I fell farther into despair while Ayla fell motionlessly to the ground.

  “Why??”

  “You fool, Rein! I know you bluffed about being able to read the future, or you would have known this would happen. I only know of one in the whole world who can.”

  “...You wouldn't believe the truth… I thought you might believe this…”

  “Worth a try? I don’t know how you knew what you did… but… My lord, please after this…”

  “Haha…”

  “...can you free my-?”

  “After you let them come to my chambers?”

  “...that was-”

  “And you try to make excuses?”

  “...”

  “I don’t have time for backstabbers.”

  “Wait! Please! I-”

  She instantly fell backwards onto the floor.

  “Death.”

  The demon lord had raised his hand, instantly killing her with death magic.

  “Why would you do that? Wasn’t she your loyal soldier?”

  “Loyal? She only cared for her sister. She would have betrayed me at any opportunity.”

  He stood up again off of his throne.

  “Liz was only trying to save her…”

  “She was worthless to me after failing here.”

  “She was a victim…”

  “Of your actions?”

  “I’m not the one who-”

  “-If you didn’t try to convince her, she would still be here!”

  “No. How can you still…”

  I grasped my sword even tighter.

  “I won’t make that mistake again… Liz, I’ll at least save your sister.”

  I ran at him with a flurry of blows.

  “Strike! Slash! Slam! Slash! Slam! Strike! Slash!”

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  I jumped at him, clawing my way into his impenetrable defenses with sheer tenacity.

  “Dash!”

  I went from behind trying to get in any hits I could.

  “Slash! Strike! Slash! Dash!”

  I tore into him from all sides. This was the upper limit of my ability. I reached into my storage and exchanged my sword for my wand. I used a burst of flames blocking his vision and reached back for my sword.

  “Dash! Slash! Strike! Slam! Slam! Strike!”

  Every blow was being blocked. The demon lord was barely being pushed back.

  “You seem to not be aware that you cannot hurt me.”

  “Did I say I would?”

  I locked blades with him for the final time.

  “NOW!”

  I jumped back as he instantly put up his full guard in Ayla’s direction.

  “SPIRIT STORM!”

  I tossed my sword to the side and raised up the book with both hands. A beam of phantasmal light flew from Ayla’s hand onto me while he was stuck watching.

  “REFLECT!”

  It slammed into my book, pushing me back so far it slammed me against the wall, but reflecting the entire beam in his direction. It hit the demon lord, obliterating him into nothing as his last words came out.

  “You never learn… Rein…”

  The beam finally stopped as the demon lord disappeared into less than dust. I dropped everything and ran over to her.

  “Ayla!”

  “We managed to do it… huh…”

  She was running out of blood fast. I fell to my knees.

  “It's too late… I’m sor-”

  “-are you aware of the last part of the legend?”

  She looked at me with nothing but a smile on her face.

  “...”

  “That when two people with legendary skills fight, they both die.”

  Blood fell from the corner out of her mouth.

  “It’s an odd thing… I feel like I’ve known you for such a long time…”

  Ayla reached out her hand with her gloves blown away from the attack before.

  “Please… For my final wish… I just want you to… hold my hand-”

  I grasped it and kissed her. A flood of memories flowed into her mind, of me, countless past lives with her, the same result every time.

  “This is fate, right?”

  She burst into tears.

  “How many times have you done this for me?”

  “This is the thousandth time you’ve died in my arms…”

  She could barely speak.

  “...Please… Don’t… You’ll break if you go back again!”

  She started coughing up more and more blood.

  “I would say I’m used to it, but I can’t…”

  I looked at her with tears dripping down my face.

  “The one thing I can’t get used to… is you dying.”

  “Please… I can’t stop you… but… you can’t do this to yourself… any longer…”

  At this point she couldn't move a muscle. I picked up and raised my sword up facing my chest. She took a final breath as she looked into my eyes one last time.

  “...Rein… the song… it was really good…”

  She fell silent as I pierced my own heart. The world started to get darker around me. I had done it again. Everyone died because of me again… Fate? What the fuck is fate? What kind of joke is this? I fell to the floor and started reflexively breathing. I failed again. What kind of mad god does this? Ayla’s destined to die? Fuck that. Fuck this. I’ll come back a thousand more times. A million more times. I’ll die in each and every one just to find a way to save her. I wouldn't let the world kill her again. Revival was the only way, this curse was the only way I could save her. I was in and out of consciousness. Again it was my fault. It was always my fault… This was it. The image of her death filled my mind as the black void turned to white in front of me.

  “Not again…”

  With tears in my eyes falling to the pale white floor below me I couldn't help but speak those words again after a thousand times.