146 – Exam (2)
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I stood in front of the cabin door and sighed slowly.
The door feels strangely unfamiliar today.
Even though I had carved the door myself with my own clumsy skills and had been passing through it countless times, it had become more familiar to me than Sylvia’s cabin, but today, for some reason, it seemed as big and heavy as a giant castle gate.
No, it’s definitely not this wooden door that’s heavy, but the confrontation with Sylvia waiting for me outside this door.
The deep sighs continued to flow out without any sign of stopping.
“Yeah… What else can I do but die? No, I won’t die, but… No, no, what if I die? If I were to die here, I wouldn’t be able to survive even before the Demon King.”
Now there was no way to avoid it or back down.
Since the two of them had cooperated in the subjugation of the Demon King that the weakest one had so boldly brought up, I had a duty to reassure Sylvia and Alice.
He had to prove that he was capable of keeping up with the two men, and that he could stand firm before the Demon King, the embodiment of fear and the end of humanity.
While I was muttering to myself and calming myself down, Pia spoke softly.
“Ash won’t die. I won’t let him die.”
“… okay.”
“Ash can’t die until I at least hit that woman once, understand?”
“huh…?”
“It’s a good opportunity. Ash wanted to give Sylvia a shot too, right?”
“No, I don’t really…”
Pia said, punching me in the side.
“Let’s say so.”
“…Uh, yeah.”
Pia had an intense gaze that seemed to burn brightly.
There’s no way anything could have happened between them unless Sylvia sees Pia, so why does Pia look so determined?
Although I was a little concerned about Pia’s strong fighting spirit towards Sylvia, I didn’t bother to ask.
Honestly, if I think about it calmly, no matter how hard I try, there’s no chance of me being able to subdue Sylvia, so even this kind of inexplicable fighting spirit is better than nothing.
I nodded and said.
“Okay, let’s give it a try. I’ll trust you, Pia.”
“Yeah, but Ash, isn’t there some kind of plan?”
“Operation…”
“I want to hit Sylvia somehow, but Pia isn’t stupid. She knows that if she attacks blindly, she’ll definitely lose.”
Pia said in a firm voice.
It was a voice that conveyed a strong desire to pass, no, to win.
I’ve been the one who’s been rolling around a lot during the past few weeks of training, but it feels like Pia’s getting closer to being a warrior than I am.
Sylvia, Sister Alice, and even Pia.
Why do all the women next to me have such personalities?
Suddenly I missed Layla.
“Surely… you weren’t thinking about it?”
Pia glared at me fiercely and growled.
The tail was held up high, making it look like he was really angry.
I said, sighing slowly.
“It’s not that I don’t have any thoughts…”
I knelt down on one knee and got eye level with Pia.
And then he quietly told them the plan he had been thinking about.
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Sylvia was standing about fifty paces away from the cabin.
A cold air swirled through the five slightly clenched fingers.
Soon, a small, seed-like piece of ice appeared from the middle of the swirling cold air, and quickly swelled to the size of a thumb.
Sylvia stared for a moment at the ice sculptures floating and swaying across her palms in the gust of wind.
“… What’s the use of all this?”
No matter how harsh his training was, Ash could not surpass Sylvia in strength.
Of course, the intensity of the training Ash had received over the past days was comparable to that of the private training facility of the nobles where Sylvia had grown up as a child.
The secret to this was that Ash used divine power to heal the fatigue and torn muscles that had accumulated in his body every time he slept.
Although it was a method close to doping, would anyone blame the fate of humanity for cheating a little in this arena?
Moreover, considering that Ash had been lying face-to-face with Sylvia almost every other day, it was clear that the amount of exercise Ash had digested during his training period was much more than that of the soldiers guarding the king’s castle.
But does it all make sense?
Sylvia thought about it slowly.
Still, Ash’s physical strength and strength were far inferior to Sylvia’s, and even Alice’s.
No matter how hard I’ve been working over the past few weeks, it was only natural given the amount of time we’ve accumulated.
The current Ash had only created a body that would not fall behind in the march to the Demon King’s castle.
He wasn’t ready to fight yet.
furthermore…
“… Even if you’re prepared, you could die at any time… It’s that dangerous.”
Sylvia knew very well that no matter how much she prepared or how careful she was, it was a dangerous path that could lead to death.
Infected with poison, caught in a trap, holding back an overwhelming amount of water all by yourself, and neglecting a wound that could have been treated sufficiently because you couldn’t afford it…
Try to save me.
Because I saw my colleagues, Maria, die so helplessly.
No matter how weakened the Demon King was, it was unclear whether Ash would be able to endure the journey.
No, it was a reasonable and natural prediction that he would not be able to endure it, that he would be easily torn to pieces by the hands of that evil and cruel Demon King.
“Marriage… ha…”
Sylvia laughed at herself for being so weak to temptation despite being a warrior.
I used to think I had some self-control, but I was arrogant.
Before tasting the sweet fruit called Ash, I knew that fruit was nothing more than a show-off by a smart-aleck idiot who didn’t know how simple it was.
To Sylvia, Ash was a temptation, a weakness, and a treasure.
“Oh, that’s so mean. Maria…”
What would Maria say if she saw herself now?
Did he dare to look down on his younger brother?
No, I’m sure they would have been laughing and teasing each other.
He said that the way he was looking at himself was strange and such.
Maria was that kind of person.
She was a carefree girl who could easily crack a joke in any situation.
Only after all her companions had died did Sylvia finally realize how much comfort her appearance had been to the members of her party who had to trudge towards the great terror known as the Demon King.
Maria and Ash.
The siblings were a source of comfort, consolation, and precious connection in Sylvia’s life.
Sylvia muttered slowly.
“… That won’t work.”
Now come,
Now,
Sylvia retracted her hasty judgment.
It was as if the fog of temptation that had filled my head had suddenly cleared away.
I couldn’t bring Ash with me.
It was enough for me and Alice to head towards the Demon King.
Of course, being separated from Ash was an unimaginably painful thing for Sylvia right now, but it was nothing compared to losing Ash forever like Maria.
Of course, if I told Ash this idea, he would definitely react strongly.
You may curse or feel resentment.
No, it was clear that he would try to follow me somehow, even while secretly following me.
then…
“I have to convince him.”
Sylvia spread her clenched fingers a little more.
The ice cube grew larger as the space between the widened fingers grew larger.
As Sylvia spread her fingers, the ice between them began to shake and grow in size, and soon it had become a sphere the size of a fist.
Sylvia grabbed the chunk of ice that looked like a distorted diamond, just like her distorted imagination.
“If I break my legs and never walk again, I will have no choice but to accept it.”
Sylvia shook her head.
“No, no. Ash is a stronger guy than you think… You have to break his mind, not his body. You have to instill fear in him thoroughly.”
Sylvia grabbed the ice and smashed it.
You can do it.
It was heartbreaking, but for him, pushing Ash around was as easy as twisting the neck of a newborn chick.
He was able to engrave on his entire body how weak he was.
Of course, the dirty thought that the spirit of Pia might tempt Ash if she left him alone briefly crossed her mind, but Sylvia no longer doubted the fact that Ash loved her.
I was sure that Ash would never betray Sylvia.
Even if Sylvia completely destroys Ash’s body.
Besides, if everything ended well, I could ask Alice to fix Ash, so there was nothing to worry about.
“Coming.”
I felt a presence.
After a few seconds, it was clear that Ash would open the door to the cabin and come out.
Sylvia quickly took out a block of ice the same size as before and held it in her palm.
If I had thrown this as soon as I opened the door and came out, everything would have been over simply.
If you get hit properly, you’ll die, but even if you miss, it’ll be so painful you won’t be able to breathe.
If it ends at the same time as it starts, it could show an overwhelming difference in power.
Like a rag shield shattered by a swinging mace, even the will to start a war could be crushed.
Fortunately, thanks to the words ‘the test starts the moment you step out the door’ that I had told you in advance, it wasn’t a particularly cowardly move.
First of all, it is meaningless to talk about cowardice after being defeated by the Demon King or a demon.
“…sigh,”
The door opens.
Sylvia gripped the ice block tightly.
Slowly twisting his waist, he lifted his other arm while placing the arm holding the ice behind him.
The moment Ash’s blue-gray hair comes into view,
“I’m sorry, Ash. Even though it hurts, please bear with it for a little longer.”
Sylvia threw the ice with all her might.
The ice shards flew away as if by bullet magic, accompanied by a terrifying cracking sound like the flapping wings of a large insect.
At the same time, Sylvia, who had fallen slightly forward due to throwing with all her might, felt something strange.
With her power, you should hear the sound of the impact almost at the same time as you throw it.
Whether it’s the sound of Ash’s flesh bursting or Ash screaming.
However, no sound was heard.
Rather, what was felt was an intense heat.
Sylvia slowly raised her head.
“What do you think, Pia? Am I right? I said I’d throw it as soon as we started.”
A fireball in the shape of a fox rose up large enough to obscure the cabin.
Ash slowly walked out through the middle of the flames.
“Sylvia. I’m telling you just in case.”
“…”
“If you did anything wrong to Pia, apologize quickly.”
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