At first, I couldn't process what I was seeing. Then I thought I was delirious, and finally, I began to understand.
When I finally reacted, my body moved on instinct, and I casually disposed of Rui Arneb, sending her through a portal.
But she was the least of my concerns at that moment.
"Rem…"
I whispered her name in pain.
She was standing in front of me, hugging me and weeping. I could feel the warmth of her body, the dampness of her tears on my chest. This time, it wasn't a dream or a nightmare.
Suddenly, my wish had come true. I didn't need Felix anymore, nor Echidna.
Because Rem had returned…
Had she returned? Without sacrificing anything? Was that it?
That was too good to be true.
My arms stopped just before returning the embrace.
It had to be a trap, a deception. This was a trial, after all.
This world does not give you back what it takes from you.
Pandora was not that generous.
And I knew it.
I couldn't fall for an illusion. I couldn't allow myself another mistake like the one with Wilhelm.
However, right now, my life was not in any danger.
Mine wasn't. But what about my companions?
Lately, every time I distanced myself from the people I cared about, something bad happened to them. It was safe to assume that this time would be no exception.
"It must be a distraction! I have to hurry and return to the others!"
But to do that, I would first have to kill the Doppelganger. I couldn't just leave it there.
Would Rem try to stop me? Probably not.
Though her grip on my body didn't loosen. It seemed like she would never let me go.
"However… what will happen to her if I kill her summoner? Will she disappear? Will Fourier disappear too?"
I was sure it would be a very heavy blow for Felix and Crusch. How could they deal with the fact that their dead friend had returned and died again on the same day?
Not to mention that Ram might have noticed Rem's presence. I hoped not. How would I explain this to her if I murdered the Doppelganger and Rem disappeared before Ram could see her? Even worse if she managed to get here and meet her sister…
Besides, how would I feel?
My chest would feel empty again.
My fragmented soul would be controlled by fear and the past once more.
"No… This is what I must avoid. I cannot hesitate now."
I reasoned logically. Feelings shouldn't interfere with me.
Yet, my heart withered at the thought of moving away from Rem.
Could I really do it?
No, the question wasn't whether I could do it.
Could I not do it?
My options had run out. Either I moved, or I stayed still and let everything go to hell: I could sense that something bad was about to happen, and I needed to act fast.
What was holding me back? What was making me doubt?
I slowly lowered my head. In my line of sight, there was only one thing.
"Rem. Right now, the greatest obstacle… is her."
My thoughts took a dark turn.
I only had one motive to stay.
One thing that held me in that place.
At that moment, Rem's guard was down, and she was perfectly within my reach.
I could easily murder her.
Yes, that was the key.
Destroy the illusion.
Destroy the weakness.
I had to do it quickly.
However, my body wouldn't move.
"What are you doing? Finish this once and for all."
An inner voice reproached my passivity.
"If you keep waiting, you'll only make it worse."
I knew it. I knew it, but…
"Do you want someone else to die because of you?"
I gritted my teeth. I was gasping for air.
"IT IS JUST AN ILLUSION! KILL HER! KILL THE DOPPELGANGER! STOP DOUBTING AND DO YOUR DAMN JOB!"
I gasped.
Anxiety paralyzed me.
I was afraid of making another mistake and causing someone else's death.
How would I know what the right decision was? Without RBD, there was no margin for error.
At this point, my thoughts felt alien, deranged, contradictory—but that was understandable: with all the lives I had lived, I no longer knew who I was.
The only thing I knew was that I had failed at everything.
I wasn't worthy of being the protagonist.
I wasn't worthy of being a hero.
I wasn't worthy of living in this world… or any other.
The best thing would be to step aside.
Yet, I was still there, trying to do something, trying to make up for my mistakes. Why hadn't I given up already?
I looked at Rem. The last time I had a crisis like this, she was by my side. Her love pulled me out of the abyss. I could still perfectly remember the words she said that day.
"Nobody is perfect, everyone makes mistakes, everyone has flaws."
I was far from perfect. I made too many mistakes. I didn't have what it took.
"Let's learn to be better… together."
That would have worked if she had stayed alive.
"I'm glad it's you."
But I wasn't glad to be who I was.
Suddenly, I felt like crying. I wanted to tell Rem that I hadn't stopped loving her for even an instant; I wanted to tell her that I was drowning in a feeling of uncertainty and no longer knew what to do.
That might make me feel better. I wanted someone to comfort me and tell me that everything was going to be okay.
But would that change anything? No, nothing at all.
It would only help me leave the remorse behind, but it wouldn't eliminate the damage. I would be running away from my punishment, from my responsibility. That was the immature attitude expected of a child.
And I wasn't a child; I was the idiot who replaced the protagonist without deserving it.
I built a reputation based on lies and presumption.
But I wasn't any of what I was selling.
Now, that facade was collapsing upon me.
"I can't take this… I'm tired… I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE ANYMORE! I WANT MY OLD LIFE BACK! I HAVE TO GET OUT OF THIS FUCKING HELL!"
My face contorted when my emotions finally collapsed. I opened my mouth to scream, but only managed to emit a hoarse sound.
"Ghh…!"
I felt my soul trying to tear through my body from the inside to escape and fly away, getting lost in the stars of the firmament.
Although, right now, there were no stars or sky.
I fell to my knees in front of Rem. I was so deranged that I scratched my face and started hyperventilating. Tears blurred my vision, and the beating of my heart became deafening.
I was cold, very cold.
For a second, the world flickered.
I saw fire, flames, and black smoke consuming everything. At the same time, I heard screams of pain that froze my blood.
Then there was a flash, a fleeting vision of a white room.
I couldn't move, I couldn't think: I was trapped.
Trapped within myself.
As I watched that image, I suddenly realized something.
"Ah, all of this has been…"
My thought remained unfinished when a warm feeling washed over me, and the illusion shattered into a thousand pieces.
I opened my eyes.
I was still in the plaza.
Rem was holding my wrists, preventing me from continuing to scratch my own face. Her forehead was pressed against mine, and I could see the desperation in her features.
It was the same expression I had been wearing this whole time. The expression of someone who cannot protect what they love.
"Come back! Look at me! I'm with you!"
Her distressed voice filled my soul the moment I heard it; because of how long it had been since I last heard it, I feared that I would eventually forget it completely and wouldn't be able to reproduce it even in my imagination.
"You're not alone! You can overcome this! You always have! So please, say something…"
At that moment, the cold that was freezing my mind began to fade. I felt exhausted—so exhausted that I could barely think—but I managed to open my mouth and utter a single word.
"Rem…"
She raised her head and smiled as tears rolled down her face. Only then did I feel my heart start beating again, pumping warm blood through my veins.
"Yes, I'm your Rem!"
"Don't… cry…" I murmured, bringing my trembling hand to her face.
Rem nodded while holding my hand and rubbing her cheek against my palm.
"I'll try…"
I inhaled, letting the air fill my lungs and give me a little strength to speak.
"Rem…"
"Yes?"
"You are as beautiful as the day I lost you."
When I said that, Rem's eyes moistened and sparkled. Although she told me she would try, she couldn't stop the tears from flowing again, though they were no longer mostly out of sadness.
"I'm sorry I left."
"I'm sorry I arrived late."
We looked at each other with complicity, and she placed her hands on my cheeks.
"It's over now. We're together again."
"You have no idea how much I missed you…"
I hugged her again, surrounding her body protectively. She let out a soft sigh of pleasure and settled happily into my arms.
I finally felt some peace.
But then I remembered the Doppelganger.
"Wait," I said, turning my head back.
Surprisingly, my other self was still there: watching, waiting.
It didn't look like it wanted to kill me. It wasn't even trying to defend itself or flee.
But it was still a threat that I had to eliminate.
Now that I could think clearly, I realized that if it had the ability to revive Rem, I would have it too after killing it.
Even if she disappeared, I would bring her back.
"That cultist… Does he have anything to do with you?"
Rem realized it immediately.
"Yes," I confirmed. "I have to kill him."
"I see."
"He's the one who brought you back to life, it seems," I swallowed hard and gathered the courage to tell her the truth. "If I kill him, there's a possibility you will die too."
"I know," she replied immediately.
"You know?" I raised an eyebrow in surprise.
"Well, now I know," Rem smiled faintly. "I guessed it might be something like that because of your reaction when you saw me. You were very conflicted."
"Anyway, once I kill him, I… I will obtain his memories and powers."
"What?"
Now she was the surprised one.
"I'll explain it to you better later," I grabbed her by the waist. "If anything bad happens when I finish him off, I should be able to resolve it in a short time, but just in case…"
I lifted Rem into the air so she wouldn't have to make the effort of standing on tiptoes; I tilted my face toward hers and kissed her passionately.
She extended her arms and clung to my neck as our lips melted together, enjoying the taste of each other.
To my great regret, I had to let her go after a minute that felt far too short.
We looked at each other, breathless, and there were no words that could describe what we were feeling.
Well, only three.
"I love you."
With that brief statement, I turned my back on Rem, drew my sword, and ran toward the Doppelganger.
Just as I expected, my other self did absolutely nothing to avoid its imminent defeat. My Yin sword severed its head with a clean motion, and that was the end.
The head made a dull thud as it hit the stone floor. I didn't spare it a single glance, to be honest.
Instead, I turned slowly toward where I had left my beloved. I already knew that her death could be fixed, but I didn't want to be separated from her ever again, even for a short period.
To my relief, Rem was still standing where I had left her, looking in my direction with her beautiful blue eyes.
I smiled with joy. It seemed like the world was giving me a break.
But appearances are deceiving.
No one could grasp what was happening.
Marcos Gildark, one of the most powerful men in Lugunica, had been killed in an instant, as if he were nothing.
And the culprit was a man wielding a pair of chopsticks.
The first to react was Crusch.
"You bastard!" She launched several slashes, but all were ineffective as they impacted the man's body, as if they were a soft breeze grazing his skin.
"Ul Fura!"
Ram unleashed a storm of wind upon the redhead, but incredibly, she couldn't move him a single centimeter.
Seraphina couldn't do anything without a formation of magic runes prepared beforehand. She had a rapier at her waist, but rarely used it. Her strength was intelligence, not combat itself.
Felix had a similar problem, but even more frustrating: although he was a great healer, his skills would make no difference if the enemy was overwhelmingly superior.
Fourier, after witnessing Marcos's death and the utter irrelevance of Crusch and Ram's attacks, became convinced that the red-haired man was a well-known legend.
"Reid Astrea…"
If he had been resurrected, it made sense that others would be too. On the other hand, there was someone with the same concerns as the prince.
"This makes no sense," Julius muttered, covering his mouth. "Reid Astrea was not a cold-blooded killer. He was a hero."
Reid clicked his tongue as Marcos's blood spread beneath his feet.
"Hey, beauties, it seems I'm not in my right mind right now," he warned the girls, making an effort to suppress the trembling of his limbs, which were struggling to move against his will. "It would be better if you didn't get close for now, or I might hurt you by accident."
But as he said it, his legs began to win the battle for control, and he started moving toward the group.
"Tsk," Reid grunted. "Can you at least leave the cute ones alive?"
Julius gritted his teeth and took his sword, ready to sacrifice himself to let the others flee.
However, his heroic act was left in suspense when a certain man beat him to it, standing in front of Reid without any trace of fear or nervousness.
This was Nadir Ashveil.
"Well, this day is getting better and better," he quipped.
Reid narrowed his eyes slightly upon seeing him. His legs trembled more intensely, and suddenly his body flickered, moving with explosive speed.
Again, no one could keep up with Reid… except for one person.
The supersonic collision that occurred when Reid's attack connected was enough to generate an earthquake, let alone the shockwave that transformed the surrounding area into a smoking plain.
"When this is over, I'm definitely going to take a long break."
To everyone's surprise, including Reid's own, Nadir's voice sounded after the devastating assault.
Seconds later, the condensed smoke dispersed and revealed the blacksmith with a new appearance.
His skin was dark red, covered by veins with a crimson glow. His eyes were two bloody lights, and there was energy akin to blood undulating around him.
"Oh? So you can defend yourself," commented Reid, holding his chopsticks against the spear that blocked them.
Nadir shrugged, as if his feat hadn't been a big deal.
"To tell you the truth, I can do more than defend myself."
"Is that so? Then come and show me, you bastard!" Reid exclaimed with a mix of enthusiasm and arrogance.
The response was immediate: Nadir kicked the ground and charged at Reid with his spear, sending him flying with a red flash.
The First Sword Saint crashed into some rocks, taking a few seconds to recover. When he stood up, he couldn't help but let out a cackle of delight.
"It's been a while since someone gave me a good hit!" He started running toward Nadir, but now his movements were tracked by the blacksmith's glowing eyes. "Now it's my turn!"
Reid tried to cut Nadir in two, but was brutally struck on the head by the shaft of the Spear of the Bleeding Heart, and his body sank into the ground.
When the redhead emerged, he was met by another strike from the shaft, but the assault didn't stop there: Nadir spun his spear at high speed, using the handle as if it were a nunchaku.
Although Reid tried to block, his defense was overwhelmed, and he ended up receiving several more blows, while he hadn't managed to land a single one since the fight began.
"Really?! This guy is incredible!" Reid enjoyed the battle even while being beaten. "Looks like I can't play anymore! I'll have to get serious to even things out!"
Suddenly, the air became extremely heavy, and the temperature dropped to a chilling point.
Reid smiled like a maniac and moved three times faster than before, catching Nadir with the chopsticks and landing a heavy attack on his belly.
The impact left him stunned, and Reid took the opportunity to unleash a rain of thrusts with the chopsticks, landing hundreds of hits all over his body.
The force contained in each strike of the chopsticks was enough to knock down a wall or cause any human to explode. Reid made sure to focus all that energy on destroying Nadir from the inside.
It seemed he was succeeding, as the blacksmith received the entire offensive without doing anything to stop it.
As Reid's attack ended, Nadir's body collapsed to the ground.
Reid observed him for several seconds, waiting for him to make a move. Since nothing happened, the redhead sighed with disappointment.
"So this is your limit? And I was actually getting excited…"
The First Sword Saint walked toward Nadir and lifted his foot with indifference, aiming at the blacksmith's head.
Meanwhile, Crusch and company went from astonishment to horror. After witnessing a human with no combat history fighting on par with a living legend, they had gotten their hopes up for the possibility of victory, but that illusion was abruptly snatched away from them.
"Anyway, it was fun while it lasted. Goodbye."
Reid lowered his foot, stomping down with enough force to crack the earth. But there was no crushed head.
Nadir was no longer there, but standing behind the redhead, looking at him with his bright, expressionless eyes.
The crimson aura around him was larger and more powerful than ever.
But all power has a price.
Upon feeling the presence at his back, Reid's mouth stretched into a wide grin.
"Where are you getting all that power, you bastard?" His voice trembled slightly, not out of fear, but out of enthusiasm.
Nadir gripped his spear tightly.
Spear of the Bleeding Heart—that was the name of that artifact. It was not born as a magic weapon. Its origin was mundane, but it always held a powerful meaning for Nadir, who crafted it with his own two hands.
It represented his emotions.
First, it was love and hope, when he gifted it to his father, trying to grow closer to him.
Then it was resentment and sadness, when he used it as a reminder of his family reality.
And finally, when he pierced the heart of his ruthless progenitor, the spear became what made it so powerful, adopting the feeling that gave it life as its source of power.
However, it was also a feeling that was taking his life.
"Pain."
At that moment, Reid was struck by a wave of devastating attacks, falling to the ground and receiving hundreds of thrusts that opened gashes in his skin while driving him deeper into the rocks.
"Gah!"
However, most of the damage was internal. Reid spat blood and gasped, writhing helplessly as he couldn't stop his adversary's assault.
"Shit, at this rate I'm actually going to lose!"
Despite everything, the idea of being defeated didn't bother him. What he hated was the fact that if he died, he wouldn't be able to keep fighting or have a rematch against that rival who was giving him so much fun.
But just when his body was about to yield, the relentless attack stopped.
"What…?"
With some difficulty, he stood up and looked at Nadir.
The blacksmith hadn't moved. However…
His appearance had returned to normal.
And his eyes had lost their glow.
Looking at him, Reid realized something and raised his voice in astonishment.
"You…!"
Suddenly, Nadir's grip on his spear loosened, and the weapon fell to the ground.
Like its owner, the spear no longer glowed.
It no longer pulsed.
Because Nadir was dead.
On his inert face, a faint smile of relief had been immortalized.
Finally, he could rest.