Chapter 24

"What's wrong, child?" 

"...It's nothing. I just thought I saw something in the forest."

"Hah, don't worry about those monsters anymore, they're all being taken care of by her after all."

"Yes, you're right. I'm sorry, it's quite hard to get some sleep nowadays."

"That's bad. Someone your age is going to need to get as much sleep as possible. Otherwise you wouldn't grow tall!"

"I am not a child."

"Oh? Then tell me, how old are you turning this year?"

"..."

"What was it? I can't hear you~!"

"...Bas-"

"Whoops! Stop right there. I thought you had fixed that speech pattern."

"Sorry."

"No, it's quite alright. Being someone in these lines of work usually comes with a way to cope with all the trauma we're facing. You're quite the special case. Nobody as young as you had ever been with us before."

The young child tilted her neck upwards, facing her party member. The person talking to her had his face covered using a hood, so it's quite hard trying to access his facial features.

"So? How does it feel?"

"What?"

"Working with us. It's been 4 years, right? I'm sure you've got your own opinions already."

"..."

A moment passed between them in silence.

"...Thank you."

No sentences, just pure gratitude.

—

Fire.

They're everywhere, covering the farthest her eyes could see.

The heat was overwhelming. If she didn't cast protection against unnatural forces, they would've been done for.

Dead bodies of demons and humans alike across the battlefield, lifeless.

This is the cost of war.

For it to end, many lives would need to be taken away. There is no peace without prices.

For evil to stop, justice needs to throw hands. Even then, it's not guaranteed justice would win.

The cycle would continue.

That was until her [Title] was given to her by the world.

Finally, the end was in her grasp. As long as she fulfilled her destiny, the world would finally reach the era of peace.

She had thought so, until the final battle she had been holding onto hope.

—

She introduced herself.

She felt like puking out her breakfast after uttering her name but she held it back.

Can't have her dignity stained in front of someone else.

"Your name…?"

But it seems to be that Rachel was surprised after hearing her name?

What is there to be surprised about?

"Yes? I told you my name. Is there something wrong?"

"Yes… No. There is nothing wrong with it."

For some reason, it felt like Rachel had become more introverted than before.

'...Maybe not?'

She had always been a little introverted. More doesn't even mean anything.

But now that she's gotten her true name out of the way, she needs to figure out how to collect the last 2 items. Lifeforce and Maiden's tears.

It seems like it would be harder trying to get Rachel to cry, so she's gonna try and figure out how to get the last material first.

First of all, she needs to figure out what these black boxes mean. Is it a form of censorship?

Even then, most of the time it seems to be pointing towards her.

Connecting subjects [black boxes] or something like that.

Does that mean she could use her own life force?

As long as it's not the life force of someone innocent, then she's alright with it.

Which is to say, she's alright with using her own lifeforce if that is what this panel is implying.

'How do I offer up my lifeforce, then?'

[Answering relevant question: Subject '⬛' need to make physical contact with the Saintess, the System will handle the rest of the work.]

'That's it?'

No more sentences.

But… What sort of relevance does it have for her to need to touch Rachel AND having her life force taken away?

—

(Perspective Change, Saintess.)

"...Hey, Rachel."

"Yes, what is it that you need from me, Aria?"

She responded in her usual monotonous tone.

Just moments ago, 'Aria' had given her real name.

But it turned into buzzing, the same thing that had happened whenever she tried to get information from Elisa about the book.

It was a sudden turn of events. While she herself doesn't know why it turned out like that, it had already happened.

She knew that even if she tried to confirm her name again, the same buzzing would be sound.

"Can I.. ugh, how do I say this without sounding weird? Um. Can I touch you?"

"...?"

The Saintess was confused.

But before she came to any conclusion, she thought of asking for affirmation.

"What are you saying?"

"Ah, that was the wrong choice of words! Sorry! What I meant was 'could I hold your hands?'"

So that was it. Fortunately she had waited for her to correct herself.

"If that is it, then I would not mind. But why do you want to suddenly hold them?"

Rachel held out her hands, the slender fingers that looked like it hadn't seen hell yet.

"Well… I want to compare body temperature…?"

"...?"

What a suspicious reason. But since there were no hostile intentions, she thought letting Aria hold her hands wouldn't be of any harm.

Aria hesitantly grabs a hold onto her hands.

'Cold.'

That's the one word to describe this canine's body temperature.

It was like grabbing onto a dead body.

"..."

Rachel scanned her surroundings. The many unnecessary details subconsciously get left out.

She focuses on the girl in front of her.

Her head was facing towards their interlocked hands, but her eyes were facing empty air, as if reading something.

It was at this moment that something happened.

From their contact, Rachel could feel something deep inside her being stolen.

Something important that was given to her by the world, yet did not get a use when it needed to be used the most.

Her identity was being taken away.

Her [Title].

"..."

But instead of her expected anger, this feeling was not negative. It was… relief.

She doesn't actually mind her [Title] being taken away.

What comes together with that [Title] were not good things. Which is to say, she held no attachments towards it.

If it had at least helped her on any occasion, her opinion might've changed, but not this time.

Is this what Aria meant by comparing body temperature?

…That was a joke. Of course she knew that sentence was a lie.

But now Rachel has a few questions of her own.

Was this Aria's power?

Where had she gotten it from? The power to strip others of their identity…

Perhaps this power might just be the most powerful ability she had ever seen.

Even stronger than the Hero's abilities.

"..."

What is there to say?

For 15 years, she had been living under the pressure of her very own [Title].

Suddenly, it is gone. Just like that, it disappeared.

She waited for Aria to finish her own things.

She was still reading the air.

A few more moments had passed.

"Aria?"

She was not responding. Her face had scrunched up, becoming ugly with emotions.

"N-no.. I'm alright. Jus-t give me a mo-"

Cough Cough

Suddenly, a drop of water got on her face. Her pale skin contrasted the color of the drop.

Did it start raining?

Cough Cough

No, that wasn't it.

It was Aria, she had started coughing up blood.

Her 2 hands were free. Aria had let go of them just moments before she started coughing.

But Rachel doesn't know what to do with them.

It all happened in an instant, her brain wasn't able to catch up.

All she could do was watch, as memories overlapped with one another.

A past she doesn't want to remember.

—

'So you're saying I just have to keep physical contact with her?'

Although the panels did not respond, she figured silence means agreements.

So she asked Rachel.

She did mess up her wordings a little… but as long as she reaches the goal, that's fine, isn't it?

And now, she's holding onto the Saintess' hands.

Aria had to hold in a little bit of her laughter imagining how many people would pay just to do what she's doing.

It's like she's holding onto an idol's hands in private, many people would get jealous.

But that's not the main point right now.

Her gaze met the blue panel.

[Collecting the necessary pieces. Preparing to extract. Please keep contact with the Maiden. Extracting…]

[Extracting…]

[Extracting…]

[Extraction success, the title [Sacrifice] is now owned by subject '⬛'.]

[Offering life forces…]

[Please do not scream as it may affect the process.]

Wait, what did it just say?

Aria did not even get to prepare herself as a pain equivalent to being crushed under the pressure of the deep ocean assaulted her.

Her face was not able to keep her emotion in check.

It was painful. Definitely the most amount of pain she had ever been subjected to.

A hot liquid quickly climbed up her throat. Despite trying her best to hold it in, it escaped her lips.

Cough cough

Although she tried to quickly cover her mouth, some of them escaped.

'What the fuck!? I did not agree to this!'

Of course, she needed to complain about this to the blue guys.