Reality was not so easy.
Even then, and even now.
[Can you come for a moment? This is quite an important matter.]
“Uh… Just a moment.”
Erica was a ranker. A talent of the Association, as they said. It had been some time since she joined the Association, and her outstanding abilities became known.
There were many times when she was needed, and many calls for her.
But she also had her priorities.
“When will it be over?”
[It shouldn’t take long… around 8 o’clock, I suppose.]
Her appointment with Er was at 7. Would it be possible to delay by an hour?
If she focused on her work, she might be able to finish quickly.
“So, Er. I’m sorry. I might be a bit late.”
[So that’s why you went out. Yeah, I got it, sis. I’ll just dress up and wait for you at the right time.]
The voice on the other end was calm.
She finished her tasks faster than she expected. Once she set her mind to finishing quickly, she knew she could wrap things up, especially with her younger sister waiting on her.
The way to meet Er after leaving the Association was slightly different from usual. The streets were dim and dreary. Usually, there were some people around at about 8 o’clock, but today they seemed to be absent.
However, she didn’t particularly care. The bustling street where they would spend time together would be bright, and Er would surely enjoy it.
They would browse through shops, do some shopping, and then dine out.
She had already made reservations at a restaurant that suited Er’s taste. Everything was ready.
As she walked a little further, she spotted Er at the entrance of the bustling street.
She was still beautiful. Adorable. And precious.
Long hair that she usually didn’t wear down and had adorned with earrings, a small bag that was luxurious yet neat.
A slightly oversized coat over a black tee, all of it together evoked the image of a painting.
Her makeup was light, and as soon as she spotted Erica, she waved and ran over as if she were a cute animal recognizing its owner.
Erica responded in kind and approached to embrace her.
If only there weren’t a loud commotion to draw attention.
“Gate! It’s a gate, damn it!”
“Wasn’t today supposed to be okay?!”
An unsettling sound like the tearing of space echoed, and a dark crack began to form in the alley leading to the bustling street.
It was then that she recalled the reason why she had been summoned to the Association today.
– Originally, today was supposed to be a regular day. Besides, there have been signs of a crack around your house. Just to be safe, you see.
In the past year, the gate cycle had never been interrupted. Though she was relieved to know that, the citizens of the city began to adapt to that fact.
Erica was no different. She didn’t want to believe it. Signs often disappeared quickly.
Moreover, she hoped today wouldn’t be an exception. No, it couldn’t be.
For herself, and for Er.
A scar that looked like someone stabbed a sword into space was being consumed by a purple root, rapidly evolving into a gate, skipping several required stages.
“Erica!!”
With a voice calling her, the hunters from the Association appeared across the street.
And then the noise erupted.
It was in an instant. The demons sprang forth.
With wings and horns, grotesque faces and bodies, they began to emerge in a space that matched human size.
To Erica, it felt like the world was crumbling.
Why? Why today of all days? Why? What did I do wrong? Is wanting my younger sister, my only younger sister, to be happy such a mistake?
Why has it been twisted like this since last time, from the beginning, long ago?
There was no time to think. She had to get Er to safety first.
This situation was something the Association’s experts could handle.
Quickly making her judgment, she ran toward Er.
It was at that moment. High-level demons began to spill out of the gate with alarming speed.
Some of those occupying the ground suddenly lunged toward Er.
It didn’t seem like they were just following a demon’s instincts. Instead, it felt as if they were targeting Er specifically.
In an instant, three Drakuls, with wings fluttering, clung to Er and quickly darted down an alley.
“Er!!!”
Erica quickly stretched her arm back to gather her magic power. She condensed it into the shape of a spear. As she thrust her arm forward, it pierced through everything on the ground and slashed into the air.
With a muffled sound, she shot down one of the Drakuls that was holding onto Er.
Erica ran straight ahead. She surrounded her body with magic power and increased her speed. Swinging the sword she created from her magic, she smashed through the demons blocking her path. Thankfully, the Drakuls were flying low.
She quickly pursued them, turning into the alley. Blood spattered, and her breathing grew ragged.
When her stamina began to wane, Erica realized it was human wave tactics. Oddly enough, there were way too many demons blocking her way. The number emerging from the gate shouldn’t have been this many.
Most of the demons appeared to be converging toward her.
It felt like they were trying to stop her.
Frustration simmered within her. She gasped for breath, her strength fading. She could have handled any demon below mid-tier, yet the aftereffects of her recent battle hadn’t fully subsided.
Facing off against dozens of high-level demons alone was overwhelming.
But she couldn’t give up. Her younger sister deserved to be happy. Erica felt there were too few memories with Er. Er must have felt deprived of her company.
However, her sister was a ranker. She was living a busy life at the Association. Smart as she was, Er might have thought that she’d be a disturbance in her sister’s daily life.
At such a young age, she hadn’t even been able to yearn for love, wondering how she had endured each passing day. The feelings waiting for her sister, who didn’t even come home, must have torn her apart.
Erica wanted to cry immediately. She wanted to tear her hair out and sit down. She wanted to blame herself, the world, and everything.
Couldn’t she have done even a little better? If only she had been a bit stronger, if only a little bit…
Her breath came in sharper gasps. Her hands and body had long been stained with blood. This was sin and punishment. The situation where she could only watch as Er was being kidnapped was hell.
She couldn’t even see Er’s face. The demons were too large.
She couldn’t even hear her voice. It was too noisy around her.
Because she was weak, because she was insufficient.
Not being able to rescue her for even a single moment faster.
With wounds all over her body, Erica gathered strength in her hands. Gritting her teeth, she poured magic power into her body, causing blood to burst forth.
The shockwave surged, and a massive sword flowed into her hands. As she swung her arm, a brilliant line sliced through the air. It pierced through what was blocking her and shattered the ground. She had a clear view of the two Drakuls flying in the air.
Her heart raced painfully, and she felt her body straining its limits. Erica squeezed every bit of strength into her sword, covering it with light. Words etched into the blade glimmered.
She aimed her hand and designated a target. The moment the Drakul turned its body mid-air, she thrust the sword forward. The sword’s strike erupted and tore through the space. A beam of light shot forth, obliterating every creature in its path.
The Drakul’s body was pierced, and its scream filled the space. Erica dove as Er fell, catching her.
Erica rolled on the ground and leaned against the wall. The world quickly fell silent, and the turbulent air calmed. She looked down to check Er’s condition.
“Sis…”
“…Er.”
She didn’t care what happened to her own body. Even if the blood pouring from her mouth soaked her, even if her pounding heart felt like it would burst, it was okay.
Even if her abdomen was gouged and her sight blurred, it didn’t matter as long as Er was alright.
Erica rubbed her eyes and looked down at her. On the surface, she didn’t seem to have any particular problems. Her breathing was rough, and her clothes and face were a bit dirty, but that was nothing to worry about.
“I… over here… my heart hurts.”
Thump.
Erica felt like the world was collapsing.
“Her life is not in danger.”
The doctor put down the chart in the hospital room.
“It’s a curse cast by high-level demons, and it’s a rare type that’s not well known. It’s a spell that casts a curse near the heart, causing various illnesses. From the demons’ perspective, they must have coveted Er’s heart because she inherited Erica’s abilities. It seems they tried to do something with a spell.”
Erica held her breath, waiting for the next part.
“Since this curse doesn’t take effect immediately, it was said that Er had been captured by a Drakul for an extended period, right? I suspect the curse was likely cast then. Fortunately, since Er inherited Erica’s abilities, the symptoms aren’t severe.”
“Thank goodness…”
Erica was the top in terms of recovery and regeneration among swordmasters.
Er nodded with a relieved expression. Erica remained silent.
“However, as an aftereffect, she will be easily fatigued, and she probably won’t be able to do anything active… for as long as the antidote takes to be released.”
In other words, for life.
The hospital room was quiet.
Erica fought the urge to tear her hair out. She struggled to breathe.
If only it were my fault, if only I had been a bit stronger, if only I had been a bit faster.
She had trained herself to seek out great power. Because of that, she couldn’t be by her only younger sister’s side. Even when she suffered from endless headaches, she justified it as a path for Er.
But the outcome was brutal. She hadn’t been able to protect Er, and now she was a wreck. Yet in that hospital room earlier, Er had been mindful of her feelings. Because she was so kind. She thought more about Erica’s condition than her own. She would have preferred it if Er had scolded her instead.
Erica spat out what was in her throat after coughing repeatedly. She caught it desperately with her hands and rushed to the bathroom. Something inside was boiling.
Not only could she not be there with Er, she hadn’t been able to protect her. It felt like she was only suffering from endless self-loathing.
“…Ha.”
Erica splashed her face with cold water and banged her head against the glass wall a few times. Countless thoughts intertwined and broke apart.
She needed immense power. She wanted to stand at a peak where no one could reach her. She needed a colossal weapon capable of passing judgment on sin. The endless desire rose within her and pressed down on her mind.
Move.
Erica pushed herself even harder. She trained every day and dove into every incident she came across. She took the lead in subjugating monsters and conquering gates. She punished criminals and gasped for breath as she faced their countless heinous acts.
Every day she didn’t forget to visit Er. She brought her favorite foods and entertainment for her to enjoy while staying in the hospital. Every time before entering the hospital, she maintained her expression.
“How’s your body?”
“What? I’m fine! You should take it easy instead, sis! Don’t worry about me!”
“Yeah. I’m doing that. What shall we do today?”
Every time she entered the hospital room, Erica had to suffer the endless sins. Her hatred for herself and her anger toward the world adorned her. But there was no alternative for her. All she could do was keep moving.
Even when gates didn’t open, she kept busy. She faced incidents that happened at every moment in the metropolitan area. The crime scenes of the Awakened were horrific to the point of being desperate.
Blood filled her body, and the heavy scent of magic power constantly lingered around her. When she regained her senses, she found herself bleeding on the battlefield. She groaned in pain from the attacks of criminals.
As the days passed, her hatred for monsters and contempt for the Awakened grew to the heavens. It was only natural. If those types didn’t exist in the world, her struggles wouldn’t be as hard. She could have spent precious time with her precious people.
But she didn’t sigh. She didn’t lament. That wasn’t something a grown-up would do. That wasn’t something someone who was bearing their sins would do.
She could endure even when her blood surged and her heart throbbed painfully. Even when her breath felt short and her brain throbbed as if it would burst, she could endure as long as she could keep her smile.
“Hello.”
Therefore, the being before her—a girl with silver hair—
Was an irregular existence that Erica, who had processed countless incidents and conquered gates, could not approach.
She couldn’t comprehend. She couldn’t get closer. The girl acted with nonchalance. Always relaxed and performing actions beyond common sense.
It was only natural that she surpassed Erica’s magic power. With languid movements, she severed Erica in one strike.
She had to kill her.
That thought crossed her mind.
It was a tremendous power she had never experienced before. If she didn’t overcome this girl, there would be no future ahead. So she thought, and she acted.
Even when her abdomen was slashed by the sword, felt like she was dying, even when she was dizzy from the overwhelming magic power, the thought of never being able to let this being in front of her live dominated her mind.
Evil must be punished, and the city’s security must be maintained. Those who evoke disgust must be treated in such a way.
But in the end, she couldn’t do it. A wall was felt. Her heart throbbed painfully, and her breath grew ragged. Her arms and legs had long been broken.
Just when she thought she was about to die, she yelled with all her remaining strength.
“I will kill you!”
The girl smiled. Erica could not grasp the meaning. Overwhelmed by something, she couldn’t comprehend the meaning behind that smile.
Was she amusing herself by toyed with? Or was she merely laughing out of disbelief?
Without taking her smile away, the girl vanished from that spot.
It was the same when facing the golem.
The one she so despised and loathed remained calm. No, she seemed oddly tired.
But that didn’t matter. Evil must be punished, and what was in front of her was a golem that harmed people.
Erica was exhausted beyond measure in her duel with the golem. Her breath felt like it would tear apart, her brain felt hazy. Her mind had been crushed long ago. Even when her whole body burst and blood spilled forth, she did not give up.
Why? She didn’t know.
It just became that way somewhere along the line. Under the pretext of punishing evil and maintaining order, under the burden of her original sin for failing to protect her younger sister, she became that kind of being.
Even when she was hit in the abdomen and chest by the golem, when her legs were broken, and her body cried out in agony, in the countless memories that passed by,
Suddenly,
She thought that perhaps it wouldn’t be so bad to live this way until she died.
But then, who would kill that girl?
When that thought crossed her mind, strength surged through her body. With everything she had, she crushed the core of the golem. Just when her limits were hit and her body was about to collapse, the girl’s face flashed through her mind.
Why.
Why was she smiling?
She simply couldn’t, she couldn’t possibly comprehend the meaning of that smile.
Even when that girl was now approaching her, in the midst of a vast battlefield, as she headed toward herself who was collapsing toward death.
She couldn’t grasp it.
Not even a tiny bit.
