Benjamin soon remembered something during their conversation.

Something that he did not remember to do or ask about when he was with Violette or even Ren.

"Hey, did you know that Kuzunoha is also a reincarnator?" Benjamin asked, his voice carrying a casual but intrigued tone as he leaned slightly forward on the boulder.

He kept his raised leg propped up steadily, using it as a casual anchor while the warm sand shifted subtly beneath his other foot. "I didn’t get to talk about it much with her during the time we spent together, but she apparently also came from Diana, just like you."

Tensei’s golden eyes reflected the bright sunlight like polished metal, and he offered a slow, deliberate nod in response, the motion precise.

His wolf ears twitched faintly in the breeze as he processed the words.

"Indeed, I had noticed," Tensei replied calmly, his voice steady and measured. "It seems it takes no longer than a few moments for two or more reincarnators to recognize one another instinctively. I mean, we are all strange enough in our own unique ways, marked by experiences that set us apart from everyone else around us."

Benjamin let out a quick, genuine laugh that mixed with the sound of a nearby wave breaking more forcefully on the shore, spraying a light mist into the air.

He rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, his blue eyes sparkling with amusement before narrowing slightly in feigned offense.

"How rude! Well, there was something I did with her during our interactions, but I forgot to do with the other reincarnators I knew," Benjamin said, his gaze drifting downward in an absentminded way and settling directly on Tensei’s chest area as he spoke, lingering there with innocent curiosity.

Confused and a little afraid by the unexpected direction of the glance, Tensei reacted instantly.

His golden eyes widened slightly in alarm as he quickly covered his chest with both hands, pressing his palms firmly against the fabric of his robe in a protective gesture.

His wings rustled noticeably behind him, feathers shifting in agitation while his wolf ears flattened slightly against his head.

"Wh-what?" he stammered, his voice rising with a mix of embarrassment and suspicion that made his words come out sharper than usual. "Are the dozens of women in the village not enough for you already? Must you direct your attention toward me in such a strange manner as well?"

"Wai--! You b-b-better apologize immediately!" Benjamin snapped back, his face flushing red as understanding dawned on him about why Tensei had misinterpreted the look so dramatically. "Besides, I don’t swing that way at all! Could you stop covering yourself already?! It’s nothing like what you’re imagining right now!"

With more persuasion, including several additional reassurances and explanations delivered in Benjamin’s increasingly exasperated yet sincere tone, Tensei finally agreed to let Benjamin do what he wanted.

Though, his movements remained cautious and guarded as he slowly lowered his hands from his chest.

The two men watched each other for a while across the short expanse of warm sand, the silence between them filled only by the rhythmic lapping of waves and the distant calls of seabirds circling overhead in the clear sky.

Then Benjamin started speaking again, directing his words not fully at Tensei but into the empty space in front of him, his voice hesitant at first.

"G... Good morning. Nice day we’re having, right...?" Benjamin said slowly, his tone awkward and overly polite, while the sunlight continued to cast shifting shadows across his face.

A long pause stretched out, broken only by the constant murmur of the ocean.

Tensei soon furrowed his brows deeply in concern, his golden eyes watching Benjamin talk to someone that wasn’t visibly there, his wolf ears perking up and twitching repeatedly with confusion.

He leaned forward slightly on his boulder, the sand shifting under his slippers as he did so.

"Uhm... I do not know what to say..." Tensei muttered, his voice laced with genuine worry as he glanced around the empty beach, searching for any sign of another presence.

"Then shut up! Stupid raven!" Benjamin yelled suddenly, his face getting even redder from embarrassment as he jabbed a finger forward into the air. The outburst carried across the beach, causing a few nearby small monsters to scatter in surprise while the wind continued to swirl loose grains of sand around their feet. "And hey! I know you’re there! Answer me, damnit!"

{Eh...?! Might... you be... referring... to... me?} Stem’s voice echoed hesitantly in the now shared mental space, slow and drawn out as if emerging from deep drowsiness. 𝑓𝘳𝘦𝑒𝑤𝑒𝘣𝘯ℴ𝘷𝘦𝓁.𝑐𝑜𝑚

"Ugh... why are you talking like that?" Benjamin raised a brow, but clear relief washed over his chest, visible in the way his shoulders relaxed and the tension eased from his posture. "And wait, were you sleeping? Is that possible for a Spiritual Ego?"

Tensei’s golden eyes went wide with shock.

His body tensed visibly on the boulder, wings half-spreading instinctively.

"Don’t tell me... you can speak to other people’s Ego Partners?!" he exclaimed, his eyes locked onto Benjamin with disbelief and astonishment.

"Okay. I won’t tell you," Benjamin replied with a casual shrug.

"No, no! I mean, tell me..." Tensei stood up in concern, his feet sinking deeper into the soft, warm sand as he rose fully, his hands clenching at his sides while the ocean waves continued their steady approach and retreat nearby.

Benjamin began to snicker like an evil genius, the low chuckle building gradually as he leaned back on his boulder, clearly enjoying the moment of revelation amid the salty breeze and glittering sea.

"Hehe. Just who do you think is sitting next to you?"

Tensei shook his head slowly from side to side, his messy hair shifting with the motion as he ran a hand through it in clear exasperation, his golden eyes filled with bewilderment. "I swear, I do not even know anymore!"

Benjamin smiled broadly and did another shocking move, his voice dropping into a more commanding yet friendly tone as he addressed the air once more.

"Hey... Sys, greet them, too."

Tensei flinched visibly and got ready for another bombshell, his body bracing as if expecting some explosive reaction, wings flaring out slightly for balance on the uneven sand.

{...Long time no see, Stem. And it is good to meet you, Sir Tensei. My Master named me Sys.} Sys responded in a calm, composed manner that resonated clearly through the mental connection.

[Eh...? Long time no see? What do you mean?] [Ben]

Tensei: "..."

Tensei couldn’t believe his eyes—or rather, his senses in this shared mental space.

All this while he had been secretly speaking to his Ego Partner in the quiet confines of his own mind.

He originally thought something was wrong with his head... but not only did someone just point out that they also have one... they spoke directly to his with such ease.

"Tell me, Benjamin," Tensei said as he sat back down on the boulder with a heavy sigh, adjusting his posture carefully while the warm stone pressed against him. "How are you able to do whatever you like? Are you absolutely certain you were not a spirit in a past life?"

"Nope. I was painfully human in my past life," Benjamin rolled his eyes dramatically, the motion exaggerated as he glanced off to the left side of the beach. "A sick one too... Ah!"

Where Benjamin rolled his eyes to, at the left, he paused and stared intently, his body going still as the wind tugged at his clothes.

He said, "Uhm, what is that? A new species?"

"What are you talking about?" Tensei turned also, towards the sea and stiffened immediately, his golden eyes narrowing against the bright glare on the water. "Ah, that must be a... sea monster."

"Sea monster, huh?" Benjamin nodded curiously. "I don’t think I’ve seen one this big... So, with it this close to us, I doubt it wants to say hi, right?"