious, why have we just gone off topic? Why don’t we focus on the headaches and the time shenanigans!?" Fumeko protested.

"Hotaru, can you please convince her?"

Hotaru hummed, her ears falling as she looked between the two... Jotou’s pleading eyes and Fumeko’s deathly glare... "Meko..."

"Don’t even-"

"Please just, I don’t like the idea either, but it’s Jotou. I’ll heal anything, I’ll," Hotaru walked up and grabbed Jotou by the back of the neck, "I’ll be right here."

Jotou blinked, then faced Hotaru, to which she shrugged. "Fine," Jotou looked to Fumeko, "If that’s all, I want to test this before anything else."

Fumeko groaned to the ceiling and pulled out a dagger from her pinafore. Jotou put a hand out, but the dagger was not given. A spark of electricity went over her hair and Hotaru’s hand.

Fumeko pricked the tip of the dagger onto Jotou’s forearm to which a drop of crimson bubbled up, "Ow!" Jotou’s nose wrinkled.

"There," Fumeko took her dagger back, "You can get hurt."

"Meko! Why would you hurt Jotou!?" Asobi ran up, pulling Fumeko away.

"That’s not the point of the experiment!" Jotou yelled.

Hotaru’s other hand healed over the little prick, "This is uncomfortable as is, can we please get this over with!?" she scolded the brunette.

Fumeko blinked out from Asobi’s dragging and to Jotou. "Ugh, fine," she placed the simple dagger she carried for a while now into her palm.

"Thank you," Jotou sassed, before holding it. "My sword’s enchanted, your dagger’s completely normal," Jotou justified before attempting to slice her forearm again.

"No need to rub it in!"

’Again, with conviction. I need to cut my arm off!!! AHHH!!!’ Jotou thought as she went for it and- "PZZZ! BUZZ!" Jotou’s arm was pushed back, the dagger with it—both repelled once more.

"I, genuinely can’t hurt myself. I’ve definitely hurt myself doing spells, but I’ve never tried to injure myself," Jotou handed the dagger back.

Fumeko grabbed it immediately. A hand was held under the brunette’s chin, "Well, you have that lightning-sense-thingy that warns you of incoming danger, right?"

"Yeah, I just felt it go over my hand," Hotaru stated as she removed it from the back of her neck.

"And we figured out that it’s just a part of your affinity and it only warns you when your guard’s down, right?"

"Yeah?"

"What if when your guard’s up, you can’t hurt yourself? If you have some ability like that, then great," Fumeko rolled her eyes.

"That’s the best explanation. I can’t end myself, even if I wanted to..." ’Wow. I don’t know if that’s a good thing, or an insult from life itself...’

Another thought struck the blonde, "Am I actually, ...cursed to live? Will I ever die? Can I... ever die?" her eyebrows curved in concern—she frowned.

"Does that mean? You will live forever?" Asobi’s mouth hung open lightly.

"I, I’m not sure... In every loop, I manage not to die, but I think that’s just coincidence. I can at least feel that I’m ...aging. My nails and hair still grow; my body’s processes are all functioning as they should.

Not to mention, I can die, Hotaru’s brought me back from the brink once before; twice if we’re counting after my fight with Moren. I barely managed to walk back to you..."

"I did heal all your wounds... But Jotou," Hotaru walked to the blonde’s front, light taps of her shoes, "Don’t call it a curse. You’re not immortal, but you’re certainly extraordinary," her ears still bent down.

Jotou blushed, looking into the brilliant blue, "Thanks..." Realizing Asobi and Fumeko were still in the vicinity, "Ahem, anyway.

Immortality just means I won’t die by age and I’m clearly aging. I guess it’s not an ageless immortality. And even so, I’ve died once. And here I am in this world. What would you call that if not a curse?"

Her ears spiked, "A second chance, remember? Stop thinking of your death and how and when it’ll happen. I don’t want you to think of it that way, please."

Jotou sighed, "Maybe you’re right... No, I know you’re right. For someone who hates their past as much as me, I spend way too long worrying about a future that might never be...

I’m sorry. I’ll focus on the present for now. That puts an end in that experiment. Now, back on track; all the things to explain. I won’t pull anything like that again."

"Good. If you ever pull something like that again-"

"I know detective, I know. And thanks."

"Hm~ You’re welcome~" Fumeko hummed, hiding her dagger away.

’Okay. I think they’re less concerned of me now—I hope. Where the hell do I start?’ Jotou looked to the redhead staring back, Fumeko awaiting an explanation whilst Asobi eagerly listened to whatever was to come.

"Alright, it might be easier to explain one by one. The memories I made with each of you. And obviously, there’re things that not all of us know about the other.

And I’d rather keep that privacy. So, for now, could you two leave me and Hotaru alone for a bit?"

"Oh?" Hotaru’s brows raised, her tail beginning to wag slightly, "Are these things you learned about us...?"

"Through the time loops, yeah. I feel like I never really explained what I know about each of you any of the times; maybe if I trust you more and go into details, you might see something that I’ve missed."

"Well, when you put it that way..." Fumeko glared to Hotaru then back to Jotou.

"Come on Meko! I can show you my room! It’s the exact same!" Asobi ran out the door.

"This better be quick..." the brunette’s eyes glazed over.

"I’ll come get you when we’re done," a smirk grew on Hotaru. A groaning Fumeko left the lodging with a slam of the door.