Chapter 59 - The Girl Wants to Be M*rdered

〈 Chapter 59 〉 Chapter 59: The Definition of Justice * * * ** ".....Who are you, sister?" What could the problem have been? Was I truly at fault for everything? I thought I had finally reached the point where I could see your face in reality, not just in dreams. The warmth emanating from your arms seemed to assure me that this wasn't a dream, and I felt so relieved. "..Aris? My, name?" Cold blood, a heart slowing its pace. The fruit of my long-endured hardships was sweet but laced with a heart-stopping poison. "But, my name is Alice." ** Alice's trembling hands were drenched from the blood flowing from her wounds. The distinctly marked handprints and the purple swelling. What kind of atrocity could create such marks? I shuddered to even imagine. Seeing her in such distress, fearing that I might inadvertently touch her wound, I gently held Alice's arm as if I were handling a delicate flower, drawing her towards me. To the child who effortlessly followed my lead, I struggled to maintain composure as I addressed her. "...Sia sister..." "Alice, are you okay? Besides your arm, is there anywhere else that hurts?" "....No...there's not." Alice was crying. Alice, who always smiled and tried not to worry others, was crying like a child. Recognizing this simple truth, it drove me, of all people who knew how things shouldn't be, to draw my sword against a living soul. There’s a saying that a sword reflects its wielder's heart. True to that, the raised sword astonishingly showed not a hint of hesitation. "I told you to move." "And, I said I can't." After all you've done. Why should I move, knowing what you're capable of? The stinging words flittered through my mind, and thoughts like her status, rank, or the repercussions and penalties I might face had long since vanished. All I aimed for now was to defy her words, to ensure that Alice's image wouldn't be reflected in her yellow eyes, standing steadfast with my entire being. The child’s slender form was completely obscured behind my back. Finally realizing the unyielding obstruction, the eyes that had been chasing only Alice now shifted their focus and fell upon me—Remi Akaia's eerie gaze. "...Ha, haha...really?" "........." There was a sound, as if something rolled, even though she hadn’t moved a muscle. Meeting her eyes, hollow and strangely wide open, I understood the source of the noise. Her gaze, without turning her head, moved only her eyes to look at me, resembling a doll awkwardly mimicking human behavior. Her voice, cracked and parched like a dried field. Her speech, so mangled it was hard to understand. In this place, no longer stood Remi Akaia, the esteemed and promising scholar. What remained was a maddened beast incapable of rational thought. Her eyes, once praised for reflecting the stars, were now those of a beast, and her once soft hair was disheveled and unruly. Despite feeling a mix of revulsion and pity for her state, I tightened my grip around the sword. "Yes....." A shiver ran down my spine. If a demon crawled up from hell into the real world, would its voice sound like hers? Her voice, resonating within the glass-enclosed space, was truly chilling. —Screech. "It must be so....." "........." The creaking puppet drew her sword. The menacing weapon, drawn from the scabbard, seemed sharp enough to kill with a single swing. Its target was none other than my chest. Even through my clothes, I could feel the vibrantly beating location of my heart. The overwhelming tension pushed me to swallow my saliva without making a sound. What was now beginning was distinct from the sparring or battles I had previously known. A single mistake would deliver pain, and a single misstep could claim my life in this deadly duel. The sword I held carried that much weight. "Because there's a mountain of things I want to ask you too." Certainly, in the past, I'd have thrown up my hands in surrender before this even began. In a situation where her skill and prowess heavily outweighed my own. I was not so brave as to face the impending pain and fear head-on. But I held the sword. "Glad to hear it." I could feel it. The presence of Alice from behind me. The worry in her grip, weakly clutching the hem of my clothes. Just with that, just with that alone. I. Even with who I am. Didn't feel like I could lose. "—I was thinking the exact same thing." In the windless greenhouse, the start of the fight didn’t require a signal. As if by mutual agreement, she and I lunged at each other with full force. Soon, the small space filled with the contrastingly chilling and heated sound of clashing swords. ** Even if my actions were for the sake of another's happiness, rather than my own gain, at the core of what I did was a lie. Whether a lie of goodwill or malice, the fact that I deceived someone remained unchanged. That act, which betrayed trust, deserved to be called treachery, without justification. Similarly, the fact that I deceived her does not disappear. Thus, her anger towards me was justified. And thus, my anger towards her was also justified. "You...that swordsmanship...!! I knew it, I knew it!!! Youuuuuㅡ!!!!" "Ugh...such, strength...!" Bang, bang, bang! 〈 Episode 59 〉 Chapter 59: The Definition of Justice * * * ** "...Who are you, sister?" An overwhelming downward slash backed by gravity and weight. The continuous assault sent an unsettling shock up the sword, as if a hammer was relentlessly pounding on it. My stinging palms were already screaming to let go of the sword, while a liquid indistinguishable as sweat or blood soaked the handle, but I bit my lip in response. To let go is to die. If I die here, I won't ever see Alice again. With that single thought engraved firmly in my mind, I focused on Remi Akaia's movements and managed to slip aside, narrowly escaping the infernal barrage, if only for a moment. Unfortunately, the situation was still overwhelmingly one-sided. Should I take comfort or despair that all her hostility and attention were focused solely on me? Her gaze followed me and me alone. This meant that as I managed a quick recovery and barely regained my stance, she didn't give me a moment to catch my breath before unleashing another barrage of attacks. I was merely prolonging my life by focusing solely on defense. Perhaps I should be grateful I could defend at all. The force behind her sword was different. The speed with which she swung was different. Most importantly, the resolve contained within her sword was different. I cannot kill her. She intends to kill me. This was miles apart from the earlier spar where we’d agreed not to aim for each other’s vitals. The gap born from that difference couldn't be bridged by sheer willpower. Of course, I found openings and landed a few effective blows. But with each counterattack she returned, unfazed by her wounds, she charged relentlessly like a ferocious beast, leaving me overshadowed by fear. Eventually, I lost my grip on the hilt amidst the sound of vibrating metal. Her sword, relentless and filled with murderous intent, was aiming for my throat. The decisive difference that arose was inevitable. "...Wha?!" "—Haaaaaa!!!!" A life-threatening situation. I had charged in with confidence, only to face a pathetic death within ten minutes. I forgot even Alice was watching from afar, and I couldn't help but let out a pitiful scream. I didn't want to die such a miserable death. If anything, I wanted to remain a cool older sister to Alice. Even with such futile hopes, there was no chance the sword's trajectory toward my neck would alter. But in the end, the sword did not reach my throat. "—Sister, no!!" ".....!!!" A child's desperate scream had blocked my path. ** "S-Sia sister...please, don’t kill..." "..........." "Please...please..." There stood Alice. With her still-healing arm bleeding and an arm missing, looking unnatural in its absence, Alice spread them wide, trying with her small body to somehow protect me. Her tears were flowing freely. Grasping at my pant leg. Slowly, she knelt. With her real sister right in front of her, begging for the life of another stranger she called sister, how must this appear to Remi Akaia? That answer— Clang! ".......Ah...Ahh..." The response was her sword dropping helplessly to the ground, and her gaze drifting to the blank ceiling above. As if on the verge of tears, her bowed head betrayed emotions I couldn’t easily predict. Nor did I wish to understand. "...Why...why are you fighting Sia sister..." "............." "Don't fight, okay...?" The fight ended with an unusual sense of anticlimax. There was no jubilant victor basking in triumph. Only defeated ones, bowing their heads and shedding tears blended with sorrow and resentment. ** * * *