Max barely had time to react as Barg charged at him, sword in his hands. He quickly rolled off the enchanted cushion, narrowly avoiding the blade that cut the air in the spot where he'd just been sitting.
"Whoa, whoa! Easy there, dude!" Max shouted, jumping to his feet, still thinking this was some weird joke.
Barg's eyes burned. "By the sacred oath, I swore, thou shalt face the retribution of the light!"
Max threw up his hand in mock surrender, grinning. "Dude, you really need to work on your vocabulary. What, did you eat? A hit in the head for breakfast?"
But Barg didn't react to Max's provocations. He swung his sword once again, forcing Max to dive out of the way again. This time, Max had to cast a shield spell, the barrier shimmering barely absorbing the hit of Boorg's next strike.
"Thou hast strayed from the righteous path, and I, as a vessel of justice, shall deliver unto thee the reckoning thou dost deserve!"
"Seriously, who talks like that? Come on Boorg, stop playing around!" Max rolled his eyes.
Max launched a fireball, sending it straight toward Barg. But Barg, with reflexes honed from countless battles, swung his sword down, splitting the fireball in two.
Max looked shocked. "Okay, now that was kinda cool. But still, who are you? Are you really Boorg?"
Barg's eyes flashed, and he charged again, this time faster, forcing Max to teleport a few meters away to avoid getting hit. Max could feel the sweat dropping off his forehead—Barg was serious.
"Alright, big guy, if this is how you want to play it!" Max muttered as he started to cast another spell. "But I'm still going to make fun of you for that ridiculous speech!"
Max launched an Ice Lance, the sharp shard of ice headed straight toward Barg. But Barg parried it effortlessly, his sword glowing with a holy light as he blocked the attack.
Max smirked. "What's next? Are you gonna start reciting poetry while you swing that sword? You barely knew how to speak before, and now you're speaking in… whatever that is."
Barg's response was to slam his sword into the ground, causing a shockwave that nearly knocked Max off his feet. The young mage stumbled but quickly recovered, he had to think of something fast.
Barg charged again, and this time, Max didn't dodge. Instead, he raised his staff, channeling all his mana into a shield spell strong enough to stop the attack. The clash of sword and magic shield sent sparks flying, the sheer force of Barg's attack pushing Max several feet.
As they stood in place, Max couldn't help but grin. "You know, if you wanted a sparring match, you could've just asked. No need for the whole "knight in shining armor' routine."
"I am no mere knight. I am the bringer of justice, the light in the darkness!"
Max laughed despite himself. "Yeah, yeah, whatever you say, Shakespeare. But you're still my buddy, Boorg, and I'm gonna snap you out of this—whatever it takes!"
Max blinked as the blade came dangerously close, just managing to roll out of the way as Boorg-or whoever was in his friend's body-launched a barrage of attacks. The strikes were precise, the force behind them deadly, and Max was now sure that this wasn't the same Boorg he knew. But he couldn't help himself; the whole situation was so absurd that he had to make a joke.
"Boorg, buddy! When did you get so good at swordplay? Did you find some magical "Swordsmanship for Dummies" book or something?"
"Justice shall prevail!"
"Seriously, Boorg, if you're auditioning for the role of 'Paladin Extraordinaire,' you've nailed it! But can we drop the whole 'justice' act? You're starting to sound like a bad play."
Boorg—or rather, Barg—didn't respond verbally this time. Instead, he raised the sword high, its blade glowing with a holy light. The ground beneath him cracked, and Max barely managed to teleport out of the way before the earth erupted in a blast of divine energy.
"Okay, that was new. Boorg, I don't know what you've been eating, but we need to have a serious talk about this whole 'turning into a glowing death machine' thing."
"The light shall cleanse your soul!"
"Oh, come on!" Max yelled as he threw a fireball, but it was easily deflected by Boorg's—no, Barg's—holy shield. "Since when did you become a paladin? Did you get ordained while I wasn't looking?"
A sudden shift in the air made Max stop. A familiar presence. Merlin appeared in the clearing, his eyes narrowing as he locked onto the glowing sword in Boorg's hand.
"Max, step aside," Merlin commanded.
Max didn't hesitate. Merlin approached Boorg.
"Lenny," Merlin said. "I should have known you'd find a way to come back."
Boorg-or rather Barg--paused. "Merlin… it's been so long."
"It has," Merlin replied, raising his hand. "And it is time to end this."
With a wave of his hand, Merlin cast a spell that sent a surge of energy toward Boorg. The light wrapped around him, and for a moment, the world seemed to stand still. The spirit of Barg was forcibly pulled from Boorg's body, and Boorg collapsed to the ground, unconscious. Floating before them was the translucent figure of Lenny, or as he was known in this world, Barg.
"Stop with the shitty paladin talk, Lenny," Merlin said. "You never spoke like that. You're not a hero, and you never were."
"I miss it, Merlin. I miss our world. I miss… being someone better," Barg looked at Merlin.
"You were never better," Merlin said. "You were just you. A kid who made mistakes, who lost his way in this new world. No one blames you."
"Fuck you!"
Merlin stepped forward. "It's over now."
"I wanted to be better," Barg started crying.
"Goodbye old friend," Merlin raised his hand one last time.
Max rushed to Boorg's side, shaking him gently. "Boorg! Hey, Boorg, wake up!"
"Max? Where Boorg is?"
"And he's back," Max laughed.
"Rest well, Lenny," Merlin whispered before turning to Max and Boorg. "Let's get out of here."
"Boorg tired," Boorg barely walked.
"That's to be expected. You were being possessed by a ghost from the past," Merlin explained.
"Boorg no understand," Boorg admitted.
Merlin sighed, taking a seat on a nearby rock. "His name was Lenny, or just like me, he took another name in this world, Barg. He wasn't always like that… the man you just fought, I mean. But he was never a hero either."
"So, what's the deal with this Lenny guy? Why was he possessing Boorg?" Max asked.
Merlin leaned forward, rubbing his temples. "Lenny was someone I knew a long time ago. He was a kid, just like me, and everyone else summoned here. He was supposed to be a hero, but… he wasn't cut out for it. He couldn't handle the pressure, the responsibility."
"What happened to him?" Max leaned back against a tree.
"Lenny was scared," Merlin continued. "He couldn't fight. Every time there was a battle, he'd find an excuse to run and hide. We—his party, his friends—tried to cover for him at first, thinking he'd eventually find his courage. But he never did. He abandoned us when we needed him most, and the worst part was, he used his title as a hero to his advantage. He wasn't brave; he wasn't noble. He was just… lost."
Max saw himself in that story, but he didn't want to admit it. "So, he was a coward?"
Merlin nodded slowly, looking in the distance. "Yes. He was. He was just a scared kid in a world he didn't understand. The last thing I heard of him was that he got married, and got a kid," Merlin looked and Boorg. "I thought that might've changed him, but I guess I was wrong. He was the same coward just like back then."
"He was Boorg's father?" Max looked surprised.
Merlin nodded. "When we came here we were just kids. Lenny was just a kid," it looked as if he was trying to convince himself. "But he became a bad person because he couldn't cope. He didn't deserve to be a hero, and he knew it. But instead of trying better, he gave up and took the easy way out."
"Boorg sorry. Boorg didn't know," Boorg looked down at his sword.
Merlin stood up, brushing off his robes. "It's over now. Lenny's spirit is gone, and he won't be coming back."
Max took one last look at the sword. "Good riddance. But why was he trying to kill me?"
Boorg's eyes widened in shock.
"Boorg… killed them," he said, his voice cracking.
Max turned to him. "What are you talking about?"
Boorg shook his head violently, tears in his eyes. "Rakia… Maya… Boorg remembers. Barg… no, I did it. I killed them."
Max's heart sank. "No, what? What are you saying?"
"Boorg was too weak. Boorg let him. Boorg did it…" His voice began to shake and turn into sobs, and his large frame trembled.
Merlin stepped forward. "Boorg, listen to me. You weren't in control. Lenny used you and twisted your mind. You have to understand that."
Boorg didn't listen. He looked down at his hands, dry blood on them. The blood of those he had cared for. "Boorg bad… Boorg no deserve to live."
"Don't say that!" Max yelled, panic rising in his chest. He didn't understand what was Boorg saying. "You're a good person, you would never harm them!"
Boorg's tears fell freely now. "Boorg no deserve friends… no deserve life."
Before Max or Merlin could react, Boorg grabbed his sword, the very blade that had been used in his possessed state to commit those terrible acts. With a final, heart-wrenching sob, he drove the sword into his chest.
"BOORG!" Max screamed, rushing toward him, but it was too late. The blade pierced through Boorg's body, blood gushing from the wound as Boorg collapsed to the ground.
"No, no, no, no, no!" Max screamed, dropping to his knees beside his friend, desperately trying to stop the bleeding. "Why the fuck would you do that?!"
"Max… he's gone," Merlin's hand was on Max's shoulder.
"No! Do something!"
With his last breath, Boorg whispered, "Boorg…sorry…"
And then, he was gone.
"There was nothing you could've done, Max. Boorg… he couldn't live with the guilt."
Max didn't respond. He couldn't. All he could do was hold onto Boorg, his tears mixing with the blood on the ground.
"We have to go, Max. We can't stay here."
Max nodded, not saying a word. He reached out and picked up Boorg's sword, the very weapon that had taken his friend's life. He stared at it for a moment before putting it into his inventory. It was all he had left of Boorg now.
"You go, I'll take care of the body," Merlin said.
Max listened to him, he didn't look back. He couldn't.