Ch.180Sister (4)

Pain descended upon my exhausted body like layers of torment.

I stood frozen in place, staring blankly at the scene before me.

My mind, filled with confusion to the point of bursting, couldn’t readily comprehend what was happening.

Perhaps my insignificant brain had exceeded its processing capacity and simply stopped functioning.

To be fair, it was understandable.

The woman who had claimed to be Maria was now standing rigidly as a headless corpse.

Or more precisely, she was hanging.

This was evident from Maria’s limp feet, slightly lifted off the ground.

Behind the woman, a middle-aged man who had suddenly appeared was smiling maliciously at me.

Judging by how he welcomed the name Ash, he seemed to know about me.

But I didn’t know him.

His features somewhat resembled my father’s, but unlike my father’s always warm impression, this man exuded a sharp, dangerous aura.

Even someone as dull as me could clearly sense the ominous demonic energy flowing from him.

Demonic energy—meaning he was a subordinate of the Demon King.

This was an enemy raid.

A terrible malice that had appeared—no, deliberately targeted—the moment Silvia was absent.

Despite realizing this, my body remained paralyzed with confusion.

Should I run? Or should I fight?

Unable to choose either, I stood there dumbfounded as Alice’s shout echoed, intensifying my confusion.

“Balder… you bastard!”

Balder?

A familiar name.

I had definitely heard that name before.

Where? Where had I heard it?

“Ah, our aggressive and barbaric virgin priestess, Alice Goldfield. I’m truly grateful for your help last time.”

“I won’t let you escape this time.”

“Your manner of addressing adults is still terrible. Ah… perhaps it’s because you’re of higher status than me? Even though the kingdom has already fallen. It seems that barbaric class system is still coiled inside your head.”

“This time, I’ll tear out that tongue of yours and crush it.”

“How frightening. With that sword of yours?”

Alice didn’t respond further.

It wasn’t that she was speechless or had nothing to say—her expression clearly conveyed that she didn’t want to exchange another word with him out of pure disgust.

A grayish-white flame bloomed from the gleaming blade of Alice’s sword.

The Holy Sword.

It was the sacred fang of the goddess that drove away demonic energy, cut down evil, and burned away wickedness.

The holy power mixed with the hot wind emanating from Alice’s body healed the burns on my arm that had been stinging.

Despite being several steps away from her, the effect was noticeable—truly, an immense amount of holy power was pouring from her body.

The man called Balder was wrapped in demonic energy.

Before such massive holy power, such demonic energy was like butter before a hot blade.

Yet the man calmly raised his hand with a relaxed expression.

The headless corpse of Maria slowly jutted forward, as if to shield the man’s body.

“With that sword that cut down your friend?”

“…!”

“My goodness. Even though the Goddess Church has collapsed, how could an Inquisitor of the Goddess Church treat a friend’s corpse so carelessly before proper funeral rites?”

“You… you son of a bitch I’ll tear apart…”

Alice glared at the man with a ferocious expression I had never seen before.

I too was shocked once again.

Judging from their conversation, that corpse was not an illusion but actually Maria’s real body.

The man, seemingly enjoying our confusion, gave a sinister smirk before putting on an exaggeratedly sad expression and saying:

“She may be your friend, but to me, she’s my niece. You’re being too harsh.”

“… Ah,”

His niece?

Maria?

Then… surely…

Ah, Balder.

Ah, aaaaah.

It had been so long since I’d met him that I’d forgotten, but now I remembered.

Balder, Balder Staff.

That was definitely the name of my uncle who worked as a mercenary.

He didn’t get along well with my father, so I had only met him a few times, and my father rarely spoke about him, but I had definitely heard that his name was Balder.

“… Uncle?”

“No!”

Alice shouted.

“That’s not your uncle! He’s a traitor to humanity, garbage who sided with the Demon King! A fucking bastard who’s desecrating Maria!”

“How harsh and vulgar. It seems the elders of the Count’s family weren’t very good at home education?”

“Don’t you dare mention my parents with that mouth!”

“Try to stop me. Try to sever this neck from my body with that precious sword supposedly bestowed by that whore you call a goddess.”

“Fine, I’ll grant your wish right now!”

“Ah, of course, I’ll counter with a new weapon.”

Balder slowly raised one hand.

Maria’s head, which had been suspended in mid-air as if nailed there, descended like a dance and attached itself to her severed neck.

“It’s not as impressive as that holy sword, but it’s a weapon the Demon King personally bestowed upon me. Using it well is my duty as his servant.”

Maria’s eyes suddenly opened wide.

“The weapon’s name is Maria Staff.”

Maria began chanting a spell.

Simultaneously, dozens of large ice pillars plunged into the ground.

Being somewhat of a magician myself, albeit a minor one, I could sense the massive magical power being consumed in an instant.

Overwhelming magical power, overwhelming calculation speed.

Even if this Maria was fake, that magic was definitely hers.

Alice leaped forward.

Ice pillars much thicker than a human body pierced through Alice’s body as if bursting it, but her body regenerated intact where the ice had passed through.

“Balder!”

“Alice.”

Maria’s lips moved, letting out a voice.

“Will you cut me down?”

“…!”

“Will you let me die? Again?”

Alice swung her sword.

She swung it with such fierce power and without hesitation that the hot wind ruffled my hair.

Seeing how the severed neck reattached, it was easy to tell that Maria was no longer human.

No, to be precise, it wasn’t even Maria anymore.

Alice surely knew this fact.

Whether it was an undead or simply a puppet moved by demonic energy, I couldn’t tell, but if cut by the holy sword filled with sacred power, that entity mimicking Maria would cease to function.

Therefore, there was no hesitation in Alice’s arm as she swung her sword.

“… Alice.”

“…!”

“You’ve really changed.”

Alice’s sword stopped abruptly just before touching Maria’s body.

“How can you swing at me with such sincerity? Knowing that I’ll die if cut by that sword?”

“Eek!”

It wasn’t Alice’s will.

She pulled her arm with all her might, but her body didn’t budge.

Just like Maria’s corpse had been, she was suspended in mid-air, pinned in place.

Alice rolled her eyes to look to the side.

Balder was making a gesture toward Alice with a hideous smile.

“You…”

“Ah, I didn’t think you’d actually try to cut her down. You’re less swayed by emotions than I thought? I assumed you’d be emotional since you’re always screaming like a madwoman.”

“Balder…! You bastard!”

Fine threads were pouring from Balder’s fingertips.

Being so thin that they were barely visible even in bright light, they would be even harder to notice in this pitch darkness.

Hundreds of threads from his hands were tightly wrapped around Maria’s body.

And some were binding Alice’s arms and legs.

“I prepared this just in case, and I’m glad I did. I didn’t think you’d actually try to cut her down, but even if you did, you’d have to approach closely.”

“…”

“Come to think of it, you fell into a similar trap last time too. When your head is bad, your body suffers. Isn’t that right, Miss Alice?”

“Urgh!”

“You’d regenerate quickly even if those arms and legs were torn off, right? How disgusting. Really.”

“Balder!”

“I’ll keep you tied up for a while, shall we watch together?”

Balder’s head slowly turned toward me.

“The sight of an older sister killing her younger brother is something rarely seen even in this chaotic world.”

“No… stop!”

Maria’s entire body slowly rotated toward me.

Maria slowly opened her mouth.

“Ash. My little brother.”

“… Sister.”

“You’ve grown a lot, almost unrecognizable.”

“…”

Maria spoke in a gentle voice.

I shook my head.

That’s not my sister speaking.

That’s just a corpse.

A corpse being controlled like a puppet by Balder.

My sister never spoke to me in such a gentle tone.

Known throughout Goldfield as a tomboy, she always teased me with mischievous words.

“It’s been a while, and I’m really disappointed.”

“…”

“Of course, you were always lacking. You tried to become a magician like me, but you were trash without even a speck of talent.”

Ah, no.

My sister would never berate me like that.

“But even for trash like you, I never thought you’d come all this way and not cast a single spell at me.”

“Sister…”

“It’s shameful. That you’re my brother. Why are you still alive? You escaped with Laila when our parents died, right? Did Laila die? Are you the only one who survived?”

“…”

“It’s disgusting. I wish Laila had lived instead of someone like you.”

I know.

I sincerely think so too.

“Don’t be ridiculous! Ash’s parents were killed by you! Balder!”

“Shh, you should be quiet when watching a performance. What did Count Goldfield teach you! This is basic manners that even a mere mercenary like me knows!”

“Ash! Run away, quickly!”

“What an ill-mannered audience,”

“Gack!”

In an instant, Alice’s mouth was forced wide open, and several teeth were pulled out and scattered in the air.

Despite her open mouth, Alice was choking back her screams.

“Wow, you’re enduring this? I guess you just endure the pain since they’ll grow back anyway? That’s touching. Really.”

Balder stuck out his tongue as he watched Alice.

Then he looked back at me and said:

“Say something in response, nephew. Your sister is talking to you.”

“Yes, Ash. Do something. Cast a spell, throw a stone, or at least curse at me. You pathetic insect.”

My head feels numb.

Beyond confusion, I was becoming increasingly dazed.

I slowly dropped to one knee on the ground.

“What? Begging for your life? Is that all you could think of? Ash Staff. Ugh, I’m embarrassed to share the Staff surname with you. It’s too honorable a name for someone like you. Don’t you agree?”

“… That’s right.”

“Fine, I understand well enough what a miserable piece of trash you are.”

Maria slowly raised her hand toward me and closed her mouth.

Probably the next thing flowing from those lips would be not words but a spell.

I’m scared.

That overwhelming magic, praised unanimously by both Alice and Silvia, will pour down to tear me apart.

With no strength left in my body, I slowly dropped my other knee to the ground.

With a trembling voice, I slowly opened my mouth.

“That’s right… the Staff surname… doesn’t suit me.”

Balder sighed with disappointment and said:

“… Hah, mere self-loathing.”

“It never suited me… not once…”

“This is boring. You’re such a dull man. Are you really Maria’s brother? Well, being the son of that brother, it’s natural you’d be dull and stupid. Maria was the only special one.”

“Well… I am…”

No one saw it.

Not Balder, not Maria, not even Alice.

None of them saw.

“A spirit sorcerer.”

They didn’t see Pia, who had been clinging to my back from the beginning, sinking her teeth into my neck and drinking my blood.

“Ash, I’m ready.”

I responded weakly.

“You drank too much…”

“I know.”

Pia slowly raised her body.

Her head rose strangely high as she straightened her waist.

Higher and higher, beyond what I had expected.

“Pia…?”

“I’ll protect Ash instead.”

Silver hair with perky fox ears fluttered like a curtain.

Beyond that silver curtain, I could see a slender waist contrasted by full breasts and hips.

“…!”

Standing there was a healthy teenage girl in a precarious outfit—the crude leather armor I had made barely wrapped around the middle of her body.