The Villain Purchased the Heroine

[Creak!]

The eyes of the monster, which looked as solid as a pumpkin crystal, narrowed unpleasantly and formed an upside-down crescent shape.

It felt like it was mocking Alicia, as if it hadn't seen itself in a long time.

She wanted to scream.

She wished to scream until her throat tore, even if it meant her vocal cords would rupture. She wanted to fight back that way.

"Ugh… gugh…"

But the words in Alicia's mouth clung to her like gum, unable to even fully escape. They stuck heavily.

It was the same that day.

Alicia, protected by her sister inside the safe warehouse, watched her sister's death unfold.

She didn't even scream. She was too scared to imagine fighting with the sharp farming tools scattered around.

She couldn't make a sound or say a word.

Why?

Because her sister told her not to say anything and to stay quiet when pushing her into the warehouse? Did she worry that she would interfere with her sister's fight?

Hahaha.

How funny. Not completely wrong either. That could be a reason. But there was something more fundamental, trivial, and scratchy. It wasn't only that she couldn't react because something was lodged in her throat.

Someone spoke to her.

A familiar voice. A familiar tone. Yet, it was a voice that had faded into the distant past, now strangely unfamiliar.

Rustle.

The straw on the floor crunched under the weight of the grotesque chunk of red flesh. Squish, squelch. Where the former village chief's body was trampled, blood splattered in all directions.

That grotesque and alien thing approached Alicia. Cautiously, like a mantis creeping up on its prey, but there was a difference in sensation.

If the mantis approached a complacent meal, this was…

[Crunch.]

It seemed to enjoy the lack of resistance from its prey.

Swoosh! A tentacle-like appendage extended from the monster's body and pierced Alicia's head. It knew the weaknesses of living creatures. Despite its playful attitude, it intended to kill her in one hit.

"…!"

Instinctively, Alicia threw her body aside, silently screaming. She narrowly avoided the incoming attack.

However, her hands trembled in fear, protecting her head, while her legs, paralyzed by terror, couldn't lift her fallen body.

Like a newborn chick struggling against the world's gravity, Alicia repeated the motions of falling and trying to rise.

Her mind screamed to run away, but her body wouldn't comply. In that state, she…

She yearned to run away, but her body didn't comply. For her…

"Kek…!"

A solid, tail-like appendage of the monster slammed into Alicia's abdomen, sending her flying effortlessly into the wooden crates behind her.

The impact stirred up dust in the warehouse, causing various tools stacked on the floor to topple over.

A few of them fell onto Alicia's head, delivering a jolt, but she didn't even notice it was happening.

Her senses were already dulled by fear and shock; the slight pain was nothing she could focus on.

Rustle rustle. The monster was approaching again, letting out a thick, colorful breath, seeming a bit excited as its prey attempted to resist.

Alicia heard that sound too. Her instinct for survival directed her eyes toward the exit. There, an unwelcome guest awaited.

A body of an old man, head gone, lying in a puddle of red blood. It was as brutal as the villagers strewn around in her nightmares.

"Guh…ah…!"

Once again, Alicia tried to scream, but no words would come out. It felt suffocating, as if something was lodged in her throat, and she felt pathetic.

[Krrruk!]

The creature's muscular leg approached Alicia with heavy strides. She had to resist. If she didn't, she would die! Alicia began throwing anything she could see.

Flick, flick. The random things she tossed couldn't even scratch the thick skin of the monster, falling away like leaves. They even struck its face, but that was all. No effect whatsoever.

Actually, to be precise, it wasn't that it didn't have any effect.

[Krrrroooar⎯⎯⎯!]

The monster began to get angry.

Boom boom! Perhaps it decided to stop playing; it charged fiercely forward. With its considerable mass, the ground shook with its thundering footsteps.

Alicia watched, craving to throw something from the surroundings, but there was nothing left around her.

With nothing left to defend herself, Alicia clawed at the ground. Not to dig, but to create distance.

Scraping the ground with both hands, she tried to distance herself from the creature, but the warehouse walls left her nowhere to retreat. In a panic, Alicia didn't realize she was standing still and pressed her fingers into the earth so hard they began to bleed, but there was no way her body would move.

Then.

⎯Clank.

She accidentally touched a metal object on her body.

Boom boom!

Kaboom. The red monster let out a bellow as it collided with Alicia. It barreled toward her, smashing through the wall without slowing down. Alicia's legs, still planted on the ground, began to tear against the floor, and she felt a painfully twisted sensation in her flesh.

However, in the moment of collision with the monster, Alicia plunged the blade she had grasped in her desperate struggle into its eye. It was just an ordinary stab, devoid of any aura or mana, despite all her practice.

[Kreeeek!]

The creature, which had been charging fiercely, suddenly stopped its legs and cried out in pain. It was sent into the air at great speed by its own power. Thud. Alicia managed to stop herself by crashing into the wood.

"…Cough!"

A scream of pain erupted from Alicia's throat as she collided with the tree. Her body, now devoid of speed, fell with a thud.

"Cough, cough. Hek."

Every thump of her heart brought bile rising up. Although there wasn't much inside, it writhed as if trying to escape.

Before getting hit, she couldn't control anything, but as the sharp pain struck her body, she was able to regain some clarity.

She was conscious. She didn't lose her mind. But she still couldn't stand up.

As the screams that hit her ears reverberated, Alicia turned her face to look around. Her breath was still shallow and ragged, and her eyes were unfocused.

"Kyahhhhhh⎯⎯⎯⎯!"

"P-please save me…! Save me…!"

"Uwaaa… Uwaa!"

"Mom! Dad!"

Screams and cries echoed from all directions. A cacophony of human negative emotions filled the air.

The long stone pathway lay in ruins. The wooden houses were either burning or had large holes smashed into them. The village was crumbling. Alicia's murky eyes captured the ever-changing Rubid Village.

Hehe.

What's this? It's just like before.

A village being destroyed by monsters.

Blood splatters everywhere.

Exploding people's heads.

Just like back then!

Once again, that familiar yet strange voice reached Alicia. Her heart raced as if reacting to it. It felt like it was moving far faster than usual.

No way.

This voice shouldn't be reaching her. Not even in the countless nightmares she had did she hear that voice. Not a soft breath, not a loud shout. The only sounds in that warehouse were her heartbeat and breath. And now…? It's here?

Alicia squinted her unfocused eyes, searching for the source of the voice. Even though she thought it was impossible, she searched for it as if it would appear vividly.

Nothing has changed at all.

Everything is still the same.

You're the same too.

That person called you a genius and whatnot, but take a look at your sorry state. And look around.

"Uh… uh…."

Alicia stammered like someone who had just found their voice or someone high on drugs unable to regain consciousness.

She still hadn't found her. She hadn't discovered the owner of the voice. They must be right here. Nearby.

Hehe.

Still not getting it together, huh?

What good is it if you get bigger?

What good is learning mana?

In the end, you can't do anything.

Something approached Alicia. Instinctively, she reached out toward it. She didn't know what it was. But she heard the sound, and it was coming towards her. That alone was enough for Alicia to stretch out her hand.

However.

"Ah…?"

[Gurgle.]

What touched Alicia's outstretched hand wasn't soft skin, but a sticky, hard surface. A viscous liquid flowed over it. Bringing the hand close to her eyes, she realized it was red blood.

This isn't the owner of the voice.

"Cough, cough…!"

The monster's tail tightened around Alicia's neck and lifted her into the air. Dangle, dangle. Alicia's feet flailed in agony like a fish out of water.

She tried to stop the grip on her neck with both hands. She clawed and squeezed with all her strength. But it was useless. The more she struggled, the more her stamina drained, while the monster increased its grip.

Only Alicia's stamina was dwindling, while the monster kept increasing its intensity.

Ah, there was one other thing!

The most important one, in fact.

In Alicia's fading vision, she could see the monster's face, with its right eye stabbed by a sword, muscles twitching grotesquely. Bulging veins slithered like a snake. And beside that monster…

It's been a while, Alicia.

The image of a young girl with a bright, beaming smile flickered as if it would vanish any moment.

Every time I think of you, it pierces my heart like a spear, but nonetheless, I long to see your face.

"…Big, uh…!"

Was it from a wound on her cornea, or was it because the monster was choking her? Alicia's vision kept blurring. From her blood-filled face, an even hotter liquid poured from her eyes.

Alicia.

It's different this time.

I will protect you.

But 'I' am not here!

Hehe, hee.

Back then, she was a 14-year-old girl. The pride of her hometown and Alicia's older sister, four years older than her.

Charlotte.

That dazzling smile was the last thing the floundering Alicia saw before her movements ceased.

*

"Oh my… Thank you, pretty lady. Thanks to you, things have become much easier."

The village chief, stretching his long-held back, made a grimace. Moving around after such a long time made the pain in his waist worse.

In the village chief's old warehouse. This dusty place was filled with all sorts of junk.

"But… is it really okay to help us like this? Don't you have things you need to do? I'm worried we're just getting in your way."

"..."

"Hmm…?"

When she didn't respond, the village chief turned his head. They had been conversing smoothly until now, so it felt strange that she suddenly went silent.

Turning around, he saw that the young woman who had just been smiling vibrantly while working had a ghastly expression.

"What's wrong, young lady? Are you hurt? Your face is as pale as if you've had a nightmare!"

She seemed to struggle even to breathe. Was it a lack of air, or was she hyperventilating?

The village chief hurriedly grabbed her face to check on her condition, and he was shocked. Her skin felt like ice as if disregarding the normal human body temperature.

"This is serious…! In this case… ah, right! Just wait a moment. I'll quickly get you some warm water!"

Alicia reflexively grabbed the chief's hand as he tried to leave the warehouse. Without saying a word, her terrified face shook its head.

"Just wait a second. I'll be right back."

The chief, not understanding what Alicia was trying to convey, patted her back and moved away.

As the chief crossed the threshold to leave the warehouse, he vanished. …Vanished? What disappeared? What was gone?

No, that's not it.

Alicia, you know.

Let's hurry past this part.

[Creak?]

Beyond the threshold, that red thing appearing as if waiting for its cue was definitely not something new to her either. Those amber eyes were also not unfamiliar.

It could definitely not be the first meeting.

After all, it was from the monster that had killed her just moments ago.

"What is… going on…?"

Confronted with an unbelievable turn of events, Alicia finally managed to formulate proper words.