The Mysterious And Strong Man

Lia finally arrived, panting. "Sorry for being late."

"It's nothing, don't worry. Come on, let's hurry instead."

"Yes, you're right," she said.

They set off for school. On the way, as usual, people walked, chatted among themselves, looked at the shop windows, and simply enjoyed life. They were all innocent, unaware of any danger. The complete opposite of Ehito, who was always on guard, just in case. Maybe danger would come. But there was no sign of it. Just peaceful calm.

Then, suddenly, a pressure filled the air. Ehito noticed it immediately and shouted, "Who's there?!"

His voice was anything but reassuring.

"What are you talking about, Ehito? There's no one... And you scared me!"

"Shh, Lia. Don't say another word. I need to focus."

"He's perceptive," said an unknown voice, emerging from nowhere.

"You! What do you want?!"

"Your death."

"And why is that?" Ehito asked, filled with panic. If he had to fight, he would also have to protect Lia. That would put him at a disadvantage.

"Because you attacked one of ours."

"You mean that crazy brother and sister?"

"Yes, exactly," the man said with a grin. Then, he pulled out a piece of metal, about twenty centimeters long. Two seconds later, it transformed into a sword.

"What?! What is that?!"

"A sword," he said with a superior gaze.

"I see… So you really want to kill us."

"Of course. You crippled the brother, and now the sister has mental issues because of you."

"So what? It's their fault! They attacked us first! Why should we die for defending ourselves?" Lia protested, hoping to make him see reason. But it was pointless.

"True, they started it. So what? I have orders. I follow them, that's all. It doesn't go any further than that. Now, if you'll allow me, I'll proceed with your execution."

With those words, he leaped from a balcony, sword drawn, straight towards Lia.

"Lia!!!" Ehito shouted, rushing forward. But as the man descended upon them, Ehito had no idea what to do. He instinctively raised his arms to shield Lia, but his arms were sliced through as if they were air.

The pain hit instantly.

"AAAAAHHHHHRRRRRG!!!"

His scream sent chills down the spine. It was a cry of agony, fear, rage, and desperation all mixed into one. But before he could even finish screaming, the man said coldly, "You're too noisy. Shut up."

With a swift movement, the man slashed through the air—and through Ehito's vocal cords. The pain was unbearable, but no sound came out. He was suffering. Terribly. He wanted to die. But the man wasn't done yet. He slashed Ehito's stomach, making his intestines spill out. The sight made the attacker smile, but it made Ehito drown in suffering. He couldn't take it anymore. He wanted to die, to escape this agony, this fear, and this regret.

He thought it was the end.

Then, darkness. The man had cut his eyes. Ehito couldn't see, couldn't feel, couldn't hear. Yet, he still wasn't freed from the unbearable pain. Then, suddenly, it was gone. Just emptiness.

I'm finally dead. Finally free. But… for how long?

Then he woke up.

He gasped for air, drenched in cold sweat. He didn't want to experience this again. Ever. Death still terrified him—he was human, after all—but he felt ashamed of his fear. Gritting his teeth, he got up, changed his clothes, and went to wait for Lia like the day before.

This time, she arrived on time.

He chose a different path, which, in hindsight, was a stupid decision. Less than five minutes later, he heard the same voice from his nightmares.

"You two. Stop immediately."

Ehito didn't obey. Lia understood and kept walking as well.

The man's irritation was evident. A bitter smile appeared on his face before he leaped toward them, sword in hand. Without hesitation, he slashed Ehito's throat in a single swift motion, granting him a quick and painless death.

Then, Ehito woke up again, gasping.

"That bastard… He's starting to piss me off. I'll kill him."

He got up, dressed quickly, and grabbed five training knives, hiding them under his belt. This time, he wouldn't just endure—he would fight back.

When Lia arrived late this time, they set off, taking another different route for safety. Then, the dreaded voice echoed once more.

"Stop right there."

Both of them complied, but Ehito didn't hesitate. He immediately threw a knife.

The man was surprised but not destabilized. He drew his weapon, but Ehito had calculated his move. Aiming precisely, he threw another knife, hitting just above the man's hand, sending the weapon flying several meters away. Ehito grinned.

The man, however, was furious.

What Ehito hadn't anticipated was that his opponent was just as skilled in hand-to-hand combat. Enraged, the man lunged at him. Ehito barely dodged, but as soon as he hit the ground, the man was on him, delivering dozens of punches to his face, making it swell. Then, in his fury, the man wrapped his hands around Ehito's throat, strangling him until he died.

Then, Ehito woke up. Again.

This time, he was determined.

He got dressed, waited for Lia, and once again, they set off. When the man appeared and began his usual speech, Ehito didn't wait—he threw two knives immediately.

The man jumped to dodge one and used his already drawn sword to deflect the other. Then, in a swift movement, he caught the knife in midair and threw it back at Ehito, hitting him in the head.

Another death.

Another awakening.

Another plan.

This cycle repeated dozens, then hundreds, then thousands of times. No matter what he did, he couldn't wound the man significantly. Even when he didn't leave his bed out of fear, it was useless. Lia, left alone, was found dead, her body mutilated, dried tears on her cheeks. And then, the man killed Ehito again.

Again.

And again.

The cycle was endless.

He couldn't escape. But he wouldn't stop fighting.

Even though fear gripped him at every awakening. Even though he was paralyzed with terror every morning. He still got up. He still tried again.

One day, he made a new decision. He wouldn't fight from a distance anymore. He grabbed a dagger and prepared to face his enemy up close.

When the man appeared, Ehito moved differently.

His opponent was caught off guard.

For the first time, Ehito managed to land a hit. A small cut on the man's cheek.

And then, Ehito died.

But as he woke up once more, a smile unconsciously formed on his lips.