Ch.92Two Heroes (1)

# Sylvia

The name that flowed from the woman’s lips in the darkness was clearly her own.

“Do you know me?”

“As if I could forget the face of the great hero?”

The other responded with a voice mixed with clear hostility and mockery.

Just as when she threw the leather, her manner of speaking to Sylvia was extremely casual and informal.

It was as if she were addressing someone she knew.

“Who are you?”

“Alice.”

The woman revealed her name straightforwardly without any additional sneering or sarcasm, and stepped forward.

Her face, which had been buried in darkness, became visible under the moonlight.

A woman with dark chestnut hair and a rather sharp impression.

Her face was quite beautiful, but her expression, distorted with anger and hatred, and the deep signs of fatigue seamlessly interwoven between those expressions, packaged her impression as fierce and frightening.

An unfamiliar face.

It seemed somewhat familiar, but she had no particular memory of seeing someone with such a fierce impression.

Sylvia asked once more.

“Do you know me?”

“Ha,”

Alice snorted as if in disbelief.

To ask the same question again, even after seeing her face.

She glared at Sylvia with a sneer on her lips.

“Am I too insignificant for the great hero to remember?”

“…”

“Ha, you really are a fucking bitch,”

“I don’t know someone like you.”

Through the dark brown bob hair that had fallen forward, golden eyes glared at Sylvia.

Those eyes were constantly emitting holy power.

“…Those eyes,”

“What about my eyes,”

“…Holy power,”

“That’s right, seeing you makes holy power gush out. I wonder why?”

Alice raised the corners of her mouth and glared fiercely at Sylvia, then slowly opened her mouth.

“Why does just seeing your face make holy power burst from my eyes? As if desperately trying to burn something trying to enter my eyes… It’s irritating how hot it gets.”

“…Does the curse not work?”

“A curse… so that’s what it was.”

Sylvia looked at the other with an astonished expression.

Despite having clearly beheaded her, she had come back to life, and even had eyes that could block the Demon Lord’s curse.

Her holy power far surpassed the level of an ordinary priest or holy knight.

She might even be a saint produced by the Goddess Church.

But her attitude was too fierce to be a saint, and her manner of speaking was too rough for a saint.

“Fuck, the only thing different about my face from before is just my eyes, yet you’re just sitting there staring at them.”

“…Have we met before?”

“I’m not even worth remembering, is that it?”

“…”

Alice gritted her teeth, then slowly drew her sword from the scabbard at her waist and said.

“Well, fine. I don’t care about that anyway, I know I’m not worth much.”

“…”

“The real important question is this. Why is the great hero spreading curses as if she were a demon? And…”

“…”

Something in the atmosphere changed.

Alice’s expression hardened, losing its sneer.

Sylvia could clearly feel the anger that had been radiating wildly from Alice’s body in all directions gathering, gradually transforming into hot, sharp killing intent.

Alice spoke in a low, growling voice.

“What have you done to my Ash?”

My Ash?

A vein bulged on Sylvia’s forehead.

My?

Ash?

What the fuck gives this bitch the right to talk about Ash like that? How long has she even known him?

She probably hasn’t even seen his face without the mask,

Ah, since the curse doesn’t work because of those eyes, maybe she has seen Ash’s face?

Even if she has, fuck, who does she think she is,

“Don’t speak so casually about him.”

“…What?”

“He’s my Ash. You unknown creature.”

“Ha, are you insane?”

Sylvia came to a conclusion.

She’s a crazy bitch.

At first, she thought she might be someone from her past with a grudge, but it seems she’s a patient with delusions of grandeur.

She must have seen me as a hero from afar and deluded herself into thinking she has some connection with me.

Just two days, or at most less than a month, and she’s already calling Ash ‘my Ash’ – that psychotic statement confirms it.

“You’re the insane one. I see even holy power can’t cure madness.”

“What nonsense. Coming from a fallen hero who’s in bed with demons.”

Sylvia bent slightly at the waist and brought her hand to her side.

Her sword wasn’t there.

She had put it down when it got in the way while kissing Ash, and hadn’t brought it with her.

It was because she hadn’t felt particularly tense due to the difference in skill she had sensed earlier in the day.

She had been overconfident.

In fact, it was natural since Sylvia hadn’t once been tense about confronting others or monsters with force during the past few years spent in the forest.

Sylvia sighed and thought.

‘She’s not an opponent I can’t defeat barehanded. I’m actually quite comfortable even without a weapon… but,’

As Ash’s name flowed from the other’s lips, an insane tension swirled in her mind.

She was confused because she couldn’t understand the cause of this tension.

Is it not tension but anger?

Sylvia clenched her fists and slowly lowered her stance.

She looked ready to rush in and crush those golden eyes and pretty face at any moment.

“You’re the one who shouldn’t speak so casually about Ash,”

“You bitch,”

“If you had any conscience.”

“What?”

The moment Sylvia asked back, Alice’s sword flew instantly before her eyes.

Sylvia dodged the sword by tilting her head to the side and then punched Alice squarely in her armor.

“Kueok!!”

Sylvia’s fist sank into the armor as if being sucked in.

Alice’s body seemed to float in the air for a moment from the impact, then flew back greatly.

Sylvia’s fist, which had struck the solid metal, was unharmed, and instead, the armor caved inward the size of her fist.

The armor, dented inward, dug into Alice’s body, tearing and crushing her internal organs.

Sylvia rushed toward Alice, who was groaning and clutching her stomach while crouched low to the ground.

“This, this is!”

Alice, who was trying to rise using her sword as support, gritted her teeth and swallowed her breath at the sight of Sylvia’s face suddenly appearing at her feet.

Sylvia grabbed Alice’s foot, spun her around in a circle, and threw her far away.

Alice tried to curl up her body in preparation for the impact, but was too late due to the pain of her armor piercing her body.

Her body hit a large tree, creating a huge dent, and slowly fell to the ground.

Sylvia, who had approached by then, stepped on Alice’s head, grinding it against the tree, and said.

“Ash was tired today. He shouldn’t be woken up,”

“You… fuck,”

“Now it’s getting cold, and he’ll catch a cold if he sleeps alone. I need to go hold him”

“You… conscienceless bitch.”

“So tell me quickly.”

“…”

“What did you do with Ash?”

At that moment, Alice kicked Sylvia’s leg that was standing on the ground.

Losing her balance, Sylvia fell and spotted a sword coming straight at her.

Unfortunately, she couldn’t avoid it, but it wasn’t a big deal.

After all, this curse doesn’t allow fatal wounds to me,

“Kuk!!”

The sword that sharply tore into Sylvia’s abdomen pinned her to the ground.

Alice raised her arm, irritably undid the fastening straps of her armor, threw it to the ground, and said while stepping on Sylvia’s chest.

“How did you get that curse? Did you receive it as payment for begging the Demon Lord to spare your life?”

“What… what did you say?”

“With such a background, how dare you approach Ash?”

“What?”

“After leaving Maria to die like that, how could you, who betrayed humanity!”

“Shut up!”

“That’s my line.”

Alice pressed down on the sword embedded in Sylvia’s abdomen with both hands and infused it with holy power.

*

The moment her head was severed by Sylvia during the day, Alice could clearly perceive with her rolling vision.

The face of the woman who attacked her.

Though she looked like a ghost with her disheveled hair and blood-red eyes, she was clearly the hero Sylvia.

While the machine in her chest thumped to maintain her body, and as she staggered around searching for her head, Alice kept thinking.

How is she alive?

I heard the hero Sylvia had died,

What’s with that ghostly appearance?

And what about those ominous red eyes?

By the time the morning sun that had just risen was setting beyond the forest, spreading night,

Even as the body, which had finally found the head that had rolled quite far, carefully picked up Alice’s head and brushed off the dirt stuck to the severed surface before reattaching it, Alice couldn’t organize her confused thoughts.

It was natural, if anything.

Ash, whom she thought was dead, was alive, and he didn’t want to leave this forest while hiding his face.

The hero Sylvia, whom she thought was dead, was alive, and she attacked her suddenly without reason.

The fact that even one of them was alive would be big news, but both were alive, and their behavior was equally bizarre, so Alice was confused and couldn’t grasp the situation.

One thing was certain: neither of them could be considered in a normal state.

Ash was sick due to demonic energy, and Sylvia… well, she wasn’t sure, but she was clearly insane.

Having fully recovered, Alice hurriedly made her way to the lakeside.

Partly to approach the truth that would explain this confusing situation,

Partly because she wanted to see Ash,

But most of all, because she was worried that Sylvia, who was wandering the forest in madness, might harm Ash.

This place wasn’t far from the lakeside, so she couldn’t help but worry.

Hoping that Ash was safe, she quickened her pace and reached Ash’s cabin, only to find Sylvia walking out of it.

Through the slightly open door, she could see Ash’s collapsed body, but fortunately, he seemed to be just asleep.

The moment she made eye contact with Sylvia, her heart pounded again, pouring out a massive amount of holy power that heated Alice’s eyes.

As she frowned at the heat that was almost unbearable,

Alice’s confused thoughts finally began to organize gradually.

Holy power is a force that protects humanity and burns away demonic energy.

The reason why the holy power engine embedded in her chest went crazy whenever she faced Sylvia, just like earlier in the day.

Though she couldn’t be certain, it was clear that Sylvia was wielding demonic power.

Judging by the holy power pouring from her eyes, it must be some curse or magic related to the eyes.

Come to think of it, Ash also mentioned having an eye-related illness.

Eventually, Alice came to a conclusion.

Sylvia had fallen and joined hands with demons, and for reasons unknown, she had transferred a curse to Ash and was keeping him bound.

Alice’s expression contorted with anger.

How dare she.

You, who couldn’t even prevent Maria’s life from being sacrificed.

You, who couldn’t kill the Demon Lord and bowed your head…

Now… even Ash?

How,

How can you do such a thing while wearing the guise of a human?

How, once again, my family, once again!

Perhaps,

Perhaps Sylvia has already become a demon.

Because if she were human, she couldn’t do such a thing with such a calm face.

A betrayer of humanity and an enemy of humanity,

Alice concluded that Sylvia was an evil being who deserved to be thrown into a pigsty.

“Kak!”

Holy power flows in through the blade stuck in Sylvia’s abdomen.

The machine in her heart made a loud noise as it turned.

The holy golden power of the goddess that destroys demons.

Even if it were the Demon Lord, pouring such a large amount of holy power inside the body would not guarantee survival.

That’s what she thought.

However, she could see Sylvia’s wound healing more and more as she poured in holy power.

Sensing something strange, Alice quickly pulled out the sword and jumped back.

Sylvia staggered and slowly rose to her feet.

“…Why did you heal me?”

“I didn’t intend to heal you, ha, it seems you haven’t given your body to demons at least?”

“I never gave my heart either,”

“Don’t bullshit me.”

Sylvia slowly exhaled.

The sharp pain she tasted after a long time lit up her mind.

It seemed that Alice’s holy power had penetrated the curse and wounded Sylvia’s body.

That meant Alice could kill Sylvia.

“Ha, haha…”

“…”

“Ahahahahahaha!”

Sylvia burst into laughter.

She couldn’t help but laugh.

Damn fate.

The death she had so desperately wanted was right before her eyes.

But she couldn’t die now.

She couldn’t die to this woman of all people.

If she died now, she would lose Ash.

Why,

Why on earth did the opportunity for death she had so desperately wanted come only after she had fallen in love with Ash?

Sylvia felt dumbfounded at how much more this cursed fate would torment her.

She wasn’t even angry anymore.

She could only laugh.

Alice, watching Sylvia laugh like a madwoman, said in a disgusted voice.

“…Crazy bitch,”

“Alice.”

“…”

“I remember now, Alice.”

“Ha, only now?”

Sylvia looked at Alice with a face full of laughter and said.

“That reject who failed the test because she was too weak when Maria asked me to let her join the party.”

Snap,

The sound of Alice clenching her teeth echoed in the empty air.

“…Shut up.”

“I had expectations because you were Maria’s friend, but I was dumbfounded by how weak you were.”

“I said shut up,”

“Maria even apologized later, saying she didn’t know you were that weak.”

“Can’t you hear me telling you to shut up?”

“Are you trying to deny it? But what can we do when it’s the truth?”

“Just like it’s the truth that you just watched Maria die while sucking your thumb?”

At that moment, the laughter that had been drifting through the forest suddenly disappeared.

From Sylvia’s red eyes emanated a killing intent as cold as ice, and from Alice’s golden eyes poured hot anger.

The gazes of the two women crossed in the empty air.

Standing motionless, the two women glared at each other with hatred overflowing in their eyes.

It was Alice who moved first, taking a stance.

Alice raised her sword and said.

“I will take back my family, Ash.”

Sylvia also slowly lowered her body and sneered.

“Ash is my family.”

“Crazy bitch,”

“Shall we ask Ash? You’re just a childhood friend at best.”

Alice shook her head and said.

“Get your hands off my fiancé, you crazy bitch.”

The moment those words left Alice’s mouth, all composure vanished from Sylvia’s expression.

So that’s what it was.

Sylvia finally realized the reason for the tension she had felt earlier.

‘Thankfully, I am engaged to your daughter, the young lady…’

‘I hope my sister is doing well.’

Although she didn’t doubt for a moment that Ash loved her, the person who had taken a place in Ash’s memories that she had felt several times until now.

Ah, I see.

Maria’s friend.

Ash’s fiancée.

The term “sister” that he called not with an effort to hide embarrassment, but with such familiarity.

The young lady of the Goldfield Count family.

Alice Goldfield.

“So it’s you.”

She had clenched her fist so tightly that Sylvia’s nails were embedded in her palm, drawing blood.

And her eyes were of a deeper and more ominous red than that blood.