In an instant, the familiar monument and the twilight sky vanished. Riku found himself in a surreal, otherworldly space. It felt like stepping into a dream, the air thick with an ethereal energy. Before him materialized a figure – the blonde girl Terra had described, her form now radiating a soft, inner light.
"How are you, my hero!" she exclaimed, her voice carrying a melodic quality that resonated deep within him.
"I don't understand anything," Riku admitted, his eyes wide with bewilderment as he took in his strange surroundings. "I think… we're meeting for the first time."
"Yes, of course," she replied, a gentle smile gracing her lips. "But I know everything about you, Riku. After seeing the things you have done, the hardships you have suffered… any person with a heart would call you a hero. Don't you think so?"
Riku shrugged, uncomfortable with the label. "Leave it," he said, wanting to get to the crux of the matter. "You told Terra that you'll only listen to the boy you were with before. Is that true?"
Her expression turned slightly apologetic. "Yes, that is true. Please forgive me, but… I don't want to be with anyone else except you." Her gaze held an intensity that made Riku feel strangely uneasy.
"I thought… I thought you were talking about the Twenty-Fifth Baam," Riku stammered, the realization hitting him like a sudden jolt.
Her eyes widened in surprise. "You know him?" she asked, a note of astonishment in her voice.
A cold dread washed over Riku. He had slipped up. By mentioning Twenty-Fifth Baam, he had inadvertently revealed a knowledge he shouldn't possess within the context of this world. If the System wasn't aware of his past life as an otaku, it certainly was now. He could practically feel the cogs of the System turning, anticipating the inevitable spike in difficulty that would follow this revelation. He scrambled for a plausible explanation, a way to backtrack.
"When I first picked up that sword," Riku said quickly, trying to sound nonchalant, "I heard a faint voice… it mentioned that name. It was just a fleeting impression. Anyway," he continued, shifting the focus, "why is it so important that I am the one to wield you?"
The spirit of the Black March floated closer, her luminous eyes fixed on him. "I don't think I could find anyone more handsome and… heroic than you, Riku."
"Huh," Riku scoffed, a self-deprecating smirk twisting his lips. "If I were that handsome, I wouldn't have been a virgin until now."
A knowing smile touched her lips. "Maybe you don't realize it, but after coming into this world, I… observed you. I saw everything you were doing. If you had truly wanted to, you could have been with that other girl… and that Couronne girl clearly desired you as well. Yet, you didn't."
Riku's eyes widened in disbelief, a flush creeping up his neck. "What? Meaning you were watching me… all this time?" he stammered, a sense of violation washing over him. "Tell me… this is a lie right?!"
"Alright, that's enough," Black March declared, her tone brooking no further argument. "That was a lie, yes. Now listen carefully, Riku. I will only let you use my power, and no one else. This is my final decision." Her spectral form radiated an air of absolute certainty.
"But… but I don't even know how to properly use a sword," Riku protested, feeling increasingly out of his depth in this bizarre encounter.
"Don't worry about that," she said, her voice softening slightly. "You don't need to know how to wield a sword in the traditional sense to use me. You simply have to hold me in your hands, and I will guide you."
Despite Black March's firm stance, a stubborn hope flickered within Riku. He wasn't ready to concede defeat just yet. There had to be a way to change her mind.
"But… what's the problem if you get used by someone else?" he asked, trying a different angle of persuasion.
Her tone shifted, a hint of hurt entering her voice. "You… you don't want to use me? Tell me honestly."
Before Riku could formulate a response, Black March moved with surprising swiftness. Her ethereal form glided behind him, and then he felt a pair of cool, intangible arms wrap around his chest, a spectral embrace that sent a shiver down his spine.
"I have a lot of work to do," Riku argued, trying to maintain a logical stance despite the surreal situation. "And in the future, I'll likely acquire more weapons. In such a situation, I don't think I'll be able to use you properly all the time."
"Then give your other weapons to others and use only me. Hmm?" Black March countered, her spectral eyes gazing intently into his.
Before Riku could respond, she moved again, her ethereal form now directly in front of him. With a swiftness that belied her intangible nature, she leaned in and pressed a soft kiss to his lips.
Riku blinked, momentarily stunned. "You just… stole my chastity," he mumbled, a bewildered expression on his face.
Black March tilted her head, a playful glint in her eyes. "Really? And what did you do with that girl? I only kissed you on the lips. If you allow me," she continued, her voice taking on a seductive tone, "can I kiss you… like that too? I'll even think about accepting your terms after this. Also," she added, a hint of accusation in her voice, "that girl Terra, she just kissed you."
"Really? You'll let me use your full powers?" Riku asked, a flicker of hope igniting within him, pointedly ignoring her mention of Terra.
"Yes," Black March confirmed, her gaze unwavering, "that is, if you kissed me exactly the way you did with that Couronne girl."
"You're changing your terms every second!" Riku exclaimed, frustration lacing his voice. This spectral being was proving to be more difficult to negotiate with than any monster he had faced.