I'm Not the Heroine-Chapter 66

Kunder Stormblast's power was formidable.

It was akin to Mercadia’s strength.

But Kunder was not trying to kill the hero with all his might.

In other words, he was holding back.

"Haah... Haah..."

If things continued like this, Aswell could envision a future where he would ultimately collapse under the constant defensive strain.

But.

'I’m starting to understand him!'

Clang!

Aswell’s holy sword collided with the lightning, creating a sound like metal striking metal.

It didn’t just stop there.

Ka-ka-ka-!

Boom!!

The lightning that had gathered at the tip of his holy sword was reflected back upward toward the heavens.

"......"

Seeing this, Kunder ceased the onslaught of lightning.

Seizing the opportunity, Aswell leaped and swung his holy sword at the air.

A white light filled with determination split the sky where Kunder had been.

Kunder was unharmed, but the force of the strike split the clouds behind him in two.

"Kuuk!!"

Aswell did not hesitate; he jumped again to attack Kunder.

But each time he did, thunder roared, and Kunder seemed to vanish from sight.

Boom...

"Is this truly the definition of a hero's justice?"

Crash.

Kunder landed again on the ground and glared at Aswell with cold eyes.

"How have you dealt with flying monsters and demons until now? When a flying demon with power akin to Mercadia appears, will you only chase after it helplessly?"

His tone conveyed clear disappointment, prompting Aswell to grip his holy sword tightly.

In truth, he wouldn’t have even attempted the attacks he had without Louis's shoes and gloves.

"It seems you still haven't realized the true power of a hero."

"Haa... Haa..."

"And you think you can take Louis back? You’re not even prepared to receive her help."

Boom...

Kunder's cold anger resonated with the storm.

A colossal bolt of lightning began to gather in one location, unlike anything before.

Aswell felt an instinctual warning.

Whatever that was, he knew he wouldn't escape unscathed upon impact.

"Take a moment to rest. I’ll take care of everything so you won't have to deal with any repercussions."

With the intensifying roar of thunder, the sky momentarily lit up.

Aswell raised his holy sword, prepared to defend against the coming attack.

But deep down, Aswell began to doubt himself.

The massive bolt of lightning approached him as if time itself had slowed down.

Could he really block that attack, along with his holy sword?

In that instant.

Heee-hee-hee~!

Amidst the sudden echoing of laughter, one thought surfaced in his mind.

‘The reason I came here.’

It was to save his companions.

At the same time...

‘...To save Louis, whom I cherish.’

A resolute ‘will’.

The mana of the sun began to respond to the hero's ‘will.’

* * *

‘Pegasus.’

Far away, in the mansion's stables, a black horse stood.

The hero was releasing burning mana, reminiscent of the sun.

It was all thanks to that mythical creature.

‘Surely, there must have been a decree from the emperor. Why is this happening?’

Why was such a noble creature encouraging the hero's temporary awakening?

Mythical beings like Pegasus are more sensitive to the laws of the world than even the strongest individuals.

Yet, this creature was aiding the hero in defying causality.

Why?

Aswell’s once-black hair had turned white, now imbued with lightning.

That state wouldn't last long.

But even temporarily, this level of awakening, of which even the hero himself was unaware, forced even the dragon to reveal his true self. “Understood, mother.”

No matter how much help he received from Pegasus, ultimately, it was the hero’s own will that brought him to this level.

And the awakening of the hero inscribed on the prophetic stone was not supposed to happen at this time.

"......"

Finally, Kunder ceased the lightning he was about to unleash and took a step back.

As he did, all the magical barriers surrounding the Ice Fortress fell away, as if welcoming a guest.

The hero, wary of Kunder, dashed straight into the fortress.

‘Louis, is this also your influence?’

* * *

"Haa... Haa..."

Louis. Where are you?

Not in this room.

Clang!

As he opened various doors in search of her, he felt her presence, but not even a trace remained.

Could it be that she wasn’t here?

"Hero Aswell."

A voice called out.

Turning his head, he saw Louis’s master.

"Stop being cautious. I have no intention of blocking you anymore."

"......What do you mean by that?"

"It means exactly what it says. Louis is at the very bottom of the Ice Fortress, in her room, so go down that staircase."

"......"

"I don't intend to suppress my student, so I hope you understand my intentions."

With those words, her master vanished from the Ice Fortress, cloaked in frost.

Now, nothing stood in Aswell’s way.

The unpredictable nature of the three dragons and the assistance of a mythical creature unknown to Aswell.

He descended the staircase and finally reached a door.

And.

Creeeak...

Inside, he was met with the sight of a girl who looked up at him with tear-filled eyes.

At last, the hero could meet her.

* * *

Why is the hero so stubborn?

"I clearly said I didn't want to."

"......I'm sorry."

The lightning from Kunder had charred various parts of Aswell's armor and gloves.

He tried to wipe away the soot with the hem of his robe, but the marks left by the dragon's lightning didn’t fade easily.

"......"

He quietly hung his head, repeating this meaningless action.

He felt as though he couldn’t even look Aswell in the face.

"......Aswell."

"I heard everything."

"......What?"

"I'm sorry for burdening you with such a fate."

What did that mean?

Without realizing it, Louis lifted her head to meet Aswell’s gaze.

"Why... do you have that expression?"

His face was one of the most pained she had ever seen.

Always so full of confidence and smiles, Aswell's face was now crumpled with distress.

This was her fault.

It was her fault for entering the hero party, deviating from the original story, leading to this situation.

So why was Aswell apologizing as if it were his own fault?

"I'm sorry, Louis."

At those words, emotions buried deep within her surged up uncontrollably.

The feelings that had begun as longing blossomed into a torrent of emotions too great for her to contain, and she found herself unable to hold back the tears.

"Why... why are you apologizing...?"

She struck him with her fist, burying her face in his chest.

The anger and sorrow that consumed her did not carry much strength.

After burying her face in Aswell’s chest, she spoke without realizing it.

"I'm sorry."

For what?

"I’m sorry for not letting you and the others know."

Why?

"Because you all believed in me, trusted me, yet I couldn’t trust you in return."

Why?

"Because... I always thought I was one step apart from the hero party."

From the very beginning, even before joining the hero party.

From the moment she was reincarnated into this world.

She had always thought she didn’t belong in this world.

After all, she was a girl named Louis who didn’t exist in the original story, and this world was a fictional realm.

The disparity was so great that, while she outwardly pretended to accept it, she inwardly could not.

Deep down, in a part of her subconscious, she still recognized herself as a being from the real world.

Thus, the hero party was the protagonist of the original story, and this world was the world of that story.

However, as she joined the hero party, that recognition gradually began to shatter.

Lafiré, Serelin, and Aria helped her grow closer to Aswell.

Nia was rescued from the Fire Giant and brought into the hero party.

She devised and planned various contingencies to ensure countless cities and people were not put in jeopardy.

She showed interest in the hero and assisted him.

But after the battle with Mercadia, that perception returned.

Causality.

She believed she was destined not to be a part of the hero party.

As soon as she realized that fact, it struck her like a hammer that she was merely an “invader.”

That she had nearly caused more deaths than anyone in the original story.

What if she had realized this fact sooner?

Could it have changed the outcome?

And now, this situation had arisen.

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The hero was still a hero

.

He hadn’t given up on her, his former companion, and had come to meet her, dodging both Kunder and her master.

When she had met Aswell in the mansion earlier, she wondered why she hadn’t spoken about causality.

Was it that she subconsciously wished for him to come to her?

If that was true, what was her true desire?

To leave the hero party, or to return to it?

Furthermore, who was she?

Was she the XXX from her past life, or Louis from this world?

As her head began to swim, overwhelmed by her emotions, she started to cry like a child.

I don’t understand.

I don’t understand anything.

"Ugh... Ugh..."

Someone, help me.

Who am I?

What do I want?

Please, help me.

"Louis."

...Aswell.

"It’s okay. I’m here."

At that moment.

The colors of the world, which had faded to gray, returned.

"What happens, I’ll be by your side."

The Ice Fortress, once resembling a black ink wash painting, began to shimmer in its natural blue hue.

Far away, the stars in the night sky regained their respective colors.

"So, Louis, don’t worry."

Yet, two things remained unchanged.

"I’ll help you."

The black hair.

Even amidst the murky world they had just seen, it had not lost its luster.

And contrasting with that, her own white hair.

Louis.

That was her name.

Aswell.

That was his name.

As she came to realize this trivial truth, she murmured unconsciously.

"Infinite Atelier."

A workshop that could fulfill infinite wishes, crafted just for her.

As the starry sea filled the Ice Fortress, she murmured once more.

"…The Record."

And for that purpose, her own library, which would grant her boundless knowledge.

A dimension filled with endless knowledge, and beyond that, a single existence.

Ignoring the endless knowledge flooding into her mind, she spoke to the enormous mechanical eye that gazed back at her.

"Can I leave with them again, defying causality?"

Then, it answered as if it had been waiting for her.

[----.]

Was it a short word or a lengthy sentence?

Clinging to the memories that refused to surface from their earlier conversation, her body slowly began to heal.

In that moment, The Record began to glow white once more, and she returned to reality.

"Louis? Are you okay?"

She found herself cradled in Aswell's arms, dazed.

"I… found it."

The way to defy causality.