A Moment of Respite

With our battle plan in place, Henry and I sat on a high cliff overlooking the vast, ruined landscape of the Demon World. The glow of molten rivers in the distance provided the only light, casting long shadows over the rocky terrain. For once, there was no battle, no urgency—just the two of us, taking a rare moment to breathe.

Henry leaned back on his elbows, gazing at the blood-red sky. "So… after we take down Baron, what next?"

I exhaled, crossing my arms. "We'll have options, that's for sure. With him gone, we could finally leave this place. Maybe return to whatever world awaits us next."

Henry smirked. "And if we don't want to leave?"

I chuckled. "Then we stay and keep getting stronger."

Henry laughed, shaking his head. "Only you would think of staying in a place like this just to get stronger."

I shrugged. "Power is everything. We've already died twice, Henry. Each time, we were thrown into a new life, stronger than before. What if this cycle doesn't stop? What if the next life throws us into something even worse?"

Henry went quiet for a moment before sighing. "Yeah, I get it. But let's be real—what exactly would we do if we left? Go back to living as normal people?"

I smirked. "You think we could even be normal after everything we've been through?"

Henry shook his head with a grin. "Hell no."

We both chuckled, the tension from our battles momentarily forgotten.

"But if we did leave," Henry said after a pause, "where would we even go?"

I thought for a moment. "Maybe back to the original world we came from, but this time, as who we are now. Imagine what we could do with our powers there."

Henry scoffed. "We'd break the entire system. I doubt any normal humans could handle us."

I smirked. "That's their problem, not ours."

Henry exhaled, gazing at the dark sky. "I don't know, man. Part of me wants to see what's outside this world. But another part of me likes the thrill of fighting stronger enemies, pushing ourselves beyond our limits."

I nodded. "Either way, it's our choice. After Baron's dead, we'll decide what comes next—no gods, no systems, no fate. Just us."

Henry grinned. "Now that I can drink to."

The night in the Demon World was eternal, the sky never shifting from its dark crimson hue. Henry and I sat on the cliffside, the molten rivers below crackling like distant thunder. For once, we weren't strategizing or fighting. We were just… talking.

Henry stretched his arms behind his head and smirked. "You know, it's been a while since we've had a normal conversation. No battles, no betrayals, no crazy demon lords—just us."

I chuckled, leaning back on my elbows. "Yeah, rare moment of peace. Probably won't last."

Henry sighed. "Yeah, yeah. But let's enjoy it while we can." He glanced at me. "So, if we do leave this world… what's the first thing you'd do?"

I smirked. "Find the strongest person alive and challenge them."

Henry rolled his eyes. "Of course. Classic Samuel. Can't go five minutes without thinking about power."

I shrugged. "What about you? What's the first thing you'd do?"

Henry thought for a moment before grinning. "Honestly? I'd find a place to relax. Maybe a hot spring. A quiet place where no one's trying to kill us for once."

I scoffed. "You? Relaxing? That's new."

Henry laughed. "Hey, we've been through three lives of non-stop war. I think I deserve at least a few days of peace."

I smirked. "Fair. But you know you'd get bored in a week."

Henry shrugged. "Probably. Then I'd come looking for a fight. Maybe even challenge you."

I grinned. "You'd lose."

Henry chuckled. "Bold of you to assume."

We sat in silence for a moment, listening to the distant roars of demons far below.

Then Henry spoke again, his voice quieter. "You ever think about what our first lives would've been like if we hadn't been dragged into all this?"

I sighed, staring at the sky. "Sometimes. But there's no point in dwelling on it. We're not those people anymore."

Henry nodded. "Yeah. But still… kinda makes you wonder."

I looked at him, my expression serious. "We've been given power most people could only dream of. We've survived things no one else could. Whatever life we had before doesn't matter. All that matters is what we do next."

Henry smirked. "And what's next?"

I exhaled, my eyes burning with determination. "First, we kill Baron. After that? We decide our own fate."

Henry chuckled. "Sounds like a plan."

The wind howled through the wasteland, carrying with it the scent of blood and fire. Tomorrow, the final battle awaited. But tonight, we were just two warriors, reminiscing about lives long lost.