That 90: Reincarnated One

"Are you Saya Hayashi...? Could you please give us a moment alone?"

The elven girl smiles gently and says this.

"Eh?...um..."

Saya tilts her head, clearly puzzled.

"Um, did we meet before or something?"

She seems equally bewildered that her name is known to this person.

"I'm sorry, but I'll definitely explain everything later. For now... is it really impossible?"

"Sure, whatever. But if you ever even think about touching someone like Meone-chan..."

"Haha. Don't worry about that. I care about 'sensei' just as much as you do."

Ugh.

What is this unbearable frustration from such a huge gap in information?

Come on. Get on with the explanation already.

"For now, could you please tell me your name?"

"...Yeah. From the teacher's point of view, we're still meeting for the first time. I knew that, but it still feels kind of strange."

No, I've had enough of mysterious, beautiful girl-type lines.

I'm Chimonaka Chimoaka. Even if I look like this, I'm a full-blooded Japanese. When Phase 1 ended, didn't you also obtain your "Teacher"? I drank the elf's medicine.

Ah, now that you mention it, there was that reward item with performance-based bonuses, wasn't there.

"...Huh? But why did I choose the 'Elf's Medicine'..."

She didn't respond to that,

"Here, let me fly a bit."

What? Fly?

In the next instant,

I realized my body was gently rising into the air.

"W-what is this, what's happening?!"

"Don't worry. I'm just borrowing the power of a divine beast."

As a way to lend credibility to the words "Don't worry," saying "I'm just borrowing the power of a divine beast" is certainly effective.

At the very least, the anxious feeling remains.

Still, it's clear that any futile resistance in the face of such overwhelming power is pointless.

We came to a sudden halt, hovering a few hundred meters above the ground.

"A bit noisy out here... —《Pause》"

Hakka-san, using magic as naturally as breathing, halts the flow of air around them.

"With this, we can chat freely without worry."

"Why go to such lengths... again?"

"Well, you know. The content might be a bit risky if someone else hears it....Though, it seems Ayaka-chan still hasn't acquired a skill that enhances her senses."

"Are you warning me about Ayaka-chan eavesdropping?"

"Of course, she's not the only one who's dangerous. We can't know where any 'players' might be hiding around here."

I understand why you'd want to be cautious, of course.

"So? I'd like to get straight to the point, if you don't mind."

"Fine."

Hakka-san began, as if this were common knowledge.

"I'm a 'Reincarnated One.'"

Floating gently in midair, lounging cross-legged,

"Reincarnation...?"

I'm struggling to grasp the meaning of the word.

"Does that mean 'rebirth' as in 'reincarnation'?"

"Yeah."

So that means... um...

What exactly is this?

"Simply put, I've already experienced this 'end of the world' once before....Saying that might help you understand part of my true nature."

"I see."

I'm pretending to stay calm, but I'm nearly dropping my sword.

"There exists a spell called 'Chrono Magic X'... It's a spell that resets one's life, forcing them to start over from infancy. That's how I've been 'restarting' my life."

"Is that why your level is so high?"

"If only it were that simple. Apparently, using 'Chrono Magic X' resets your level too. The reason my level is so high is due to a certain efficient leveling method I discovered."

Hmm.

"Of course, I plan to teach that to you, 'Master.' After all, it was you who discovered this leveling method."

"Um... speaking of which, why do I call you 'Master'..."

"Of course, because we've met before in a past life."

"Hmm."

"Though back then, we were at Phase 4, and I didn't have any memories of my past life... So the situation is quite different from now."

...Ugh.

You mentioned it casually just now, but "Phase 4," huh.

"...From the way you're saying it, this situation isn't over yet, is it?"

"Yeah. Things have calmed down a lot now, but when we shift into 'Phase 3,' the situation will get tough again."

"What does that mean specifically?"

"A lot of powerful 'hostile life forms' will become active and start attacking people. The 'zombies' scattered across various areas will probably start converging on the city center."

"Ugh"

Do you remember when the announcement came during the transition to "Phase 2," saying that the "zombies" in hiding would do something? There were quite a few of them temporarily concealed, and they’ll merge with the "zombies" coming in during "Phase 3."

"Ugh."

"Plus, the most troublesome ones are probably the monster types that can fly. They just casually leap over barricades."

"Ugh, ugh!"

The future was nothing but despair, wasn't it?

"By the way, when exactly are we entering this so-called 'Phase 3'?"

"About three months from now."

"...Specific date?"

"That's unclear. It seems this world is gradually changing from the one I experienced before."

"Changing?"

"Yeah. The timing when 'Phase 1' ended was slightly different last time too. So just assume it'll be around three months from now."

Hmm...

I cross my arms and ponder.

The conversation had become so absurd that even the idea of floating high in the sky no longer mattered.

"So, in short... you appeared to prevent a crisis that will come in the future?"

The elven girl tilts her head slightly, looking a bit troubled,

"Of course, that's part of it... but it's not just that. There's something even more important."

"Something more important?"

I repeat her words back to her, curiously,

"We need to fundamentally resolve this situation... To do that, we have to raise our level even higher, become even stronger."

"Hm."

So it's about leveling up, is it?

"But do you actually have a concrete 'fundamental solution' in mind?"

"Of course. That's exactly why I've come all the way here, even going back in time."

Ah.

That's reassuring.

There's someone I have to kill, no matter what, in order to save the world.

The elven girl clearly used the word "kill."

Not about "toppling" or "forcing submission."

"Kill," it said.

One is said to be a "Demon King," a job believed to still be操控ing an "enemy lifeform" somewhere in this city.

Huh.

"Dark Lord," huh...

"And the other is the job said to be granted to a 'player' who has perfected the karma of good... the 'Hero'."

Huh?

"Wait a moment. I kind of get what a 'Demon King' is, but... does that mean I have to kill this 'Hero' too?"

"Yeah."

When you say 'Hero,' in RPGs, it's usually synonymous with the embodiment of justice.

To kill someone who has perfected the karma of good...

"It kind of makes us look like the bad guys this way."

"I'm sorry, but we don't have any other choice."

The girl sighed deeply, then continued.

"Both the 'Hero' and the 'Demon King' possess a special skill called 'Undying.' As long as one of them is alive, they'll keep resurrecting in a special space known as a 'Save Point' forever."

'A Save Point,' huh?

That's yet another one of those video game-style terms...

Well, I mean, it's fine and all.

"And only one person can deliver the final blow to someone with the 'Undying' skill—someone who can learn the 'Fatal Sword X' technique... 'Master.' You're the only one."