My name is Hikage Kurushimi, and I am dead. But I didn't want to die. I couldn't die without accomplishing anything. I even proclaimed that if I stood up again, I would prove to God himself that I would defeat him. And that's how I woke up in a new world. That's how my duel began.

  I will not allow myself to lose again. No matter what it takes, I will win.

  ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

  ¨Where am I? The heat, the heat of my blood flowing through my body. The pain, the death. It's gone. I'm alive. My body is intact, but I have no clothes. Only my body has been transported. I feel strange, empty.¨

  ¨I am in a plain, a green plain, full of flowers, full of life. It's a change from the urban space that I remember. ¨

  ¨The temperature is comfortable. ¨

  ???: Are you awake?

  Hikage turned around, but at first no one seemed to have spoken to him.

  ???: -Hikage Kurushimi, my name is Nokosa. It seems to me that you are not from this world. I can see it, your memory. That of a pathetic world, a world that has already been conquered. But now you are in my world.

  Hikage: -Excuse me?

  Nokosa: -Yes, you are dead. But unfortunately for you, that was not the end.

  Hikage: -But where are you?

  A shadow appeared in front of Hikage.

  Nokosa: -I'm inside you, little one. I'm inside your pathetic body, and I'm going to make it mine.

  Hikage: -Inside me?

  Nokosa: -Exactly. I'm inside you... and you're in my world.

  Hikage: -In your world, you're God? That seem arrogant.

  Nokosa: -DON'T TALK TO ME ABOUT ARROGANCE. You're weak, pathetic. Don't talk to me about arrogance... Your efforts never led to anything, they all collapsed and death was going to deliver you, but here you are, chained up again. But thanks to me, you can free yourself, break your chains and allow me to reclaim what is mine.

  Hikage: -You know nothing of my suffering. I won't let you speak bad of it.

  Nikosa: -Think again, I can see your past life. I can see your memories, your repeated failures. So let yourself go, let me let out my anger.

  Hikage: -You who claim to see me as if I were an open book, you who claim to have seen my failures, you who claim to have seen me die. You don't even seem to understand me. If you did, you would never suggest this. Because I am done appreciating, I am done loving, I am done understanding. Now there is only me and me alone.

  Nokosa: ¨You're wrong, I can see that. You're perfect.¨

  The shadow disappeared.

  Hikage: ¨So I'm in a new world, arrogance as he said, maybe that's what brought me here. I'll make you regret it, you should have let me die.¨

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  I met a young man named Hikari who seemed to want to enter the city. He invited me to help him join the army, and I saw no harm in it. I had to find a way to become stronger. And nowt here he's one on a silver platter.

  Hikari he's innocent. He thinks the world can be shared. He's wrong. It can only be conquered, brought to its knees, crushed.

  Hikari: -See, I knew there were wooden swords in my shed.

  Hikage: -Superb, but judging by your reaction, you've never used them, have you?

  Hikari: -Just a bit, catch.

  The sword was simple, with a round handle and a long blade. It was a two-handed sword. It was light, probably because it was just a wooden replica of the real thing.

  ¨It seems to me that to wield a two-handed sword, you need to have your strong hand on the handle and the other on the pommel.¨

  ¨Then you have to use your right hand to strike with force and your left hand to give you more movement with the weapon. If you have to parry a blow on your left side, you have to raise your right hand and put your left hand behind it, and then hop.¨

  The block may not have been very fast, but the movement looked good. Hikage could thank the video he had stumbled upon by chance on the internet, which briefly explained how to really fight with a sword.

  Hikari: -I thought you'd never used one before. Yet you held it very well.

  Hikage: -I've never used one... But how do you know if I'm holding it right or not?

  Hikari: -I had a little lesson once, believe it or not.

  Hikari: -Come on, follow me, I'll show you the place I've chosen for us to train.

  Hikage and Hikari went to a small hill where flowers grew as tall as the grass and left a scent that the people of Hikage's world had long forgotten. The landscape dazzled them: the road leading to the city, horses roaming free, hundreds of trees, mountains that seemed to be the top of the world. A world that had not yet seen the age of industrialization. A world that gave the impression that humans had not yet tainted it.

  Hikari: -Magnificent, isn't it?

  Hikage: -Yes, I never thought I'd see this landscape again.

  ¨Like that day...¨

  Hikari: -Ready! Today is our first duel, the first of many that will shake the very foundations what is called happiness.

  Hikage: -It will take a lot then.

  The two young men had their swords in position, each in their own way. Hikage had his left hand on the pommel and his right hand on the handle, his feet placed diagonally from each other. His left foot was in front and his right foot was opposite, his gaze fixed straight ahead on Hikari's hands.

  His hair and clothes were blowing in the wind.

  Hikari had only one hand on his sword, his left hand was close by, remaining in the air. His sword was positioned between his eyes, which were looking directly at Hikage's. His right foot was forward and his left foot had not moved and was aligned with his shoulder. His flaming hair was straight, and his smile had not yet faded.

  A breeze blew directly in front of them, and the grass pointed directly toward the sun. The birds had stopped singing. The carts had stopped rolling. The animals had stopped galloping.

  Both delivered their strike.

  Hikage aimed for Hikari's left side, which he had left open with only his arm to defend himself.

  Hikari struck a straight blow, aiming directly at his opponent's solar plexus.

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  The wind stopped blowing.

  Hikage took a step back, the two blades grazing each other body. Stopping his direct blow, Hikage moved his left hand to parallel his right hand, the tip of the blade facing the sun, and then his right hand raised the blade to try to disarm Hikari.

  The two blades clashed, Hikari had no time to react to dodge the blow. His blade was thrown backwards, his arm following it.

  Hikari responded with his left hand. Although his blade had been thrown back, he had never put both hands on his sword. The blow was aimed directly at Hikage's face. Hikage's side was completely exposed, his blade having been used to disarm his opponent's sword, and he had completely forgotten to cover his right side.

  ¨1-0¨

  Hikage let go of the pommel of his blade and brought his hand up to block Hikari's blow. His gaze was fixed on his hand since his sword was out of the equation. Hikage's open hand caught Hikari's fist like a baseball landing directly in a player's glove. With is arms crossed, all he had to do was deliver a blow with his right. Hikari was disarmed on both sides. His gaze was now fixed on Hikari's eyes.

  ¨He smiled. A defeat would surely not take away his will.¨

  Hikari's smile did not fade; instead, it stretched out with happiness.

  Hikari: -1-0

  Hikari's blade was rendered useless by Hikage's blow.

  While Hikage was focused on his opponent's fist, Hikari slipped his blade between Hikage's arms, sealing his defeat.

  ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

  ???: -Today we gather for the advent of a new champion. The birth of a new warrior.

  Inside a city, in its center, the people were gathered around a wooden scaffold. A nobleman spoke loudly.

  ???: -He will be our protector, he will be our savior, he will be our light.

  The people cheered, praised, and shouted the name of the new warrior.

  SAIGA!!! SAIGA!!! SAIGA!!!

  ???: -He who has slain the demons from the land where we stand. He will now receive the blessing of our GOD.

  SAIGA!!! SAIGA!!! SAIGA!!!

  A knight in bloodstained armor stepped forward at the proclamation of the crowd.

  SAIGA!!! SAIGA!!! SAIGA!!!

  The knight knelt before the crowd. He removed his helmet, revealing numerous scars. He had black hair and his gaze was fixed straight ahead. He looked directly at the setting sun, which was casting a few orange rays.

  The crowd stopped their proclamations. The sun set and the last rays of light faded away.

  A circle of blood-red light began to surround the knight, reaching up to the sky and disappearing as soon as it appeared.

  ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※ ※

  Hikari: -So this is my humble home, make yourself comfortable.

  Hikari and Hikage had spent the day training, and now that the sun was setting, Hikari invited Hikage to stay at his house.

  The building was made of wood, except for the stone chimney. The house was similar to a three-and-a-half, with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a bathroom.

  It was well maintained, with no trash on the floor and no dust.

  Hikari: -My parents are away on a trip. You can have their room while you wait.

  ¨He wants to get into the city at all costs. He's ready to join the army to do it. His parents are away and...¨

  When Hikage opened the door to Hikari's parents' room, dust had accumulated.

  ¨...¨

  Hikari: -Oh, sorry. I don't clean this room. It's my way of showing I'm upset when they come back.

  Hikage: -Do you mind if I go for a walk?

  Hikari: -No, not at all. I'll make something to eat while you're out.

  Hikari's house was about a 20-minute walk from the city. There were a few buildings like his, but they were in worse condition. Some were even in ruins, left abandoned. Burnt, dilapidated... it all made one think of a terrible battle that the city had endured and that the repercussions had spread to the buildings outside it.

  The sun was setting quietly, letting a few rays through. Hikage walked quietly along the side of the road, a few carts passing here and there.

  The shadow reappeared, walking alongside Hikage.

  Nokossa: -Another one.

  A blood-red light appeared from the city long enough to divert Hikage's attention to it.

  ...

  ¨So you still have a voice.¨

  Nokosa: -I have the right to tag along from time to time. Just watching the day go by bores me, let's say it's my way of entertaining myself.

  ¨Well, if I'd known I'd have a bootlicker.¨

  Nokosa: -It's only a matter of time before you become the bootlicker.

  ...

  Nokosa: -You don't seem interested in this world. You didn't even ask that youngster a question. It would have been an opportunity to do so.

  ¨I don't need to ask questions to him or anyone else.¨

  Nokosa: -And why is that? You come from a simple world. You know nothing of the possibilities this world has to offer.

  ¨Exactly, I know nothing about this world, and a normal person should at least have some knowledge. I don't need to become someone strange. I have to manipulate conversations to get more information each time without arousing suspicion.¨

  Nokosa: -Interesting, you want to play it safe. But if you want to survive, that won't be enough. You see, the world contains two types of humanoids: humans, like you, and what your people have decided to call demons.

  Nokosa: -Humans are ordinary and their only advantage is their numbers, like in your world. We demons have what you might call power. And humans have decided to amuse themselves by making pacts with some of us. And they rule this world because...

  ¨Humans are vicious, hateful, manipulative, and deceitful.¨

  Nokosa: -They are monsters.

  ¨They will do anything to get what they want, even kill their own kind. Some make you believe that love exists, that happiness exists. But if they have the opportunity to possess more, they will do so. They do it all in their own way.¨

  ¨And I finally realized that I am human. It's my turn to acquire everything.¨

  Nokosa: -Yes, you're one of them. It's in your nature to always want more.

  Nokosa: -Humans will end up destroying this world.

  ¨You know it clearly, I'm going to destroy this world.¨

  Nokosa: -Not if I get you first.

  The night was dark, the stars were shining, the fireflies were dancing.

  ¨The stars are beautiful, just like that day.¨