Chương 64: I Don’t Want to Be a Heroic Spirit [64] [DDD!]
Though trained professionals, even they were shaken.
All the thugs were dead. By the time the officers reached the scene, every single corpse stood frozen in place, their empty eyes staring into nothingness.
It was disturbingly efficient—none of the thugs seemed to realize they were already dead.
No reaction, no resistance.
Though the mysterious killer had undoubtedly saved innocent lives from the thugs, the emotionless precision of the slaughter left even the officers unable to muster gratitude.
While the police dealt with their grim task, Ikki Kurogane and Alice Arisuin reunited with Stella and the others.
"Stella! Shizuku! And Ayatsuji-senpai, are you all alright?"
"Ikki!"
"Brother!"
A flurry of concerned questions and reassurances followed. But it wasn't long before Ikki and Alice noticed that someone was missing.
"Where's Souji?"
In response to his question, Stella, Shizuku, and Ayase exchanged uncertain glances, causing a wave of worry to sink into Ikki and Alice.
As they began to explain, Ayase's student ID booklet chimed.
Everyone turned to look, and as soon as they heard the sound, the same hopeful thought came to each of them.
Under Ikki and the others' anxious gazes, Ayase pulled out her booklet.
When she saw the name on the screen, she let out an obvious sigh of relief, then answered the call.
"Hello? Souji? Where did you go? You just disappeared without a word!"
It was a long conversation. Once Ayase finally hung up, everyone crowded around her immediately.
"Was it Souji? What did she say?"
"Why did she leave without telling us?"
"Did she say when she'd be back?"
"She's not hurt, right?"
The barrage of questions overwhelmed Ayase, who wobbled under the pressure, looking a bit dazed.
"Alright, everyone, calm down! We know Souji's safe, or she wouldn't be able to call us in the first place," Alice interjected, pulling everyone back and helping to ease their anxious minds. "Since we know she's okay, there's no need to worry. Let Ayatsuji-senpai explain slowly."
"Ah… Thank you, Alice."
Ayase gave Alice a grateful look, as if he were her savior.
Naturally shy, Ayase found it especially difficult to speak around men, barely able to make conversation without retreating into silence.
Her tendency to avoid eye contact led many of the boys to mistakenly believe she was cold and distant. Little did they know she was merely too anxious to speak to them at all.
Oddly, though Alice was a boy himself, Ayase felt comfortable chatting with him. With his warm demeanor, he gradually earned her trust.
He had a knack for making people feel at ease, a sort of "big sister" aura that drew others in to share their inner worries.
---
On the other end of Ayase's call, Souji's student ID was, in fact, no longer in her own hands.
"They seem to care for you deeply. It looks like you've made some fine friends while away from my side, Souji."
The voice on the other end was as melodious as a song, delicate and refined.
The speaker possessed flawless features, fair skin, long snow-white hair, and a slender waist—her beauty was breathtaking, like that of a goddess.
She seemed a spirit of the snow, an ethereal being descended to Earth, untouched by worldly colors and emotions.
Yet, as she addressed Okita Souji, her tone and gaze carried a palpable hint of displeasure.
Under those piercing silver-gray eyes, Souji knelt on the ground in a humble position, as obedient as could be.
She had little choice—this woman before her was truly someone at the top of the world.
If one were to ask who the strongest person in this world was, it would spark endless debate, with no answer universally agreed upon.
But if the question was who the world's greatest swordsman was, only one name would echo back—this snow-haired woman.
Edelweiss, the "Twin Wings."
The most powerful swordswoman in the world, and its most feared criminal.
Souji knew that Edelweiss's ability wasn't particularly suited to combat. The reason the world feared her was due solely to her transcendental swordsmanship.
Fifteen years ago, a war had erupted between two global superpowers, the League and the Union. With only her swordsmanship, Edelweiss single-handedly decimated thirty thousand soldiers from both factions. After that, both the League and the Union issued bounties on her head—a move that ultimately forced them to recognize the terrifying power gap between her and the rest of the world.
Her swordsmanship transcended human understanding; her strength alone rivaled an entire nation's. She stood as the strongest swordswoman in the world, a figure so fearsome that both the League and the Union eventually withdrew their bounties and agreed never to set foot in her homeland, Edberg, or the lands surrounding it.
Such was the world's perception of her.
But perhaps only Okita Souji knew the truth behind these legends and the real side of this woman.
"I, um… Ai…"
"Hmm?"
The silver-gray eyes narrowed, a chill like midwinter pressing down on Souji's shoulders.
A bead of cold sweat formed on her brow as she hurriedly corrected herself.
"Sister Ai…"
A faint smile curved Edelweiss's lips, her eyes forming gentle crescents like the crescent moon on a summer night, serene and clear.
With just that simple title, this woman—feared worldwide—seemed genuinely delighted, as if she were a child offered a piece of cotton candy.
"Sister Ai… What brings you here? Don't you usually stay up in the mountains?"
"My darling little sister snuck out behind my back. Did you really think I'd just sit back and waste away in the mountains?"
Edelweiss rolled her eyes playfully, pretending to pout with a hint of girlish irritation.
If anyone who feared the name "Twin Wings" saw this adorable, pouting expression, they'd probably die of shock in an entirely new way.
But only Okita Souji knew that this side of Edelweiss—this unguarded, youthful charm—was her true self.
And this side of Edelweiss emerged only when she was with Souji.
---
T/N: Oh! Edelweiss is the sister! She must be the person Okita encountered when she first arrived here.
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