Chapter 13

When the sorceress Edelweiss casts her magic, a cute puppet in the shape of a child begins to dance lightly.

The other child at its side tries to stand up, but is unable to do so. The puppet controlled by Edel tries to help it up, but it can’t stay upright and falls down.


“Aaa, it didn’t work after all. It’s hard to do detailed movements”

“That’s good enough for a nine―year―old. You will gradually learn to control your magic better.”

“I’ll never make it in time for father’s birthday if I take it so slow.”

“Then why don’t you just give up?”


The girl puffs out her cheeks as Edel laughs at her.


“Mouu, Edel―neechan, you’re so mean.”

“I’m just kidding. Then we’ll do our best until his birthday. You may not be able to make the puppet dance, but you can at least make it walk.”

“Yeah, I’ll do my best.”


The girl sits back in her chair and holds out her staff to the puppet slumsped on the desk.

The clever girl’s name is Katarina Nubes. She is the daughter of Russ Nubes, Edel’s magic teacher.

She is not Edel’s younger sister, but she often takes care of her for her mentor, so at some point she started calling Edel her sister. ‘If I had a sister, this might be what it would look like’, Edel thought with a smile.


Katarina’s mother had died when she gave birth, so her mentor, Russ, had raised her on his own.

Russ, who is usually honest and strict in his attitude and behavior, is transformed in front of Katarina. He dotes on her to the point that even Edel is taken aback.

In the past, when Katarina caught a mild cold, it was severe. Russ had turned pale and brought ten skilled healers with him in a panic. In the end it wasn’t much, so they left after giving some nutritional supplements.

“Anyway, I can definitely say that Russ is a parental idiot.”


“But then again, a sorcerer’s daughter is a sorcerer? I suppose you can’t compete with blood. Do you plan to become a sorcerer in the future too?”

“Yes, I want to be like my father, someone who is respected by everyone. And I’d also like to dress beautifully like sister.”


Katarina’s eyes sparkle.


“Fufu, that’s nice. Then I’ll be your assistant.”

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around? I’m sister’s assistant, right?”


Katarina tilts her head. The puppet also tilts its head in imitation.


“If I push you around as my assistant, I’ll get scolded by my teacher.”

“Ahaha! Dad, you’re a foolish parent.”


“Don’t tell that to teacher. He might collapse.”


Katarina bursts out laughing at Edel’s words.

After talking about Russ for a while, Katarina mutters.


“I wonder if I’ll be able to use magic as well as Edel―neechan”

“I guess so. Your talent is good, so it’s all up to you to make the effort.”

“Okay. Then I have to work harder .”

“Don’t overdo it.”


Edel looks at Katarina, who is clutching a small staff, and appeases her. Even if you hurry, it doesn’t matter that you will learn faster.

It’s important to properly get the body get used to it.

But the enthusiasm is amusing to watch. She decides it’s okay to give her a reward, even if it’s a little early.

She takes out something from her robe’s pocket and goes behind Katarina.


“Hm? What’s wrong?”

“Wait just a moment.”


After lightly stroking Katarina’s small head, Edel gathers up her smooth hair and ties it with a certain object.


“Yes, it’s done!”


Edel calls out and Katarina runs her hands through her hair to confirm.


“…Ribbon?”

“Yes, a ribbon in my favorite color. As long as you keep it on I’m sure it will bring you many good things. Because pink is a color that warms your heart. If you feel happy, happiness will come to you sooner or later. That’s why I always wear pink.”


Pink is the color of happiness. Edel believes that. It’s the only warm word her drunken mother ever taught her.


“I see. Yes, pink is a very bright color”

“I’m a lonely person, I need to wear bright colors like this to stay warm.”

“But now that you have me and father ,you won’t be lonely. And we have lots of friends.”


Russ’s disciples would often visit him as well, in admiration of their teacher. Edel befriended them and she now had many friends.

Russ created a place for her in the world. He also taught her how to survive. There is no way to thank him enough.


“Fufu, it’s true. You see, it works very well. I am happy now. So don’t forget to take care of it. I want you to be happy too.]


Edel used the puppet to tease her, and Katarina responds by gathering up her magic.

The puppet managed to stand up, but it fell forward as it was trying to thank her.


“Ah, another failure. But thank you so much, Edel―neechan. I’ll treasure it forever!”


At Katarina’s smile, Edel gives a small nod.

The two of them begin to train fundamental techniques again. After practicing puppet manipulation for a while, she let Katarina take a break and moved on to classroom studies.

Using magic power to your limit is a heavy burden on the body. She never let Katarina push herself too hard.


Eventually, as the night’s curtains begin to fall, the sorcerer Russ returns home with a smile on his face.

Russ was holding a large package in his hands. Russ, who is always doting on Katarina, buys a lot of souvenirs every time he goes out somewhere.

Sweets, puppets and stuffed animals. Picture books, clothes and decorations. Not once did he come home empty―handed.

Edel envied Katarina, who was loved by her parents so much.

Edel was happy. They allowed a woman like herself to be in that warm family.


“I’m home, Katarina, Edel. As a reward for being a good girl, I bought you a souvenir!”

“Welcome home, Dad! What did you get me today?”

“Today it’s your favorite stuffed animal. I got a special big one made just for you. Now come over here.”

“Thank you!”


Russ handed the gift to her and Katarina took it with great joy. She takes the wrapped box and runs off to her room, bouncing up and down.

Her room is filled with adorable puppets and stuffed animals. Their number will probably continue to increase in the future.

Russ calls out to me as I look away from Katarina’s happy back.


“Edel, thank you for taking care of Katarina again today. I was really worried about leaving her alone. It’s always a great help.”

“No, I’m also reviewing the basics by teaching her. So please raise your head, teacher.”

“Really, thanks you. …and you were the one who gave her the pink ribon?”

“Yes, I gave it to her as a reward for her hard work.”

“It suits her well. I wish I could repay you in some way for your help. Is there anything you want?”


Russ asks, but Edel shakes his head.


“No, I’ve already done enough for me. I’m happiest when you treat me like family in this way. I was an abandoned child. So now it’s really fun. ”


Edel is from the slums . Her mother, a prostitute, carryied a baby that she didn’t know the father of.

She raised her until she was ten years old. She doesn’t know if there was any love in that. Common sense was taught to her by prostitutes and their touts in their spare time. Edel managed to survive in the brothel as an errand girl.

When her mother decided that she was old enough to live on her own, she took her to the slums and threw her out, giving her a few coins, and told her to live the rest of his life as she pleased.

She was bluntly told that she could be a prostitute, a pickpocket, or can just die in the streets.

After saying so and smiling sadly for a moment, she walked away without looking back. She wasn’t able to see her mother since then. She may no longer be in this world.

Edel chose to live in the slums with a group of orphans, pickpocketing. She never felt guilty about tricking people. Some children failed and died, but Edel managed to survive. She began to swindle as well as pickpocket, and she had vaguely though of becoming a thief or a prostitute in the future.

Nothing good would come from living, but she didn’t have the desire to die. She would and die in the streets. It was going to be just like her mother had said. Things like hopes and dreams had nothing to do with Edel.

She saw a skinny man who seemed to be moving slowly and put her hands on him. She got captured by a well―dressed sorcerer and that was a turning point in her life. It is the moment when light first shone on Edel, who had been crawling around in the darkness.

This was her first meeting with Russ and the beginning of Edel’s journey as a sorcerer.


“The naughty little girl from that time has grown into a fine sorceress like this. I’m getting older, too.”

“……….”

“Edel. If it’s okay with you, would you like to be adopted by me? I want you to succeed me. I’m sure Katarina will be very pleased.”

“…..Teacher, I’m really, really glad to hear those words. But, I need to think about it a little.”


Edel hesitated to answer. She is sincerely grateful for the offer. There is no need for hesitation. Then….


“No, no, there’s no need to rush. I consider you to be my own daughter. It may be a bother to you, but…”

“It’s not a bother!”


Russ sits back in his chair with a laugh.


“Hahaha, I’m happy that isn’t a nuisance. So, how’s that child’s magic training going?”

“It’s going very well. I think she got her father’s talent.”


Russ knows that Katarina is training her magic. Since she wants to, Russ allows her to do so. There is nothing more dangerous than an amateur’s self―study, so it is allowed under the condition that she is under someone’s supervision.

Russ himself has not yet taught his daughter directly, nor will he ever do so. He told her that he didn’t want to get involved in that because he would be too strict when it came to education and training, even if he didn’t want to be.

By the way, I haven’t told Russ that she’s practicing manipulating puppets. Katarina asked her to keep it a secret because she wanted to surprise Russ on his birthday.


“It sounds like she’s planning something fun, but I’m sure I’m better off not knowing.”

“Yes, you’ll have to be patient. It’s not dangerous, and Katarina is working very hard too.”


Russ’s face breaks into a smile at Edel’s answer.


“Then, I’ll look forward to it. …..My dream is, Edel. I want to do a puppet show together with everyone. It would be like nothing anyone’s ever seen before, something that would have everyone’s eyes wide open and enthralled. I want to do that kind of amazing puppet show.”

“A puppet show, is it?”

“Yes, I’ve been using my puppets as tools of warfare. However, eventually I want to use my puppets to make people happy. I belieave this will be the best memorial to the puppets that I have destroyed. It’s a childish idea, but I think it will be my final job.”

“…..Me too, may I help you too?”

“Of course. You, Katarina, and me. The whole family. Hmm…. Life―size puppets, moving about the stage in unison. The kids of Art will be thrilled.”

“That’s wonderful.”

“I’ve saved some money to make that dream a reality. It’s just right for the pleasures of retirement. Well, your foundations are a bit lacking, so you might not be very good at manipulating puppets, but……”


Edel looks away at Russ’ teasing words.

Although she teaches Katarina fundamental techniques with bravado, Edel is actually not very good at it. What she is good at are flashy magic attacks that use the ‘fire’ attribute. She is not good at manipulating small objects.


“I’ll train with Katarina too, so it’s not a problem.”

“That would be nice. Fufu, let’s get dinner ready. You should eat as well. I bought a lot of ingredients.”


Russ stands up, humming a tune. Edel follows after him to help.

Katarina runs out of her room with a smile on her face, carrying a large stuffed cat.

An abundance of smiles. Here, surely, was the scene of a happy family. It may not be real, but it’s warmer than a real one.

Something that Edel had never stopped wanting with all her heart. It had certainly existed until that day.


Until that day, when Katarina fell ill with an epidemic and passed away despite her desperate treatment.


　

◆



The clay puppet blocks the girl’s path and attempts to grab her, trying to pull her in.

The girl dodges as she rolls sideways and swings her sword at the legs of the clay figure.

She must be confident in her swiftness. It is unlikely that the sluggish clay puppet will be able to catch her.


“You are quite fast. Then let’s get these living puppets to join in the play too!”


The sound of disciplined footsteps gradually increases in speed.

When Russ thrusts his staff and gives a signal, all the living puppets begin to rush in on the foolish girl.

――Crush and overrun them, but don’t kill them.

This is the order given by Russ.

It doesn’t matter if they just cut off an arm or two. Later, when he is ready to play with them, he can attach a suitable arm on them.

If possible, he’d like to secure all five bodies in a satisfactory state. That way, it will be more fun to take them apart.

In any case, He has to thoroughly hurt her and make her scream or he won’t feel satisfied. Make her miserably beg for mercy.

Because this little girl has interfered with Russ’s puppet show. He won’t tolerate anyone who tries to interfere with the play.


“――Hah!”


As soon as the girl screams in anger, she strikes with her fist instead of her sword. He wonder if she changed her weapon because she’s fighting a human?

When the fist dug into the abdomen, the living puppet involuntarily bent over from the force of the blow.


“It’s a decent attack, but against my living puppet such an attack――”

“There it is!”


As the girl threw her other fist to interrupt the words, the puppet, struck hard in the face, is flung backwards.

The wall it slammed into it cracks and the living puppet is unable to move.

Even though it doesn’t feel any pain, once a certain amount of damage is exceeded, the puppet becomes unable to act. It can no longer be operated with magic.

Once the puppet’s strength is restored, it can be moved, but it won’t be possible during this battle.


“There are a lot of them. I’m going to make this a quick one..”


The girl easily dodges the attacks of the living puppets and knocks them out one after another with a counter. Around ten of them have already become incapable of fighting.

He’s not sure where was she hiding that strength in her petite body. Russ changes his perception and decides to take it seriously.


“Stop fooling around with the little girl. I don’t care, tear her to pieces!


The puppets that had been holding back to catch her alive pull out their objects in an unnatural motion.

The living puppets thrust the impromptu weapons at the girl.

After evading it without panicking, the gild raises her hands above her head and emits a strong light.


“Don’t hate me if you die. Well, there’s some pretty bad ones in the mix.”

“…that is, magic? What the hell are you doing?”

“It’s troublesome, so I’ll get rid of them all at once!”


As the light converges and forms a single ball, the girl swings her arms down. The ball bursts and radiates an intense light around it.

The flashes of light scatter over the living puppets. The clay dolls can’t sustain their bodies and turn to dust and disappear. The wooden dolls lose their magical power and transform into mere blocks of wood.

Without pause, the girl releases another flash of light, and all the living puppets that had been attacking her are slammed into the wall.


“……..That, you were a sorceress? I was misled by your appearance. You’re wearing splendid armor, so I couldn’t help but think you were a warrior. You don’t have a staff, do you have it hidden away somewhere?”


Russ observes the girl calmly. Her armor looks well made and is white and silver in color. She holds a common iron sword and a dagger at her waist. The woman who seems to be the girl’s companion is a typical warrior sporting a long sword and shield.


“I’m not a sorceress. So I don’t use a staff.”

“So you’re a clergyman? I don’t know how you did it earlier, but you countered my spell.”

“That’s off too.”

“Then, could you tell me if you’d like to? I’ll give you something good in return.”

“I have nothing to take from trash. All I want from you is to disappear from the world without a single piece left. So, why don’t you just die right now?”

“Kihihi, that is really harsh. Nonetheless, since you’re here, please accept my thanks!”


Russ slams the tip of his staff on the ground with all the strength he can muster.

The intense sound focuses the girl’s attention on him. Stalling for time and diverting her attention, if only for a moment. That is Russ’s aim.

A puppet master’s preferred strategy is to attack from all sides. In particular, they places great importance on exploiting blind spots.

Before Russ turned to evil, he had defeated many demons demons by keeping that in mind.


“――What?”

“Do it!”


Russ lets out a fierce yell at the living puppet of the man who was struck, whose internal parts were exposed from the start.

In the middle of the conversation, it was secretly aiming at the girl.

A sharp white blade came at the girl from behind. Russ was sure of victory.

But just before the living puppet’s blade reached her, the girl quickly pulled out her dagger and lopped the puppet’s head off.

As if she knew it was coming, she drove the blade at the puppet behind her without even turning her head to look at it.

On top of that, the corpse is incinerated with a fire spell.


“Too bad, you were one step away.”

“You’re certainly no pushover when it comes to dealing with humans. A bit different from the warrior girl over there.”


The female warrior who is dealing with the living puppets near the entrance is hesitant to use her sword.

She is desperately trying to hit them with her shield in an attempt to somehow disable them without killing them. Even if it’s a shield, it’s still a blunt object, but it doesn’t pose a danger if she has no intention to kill.


“That one is a bottomless goody―two shoes. I’m not so kind, so I made it easer for her. And I’m not going to be able help her anyway.”

“But I didn’t think it would be avoided. I’m also getting old. It was a technique I was good at.”

“I can tell from the smell. It’s because the stench of rot has gotten stronger. Trash like you stinks no matter what you do. That’s why, hurry up and die.”


The girl’s face is filled with murderous thought. It’s a mixture of killing intent and madness that frightens even Russ.

Intrigued by her fiercely strong will, Russ can’t help but ask her a question.


“――Please tell me one last thing. Who the hell are you? You use powerful magic and have that much physical strength. It’s hard to believe that you’re an unknown bounty hunter.”

“I’m a hero. I’m here to destroy demons. But you don’t need to bother yourself with that. Now I’ll immediately――”

“………Hero, hero, hero! Oh, you’re that young hero girl!　I see, your face is pretty, just as my informant said! This is wonderful!! No, no, no, I came all the way here to meet you!”


His mouth twists up and Russ lets out a hearty laugh. He clenches his fist thinking how glad he is that he came. It’s even better than he imagined.

She is young and dignified, as well as brave and capable. It’s the perfect choice for Katarina’s new eyes.

The left hand that Russ had unintentionally clenched begins to move unconsciously. It’s a moving like rolling something.

On the other hand, the girl who claimed to be a hero looked deeply disgusted.

“The only thing I have to do is to incinerate you without a trace.”

“You are a hero. When I was a child, everyone longed to be a hero. A savior who cuts through the darkness and leads us to the light. Oh no, wonderful, wonderful! In fact, I was skeptical until I saw you with my own eyes. If you’re a true hero, it’s no surprise that you took out Salvadore. Though you’re still so young, that’s quite a feat!”

“Okay.”


Russ talked excitedly, but Yuusha did not change her expression. She readies her dagger and gets into an attacking stance.

Russ looks intently into Yuusha’s eyes and observes them. Then he laughs.


“But, you are really amazing. The vulnerability that is hidden behind the aggressive stare is especially good. A strong attitude to hide your weakness. Aa, there’s no point in trying to hide it with provocative words. I can see it the same way you can tell with your smell. A puppeteer can tell a lot of things by the slightest movement of a human’s eyes and facial expressions! Kihihi, I see I see. As cheerful as you appear, you’re distorted by sadness, Kihihihi.”

“……….”


Russ continues, tapping the ground with his staff. Yuusha begins to walk towards him in silence.


“I like it very much. It’s worthy of being my daughter’s new eyes! I’ll just kill you and then hollow out those wonderful eyes. Oh, don’t worry, I won’t toy with you. It’s nothing to worry about, as long as you give me the material I want. It’s likely that you won’t have time to feel pain. Rest assured that your wonderful body will be used without any waste, from the internal organs to the pieces of flesh! Kihihihi!”


Russ spat and laughs loudly.

When he gazes at the body of a hero, he squints his eyes and licks his tongue, revealing his joy.

His hand is making a gesture of toying with her hollowed out eyeballs. Russ is already dismantling Yuusha in his brain.

He can see Yuusha’s expressionless face turn pale with burning anger and physiological disgust. Goosebumps seem to be running down her neck.

Russ slowly beckons her to join him, as if to provoke her.


“Come on, my dear little hero. I’m going to pluck your beautiful eyes out of your head.”

“Die.”


Yuusha launches herself at Russ as fast as she can.

Her form reveals her hatred. She holds the dagger in a reverse grip and rushes in a straight line.

Russ quickly summons a heart for a catalyst. The casting is already done, and all that’s left is to activate it.

In the first place, it is suicidal to waste so much time against a sorcerer. She will soon figure it out firsthand.

Once Russ’s restrains her, no matter how strong she, she won’t be able to do anything about it. Just like Edel before.

Once he restrains her, the only thing left to do is torture her. The female warrior at the entrance won’t be an obstacle. By that time, the living puppets will be able to act.

No matter how confident she is in her physical strength, she will never be able to defeat this magic. This is because the tentacles made by the curse are physically impossible to cut through. And they don’t give you enough time to chant a counterattack. To break the curse, you would need considerable time and magic power. There’s no way he’ll allow that again.


“Kihihi, feast on my magic. Cursed commandment, block the movements of my enemies. The blood――”


The moment Russ clutches the heart and tries to activate his magic. His throat is suddenly squeezed as if it were bound with a thin cord.


“――!!”


His brain is not getting oxygen and he feels like he’s about to pass out, but he manages to endure it. The intense vomiting sensation doesn’t subside.

As he look down at his body, trying to make sense of the situation, he see a circle of pale blue light covering his throat. This strange circle seemed to be the source of the pain.

As he tries to somehow release it, the circle naturally disappears. Russ lets out a breath of relief.


“You can’t afford be be sidetracked.”


Before he knew it, Yuusha who had come in front of him swings the dagger at his face. Russ tries to receive it with his staff, but the deflected blade slashes into his shoulder.


“――Guh, gueh.”


As she pulls the dagger from his shoulder, Yuusha kicks him in the flank. Russ receives the sharp blow on his flank. His bones break and he feels the broken bones piercing his organn.

While in agony, Russ is blown away and slamms into the wall just like the living puppets.


“Higyaaaaahhhh!”


Russ screams out in intense pain. His hood slips off, revealing the old face underneath. The gray hair on his head is stained with red blood.

A great deal of blood flows down his shoulders, and his whole body is nuimb from the pain. His right hand rubs my kicked flank. The pain is so intense that his breathing is sluggish.

It was only one blow, but it did horrible damage.

Deciding it’s dangerous, Russ comes up with the idea of using his servants to buy time.

Even if they can’t beat her, they should at least be able to put up some resistance. In the meantime, he must somehow regain his composure.

Because Russ can’t die here.. He’s just one step away from making his dream come true.

He pulls out a defensive puppet card and throws it.


“I summon the puppet! Come on, my loyal ironborn! Summon――”


He is strangled again and the chanting is forcibly interrupted. A blue glowing circle surrounds his throat.

A summoning card with a magic circle written on it is flies through the air and falls on the ground.

What is this? Why can’t he activate the magic? Russ doesn’t understand.


“You can’t, I’ve been blocking it off for a while now whenever I see an opening. You’ve been mumbling about so many unnecessary things that you didn’t even notice.”


Yuusha generates a pale blue circle from her index finger. She spun it around and threw the circle into the sky.


“Ridiculous. I don’t believe it. You’ve sealed my magic? There’s no way you can do such a crazy thing. There is no way that such an annoying spell exists. There is no magic that can negate its own existence.”

“You can’t blame me that it exists. It’s not good for you guys, so maybe you’ve forgotten about it.”

“We forgot? Forgotten? It’s magic that’s been forgotten. ――It can’t be, lost magic. That ridiculous. It must be. It’s just a legend.”


The madness drains out of Russ’s eyes and his reason returns a bit.


“B,but, in case such a thing exists, th,the secret of resuscitation I’ve been searching for”


Yuusha begins to walk to put a end to the dying Russ. The urge to kill that fills her has not diminished at all.


“Enough chitchat. The only thing you can do now is to repent and wait for death. Will you die quickly?”

“W, wait, tell me, is there really a hidden method of resuscitation? It’s not a legend, it’s real?! Tell me about it!”


Russ asks with a desperate look on his face, but Yuusha won’t listen.


“Shut up”


Yuusha pointed the blade of her dagger at Russ.


“Hi, hi―iiiiii!!”


Russ is unnerved and tries to get as far away from Yuusha as possible.

He desperately moves the staff that he held struggling to keep his footing and trying to keep his distance.


　

Edel the necromancer just stared at the scene in dismay as he collapsed.

His nemesis, the one she had struggled against and who had driven her to the brink of death.

The man who had once been Edel’s teacher and was thought to be the next sorcerer’s guild master.

And now he is being treated like a child. He has been cruelly crushed and is about to be put to rest.

The puppets he controlled were easily disposed of and the magic he was going to use as a trump card was not even allowed to be cast.

An opponent that Edel couldn’t reach even if she challenged with all her might. The man who had been triumphant just moments ago, is now in a hapless and ugly state.


“Something like this. That puppeteer Russ is limping around.”

“It’s really amazing. As expected of Yuusha! Strong, fast, awesome, three cheers!”


A well-built woman said so with a brazen expression on her face and breathing heavily. She was called Matari by the girl who called herself a hero.

She succeeded in subduing the living puppets using only her shield, binding them with a rope and capturing them.


“….That’s too one-sided. With this, it’s no wonder she took out Salvadore. Russ’s puppets were kicked around like toys. The way she carries herself and her unfamiliar magic, that little girl is no ordinary person.


Edel muttered, and Matari agreed loudly.


“Yuusha can use magic, healing techniques, and her sword skills are top-notch. But she says that it’s fine for me to be with her. Therefore, she is my precious companion and a goal to strive for!”

“……….”


Matari stares at edel’s face as she declares strongly. In the first place, it’s strange that this woman is alive.

At that time, this woman was certainly dead. Looking at the state of her armor, it’s hard to believe she’s alive.

But she is still alive. Now that I think about it, the light at that time must have been some kind of “magic” that she used.

That’s right, the secret method of resuscitation that Russ poured his heart and soul into pursuing, and continued to pursue even after he lost his mind, but still couldn’t reach.

That girl may know . Maybe, no, she definitely used it――.


“Wha, what is it? Is there something wrong with my face?

“No, no. It’s nothing. But you can’t just suppress Russ’s magic. That’s

just not possible. It shouldn’t exist. How can that girl do it?”


When I tried to buy this girl as a corpse, the negotiations almost broke down and it almost turned into a fight.

That time, if we had fought, I would have been killed.

[I’m not going to go easy on you]. That little girl had certainly said that. If she blocked her magic, Edel has no chance.


“I’m the wrong person to ask, I don’t know much about magic. I’m sorry.”

“…….Then, I guess I’ll just have to find out for myself.”


Edel turned her gaze to Russ again.

Yuusha cornered Russ against the wall. It would be his last stop.

Her former mentor that she was originally supposed to kill. A man who could have become her father. The poor old man who couldn’t bear the death of his daughter and had fallen astray.

His life was now drawing to a close.

All Edel could do was watch.

“Hi, hiii.”


Russ struggles to escape to the corner. Yuusha calls out to him in a tiresome manner.


“You really don’t know when to stop. Why don’t you just give up. I guess I’ll get the bounty”

“Ki,kihihihi.”


Russ gives a drawn-out laugh and raises the transfer stone with his left hand. A glow envelops Russ. After ten seconds, he will return to the ground, but in the meantime, he’s defenseless. There was no way Yuusha would miss such an opening.


“Burn.”


Yuusha shoots a fireball from her palm. The flames envelop Rath’s hand, which was holding the transfer stone.

The heat causes Russ to unintentionally let go of the stone and the transfer is interrupted.

Yuusha throws the dagger at his left hand, which he stretched out to pick it up again in a hurry.

The left hand with the sorcerer’s engraving on it flies into the air with a splash of blood.

Russ was stunned for a moment, but immediately afterwards he screamed out.


“M, my left handdd! Aaaaaaa!”

“It’s not that much compared to what you’ve done so far, though. You’re just lucky you didn’t get your head cut off.”


Yuusha takes a step forward, spitting out in displeasure.


“W, wait, wait please. Listen to me. I didn’t want to do this, either. I just wanted to see my daughter again. I just love my daughter, that’s all. Th,that’s why I–


Russ excuses himself with a pleading look as he holds his left wrist.

There are tears on his face, and he apologizes, banging his head on the ground repeatedly.


“So?”

“I can’t die in a place like this. Oh, if only I had the eyes, my daughter would be complete. Soon she will rise and call me father again. I’ll pay you all the money I have! If it’s after my daughter’s resurrection, I’ll pay for all my sins! So, so overlook it this time!”

“The answer is, not even if I were to die. I will never make a deal with demons.”

“I’m human! I’m not a demon.”

“A man becomes a demon when he falls into the wrong path. I judge it by the smell. A person with a rotten smell is no different than a demon. That’s why I will definitely kill you. I would feel bad if I overlooked you. You will never be cured of your rubbish nature.”

“You, you think you’re a god or something?”

“No, there’s no God. There’s no way there would be. But I’m a hero, so I must kill demons. See, it’s very simple.”


Yuusha slowly raises her hand. Russ extends the steel thread that is wrapped around his wrist as a last act of resistance, and flicks it with magical force. The poison coated thread is what he carries around as a concealed weapon for self defense.

The well-aimed. sharp thread cuts Yuusha’s left hand.


“――tch. ………This is a, steel thread?”


Yuusha clicks her tongue and forcibly pulls off the thread to confirm it.


“Yes, it’s coated with a poison. It’s a poisonous substance that travels through your body and rots your guts. The antidote is in my house. So, overlook this for now. Just for now. I don’t care about the eyeballs anymore. Anyway daughter, complete daughter――”

“Foolish”


While Russ was in the middle of proposing his terms, Yuusha cut at her own left hand with the dagger and gouged out the poisoned flesh.

The blade was thrust repeatedly and carelessly, and her left hand is reduced to a unsightly mess.


“What the hell are you doing, are you insane?”

“I don’t want you to question my sanity.”


As Yuusha lays her right hand on top of her left, a faint glow envelops the wound.

The gouged out area regenerates in the blink of an eye and heals back to normal.

Russ’s eyes widen and he’s convinced. This woman is a wielder of the lost magic.


“A healing technique that instantly restores the body! After all you. Th,then, The secret of resuscitation is real! Such a thing!”

“It’s good now.”

“Tell me! Give me the secret of resuscitation! That divine knowledge, show it to me!”


Russ crawls closer to Yuusha. The secret method of resuscitation that Russ once pursued with all of his might. The key to it is right in front of him.

Soon Katarina will be revived. But that’s with a puppet as a surrogate. A full resurrection would be even better.


“Your puppet show was moderately entertaining. But your taste in puppets is the worst.”


Yuusha holds out her hand towards Russ again. Arrows of light appear around Yuusha.

The number of arrows of light increases in the blink of an eye, and there are more than a hundred of them floating in the air.


“I don’t want to. I can’t die yet. Until I bring Katarina, Katarina back to life.”


But death seems unavoidable. Soon, an arrow of light will pierce his body. He will die before Katarina’s resurrection. Next step, what is his next step.

What’s the best thing to do, what does he have to do, what can he do. Russ desperately works his head.

He sees his apprentice, Edel, looking at them from the entrance of the room. Their eyes meet. She’s the only person I can tell. There’s no one to entrust it to but her.


“E, Edel! My beloved apprentice! Katarina, Katarina, please! Her soul is already in there! You have to bring her back――”


The brave man utters a single word to interrupt Russ’s exclamation.


“―― Light.”


First, five arrows were fired at Russ. The first shot pierced his center and nailed him to the wall. The next four shot through his limbs, sealing his movement.

Finally, the rest of the arrows rain down on Russ without stopping.

He’s probably already dead, but Yuusha continues her attack. She has no intention of stopping at all.

When all the arrows had been released, without even a piece of his flesh left behind, Russ died. His body had completely crumbled and disappeared.

The wall where he was crucified is littered with debris. The only traces of Russ are the left hand she had cut off and the red stone staff he used.

Yuusha steps on the red stone staff and shoots out flames to dispose of it. She was going to incinerate his left hand as well, but she reconsiders when she sees Edel.

She thought it would be a good idea to give it to her, since she seemed to have some kind of grudge against him.

Yuusha stomped on the charred remains of his staff with a scowl on her face.


“…I overdid it a little. However, he was selfish to the end.”