I was at a loss for words; nothing came out.
It felt as if my tongue had turned to stone. Every time I tried to squeeze my vocal cords, my uvula quivered.
My younger sister, the one I had lost a long time ago.
The words floating in my mind were all jumbled. Language that could not form into sentences was nothing but a lonely image, scattering away. I wanted to vomit out the emotions that rose up inside me.
Why had she only appeared now?
And why did it have to be at this moment?
What on earth had she done, did she even realize how many sins she had committed?
However, all those questions were blocked by a single word. There was an original sin weighing heavily on my chest.
My younger sister.
Yes, I abandoned her.
Perhaps it was my parents who decided to abandon my sister first. But after defeating the Corpse Giant, I was the one who decided not to look for my sister’s whereabouts.
The truth was, I was afraid.
I could not even fathom what might have happened to my sister, who had been captured by the Dark Cult. Or I worried that it might hurt Liya. No, I thought my family and I might become foreign substances in my sister’s life, which she had separated from once.
That was an excuse.
There were many excuses, but ultimately my choice was a miserable escape.
Isn’t that conclusion right here before my eyes?
The muscles in my face twitched. So many emotions surged within me that I didn’t even know what expression to make. Various ripples swept across my complexion.
Twisting, crumbling, biting my lips for a long time.
The girl burst into laughter.
“Puhuh, ahaha… Surprised? Were you shocked~? I’m sorry, I wanted to tell you in advance…”
Suddenly, I heard the sound of grinding teeth.
It was a noise filled with such intense emotions that I thought my molars might shatter. Bang! The girl, unable to contain her anger, stomped her foot, and with an explosion, dust filled the air.
Creek, cracks appeared in the rocky ground, and the underground gaped open.
Such was the power of sheer physical might. Compared to mine, the difference in physical ability was on another level.
What would happen when she engaged in proper combat?
Thus, I sank into fear and self-loathing.
Her skill was that great. There was no way she obtained it without any pain.
Surely, something had to be sacrificed.
As proof of this, a blue aura blazed in the girl’s golden eyes. For a moment, it felt as if all visibility, except for that will-o’-the-wisp, went dark.
Crack, crack.
The sound of white teeth crumbling resonated like sheet music, and a thick emotion of hatred spewed forth.
“The reunion of siblings shouldn’t be so dull, right? Don’t you think so, big brother?”
“Liya, I…”
I was bewildered about what to say. I stepped back hesitantly and placed my hand on my forehead to block my view.
Dizzy. It felt like I might faint right there.
Out of the swirling consciousness, the only question I managed to grasp was just a few words.
“…What have you done?”
“Hmm?”
At that, the darkness on the girl’s face dissipated.
Instead of the malicious aura reminiscent of a malignant spirit, the girl tilted her head with an unexpectedly innocent expression. I didn’t even have the mental capacity to be surprised by that incredible turnaround.
My hand flailed, pointing at her back.
Faceless monsters stood in formation like dolls.
It was clear that they had once been human.
“What in the world, what have you done… Liya! Do you even know what you have done?!”
“Ah-huh.”
Only then did the girl seem to grasp my words, and she smiled brightly.
With light steps, she walked toward the faceless monsters. As if she were a sales representative at a general store, the girl proudly spread her arms to greet them.
“I didn’t do anything, you know? I just granted a wish… But the transaction has to be fair, right? So as a merchant, I took my due payment.”
“A wish? To become a slave who has their body and soul taken away?”
The girl giggled.
And in a blink, the bloody sun flickered momentarily. After that, the light began to shine directly on a specific point.
Creeeak, krrk, keeeek.
Like a broken marionette, one of the faceless monsters creaked forward. In front of it, the girl drew the monster’s gaze with her arms as she began her proclamation in a clear voice.
“Lord Telon of the Delos School! He learned under the esteemed master of the magic world, but only his apprentice was recognized by a master who coveted money! He, who couldn’t even receive proper learning, longed for more knowledge. Then, after beginning a transaction with our association, he became exceptionally talented, and in a fit of rage! He killed his master and found his name listed on the Delos School’s death list. His choice of despair… is a secret?”
Winking at me with a charming glance, the girl’s eyes turned somewhere.
It was where a faint groan was emerging. It was Senior Elsi, who had been allowed a hit from the girl, struggling to rise.
Blood was dripping from her mouth. It was a clearly abnormal state.
As my expression grew urgent, the smile on the girl’s lips deepened.
“Today, I will personally teach the client’s pet!”
Kreeek!
A blood-red gleam erupted from the faceless monster’s eyes. With a deafening roar, the monster charged forward.
And in the void stood the pitch-black spheres.
Senior Elsi could not even stabilize her stance. At this rate, the outcome of the battle was clear.
A loud shout burst from my throat.
“Senior Elsi!”
Instinctively, I reached for my waist, grabbing my hand axe. All I could think about was saving Senior Elsi.
Just before I threw the axe.
Crack! My arm’s movement halted. Even when I gritted my teeth and tried to exert force, I only felt a sharp pain in my arm.
My bloodshot eyes turned toward my arm.
Now I could see it.
Fine lines of blood-red were covering this space like a spider web. My arm was trapped by dozens of threads, unable to move any further.
When did this happen?
That question disappeared while the girl took her leisurely steps. There was no hint of accomplishment in her expression, as if everything happening now was natural.
It was the difference in ability.
That fact became glaringly clear with that division. The girl had the power to control the space whenever and wherever.
Blink! The lights flickered again.
Two faceless monsters creaked forward. Bathing in blood, a scrawny corpse bowed politely.
Creeek, krrk, kek!
Amid that ridiculous sound, the girl bowed deeply.
“Brothers of the Holy Kingdom, MelSys! They had believed in and followed the chief priest of the village since childhood, but, how could this be? In fact, he was a demon who delighted in sexually assaulting young boys! Yet, lost in blind faith, the parents instead blamed the brothers… And then they met us by chance. After killing the chief priest and the parents, they set off on a long journey. Until they forgot the past and built a happy family, puhu… yes, until the forces of the Holy Kingdom arrived! Ultimately, they returned to us with the condition that only their family be spared!”
How vile.
I gritted my teeth. To dig into someone’s wounds and weaknesses and lay down conditions as if it were the only salvation for them.
Even though they knew well that the end would be destruction.
It was a cruel transaction.
Disguised as fair, its essence was no different from threats or coercion. I was in a mental state where I couldn’t consider any other alternatives.
But now was not the time to worry about others.
The girl’s eyes darted toward the side, and soon a polite smile followed.
“Today, I’ll be teaching the junior who tries to be clever and the kid who dreams too grandly!”
Kreeeeek!
With that declaration, the two monsters began to leap around on the ground. The black aura clinging to their limbs left a foreboding trajectory.
Yulen and Celin had finally just regained their senses.
I desperately tried to move my body. However, the bloody threads only tightened around me more and more.
A desperate scream erupted.
“Celin, Yulen!”
Just as Yulen had managed to lift herself, she spat out curses.
“Damn… I was only trying to bounce a bit!”
There were no words to respond with.
Then, an explosion echoed, and the battle began.
The groans coming from everywhere testified to the disadvantage of our party.
I felt like I might go half-mad.
My precious people were facing death. Yet I couldn’t do anything.
Despair, screams, blood.
Amid that, the girl moved in a seductive manner. The smile playing at the corners of her eyes was dangerously alluring.
“…Give up.”
With those words, my head turned white.
The blood-red whispers colored my mind.
“After all, there’s no chance of you winning against me… You know that, right? So just surrender quietly.”
My eyes shook with madness.
To submit like this?
One by one, memories fell away. For some unknown reason, memories with the Lady Virgin Saint poured down like a drizzle.
Emmanuel, Emmanuel…
Amid meaningless murmurs, the girl’s voice interjected.
“…There is no god.”
Heh heh, laughter continued.
“If there was, why wouldn’t they save me?”
Spinning around, the girl stretched her arms wide.
“Our lord gives sure rewards in exchange for sacrifices… But what about your lord?”
A pitch-black spot burrowed deep in my heart.
“Give in, despair, crumble…!”
The sweet whispers made me want to kneel.
A heavy groan escaped my lips.
I wanted to stop.
To collapse, to surrender, and to close my eyes.
But why couldn’t I do that?
Suddenly, a memory from a certain day flashed in my mind.
In a hazy scenery, a woman whispered to me.
‘…This is the will of the lord.’
The sensation of a white bolt piercing my spine.
I shivered, intoxicated by the tingling coursing through my body, and shouted uncontrollably.
“Greed, I propose a trade!”
The girl flinched, her relaxed demeanor suddenly turning stiff.
Then her frozen gaze turned toward me. With an infinitely serious face, the girl asked.
“…What are the conditions?”
My mouth involuntarily shut.
In fact, it was a spontaneous utterance, so I couldn’t remember any detailed proposals.
All I did was casually make a playful suggestion.
“Maybe, a heartfelt hug just once?”
That was nonsense.
What could I expect to gain with just that? I mistook her for someone quite similar to Liya.
Just when I halfway gave up.
“…Hmm.”
The girl began to seriously ponder, resting her chin on her hand.
In the blink of an eye, she said.
“Alright.”
With a snap, the girl clapped her hands, and the monster that was attacking Senior Elsi scattered like shadows.
Senior Elsi, who had been in the midst of battle, gasped for breath and looked at me.
Her expression filled with confusion.
But I, too, was equally baffled by the situation.
Only the girl, with her arms wide open, slightly blushed.
Avoiding my gaze shyly.
“You have to hug me for more than a minute, okay?”
I let out a chuckle and thought.
…This is actually working?
