"Uh-huh. Quite a bit of information to absorb it, prodigy. Have you ever considered becoming a bard? Hadwin said after telling the story.

"With my talent, it's just a waste of time, isn't it?" Zach asked, a smile on his lips. She didn't expect him to take it easily, but at least he listened to her. "I've never been good at making up stories, though. Everything I tell you is true. "I'm actually a female version or a girl's version of Zack, I'm getting used to it, folks, haha.

"You're a great hero, aren't you? The one who was destined to lead the seven of us? ”

"Exactly."

"You tried a thousand times and failed? Honestly, I'm surprised your head didn't explode, little Miss Zack. ”

She felt like she'd done it a thousand times. But a lot of things are repetitive, and she just blindly does the same thing over and over again. "So you can imagine why I'm screaming."

"Oh, but of course," he chuckled. "And, in all these timelines, you and I have always been competitors, right? Somehow, you've always been the one who's better than me. ”

"Well, that's usually the case. You've won a few times, but I'm the hero," she said. "Leaders should be strong, right?"

The sun began to rise and the light poured into the room, gentle and peaceful! She could now begin to see the details of his body. He was taller than she remembered, but his hair and beard were still that flaming red. His eyes were slowly changing. "Then fate will intervene and you'll just come back and become a sweet little girl, right?" He asked. It's a bit unaccustomed.

"Uh...... Uh, that last sentence doesn't matter, I-" Suddenly, a hand landed on her head and patted her cheek lightly, her cheeks stained red.

"No, I see. Lovely story, prodigy. You're not the first to try "meant to be with me." But you're a little too young for me. How about we talk about this when you're a little older? ”

She opened her mouth wide. She didn't expect the instance to be accepted. But she definitely didn't expect him to suspect her of trying to seduce him. "You...... You...... You ......," she said, trying to come up with the right words to express it, unable to properly express her annoyance.

"It's cute, Zach Joon, isn't it? But - "

"You arrogant bastard!" She shouted, her hands clenched, unable to control herself. She lunged at him, swinging her right fist into his chest. He didn't move, just sighed. But she would make him regret the choice. He thought she was just a child, but she knew enough secrets to make her meager power even stronger. She put the magic into her fist and released it the moment it made contact.

As soon as the call was connected, Joan's eyes widened and she stumbled backwards, her fingers covered in blood. It felt as if every bone in her hand was shattered.

"Hey! Prodigy, what did you do? He asked, kneeling in front of her and reaching out to hold her hand.

Joan's eyes welled up with tears of pain. How is it? She did everything she could to fight him. She didn't expect to hurt too much, but at least she should knock him out. He didn't even wear armor. But as soon as her fist bounced off, his body was like an iron blow. No, stronger than iron. This has never happened before.

He took her hand, and she let out a soft whimper as he opened her fist hard. "Your finger is broken," he whispered. "Damn, what did you do?"

Zach Joan looked up at him, tears streaming from pain. Damn, she still has a card to play if she wants him to trust her. She couldn't let it end like this, no matter how painful it was. "You—your mother," she whispered.

"What?"

"You don't say it. It's interesting what you're talking about. Especially the look on your face. He said, then stood up and let go of her hand. Who's that? ”

Zach Joan stared, she thought he was going to be angry, but he just looked worried. Still, she had to push. "I don't have evidence right now, but I can. I just need you to trust me-"

“WHO？” Hadwin asked, anger in his tone. She saw his hand gripping the hilt of the sword. I felt a hint of fear.

"Lord Anrol," Joan whispered.

However, this made the man pause. He now looks confused, not angry. "Lord Anrol? What-"

"They do everything for the same reason. Strength. Greedy. to control you. They-"

"Draw your sword, prodigy."

Joan's eyes widened as she stared at her friend. He couldn't be serious. She looked down at her injured hand, then at him. "But my hand, it's—"

"If you beat me a thousand times, it wouldn't be too hard, would it?" He asked before leaving her. "Your sword."

Joan sighed softly and nodded. It seems that this is really the only way. She held out her left hand. It only took a moment, and with a small spark, her blade and scabbard appeared inside, a simple spell, though it made her more tired than she was willing to admit. She tucked the scabbard under her right arm, drew the sword, and let it fall to the ground.

Hadwin drew her sword, and she couldn't help but let out a whimper. The blade erupted in flames, surrounding the golden core. The hilt of the sword is shaped like the stomach of a lion, from which the blade protrudes. She'd fought the sword a thousand times, but never before. They often call it "the purity of the lion", a sword that can split through any weapon and armor. If you touch her, she is dead. To make matters worse, the sword could unleash flames from a distance, so even if she had enough mana to attack him with her own magic, she would only be burned to char. Worst of all, he forced her to fight him with her deputy, and he fought with the main force.

She had already fought him many times. She sees this as at least one of her strengths. What's more, she knew how he would swing his sword. She knew his every move. He was far less experienced now than he used to be, and she could take advantage of that.

"Can we begin?" He asked.

"Please," she said. He didn't hesitate. He ran straight for her. But that's Hardwin, he's always going to take the initiative. He's also much faster than hers.

As she lunged to the right, he almost bumped into her, narrowly dodging a low blow.

"Swan Falls." One of her more powerful spells, which she had done a thousand times in her life, although, strictly speaking, she had stolen it from him.

However, when she tried to pull out the magic in her arm to cast the spell, it was sealed. He took a step back, avoiding another swing from his friend. What went wrong? Why did she feel rebellious? "Swan Falls!" She tried to cast the spell again, this time pushing all of her magic into her arm and forcing the spell to be cast.

Her arms exploded in pain, and she was knocked into the air, her sword clanging beside her. Astound. She barely noticed that Harding was kneeling on top of her, gently patting her cheek and grabbing her painful arm, making her pain even worse. "Hey? Hey! Prodigy? Prodigy! Child! No - "

But that's too much. Darkness began at the edge of her vision, then quickly approached her. She didn't understand. Swa

Fall was a simple spell that she had used a thousand times.

Is she really unable to do such a simple thing?

------

Consciousness slowly returned, great pain. She tried to move her hands, and luckily, they all seemed to move correctly. Unfortunately, they all feel like the muscles in their bodies have been pushed to their limits, and each twitch is more painful. She opened her eyes and looked around.

It's afternoon. Hardwin sat by the fire, but she didn't see Rab or Lindis. He glanced at her and sighed. "Feeling better, prodigy?"

"What happened?" She asked, trying to sit up, but her body didn't move.

"You broke one of my hands when you tried to use some stupid spell that I had never heard of, and the other was almost wiped out. What exactly do you want to do?

"Swan Falls," Joan said, looking up at the sky. "It's an ice spell. I've been using it before. ”

"Oh? What do you want to do with it?

"Knock your thumb. Ever since that wild boar incident, it has been a bit weak. The way I am now, I can't beat you without doing something dirty. ”

"Hehe, you don't say it. So do you know about that wild boar? ”

"I should, I'm right there."

Hadwin shook his head. "It's strange how you know this, but Lord Anrol doesn't."

"Huh?" She asked, glancing back at him. "And what about him?"

"He couldn't have killed my mother for two reasons. First, he has been dead for almost a decade. Second, my mother is still alive. ”

Joan was stunned and opened her mouth wide. "Wait, wait...... What? Your mother, she's—"

"Live? Yes. At this rate, it could have outlived me. ”

"But that's impossible, she is, but, that's impossible, what to do?" She had a hard time understanding this. His mother couldn't be alive. She was supposed to be dead. Anrol killed her years ago. It's all about gaining more control over Hardwin and his family.

"Exactly! I've fought you—"

"So I can only imagine you're a spy."

Zach Joan stared at him, mouth wide open. "Spies?" She asked.

"Your story simply can't happen. So you can only be a spy. At least you look human. Maybe a servant of the devil. There is no other explanation. I'll watch over you for the time being. ”

"Custody?" She stared at him and asked again.

"Indeed." He turned his gaze fiercely at her, drew his sword, and aimed its tip at her. Flames erupted from the blade. "When I get rid of this troll, I'll take you back to the kingdom with me. Will you ...... You...... Are you laughing? He asked, the anger on his face slowly turning into confusion.

Zach Joan couldn't help himself. Despite her best efforts, she couldn't stop the laughter from pouring down her throat. "I'm sorry. It's not a personal vendetta, Hadwin. It's ridiculous. ”

"What?" He asked, his cheeks flushing a little. "Do you doubt the gravity of your situation? Don't think you're a kid and I won't kill you. Demons are big and small, kids. ”

"I've seen you behave like this a thousand times. Those robbers in the desert, those abominable elves in the caves. Another time, in the Coconut Incident, Chase threatened to sell your underwear. And, if I were your prisoner, I know you wouldn't allow any harm to really befall me. ”

Hadwin just stared at her, his mouth wide open. Very confused, which made her laugh even harder. "Don't do that!"

"How?" He asked, his voice filled with exasperation. She could see his anger growing, but she knew he was far from reaching his limits.

"Because you are you, Hadwin. You will always be you. In thousands of lifetimes, the only people who have not betrayed me and fallen into the pollution of the Demon King are you and Andreas. It's just that the idea of you doing this is just too stupid. It's like a comedy made by a bard. It's horrible. ”

"Andreas?"

"Gentle Andreas, he wields a spear. You're going to love him. Truth be told, it was hard for him to go on. Sleeping too long, frankly, I'm sure he's too lazy for the Demon Lord to try at all. ”

Hadwin sighed softly, and the flames on his sword went out. Tucked it away, then walked over to her and sat down at her head. "You're incomprehensible, prodigy. I almost want to believe what you say. ”

"I hope so. I think I'd feel the same way if we had a swap of positions. ”

"But when we first met, you were scared of me. I thought if I touched you, you'd faint. ”

He is one of the legendary warriors hand-picked by the gods. Although she is talented, she is still just a newcomer. "It feels like it was a thousand lifetimes ago," she whispered. The non-stop start-up from scratch annoyed and numb Zach!

She closed her eyes and tried to move her hands, but they didn't respond. "Feeling...... I think...... Imagine your life ten years ago. You might be able to pick up some of these clips, right? But this is still just memory. It's just a thing of the past. That happened. You may not remember everything, but that's about it. A memory. That's how I felt in the last twelve years of my life. Recall. It's as if one day I fell asleep, went through a thousand lives, and then picked up where I left off this morning. I feel more like that person than myself now. However, I also feel more like myself than that person now. To be honest, it feels maddening. It's as if both sets of memories are struggling, trying to figure out what I should be like now, what is worth remembering and what isn't. I've lost my mind. ”

"What if anything?"

"Do you believe I have? Tell me, Hadwin, what do you want to ask me? What answer is enough to prove that this is not crazy? ”

Hadwin sighed and crossed his arms. "Well, what's my full name?" He asked.

She stared at him, then giggled again. "Oh, you did ask some vulgar questions, didn't you?"

"Oh? And then - "

"Hardin Leylan

Shocked, his face turned pale. "Y-How do you know that story?"

"Hmm......" she closed her eyes, trying to remember. How many times has he told her this story? Once? Twice? No, maybe dozens of times. They all fused together. Remembering some of the things he had told her, her cheeks turned a little red. "It's not a story you tell me very often. But Hadwin, there were times when we were very close. We rarely hide it from each other. I figured that if I had known about the situation at the time, I would have told you only one person. ”

"Will I?" He asked.

"Sometimes. But not in all lives. There are places where I can barely stand you, and if I don't need your sword, I'd be happy to push you off a high cliff. ”

He snorted softly, then shook his head. "Good. I believe you. And then what? ”

"Simple. We save everything. You help me. ”

"What if I refuse?"

Zach Jones sighed and stared at the sky above him. How many times did she believe that all hope was lost? How many times did she believe it was impossible? Not even while she was alive, but during this time of her life? "Then I'll try again. And then again. And then again. I tried over and over again until my mind broke and my soul shattered.

But I have to! Can't give up, especially now. I've experienced failed results. I'm not going to give up. If I do, I'll find a way back to the Academy of Magic. ”

Hadwin stared at her, unable to take his eyes off her. Finally he spoke. "Joan. I will help you. But there is one condition. ”

"Yes? Name your price. ”

"Never put on that face again." He whispered, then looked away from her. "No child should look up to the sky so desperately. It's enough to break people's hearts. ”

"Fair trade," she said before closing her eyes. "I won't let you regret it."

"I already feel it," he whispered. "I have a feeling that you will take me to the deepest depths of hell and back again."

"Well, we've only done it a few times."

"Wait, what?"

"Uh, nothing. It doesn't matter. ”

"I don't agree."

"More on that later. Our first task should be to kill this troll and continue from there. Once we kill it, I'll be in your care, right? ”

"We?" He asked.

"We. It's easy to kill. Once I can move......" She tried to raise her hands again, but to her annoyance, they refused to move. She sighed softly in annoyance.

"Did you know before? I'll get a few cuts and maybe pass out. But after a few minutes I would get back up and start running. I'm so fragile now. Annoying! ”

"You're twelve."

"I was younger when I killed the trolls!" She snapped in exasperation.

"You've become a girl. Still a virgin, haha. ”

Her cheeks turned scarlet and she shook her head. "It doesn't matter. My magic control should easily compensate for the weaknesses of the female body. ”

"For that matter. You said you were a boy Zack, didn't you? Why did you decide to come back as a girl? ”

"I don't know. I was told that it was made up of ...... Selected. I am, that is, it doesn't matter......" she whispered. "I think fate thought it was funny, maybe ......" she couldn't help but ask again. Why isn't she bothered? Many times throughout her life she wondered what would have happened if she had been a woman. Of course, in those days, she was willing to give almost everything to be a woman, but what man didn't? Is it really that wrong to try? Is that why she's the way she is?

But so far, her life has not been easy. She's not wanted, but that's her choice. But if she knew she would come back like this, how would she change her choice? Oddly enough, she knew she didn't want to change this new form. Compared to some of her previous lives, she thought, it wouldn't be too bad if she had to live a thousand lives in this form as well.

"Can you still move?" Hadwin asked. "Magic should heal your hands. But—" He stopped, looking up. He jumped to his feet and drew his sword.

"What?" She asked. After a while, she didn't hear anything, followed by a faint shout. Something broke through the leaves. It's getting closer.

"Drink this," Hardwin said, kneeling down and pushing a small blue bottle to his lips. She drank it. Mana Elixir?

She felt the energy return to her body and quickly climbed up.

"Wow. I don't think it's felt so good.

"Lord Hadwin!" Rab's voice interrupted her. She turned in the direction of the sound, just before Rab and Lindis rushed across the tree line. "Trolls! Trolls! Help us! ”

As a tree falls behind them, Joan's eyes widen, and the massive frame that reflects the troll is clearly visible. Previously, its body had always been a shimmering silver instead of the gray of a normal troll. Now its body looks more like polished obsidian.

Hah. Can you take a look? Joan chuckled. It seems that the Reflection Troll is just one of the Obsidian Trolls of the God of Hell. She held out her right hand.

"What? Do you know what that beast is? Hardwin asked.

"Yes, I do. We used to destroy several of them. It's easier than I thought, old friend. ”