Georana, Eastern Continent, Cartania Kingdom.

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"...dall!"

"...-ndall! ...up!"

"...wake up!..."

"Randall! Wake up! The castle is collapsing, we need to get out!"

「 My ears are ringing and I can't see very well... who is it? Who's talking to me... I don't know-」

"Stand up! What are you daydreaming about? Let's get out!" A man tried to drag me away and all I can do is let him.

「 What is happening? What just happened? Why is everyone panicking? Ugh... my head hurts as hell!」

"Brother! Help Mom!"

"Lady Arla! Get a hold of yourself!"

"Kyaaaaa!"

"Fire! Help us!"

"Sir Terraste summon your low level spirits over here!"

"Prince! Her Majesty collapsed!"

When my vision cleared up, my heart sank at the sight of what I am seeing... wounded people around me... the smell of blood and burning flesh, along with the crying, pain and anger of everyone as they looked at the creature in the sky. Black orbs are circling its body, bloodshot red eyes, while crying in joy as it destroys everything.

"D-Demon Lord..." My voice trembled as I looked up.

With the body man covered in markings, pale skin, and long sharp nails. Dark aura is slipping from its body, like smoke, spreading throughout the palace ground.

"...Randall! Don't just stand there! We need to hurry! If you're fine enough to stand there, at least help us out or help the civilians escape!" The same man yelled at me.

「 Right... this is...」

We are in the middle of defending against that Demon Lord's attack as long as possible until we already evacuated all the civilians.

I searched for my cousin who was with me the last time I remember, before I lost consciousness.

"Vega! Where are you?!" I ran as I shouted. "Vega!"

"Brother! Vega is safe... But I can't find Zephra and Renra..." Rigil said while trembling and was about to cry. I patted his head and gave him my clean handkerchief to stop his arm from bleeding.

"Don't worry, I'll search for them. You should go back with Vega and find Lady Melancholy to treat your wounds." I left the area as soon as possible to search for Renra and that kid, Zephra.

But as I ran away from the wreckage, someone's laughter covered the palace ground, like a sound of a grounded microphone. I force myself to stop to cover my ears but it's no use, everyone did the same too, then again as soon as everyone stopped on their tracks... the Demon Lord released another blow directed at the immobile civilians.

"Shit!"

I can't help but run towards the target to protect them with my emergency barrier, unfortunately... I didn't reach them on time, however, Lady Amelia stood there with a shield she picked up from somewhere. Using the shield, she gave everything she had to block the attack with the help of her divine spirits.

Everything from my vision was moving in a slow motion, as my eyes slowly widening and shouting her name, trying to reach her, it's because I saw it... the shield was cracking and she's already exhausted from continuous use of her summoning... Until I saw her looking at me and smiling when she mouthed "It's fine".

The blocking caused the attack to shrunk but it also shattered the shield to pieces, completely perishing the mana around her and finally... it pierced her heart. I clearly saw her final moments as a tear escaped her closing eyes. The impact caused the civilian to fly out, including me.

"Noooo! Amelia!!" A man ran towards her, clutching her body... He cried as he tried to save Amelia.

"Valdis! No, no, no! You can't- Valdis!" On my far right, was a Lady hugging a boy's body

"Mom! Wake up mom! Dad! Mom! You can't leave us! mommm! Daddd! Pleaseee..." A Lady sitting between the dying man and woman was crying, begging for them to wake up...

This shouldn't be happening! Everyone is dying! Renra! Zephra! I stood up and hurriedly ran around when I remembered my siblings... they shouldn't be around he-

Another annoying laughter reverberated... NO! This is another set of attacks! I looked up at the sky to see where he was aiming... Prince Polestar and Sir Devon attacked the Demon Lord with Lady Sapphire and Keaton's support.

Lady Arta and sir Valentine were focusing on rescuing the wounded civilians, despite their exhaustion.

"...North! It's in the North! He's aiming at the North!" I yelled for them to hear me but I stopped forth when I spotted a familiar face in the north, where the Demon Lord was aiming...

My face went pale as my heart was pounding out of my chest. It was Renra, carrying the unconscious Zephra on her back as she was running towards me. She was running in tears, so I tried to use my emergency barrier that I didn't get to use earlier. This time I won't be too late!

I ran as fast as I could towards Renra while activating the barrier on their area, it was activated on time, protecting all the civilians near them which was all civilians in the North. But that left me outside to maintain the barrier, I have to hold it...

"BROTHER!" Renra's eyes widened when I was the only one left outside the barrier. "STOP! NO! PLEASE BROTHER!!"

I smiled at my crying sister to assure her that I was fine, as I brace myself for the incoming attack, which was behind me.

"IDIOT! WHAT THE HELL ARE YOU DOING?!" I jerked my head on the approaching person.

"L-Letisha... What are you doing here?!" I asked in shock, "No! Stop! Don't come over here!- Shit!"

I can sense the approaching huge dark orb on my back, I can tell it was more dangerous than the attack last time... so I immediately squeezed the remaining bit of my mana, I was going to use this for myself but I threw it over to Letisha who was unaware of the upcoming attack. I have so many skills, I was a Hero, and I was a genius in every way but the only thing that prevent me from going farther is my small pool of mana.

The dark orb covered the entire North Palace. An excruciating pain engulfed my body as I heard both Renra and Letisha beg and call my name repeatedly, trying to break the barrier I set up.

I can feel my body roast, different types of pain were felt as I shouted out all of it... I was feeling more than a thousand types of death. All of my memories flashed before me... I... I still want to live.

-*-

[Another life will bloom,

after you die in your own doom.

May the new life begin,

but you will relive it again.

A cycle you need to pass,

bound by a spell casted in your past.]

[Must you try to escape it,

fate won't stay still, child called Vita.

Third life will open for you,

make sure to live peacefully this time.

Until then, I will bring you...

Back to your original life time.]

That voice lingers on my mind as if reminding me something important. The voice wraps me in an embrace, and every time I hear the voice I feel like crying... Who was it the owner of that voice? Will I meet the owner someday? Just thinking about it feels like my heart was about to burst in joy.

「 I promise... I'll come back, Mom.」