I won, Eric. That''s the first time I''ve beaten Eric. I''m not particularly happy about it.


    I can no longer hear the sounds that should have been ringing outside.


    I''m still standing on my knees with my sword in the ground, but I feel like I''m going to fall apart if I lose any strength.


    It''s getting hard to breathe........


    ''''Just when I thought you wouldn''t back up, Tina-chan was behind you.


    I see Tina lying down behind me, and I hear Elena mutter that faintly, emotionlessly.


    ''I got hit by the explosion earlier. Well, even if I hadn''t been hit, it wouldn''t have made much difference since I was going to do it myself, just like you.


    He''s trying to get past me, to get to Tina.


    I won''t let her.


    I won''t let someone I know to be an enemy get close to Tina, who is defenseless.


    I muster all my strength and swing my sword to the right side.


    ''''Huh!　Surprise ... I can still move.


    However, even Elena, who was slow to react, could only swing her sword with enough speed to prevent it.


    ''''That''s amazing, Yulina was knocked out in an instant.


    ''　Did you do that to Miss Yulina...?


    Even Elena''s words sound like they''re being said in the distance, this close to me.


    ''She''s been getting stronger too. Thanks to Eric. You''re the most unexpected person I''ve ever met on this mission. How could a strong boy like you come out of nowhere and where have you been hiding? I didn''t expect Mr. Felix to be defeated.


    You know Felix, do you know...?


    ''Of course, it was Mr. Felix who bought the highest amount of information he got from my spies. It wasn''t really the Lynda Empire, but Felix-san''s army that was supposed to attack us.


    I see, so even in her previous life, Elena-san was a soldier in the Begonia Kingdom as a spy.


    So the time of this battle was the same in both the previous life and this life?


    Both times Elena-san had passed out information, so she was attacked when the deputy commander, Liberto-san and Viviana-san were not present.


    The Lynda Empire is weak so I''m helping out a bit, but I didn''t expect you and Deputy Commander Viviana to come back.


    After all, the explosion earlier was caused by Elena-san.


    ''But it''s good to have you back. It would have been difficult if it was Deputy Commander Liberto.


    Elena squats down in front of me and makes eye contact with me.


    Her eyes are misty and I can only see a little, but I can still see that she''s smiling.


    ''Eric''s so sweet, I thought he''d be upset when he fought me. That''s why I was able to defeat you so easily.


    -Oh!


    I quickly swing my sword at Elena-san in front of me.


    However, whether it''s too late or Elena-san was expecting it, it''s easy to avoid it.


    ''''Why, why...!　So, all of this was a lie.　Everything we''ve lived with was a lie...!


    I scream, holding back my ragged breaths.


    We''ve lived together for the past month.


    We''ve trained together, worked together, even bathed together.


    Was that action, that word, that smile a lie?


    I wonder if it was a lie. I don''t know, either. It would be a lie to say that I didn''t forget my mission as a spy. I can''t tell you that everything we laughed about together was a lie.


    Ellen-san''s words had been spoken emotionlessly all this time, but I feel a little bit of emotion on them.


    ''''Then why are you doing this........!


    It''s a mission. Isn''t work important for survival?


    Work?　To live?


    You don''t have to be a spy to do the job.


    It''s not easy to become a soldier in the Begonia Kingdom.


    Elena told me it took her three years to get there.


    She can survive on this job alone.


    ''You''re a straight shooter, aren''t you? You''ve been straight for a long time, haven''t you?


    What do you mean...?


    I certainly don''t want to do the things I did in my past life that I regret.


    I lived my life so that I would no longer lose what I lost.


    To that end.


    "Because I''ve never been able to live as straight as I am. I''ve lived bent, twisted, rotten.


    What are you talking about?


    I don''t know what that means.


    "You only got upset to beat me because you''re straight. I took you down so fast because I''m crooked. That''s the difference.


    Once again, Elena crouches in front of me.


    I no longer have the strength left to swing my sword.


    ''You said I was your friend. I thought so, too. No, maybe I still think so.


    So, why are you...


    ''It''s easy, we just have different priorities,''


    I felt a sharp pain in my shoulder.


    I took a closer look with my misty eyes and found a dagger in my shoulder.


    Elena-san had stabbed me with it.


    ''I could have attacked you for ''purposes''. Maybe your priority was your friend, but my ''purpose'' was my priority.


    Hearing those words, the numbness in my body increased all at once.


    The dagger is pulled out of my shoulder and I fall down as it is.


    ''''It''s been fun so far. I''m sure we''ll meet again somewhere. At that time, though, we''ll be enemies.


    With those words, I let go of my consciousness for the last time - and that''s what I did.