Re-Birth: My Shadow Legion Conqured the Game World

Not long after her announcement, Sena started to clean the dishes—her face was a little flushed, but Julian thought she might have sobered up a little. 

Julian sat on the sofa while swirling his glass, watching her movements as she hummed and fumbled around the kitchen as if she lived there. 

'What if I can't keep my promise?'

His lips curled into a faint smile.

He brushed his silver hair back behind his ears, leaning back and thinking about how he had accepted her request—well, demand. The change in atmosphere was instant, and after they finished eating, Julian became even more relaxed.

His chest didn't have that strange dull ache, and he didn't feel guilty towards Sena. 

"Julian?" Sena's sweet voice echoed close to his face.

Her peach scent flowed into his nostrils, the perfume that best suited her. 

"Hmmm, what's wrong? Oh…"

"Well, you normally like drinking this after eating, so."

When someone knows you better than you thought, it can feel unsettling. Yet, when Julian saw the pressed coffee and froth patter on top, he saw a glimpse of his memories from the distant and forgotten past.

"Thanks, Sena. You really didn't have to." 

Not used to relying on others, he reached out and took the cup from the table.

His eyes flicked to the side, and he watched Sena's pleased face as she skipped back to the kitchen to get her hot chocolate. 

Another useless memory about her was restored.

Each one was like a small coin packed into an empty chest, increasing its value so he couldn't ignore it.

"I wanted to~ hehe, tonight was wonderful. Though, I had fun killing slimes with my big sword! Being with Julian is the best, ah?!"

It seemed, with the alcohol fading—her face once again turned red as she sipped on the hot cocoa and suddenly pulled away.

"Ouch, it's hot!" 

"You're like a little cat." Julian couldn't help but shake his head. He couldn't resist or reject her without a reason. Thus, he watched and appreciated Sena. 

'Kang Sena.'

The very name caused ripples in his heart and mind. The more he accepted her existence in this world and so close to him, the more he wondered if it might be all right to take a different path than he planned in this life.

'Do I have to let go?'

He shook his head as Sena tilted her head as if a question mark sprouted from the top.

'No. Can I let go?'

Julian probably knew the answer deep down.

When he tried to push her away, he lacked the confidence to survive, so he broke up with her. 

But look at her now, coming here and facing him, Julian realised it was retarded to refuse the help of someone who deeply cares about you and also a woman who would become a powerful Sword Master.

Especially someone who would become one of the Ten Heroes if she survived. 

"Sorry. I was just thinking that sometimes we make horrible mistakes." His words caused her hands to jitter, and she placed her cocoa down. "But we rarely get the chance to fix them." Then she watched him closely, his eyes half-narrowed with a faint smile, before sipping his wine.

"…" 

Sena remained silent for a few moments, just watching him with her eyes almost shining. 

He understood that his words and their meaning might have meant something different to him, but to Sena, he just knew she would understand his meaning. The future hero wiped her face while sniffing and suddenly stood up.

'See?'

'You show your emotions like an open book!'

"I'm just going to freshen up, okay?" 

She could barely hide the trembling in her voice while her eyes became watery, an aspect of Sena that would soon vanish because of the world's end.

The fact, she was a crybaby. 

Clack! 

With that, Sena left the room, her body almost dashing to the second bathroom, which she claimed as her own after he moved in a month ago.

At least, that's what the memories told him.

"Will I really be able to play with her?" 

A sudden worry grew larger the moment she left the room.

Julian's plans included abusing the real money market to buy important things for survival when the worlds integrated fully. But he would be forced to ask Sena for help if he couldn't do that.

"I hope that Sena will understand in that case." He planned to tell her the essential things as they rebuilt their trust and relationship. 

Though he might be the same person, somewhere deep down, Julian wanted the one she thought about after calling his name to be the current for him. 

Not Julian from the past.

"Let's just wait patiently for now."

Relaxed.

He sat back and drank more wine, the buzz of the alcohol starting to tickle his cheeks after two bottles, while the fragrance of berries lingered on his breath. 

"Julian~ are you there?" 

Woosh!

Sena rushed back inside, her cheeks still slightly red, but her eyes looked downcast as her heels tapped against the wooden floor. 

"Mother called me…" 

The only times that Sena became well-behaved were when she held a sword or when her mother called her. 

"Do you have to go home?"

"Do you have to go home?" It took him by surprise, and he raised an eyebrow. But currently, Julian would never show his thoughts to others so easily, so he relaxed his expression and continued drinking from his cup.

"Sorry. She won't leave me alone until I go home tonight."

"Sigh~ It's fine."

"Do not sigh! It's okay. We'll still play tomorrow, right?" Her tone grew nervous. This time, Sena tried to keep Julian tied to her as much as possible. 

"If I have nothing going on, sure." Even though he promised to play, he didn't stop himself from making a little mischief.

Because of his sudden words, Sena moved forward—it seemed like she became anxious but tripped as he stood up to escort her to the door.

"Ah?!"

"Catch—" In a swift motion, his arms came around her waist, holding her balanced perfectly on the tip of her toes, and his other hand stopped her momentum with a gentle palm against the side of her ribcage.

Like a professional dance partner.

"J-Julian."

Because their faces were close, he could feel her warm breath and the scent of chocolate and blackberries against his cheek. Her nose touched him gently. They gazed into each other's eyes, causing her entire face to turn pink, with only their noses slightly brushing.

He saw a vision of Sena in front of him—not in the middle of a battle, but the girl he hadn't been able to see for decades. His mind lost the memory.

Meanwhile, her eyes gradually closed, and Sena lifted herself onto her tiptoes.

Sena took the risk of pressing her lips against Julian's, catching him off guard as he woke from his daydream, breathing through his nose. The familiar sensations spread across his body, but the next moment, it was over, and Sena pushed back, embarrassed.

"I…" She nervously played with her fingers while her hair blocked most of her face.

The faint sensation of her warmth remained as Julian's hands still gripped her tightly; her ride home just arrived, and they started calling her phone as she pulled away and turned to the door.

"D-Do not avoid me, Julian."

A sense of nostalgia lingered in his mind as he grasped her hand and pulled her back, giving her a tight hug.

"I don't intend to go anywhere." His breath whispered into her ears before he let go, but Sena grabbed his hand again.

"If you can accept it, how about we start over from the beginning and try step by step?"

"Idiot, I'll think about it."

Their hands clasped together, and then, with a squeeze, Sena disappeared.

Slam!

The moment the door closed, Julian leaned against it, covering his eyes and sighing.

"What are you doing? The world is ending."

No, maybe that was the entire reason he accepted it. 

He originally planned to push everything away to deal with that hellish future. But since the world would end, regardless of what Julian did, he would face that impossible life. Why not try his best to help Sena become stronger so that she would survive this time?

He wouldn't let petty feelings cause him to lose her. Instead, his lingering memories created a desire for strength.

A desire that would become a seed planted in his core.