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

180 – Sister (4)

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Painful situations came crashing down on my body, which was exhausted from fatigue.

I was frozen in place, blankly staring at the sight.

It was because my head was full of confusion and about to burst that I could not easily understand the situation unfolding before my eyes.

It may have just stopped there because it was beyond what my puny brain could handle.

Actually, that was understandable.

The woman who claimed to be Mary was standing upright, her head cut off.

No, to be exact, it was hanging.

This was evident from the sight of Sister Maria’s feet hanging limply, slightly off the ground.

Behind the woman, a middle-aged man suddenly appeared and smiled sinisterly at me.

He seemed to know about me, as he greeted me when he heard the name Ash.

But I don’t know him.

A man who has facial features that somewhat resemble his father, but who gives off a sharp aura that is completely different from his father’s always warm impression.

Even I, a dull-witted person, could clearly see the ominous magic flowing out of him.

It probably means Magi, or the Demon King’s subordinate.

This was a perfect fit.

It was a terrible malice that clearly appeared when Sylvia was away, or rather, it was clearly taking advantage of that moment.

Even though I realized that, my body was in confusion and I couldn’t move easily.

Should I run away or should I fight?

Alice’s scream echoed, adding to my confusion as I stood there blankly, unable to choose any of them.

“Balder… you little punk!”

Balder?

It’s a familiar name.

I’m sure I’ve heard that name before.

Where is it? Where have I heard of it?

“Oh, our wild and savage virgin Alice Goldfield. I owe you so much for the last time.”

“I won’t miss it this time.”

“Your attitude toward adults is still a mess. Oh… Is that just natural since you have a higher status than me? The kingdom has already fallen. It seems like there’s a barbaric class system lurking in your head.”

“This time, I’m going to rip that tongue out and crush it.”

“Are you afraid, with that sword?”

Sister Alice didn’t answer any more.

It wasn’t that he was speechless or had nothing to say, but it was a vivid expression of disgust that made me not want to talk to him anymore.

A gray-white flame rose from the sparkling blade of Sister Alice’s sword.

Holy sword.

It was the fang of the divine goddess who drove out magic, cut down evil, and burned wicked things.

The holy, divine energy that flew in mixed with the hot wind exhaled from Sister Alice’s body healed my burning, stinging arm.

Even though my sister and I are just a few steps away, this effect is still visible, so it seems that an incredible amount of divine power is emanating from her body.

A man named Balder was wearing magic all over his body.

In the face of such immense divine power, such magic was like butter before a hot blade.

But the man slowly raised his hand with a leisurely expression.

The corpse of Sister Maria, with her neck cut off, slowly leapt forward as if to cover the man’s body.

“With the sword you used to cut down your friend’s body?”

“…!”

“Oh my goodness. Even if the cult of the goddess has completely collapsed, how could the cult’s inquisitor treat the body of a friend who hasn’t even had a funeral so carelessly?”

“You… you tearing son of a b*tch…”

Sister Alice glared at the man with a fierce face she had never seen before.

I too was shocked once again.

Judging from the conversation, the corpse was not an illusion, but really Maria’s corpse.

The man seemed to enjoy our confusion and gave a bitter laugh, then soon made a comical, sad expression on his face and said:

“He may be a friend to you, but he’s my nephew. That’s too much.”

“… ah,”

Your nephew?

Sister Maria?

Well… obviously…

Ah, Balder.

Ah, ahhh.

It’s been so long since we last met that I had almost forgotten, but I just remembered now.

Balder, Balder Staff.

It was clearly the name of my uncle who was a mercenary.

I didn’t have a good relationship with my father, so I only met him a handful of times, and my father never really talked to me about my uncle, but I had definitely heard that his name was Balder.

“… uncle?”

“no!”

Sister Alice screamed.

“It’s not your uncle.

“It’s so sarcastic and vulgar. I guess the old Counts weren’t very good at home education?”

“Don’t bring my parents into that mouth so carelessly!”

“Let me see where you can block it. Use that fancy sword that the goddess whore gave you to cut off this head from the body.”

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

“Oh, of course I will fight back with new weapons.”

Balder slowly raised one hand.

Sister Maria’s head, which had been suspended in midair as if nailed down, danced down and clung to the severed neck.

“Of course, it is not as great as the Holy Sword, but it is still a weapon that the Demon King himself gave me. It is my duty as a subject to use it well.”

Sister Maria’s head snapped open.

“The name of the weapon is Maria Staff.”

Sister Maria memorized the spell.

At the same time, dozens of large ice pillars crashed into the ground.

As I was also a lowly wizard, I could feel the enormous magical power being consumed in an instant.

Overwhelming horsepower, overwhelming computational speed.

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

Sister Alice jumped.

A pillar of ice much thicker than a human body pierced through Alice’s body as if it were bursting, but Alice’s body was regenerated in the place where the ice passed.

“Balder!”

“Alice.”

Sister Maria’s lips trembled and her voice leaked out.

“Are you going to cut me?”

“…!”

“Are you going to let me die? Again?”

Sister Alice swung her sword.

The hot wind swung so forcefully that it blew my hair away.

Seeing the severed head reattached, it was easy to tell that Sister Maria was not human.

No, to be exact, I could tell it wasn’t even Sister Maria.

Sister Alice clearly knew that fact.

It is unknown whether it is an undead or simply a puppet moved by magic, but if it is cut by a holy sword filled with holy power, that being that imitates Sister Maria’s appearance will stop functioning.

That is why there was no hesitation in Sister Alice’s arms as she swung the sword.

“… Alice.”

“…!”

“You really have changed.”

Alice stopped dead in her tracks just before her sword touched Maria’s body.

“How could you swing that sword at me with all your heart? Knowing that if you cut me with that sword, I’ll die?”

“profit!”

It wasn’t Sister Alice’s will.

She pulled her arms with all her might, but her body did not move.

Just like Sister Maria’s corpse, it was just floating in the air, nailed to the ground.

Sister Alice just rolled her eyes and looked to the side.

Balder was waving at Sister Alice with an evil smile.

“You…”

“Oh, I didn’t know you would really try to cut me down. You’re not as emotional as I thought. I thought you’d be emotional because you always scream like crazy.”

“Balder…! You little punk!”

Fine threads were pouring out from Balder’s fingertips.

It was such a thin thread that it was hard to see even under bright light, so it would have been even harder to notice in this pitch-black darkness.

Hundreds of threads came out of his hand and were wrapped tightly around Sister Maria’s body.

And some of them were tying up Sister Alice’s arms and legs.

“Thank goodness I prepared it just in case. I didn’t think he would actually try to cut me, but even if he did, he would have to get close.”

“…”

“Come to think of it, you fell into a similar trap last time. If you have a bad head, your body will suffer, Miss Alice.”

“Ugh!”

“Even if I tear off those arms and legs, they’ll just regenerate right away, right? It’s disgusting. Really.”

“Balder!”

“I’ll tie you up for a moment, would you like to look at it together?”

Balder’s head slowly turned towards me.

“The sight of an older sister murdering her younger brother is a scene that is secretly hard to see even in this chaotic world.”

“No… stop!”

Sister Maria’s whole body slowly rotated towards me.

Slowly, Sister Maria opened her mouth.

“Ash. My brother.”

“… Sister.”

“You’ve grown so much, I can’t recognize you at all.”

“…”

Sister Maria spoke in a soft voice.

I shook my head.

That’s not what my sister said.

That’s just a corpse.

A corpse controlled like a puppet by Balder.

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

My older sister, who was known throughout Goldfield as a mischievous girl, would always tease me with her mischievous words.

“It’s been a long time since I’ve seen you, and I’m really disappointed.”

“…”

“Of course, you were a weakling from the beginning. You tried to become a wizard like me, but you were just a piece of trash with not a shred of talent.”

Oh, no.

My sister would never treat me like that.

“But, no matter how trashy you are, you still are. I never thought you’d come all the way here and not cast a spell on me.”

“Sister…”

“It’s embarrassing. You’re my sister. Why are you alive? You ran away with Layla when my mom and dad died. Is Layla dead? Are you the only one alive?”

“…”

“Disgusting. I wish Layla was alive instead of someone like you.”

I know, too.

I honestly think so too.

“Don’t be ridiculous! You killed Ash’s parents! Balder!”

“Shh, you have to be quiet when you watch the show. What did Count Goldfield really teach you? These are basic manners that even a mercenary rascal like me can know!”

“Ash! Run away, quickly!”

“What a rude audience.”

“Ugh!”

In an instant, Sister Alice’s mouth opened wide and several teeth came out of it and scattered into the air.

Sister Alice was holding back a scream, even though her mouth was open.

“Wow, you can endure this? Since it’s going to grow back anyway, you can just endure the pain? It’s tear-jerking. Really.”

Balder stuck out his tongue as he looked at Sister Alice like that.

Then he looked at me again and said.

“Tell me what you think, nephew. Your sister said so.”

“Yeah, Ash. Do something. Shoot some magic, throw some rocks, or even just swear at me, you pathetic little bug.”

My head is dizzy.

I was getting more and more confused and dazed.

I slowly fell to the floor on one knee.

“What? Begging for your life? Is that all you could think of? Ash Staff. Ugh, it’s embarrassing to inherit the surname Staff. It’s too honorable a surname to be given to someone like you. Isn’t it?”

“… that’s right.”

“Okay, I know what a pitiful piece of trash you are.”

Sister Maria slowly raised her hand to me and closed her mouth.

Perhaps the next thing that comes out of that mouth will be a spell, not words.

I’m scared.

The overwhelming magic that both Sister Alice and Sylvia unanimously praised will pour out to tear me apart.

Without any strength in my body, I slowly lowered my other knee to the floor.

I opened my mouth slowly with a trembling voice.

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

Balder sighed in disappointment and said,

“… Ha, that’s just self-harm.”

“We’ve never hung out together… not even once…”

“It’s not funny. He’s such a petty guy. Is he really Maria’s brother? Well, he’s the brother’s son, so of course he’s petty and stupid. It’s just that Maria was special.”

“Well… I…”

No one saw it.

Balder, Maria, and even my older sister Alice.

No one saw it.

“Because I’m a spirit sorcerer.”

I’m talking about Pia, who was stuck to my back from the beginning, sinking her teeth into my neck and sucking my blood.

“Ash, are you ready?”

I answered weakly.

“You sucked too much…”

“know.”

Pia slowly got up.

Her head was strangely high, as she straightened her back.

It’s rising higher and higher than I expected.

“Pia…?”

“Instead, I will protect Ash.”

Her silver hair, with its perked fox ears, billowed like curtains.

Beyond the silver curtain, I could see her slim waist and contrasting voluptuous breasts and hips.

“…!”

There stood a fit, scantily clad teenage girl, her mid-body barely covered by the flimsy leather armor I had made for her.

.