-The Ancient Tear. Midnight. 3RD POV-

The year was 1153 on Alkalis Calendar and Autumn in the Northern Mountain Range of Arundo continent. A place currently occupied by the renown race of inventors known as Tinkers. At midnight, several hundred meters below sea level, a woman dressed in black leather clothes sneaks through the dark passages of a long dungeon at midnight. After silently killing dozens of guards on the way, the high-ranking assassin enveloped in a dark cloud reached a pair of 6-meter tall metal doors half-opened and slipped inside a large square room dimly lit.

"Huh?! You can't be here!" A high-ranked wind user detected the presence and called out. "Guards!"

"..." The woman said nothing and sent magic to the glowing crystals on the walls before the room went pitch black.

*Pash! Whoosh!* The darkness user lowered her body and kicked the ground while clasping a dagger on the right hand. *Pachh! CHiAK! Shuah!* The assassin dashed at the green-haired man in the blink of an eye and stabbed him in the chest before slicing his throat.

"GUA...ack..." The short man wearing a lab coat uttered spewing blood and lost strength.

*Plo-rosh! Thud!* The body slumped as the blood gushing out created a pool and wetted the clothes with a stench that permeated the room. The intruder didn't bother cleaning her blade and walked towards the back of the room. *Tap! Tap! Tap! Stamp!* She approached softly and stomped the ground two meters away from a sleeping 9-meter tall crimson Dragon with all his limbs bound by huge metal shackles and a dozen crystal rods stabbing his brain with electrodes inside hooked to a machine on the right.

This ancient Beast was none other than the original James from Earth who has been a prisoner for centuries now. Hnngh... Is it time for torture...? The beast awoke, wondering muddleheaded and raised his heavy eyelids while narrowing his crimson eyes into slits slowly before focusing on the short person and opened them wide after looking at the corpse behind her. Huuuh...? The Crimson Dragon thought it was a dream for a few seconds as he had been a prisoner for many years and long since accepted his situation after several failed attempts to end his own life since escape was impossible.

*Krreek! Klank! karank!* The scaly beast struggled to lift his head dragging the shackles and tubes pumping a cocktail of drugs into his bloodstream.

"P...ple--ase... ki--kill me..." The dragon pleaded at the unknown visitor in a coarse and deep voice spewing fumes from his mouth with what little magic he could muster.

"..." The woman took the mask covering her face off and spoke. "That's why I'm here, Urifen. By my Master's orders, I shall end your suffering today!" She declared and walked over to the machine.

"Tha...thank y...you..." The large beast gave his gratitude with watery eyes.

"Don't thank me. I didn't agree to this plan, but no one else is more qualified." She revealed twisting her lips reluctantly.

"Wy...why... is t-that...?" He questioned surprised.

"Because--..." The short woman started saying and read the instructions on the machine.

*Shlam! Click! Click! WHOOooomm!* The black haired woman lowered the levers and pushed switches before the machine powered down

"...I have to die with you." She looked back at the dragon and announced.

"Aaahhh~ That feels so...good!" Urifen rejoiced and recalled as his brain loaded. "Wait... Can't you escape?! I'm the one who outgrew the tunnels..." He asked and compared looking at the door smaller than his body.

"Haa..." The woman in black sighed and walked back to the dragon. "I can't afford to get captured and reveal my master's betrayal... You need to burn us both to ashes." She demanded before explaining the reasons for the suicidal act.

"What?! Why? I do not wish to burn such a pretty girl." The dragon acknowledged and looked at her from top to bottom.

"You are not... You are burning a corpse." The assassin corrected and brought the knife to her throat.

"...!! W-waaaiiit!" Urifen told the person to stop.

But she didn't listen. *Shuish! Plop!* The petit woman sliced her own throat and dropped before a mana wave confirmed her death.

"..." The magical fire beast stared at the second humanoid corpse leaking blood into a pool for a moment and flickered his ears hearing a distant noise. "...They are coming." He realized and mobilized his magic. "Nothing can remain, huh? Chlorine Trifluoride will do..." The beast determined and produced the extremely reactive substance within his body before bathing his scales and the room in it. "My Soul can finally recover and these horrible memories will go away... I can start a new life... I thank you again little Tinker from the misled race." The magician asserted and stopped controlling the chemical.

*FwooOOSSHH! BOOOMM!!* The vigorous fluorinating agent activated causing explosions inside the lizard body and any other water in the room. *TSSUUOORSH!!* The roaring blazes burned through the flesh, weakly common scales, metal and set the stone floor on fire before a group of guards reached the door and had to retreat due to the fumes spewing out of the room.

"GWRURUAAAAA!!" The crimson Dragon roared with fire coming out of every orifice just before losing consciousness and dropped to the ground as his body crumbled away into chemicals.

After the intense fire ceased burning inside the room, only some claws and scales remained around a 2-meter-deep hole where the Dragon was.

-Guardian's Pocket Dimension-

The Soul of the scaly beast entered a pocket dimension and floating inside a dark place. Unable to recall what happened. It took a few minutes before the memories of James returned, and took a humanoid shape before looking around.

"Yo! Here you are..." Another being greeted in a friendly, yet familiar manner.

"Huh?! Who-who are you?"

"I'm...the other you... The copy you wished for, James."

"Huh?!?! You are my Copy?? What the hell are you doing here? You are supposed to be getting stronger somewhere!"

"I did! You probably heard of me. I used to go by 'Alkalis' or Nefiru."

"Huh? Nefiru...? Sounds familiar... But no, sorry. More importantly, what happened?"

"Oh, boy... This is gonna take a very long time, so get comfortable."

"Can we get comfortable?"

"Yes. I asked some favors... But we dont have much time left."

"Jesh... What did you do!"

The two Souls Pieces had finally met after hundreds of years unaware of the other, but they were unable to be reborn right away. It was only 3 years later, during a mating season in the year 1156, where they would find life once again. However, this time, a series of events that have been set into motion for many years started falling into place and creating new possibilities for the future. A fighting chance for the two Dragons.

-Southern Mountain Range. Original James's POV-

Unbeknown to me, reincarnation happened yet again, and my long life was left behind, forgotten almost completely, but not all of the Spiritual progress was lost. It was a new start. Another chance to experience rebirth all over again and explore this world of wonders with the same excitement as over a thousand years ago. But this time, I wouldn't be so weak as before.

Suddenly, within the darkness, I gradually become conscious and aware of a text in red letters.

[Warning! Memories will be restricted due to the target's body limitations.]

...!! What's this? A message? About what? I wondered when the text changed as if by my will.

[Warning! Creating categories... Select one to start: Language, Philosophy, Motor functions, Recreation, Science(corrupted). Survival skills...]

Woah!? To categorize my entire life instantly... Cool! But I can only pick one? Aww... Wait, why does 'Science' say 'corrupted?' No explanation? Hmm... Does that mean my knowledge of Science was damaged? That would be very bad. I hope I just can't use it now. Then, I'll pick Recreation. There are plenty of imagination and content that will be beneficial in a Magic World as well as morals to keep my humanity.

[Warning! Due to the target's body limitations. Memories will be limited to Recreation.]

Oh!? Oops... No matter... It's time to meet this new World~! I rejoiced when my consciousness plunged into darkness.

...

-Northern Mountain Range. New James's POV-

After an unknown period of time, my consciousness surfaces within a darkness deprived of all senses and only an imaginary message in red letters greeted me. The solitude and lack of stimulus were disappointing while a feeling of loss and unknown bodily sensations lingered in the back my mind, but it was possible to be a dream still.

[Warning! Memories will be restricted due to the target's body limitations.]

...!! Huh--?! Where--Ah! This is probably the Fragment's interface... Did I always encounter this thing? I don't recall--!! I identified and tried to remember when a wave of feelings flooded my mind as if a gate had just been opened. Uwaahh!!?? W-what is this...?? I-I-I don't recognize these feelings... I have no memories of experiencing them before! And this void... Is it ripped memories from my Soul? No, something is wrong--seriously wrong! I-I don't remember happened, but this dread... Did I die already? Ugh... I hope not... That would suck...for whoever 'I' was until now... I analyzed my emotional state with reason until it was possible to make rational decisions. No choice then. I'll just try again. So, Fragment, what are my options? I decided and wondered when the red text changed within the darkness.

[Warning! Creating categories... Displaying... Select one: Language, Philosophy, Motor functions, Recreation, Science or Survival skills.]

Oh, those are--!? Not very good options... How is fragmented knowledge gonna help a Beast? Ah, whatever... I feel like I will need anything that can help me survive if I did indeed die... I conjectured and decided emotionally.

[Warning! Due to the target's body limitations. Memories will be limited to Survival.]

I hope this will bring me the least regrets... I deeply wished before my consciousness plunged into darkness.