Rightfully so, the first time I saw someone die I felt sad.
Through the window I watched and studied the features of every person of my hometown.
An old man lived near my house.
No relatives, friends or pets, the old man passed his days in peace and most of the times napping outside his house.
No one approached him nor glanced at him for more than a second.
Like a monk, the old man's expression was always tranquil.
Occassionally his gaze would land towards my direction and every time I would wave my hand and smile at the old man who in turn smiled and nodded.
No words or any kind of interaction would occur other than that.
Yet...just that kind of interaction made my heart beat in happiness, it would made me smile like a fool and brighten my day.
The day was tranquil like his usual expression and like his usual expression the old man passed away in tranquility.
My eyes landed on his form, his chest heaving up and down as he breathed. In his sleep the old man body completely stopped moving yet despite that one wouldn't notice his death.
The tranquil surroundings didn't allow for one to easily notice such thing, it was only when a child that was fooling around happened to collide with the already rigid corpse for everyone to notice that the old man died.
During that time I didn't call for someone's attention nor made any noise. For twelve hours I gazed at old man without moving away from the window.
The death of a person naturally made me sad.
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"You!" The man charged at me.
He, who was just a boy last time I met him, is now a man.
"Ben! Look at you! So tall and handsome!" As if talking to a friend, I casually greeted him.
"Shut it!Don't talk me like that! You...you murderer!" As he was restraining before, Ben released a great amount of killing intent.
Oh, my! Did he discovered what I did to his planet?
"Accusing a young lady of murder without any proof...since when our hero grew up like this..." I taunted.
There were people who can defy death and reincarnate. An example is the man glaring at me.
Transcending both time and space, these people hold their previous memories and have a second chance.
"Prepare yourself-!"
Speaking of time, this man comes from the future.
Speaking of space, this man comes from another world.
If not for Core I wouldn't have been able to know this fact.
"You killed my sist-!"
Useful as she is, Core remains also the most dangerous subordinate I have.
"You will pay for thi-!"
Watching at someone's memories and knowing every secret and weakness can be the downfall of emperors and warriors but also a tool to manipulate someone.
"Damn you-!"
Lastly, I cannot beat her. No matter what I do or what words I say, Core will always win.
"Are you taking this seriously?!" Ben shouted as he swung his greatsword towards me.
Ben becme more powerful than before. His swordmanship could be said to have reached the mastery level. His greatsword's appearence seemed to have changed, it excluded a more pure and divine aura than before.
"Murderer? I wonder who killed the most...me or you?"
"I killed only what is 'evil'!And you are no exception...no you are the most vilest creature I have ever seen!"
"My, that really hurts you know?" No matter how many hits or how powerful his blows were I blocked every single attack with multiple layers of shields. Even if they were destroyed by a single hit I would conjure another one ready to block the next strike. "Evil...huh...I do wonder what your sword sees as evil..."
A passing thought appeared in my head. "Hahah, Don't tell me you swung your sword to people because that piece of metal told you so?" A passing thought and just a comment to irritate the man from the perspective of an outsider. But the four of us know...
"Did it point to you who to kill to strengthen itself and more importantly you? Swung to people who caused deaths without even knowing their pasts? Haa." Amidst my laughter I released a contented sigh. "You are no different than a common murderer...or me."
His frown deepened. His stance changed to a more aggressive one and remained silent.
"How hypocritical. Or maybe you were that stupid to devotedly follow the words of a sword?"
Laughter resounded admist the sounds of a sword clashing against multiple shields.
An innocent and sweet laugh echoed. The laughter seemed to be caused by an innocuous joke.
Ah, I hate this. This moment, this encounter will most likely forgotten by Ben. No matter how many time I will reproduce such scene I will not feel the same emotions I am feeling right now.
Such a blessing to have met in this place, far away from Intris.
Such a curse that such event will not feel the same when we will meet again.
Since it is like this...
"Your world, your life, your classmates, your parents, your sister...I know them through your memories..." The more I talked the more Ben hit harder and harder. "You know, your world was deemed as evil so why am I hunted by you?" I didn't raise my voice, a disgusting grin was plastered in my face and th fact that I wasn't counter attacking and only defending was making Ben more and more flustered. "I'm not the only one who killed innocents, you know?You too did it. Killing corrupt nobles here and there? Slavers and corrupt merchants...? And everyone related to them...hahah there are also demons! Does your big sword see demons as evil? How funny!I know everything you did on Intris."
"Uhg...!" I took a step forward.
Knocking Ben with a shockwave I walked towards him whilst he charged once again. With his momentum he fully charged towards me with his greatsword raised to the sky and ready to swing it down at full force.
I conjured more shields stacking layers upon layers to block that single blow.
Every single one of them broke under a second but it was enough for me to evade by a small margin and give me an an opportunity to strike back.
"Buhu...!"
Hitting his thigh with my palm I impaled him with a thorny spine. Twisting my palm I mangled his leg off from his body. However other than a grunt Ben swung his greatsword towards me without hesitation. Stepping away I avoided the strike with the same strategy.
Using his sword like a cane Ben balanced himself before drinking down the contents of a potion. Regenerating his bones and muscles he stood with his new leg. And without giving me rest he charged once again.
"..."
"Tsk."
Once again, time stopped.
The blade stopped just above my head. His eyes filled with hatred but also with confusion.
I sighed. Ben wasn't weak by any means and with him having potions with the same quality as mine he would have been able to draw out the battle for days and at that point the results will be uncertain.
Ben took a step back and his sword lowered.
Time rewinded fast and I already found myself blending amongst the revolutionists and gazing at Ben yelling something towards a noble girl, my target.
How funny, in front of such person he willingly took hits from the mobs wanting to gain 'pity points'.
The tenth rewind occurred.
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