I Can’t Run Away From the Girl Who Saved Me

116 – Let’s go back (3)

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“…Adversary.”

“That’s actually why you came to this forest, sister.”

“that’s right…”

I couldn’t help but laugh in vain at the flow of fate that, despite being twisted once, was corrected in such an exquisite direction.

But there was hardly any expression of cool positivity from my older sister.

My older sister just quietly looked down.

“Sister?”

“…Shall I be honest, Ash?”

“…?”

She said, shaking her head.

“Honestly… I don’t know.”

“…uh?”

“I’m not sure.”

She said, hugging my arm.

Her voice and gestures were filled with a deep sense of resignation.

“After I put this fucking mechanical heart on, I thought I could crush every son of a b*tch who got in my way.”

“…”

“Because in order to do that, I risked my life, underwent horrific procedures, and became a guinea pig for forbidden research.”

Little by little, my sister’s past, which I had never asked about in detail, was being revealed.

But even though she had only glimpsed the tip of the great truth that was still hidden, already ominous words were flowing out of her mouth.

Life, procedures, forbidden research.

I swallowed hard and waited for her to continue.

“But I lost. To Sylvia…”

“…ah,”

“I was the most angry I’ve ever been in my life, Ash. It was the greatest anger I’ve ever felt… I poured everything out and got angry, but in the end, it wasn’t enough to get to you, Hero…”

“Sister… It’s not shameful to lose to a warrior.”

“And the warrior lost to the Demon King. Ash.”

My sister cut me off and said:

There was fear in her hushed voice.

“There’s no way I can defeat the Demon King.”

“…”

I looked at Sister Alice, trying hard to hide my embarrassed expression.

Honestly, I thought she didn’t care.

I knew it was a terrible sight, but I had seen her recover so quickly, and I had also seen her hit Sylvia’s head as soon as she recovered, so I never thought she would say something like that.

One of the reasons I could ask Sylvia to forgive me was because, fortunately, she seemed fine at the moment.

However, the experience of being crushed like a piece of meat after fighting with Sylvia seemed to have left a deeper scar on her than I had guessed.

Although she didn’t appear to be suffering from any trauma, it was clear that her confidence and belief in her own strength had been shaken.

I said, taking her hand.

“… I told you too, Sister. The Demon King has become weak.”

“…”

“And, Sister, you’ve only lost to Sylvia so far. Seeing as how the monsters take a lot of damage from the divine power, it’s clear that the Demon King will do the same. Rather, in the old hero party…”

“Yes, there was no saint.”

I nodded and said.

“And that Sylvia who defeated my older sister. She’s a warrior. You know that. I won’t tell you to become friends. But if we fight together as comrades and not enemies, we can defeat the Demon King…”

“…under,”

Before I could finish speaking, she let out a sigh that was almost like a sigh.

“Sister?”

“Ash…”

“huh?”

“Sylvia isn’t going.”

I tilted my head at those words.

“What are you talking about?”

“I don’t know anything about the Demon King… I don’t want to be a hero anymore.”

“…what?”

“He told me to go alone.”

I swallowed a little.

Are you saying that Sylvia knew that the Demon King wasn’t dead?

I thought I would tell you when the time was right, but I never thought you would know in advance.

No, you knew that and yet you acted so calmly?

Even… he refused?

“…Really?”

“okay.”

I knew that Sylvia was tired of her fate as a warrior, but I never thought that she would actively reject it.

It was obviously strange that she, who had locked herself in this forest because of her mission as a warrior, did not care even though she knew that the Demon King was alive.

“…”

No, maybe that’s why.

Having grown up in a fiercely competitive environment since childhood, and having lost all the colleagues with whom I had difficulty sharing my feelings,

The past actions of Sylvia, who chose to die alone in this forest in order to avoid causing harm to the world as a warrior.

When I think back on that sad life story, I can vividly feel how disillusioned she must have been with the name and role of a warrior.

Perhaps the reason the two fought was because of their different positions on the journey to the Demon King.

I was thinking those thoughts in my head.

but…

“Sylvia…”

Even so,

Even if I could understand Sylvia’s feelings, that didn’t mean I wasn’t surprised or disappointed by the fact.

Well, the Sylvia I know was a warrior with the courage and consciousness to willingly make the choice to lock herself in this forest.

Not only that, she has a strong will to persevere despite having nightmares every night, and she also has swordsmanship skills that can cut a giant bear in half with a single stroke.

Even in all those hellish situations and conditions, he had a noble heroic side that did not turn away from my body that was crying out for help.

It was not easy to believe or just ignore the fact that she refused to go even after hearing that the Demon King was alive.

“Why on earth…”

“He said he wanted to live here just having s*x with you.”

“…”

“You were bragging to me while beating me up about how great you were.”

“…”

“He was a little kid who just followed me around… but he’s become so stubborn now…”

Sister Alice glanced between my legs, trailing off.

I felt my face heat up and pressed my finger against my sister’s cheek, gently turning her head to the side.

“Why are you saying that… Ah,”

In that moment, a terrible truth flashed through my mind, enough to make my blushing face turn cold.

“… It’s me.”

When I first met Sylvia.

When she addresses me under the alias Millwood.

No matter how sad and miserable she was, the image I saw of her at that time clearly still had a warrior-like aspect to it.

Why would she, who was so brave despite struggling in pain to the point of fearing nightmares every night, think of throwing away her status as a warrior?

There was only one change that happened to her.

me.

The presence of Ash Staff.

“…because I am here.”

It may have been vulgar to say that I only wanted to live having s*x, but the meaning behind those words was more refined and clear.

She wanted to be with me more than she wanted to serve the cause as a warrior.

Sister Alice said that the outside of the forest was very chaotic, with signs of destruction hanging over the world.

I felt goosebumps all over my body.

“Because of me…”

This world might end because of me.

It was only at this moment that I finally realized that fact.

＊

The green lady.

If this fate is too much for you, you can run away, she clearly said.

Did the great Queen of Spirits know?

The fact that if I run away, the world might end.

“The world is going to end…”

“He said he could survive, and he could protect you too.”

“…”

“Other than that, I don’t know anything.”

“…”

I clenched my fists as I looked at the giant tree that the green woman had turned into.

She would have known.

That I won’t run away.

“No matter how much you twist and turn and run away, in the end there is only one answer.”

“What are you talking about?”

“Sister.”

I looked at Alice and said.

“I want to go back too.”

“…”

“Goldfield Estate. Those beautiful golden fields… I miss them so much that I even dream of them.”

There’s no need to be confused.

There was no need to be afraid.

Nothing has changed.

Clearly, fate was pointing the three of us toward each other.

I ran away into this forest.

Meeting Sylvia.

My older sister obtained this great divine power.

A huge current that could not be dismissed as a mere coincidence was clearly flowing ahead of us.

“I will convince Sylvia.”

“Sylvia, that damn guy is going to lock you up. You know that because you’ve already been through it.”

“No, if I go towards the Demon King, she will have no choice but to follow.”

“What? Are you crazy?”

Sister Alice screamed.

“Don’t joke around!”

“No kidding. I guess I can do something too.”

“No matter how weak he is, he is still the Demon King. Even that Maria…”

My sister kept her mouth shut for a moment.

No, it wasn’t so much that his mouth was shut as that it seemed gagged.

Maria.

After barely swallowing the three letters of the name that filled her throat, she opened her mouth again.

“Maria too… All the other mercenaries and powerful people who were really great are dead. Do you think I would take you to a place like that? Do you think I would just sit by and watch you go? I will stop you, not Sylvia!”

I nodded.

Certainly, Sister Alice was the one who knew better than anyone else that my magical skills were far inferior to Sister Maria’s.

So her backlash was quite predictable.

“I know. I guess so.”

“But why?”

“Sister.”

But there was one thing she still didn’t know.

It seemed that this very moment was the moment when I would first reveal what power and what destiny were hidden within me.

After looking at the green lady tree for a moment, I took a deep breath and thought of Pia.

I was just thinking about it, and before I knew it, Pia was sitting quietly on my shoulder.

I continued, pointing to the little one who was wagging his tail and wrapping his arms around my neck.

“look.”

“Ash?”

“Sister.”

Pia cleverly brought her face close to Alice’s and wagged her tail.

“Have you ever heard of spirits?”

“government ordinance?”

“Look, this little kid is a spirit.”

“…”

Sister Alice said with trembling lips.

“Ash…”

“And, I am the only spirit sorcerer of this era.”

“shut up…”

“…uh?”

My older sister said with a complicated expression.

“I’m scared… so shut up.”

“…?”

“Living in the forest… Have you developed delusional disorder or something…? Do you even see hallucinations?”

“…ah”

I can’t see anyone else but me.

.