Shion was immediately drawn into a myriad of memories.
It wasn't a simple genjutsu, in fact, she seemed to go back in time and see firsthand what Toji wanted to show her.
He demonstrated his acting, the way he chose to proceed, although Toji didn't make it clear that he was acting, instead, he showed himself as if he were choosing to act more gently, even though he was a demon.
He showed the people he targeted and their sins, he showed his choices in moments when he caused harm to good people, he even showed his small, funny acts, like feeding a child broccoli and securing labor rights for the donkey.
Although everything he did was indeed 'evil', there was a clear line between him and the other demons.
If this were a more advanced world where laws protected the lives of even sinners, showing this wouldn't make much difference. However, this is the Ninja world, here, good people can kill, as long as they have sufficient reason to do so.
Even growing up in a greenhouse, Shion still had a sense of the world, so although she didn't approve of much of what he did, it hadn't yet reached the point of being unacceptable.
When the purple light dissipated and Shion regained consciousness, she saw Toji again, this time his arm was charred, emitting black smoke.
Toji frowned slightly as demonic flames engulfed his arm, aiding in the healing process.
Even just touching Shion's energy still caused him damage, however, Toji's demonic power was far greater than Shion's, so he easily expelled the rest of her energy and began healing his own arm.
Shion's eyes became less cautious as she looked at Toji this time. She didn't know why, but she could tell that everything she saw was true. So, although Toji was far from a saint, she could still see the most basic reasoning behind his actions.
This was a demon that punished evil, albeit in an extreme way, it was still a punishment directed at evil. She could even sense Toji's incongruity when he did good, as if it went against his own nature, but still, Toji persisted.
Thus, Shion finally showed herself willing to believe in Toji.
-Are you okay?- She asked worriedly, seeing his arm on fire.
-It's alright, it'll heal in no time.- Toji shrugged.
In fact, whether it was demonic or angelic energy, they were polar opposites, with Toji's strength, if he had released enough energy, it wouldn't have been him who got hurt, but Shion.
Toji did this to show kindness, and judging by the girl's eyes, it worked.
Shion didn't answer, watching Toji's arm slowly returning to normal, the demonic flames dying down, the smooth white skin reappearing, only then did she let out a sigh of relief.
Finally, seeing that Toji was alright, Shion began to think about more important matters. -Why? Why do you want to help me?- She asked, frowning, not understanding why Toji would go to such lengths to show her that he wasn't really a cruel demon.
Besides, she didn't understand why Toji would come to help her directly, it didn't make much sense to her.
Toji, who had been moving his arm to see if it had fully healed, stopped the movement and turned his gaze to Shion.
-Because I feel that I will need your help soon.- Toji said. He was very clear that Shion would be very useful to him, he needed her to be completely willing to sign a pact with him, and he also needed to help her become stronger. For that, Shion would have to accept his help.
-Do you need my help?- Shion asked, confused.
Toji didn't speak first, he offered her his hand, as if to help her to her feet.
The sense of danger he felt emanating from her bell pendant also diminished considerably, likely because after seeing those memories, the souls bound to her were no longer as vigilant as they were towards him.
For a being who chose mortality and humanity, in addition to expelling his own negative side, seeing Toji, a demon who could set aside part of his nature, still offered some room for conversation.
Shion looked at Toji's hand, freezing for a moment, before taking it. Toji helped her to her feet and gestured for her to follow him.
He led her back to the lake, they both sat on two smooth stones, and only then did Toji finally begin to explain.
-My power is growing stronger with time. You can interpret my past actions as me accumulating negative energy. Although I chose an unorthodox path, the fact remains that I still wish to continue growing stronger.- Toji explained. Shion simply looked at him thoughtfully, waiting for him to continue.
-However, this next advance will not be easy.- Toji shook his head. -There will be an extremely large flow of demonic energy when I advance. If I advance alone, I will probably succumb to the nature of this energy. At that moment, I will become a true demon, mad, cruel, indifferent to life and death, causing destruction wherever I go. It will probably be the end of the world.
This made Shion's eyes widen, the pendant on her shirt also glowed again, Toji could feel the danger of this thing again, this time even stronger.
Toji ignored him and spoke. - That's why I need your help.
Shion frowned, apprehensive. -But how can I help? I'm just a priestess.
-You can do it.- Toji nodded. -Not yet, but you can.
-What do you mean?- Shion asked, confused.
-I need to make a pact with you. I need your purifying energy to protect my mind from corruption when I move forward. Only then will I be able to maintain my sanity.- Toji explained, leaving Shion stunned.