CHAPTER 29
The Ex–Demon Lord in a Famous Performance
The Laville National Academy of Magic spanned an unnecessarily large plot of land, which housed a massive stadium. I had been wondering when we’d use it, and it was apparently for the Sword King Battle Tournament.
Now, back to my current situation.
I was in a waiting room with the other participants, regretting this entire thing. This room was large enough to comfortably fit nearly one hundred people, and in the middle stood a giant crystal ball that broadcast the entire arena on its reflective surface. It was a sorcery projector, which seemed to be the latest breakthrough in the magical sciences. The crystal depicted a packed stadium and the commentator riling them up. Headmaster Golde was probably beside himself with glee at the great turnout.
“Aaaand the Sword King Battle Tournament is here! No changes to the rules or procedures! You can only rely on your sword to do battle and magic to physically strengthen your body! Anything else will be immediately disqualified!” After explaining the rules, the commentator went into how the tournament would work. “Today marks the first day of the preliminary tournament. The participants will be separated into eight brackets. Only the winner of each bracket will earn the right to compete in the battle on the final day of the festival!”
The preliminaries would span three days. I was sure they could get it done in a day; this was a sneaky way to profit from multiday entrance fees.
“No changes to the rules, proceedings, and reward granted to the victor—but! Have no fear! You won’t even have a moment to feel bored. As for why… Among our participants are three who are far beyond the norm!”
In response, those who were thought to be the participants in question assumed new expressions.
First was Ireena standing next to me, puffing out her chest with a proud expression that practically screamed That’s me, hee-hee. Super-adorbs.
And a bit farther away from us, Olivia was leaning against the wall with her arms crossed in contemplation. She gave a sigh as if to say You’ve gotta be kidding me.
As for the last participant…
“Beyond the norm, huh? Flattery won’t get them anywhere!”
Sylphy was beaming bashfully.
“Our first two Beyonders are enrolled at our very own academy! You know them: the son and daughter of our Great Heroes! With the most recent demon incident tucked under their belts, my heart pounds in anticipation for what they’ll show us next! And lastly! What’s this?! I—I can’t believe it! It’s the myth, the living legend! The pinnacle who paved the way for all swordfighters! Yeah, that’s right—one of the Four Heavenly Kings! Lady Olivia vel Viiiiiiiiine!”
The arena held its breath for a moment before breaking out into wild cheers. While the fervor was earth-shattering, the competitors on standby in the waiting room were over the moon.
“Olivia vel Vine… They can’t mean the real deal?”
“To challenge the swordmaster…! There is no greater honor…!”
Olivia took their heated passion in stride. She must have been pretty used to it. Her eyes remained closed, and her meditative pose didn’t change in the slightest.
…On the other hand, there was Sylphy, who had gotten her hopes up and then dashed for nothing.
“Huh? Wh-what about me? Hey, what about me?”
“…Well, keep your head up. I’m sure there’s something great out there waiting for you someday.” Ireena comforted Sylphy, who was trembling in tears.
…Well, then. With the preamble concluded, the first day of the preliminaries began at last. One after another, participants rose to the stage and engaged in swordplay—among them were masters and other talented pros… And there were four to watch out for in particular. Oddly enough, they were all connected with one another.
First, there was a certain someone.
“Raaaaaaargh!”
Yeah, I was talking about Ireena, the gifted girl I’d been training since childhood. Obviously, she was magically skilled, and her sword skills matched the experts.
It was an easy victory, and she advanced to the second day.
On to the second participant.
“Oh, Aaaaaaard! Are you watchiiiiing?! I won!” Ginny the Succubus grinned, flashing me a peace sign next to her fallen foe.
Her opponent had been spirited, and I’d expected a tough fight…but Ginny overturned her situation and proved herself with a quick victory.
There wasn’t a hint of fragility in her face, unlike the first time we’d met. At this rate, she’d go far in the struggle for supremacy.
…And the third participant.
“You kn— Aaaaaaaagh!”
That moron, er, well, Sylphy. As for her, it was a given that she would win.
Even though she was unfortunately who she was, Sylphy was from the ancient world. For as long as I could remember, she had always fought as Lydia’s protégée ever since Lydia took her in. She didn’t have a long battle record, but it had been nothing short of brilliant… If she had stayed in the army, she would have established herself as a god slayer. It wasn’t as though Lydia would have been crazy enough to entrust a Holy Sword to Sylphy otherwise.
Who knew? Maybe she would even lead the pack of potential victors.
…And last but not least. You know who it is.
“Sigh. I figured this would be boring.”
My big sister, Olivia vel Vine.
With a renown that rattled the earth, she was celebrated as the greatest swordfighter in history. That reputation was in no way exaggerated. In truth, there was no one greater before her and none would come after. With the decline in magical energy, her strength wasn’t what it used to be back in her heyday… But even so, no one in this era was any match for her.
Her opponent was a renowned swordfighter but forfeited the moment she came into view without making a single move, as if certain of the difference in their power.
As a result, Olivia won without having to fight at all.
…And then there was me, the main event. If I lost these preliminaries, Olivia would definitely know it was on purpose. Which was why I’d harmlessly play along and move forward into the second day. I’d throw the real battle. Go up against Ireena or Ginny and lose. That’d be the ideal scenario.
…But life tended to hate me, so I didn’t hold my breath.
Whatever.
Day one of the Sword King Battle Tournament came to a close without any problems to speak of.
After I’d made it through the second day of the tournament that I’d been unexpectedly tossed into, I prayed things would go smoothly on the third day of the school festival. But I knew it would be difficult.
After all, it was the opening day of our class play.
“I—I have a tiny part…but I-I’m awfully nervous.”
We were backstage. Ginny was doused in sweat as she listened to the audience trickle in. She wasn’t the only one. The entire class, from the aristocrats to the commoners, couldn’t seem to relax.
In particular…
“I—I—I—I—I—I wonder i-i-i-if I’ll do o-o-o-kay?”
“Y-y-y-y-y-you’ll be fine. Th-th-th-th-this is nothin’. L-l-l-l-let’s have a blast.”
Of the play’s three main characters, the villain and the heroine had the most stage fright of all.
Ireena and Sylphy. Both were sweating buckets, and their bodies vibrated with enough speed to leave an afterimage.
“…Please try to calm down. There is no need to worry about putting on a perfect play or meeting audience expectations. They will be pleased enough to see two radiant girls onstage. All you need to do is recite the prepared lines and tack on some appropriate gestures. And then it’ll be all over. Please be at ease…”
“R-r-r-r-right! I-i-i-it’s just as Ard say-says-sa-sa-sa-sa…”
“I-I-I’m totally re-re-re-relaxed n-n-n-n-now! Th-th-th-thank y-y-y-y…”
We were doomed.
I couldn’t help but feel complete and utter panic. If possible, I hoped we’d never begin. But time was cruel and passed… And at last, the curtain drew up on our stage.
Initially, everything went according to script. We reached the point where the main heroes, the Demon Lord and the Champion, suppress the Evil God Avia Desa Virus.
“I-i-if you can hear my voice! St-stand and fight! I will not allow surrender!”
Face an army of her enemies and rouse her own half-destroyed forces. That was the scene Ireena was tasked with.
She’d been so nervous before the curtains rose, but everything was going well so far.
The same went for Sylphy.
“M-mwa-ha-ha-ha! Writhe in fear, you lowly peons!” she recited in a monotone, but her pretend combat was flawless. She was all muscle, even down to her brains. Her body moved on its own regardless of her emotions.
I hoped to continue at this pace until the very end.
“Our military strength shall smite the enemy! Follow me, the Demon Lord, into battle!”
Th-this is so embarrassing! Worse than I anticipated…! Why do I have to play this sullen, glorified version of myself?
“Eeeeek! Ard, you’re amazing!”
“You’re like the real Demon Lord! Supercool!”
These shrill screams reached me during my performance…
I’ll have you know, the real Demon Lord wasn’t cool in any way, shape, or form during battle.
…Argh, this is making me remember stuff against my will.
Avia Desa Virus was one of the Evil Gods…known back then as the Outer Ones. The details leading up to their suppression were unforgettable.
Every Outer One possessed power abnormal in the extreme. There was no telling how much tragedy would ensue whenever we fought against them.
We lost something precious each time.
In terms of our long battle-torn history, the fight to suppress Avia Desa Virus was particularly distinct.
It was long ago. In order to topple a certain man hiding away within the castle that he’d built in the middle of a wasteland, we had erected a barrier around it to prevent him from escaping and held a war council to plan our next move. Gathered there had been Lydia’s forces and the main ones who served me. We were twelve in total: Each was monstrous enough to take on a thousand men. Any of us could independently overthrow a large nation with ease.
As I glanced at these distinguished figures, I spoke. “…The start will be the same as always. Lydia and I will rush in and gather intel on the enemy. Those who object, raise your hand.”
The one to object had been twelve-year-old Sylphy.
“I can’t trust you to have my sister’s back! That’s why I’ll—”
“Shut your damn mouth,” Lydia warned coldly, causing Sylphy to jump in her own skin.
Under normal circumstances, Lydia would have never spoken to Sylphy, who was like a beloved little sister to her, in such a way. It was only because she’d been backed into a mental corner.
It made sense. Lydia had lost many loved ones in the fight against the Evil Gods. She was the woman who, in any typical battle, would ruin my plans and push through with reckless, idiotic abandon…but she could read the vibe in these types of situations.
“B-but!”
“…I told you to shut it. Didn’t you hear me?”
Say more, and I’ll make you shut up , her face cautioned.
Sylphy’s expression fell as her eyes grew wet with tears.
…This was a form of Lydia’s love. It ensured Sylphy couldn’t act out of line, meaning the chances of losing her in battle would grow slimmer.
What appeared as insensitivity had been born out of love for her little sister. But Sylphy had been even younger at the time and found it tough to piece together Lydia’s true intentions.
“But I… I…!” She hung her head, and tears began to flow in frustration.
I had wanted to say a word or two, but there was no time. We were right in the middle of enemy territory. We didn’t know when they’d attack. I hardened my heart and continued the council.
“While we’re fighting… Verda, you analyze the enemy. Research every nook and cranny.”
“You got it! My beat ’s heart -ing! Just kidding! Hyuck-hyuck-hyuck!” the brains of our army, one of the girls in the Four Heavenly Kings, darkly chortled.
“Olivia. You prepare for any unexpected situations. If Lydia and I are taken out, and Verda still hasn’t come up with a solution to get you guys out, take our place.”
“…Right. Leave it to me.” She nodded obediently and opened her eyes. You wouldn’t mistake her for anything other than a seasoned warrior.
“Lizer. You handle logistics. Back up Lydia and me, or if it comes to it, Olivia. I leave the method up to you.”
“I understand perfectly.” He nodded vigorously. The old veteran tasked with managing the Four Heavenly Gods was the one constantly working behind the scenes. With him here, I could proceed without worry.
…Then, I looked toward a certain man. “Alvarto. You…do as you like. Run across the battlefield however you please,” I said.
He possessed a feminine beauty that was unrivaled. His face twisted into an insane smile. “Oh-ho. Looks like you know how I operate. In that case, I guess I should do as my master orders. I’ll be sure to send them on a first-rate trip to hell.”
This man was originally an enemy…who had joined our ranks to have a closer shot than anyone at killing me. I didn’t trust him one bit, but I did trust his power. Which was why I had made him one of the Four Heavenly Kings.
I knew his crazed urge for bloodshed would tear up the battlefield yet again. After that, there was no question we’d annihilate the enemy with one finishing move.
Lydia had directed the positions of her own troops.
“Ha-ha. You worms are so spirited ,” echoed a voice within our minds. Yes, this was the enemy. “I’ll be waiting until tomorrow at noon. Go ahead and make your elaborate schemes… Tonight, eat your favorite foods, and for those with lovers, hold them tight until they cannot stand it any longer. By tomorrow, you’ll never do any of those things again. Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!”
The laughter trailed off…and disappeared.
After that, just as the enemy had said, we made our plans and dispersed.
It happened as I was passing the night alone in camp.
“H-hey, Var. Can I talk to you for a sec?” Sylphy asked meekly, which was rare for her.
“What’s wrong? I was certain you’d be with Lydia.”
“I do want to be with her…but she’s been prickly with me…”
“Hmm. Meaning you can hardly get near her… But why come to me?”
Sylphy clenched her fists tightly. “Is it impossible for me to take her place…? Even at the war council meeting, I was told to wait on standby with the rear guard… A-am I useless to the two of you…?”
Those large eyes were glistening with tears that could overflow at any moment.
“Even I… Even I can do things right…! I won’t be a burden… I’m strong enough now to protect everyone…!”
The words tumbled out of her of their own volition.
…I was usually pretty harsh when it came to dealing with her.
But I just didn’t have it in me to act that way. “…We do acknowledge you. Both Lydia and me. We’re fully aware.”
“Then why?! Why am I always being left out?!”
“It’s because we don’t want to lose you, especially Lydia… I’d been forbidden from saying this, but given the circumstances, I think it’s okay,” I prefaced, staring fixedly into Sylphy’s eyes. “Lydia hopes to make you her successor one day. In my opinion, I’d like you to be the next one to take up her forces, too. You’re as short-tempered and foolish as her…but no one is more willing to fight for the sake of others. That’s why we can’t let you die.”
That left Sylphy in shock. Her face hinted I can’t believe you thought that of me. But it was obvious she had some trouble accepting it, perhaps due to her youth.
“B-but…I want to be out there some more…together with my sister Lydie…so I can have the chance to be useful to you!”
To be useful to you. That was the first time she’d said such a thing.
I had thought of her as a dumb pest who tried to challenge me to a duel with every little thing. But when she showed this side, I couldn’t hate her.
As if she was suddenly ashamed of her raving speech, her face grew crimson as an apple, and she groaned as if regretting she’d said anything at all.
Seeing this Sylphy made me smile. I approached her petite frame and patted her red hair.
“And that’s fine. When the time comes, do as you wish. Lydia might scold you later, but…when the time comes, I’ll be there to defend you. Act as you see fit. I’ll take responsibility.”
“V-Var…! Thank you! I’ll do my best!” She clung to me weeping. I rubbed her back.
“But think of your health first and foremost. If you died… Well, it’d make me sad, too.” This uncharacteristic sentiment made me red in the face.
…At the time, I had thought it was nice we’d finally been able to have a heartwarming conversation.
I never dreamed of the situation it would bring about.
…The next day, the enemy came out of the castle to face us at noon as promised.
Avia Desa Virus in crimson armor. An imposing countenance daunted all who gazed upon him. The average person would be driven to unconsciousness from eye contact.
Sure enough, my forces and Lydia’s army suffered heavy casualties upon his arrival. We hadn’t even had the chance to fight yet. I knew this battle would be another violent struggle to the death.
With this premonition in mind, we readied ourselves.
“Heh-heh. You’ve brought down many of my brethren up until now, but…your advances end today,” the adversary murmured, certain of victory and releasing a flash and clap of thunder out of a hand. “The Holy Sword Demise-Argis. I’ll slaughter you with the greatest treasure in my possession.”
As one who was ever close to being a god, the monster readied the large golden blade, spitting, “Come, you pests. I’ll teach you true despair,” and taking a step closer.
Beep.
I thought I heard an odd sound.
The next instant, a large magic circle manifested beneath the enemy’s feet, and…
Booooooooooom! With an ear-splitting explosion, Avia Desa Virus’s entire body combusted into flames.
Whaaaat…? All our jaws dropped in dumbfounded confusion.
And then the heat began to die down.
“U-ugh… Th-this is…”
Whaaaat…? Our mouths remained slack when we witnessed the mangled armor of our enemy come into our line of sight…
Then it happened.
Lydia roared a ferocious laugh and leaped forward to attack. “Raaaaaah!”
“What? W-wait… Aaaaagh?! ” screeched the enemy, who must have suffered incredible damage.
Lydia sliced through the foe in a single stroke—crimson armor and all—without giving any chances to dodge the mighty swing of her sword.
…Avia Desa Virus.
Our enemy’s dying words: “H-how absurd! F-for me to…! To suffer this humiliating death…!”
But in the end…
“Grrrrrregh…! I regret it all…! Filled with enough remorse to drive one mad…!”
…It was a hopelessly pathetic display, even for a foe.
“Bwa-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I did it! I really did it! My trap got that Outer One good!” Sylphy had come to stand next to me at a certain point, puffing her small chest out proudly.
…This would have been the moment to offer her praise…if this had been anyone other than Sylphy.
“Grrrr…! Sylphy Marheaven! You’ve done it now! You’ve completely squandered our anticipated battle!” shrieked Alvarto, who must have placed high expectations on this fight.
His beautiful face was twisted in rage as he stomped over. “How are you going to make up for this charred body?! Now that it’s come to this, my Lord, we should have her—”
Then it happened.
Beep.
That sound again…and a magic circle stretched beneath Alvarto’s feet. In the next instant, a sea of flames erupted from the ground, as before.
After a while, the heat finally began to die down, revealing the scorched figure of the most battle-crazed one in my forces, who had crumpled over in a gross display.
“““Masterrrrrrrrrrrr?! D-damn you—!””” screeched Alvarto’s band of war-crazed idiots, launching themselves at Sylphy.
Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep—beep—beep—beep—beep.
BOOOOOOOOOOOOM!
His soldiers dropped to the ground as charred corpses. My cheek started to twitch at the situation, and I whipped around to face Sylphy.
“…Hey, Sylphy. You set up these traps, right?”
“Yep! Heh-heh! I’ll be taking home all the glory this time!”
“Yes, exactly. You’re completely right. But I’d like to confirm one thing before that.”
“Huh? What’s that?”
“…I bet you remember where you laid out every single trap, right?”
“What? Don’t be stupid. There’s no way I can remember all of them. I mean, I set them in every corner of the battlefield. Like, way more than a thousand—or two. There’s no way I could ever—”
“Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! Ha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha! I see. Then, do me a favor and tell this big old idiot one thing, Sylphy: How the hell are we supposed to get out of here?”
“Ah. Th-that would be…with, um, fighting spirit—”
“Yeah right, you dumbasssssssssssssssssss!” I gave her a king-size hit to the noggin as a thank-you gift.
…After we all finished dealing with the dramatic debacle that ensued as we crossed the battlefield, I was left with two-thirds of my forces out of commission… In all honesty, this was the biggest blow that my troops had ever sustained.
“Your true enemies are closer than you think, huh… Words of wisdom from past strategists… I’ve never experienced this more clearly until now…,” I mumbled in exhaustion.
Sylphy was glowering next to me on the verge of tears. “U-ungh… Hic … I—I can’t believe it… How can you treat the MVP this way…?! You were the one who said you’d take responsibility…! You liar…! You heretical demon…!”
Her head was piled high with bumps and lumps and goose eggs of all sizes, and she walked with a peculiar gait, as though her butt was in pain from repeated spankings.
“…Still have room to complain? Seems you haven’t reflected at all. Maybe Olivia ought to give you three more rounds of her full-course punishment hell—”
“I’m sorryyyyyy! I swearrrrrr! I’ve reflected on my actions! Please don’t make me go through that again! ” she yelped with every fiber of her being, bursting into tears that erupted like fountains.
I sighed in response. As I dealt with this, Lydia came up next to me and lightly pushed my shoulder.
“Cut her some slack. We went through hell, but thanks to Sylphy, we didn’t lose a single comrade.”
“Hmph…”
“When you think about it, isn’t that a miracle? …Heh, this little sister of mine makes shit interesting with one surprise after another.” Lydia affectionately ran her fingers through Sylphy’s hair.
“H-heh-heh! You’re better at reward and punishment than anyone else!”
“…Lydia. You’re too easy on her. Don’t give way to her idiocy.”
“Ha-ha. This much is fine, ain’t it?” Lydia let her locks of silver hair be tousled in the wind. “Hey, Sylphy. You—”
The play continued to unfold as I immersed myself in the past, until I turned my attention away from the memories to the present. We had a situation on our hands.
“Uh… Um… Ah…”
The defeat of the Evil God. We were reaching the climax.
Sylphy should have been saying her lines, but all her movements had ground down to a halt. As I watched her, it was apparent she’d forgotten everything she was supposed to say.
The audience was beginning to stir at the sudden pause.
“Sylphy…?” Ireena called to her quietly, but Sylphy could only blink with an alarmed expression.
She was in total panic mode. Her mind appeared completely blank. The guests stared back with confusion. Our classmates backstage stared at her with worry.
All eyes on her. It was backing her into a mental corner, spiraling her further downward in a vicious cycle.
…Geez. She’s hopeless. Three years of training and still a handful.
What a dumb little sister , this dunce.
“What’s wrong, Evil God?! Are you so fearful of me, the Demon Lord, that you’ve lost your voice?! Hmph! I never realized you were a weak foe!”
Sylphy. If you haven’t forgotten…
“Evil God—I accept you are a formidable foe. Have confidence in yourself,” I declared.
Or as Lydia had said: “I accept you, woman. Believe in yourself. ”
Remember her words and move. Recall that sunset, when you had your conversation with Lydia:
“You’ve already got it.
“But you’ve got the tendency to overdo it.
“You know, wanting to be useful. Trying to protect everyone. You don’t have to carry that burden.
“Leave that stuff to us. As for you—
“‘Act without thinking. If you do, I’m sure everything will turn out well.’”
I had echoed Lydia’s words, and Sylphy’s eyes grew wide…before she let out a little chuckle.
“As if I’d lose to the likes of youuuuuuuuuuuu! ” she boomed, moving and acting in a way that was nowhere near the original script.
After that, everything was improvised. Sylphy acted how she pleased, and Ireena and I took cues to follow along.
Just like old times.
The play was absolute chaos, but the audience seemed to enjoy it, showering us with more applause than ever before for our derailed performance.
“Gweh?! I-I’m done for…! B-but I shall be reborn again— Gah. ”
At this point, she was just Sylphy. She wasn’t even acting anymore.
But that didn’t matter. The theater erupted in round after round of applause, cheering on and on and on.
After the play, we stepped foot backstage, where Sylphy approached me. Her face was slightly flushed, and she seemed embarrassed about what she was about to say. I knew she’d stand around forever without even attempting to open her mouth when she got like this. I helped her out.
“Great job, Sylphy. That improv at the end was great.”
“Y-yeah. Thanks… It was all because of you.”
“Not at all. You’re the one who made it happen.”
“…You’re so nice, honestly, unlike him… Well, I guess he was the teensiest bit decent,” she admitted with a gentle smile, looking as though she was reminiscing.
Sylphy looked down. “I caused a lot of trouble for you and Ireena again. I’m really sorry.”
At this solemn apology, the eyes of everyone in the class widened.
Among them, Ireena gave a hoot. “For what? Ard and I had a blast at the end because of you! No trouble at all. In fact, I should be thanking you. Right, Ard?”
“As Ireena said, I had a splendid time. I’m certain the audience felt the same about our play. I attribute its success to you, Sylphy.”
Her bowed head began to tremble… As if unable to face us, she turned away.
“Y-you’re right! I did bring home the glory! W-well, I think I’ll go on patrol for a bit! Phew, I’m swamped with work!” Sylphy sprinted off.
I continued to stare after her.
An open book, as always. I smiled at this thought.
It was twilight, and the school was aglow with the orange tinge of the evening sun as Sylphy strolled around. Her heart was bursting with joy.
Ard Meteor. Ireena Litz de Olhyde. Their faces were etched into her mind.
Particularly Ard Meteor… He made her heart skip a beat… Just as it used to with Lydia.
“…To be nice to me, even though I caused trouble. I never thought I’d meet someone like that again,” she murmured to herself, recalling the events of the play in her mind.
When she had forgotten her lines and panicked, he’d repeated something that Lydia had once said to her. Which would explain why she was projecting Lydia onto him.
But… He would always and forever be Ard—not Lydia.
“Geez. Where did she go? …If this play gets people buzzing, maybe she’ll hear about it. Maybe…she’ll—”
—come see me , Sylphy had been about to say when her eyes caught sight of a woman from behind with swaying silver hair.
“S-Sis…?!” Sylphy’s feet instinctually began to move as she raced toward the woman. “It’s you…! It’s you…! That’s right; she loves festivals…! There’s no way she wouldn’t come to one…to me!”
The corners of her eyes pooled with tears. For three years, she’d wanted to see her again. And these feelings had been particularly strong recently.
There was so much she wanted to tell her.
“Sis!” Sylphy called out to her.
When the woman turned around, Sylphy’s eyes widened at the face before her.
“…? U-um, can I help you?”
It was someone else.
Even though the color of her hair was the exact same, the face in front of her wasn’t Lydia’s. A wave of disappointment crushed Sylphy, robbing her of all words and emotion.
As the silence carried on, the silver-haired woman looked at her uneasily and finally left.
“…Ha-ha. I’m so stupid.” Her eyes misted slightly, but she exercised restraint.
Looking up at the darkening sky, she spoke quietly to herself.
“I want to see you, Sis…”
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