“You’re dead.”0

I was certain it was Ellen’s voice I heard.0

I couldn’t help but be taken aback, and the Ellen entity seemed just as surprised. It stared down at me with lifeless eyes, its sword pointed at my neck, trembling slightly.0

This was a scenario I’d encountered many times before. It fought with Ellen’s style, though it lacked Ellen’s spirit. After countless fights, Ellen had never driven the sword into my neck; she always stopped just short. 0

I was always the one who lost, and Ellen was always the one who won. Just as losing to Ellen had become second nature to me, perhaps defeating me had become second nature to her.0

In that final moment, the familiar habit of pausing took over, and the words that always came out slipped from her lips without thought.0

“Ugh… Ugh…! Ugh…!”0

Unbearable tears welled up in Ellen’s lifeless eyes and she began to sob uncontrollably. Her tears flowed endlessly, mingling with the rain.0

Ellen was crying, even though it shouldn’t have been possible. They weren’t tears of frustration or resentment; they were tears of pure sadn...0