“The first thing that needs to be done to see ghosts.” Maya’s whisper tickled his ear. She placed her hand on his shoulder. “Is to have you die.”

Everything became black. Then, in another moment, he felt himself breaking free from his body like an egg being broken. He fell forward and looked around to see his apartment. Maya was looking straight up at him, holding his body dearly.

The next moment passed by and his body started to glow. The next moment, he felt his spirit being sucked back into his body, and it felt like being stuffed in a small bottle.

When Dalton opened his eyes, he sucked in a deep breath and started to cough madly. Maya stood over him, a hand to his chest.

“Breathe in slowly,” she instructed. “Take the time and breathe in slowly.”

He did as he was told. Slowly he felt it was easier to breathe, and his strength returning to him. Dalton used the coffee table to stand up slowly. His legs felt like cooked noodles. Maya stood by his side, her hands hovering around him ready to catch if he falls.

Dalton then used the coach as a crutch and stood up fully.

“Okay,” he said breathlessly. “What’s the next step.”

“Give it a moment. Let your body get used to having your spirit back. The mana channels have been reset. You will feel sore for a few days, but I guess that’s not really an option at the moment.” So, Maya took out a bottle of purple fluid. “Drink this.”

Dalton took the bottle and uncorked it. The aroma was pleasant, like lavender. Dalton drained the contents down his throat. It was better than he thought.

“What is this?”

“My fluids.”

Dalton coughed hard, almost hacking out a lung. Maya’s lips quivered.

“Don’t act like it’s the most disgusting thing in the world. You could work a thousand years at your job and not afford even a single drop of my fluid.”

“You could have warned me!” Dalton yelled.

“If I told you, then you wouldn’t have drunk it!” Maya fired back.

And then he noticed that his body felt great. He moved his arms and legs as if it were the first time he had ever seen them before.

Maya crossed her arms, showing a face filled with pride. “See. All better. Now, imagine energy moving to your eyes. Imagine yourself wearing an invisible pair of glasses.” She held up the red crystal. “Can you see the ghost?”

Dalton narrowed his eyes. He imagined energy covering his eyes like glasses. His felt cold, almost freezing, but slowly he saw a transparent image of a girl inside the crystal. She was covered head to toe with blood, and her tongue long enough to be a snake licked her forehead in glee as he saw her.

Then it was like all his other senses followed, because he heard her voice.

“Your boyfriend looks soooo delicious, Maya.” She giggled and clapped her hands in delight. “I just want to throw a murder party for him. Watch him squirm as he fails to stop the murders, until he is the very last one on an island under a full moon on the naked beach while I rip his guts and eat it like spaghetti!”

Dalton was shaking. He looked at Maya.

“I don’t see anything.”

She wasn’t buying it. She tapped her chin with her finger. “Well, I guess I have to kill you again, and double the dose of witch fluid.”

“…I can see her.”

“That’s what I thought.” She grinned, and then she reached and brought out the blue crystal. “Now can you see the ghost in here.”

It was the ghost that haunted him. The one that Maya had captured for him. One look made Dalton take a step back in horror.

“No.”

The ghost had sat cross legged in his prison, and seeing Dalton acknowledge him made him smirk. [Yes!]

Dalton grabbed his head. “Why? Why are you haunting me, Riot?”

Riot Labyrinth stood up, throwing his chest up, and pointed at Dalton. [It was me Riot all along! I haunted you for revenge!]

Dalton couldn’t believe it. He pulled and pushed his head around, feeling like pincers were crushing it. Of all the people that could be haunting him, it had to be the guy he defeated at an illegal dark monster duel.

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Not just that, the question was why.

Dalton dropped his hands to his side, his hair was a mess, but he looked at Riot.

“I don’t get Riot. I thought you would have been Isekai’d. No I’m sure you were.” Dalton was remembering. “Eira was complaining about you.”

[Eira?] He cocked his eyebrow up. [Do you speak of the brown skinned, white hair wench? I told her that I desired no isekai, only revenge! She gave me a look as if I were stupid, and then took away my mortal form!]

“Okay, what really happened?” Dalton asked.

Riot’s lips quirked, and he poked his fingers together. [Since I was an illegal dueler, I did not have death insurance, and my choices for an isekai were becoming a slave in another world or becoming a bug.]

Now he kind of felt sorry for the man, but that did not excuse the fact that he stole some of his life force.

“So.” Maya coughed to get their attention. “It seems you two have a history. A connection like that is good if you plan to use him as your ghost.”

[Use me as a ghost?] Riot barked. [He could not handle my awesome powers as a ghost user! Just a trickle of it, would drive a man insane!]

“What is it?” Dalton asked Maya.

[Don’t ignore me!]

“I don’t know,” Maya said. “Most ghost abilities reflect the nature of a ghost.”

That could be anything, which made Riot too much of a wild card. Riot noticed his gaze and gave a wide shit eating grin.

[You want to know? You desire my power? Well too bad.]

“Do you have any ghosts that aren’t crazy?” Dalton asked.

“Sorry Dalton, it’s this one, or Lori.” She held up the red crystal.

Lori’s tongue was wiping the inside of the crystal clean. “Let me inside of you!”

Dalton felt tears arise as he uttered his choice.

“Please, give me Riot.”

#

Maya pressed the crystal on Dalton’s back. “This is going to feel weird.”

Dalton wondered how weird? His question was answer when she broke the blue crystal imprisoning Riot. He felt something cold slip in him, and mix within him. Like when water is contaminated by oil.

He lurched his chest forward, feeling his insides get cut apart and then remade. The cycle continued as his insides grew hotter with each passing second.

“Take a breath.” Maya pressed her cold hand on his chest, and he felt instant relief. He didn’t know what she was doing, but her hand was glowing a deep dark blue.

He took that breathe, and everything started to feel right. He did it again, and then it felt like a thread had been stapled to the back of his head. The world righted itself. When he took his final breath, he felt even better than normal. Maya pulled back her hand and its glow died down.

“How do you feel?” She asked pensively.

Dalton looked at his hands and gripped them into little balls. “I feel great.”

“That’s good,” she said relieved.

[AS DO I!] Riot’s voice blasted in his head, or so he thought. Maya had covered her ears and winced at the Riot’s yelling. [FROM NOW ON I SHALL USE THIS BODY AS MY VESSEL! AS MY SHIP! IT SHALL DO MY BIDD….why aren’t you moving like I want you to.]

“Because you’re an idiot.” Dalton turned around to see Riot looking sad.

[But I was so close! I could feel myself taking control of your body!] He cried out.

“I would never have let that happen.” Maya’s eyes turned hard. “I would have ripped your spirit to shreds than let you take over Dalton.”

Riot gasped. His eyes widened as he recognized her. [I know you! You’re one of the Star Witches!]

“Did you really not know?” Dalton was actually curious.

[You’re dating Dalton? That….that’s cheating!]

Now he was confused. “What?”

Riot jabbed his ghost finger at him. [You are cheating! You can’t date a Star Witch! They are basically gods! It’s like if a rat decided to date a human! The power level is out of proportion!] Then he realized something. [Did I lose because you had some magical item on you made by her?]

Dalton turned away. “No?”

Riot went crazy. [I died because of you! I…I lost everything. My Neo Mechawoman…suffered because of you…]

Maya leaned into Dalton. “Neo Mechawoman?”

“You don’t want to know. Trust me on this, Maya.”

[She was my big boobed mechawoman waifu!] He wailed.

“Well, there you go,” Dalton said.

“…Anyways.” She recovered fast, and with a flick of her wrist a blue silhouette hovered over her. “The most basic strike for a ghost, is a ghost punch. You two are connected now. You should be able to command Riot to punch this mana dummy I conjured.”

[No one commands me!] Riot shook his fist. He looked at his fist, and frowned. Dalton imagined Riot like an action toy. He was doing as he imagined, Riot was reeling his fist back ready to punch the mana dummy. Riot tried to pull away, shaking his head. [NO! I DESIRE FREEDOM!]

And then his fist hit the dummy. Riot fell forward, holding his fist, howling in pain. Dalton did the same, howling in pain.

“My hand!” Dalton yelled. “It hurts so much!”

“I told you that you’re connected now.” Maya frowned, holding up a finger. “If he gets hurt, you get hurt.”

Dalton bit his lips, and showed he understood by nodding. “Then how come punching the dummy hurt so much? What is it made out of, concrete?”

“No.” She quirked her lips. “It’s actually supposed to be as soft as pudding. He should have been able to blow through that with ease.”

[Pudding is my greatest enemy!] Riot screamed.

“You’re just weak!” Dalton snapped.

[I am the strongest ghost ever! My ability shall make you jaw drop!] Riot threw up his head and pointed to Maya. [Shall I show you how powerful it is?]

“Sure.” Maya’s lips curled. “Go ahead and try.”

Dalton pulled Maya and talked to her. “Maya, are you sure you want to get hit by his ability? I don’t know what it is, and it’s probably going to something stupid.”

“It’s alright.” She brushed his hand away. She placed her hands on her hips and gave a proud smile. “I can take anything he hits at me.”

[Then take me ultimate attack!] He pointed at Maya.

But nothing happened.

Sweat beaded down Riot’s ghost face. [I must have missed.]

“You can go ahead and try again.” Maya threw her hands aside. “Here, so it’s easier.”

[Ha! Foolish Star Witch, prepare yourself! Eat this!] Still nothing happened. Riot’s face was red and he screamed as he strained himself.

Dalton could feel it. He was feeling like he was being drained of his life energ-

“Stop it!” Dalton yelled. He clamped down on his mana channel. “You’re using too much.”

[Shut it! I shall use as much as I want! It must affect her! My ability is ultimate!]

Maya tapped her chin with her finger and nodded her head as if she understood. “I see now. I get what your ability is. Sorry, it won’t work on me.”

“What is it?” Dalton carefully asked.

Maya blushed and turned away. “Dalton, I don’t think you want to know.”

“What was with that reaction! I really want to know! Please tell me!”

[My pride has been broken.] Riot floated above him in a fetal position, his face blank and dead. [I can’t believe my ability does not work on a Star Witch.]

Dalton turned to Maya. “Are you sure there isn’t another ghost?”