Chapter 61. Your XX Is Fucking Ugly.
Chapter 61. Your XX Is Fucking Ugly.
The incident began at the break of dawn.
"What are you doing?"
Ymir, jolted awake by a racket outside the window, headed to the mansion's backyard to find the source of the noise.
And came face to face with Serika, who had been swinging an iron-reinforced wooden sword since early morning.
"...Can't you see? I'm training."
"Swinging a wooden sword shouldn't make that kind of noi—"
—Fwoom!!
"......It's you."
From high to low.
A single downward slash churned the air, scattered the sand across the backyard, and sent up dust again and again.
It wasn't the sword's own strength but the violent dispersal of the mana she poured into it. The sheer volume of mana she radiated exceeded human norms, and her ability to gather and release it in a single burst already placed her among the skilled.
'And they say she only just picked up a sword. Already this far.'
At this level, she'd have no trouble living by the blade.
That was the sum of Ymir's assessment.
"You're gathering far too much mana."
After all, she was the Grand Archmage—humanity's greatest master of mana—and to her eyes Serika's form was riddled with glaring flaws.
"Your mana pool is substantial and your instant burst is good, but stability is sorely lacking. Is it because your willpower still needs tempering? Or is your concentration just that poor?"
-Fwoom!
Serika stayed silent and kept swinging her sword.
Seeing her expression far stiffer than before, Ymir let out a deep sigh.
'...Well, it is laughable, someone like me sermonizing others.'
Her earlier words had been closer to mockery than advice anyway.
But even with that self-awareness, Ymir couldn't quite figure out how to steer the conversation from there. Until she met Dave, she'd spent her whole life keeping people at arm's length.
Now that she had the leisure and willingness to commit to the party, it would still take considerable time to get used to dealing with people.
"...Got troubles on your mind?"
She asked, figuring she couldn't just stand there twiddling her thumbs, but Serika still wouldn't look at her and only focused on swinging her sword.
"It's none of your business."
"None of my business? We're in the same party; at least I can lend an ear."
"...Mind your own business, Ymir, and go do whatever you need to do."
"Sleeping is my business, but the noise is so loud I can't sleep, you brat."
Ymir scowled.
No matter how nicely she tried to talk, when the other side was openly hostile, it was only natural to get annoyed.
"...And if you truly care about your fellow party member—"
But the one who had been resentful from the start was Serika, not Ymir.
She stopped swinging her sword entirely, her eyes sharp and glaring as she fixed Ymir with a cutting stare.
"If that's what you really think, then you shouldn't have done that to Dave yesterday."
"Done what?"
"You called it training, but anyone would call it harassment. Did you keep making him go through that while I was away?"
"...Ah, you mean that?"
Now that she thought about it, yesterday she had gone a bit too far under the pretext of training.
Blocking senses and spreading mana outward was something mana users commonly did when practicing, but stripping him naked and putting a collar on him was well outside standard practice.
Of course, in terms of pure efficiency it was the best method, but the fact remained it had made a ridiculous spectacle of him.
"That was just... half a joke."
As she reluctantly tried to explain herself, Ymir's words cut off abruptly. Something surfaced from the memory she couldn't overlook.
'No, it wasn't just playfulness. Because I kept being drawn to that guy against my own will...'
Yes. Wasn't he the one she—who had always kept everyone at a distance—had wanted to be her first?
She didn't dislike him. In fact, she'd grown to like him.
Even though she knew she shouldn't...
'...Every time I see him, my heart aches for no reason.'
Why was that? If she just told herself not to get involved with someone already taken, she wouldn't have needed to pull those line-crossing pranks.
"Ymir."
Just as she felt herself sinking into those feelings, Serika called out to her where she stood dazed.
"Ah, sorry, what did you just say?"
Belatedly pulling herself together, Ymir pushed up her glasses.
But Serika didn't answer right away.
"...Now that we're talking face to face, I'll ask you straight."
After that long silence, it was clear she had something she needed to say.
"What do you think of Dave, Ymir?"
And Serika wasn't completely oblivious.
After that prank, the moment they returned to the mansion, the first thing Ymir did was ask where Dave was. When told he was out on business, she'd said it was a shame and went to bed.
Almost as if she'd stayed up waiting for him to come back.
"What do I think of him?"
"As a person. And..."
It couldn't just be concern for a colleague.
The woman who was so obsessed with her research that she didn't give a damn about humanity's fate had, after meeting him, started cooperating with the party and become noticeably milder.
"As a woman to a man."
It was a clear sign she was conscious of him.
"...Don't I have the right not to answer?"
And that response turned it into certainty.
"Are you dodging the question?"
"Think whatever you like."
Of course, it didn't matter to Ymir. She'd already given up on him anyway.
Knowing she had to, she'd intended to yield his side to the person in front of her.
Yes, that's what she'd thought—until she met that fierce glare.
"...But are you seriously planning to ask him the same thing?"
The feelings this inexperienced hero harbored toward him...
If they ended up hurting him instead, that would change things.
"That's..."
"Don't. He's just a genuinely kind fool who gives himself to everyone, that's all."
Wouldn't it be devastating if, because she thought she was being considerate, her feelings ended up being doubted?
"You probably fell for that side of him too. You'd want to avoid making things hard for him, right?"
"..."
"...Dating is fine, but don't get too obsessed. You're not fighting for him alone."
After all, she was the Hero.
The one existence capable of standing against the Demon King, losing her mind over a man, badmouthing others and brawling—nobody would look kindly on that.
"...Don't preach to me. You, who until now acted like you couldn't care less about the fate of humanity."
Still, Serika stubbornly tried to ignore that and tune her out.
"Hah, anyone listening would think I've done nothing. Even now the magical world is being upended thanks to my research."
"Was that research for the sake of humanity?"
"The results helped humanity."
"A mountain of people died in the process. Plenty won't benefit from your research."
Her voice grew rougher.
Adjusting her grip on the lowered wooden sword, Serika glared at her and spoke.
"Once your research is complete, will their deaths gain any meaning?"
"..."
"...You've never even set foot on a battlefield. Don't stand there spouting off as if what you've accomplished is everything, when you don't even care how many sacrifices it took to build a comfortable environment for your own work."
With that, Serika turned her back on her. Just as she raised her sword to resume training, Ymir couldn't stand the frustration and snapped.
"Oh, so that's it. Now that you've got a little army time under your belt, you're gonna look down on those who haven't served? Real impressive~ Bearing tragedy with military pride, aren't you, Hero-girl."
"...Shut up."
"Or is it thanks to your lover? Because you've got someone waiting for you at home, you can put up with anything?"
Thick sarcasm curled on her lips.
She knew she'd crossed a line, but Ymir didn't correct herself.
"If you're gonna spout noble causes and criticize others, you should fix your own behavior first. Strip it all away and you're just a love-crazed fool who's lost all perspective."
Because she, right now, was genuinely thinking about the hero party's affairs, and in her eyes the current Hero looked deeply dangerous.
The Hero who should uphold the greater good was putting an individual first.
If she wasn't properly reined in, wouldn't it obviously drive the party straight to ruin?
"...Maybe from others, but I don't want to hear that from you."
Grinding her teeth as if even that criticism was an affront, Serika swung her sword.
"Still, I won't raise a fuss about you being in the party since you've got your position. But whatever your feelings are... I wish you wouldn't concern yourself with Dave."
As the mana-laden blade cut through the backyard air, a mana storm began spreading around her just like before.
After that, she only repeated the same motion. Watching that unwavering back, Ymir pushed up her glasses and traced the currents of mana with her senses.
Her strength had grown, but her balance was a mess.
Meaning she was taking this criticism deeply to heart. Dave had already become her weak spot.
'This isn't good. For the party, and for him.'
Dave surely wanted the inexperienced girl in front of her to advance. She might not realize it yet, but whatever the case, he'd want her to stay true to her mission.
If she found out that her very existence was dragging her down on her journey, she'd likely be wracked with guilt, completely at a loss.
'...To break that obsession, I need to cool that hot head first.'
Yes, it might blow up right now, but for the sake of the future.
Right now, that brat needs to realize just how small and powerless she is.
And that she's in no position to be losing her mind over a single man.
"Hey, brat."
Having made her decision, Ymir spoke to Serika, who was ignoring her and swinging her sword.
To hell with hollow comfort or friendliness.
"Your boyfriend's dick was fucking amazing."
To provoke her in the way she was most confident.
***
From then until the present, it all unfolded in the blink of an eye.
"I'll kill you!!"
With a scream of lost sanity, the Hero charged through the now-wrecked mansion. Facing her after she'd completely lost it, Ymir couldn't help but force a wry smile.
"Good grief. Anyone watching would think her boyfriend was kidnapped by the Demon King."
A life-threatening situation, yet she was remarkably composed.
She was angry too, though not as much as the person in front of her, but there was still a reason she had to swallow that anger and fight.
"...But I didn't get the title of Archmage for free, you know. It's a problem if you keep treating me like the village punching bag."
First, she'd crush her with force, cool her head, and teach her her place. With that conclusion, the mana gathered in both of Ymir's hands quietly surged.
—Fwoosh!
Flames blazed fiercely along that current, ready to swallow the one charging at her.
"Today I'll give you a proper lesson. Damn brat."
The next Hero and the Archmage.
The moment they both fully intended to lunge at each other—
"Both of you, stop."
Between them, the sound of a finger snap rang out.
And with the voice that followed, both of their bodies were frozen stock-still on the spot.