"I was waiting for you!!"

A strange man called out to me in a threatening voice.

I opened my eyes to find myself under the burning sun standing on a crimson red ground. I didn't remember how I got here or where was I but this place doesn't seem anything like my house or even anywhere else I know.

I could hardly see anything around me apart from the huge spears sunken deep into the ground and fallen flags with symbols of dragon and lions.

I could make out the figure of the person before me who was completely hidden by the curtain of the dust.

I looked around me to found corpses of humans along with some weird creatures. All of them wearing armors with various symbols and embroidery. It was a scene right out of battle aftermath. Most bodies were badly burnt making them completely unrecognizable.

"You see this, I was searching for you all around but unfortunately they came in my way.......So I killed them the best way I know."

He said still hidden.

"I feel bad for the people and whatever you call these creatures....non-magi, right? They decided to follow you believing that they could gain the same power as the humans but you were just as weak as them."

Suddenly the environment around him changes and dust vanished in an instant. I finally got a good look at him. He is a man of similar characters to me. Average height, Black hairs, small stature. But It wasn't his gladiator-like outfit that caught my attention but his dropping hands. Which were hanging from him like an accessory? Somehow his hands were covered in rising flames.

"You shouldn't -"

He took a step forward but stopped as he stumbles on a pile of corpses. At this moment, I realized something important I was not in control as my grip on the sword in my hand tightened on its own but this realization isn't as surprising as the half burning man before me.

Anger is clear on this pale face but it soon turns into a grin. He looks around himself and turned towards me.

"Where are my manners? Look at the mess I made. It seems...... I have to tidy it up a bit."

With a flick of his finger, the dusty ground becomes visible as the corpses around us completely vanished. Screams of some survivors echoed through my ears but it was no use. I didn't know how I got in this situation neither could I move my body to escape.

"All clean now. Now let's continue our talk from before. Unnnhhhhn........where was I?"

He said as he moves his hand to his chin and went into deep thoughts.

"Oh Yeah!"

On sudden realization, his hand quickly move back to their dangling position and he starts walking forward with the relaxed demeanor of a man leisurely walking in a park, or some such situation. The flames engulfing his hands didn't harm him in any way.

"As I was saying to you. You shouldn't go around spreading rumors of a fake world, a world you can't return to. You should have just stayed in Al-Gharaf but instead, you decided to invade us, destroy our villages, towns, and castle. Kill our women and children. And finally laying siege to our mighty city of Arionople......"

Al Gharaf? Arionople? Invasion? Killing? It seemed like I was in the body of some horrible person but why was I seeing all this.

The man before me is acting really weird as the edges of his face rose up and turned in to a creepy smile. He took a deep breath and looking to the sky continuing his monologue.

"You know how many people have you killed? Poor Kristina! She only wanted to help her people. That was her weakness which make her an easy target!"

He took a deep breath again. "You did some unspeakable to her. The creatures who followed you mutilated her and tortured her un....until she was forced t...to kill herself. But....."

I didn't understand why I didn't feel sad at this but rather I felt a feeling of pleasure. A feeling of accomplishment. What the hell is wrong with me. His story wasn't over. He again looked at me with a raging fire in his eyes and pointed towards me with his flaming hand.

"But your bruitality ends today. No more people will die and no one will be sad...."

Right before my eyes, he vanished.

"LIKE ME!!"

I heard his scream as he quickly reappeared with his face inches away from mine. In the blink of an eye, he swung his hand.

*Slash

Round and round, my severed left shoulder flew into the air.

Still holding my sword, I quickly swung it throwing him some distance away from me.

The arm dropped down in a spray of blood. Blood from the shoulder flowed bright crimson, the flesh, bones, nerves, and arteries were all perfectly severed. A clean and masterful attack.

Losing blood, I looked at him with unfocused eyes. He quickly jumped back from the ground and took his original posture but suddenly his creepy smile was replaced by a shocked expression and then to anger. Wrinkled appeared on his nose and forehead as his eyebrow arches.

"Tha- that- .....You have lost everything!!! Even your army, Your lands, Your people and now you are at the brink of death and still that smile. Smiling!!, you are still smiling. I...I can't believe you. What is your plan now? How are you planning to escape or fight with a severed hand? Why there is still a smile on your ugly face?"

I didn't realize that I was smiling. But it was expected. I didn't even felt pain when my shoulder flew off. I can only silently watch and hear. I tried to move but it was no use.

Somehow things have quietened down as he is simply staring at me with rage. probably for an answer to his enquiry.

"...."

I could easily sense his strong killing intent.

"You are right."

I spoke.

I recognize this voice. It is similar to my voice but in a disappointing tone.

-Is this person really me?

"I have no plan. My army is dead. I have lost the lands I controlled. I have lost the people I care for. I no longer have any allies in this world. I am all alone just like before I came here."

My voice became louder before but It still had a feeling of sadness hidden behind it.

"But you are the same. You have also lost everything you cared for. This is the curse of the hero and Demon Lord and now we both stand with nothing behind us all alone for our final confrontation. You asked me that why am I smiling?. Truth be told I am glad that I would get to die by the hand of the mighty hero. It will be a well deserved ending to my saga."

-What demon lord? He is definitely me but what is he babbling about. What kind of weird dream is this?

"You are WRONG!! I am a hero! I will revert things back to the way they were. Once I am done with you. I am going to kill that monster. and with it gone,...... Peace will return to this world. There is still hope for me but yo....you will die here."

Just as a chill ran up my back, the man took a step forward. His drooping arm lifted, sweeping up a small gust of wind.

Then, on the same line as the motion of his arm.... the earth, the air, and the world parted in two.

"I hope you can end this cycle and save this world."

I muttered in a voice hardly comprehensible by anyone besides myself. I didn't know whether he was asking me or someone else.

"That is the last time, I will ever meet you so please fulfill my last wish."

With these words, I was pushed out of his body.

-What!

I was being pulled away from him... from me while he looks back at me. It seems he knew I was with him. I tried to reach out to him but unable to do so because of the pull which is taking me somewhere away.... Somewhere unknown.

With my outstretched hand unable to reach him. Darkness has begun to engulf the world around them. He had started to disappear slowly. Disintegrating into nothingness.

Before my eyes, the other me was cut into half by the wind blade and the last thing I saw was his sorrowful smile. The smile of a man who lost something valuable to him.