"Y-You are.."

"E-Edward...?" I heard Milleia's murmur as she lay on the ground, her expression one of shock as she stared at me.

My face was no longer concealed by a mask.

My black hair had reverted to its natural gray, and my red eyes transformed into amber.

Ignoring her, I fixed my gaze upon him. "You... you're that guy..." I muttered, my voice heavy with exhaustion.

That guy—Leon—looked down at me with an expression devoid of emotion. "I don't see you as you are, Nyr," he stated. "I don't recognize the person who shot me after I slaughtered his entire family."

My grip tightened around Trinity Nihil as I swung my sword. "Shut up!"

Yet, Leon effortlessly caught my blade barehanded and effortlessly tossed it aside.

"What happened to you?"

-BAM!

"AGH!" I spat blood as he kicked me in the stomach once again.

"What happened to you, Nyr?"

"S-Stop it!" Milleia intervened, summoning a protective barrier. "Ceatha!!"

"Hm?" Leon jumped back when he saw a white figure materialize out of thin air and strike him. "Ceatha, huh. It's been a while since I last saw her." He smiled upon seeing the pure white unicorn standing before us.

"C-Ceatha..." Milleia burst into tears, tightly embracing her beloved unicorn. "T-Thank you!"

"Are you alright, Edward?" Jayden appeared next to me, his body covered in blood, reaching out to offer support.

"Jayden."

"We can discuss why you concealed your identity from us later," he said.

"Yeah," I nodded, grasping his hand, and rising to my feet, despite the pain coursing through my body.

"Arete," Jayden called out.

"I know." With a huff, a strikingly beautiful woman with blue hair and blue eyes materialized beside Jayden. I immediately recognized her as Arete, Zeus' daughter. "Is he your friend? He seems to be in a pitiful state. And weak, too."

Too exhausted and enraged to even bother responding to her comment, I turned my attention back to Leon.

I will kill him.

I will eliminate this despicable bastard in the most merciless manner possible.

However, I cannot do so in my current weakened state.

Extracting the Lifestone from my ring, I turned towards Jayden. "Take this. It can transport all of us to a safe location. But we must choose the right moment. You're faster than me, so when we are all together, channel your mana. It's our only means of escape."

Jayden accepted the Lifestone, nodding resolutely. "You can count on me."

"Are you alright, Edward...?" Milleia approached me, her voice trembling.

"Milleia..."

"I-I will wait for your explanation, Edward..." Milleia spoke, her expression still one of confusion, before redirecting her attention towards Leon. "Ceatha!" Mounting Ceatha, she charged towards Leon.

"Arete!" Jayden followed closely behind, with Arete at his side.

-BOOOOOOM!

[Edward.]

"Jarvis. I'm not in the mood to hear your voice," I said angrily.

Jarvis's voice persisted, attempting to provide an explanation. [I understand your anger-]

"You understand shit!" I cursed, my anger boiling over. "How the hell is the guy who slaughtered my entire family in this world, wearing my face?! Don't try to play ignorant, Jarvis! I know you know something!"

[Nihil is the one who brought you here.]

"Huh?" Jarvis's words froze my thoughts.

[He brought you here to save you from 'his' clutches.]

"Who? Leon?"

[No. From the person who reincarnated Leon into Edward's body before you.]

"I don't understand a damn thing you're saying, Jarvis!"

[Leon died a few months after you shot him at the tribunal, Edward.]

"W-What?"

That guy Marcel never mentioned any of this to me...

I always believed he was still alive.

[That person-]

"Who is 'that person'?" I demanded.

[I don't have much more information. But that person reincarnated Leon into this world, within Edward's body, right after his death. Leon merged with Edward and became exactly the same as the one in the game you played. He took countless lives and became an enemy of the world. He perished in Sancta Vedelia, but he somehow returned to Edenis Raphiel.]

"Edenis Raphiel? The place where the Third Game takes place?"

[Yes... There, he wiped out the entire Archipelago, killed all the Apostles including Jayden and two others, and even slew the Saintess, the Prophetess, and the High Priestess. He left the world in ashes.]

"Then who am I?! Why am I here too? Is this another world? Or a different timeline?"

[I don't have the full details of what transpired afterward, but it seems that 'that person' lost control over Leon and opted to start anew. They needed another individual with perfect compatibility with Edward. It should have been impossible, but they found you, Nyrel. Even without Leon, Edward was destined to tread the wrong path, but 'that person' desired more. That's why they chose to use Leon to further corrupt Edward, but it didn't go as planned. Leon turned out to be far more dangerous than anticipated. That's when they discovered you, Nyrel. They intended to subject you to the same process due to your compatibility and your softer side compared to Leon, but Nihil intervened before them.]

I laughed weakly at the absurdity of it all. "I am similar to that scum? He killed my family, and I have nothing in common with him-"

[No. You were very similar to him, Nyr. On Earth, your way of thinking was much more extreme and composed.]

"No, that's because I am also Edward now-"

[Even so, when you were reincarnated, you were extremely unstable. You still are. Completely different from the 'you' on Earth.]

"What are you trying to say...?"

[Nihil sealed all your 'painful' memories, including those involving your family. He sealed everything that defined the 'you' on Earth. He wanted someone normal. He desired the 'you' from before all the tragedies that changed you.]

"...you... y-you sealed the memories I had with my family and even the ones with Ephera?" I asked, my voice trembling.

How dare he do such a thing to me?

I only survived because of them.

My parents and my sister.I think you should take a look at

I could barely recall our relationship.

I still felt happiness when I thought about them, but every memory I had with them...

"H-How could you do this to me, J-Jarvis?" I asked, tears welling up in the corners of my eyes.

[I'm sorry, Edward, but it was necessary. Nihil was afraid.]

"A-Afraid?" I laughed hollowly.

He was a god, wasn't he?

What could he possibly fear?

[He was afraid of you, Nyr. He feared that after reincarnating you, you would follow the same path as Leon. You were too similar to him. That's why he did it.]

"..."

[I don't know any more, Nyr. I've shared everything Nihil told me. Leon has somehow traveled to the past, but there must be consequences for such a feat. He seems weakened and unable to use all his peak abilities. Edward, you need to buy us some time and find a way for us to escape.]

"AP Conversion,"I muttered a spell under my breath, activating my AP Conversion. My staff ignited in Anathemas Fire as I assumed a defensive stance. With a surge of speed from my Second Wing ability, I reached Leon in a matter of seconds.

"UGH!" Jayden flew past me, blood flowing from his mouth, but I focused on attacking. "Septem Treina! Sweep him!"

-BAM!-

Leon caught my staff with his hand, but this attack had more force behind it than my previous feeble attempts.

"Oh?" Leon smiled, acknowledging the improvement. "At least this one was better than your pathetic attacks before."

"Buzz off!" I shouted, thrusting my staff with more determination. "Third Wing, Mana Agglomeration! Anathemas Fire, Burning Wings of Vysindra!"

Leon attempted to evade, but-

"Barrier!" Milleia trapped him with four shimmering blue barriers, cutting off his escape routes.

-BOOOOM!-

A torrent of fire erupted from my staff, engulfing Leon.

"Ahahahaha! That was a nice try!" Leon jumped out of the flames unscathed. "Vysindra!" his fist coiled with the Rings of Vysindra.

-BAM!-

His punch pierced through my stomach, sending shockwaves of pain throughout my body.

I was sent hurtling at incredible speed, crashing into a wall. "Cough!"

"I... can't go on... ah...aha..." I struggled to catch my breath.

"Edward!" Milleia shouted, worried for my well-being. Sensing danger approaching from behind her, she summoned several barriers for protection.

A tremendous amount of mana gathered before Leon, forming a purple Mana Circle. "Vysindra's Forbidden Breath."

-BOOOOOM!-

The hall shook violently as the devastating breath surged towards Milleia.

"Ceatha!" Milleia concentrated her mana, summoning a giant barrier filled with intricate inscriptions.

Ceatha's figure emitted a radiant white light, revealing a gorgeous girl with light blond hair and pink eyes. Ceatha's serene expression faltered for a moment as she witnessed the powerful breath hurtling toward them. Nevertheless, she stretched out her hand, reinforcing the barrier, making it thicker and stronger.

But...

-BOOOOM!-

In an instant, the barrier shattered, propelling Milleia and Ceatha away.

"Ah!" Milleia embraced Ceatha, shielding her from the full force of the attack.

"Milleia! You!" Jayden's anger boiled over as he stomped the ground, channeling an overwhelming amount of mana.

"Reinhart!" Arete quickly moved Jayden to safety, as a torrent of purple fire incinerated the ground beneath him.historical

"Slow!" Leon appeared before Jayden and delivered a swift kick to his leg.

"Get away!" Arete threw a lightning spear in a protective gesture, but Leon effortlessly deflected it, reaching out for Arete's neck.

"Zeus," Leon smiled like a madman, tightening his grip despite the painful shocks of lightning coursing through his body. "Come out now."

"Leave her!" Jayden swung his sword, attempting to sever Leon's hand, but his blade shattered upon contact.

"I'm starting to miss the 'old' Jayden. At least he held his ground longer than you all!"

-Bam!-

Kicking Jayden away, Leon threw Arete towards him and muttered, "Here we go again." He raised both palms, causing the ground beneath them to melt. "Vysindra's Eruption."

"J-Jayden!" Milleia flew toward Jayden and Arete on Ceatha, rescuing them from imminent danger. "Yaaaa!" She screamed in pain as the purple fire grazed her arm, leaving a searing burn and causing it to swell.

"Look, Jayden!" Leon laughed maniacally, heading toward Carla and the others.

"N-No!" Jayden rushed forward, but it seemed too late.

But not for me.

Summoning a mirror, I appeared out of nowhere, catching Leon off guard as I struck with my staff.

"Hm?" Leon flinched as I appeared on his left, swinging my staff at him. He managed to slide back a few meters, but the surprise was evident in his eyes.

Leon's expression turned cold, and he reappeared next to me. "Where did you acquire such abilities?" With a swift motion, he palmed my face, slamming me into the ground and continuing to advance while pounding my head relentlessly.

"E-Edward! Stop it, please!" Milleia cried, summoning barriers in an attempt to assist me, but Leon effortlessly shattered them with his free hand.

-Bam!-

I lay motionless on the ground, unable to move my limbs. It felt as if every part of my body was paralyzed.

"Look at me, Nyr," Leon whispered, his smile twisted. "Watch as I kill our dear sister and our beloved childhood crush," he said, glancing at Elona and Miranda.

I gritted my teeth, gripping Leon's arm with all my might. "I... I will kill you, I swear it."

"Unfortunately, this is not fiction, Nyr. Things don't always go as you wish. You are not the hero here nor am I the Villain destined to die in the end. No one can kill me, let alone 'myself'!" Leon taunted me, charging toward Miranda and Elona while holding me by the scruff of my neck.

"J-Jayden!" I shouted to Jayden, signaling him for a diversion.

Create a distraction and get us out of here!

"Huh?" I stammered, my mind going blank.

Jayden held the unconscious Milleia tightly in his arms, looking at me with a conflicted expression. "Edward! I-I will return with reinforcements! I promise! Hold on until I come back!" With a firm grip on the Lifestone, he activated it.

In a blinding flash of light, he, Carla, Milleia, Miranda, Kleah and Elona vanished from that place leaving me alone there.