Shiro and Kui stepped into the Split Gate, joining Zaki and Tido. The liquid-like, red, and orange portal engulfed them, their vision turning distorted, as if they were entering something they shouldn't be. Their bodies felt light, like they were floating or being carried by the air, their vision still distorted, the weight of their bodies beginning to shift from light to heavy, but it was hard to comprehend.
And then…
They open their eyes, finding themselves in a warm, cozy hut whose walls are made of wood and rocks. There were bookshelves on the right side, along with a table where there was an unfinished book was being written. A pot of… soup? being boiled on the left, where it seems to be the kitchen, as there were kitchen cabinets above the pot from the walls.
"Welcome."
A rough voice spoke, coming from in front. It was Tido greeting them.
Shiro and Kui looked around aimlessly, in complete shock at where they were, or maybe how they got here.
"W-Where are we..?"
Kui asked while looking around the ceiling and the surroundings.
"This is Tido's Split reality."
Zaki answered.
"Split reality..?"
Kui asked back.
"Mhm! We all have one! It's a small room that captivates our perceiving mind, our interests, our personality, and what we truly desire!"
Zaki then leaned forward to Kui.
"But everyone's split reality is different~"
"So this is the inside of Tido's mind, basically..?"
Shiro suddenly asked, walking around the room aimelessly.
"CORRECT!"
Zaki pointed a finger towards Shiro.
Tido walked over to a throne-like chair that was in the middle of the room, where he jumped onto it to sit.
"I'll give both of you 5 minutes to offer a deal for a vow."
Tido spoke with his rough, cold voice.
"Make it quick."
He added.
Shiro and Kui looked at Tido, who was sitting on the throne-like chair in the middle of the room. As they approach him with Zaki behind both of them. Kui looked nervous; he was visibly sweating and shaking ever so slightly, but Shiro was calm, with a stern-like face that was still quite confused of the area they're in.
"H-How does this work..?"
Kui swallowed, asking curiously.
"Hm."
Tido hummed.
Tido then leaned his one-eyed ball head towards Kui's face, staring deep into his eyes for some time as Kui stayed, visibly trembling and shaking.
And then, Tido leaned back, leaving Kui's glance.
"There are two ways we can construct this."
A pause.
"One, you, as the consumer, must sacrifice a part of your body to activate my vow on that said body part. Meaning, sacrificing your arm to activate my vow will grant you the ability to use my arm for a short period of time. As part of the constructed vow, I will heal your arm after a period of time without using my vow."
Kui looked at Tido with a puzzled face.
"Huh..? I- I don't get it."
"To put it simply, my vow can only be activated when you sacrifice a part of your body to use a part of mine for a short period."
Tido replied.
"So every time I use your vow… I have to pay?"
Kui asked.
"Exactly, but I will only hand you a total of 5 uses of my vow, until you need to construct a new one."
Tido replied.
"What about the second method?"
Kui asked again, curiously, as he rubbed his chin.
"Hm."
Tido hummed with his rough voice.
"You sacrifice a large portion of your body now, and I will grant you continuous usage of a part of me for a certain time limit. The time will depend on which part of your body you are willing to offer me."
He explained thoroughly.
Shiro suddenly commented.
"So it's a one-time pay or a subscription, huh?"
"You could call it that."
Tido responded with a weirdly assuring rough voice. Side-eyeing Shiro with his one eyeball, before looking back at Kui.
"Make your offer."
Kui stayed silent for a while, thinking deeply of what offer to make. He's visibly sweating as he rubs his temples.
Zaki then leaned sideways to face Kui before whispering;
"Go for his arm~ It's his strongest part!"
"Y-You're not helping!"
Kui complained; his face was frustrated at Zaki.
Zaki stepped back with a wide smirk on his face, clearly amused from teasing Kui.
Kui closed his eyes, thinking thoroughly of his offer. It took him some time to deeply think of it, knowing that he could only make an offer once, and it could be rejected or accepted.
Then… Kui opened his eyes with confidence this time.
"I got it."
Kui spoke with determination and confidence on his face.
"Hm?"
Tido hummed, curious about what offer Kui had made.
"My arm's skin, in exchange for the ability of your arm."
Kui raised his arm, as if showing the skin he is offering.
"Hm."
Tido hummed again. This time, his tone was slightly showing interest in Kui's offer.
"A portion of your arm's skin, for 10 minutes of my arm under your full control, with 5 uses. I will speed up the regeneration of your skin after 3 days without using my vow."
He turns down Kui's offer, but gives him one that could benefit both.
But Kui didn't hesitate..
"Deal."
Then… Darkness engulfed both Tido and Kui, where Shiro and Zaki were nowhere to be seen. Their surrounding was still Tido's Split reality, yet it was dark, foggy, and its atmosphere was similar to a swamp.
Kui looked around them, in complete shock at what was happening.
"Wha- Where are we?!"
"Relax."
Tido reassured, with his one eyeball staring into Kui.
He gestures something in the air, summoning a paper floating mid air, with a bunch of things written in it, seemingly where they 'construct' a vow.
"Kui Kizunishi, a human. Tido, a beast."
"Construction of Vows, Fulfillment of Needs."
"May you, Kui Kizunishi, as the consumer of this to-be-constructed vow, agree to the terms and rules placed upon you by Mother Nature and the producer itself?"
A dark, cold, and deep voice came. It was Tido who was reciting the need to construct the vow.
Kui swallowed, looking at the paper in front of him, between him and Tido, as if waiting for both to sign it.
"I agree."
Kui replied.
"Sign, with your blood."
Tido spoke as the paper waited for Kui to place his fingerprint on the bottom of the paper.
Kui heistated, looking at his thumb, to see it's already stained with his own blood. As if it was already set up, and ready for him to sign.
He swallows, hesitant to sign or to make a move… But he did it anyway.
He reached his arm slowly towards the floating paper in front of him, placing his blood-stained thumb onto the bottom of the paper.
He signed the construct of vow.
And then, darkness.
"RULE 1, THE CONSUMER IS PROHIBITED FROM USING SAID VOW AGAINST THEIR OWN COMRADES."
"RULE 2, THE CONSUMER IS PROHIBITED FROM USING SAID VOW FROM CAUSING HARM AGAINST THEIR OWN RACE."
"RULE 3, USING THE VOW FOR MORE THAN 2 TIMES WITHIN A DAY WILL PENALIZE THE CONSUMER."
—Chapter 27, End : Construct of Vows