The Champion yanks her spear from Terimus’s gut with a spray of blood. Rena screams in rage, drawing her weapon, and Layf cries out in shock and horror. Blood flecks my face like drops of rain, and my body feels full of static. No. This can’t be happening. This isn’t real. My mind buzzes and swirls in detached disbelief.

Crazed laughter shatters my horror like a hammer to a pane of glass. The Champion cackles with an insane glee even as Rena leaps at her with her sword. The Champion doesn’t even bother blocking the blow. She grabs the weapon, hand wrapped around the blade, then rips the sword from Rena’s grasp. She stumbles forward, and the Champion cracks the sword across her back. Rena collapses to the ground with a gasp.

Layf screams, tears streaming down his face, as he snatches up a spear and runs at the Champion. She raises a hand, and he feints to the side, slipping around her guard and stabbing his staff into her gut. It skips over the leather armor like it’s platemail, sparks showering off with the contact. The Champion lets Layf pull back, his eyes wide with terror. She grins.

Her kick strikes Layf in his gut, lifting him off his feet and throwing him through the air—and straight toward me. I have enough time to raise one arm and mouth an, “Oh,” before he crashes right into me.

[9 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

The world becomes a blur of color as we crash back into the grass and go rolling, limbs striking flesh and ground without discrimination.

[4 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

[1 point of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

[3 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

The numbers stream past me as pain lances through my body. But it’s only the pain of scrapes and bruises—I’ve survived worse.

My back hits the ground and I stop rolling. I hurriedly flip myself over, pushing myself to my feet before I’ve even recovered my balance. I stumble, my head still spinning, as I look frantically for the Champion.

Rena has rolled over onto her stomach, bleeding but still alive, and grabbed the Champion’s ankle, stopping her from advancing on the unconscious Terimus. I watch in horror, wondering why she’s doing this, what sort of monster she really is, which triggers a familiar tingling in the back of my head.

[Name: Maru]

[Title: Demigod]

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[Species: Human]

[Class: Warrior]

[Level: 92]

[Attack: 350]

[HP: 500/500]

[Mana: 1000/1000]

[Allegiance: Widengra]

Level 92? Demigod?!

“Bastard,” Layf hisses, pushing himself up to his knees next to me. A trickle of green blood is running down his nose and chin. He darts a glance at me. “What are you waiting for? Get out of here!”

The Champion kicks Rena in her side, flipping her across the ground, then stomps on her stomach. I want to run. I want to hide. I feel like I’m going to throw up.

I take a step back, then hesitate. “But what about you guys?”

Layf staggers to his feet, hand on his side. He looks at me sadly. “Someone has to warn others what happened here.”

His words send a spike of adrenaline shooting through me. No, he can’t mean what I think he means. They’re not all about to die. We just met—I just got here—I was just reborn! This is too horrific, too senseless to be—

Rena screams as the Champion plunges her spear into her chest. Shock spikes through me. My body feels distant and numb. I watch, unbelieving, as Layf runs back into the fight, swinging his weapon at the demigod.

I don’t hear the rest of the fight. Maybe my brain is in too much shock to register it. Maybe it’s the blood rushing in my ears. Either way, the world feels muted and distant as I force myself stumbling back, as I watch Maru stab Layf, as I watch her end Terimus’s life. It’s like one of those nightmares where you can’t move fast enough. Where you know, no matter what you do, the monster is going to get you.

I turn and run.

I hate myself even as I do it. I’m leaving them to die. These kind people who took me in and protected me. I’m a coward. I’m pathetic. But more than anything, I just don’t want to die. Not so soon. I’m not ready to die again. All I wanted was to fulfill this dumb Cook role and make cakes and burgers and enjoy life. Do all the simple things I couldn’t do before. Is that so much to ask?

What did I do to deserve this?

Maru’s voice appears right behind me. “Now, now. Can’t have any witnesses scurrying away, can we?”

Pain explodes across my back. I manage another two or three stumbling steps before a weight on my shoulder topples me over, and I crash face-first into the ground. Echo’s stats feel distant.

[52 points of Piercing damage sustained.]

[5 points of Bludgeoning damage sustained.]

[HP: 16/90]

I try to struggle upright, but there’s a weight pressing into my back, and pain lances through me when I try to move, and I can’t make my arm respond. Heat spreads over my back as the pain statics away. I suddenly feel exhausted, all my fight and energy seeping out of me, as the warmth starts to fade into cold.

Oh. I know this feeling. I’m dying.

I still manage a weak scream when the spear is yanked from my back.

[14 points of Piercing damage sustained.]

[HP: 2/90]

My vision is going dark around the edges. My horror is muted beneath my shock, but there’s resignation and disappointment, there, too. It’s just not fair. I should have had more time. To have a second chance dangled in front of me, just for it to be ripped away at the last second—it feels like a cruel joke. I’d pray to god, but I guess one of their servants just killed me.

I close my eyes and taste salt as tears run down my face. If I just had another chance… just one more chance…

[HP: 1/90]

The world sinks into a familiar black.