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When Ashen opened his eyes, he was no longer where he'd fallen asleep.
He stood in an endless field surrounded by countless figures, humans of every size and shape stretching to the horizon.
The one thing they all shared was their gear: armor and weapons without exception. Soldiers, all of them.
As he took in the sight, his attention shifted to their faces. Each wore the same grim expression, silent and stoic, waiting. He followed their collective gaze and froze.
A tide of creatures advanced toward them, millions strong at first glance.
Deformed crossbreeds of orc and man, their bodies covered in mottled gray-black skin. Sloped faces, wide mouths full of jagged teeth.
Their crude iron armor left just enough flesh exposed to display the bloody handprints smeared across their bodies.
The stench of sweat and blood hit him next, thick enough to make him gag.
But even this monstrous spectacle couldn't hold his focus, because someone far more important than the nightmare army stood right beside him.
There she was.
Spear in hand, the weapon two heads taller than her, she stood proud among the human ranks, every bit as striking as he remembered.
Her long black hair flowed down her back like a silken banner, the ends brushing her hips.
Semi-rimmed glasses still perched on her nose, making her look more like a scholar than a warrior despite the armor.
And her eyes... those amber-golden eyes.
When they were younger, people always compared their identical eye color. Back then, it gave him a quiet sense of closeness, of shared identity, that made his boyish heart flutter with fuzzy emotions.
His gaze drifted to her armor, clearly of higher quality than the soldiers around them.
'Not that it concealed much despite its craftsmanship…' His eyes flicked to her chest before he could stop himself.
As if sensing his stare, she glanced at him from the corner of her eye, then looked forward again.
"What's the matter?" her cool voice asked moments later.
He instantly became flustered, unsure how to comfort her or handle this sudden reunion.
But he soon discovered he wasn't even in control here. His body moved on its own, and his mouth spoke words that weren't his...
"Just thinking." The voice was unmistakably his own, just rougher, as if worn down by life.
"Are you having second thoughts?" she asked more quietly this time.
He—or rather 'he'—frowned before slowly shaking his head. "No. Facing thousands or millions of those things is the same to me at this point."
"True, I sometimes forget how freakish you can get when fighting them..." she spoke in her usual scholarly tone, but the teasing tilt of her head and slight curve of her lips revealed her inner amusement as she remembered his past feats.
"I'm more worried about you," he sighed, worry thick in his voice, "You should've just stayed in a safer place instead of coming here."
Alice shook her head in resignation. "There aren't many places left that could still be called 'safe' besides Esperra. Besides, without me here, our already minuscule chance of winning drops to practically zero."
"Either way, you'll probably still walk out alive regardless, mister 'immortal cockroach'~" she added with a teasing lilt.
"Ah... not that nickname, please. We already talked about this." Ashen tapped his spear against his shoulder with an exasperated look.
"Humph~" she smirked in response.
He could only sigh helplessly at her ability to tease him even when death could claim them at any moment.
"..."
"..."
"Alice." He called quietly, seeing the creatures gain more ground.
"Hm~?" She barely hummed back, but her body language showed she was always ready to answer his call.
"Thank you," he paused, letting the words carry weight, "for giving me another chance. For not giving up on me."
He finally looked at her with a more genuine expression than she'd ever seen from him.
Alice's golden pupils widened slightly, her cheeks flushed, though she quickly composed herself and half turned to study the now-tranquil Ashen, who seemed at peace after conveying what he needed to say.
"Ash... it seems after all this time, you still don't know me well enough." Her gaze was gentle.
Ashen tilted his head, allowing her to continue.
"I indeed distanced myself from you at first because of your past behavior, but that was only for my selfish reasons. I wanted to walk through life with a better version of you, so I did what I did, hoping to guide you back to a better path."
Her expression turned resolute. "But my place has always been by your side, no matter how you turned out."
The loving look, bordering on obsession and wildly contrasting with her usual inscrutable self, nearly took his breath away.
"If you had remained that slothful person, I would have eventually succumbed to the same idleness and joined you in apathy." Her voice was steady, matter-of-fact.
"If you had wished to stay an ordinary man, I would have devoted myself to you, living as an ordinary woman by your side." She continued in the same tone, as if abandoning all her powers and lifespan for an unremarkable life with him was simply natural.
"Now… If you choose to become a hero, I will be your saint, walking that noble path beside you." Her voice grew fainter but kept its conviction. "And if you decide to fall into depravity and embrace the role of an irredeemable villain, I will become a sinner who stands with you against the world."
She looked him straight in the eyes. Their golden pupils met; he matched her madness with his own hunger for her. "I will surely be the blade that strikes your enemies, then."
"So do not thank me, for I am and always will be yours and yours alone." Her tone was almost reverent.
Ashen took a deep breath to calm the emotions threatening to overwhelm him at this confession from the woman he cherished most.
But he felt equal absurdity at his own folly in not recognizing those blazing feelings hidden behind her stoicism. Even the Ashen silently watching everything unfold was equally shaken.
With a sigh heavy with too many emotions, he asked in a tone reeking of vulnerability, "Since when?"
"Always." The answer came without hesitation.
"..."
"...Then," He uttered, finally returning to his calm state, "I guess I'll strive to be a man worthy of your devotion."
"I wonder what kind of woman will stand beside me then." He eyed her playfully.
"Then I'll be myself. Such a sincere man deserves only the most genuine article~" she smirked.
"I wouldn't have it any other way." He nodded gratefully.
Boom!
Boom!
BOOM!
Their heartfelt conversation was cut short as the once-distant creatures finally clashed with the frontline, staining the battlefield red and heralding what might be their final days.