“I will ask again. Who might you be?” The calm monotone voice sounded again. The corner of his mouth curved into a dark smile that made my eyes freeze. The children cowering behind me were frightened, more frightened than they had been a minute before, before I was there. According to their eyes, they knew this man, the man with a hidden, dangerous aura that put all my senses on alert. Could this man be the culprit, I wondered. No matter who he was, the children are not safe here, I have to do something quickly to get them and all the other villagers to safety. But first, I dealt with the mysterious man. I tilted my head slightly as I pondered his question, wondering what answer I should give him, until I said:
“I am... a servant of God.” My words were calm, but also with all the utmost caution. A little lie, which I also told the villagers, even though, now was no time for fooling around. The man with the green hair in Front of me didn't seem to believe me, of course, and yet he asked me curiously. “A servant of God? So, an angel? Or an apostle?” He didn't take me seriously, so I had to be careful. Who knows what he was planning or what he really was. “Neither of those. But what about you. Who the hell are you?”
I wanted to keep things under control, but this guy... Something about him gave me no peace. He smiled coldly. “Me? They call me Number Six.” His words had a definitive sharpness to them that embedded itself in my ears.
Number Six? Who would use a number as a name? Was that an alias? Was he part of a larger organization? Many thoughts flashed through my mind as I tried to anticipate his next move. He hardly seemed threatening in appearance, rather inconspicuous, but there was this aura, this immense magic emanating from him. Clearly a magician. And if he was, then he might be the one who had killed the dragon, the master of the villagers, and was terrifying the village with the other criminals in order to enslave them. There was no way I was going to take this situation lightly, even if it came to a fight, I would protect these children with my life!
“However, may I ask what you are doing here, Mr. Servant of God?" His smile evolved from something dark to something menacing. “What do you think?” I replied. “I'm rescuing the prisoners.”
“I'm sorry...” he said lightly. “But I can't let you do that.” He said it with such cool composure, as if it was a fact that didn't need to be discussed. “What are you going to do?” I said defiantly. I had to keep the upper hand, intimidate him, even though I could feel the threat he carried inside. Unexpectedly, he raised his right hand to chest height and closed his eyes while he straightened his small glasses with his left hand, I looked at him confused until he suddenly snapped his fingers. A simple snap that made me blink several times in confusion. What the?!...
The cell we had been in until a few seconds ago vanished, as did the children hiding behind me. We were in a place unknown to me, a completely empty room without any furniture or objects. Just him and me. No doubt about it, this guy was no ordinary magician! No one could teleport so easily!
“In this place, we can fight undisturbed.” he said, pretending to suggest a fair duel. But I knew he was the one in charge. My muscles tensed. He really wanted to fight, that was obvious. And he was dangerous, there was no question about that. I couldn't take this fight lightly. I had to give everything I had to defeat this threat and save the villagers.
“Are you ready?” he asked with a calmness that made me suspicious. “I have one more question first,” I said to gain time and organize my thoughts. “You seem to be one of the people in charge or maybe even the leader here. Then you should probably know where the dragon egg might be.”
He hesitated for a moment, but then he put a big smile on his face. “Do you mean this one?” With an elegant gesture, he made a large, shimmering egg appear, floating in the air. My heart raced, so this was the dragon egg. It was huge, almost as big as me. I wondered, how big the baby slumbering inside the egg was. “What are you going to do with the egg?” I asked, although I feared the answer.
“It's not your business,” he said dismissively. I instantly understood what he was up to. He really want to fight right now. Me versus him.
My hands trembled with tension as the demon sword appeared, in a flickering fire, in my right hand, gripping its hilt tightly. The air between us crackled with unspoken violence, I could feel how time literally paused before a storm would begin. Number Six was facing me, motionless and yet full of energy. He was waiting, perhaps lurking, perhaps ready to test me in some way. But I couldn't afford to wait any longer. My legs tensed, I charged. My beloved sword seemed to sing in the air as I sent it hurtling towards him with a quick slash. As soon as I approached him, I felt the aura of his magic, which rained down on me like an invisible pressure. But before my sword could even reach his skin, he had already moved aside. It wasn't just a simple movement, it was like a slide, without the smallest effort. A moment that almost threw me off balance. I pushed off the ground with my feet and landed a few meters away, only to see him blur into a mist of magic before reappearing in front of me. My heart hammered in my chest, but I didn't have time to worry about it.
He was fast, incredibly fast. But so was I. My sword spun in my hand, another quick slash, this time diagonal, but his defense was flawless. He only extended a finger, and an invisible pressure hit my sword with such force that I was thrown back. I landed heavily on my feet, but quickly managed to pick myself up. “Damn...” I muttered through clenched teeth. I have to become better, react faster. This wasn't simple magic he was using. It was something else, something abnormal. But I refused to be scared. Not yet.
The next attack came from him. Without warning, he extended his hand in my direction and I could literally feel the air around us becoming heavier. Suddenly I was hit by an invisible wave that hurled me against the nearest wall. It was like a giant hammer hitting my chest. My head rumbled, but I forced my body to rise before it could land the next blow. Pain shot through my ribs, but I ignored it. It wasn't important now. My sword swung again, this time in a more complex sequence of attacks. The black, wavy blade glowed in a light blue, signifying the activation of a Weapon Skill of the One-Hand-Sword category. I aimed at his side, then his neck, always alternating to outwit him. He parried the hits, but with each strike I noticed that I was getting a little closer. He kept narrowly dodging, I could see him watching me, calculating, appraising.
One last powerful frontal attack almost hit him. My sword pierced the air, so close in front of him that I could feel the resistance. But he just laughed and took a step back before raising his hand. It only took a second for the room to change, where an intense pressure built up like gravity had increased. My movements became more sluggish, feeling like I'd been forced into invisible restraints. Damn it, I could barely breathe or even attack him. Sweat poured down my forehead as I struggled with all my might against the pressure. My muscles were burning with exertion, but my mind was clear. I could not surrender. There was no other way to save the villagers except by winning. I closed my eyes, tightened my grip on my sword and concentrated. I knew that I couldn't get at him with sheer strength. Not now. But I still have an ace up my sleeve. My skill
A bright beam of light flashed through the room, blinding. I hadn't seen it coming. I had no chance to react. The beam hit me right in the stomach, piercing me before I could even understand what had happened. Sharp pain shot through my body. I stumbled back a few steps, my legs slowly gave way and I fell to my knees. My sword slipped from my fingers and clattered on the floor, whereupon it disappeared again in a flickering fire and the burning in my stomach spread relentlessly. With trembling hands, I groped for the spot where the beam of light had hit me. My fingers found the hole through which my blood was inexorably pouring out. A hole... in my stomach.
Desperately, I tried to comprehend the pain. The pain was all-pervading, a dull, angry thud that took over my whole body. My breath coming in gasps, blood running hot and sticky over my hands. My vision blurred. The world around me became dull and unreal. I couldn't believe how quickly it all happened. One moment, one mistake, now I was lying here, badly wounded. My mind raced, trying to cling to some plan, but everything suddenly seemed so far away. I saw Number Six in front of me, saw his smug smile, but the details blurred in front of my eyes. It felt like my consciousness was being pulled into a vortex, like I was on the edge of something dark.
“You overestimate yourself too much.” I heard his voice as he crouched down in front of me. It was so clear, so cold, that it cut into my thoughts like a knife. “You think you're invincible just because you've been reborn. But you're wrong. You know, being reborn does give you the resources to level up faster and kill all kinds of monsters with the help of the skills you get. But what you see on the menu screen is nothing more than numbers that have been determined by someone so that you think you're strong enough. But that is also wrong. I've met a lot of whiners like you who claimed great things about themselves and then died. I would gladly say that they were unnecessary deaths that could have been prevented if you had paid more attention to this world. So let me tell you the truth. You're nothing more than a useless little puppy, trying to play a hero.”
His words burned into my mind, but it wasn't the insult that hit me. It was the awareness that he was right. I thought I was stronger, untouchable. But here I was, bleeding, dying, while he triumphed over me.
Wait... Reborn? How could he know that? Damn, I can barely see... Huh? What the... With my last glances, I saw something strange, but very familiar, on the back of his left hand. A tattoo??? That shape... That look... no doubt, it was the same tattoo from back then, back when I was killed in this world and returned to find and kill my murderer. Is that him? Did I possibly find him? My thoughts were whirling wildly, I couldn't think straight. All I felt was pain. Pain so deep that it clouded my consciousness. The fight was over, I knew that. I had failed. I couldn't achieve my goal of getting revenge. Yet... I wasn't mainly interested in revenge... but... a normal life, which is what I longed for my whole life. But now, I've ended up here... I let them down, not only Akira, Mary and the villagers, but also Monika and Anna...
Monika, Anna... I'm sorry...
<"I... I'll help you."> Huh? A soft voice sounded in my head, this voice didn't belong to Loli, it belonged to the person who made my heart beat faster back then, when we first met. Memories of the girl with chestnut hair and beautiful sparkling emerald green eyes appeared in my head just before we left. I didn't understand why I was seeing these images now of all times, but perhaps they had a deeper meaning.
<"What would I do if I was about to die?” “Yes, did you ever foresee the end during one of your fights back then?” I asked Monika. “Of course I did.” “Even though you're so strong?” I asked her, confused. “Listen, no matter how good or how strong you are, there are always one or more moments when you overestimate yourself and almost die. That's why you should assess your opponents well before a fight, otherwise you'll lose,” Monika told me. “I see.” “But if the moment really comes when you're lying on the ground and you're about to bite the dust, you shouldn't give up trying to get up again. If there's one thing I've learned in my life, it's never to give up or die in a fight.”>
Her words echoed in my head, full of emptiness. She was right. I couldn't give up, not until I reached my goal, not until I confessed my feelings to her! I will not give up, not now, not today, never!
With the strength I had left, I lifted my head and tried to reach his arm as he moved away. But it was useless. My fingers closed around nothing but air. I was too slow... Everything faded away. The pain, my thoughts, the world around me... Everything became quieter, darker. I had planned to never give up, but my body was apparently thinking otherwise. My breathing became shallower, each breath felt like it was causing me more pain. The metallic taste of blood filled my mouth, my consciousness flickered. It was like sinking deep into an ocean. Coldness crept into my body, my consciousness, slowly drawn into the depths. No more pain, just this overwhelming heaviness. In this abyss, there were no more thoughts, no more fear, no more pain.
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All that remained was darkness.
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While Kaito was unconscious and lying on the ground, the warmth of his body slowly faded out of the cold room, and the empty silence was only broken by the occasional crackle of magic. The room itself seemed to have absorbed his energy, soaking it up like a reflection of the gloomy scene. Number Six remained silent for a moment, looking down at Kaito, who was motionless in front of him. A slight, mocking smile flitted across Number Six's face. He carefully lit a cigarette, which he took out of the cigarette box in his robe. As he did so, he said desperately: “Oh man... The boss is gonna be pissed.”
But before he could smoke a puff of his cigarette, a dull rumble echoed through the walls of the room. Dust trickled from the ceiling and the energy in the room changed abruptly. Number Six sensed the presence of something powerful approaching. He furrowed his brow and looked up. In a loud bang, part of the ceiling exploded and boulders rained to the floor. Light filtered into the dark room and a figure descended through the rubble, clad in silver armor with golden embellishments that sparkled in the faint light. Lightning flashed around the armor as the figure drew its rare longsword, slicing through the air as powerful as a thunderbolt. Number Six narrowed his eyes and dropped the cigarette he held in his hand. “Of course your boss will be mad when he finds out you were beaten by me!” a female voice rang out. Her yellow eyes gleamed and her light brown curly hair blew gently in the light breeze.
Number Six snorted snidely, “That voice sounds familiar... Oh no. You've got to be kidding me. That's the golden lioness... Elaine!”
“You won't escape from us this time, you evil man.” said the knight with her sword raised, lightning streaming from it.
“This is way out of my league, I'm getting out of here!” cowardly and quickly Number Six turned around, but there waiting for him was a colossus of a man, his huge muscular arms crossed as he stared calmly and menacingly, at his target. “Ah!!! The gorilla!”
“It's Dorilla.” the two-meter-tall giant corrected him in a deep unwavering voice. Number Six took a step back, his heart beating faster, but before he could do anything, a soft, childish giggle sounded from above. The man with the greenish hair lifted his head and caught sight of a small, petite figure floating in the air, sitting in the center of the hole made in the ceiling of the room. The girl, who looked like a child but was as old as a teenager, wore a snow-white dress that fluttered in the wind, even though there was no breeze. Her golden curls framed a childish face, but her eyes burned in ambition.
“The golden lioness Elaine, the muscleman Dorilla and the Valkyrie Alicia.... What on earth are the Legendary Heroes doing here?!” The man in the black robe noticed how the room became narrower, as the legends gathered around him. These three heroes were not to be underestimated. He knew that his chances against them were more than bad. But he would not be cornered so easily. Smiling arrogantly, Number Six lifted a hand and pointed at the dragon egg floating in the air next to him. “Do you really want to fight me? I have a dragon egg as a hostage after all!” His voice sounded confident, but his thoughts were raging. He needed some time to use his teleport magic again, as it could only be reactivated after a certain period of time.
Elaine and the others paused for a moment, their eyes following his gaze. But instead of the expected reaction, there was another laugh, this time from Alicia, who nonchalantly pointed a finger towards the egg. The man's eyes widened when he saw that the egg had suddenly disappeared. There was nothing but emptiness where his trump card had just been. “Do you mean this egg?” Alicia's soft but mocking voice rang out as she held the giant egg in her arms and waved it around like a harmless toy. A shock ran through Number Six. The three of them had completely surrounded him. His pride forbade him to show panic, but inside he was seething. These heroes had not only surprised him, but they also cut off any chance of escape. His teleport magic was still not ready, and he wouldn't even last five minutes against three of this calibers. But he still had to stall for time.
“My dear heroes, let's have a little chat, we rarely see each other.”
“No thanks, we don't chat with a criminal like you,” said Elaine.
“You may be reborn like us, but we have nothing to talk about.” Alicia explained.
“Right.” Dorilla nodded in agreement.
Elaine took a step forward, the longsword gripped tightly in her hand. Her voice was calm, but full of accusation. “Well then, prepare to die.” She raised the sword, pointing the tip of the blade upwards. Lightning flashed around that blade again and you could see the powerful magic condensing around it. He knew that this would be the end if he not acted immediately. But then his eyes fell on the motionless Kaito, still lying on the ground, barely more than an empty shell. A thought popped into his head, and he raised his hands to stop the heroes. “Wait!” he shouted, the panic now more evident in his voice.
Elaine paused, her blade hovering just inches above her head, ready to deliver the final strike. “What now?” she asked, annoyed, but she hesitated. Number Six pointed at Kaito as his hand trembled. “That puppy behind you... He's a reborn too!” His voice was shaking with desperation now. It was his last attempt to buy time.
“Puppy?” Elaine and the others looked behind them in confusion, their gazes falling on the motionless half-wolf. “Oh, since when is this corpse here?” muttered Elaine along a slightly mocking tone. While the heroes were distracted, Number Six took his one and only chance, he quickly used his teleportation and disappeared, after blinking once.
“Hey, wait!” Dorilla called after him, but it was too late. “Damn it, he disappeared!” said Alicia angrily.
A short time later, the heroes turned to the apparently lifeless body and stared at it. “Is he dead, Sis?” asked Alicia. “It certainly seems so, but let's check his pulse first.” The girl with light brown curls knelt down next to him and placed two fingers on his neck. There was silence for a moment, then Elaine's eyes widened. “He's alive!” she whispered in surprise.
“What, with a wound like that?” Alicia exclaimed in shock as she took a closer look at Kaito. Elaine reacted immediately. “Dorilla, I need your help!” she ordered, the tall man stepping to her side without hesitation. In one smooth movement, he placed his powerful hands over Kaito and began to emit a green, healing energy. Dorilla's unique skill,
Elaine, Dorilla and Alicia waited and watching as the healing magic showed its effect.
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I can't say how long I spent in this darkness. It seemed like an eternity to me when something happened the last time. A fleeting but strong feeling of warmth ran through my body. It was strangely familiar, like the feeling of the sun on my skin after leaving a cold place. The darkness in my head began to fade, but not completely. I felt my mind again, although it was only fragmentary. I blinked, my eyelids felt like they were made of lead. Everything around me seemed blurred, a world which had lost its contours. Was it all a dream? A nightmare? My first conscious thought was wondering, wasn't I supposed to be dead already? My next thought was, being lying on something soft, far too soft to be the hard, cold earth I should have been on. Was the ground always so... comfortable?
“W-what happened?” My voice, whispery, brittle and weak. I could move my lips slightly, but the sound seemed to come from far away. Slowly, my vision returned and I could finally see more clearly. Above me was a face, which immediately sent me into a state of shock. This face was foreign to me, a creature that seemed almost human, but with animal features, an ape-like face with wide cheeks and large eyes that stared at me tenderly.
“Are you awake, sweetie?” The voice that greeted me was deep and gentle, but those words sent a cold chill down my spine. I couldn't help but immediately distance myself as much as my shaken body would allow. “Aahhh! Who are you?!” Panic flooded through me as I jerked back. My heart beat faster, adrenaline pumping through my body as I saw the grotesque creature above me. I instinctively tried to stand up, but my legs gave in and I almost fell onto the ground again. My limbs were weak, they felt like I just finished a marathon. The creature raised its hand and called after me. “Don't run away, sweetie. You have not recovered yet. Come here and put your head back on my lap.”
Lap? My gaze wandered in disbelief to the soft surface where my head rested before. The thought that I was lying on this thing made me shudder in disgust. “Gross!” The word slipped through my lips before I could hold it back. It was a reflex, born of pure repulsion. The creature made a low, aggrieved sound, like a disappointed sigh, before retreating to a corner of the room. It crouched there, shoulders hunched, looking deeply hurt by my reaction. I felt like I hit something very personal, but I didn't care at that moment. What the hell was all that? My head was spinning, questions tumbling over each other in my mind. Nothing made sense. “What is this... Who are you?”
“Please do not blame him.” Another voice spoke, this time female, calm and balanced. I turned to face her and saw a woman dressed in heavy but elegant gold and silver armor. Her face carried a calm beauty, but it was the kind of grace associated with danger. She looked like a warrior, someone who was capable of ending another's life in a breath and not flinching.
“Right.” another girl approached and stood next to the knight. “He used to be a woman, after all.” the blonde girl added.
Her words slammed into me like a wave hitting a cliff. Used to be a woman? I shook my head to clear the fog in my brain, but all I could feel was an oppressive uneasiness. “And who on earth are you?” I asked, my voice sounding irritated. I desperately searched for answers, for some kind of support in this absurd situation. The woman, who seemed to be the leader of this strange group, took a step forward. “Oh, excuse me. Where are our manners?” Her voice was softer and friendly, but I didn't trust this peace. “My name is Elaine and these are my friends, Alicia and Dorilla. “ She pointed to the blonde girl standing next to her and the monkey creature still cowering in the corner. “Nice to meet you... Um...”
“Kaito.” I replied mechanically. “My name is Kaito.”
“A Japanese name, huh?” muttered Elaine quietly, as if processing the information for herself. But her words had an effect on me. Immediately, my attention focused sharply upon her.
Japanese? My heart skipped a beat. That one word made my whole body vibrate like a switch had been turned. Which could only mean... “Does that mean you've been reincarnated too?” I asked hastily, staring at her. Elaine nodded slowly. “Correct.” she said. ”We are also from Japan. Allow me to introduce myself again. My real name is Asuka Suzuki.”
Asuka Suzuki.
I paused for a second. The realization that she was from my world, from Japan, was overwhelming. For a brief moment, I felt like I was losing my footing, like my entire understanding of this new reality was about to topple over. There were others like me.
“I'm Kazumi Ito.” Alicia added with a gentle smile, like it was a formal introduction at an afternoon tea.
Dorilla, who was still sulking in his corner, grumbled softly and mumbled reluctantly. “Michiko Kobayashi.”
The revelations hit me like a punch in the gut. They were all Japanese. They were all, just like me, dragged into this strange world. We had all lost our old lives to wake up into this new reality. At first, the air seemed heavy, silence spread through the place. Each of us was lost in thought, perhaps reminiscing about the life we had once led, perhaps about the people we had left behind. Like Koji and Yorihiko, for example, my best friends. After that thought, I realized that I couldn't just run away from my old world or my past. It always haunts me, no matter where I am. This was perhaps a sign, a sign to face reality, even if you are like a new person and have other goals than back then. You're still the same inside.
I looked different on the outside, a half-wolf with white-silver hair and red eyes. But in the inside, I was the high school student with dark brown hair, carrying the name I actually left behind a long time ago, but still continuing to haunt me...
“My name is... Yuuji Takahashi.”