He Who Walks the Grave

The weight of countless deaths pressed upon Kazuya's shoulders, but his mind remained intact. By all logic, he should have lost himself in despair, fallen into madness, or simply given up. Yet, here he stood, gripping the small pouch of silver coins Lilith had tossed him. There was pain, fear, frustration—but there was also something else. Purpose.

His ability to return by death was a curse, yet also an opportunity. Each reset was agony, but it granted him knowledge. Experience. And above all, the chance to try again. That alone was enough to keep him from breaking.

Lilith led the way through the city streets, her confidence in stark contrast to Kazuya's cautious steps. "You're thinking too much," she said without turning around.

"Huh?"

"I can see it on your face. You're overanalyzing everything. You'll get yourself killed that way."

Kazuya sighed. "You're saying I should just go with the flow?"

"No. I'm saying you should trust yourself a little more." Lilith glanced at him, her crimson eyes sharp. "You're still here, aren't you? That means something."

Kazuya exhaled slowly. She wasn't wrong. He had survived—if one could call it that—far longer than before. Maybe, just maybe, he wasn't as helpless as he once thought.

The marketplace was as lively as ever, merchants shouting their wares while commoners haggled for a better price. It was overwhelming at first, but Kazuya had begun to adjust, slowly recognizing familiar faces and patterns within the chaos.

Lilith suddenly stopped, scanning the crowd. "Alright, lesson number one for today: blending in."

Kazuya frowned. "Blending in?"

"If you want to survive in Eldora, you need to learn how to exist without drawing attention. Right now, you stick out like a sore thumb."

He sighed. "And how exactly do I do that?"

Lilith smirked. "Simple. Act like you belong."

Before he could question her, she grabbed his wrist and dragged him toward a merchant stall. An elderly vendor stood behind the counter, meticulously arranging fresh vegetables.

Lilith leaned forward, flashing a charming smile. "Good afternoon, sir. How's business today?"

The old man chuckled. "Busy as always. You interested in anything, young lady?"

She nodded. "A little of everything. But my friend here—" she gestured at Kazuya, "—is new to town. I figured I'd introduce him properly."

The merchant turned his gaze to Kazuya, scrutinizing him for a moment. Kazuya stiffened under the weight of the stare but forced himself to relax. "Uh, yeah. Just getting used to the place."

The merchant hummed. "Newcomers don't last long here unless they learn quickly."

Lilith nudged Kazuya subtly. He took the hint. "I'll do my best."

The merchant gave a nod of approval. "That's the right attitude."

As they walked away, Kazuya exhaled in relief. "That was nerve-wracking."

Lilith grinned. "And yet, you did fine."

Kazuya looked down at his hands, realizing they weren't trembling like they used to. Maybe he really was getting better at this.

The next few hours were a crash course in survival. Lilith taught him how to navigate the alleys unnoticed, how to gauge a person's intent from their body language, and most importantly, how to handle himself in a fight.

They stood in a secluded part of town, away from prying eyes. Lilith handed him a small wooden practice knife. "Alright, let's see what you've got."

Kazuya swallowed hard. "I've never used a knife before."

Lilith smirked. "That's the point."

She lunged without warning, her own practice blade coming at him fast. Kazuya barely managed to stumble back, raising his weapon clumsily.

"Too slow," she said, easily knocking his arm aside before tapping his chest with the tip of her blade. "Dead."

Kazuya groaned. "This is unfair."

Lilith stepped back, twirling her knife effortlessly. "The world's unfair. Better get used to it."

They continued for what felt like hours, Kazuya losing every round. But with each failure, he adjusted. He started predicting her movements, dodging a little faster, countering with slightly better form.

By the time they stopped, he was panting, drenched in sweat, but still standing.

Lilith gave him a nod of approval. "You learn quickly. That's good."

Kazuya sat down, exhausted but feeling… accomplished. "I have no choice."

Lilith's expression darkened slightly. "Yeah. You don't."

He didn't know why, but he got the sense she was speaking from experience.

That night, Kazuya sat against a wall in their makeshift hideout—an abandoned cellar Lilith had shown him. He stared at his hands, flexing his fingers. He had died so many times. Shouldn't he be broken by now? Shouldn't his mind have shattered under the weight of it all?

Maybe it almost had. But he had fought back. He had refused to let it consume him.

He wasn't some invincible hero. He wasn't fearless. He was just… stubborn.

Lilith sat across from him, sharpening a small dagger. She glanced at him. "You're thinking too much again."

Kazuya huffed a small laugh. "Maybe. Just trying to figure out why I'm not completely insane yet."

Lilith smirked. "Maybe you are. Just not in the obvious way."

He chuckled. "Thanks for the reassurance."

She leaned back. "You're not broken because you refuse to be. You're still fighting. That's all that matters."

Kazuya met her gaze. "And you? Why do you keep fighting?"

For the first time since they met, Lilith's expression faltered. It was brief, barely a flicker of something vulnerable before she masked it with her usual confidence.

"Same reason as you," she said simply. "Because I have no other choice."

Kazuya didn't press her. He had a feeling there was a lot more to her story than she was letting on. But for now, he was content with the silence between them.

Tomorrow, the fight would continue.

But tonight, for the first time in what felt like forever, he allowed himself to rest.