= [Chapter 07] =

...

Crystal clear water that has an end that cannot be seen with normal eyes. Like a lake in calmness but as vast as the great ocean.

Clear blue sky with a touch of wispy clouds here and there. The entire place is so quiet, so peaceful... so empty.

That's the scene he had woken up to.

His body lying there at the body of water. Floating without much thought. Eyes glazed and mind out of focus.

The mind replaying the scene of a dagger moving to his eyes!

Then he blinked and clarity was brought back.

"I... I died..." He murmured in horror.

Twice... He died twice lying down on the floor with a bladed weapon descending on him.

And in both scenarios, it was done with a mentally unstable person as the murderer.

First was the two girls he two-timed with and the second was with a assassin of all things.

He sobbed there quietly for hours. The very thought of witnessing death looming over him in a very short amount of time was very jarring and in all honesty, he was ready to give up and just pass on to the afterlife.

But he didn't... or quite possibly he can't. Being dead permanently, that is.

Because in just within this short 28 hours, he not only had died two times but had also been transported to a completely different place after being done in by the psychos.

After his long grieving, on his death, he finally breathe in deeply and force any of his depressive thoughts and feeling deep-deep back inside. Trying to suppress and forget about it.

He breaths out and made the motion of standing up and surprisingly his hands touch the water and it was somehow... solid?

He didn't think much about it and had stood above the water like he was a ninja from a chakra-dominant world or just Jesus's God miracle power. But either way, he didn't care.

"Is... Is this the afterlife?" He said after surveying the empty ocean-like lake-like water body.

"No~o! It's not!" The high pitch voice of a child replied startled him. Making him whip his head in the direction of the voice.

"Ouch!" He let out, grabbing his neck that was strained after what he did.

Massaging it to relieve some of the pain, he look at the person again and saw... He saw an Angel.

That's the best thing he can describe the girl right in front of him.

A blonde girl wearing a white dress, that is super cute by the way, with angel wings on her back. If she wasn't only missing the angel halo then he won't be at fault for thinking of her as an angel... Well, even without the halo she would still look like one.

He quietly ignores the fact that he can't seem to be able to make out what she really looks like.

"An angel..." He breathes out. Now his mind running in a very different direction of panic. "...Oh, Kami. I'm dead." He mumbled while being muffled by both his hands.

"That psycho did it and killed me."

He sigh again, but this time it was in acceptance.

The girl pouted at that and says. "Mou~oh! You're not dead!"

"Now listen! Even though you were a meany and creep to me before!"

(Before..?) Motoyasu is pretty sure he hasn't met this angel before now.

But if he did meet her before... Does that mean they are destined?!

"Master still think that you'll be a great help in saving the worlds and defeating that super meany!" From there she started spouting many words and terms.

"Haaa?"

He's not sure what the angel is saying to him now. Like who the hell is super meany? Who is this Master of hers? God maybe?

"... and finally, stop calling Master father in law! I'm not going to mate with you!"

Chubb! Chubb!

Two imaginary arrows stab his heart when the girl declared he wasn't going to marry him! The weird terminology of using the word 'mate' is ignored

(Why...?) He thought in bafflement. Wonder why those words hurt him bad.

"Now Go Back!"

She started moving towards him and this causes him to panic.

"H-Hey wait a minute! Stop! Just a minute!"

But she didn't listen and continue forward.

"Just who are you? Where is this place? and What is my relationship with you?"

The last one was especially what he wants to know.

"You seem to know me, but I don't know you!"

A finger was placed on his forehead. Drawing a circle.

"Did you... Did you erased my memory...?"

The girl just smiled and said. "Nope~p!" Then push his head back.

He fell and submerged in the water.

Slowly the light started dimming and his consciousness fades.

...

The image of himself in the mirror greeted him when his mind his consciousness returned.

He look around the place and realized that he is back in one of the Castle's comfort rooms.

He stood there confused for a long while. His mind trying to comprehend what had happened. But it all comes blank.

"...Haa..."

His mind played back all the things that had happened but many spots of his memory are either hazy or completely gone. Just like his time in the weird place where he met 'someone' but doesn't remember who and why.

Then the memories of before he comes to that place come crashing into his mind. Making him blank out for a second.

Then realization appeared in his eyes.

"Iruma!" He shouted before bolting out of the room.

...

[Iruma's POV]

Having high defense stats doesn't equal having a high pain tolerance.

I find that out the hard way.

The boost the Legendary Shield had given me is like a steroid. It gives me the muscle form, but not the gains of actually working out the body.

That's why if even a scratch got through my defense it would be very painful.

"What a pretty little thing." The bastard said in admiration on the orb shining between his hands.

That thing was once in the socket of my skull. My eyeball.

Glowing green and very tough as the bastard put it.

"Hohoho! This thing packs a lot of Mana, this could stay fresh for at least sixteen years without much preservation instrument in use."

He tossed the eyeball from one hand to another, making me rage more inside. But I can't do anything about it.

My breathing has been getting slower and slower. Blood started clogging around my brain and nostrils. As I'm also crucified to the wall, the blood loss is a possible death as well.

"... U..u..gh..." I let a whimper as I tried forcing my hands to move.

A bad move on my part, never realizing that the bastard saw it. Thus a boot met my chin! Then it was stomp on my chest! Making me cough blood and bile.

"Oi, oi, oi, OI!" His hand gripped my bangs up and look at me in the eye.

"What were you doing, Heh?"

I just glared at him, no matter how weak it was.

"You want to get down? Why didn't you say so?"

Both daggers were pulled out in a very painful way.

When I dropped on the floor it shook me up, giving me an added pain.

He kicks me on the side and then stomps on my arms!

"Ack! Ahhh!"

"Stay still and let me take the other one."

One of his hands holds my head in place while the other plays around with that fucking dagger.

His smile getting wider and wider. Making a very creepy visage.

The dagger was then lowered to my eye. Just a centimeter away from poking it.

I couldn't close my eyes and just glared at it. Both in fear and stubbornness.

(If this is the last time I'll be able to see things... Then at least I'll be proud to say that I stated at the blade to the very last.)

A stupid reason, I know. But it's my... It's a man's dying act... Last act.

But all that will I had put in that act was all for not. As a man roared getting the bastard's attention away from me.

"RAAAAA!"

"Who the fuck-..." He didn't get to finish what he was about to curse as the butt end of a Spear smack him across his face!

Clearly, it didn't do much, but when the spear was twirled the blade passed around near his neck! Giving it a small red line!

"Tsk!" The bastard jumps away from us.

"Well, well, well. If it isn't the Spear Hero. What brought you here?"

The man, who is Spear Guy, didn't say anything towards the bastard and just had taken a stance.

"...13 times..." Spear Guy muttered angrily.

"Cut the bullcrap Heiber and die before my Spear!" He stomps on the floor and dashes forward!

The bastard was taken aback because the Spear Hero, who he haven't officially met and had been introduced yet, knows his name!

That pause was enough for Spear Guy to land another slash at the bastard, this time leaving scratch at his suit.

Feral was the only word I can describe him. Making me feel wrong in calling Bow Brat a possible berserker as this guy is a much better candidate!

"Hraaah!" The Spear swish and swash all over the place, but the target keeps avoiding it!

But the Spear Hero keeps going on! Roaring every time he attacks! Always moving for the kill!

The bastard started throwing daggers but it was swat away!

"Tsk!"

Seeing that mid and long rang won't work and that magic will just be a "Please target me now." sign he decided to go melee with the Spear Hero.

He drew his sword and attack!

Sparks flew whenever they clash! Although there is a clear disparity between their power, Spear Guy pushes it with willpower alone!

"Nggh!" Spear Guy groaned as he was push back.

"Chihi!"

He glared at the laugh the bastard had let out. They both disengage then clash back again!

And as they battle it out, I was slowly moving out this hall. Enhancing myself with Energy Boost whenever I can.

The thought of helping Spear Guy had never crossed my mind. Only an idiot would go between them at my current state.

Besides, if my conjecture was correct then Spear Guy has more than enough experience fighting the bastard.

13 times is a big number.

(13 times... hah...)

He had died thirteen or fourteen times. No wonder he had gone feral.

I sat down when I was far enough from the battle and started searching through my inventory. Looking for a recovery item that I might have gotten from that hidden room.

While I'm at it, the battle between the two had reached a new stage.

...

[3rd Person POV]

Heiber feels weird.

Not about himself, but he feels weird about this battle.

He can't put it in words, just that it has something to do with how the Spear Hero fights. Although amateurish and basic, all his moves somehow someway managed to land hits and injure him. Added that with how easy the Hero avoids his attacks like he knows where it will land and how it works.

(Maybe he can see the future!?) Was the panicked realization he made.

But he was completely wrong. Motoyasu doesn't have any prediction-related ability. He's just unlucky enough to have to fight a person who had live in many time loops with the sole purpose of killing him.

As every loop that he had died by Heiber's hand, the further Motoyasu become familiar with his style and made a counter for it. There are even some aces that he can use if needed.

But Heiber doesn't know about this and thus panic and wasn't able to concentrate in battle. Making overestimate the Spear Hero and throw most of his killing moves as he had deduced with the current misunderstanding that those moves will just make an opening for the Hero to take his life.

On the other hand, Motoyasu had anticipated this happen and made sure to capitalize on it by slashing three times more ferocious!

"HraaAa!"

Rage keeps bubbling up inside Motoyasu. Pure rage that has the meaning of killing the person right in front of him using the vilest means possible.

(It's because of you! It's because of you!)

But even then, he kept it calm and restrained. He had learned his lesson when he had given in and let loose. It wasn't pretty.

He's just waiting for something for him to safely let it loose and have it target Heiber.

They both disengage in combat again, but this time they didn't clash soon after. Heiber started being defensive and has his eyes on the exits. While Motoyasu was quietly counting.

... and when he's counting had come to stop.

"Come... Spear of Vengeance!"

pwosh...!