2 Years

"So, you are a regressor, huh?" Azariel spoke as he prepared his plastic red saber and pointed at Ariel as he continued,

"How old are you in reality? 50 years?"

-Whoosh!

Ariel dashed towards Azariel while channeling mana into his body, before jumping for a quick slash.

-Parry!

But Azariel easily deflected his attack, taking a step back, letting Ariel move forward with his momentum.

-Slash!

And getting the opportunity, Azariel hit with his lightsaber on his back, making him lose the rest of the momentum and hit the wall in front of him.

-Boom!

"Well. That explains the strange growth of your body," Azariel spoke as he looked at the boy getting back up, as he looked at him.

"And what were you in your past life, reincarnator? A swords master or something?" Ariel asked before jumping at Azariel again. An upper slash from right to left.

-Slash!

-Thwack!

This time, the swords hit together before separating again. 

-Slash!

-Thwack!

-Thwack!

While still holding an upper hand, Azariel now went easy on him, as he took steps back, letting Ariel hold on his own a little.

"A Sage," Azariel answered as he looked at Ariel, making him pause for a moment.

-Thup!

Using that brief moment, Azariel hit Ariel on the head before chuckling and then continuing.

"I was born poor. Was taken up as a slave and pretty much 'used' in all sorts of ways. Around the age of 10, I finally got dumped in a mining camp where they sent everyone to work till death."

Calling it a rough life would be an understatement. Those miners were given food only once a day and had to work for over 16 hours per day. For a child that wasn't even a teen yet, it was a miracle that Azariel survived.

-Whoosh!

-Slash!

-Thwack!

Ariel has seen many people in his life. One look and he can tell that the guy in front of him wasn't lying. And hearing the truth about such a life made him even more curious about the guy in front of him.

"I was born into this family we both are in now. Just me, with no twin. Normal baby. Normal life. I was around 10 when my life turned upside down when I got an F-Rank talent." Ariel also began speaking his life story bit by bit.

Ariel's first 10 years of life were pretty normal in comparison. He had everything he could ask for and was much loved by all the family members. 

While the scars to happen don't take away how miserable he was, it could never change the fact that the first decade of his life were rather blessed. 

-Slash!

Dodging Ariel's attack, Azariel continued,

"Worked until 15 till I found I had a superior ability to understand things. Whether it was normal things or mana related aspects, I could understand things at an insane rate. I shared this secret with a friend of mine. We both got out of that mine and began looking forward to the future."

Just because Azariel had to live the first decade in agony, doesn't mean he was forever alone. He was mature for his age, much sharper than his peers. He was able to outlive them, find a better life than what it was. 

Shackles of destiny weren't enough to stop his potential from blooming, even in the gloomiest of places. On the other hand… it was quite the opposite for Ariel.

-Slash!

-Thwack!

Ariel moved at Azariel's back for a quick slash, but was blocked again easily.

"After 10 I was looked down on by everyone. Bad things kept happening one by one. Sister's mysterious death, uncle's family got caught in a gate break. Mother died of shock upon hearing that. My father, the only one who supported me, died protecting me against monsters in the future."

"Bad things. Worse things. Giving up on my life, I started jumping into gates, trying to die at every moment. But as fate would have it, I was able to live through it. Just that I was dying more than living."

Everyday things turned one step worse for him and his family. The happy, laughing family was barely able to live, hoping to not lose another member at each turn of their life. 

The last one remaining, Ariel, was always on an edge between suicide and madness.

Azariel turned silent as he looked at Ariel. This time, both of them looked at each other with a slight sympathy. 

Good life? They both held on to their life while pushing into death's mouth at every turn. They knew. With their swords, with their expressions, they understood that even though they were different, they really weren't that much different.

"Well. What is your goal this time, Ariel?" Azariel asked as he observed Ariel as he continued,

"I was sent here by some divine being who wants to meet me. He tasked me to find a way back to my old world.. So for now, that will be my long-term goal while focusing on collecting information."

Until he finds a purpose on his own, Azariel decides to follow what that God had told him. 

"It's nothing so great but I want to save those whom I care about," Ariel answered as he then prepared his sword at Azariel again.

It was as simple as that. While there was obviously more to it, that was the crux of what Ariel wanted to do. 

"That's a novel goal," Azariel spoke 

as he pointed his sword at Ariel again, before the two of them began their spar again.