CHAPTER 3: SWORD AND LIGHT

From atop a building, three figures silently observed Jonas and the girl.

"Do you think she'll win, Sasaki?" – The large man spoke in a deep voice, his gaze still fixed on the battle.

"It will be tough, but she knows this place better than anyone." – The young man with green hair replied, his eyes full of contemplation.

"Hahahaha, she'll definitely win." – The girl in military attire smiled confidently, her tone unbelievably self-assured.

"Indeed." – The large man nodded slightly, unable to hide his trust.

.....

"Do you want to hear my name from when I was on Earth, or my current name?" – The girl asked.

"Could it be… are you like me?" – Jonas asked, his voice tinged with confusion, the question echoing with unease.

"Yes." – She replied softly.

"I am Jonas Harson."

"That I already know, No.1. Misao Watanabe is my name from Earth and also the name I have after my reincarnation." – The girl said.

Her words left Jonas filled with doubts and a sense of missing information.

"Why do you call me No.1? What do you mean? And you kept your name after reincarnation?" – Jonas asked.

"You are one of the twenty-five people brought here, and if you want to survive, you must kill me and the other twenty-three. They will hunt you down just like I'm doing now…" – "That's all I can tell you, to be fair."

"With that name, she's definitely Japanese, and she was also from Earth, like me." – Jonas thought.

"So, you're going to kill me?" – A trace of arrogance crept into Jonas's voice as he asked.

"Yes." – Misao answered, her gaze unwavering.

Swish…

As soon as the words left her lips, Misao suddenly moved like a flash of lightning, leaping forward to strike Jonas with a swift, powerful horizontal slash.

"Too fast..." – Jonas thought, clearly sensing the danger in the girl's movements.

"Spade x3, Diamond x1, level 10!" – Jonas immediately cast his spell, a sphere of light surrounding him. Not only did it shield him from the incoming slash, but it also exploded, pushing Misao back.

The explosion was powerful enough to send Misao landing with ease, but without missing a beat, she shot toward Jonas once again, her sword poised for another rapid strike.

"Don't be so reckless, girl!" – Jonas said with a hint of playful mockery, then swiftly cast his magic. "Heart x2, Diamond x2, level 5!" – He disappeared, and in the blink of an eye, two versions of Jonas materialized beside him.

"Spade x4, level 10!" – Jonas unleashed a powerful attack, using the full force of Spade x4, level 10, similar to the move that had wiped out the remnants of Livier's army in the Aras Plain battle. This time, however, it was combined with his two clones.

With this technique, the power of Spade x4, level 10 was split evenly across all three versions, allowing for attacks from multiple directions at once.

Misao didn't hesitate. With graceful movements, she dodged all three beams of destructive light, beams that, if they hit, would tear apart any opponent.

"Spade x1, Diamond x3, level K!" – A small beam of light appeared, so fast it was nearly impossible to track, heading straight for Misao.

She couldn't avoid it, but with lightning-fast reflexes, she raised her sword to block the blow. Though she managed to deflect it, the attack still struck her with enough force to make her spit blood from her mouth. Her sword plunged into the ground, and she collapsed to one knee, clutching her abdomen with her left hand.

"Impossible that you are still alive after taking that hit at full strength…" – Jonas said, his voice filled with admiration. "Normally, that attack would wipe out multiple people in its path."

Misao didn't respond. She only exhaled softly, the pain subsiding for a moment as she regained her strength, preparing for the next phase of the battle.

Misao mumbled something under her breath before darting toward Jonas, preparing for a powerful downward slash.

"Diamond x4, level 5!" – Jonas immediately cast the spell, using the speed of Diamond to evade Misao's sharp strike. But something strange happened. Jonas remained rooted to the spot, unable to move in time. Before he could even show his confusion, Misao's blade was already nearly upon him.

"She's using it…" – The young man with green hair, watching the battle from the top of a building, murmured.

Suddenly, the piece of wood beneath Jonas's feet slid unexpectedly, causing him to slip and fall, but the sudden movement worked in his favor, as it allowed him to narrowly dodge Misao's direct strike. He quickly recovered and, without hesitation, retaliated by launching five beams of light at Misao.

Misao, with her excellent reflexes, leapt into the air, dodging all the beams of light, and immediately rushed toward Jonas once more, preparing another high-speed slash.

"Activate second magic lock." – Misao's muttered words finally reached Jonas's ears just as she got closer. A direct strike landed on Jonas's abdomen, causing him to collapse in pain, his body overwhelmed by the force of the blow

"Fuck, what the hell? I can't use my magic... So that damn muttered spell of yours works like this?" – Jonas thought in pain, blood starting to spill from the wound in his abdomen.

"I won't let you recover, activate the final magic lock." – Misao drove her sword into Jonas's chest before he could activate Heart x4, level K to heal himself.

"Damn..." – Jonas could barely summon the strength to fight after that strike. A deadly punch straight to the heart.

Misao sheathed her sword, turned her back, and walked away without a glance. "Goodbye, No.1." – Misao said coldly.

"Damn it..." – Jonas thought, his eyes still following her in despair. His mind knew Misao had won, but then a glimmer of light sparked in his eyes—he couldn't give up.

But before Misao could get far, Jonas used the last of his strength to summon Joker, the celestial being of destruction, which he could only call upon in his desperation.

"Joker!" – Jonas gritted his teeth, struggling through the pain. In an instant, a celestial being with massive wings appeared. Light blazed from its body, the surroundings trembled as though signaling an unstoppable destruction. The being charged toward Misao without hesitation, its speed like a flash of lightning, its power so immense it overshadowed everything around it.

"What?" – Misao didn't have time to react, and she was struck by the full force of the destructive light from the entity. The light was terrifyingly powerful, its energy like a storm crashing down upon her. Misao barely managed to dodge and block with her late reflexes, her hands trembling as she felt the terrifying power from the celestial being.

Jonas remained motionless, unable to rise to his feet. The continuous waves of destructive light from the celestial being relentlessly shot toward Misao, leaving her with no choice but to defend herself with every ounce of strength and endurance she had left.

"Damn it, my only option now is to find a way to stay alive before that thing finishes him off and this damn spell ends." – Misao thought, the exhaustion rising within her. "If I don't manage, he'll..." – She kept taking hit after hit, feeling her body weaken, as though she were on the verge of death.

With the relentless barrage of attacks, Misao was pushed back step by step, but she continued to swing her sword to defend herself. The destructive beams of the angelic entity tore through the air, heading straight for her, forcing her to dodge and defend.

A strike from afar was launched by Misao, causing the entity to hesitate for a brief moment before resuming its assault on her.

"I think I should step in..." – The large man watching the battle said, his face filled with worry.

"No need, she'll be fine." – The young man with green hair pulled the large man back, trying to keep calm.

"This is just a battle between a sorcerer and an assassin, like in a game." – The girl in military uniform said, her tone cheerful, yet unable to hide her underlying concern.

KENG, KENG, KENG… – The sound of sharp clashes echoed through the battlefield as Misao continued to dodge the blows, slashing her sword to deflect the beams of light aimed at her. The entity did not relent. This time, instead of attacking from a distance, it charged at Misao, delivering a powerful punch that sent her flying across the battlefield. It then followed up with another beam of destructive light aimed directly at her.

Misao took the hit head-on, her body nearly exhausted, her clothes torn, and blood seeping from her numerous wounds.

A final destructive beam raced toward Misao.

"It's over." – Misao thought, as the beam closed in on her. But suddenly, it vanished completely into thin air.

"No.1 is dead." – Misao said, her strength almost entirely gone, before she collapsed to the ground, completely exhausted.

"I only knew he had a trump card. If he used it and didn't finish his target according to the rules of this world, he'd die from using it." – Misao thought to herself, a feeling of regret rising in her chest. "I was so foolish to think I had finished him off."

"I won't be so careless again." – Misao silently vowed, knowing she hadn't yet paid the price for her own overconfidence.

.....

"JONAS, JONAS, JONAS!"

The voice echoed like a wave, pulling him from the depths of darkness. Jonas slowly opened his eyes, and the soft light of a new day illuminated his face. The familiar scene unfolded before him: the small wooden house where he had lived for so many years, with its gently aged thatched roof, the scent of raw wood filling the air. This was the place where Jonas had been reborn, where he had found a new family, so different from the life he had known before.

"So this is what they call a memory?" – He thought to himself, a faint smile briefly crossing his exhausted face.

He slowly sat up, his vision blurry as he saw his parents, the ones who had sheltered and loved him unconditionally for all these years. His father entered the room with the same gentle smile as always, and as soon as he saw Jonas awake, he spoke:

"Get up and come have breakfast."

That voice, soft and full of love, etched itself deeply into his heart, making it impossible for him to forget this feeling of peace, even as everything else around him seemed to fall apart.

Jonas smiled weakly, then slowly rose from the bed. The weariness still lingered in his body, but as he saw his mother, busy with breakfast in the kitchen, the fatigue seemed to fade a little. Her long hair was still glossy, and the lines around her eyes spoke of the years she had lived. This simple, ordinary scene—one he never thought he'd have after reincarnating—had become a part of his life, even though it was never truly complete.

"Good morning, Mom…" – Jonas whispered, then sat down at the dining table. The simple breakfast, just bread and eggs, seemed perfect in that moment. The smell of freshly baked bread and the scent of coffee lingering in the air made him feel like he was in the safest place, a place where nothing could harm him.

His father sat down across from him.

"Is something wrong, Jonas?" – His father looked into his eyes, those eyes seemed to understand that he was going through a silent pain, but he didn't speak it out. Only his hands, placed on the dining table, silently waited, giving him time.

Jonas looked at his mother, who was smiling gently, her hands preparing the meal. Memories of family, of love, flooded his heart, bringing a deep pain, but also a sense of gratitude.

He had once had everything – a family, a peaceful life. But he had never truly considered this life as his own.

"Mom, Dad... I will always remember you." – Jonas thought, as his eyes gradually blurred, drowning in deep regret and love. These images would never be erased, even if he were to leave. This family, this love, would always remain in his heart, even when he was gone.

For a brief moment, he thought, "Maybe after 28 years here, I truly belong in this place."

And then,

"Lukas, Lukas..."

The voice echoed in the warm space, like a beloved call from a past time Jonas hadn't heard in so long. Lukas… That name felt like a part of his life, a part that had been lost in another world. A strange feeling surged in his chest as his eyes opened again, and once more, he found himself there, in a world he once lived in.

Jonas opened his eyes once more, the Christmas scene unfolding before him, and the girl beside him, Sophie – the one he had considered his whole life.

It was Christmas in Germany, where snow gently fell across the streets, and the sparkling lights of the old houses blended with the warm atmosphere of the holiday season.

He stood there, beside Sophie, the girl he loved more than anything.

Sophie smiled, her eyes shimmering under the night lights. Lukas felt his heart beat faster, loving her more than ever.

"Do you think this Christmas will be the best one?" – Sophie asked, her voice soft and gentle. She looked up at Lukas, her gaze filled with love and trust.

"Yes... this Christmas is the best, and the ones to come will be too. Because I'll always have you by my side, Sophie." – Lukas smiled, feeling that everything was perfect. No matter how many challenges the world threw at him, he didn't feel scared as long as she was beside him.

But in that moment, amidst the snow-covered streets, Lukas felt an unsettling fear. He had everything, but there was a strange sensation, as if everything could disappear at any moment.

"I love you, Sophie... I will dedicate my whole life to you." – Lukas whispered, squeezing her hand tightly. But at that very moment, a cold gust of wind blew through.

Sophie didn't respond immediately, only smiling and lowering her head, walking beside him, her eyes gazing up at the snowy sky, as though she understood everything. They walked on, not saying another word, but in those unsaid words lay a feeling of a future so near, so beautiful, yet impossible to predict.

"Lukas, we will have a small family, you and me, children, a house with a garden full of flowers. What do you think?" – Sophie said as they passed Christmas stalls, the jingle of bells and the laughter of people around them blending into the atmosphere.

"You make me believe we can have it all... We will have everything together." – Lukas smiled, but in that moment, an inexplicable sadness welled up inside him.

"Sophie..." – Lukas whispered, her name was the only thing left in him, even though he knew he couldn't stop thinking about what had been lost.

Sophie stopped, turned back to look at him, and her smile sparkled again under the lights and the snow. "You will always be the one I love the most, Lukas. I will always be with you." She said, and then they continued walking, as if time would never stop.

Jonas no longer felt the pain, he had returned to Lukas's memories, where Sophie was, where love was, where he felt that even if this life lost everything, at least he had lived a life full of meaning.

"Sophie, you'll always be in my heart, even if this life ends..." – Jonas thought as his eyes closed once more, and the feeling of peace from those memories slowly enveloped his soul, like a farewell full of regret and love.

.....

Jonas lay still, breathless, abandoned amidst the wreckage after his battle with Misao. And in the end, Misao was the one who stood as the victor.