CHAPTER 32: 1000 YEARS AGO PART TWO

Seeing the chaotic battle scene, Ard’s consciousness closed his eyes. He heard the sound of clashing swords, blades piercing flesh, heartbreaking screams from every direction, and shouts of fierce spirit accompanying it all. When he opened his eyes, "Schlip," he saw himself pulling the sword Exgrandal out of a soldier’s body, then he felt himself turn around.

He saw Evelina still standing in front of him, pulling Exelion out of a demon soldier’s body. Evelina turned to look at Azroth, then turned back, raising her sword, breathing heavily.

"So this is how our journey ends, Evelina," Azroth said.

"I’m sorry, Azroth, but I have to defend my people," Azroth replied.

"I know. I’m the same as you... it seems we’re truly destined to keep fighting, huh?" Azroth replied.

"When we tried to live in peace... we were betrayed by the very people we defended," Evelina replied.

"True... I’m sick of all this... I just want to live in peace and happiness... with you," Azroth said.

"But that’s impossible. Look around us," Evelina replied.

Azroth looked around him. He saw himself in the middle of a battlefield, viewing many corpses of human and demon soldiers sprawled everywhere. He looked at his hands, which were like claws and covered in blood. He also saw Evelina, who was stained with demon blood.

"You’re right, Evelina. How about we just end all of this," Azroth said.

"I agree with you. Let’s finish it," Evelina replied.

Both immediately took their fighting stances and, "Tap," they attacked simultaneously, then, "Blaze," they pierced their swords into each other’s bodies and embraced.

"After this... if I’m born again, I’ll find you," Azroth replied.

"Yes, I will find you too," Evelina replied.

"Shhh," Azroth suddenly changed back into a human, though the horns on his head didn’t vanish and his eyes remained red.

"Huh? What is this?" Azroth asked.

"Y-You’ve turned back into Ashton?" Evelina asked.

Suddenly, they looked down at their stomachs. Their wounds were healing, and both their swords were pulling themselves out.

"This... a miracle... are we allowed to be together?" Azroth asked.

"Yes... I love you, Ashton," Evelina said, hugging Azroth.

"Hey... my name is Azroth now," Azroth replied, smiling.

"Yes, and I’m Evelina, haha. I love you," Evelina said.

"I love you too," Azroth replied.

The two kissed in the middle of the battlefield. After that, they returned to their respective territories. Azroth founded the Fredonia Kingdom in the former demon kingdom, and Evelina founded the Orthus Empire in the city successfully retaken by humans. They later founded the academy together.

Sixteen years later, exactly when Evelina was 31, they established a collaboration, but when Evelina came to the Fredonia Kingdom to marry Azroth, Azroth had already been captured by rebels. Suddenly, everything went dark.

***

"Huff... huff... huff," Ard opened his eyes again. He saw himself running along a coastline.

"Hurry, Evelina, they’re coming," Azroth said, running while pulling Evelina’s hand.

"Yes, Azroth," Evelina replied, running behind Azroth.

["Again... this time, running," Ard’s consciousness said inside Azroth’s body.]

After running for quite some time, they finally arrived at a cape. Below the cape was a warship belonging to the human kingdom.

"Azroth, come with me," Evelina shouted.

Azroth hugged Evelina tightly, then he gently pushed Evelina’s body back a little and held both her shoulders. He looked at Evelina’s face with a smile.

"Go, and don’t come back here," Azroth said.

"But what about you? The traitors won’t let you go and intend to kill you," Evelina yelled.

"It doesn’t matter. I’ll be fine. We can’t be together, Evelina. If I’m reincarnated again... I’ll wait for you and I’ll look for you... I promise until I find you and we are together, I will repeat my life until I find you," Azroth said.

"I don’t want to go! I want to stay here with you! Please don’t talk about reincarnation, we can be together now," Evelina screamed, hugging Azroth.

Tears streamed down both their faces. Suddenly, the sound of many footsteps approached. Azroth turned and saw the Fredonia Kingdom army was very close to them. Azroth immediately kissed Evelina, then he shoved Evelina so she fell onto the ship, which was ready to sail.

"Aaaaaaaa... Noooo... Azrooooth!" Evelina screamed.

"Goodbye, Evelina. I love you, forever," Azroth replied, smiling.

Then he turned around, his eyes fixed sharply on the approaching army. His hand drew out Exgrandal, and he immediately took his battle stance. His teeth ground together, his face turned fierce, and his horns jutted out larger from his head. Azroth immediately ran to meet the Fredonia Kingdom army rushing toward him.

The Fredonia Kingdom army, made up of both humans and demons, led by a red-haired human, intercepted him and immediately attacked him. Everything went dark again. "Crack," the world seemed to shatter, and "Crash," the world broke apart.

***

"Whoaaah,"

Ard woke up in Eva’s lap. He immediately looked at Eva’s face above him, and his tears fell because the person holding him was Evelina.

"Evelina?" Ard asked, raising his hand and stroking Eva’s cheek.

"Yes, Azroth. You’re finally back," Eva answered, holding Ard’s hand on her cheek.

"I’m... home," Ard said, smiling.

"Yes," Eva replied, now starting to cry herself, yet still smiling.

After a few moments, Ard sat up and sat next to Eva, who leaned against him and was embraced by him. "Ahem," both immediately turned to look at Galdorf, who looked very uncomfortable in front of them. Immediately, both of them moved away from each other, their faces red, and looked in another direction.

"Ahem... well, then what happened after I died on that cliff?" Ard asked Eva.

"I killed myself because if I didn’t, I would have been possessed by the Demon God, and after that, I don’t remember anything else," Eva answered.

"Ah, that’s right too. The book also says that the first Empress sacrificed herself to defeat the Demon Lord. It all makes sense now. History was slightly twisted to make it sound better, and that’s understandable," Ard muttered in his heart.

"After that, both your bodies were brought to the academy and stored, along with your swords, which somehow were stuck in your bodies. Then the cave where you were was locked for another 1,000 years. That is what is written in the academy transcripts, and on your bodies there was a prophecy that you would return, and when that happened, the Demon God’s seal would already be open," Galdorf said.

"Oh... I see," Ard and Eva said, embarrassed.

"We don’t have any data on who wrote that prophecy, but it seems the prophecy came from your two swords, which were stuck in your bodies," Galdorf added.

"Hmm... that means that at the time, there were some people who heard my words on the cliff... or maybe it was Exgrandal and Exelion that heard them and then etched it on our bodies... I don’t know, I’ll let that remain a mystery," Ard muttered in his head.

Suddenly, He remembered the last words he said before pushing Evelina onto the ship below. His face instantly went pale, and slowly he turned to look at Eva next to him.

"Um... Eva, does that mean we repeated those nine lives and now ten... because of my promise that time?" Ard asked.

"Yep, exactly right. You weren’t looking for me. Instead, you were messing around for nine lives and only showed up at the academy in the tenth life! Seriously, you’re the one who promised, but you’re the one who forgot. I had to repeat my life nine times because of you, and don’t blame me if I ended up killing you in those lives," Eva replied, annoyed.

"I-I understand... I’m sorry, Eva," Ard said, looking down. "No wonder I don’t hold a grudge against her, and it makes perfect sense that she killed me. Turns out I repeated my life ten times because I forgot my promise... that’s terrible, I’m such trash. Next time I have to be very careful when I make a promise," Ard muttered in his heart.