Translated: Sei, MTL-sensei-tachi
Edited: Sei, Grammarly no Danna
Source: Syosetu

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Interlude: The Girl Possessed by a Ghost


This time, it is from Shia’s perspective.
At last, this will depict Shia’s circumstances.

——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

　In my hometown, there is a legend that a Hero sleeps there.
　It is one of the many Hero legends that are so common they can be found everywhere.
　Among the most common of those tales is the claim that a Hero spent their final years there and was laid to rest after death, and the place said to be that Hero's resting ground was where the home I lived in stood.

"The Hero visited this land in the end."
"Without witnessing an age of peace"
"Without seeing anyone"
"Nothing was left behind."
"Leaving nothing behind, passing down no words"
"Without becoming involved with anyone, the Hero quietly came to the end of their life, unknown to all."

　Of course, I never believed such a thing.
　Rather, hardly anyone in the village believed it either.
　After all, there was no way we could believe that a Hero celebrated as a great champion would leave behind a legend that felt so empty and forlorn.
　Occasionally, an eccentric scholar would take an interest in it, but almost all of them eventually lost interest and left the village.

　There were no Heroes from ages past left in the present era, but I had heard stories that the Demon King had returned and was invading the distant Lingle Kingdom.
　Information reached us in fragments through rumors and articles, but... to be honest, it all felt largely unrelated to me.
　The Heroes of the Lingle Kingdom,
　the invasion by the Demon King's Army,
　The Healing Mage who ran across the battlefield,
　All those stories about the Lingle Kingdom and the Demon King's domain were nothing more than tales from foreign lands, so they always felt like someone else's problem to me.

"Even after Calm Helio dispatched troops, this was the result... It's good news that they won the war against the Demon King's Army, but it feels like both sides suffered heavy losses..."

　It was an ordinary morning.
　My father, who was reading the newspaper that had arrived in the village, muttered those words with a troubled expression.
　At his remark, my mother, who was setting breakfast on the table, looked uneasy.

"The Demon King's Army in this day and age... How frightening"
"Don't worry, they won't make it all the way here. The Demon King's Army's third campaign against the Lingle Kingdom ended in failure, after all."

　Lately, I've often heard that the Lingle Kingdom has been sending letters to countries across the continent.
　To make people aware of the threat posed by the Demon King's Army, or something along those lines... though even now, it still doesn't feel very real to me.

"Besides, I've heard that the Lingle Kingdom has two incredibly powerful Heroes-sama. And if the nations work together alongside them, I'm sure everything will be fine."
"Dad, I think that's a little too optimistic."

　While eating some nicely toasted bread and drinking warm milk, I spoke to my overly optimistic father.

"Shia, there's no point in worrying about things that haven't happened yet, right?"
"...That's certainly true, but..."
"Nee-chan, I'm taking that!!"

　My younger brother, Berio, who was sitting beside me, tried to snatch a piece of bread from my plate, but I smacked his hand away.

"Stop it. Mou, you're being greedy."
"Berio, there's still more bread left, so stop that."
"Tchieeh..."

　I let out a sigh at my younger brother, whose behavior was a mix of being in the middle of a growth spurt and a rebellious phase.
　Having a little brother who was too mischievous was troublesome.
　Even if there was a five-year age gap between us...

"Shia, Berio"
"Hmm?"
"What is it?"

　At my father's voice, I looked up.

"You know about the heavy rain we had the other day? You know that caused a landslide nearby, right?"
"Yeah. But it's not exactly close to our house, is it?"
"That's true. Still, it's dangerous, so neither of you should go near it, alright."
""Okaaay!""

　I answered in unison with my younger brother and went back to focusing on breakfast.
　At that moment, I came back to my senses.

"Ah..."

　My mom, my dad, and my younger brother.
　Born in a peaceful land, I thought I would be able to live a quiet life from here on as well.
　Someday, I would find someone I liked, and grow up into an adult.
　Have children, and watch them grow up.
　I had convinced myself ... that I would find such... ordinary happiness.

[This is... a dream. ...A dream.]

　A memory of my once ordinary, happy daily life.
　As I watched the scenes flicker through my vision like a revolving lantern, I could only look on at the nightmare that would soon unfold.




　The trigger for what I became like this, I think, was when I went looking for my younger brother, Berio.
　After wandering around searching for my brother, who was full of energy and running around everywhere at the age where he liked to play, I found it———a cave exposed from within the collapsed landslide.
　It was as if only that cave had been neatly and unnaturally opened up, and looking back on it now, it was nothing but an eerie sight.

"Berio?"

　As if drawn into that cave, which had not been seen by anyone for hundreds of years, I stepped inside.
　What I found there was a single-edged sword sheathed in its scabbard—and a corpse.

"Hiih, a-a corpse!?"

　In the hands of the remains that had become nothing but bones, there was a glowing orb like a crystal...
　It burst on its own, and the golden smoke that came out from within it———entered my body as if being drawn in.

"———!!!?"

　A sensation as if my mind were being rewritten.
　Pain in my head as I was shown the memories of someone I did not know.
　The “anger” and “hatred” of a human called Hisago were being affixed onto my existence as me.

"Ah, uwh, ahhh... No... Stop...!!"

　The memories and magic of the hero Hisago, forcibly imprinted on my mind.
　A memory so horrific that the word "horrific" doesn't even begin to describe it.
　A world where people from another world slaughtered each other, and where he, having been separated from his beloved wife and child, arrived in this world… only to find it just as harsh and cruel.
　While being shown fragments of those memories and having my existence overwritten, Hisago’s voice echoed in my mind.

———Kill the Demon King
———You must kill the Demon King

　I understand that it was nothing more than the remnants of memories left behind by Hisago in the past.
　But still, I could not resist.
　My emotions had already been possessed by the man called Hisago, and I was on the verge of losing even my freedom.

[And so, I was changed.]

　I left the village, carried away by that impulse.
　Without even being allowed to say anything to my family, I set out alone toward the Demon King’s territory—with only a sword by my side—to defeat the Demon King.
　At first, I had no choice but to go along with whatever happened to me.
　By the time my sense of self as “me” returned, I was exhausted, starving, and unable to do anything.

[The good thing was that I was able to defeat the bandits and earn some money for the day.]

　By the time my consciousness gradually became clearer, I was no longer even allowed to think about returning home, and was simply heading toward the Demon King’s territory.　
　The only actions permitted to me were those necessary to survive.
　Bathing, eating, and sleeping were all allowed, but only turning back along the path I came from was forbidden, and I continued walking endlessly during the day.

[I was afraid to go to sleep.]

　When I woke up, I was afraid that my consciousness might be gone.
　I was afraid that I would be overwritten, replaced by a consciousness influenced by Hisago, and because of that fear, I always cried before going to sleep.
　My magic had already changed into something different called light magic, and my red hair—once said to be beautiful like my mother’s—had now mostly turned into a jet-black color that stood out in the darkness of night.

[If I had fought the Demon King, I would have definitely been killed.]

　With no proper control over magic, and with combat experience existing only as memories, going to defeat the Demon King was nothing more than going to my death.
　Even if I could easily defeat bandits and petty thugs, I could never win against the Demon King.
　What could I possibly do with nothing but light magic?
　I couldn't even use system enhancement, and I was just a village girl who never even considered hurting anyone... I couldn't possibly fight...
　And yet, I could not stop.
　Because the whispering voice of a ghost in my mind never ceased, driving me toward the Demon King.

[Even though I knew I would die, I had no choice but to go...]

　At that time, my mind was filled with nothing but despair.
　Without understanding why, I had been implanted with the memories of a man called Hisago, and driven forward on a reckless journey by impulse.
　Even if I wanted to commit suicide, memories that are so strongly intertwined with my emotions wouldn't allow it.

[Thanks to him, I was saved.]

　The Demon King's defeat.
　The Demon King was defeated by the heroes who infiltrated from the Kingdom of Lingle, the Healing Mage, Usato.
　At that time———I still remember it well, when I was among the Demon King’s soldiers and present at the place where the battle had ended.
　After the heavily wounded Demon King and the heroes who had fought him came up from underground... the Demon King declared his own defeat.

[I have decided to entrust the future of us demons to this human.]

　Even though the Demon King was still alive, the human side had achieved victory.
　The memories and emotions of the Hero Hisago, not my own, held an indescribable will.

　I think it was joy.

　A boy around my age, known as Usato, indirectly saved my life.
　Even if he himself had no such intention, I could not help but feel gratitude.
　Being swept away by these memories would finally come to an end.
　I could return to my hometown and go back to my family.

[That's what I thought, but... this hateful memory still wanted me to do something.]

　But there was no end.
　After the Demon King, I was assigned the absurd task of killing Devils.
　With System Enhancement forcibly activated, my arms were covered in wounds, and it was painful.
　I didn't want to hurt anyone, I didn't want to fight, so why did I have to kill demons... kill someone?

　What was the Hero trying to leave something like this behind for?

　If he was just going to erase what he left behind himself, then he shouldn’t have left it in the first place.

　I can't take it anymore.

　I never wanted the Hero’s power.

　I want to go home—to the house where Father, Mother, and Berio are.

　Someone———,

"Help me..."
"Okay."

　A voice murmured within the haze of drowsiness.
　At that clear, firm response, I opened my eyes.

"———!"

　A gentle, comforting light of healing magic.
　A warm hand holding mine.
　As my awareness finally sharpened at the sensation of something real, Usato—the one who had saved my life—was right in front of me.

——— read on seireitranslations.blogspot.com ———

Author's Notes:
This is the story of a girl whose life was shaped by forcibly implanted memories, pushing her toward defeating the Demon King.
...For now, Kannagi would probably be forgiven even if she beat Hisago to a pulp once.