-
Where am I? Leon thought, his mind clouded with confusion.
The room was pure white, an endless expanse of emptiness. There were no walls, no ceiling, no sense of direction—just an infinite void. Leon stood there for a moment, trying to steady his thoughts. He pinched his arm, hard.
"Ouch! It hurts!" he muttered, rubbing the sore spot. "So… this isn't a dream? If it were, I wouldn't feel pain. What the hell is going on?"
As he scanned his surroundings, his gaze fell on five shadowy figures slowly taking form in the distance. They weren't solid, just hazy white silhouettes that seemed to shift like smoke.
"Hmm…" Leon frowned, narrowing his eyes. "Why do they look… familiar?"
The figures moved closer, and Leon's breath hitched as recognition struck him. "Wait a second! That's… Tino, Jin, Armot, John, and Panya!" he exclaimed, his voice tinged with both shock and unease.
They were the bullies who had tormented him countless times during training. Their mocking faces flashed through his mind, along with the humiliation and frustration they had caused. But why were their shadowy forms here in this strange, empty place?
"What's going on? Why are they here?" Leon muttered, his mind racing to make sense of the situation.
Before he could gather his thoughts, one of the shadowy figures lunged at him. It moved unnaturally fast, wielding a sword that appeared to be made of the same ghostly substance as its body.
Leon's instincts kicked in as he stumbled back in panic. Out of nowhere, a sword materialized in his hand, glowing faintly with the same ethereal energy.
"Huh?! W-what?!" Leon stammered, staring at the weapon in disbelief.
But there was no time to think. The shadow—Jin, or at least something resembling him—swung its blade in a wide arc, striking Leon hard across the head.
"Aaaagh! That hurts, you bastard!" Leon shouted, clutching his head in pain. The blow felt as real as anything, and a dull ache throbbed where the attack had landed.
Another swing came toward him, this time aimed at his chest. Gritting his teeth, Leon raised his sword and blocked the strike, but the sheer force of the blow sent him stumbling backward.
"What the hell?!" Leon yelled, his arms trembling from the impact. "This thing is using mana!"
He could feel the weight of the attack reverberating through his body, far heavier than anything he had ever encountered in training. His head still throbbed from the earlier hit, and sweat began to bead on his forehead.
Clutching his sword tightly, Leon glared at the shadow. This is insane. I don't have mana, I don't have talent, and now I'm fighting these things that do?
Despite his fear, something inside him stirred—a deep, primal instinct to survive.
Leon and the shadow of Jin clashed for what felt like an eternity. The white shadow wielded mana effortlessly, while Leon, without a trace of it in his body, struggled to hold his ground.
"Huff... huff... what should I do?" Leon muttered, his breaths heavy and labored. His arms trembled under the weight of his sword as he glanced to his right. The other four shadowy figures stood motionless, watching the fight unfold, their forms eerily still.
"Think, Leon, think!" he told himself, desperation creeping into his thoughts.
But before he could come up with a plan, the shadow Jin lunged toward him again, its sword aimed directly at his head. Leon raised his own blade to block, but the strike was too strong.
The mana-coated sword sent vibrations down his arms, forcing him to his knees.
Damn it! This thing doesn't get tired!
The shadow didn't let up. It delivered a swift kick to Leon's chest, sending him flying backward.
"Argh!" Leon coughed, blood spilling from his mouth as he hit the ground hard. His vision blurred, and his head swam with pain. The weight of the fight and the sheer exhaustion overtook him.
Am I am I going to die here? he thought as his body grew heavy. His eyes began to close, darkness creeping in from the edges of his vision. No. I can't die yet. I didn't even get to enjoy my fantasy life. I have so many regrets...
With that final thought, Leon's consciousness faded, and everything went dark.
But then, a flicker of light pierced the void.
The light grew brighter and brighter, forming into a human shape. It was... Leon.
"What the hell?" Leon gasped, suddenly wide awake. He looked down at himself, his hands and arms unscathed. His body, once battered and broken, was now completely healed. His stamina felt restored, as if he had just woken up after the best sleep of his life.
"Huh?! What the fuck is going on? I thought I died!"
Leon patted himself frantically, checking his body, his surroundings, everything. His wounds were gone, his sword was back in hand, and the endless white expanse remained unchanged. The five shadowy figures still stood where they had been, unmoving.
"Wait a minute..." Leon's eyes widened in realization. "Did I just... respawn?"
He glanced around again, his confusion turning to disbelief. "No way... this is insane."
Leon's laughter bubbled out, half out of relief, half from the absurdity of the situation. "Hahaha... what is this place?!"
"Now that I think about it… this feels like a game," Leon muttered, a wild grin spreading across his face. "If I die, I just respawn? There's only one way to find out."
Clenching his sword tightly, Leon charged straight at the shadow Jin. His boots echoed faintly against the endless white expanse as his opponent moved to meet him.
"Come on, Egghead!" Leon shouted, a cocky edge to his voice. It was the nickname he'd given Jin back in the real world, thanks to his unusually round head.
The two clashed again, their swords colliding with a deafening clang. The impact reverberated through Leon's arms, nearly making him lose his grip. The shadow Jin was still far stronger, each strike imbued with mana that Leon couldn't counter.
But this time, there was a difference. Despite the pain and the overwhelming pressure, Leon's grin didn't waver.
"You think you're all that, huh?!" he taunted, dodging another swing. "Let's see how many lives I've got!"
The battle raged on, their blades dancing and clashing in a chaotic rhythm. Leon fought with everything he had, but the shadow Jin continued to overpower him. Before long, another powerful strike sent Leon flying backward, skidding across the ground.
"Aaagh! Damn it, that really hurts!" Leon groaned, coughing as he sat up. His arms felt like lead, his body screamed in protest, but his grin remained firmly in place.
He looked up, only to see the shadow Jin closing the distance, its sword gleaming as it came down in an arc aimed directly at Leon's face.
Leon tried to raise his sword to block, but his arms refused to move. They were too exhausted, too battered.
"Ah, fuck… this is gonna hur—"
Before he could finish, the blade struck him. Everything went dark again in an instant.
Seconds later, Leon's eyes shot open.
He was back.
His body was whole again, his injuries gone, and his energy restored. It was as if nothing had happened.
Looking down at his hands, Leon flexed his fingers, marveling at how fresh and unscathed he felt.
"Yup, I was right," he muttered, standing up and brushing himself off. A manic laugh escaped his lips. "I really am respawning!"
He looked ahead at the still-motionless shadows, his grin returning.
"This is insane… but I think I like it."
---