Cold.
That's the first thing I felt when the tip of that light sword touched my fur.
Not cold in the literal sense 'cause my wolf body rarely gets cold, but cold that cuts through to the bone, all the way to the soul.
Cold that made my whole body shake—not from fear, but from... familiarity.
How is it familiar? Because I felt it during my death in my previous life.
The sword was only a few centimeters from my neck.
I didn't even dare to fart.
No, I meant I didn't dare to breathe.
One small move and my pretty head would be separated from the body I've cherished for two decades.
Ironically, instead of panicking, I was feeling something weird.
Nostalgia.
Damn it.
Of all the times to get nostalgic, why now?
The hero stood over my lying body, his black cloak fluttering softly in the night breeze.
His violet eyes looked at me with a familiar expression—a mix of boredom and slight interest.
Exactly like the expression my best friend always showed when we played games together and he was already bored from winning all the time.
"Do you have any last words?" His voice was calm, controlled, and so familiar it made me want to cry.
I squinted, trying to get a clearer look at the face that looked familiar—my best friend had the same structure.
Same eyes, though the color changed.
Same nose, though now sharper.
Same jaw, though now more defined.
I felt like this hero just resembled my best friend.
Though slightly more handsome.
But intuition...
I've often relied on animal instincts for two decades (smell, intuition) rather than complicated human strategic thinking.
If intuition says he's my best friend from my previous life, then he really is my best friend.
And then, tears started pooling in the corners of my eyes.
"Green Bean?!" I screamed with a voice trembling from emotion, completely ignoring that this was a life-or-death situation.
"YOU'RE GREEN BEAN, RIGHT?!"
The bored expression on his face shifted to slight surprise.
He raised an eyebrow, sword still pressed against my neck.
"Green... Bean?" he repeated slowly, as if trying to understand the foreign words that just came out of my mouth.
"DON'T PRETEND YOU DON'T KNOW!" I shouted while trying to get up, but the sword pressed harder.
"Green Bean! That's the nickname I gave you 'cause you always ate green beans at the stall in front of school! You're the one who loved strategy games and always said 'Efficiency is everything!' You're the one who—"
"Interesting," he cut me off with the same calm tone.
"It seems you truly believe that I am... someone you know."
I stopped rambling and stared at him with wide eyes.
Damn, I wasn't done talking and you cut me off, making my sadness disappear.
And what's with that "interesting"? Are you trying to be mysterious?
But I felt there was something in his tone that was... strange.
Too calm.
Too controlled.
Like he was analyzing an interesting situation, not reacting to words that should've shocked him.
"Green Bean..." he repeated again, this time with a more thoughtful tone.
"A... unique name. Tell me about this person."
Wait.
Wait a second.
Why's he asking like that?
Why didn't he react immediately like 'Oh my god, you're also reincarnated?!' or 'No way, you...?!'
But then I saw something in his eyes.
A familiar glint.
A glint I knew very well.
The same eyes when he was thinking hard about complex game strategies.
"You... you remember?" I asked with a trembling voice, between hope and fear.
"Maybe," he answered with a very careful tone.
"But I need more information. Tell me about... our relationship in the past."
Seems like he really remembers, but wants to make sure I'm not lying—after all, I am a demon.
And there, tears started flowing freely from my eyes.
"LEO, YOU IDIOT!" I screamed while starting to sob.
"WE FINALLY MEET AND YOU'RE GONNA KILL ME?!"
That name—Leo—should've made him react.
But all I saw was a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth.
Not surprised, but... interested?
"Leo," he repeated slowly.
"A good name. Continue."
I started crying like a little kid who lost their favorite toy.
All dignity as a demon general vanished, replaced by the pure emotion of a friend who finally met the person they missed most.
"We... we were best friends in our previous life," I said between sobs.
"You were the smartest in class, always won math olympiads, but you also loved gaming the most! You're the one who taught me strategy, you always said 'Don't be emotional, use logic!' You're the one who..."
"Previous life?" He tilted his head.
"You believe in reincarnation?"
"OF COURSE! Because I'm also reincarnated!" I screamed in frustration.
Is this guy pretending to be confused? Keep pretending!
"I used to be a guy, now I'm a girl! I used to be human, now I'm a wolf! I used to be a loser, now I'm a demon general! And you... you used to be my best friend, now you're a hero who's gonna kill me!"
For the first time, I saw a truly surprised expression on his face.
But his surprise was... strange.
Not surprised from recognizing a familiar story, but surprised from getting interesting information.
"Reincarnation from guy to girl," he murmured while lifting the sword slightly from my neck.
"From human to wolf. From loser to demon general. And you believe I also... experienced the same thing?"
I feel like this guy's just showing off in front of me.
"Of course you experienced the same thing! How could you be this strong if not from memories of your previous life?!" I answered confidently.
"You're Leo, my best friend! You always said 'This world is like a complex chess game, we must always stay one step ahead!' You're the one who—"
"This world is like a complex chess game," he repeated my words with a... strange tone.
"We must always stay one step ahead. Hmm... interesting philosophy."
I stopped crying and looked at him with sparkling eyes.
"You remember! You definitely remember!"
"Maybe," he answered with a familiar thin smile.
"Or maybe you're just good at guessing someone's character. How can I be sure that I'm really... the Leo you mentioned?"
"Because I know you like eating green beans! Because I know you always won strategy games! Because I know you're—"
"Who likes green beans? I clearly don't like them," he cut me off with a slightly mocking tone.
"And who can't win strategy games with enough intelligence? You need more... specific proof."
I fell silent.
There was something strange in the way he spoke.
Too... cold.
Too analytical.
Like he was conducting an experiment rather than reuniting with an old friend.
But then I saw something that made me certain.
The way he tilted his head when thinking.
The way he tapped his index finger on the sword handle.
The way he squinted when analyzing.
Small movements that were very familiar.
"It's you," I whispered with full conviction.
"I know it's you. Even though you've changed, even though you're now a hero and I'm a demon general, I know it's you."
"Interesting," he murmured while stepping back and lowering his sword.
"Very interesting. Alright, let's assume... your hypothesis is correct. I am Leo, your old friend. So what do you expect will happen now?"
I immediately got up and jumped for joy, completely ignoring the dust still clinging to my fur.
Seems like he is my best friend, just pretending to be cool in front of me.
"We can meet again! We can talk about our reincarnation experiences! We can..." my eyes sparkled with enthusiasm, "I CAN INVITE YOU TO EAT FRUIT TOGETHER!"
"Fruit?" He raised an eyebrow with a... strange expression.
"The fruit you stole from the elves?"
"World Tree Fruit!" I answered proudly.
"It tastes amazing! Like a mix of honey, peaches, and pure happiness! I've got some still stored in my den! We can—"
"Of course," he cut me off with a smile that... didn't reach his eyes.
"I would be delighted to... meet with an old friend and try stolen fruit."
There was something in his tone that made me feel slightly uncomfortable.
But I was too happy to pay attention to small details like that.
"Really?!" I screamed with sparkling eyes.
"We can talk about our old world! I can tell you about the experience of being a woman, and you can tell me about being a hero! We can—"
"Of course," he repeated with the same tone. "I'm... very curious about your stories. Very curious."
I jumped around joyfully on my four legs, completely unaware that his eyes looking at me weren't filled with the warmth of friendship, but with... something colder.
"I've never been this happy since reincarnating!" I said while spinning around.
"Meeting my best friend, eating delicious fruit together, talking about—"
Suddenly my vision started blurring.
"Huh?" I stopped spinning and shook my head. "Why am I getting dizzy?"
"Maybe because you're too excited," he answered with a very calm tone.
"Or maybe because... the effect from the sword that touched your neck earlier."
"Effect? What sword has an effect—"
And then everything went dark.
The last thing I heard before losing consciousness was the sound of soft laughter.
Laughter that was familiar, but somehow... sounded very different from what I remembered.
Laughter that made me shiver with fear.
— Hero's POV —
I looked at the unconscious white wolf's body with strange satisfaction.
Interesting.
Very interesting.
The paralysis poison on my sword's tip worked perfectly.
Not lethal—just making her unconscious for a few hours. Long enough to conduct... deeper research.
No, research would make her break too quickly.
This Fenrir, or whatever her name is, just gave me the most entertaining show I've seen in months.
Such convincing acting.
Such pure emotions.
Such specific details.
Almost made me believe she really was my best friend from a previous life.
Almost.
But I never believed in reincarnation.
And I never believed in stories about old friends suddenly appearing.
Too convenient.
Too perfect.
This must be a trap.
Or maybe she really does have high-level acting skills.
But one thing I can't deny: she managed to make me curious.
And it's been a long time since I was truly curious about something.
"Green Bean," I murmured while lifting the wolf's body with one hand.
"Leo. Best friend."
Names that were... familiar.
Too familiar.
But I won't let these strange emotions interfere with my judgment.
I'll take her somewhere safe, wait for her to wake up, and then... play.
Play a very interesting game.
A game where I'll pretend to be the 'Leo' she's looking for, and see how far she'll maintain this 'old friend' act.
It'll be very entertaining.
Besides, it's been a long time since I played with such an... interesting toy.
Too bad the last toy broke—she had such a pretty face.
I walked toward the forest, carrying the unconscious Fenrir's body, with a thin smile that never reached my eyes.
Walking leisurely.
I looked toward Fenrir's subordinate still standing in the distance, trembling with fear.
The little demon looked like it wanted to run but didn't dare leave its general.
"You," I called with a calm voice that carried authority.
The little demon immediately ran stumbling toward me, its short legs making it look like a red ball rolling.
"Y-yes, Lord Hero!" it answered with a trembling voice.
"How long have you served Fenrir?"
"E-eh? About... about five years, sir!"
"Has she ever mentioned the name 'Leo' before?"
The little demon shook its head quickly.
"No, sir! The general never mentioned anyone's name! She even often forgets her subordinates' names!"
Interesting.
So this isn't something she's prepared for long.
"How is she usually?"
"The general is very... laid-back, sir. She doesn't like complicated things. Prefers stealing fruit to fighting. We often don't even know where she is because she likes going alone."
I nodded slowly.
A profile that doesn't match a monster with complex plans to trap me with psychological tricks.
"And... has she ever acted strange before?"
"Strange how, sir?"
"Like... talking about things that don't make sense. Places that don't exist. People that don't exist."
The little demon thought for a moment.
"Hmm... sometimes the general does say strange things. Like she mentions 'games' or 'anime' but we don't understand what she means. She also often complains about... uh... 'losing something important' but never explains what."
Games. Anime.
Two words that made something move in the back of my head.
Like a tightly locked door with someone knocking from inside.
"Lord Hero?" the little demon's voice brought me back to awareness.
"Will... will the general be okay?"
I glanced at the still-unconscious Fenrir.
"She won't die. Just fainted from exhaustion."
"Then... what will you do to the general?"
"Take her," I said finally.
"Eh? Take her where, sir?"
"To my place." I said lazily.
Right now I'm in a good mood from finding a new toy, so I won't kill this little demon.
The little demon looked confused but didn't dare ask more questions.
Under the demon's confused gaze, I left casually using teleportation while carrying Fenrir with one hand.